YIELD 431 



Montgomery gives the following results of experiments upon the rate 

 of seeding and yield in an American winter wheat sown in rows 8 inches 

 apart and $ inch, i inch, i, and 2 inches asunder in the rows. 



TABLE II 



The relationship between tillering and yield per acre is of a compli- 

 cated nature. So far as the yield of the individual plant is concerned, the 

 more it tillers the greater the return in grain and straw. Moreover, when 

 sown at the normal time in autumn or spring the more highly tillered the 

 plants the greater the average weight of the ears, although when the tiller- 

 ing is excessive through sowing abnormally early the average weight of 

 the ears decreases. These conclusions are evident from the table above, 

 and from the results given on page 424 (Fig. 227). 



The number of straws or ears and the average weight of the ears are 

 the factors controlling the yield per acre. 



With thick sowing the number of ears per acre increases, but the 

 weight of the individual ears decreases. A thinly sown crop in which the 

 same number of straws are present as in one thickly sown gives a higher 

 yield on account of the fact that tillered plants have a higher average 

 weight of ear. 



Nevertheless, if the number of grains is much less than that ordinarily 

 sown the increased number of straws per plant and the greater average 

 weight of each ear do not compensate for the loss of plants which thin 

 sowing entails. 



Thus tillering may result either in an increase or a decrease in the 

 yield per acre when compared with a crop in which each plant has 

 produced but a single car on account of being thickly sown. 



While increased tillering leads to the production of more straw per 

 plunt^ the number of straws per acre decreases with tillering, a paradoxical 

 statement which depends for its truth upon the fact, that the smaller the 

 number of plants the greater the tillering ; at the same time this does not 

 compensate for the loss of plants incurred by thin-sowing. 



In Table I. there is seen a rise of the yield per acre as the plants 

 become closer from 24 inches x 24 inches down to 6 inches i inch. 



