1919] FIELD CROPS. 331 



such a marked extent, while In several Instances the second rnte of application 

 to the cereals produced more grain than the highest rate. Millet, cowpeaa, 

 potatoes, and sugar boots responded somewhat to Irrigation, but scarcely In 



proportion to the amount of water applied. 



Unfavorable weather conditions during the spring and early summer of 1916 

 at the Colby substation resulted in poor stands of spring crops. Yellow milo 

 is said to be the most promising grain sorghum for western Kansas and Red 

 Amber the best kind for forage. In a test of winter wheat varieties, Kanred 

 was first with a yield of 42.55 bu. per acre. Greatly Increased yields were ob- 

 tained from irrigated plats of potatoes, grain and forage sorghums, corn for 

 silage and fodder, and Sudan grass. 



At the Tribune substation Sudan grass sown broadcast produced over 1\ tons 

 of hay per acre, and sown in 42 in. rows about 1} tons. Millet and Sudan grass 

 sown July 15 yielded over 1 ton per acre. Fair yields were obtained of dwarf 

 milo, dwarf Kafir, and Freed sorghum. 



[Work with field crops at the Belle Fourche reclamation project experi- 

 ment farm in 1917], B. Aune (U. 8. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus., Work Belle 

 Fourche Expt. Farm, 1917, pp. 10-1J/, 2J f -28). — In continuation of work pre- 

 viously noted (E. S. R., 38, p. 30), this report deals with rotation experiments 

 with Irrigated field crops, smnll grains, and variety trials with corn. Obser- 

 vations on corn and sunflower silage are also noted. 



The average yields for all crops grown in the irrigated rotation experiments 

 during 1017 amounted to 3 tons of hay per acre for alfalfa, 12.35 tons for sugar 

 beets, 42.92 bu. for corn, 19.9 bu. for winter wheat, 27.8 bu. for spring wheat, 

 59.2 bu. for oats, 27 bu. for barley, 14.6 bu. for flax, and 148.7 bu. for potatoes. 

 Clover for hay and seed winterkilled. Alfalfa two or more years old produced 

 on the average 3.74 tons per acre ; first-year alfalfa sown in the fall of 1916, 

 2.92 tons ; and that sown in the spring of 1917, 1.08 tons. 



The highest yield of beets, 20.86 tons per acre, was secured in a rotation of 

 oats (manured) and beets, producing 8.2 tons more than a similar rotation 

 without manure. The average sugar content of the beets for 1917 was 20.2 

 per cent and the average purity 87.2. The maximum yield of potatoes was ob- 

 tained after beets and amounted to 205 bu. per acre. Potatoes cropped continu- 

 ously for 6 and 5 years produced 146.5 and 192.7 bu. per acre, respectively. 

 Considerable increases were noted in all rotations with manure, while the yields 

 after alfalfa were low. The average percentage of marketable tubers for all 

 cropping systems was S4.4. Oats after beets and potatoes have given uniformly 

 good results, the maximum yield being obtained in a rotation of oats (manured) 

 and beets. After corn the yields have not been satisfactory. Rotations with 

 manure have not shown any decided increase in the yield of oats. The high- 

 est wheat yield. 86.9 bu. per aero, was obtained in a 4-year rotation where 

 wheat followed alfalfa. Wheat after beets has also given good results. The 

 maximum yield of corn, 53.8 bu., was secured where corn followed barley. The 

 maximum flax yield, 17.6 bu., was obtained from plats sown continuously to 

 flax for 6 years, while yields amounting to 16.1 and 15.5 bu. were obtained after 

 corn (hogged off) and after beets, respectively. 



Based on the results of observations covering a period of 6 years the follow- 

 ing are deemed to be the more important indications : 



"Alfalfa has shown no marked increase in yield on crops that followed it. 

 Grains following a cultivated crop have given better net returns per acre than 

 when following alfalfa or grain. The application of manure has shown a 

 marked increase in the yields of potatoes and sugar beets, but not of grains. 

 Sugar beets following a cultivated crop have given uniformly good results, and 

 sugar beets following a grain crop without any manure and after clover have 



