366 THE SMALL GRAINS 



In experiments at the North Dakota station for 2 

 years, the best rates of seeding spring wheat, oats, and 

 barley were 5j pecks, 8 pecks, and 8 to 10 pecks respec- 

 tively. It should be noted that this locality is much more 

 humid than the western Great Plains. At the Dickin- 

 son, North Dakota, substation, the seeding of winter wheat 

 above 4 pecks to the acre increased the winter killing. 

 Thicker seeding reduces the supply of moisture to each 

 plant. The plants therefore become weakened by lack 

 of moisture and are more easily killed. Durum wheat 

 at 5 pecks, common spring wheat at 4 pecks, winter 

 wheat at 3 to 4 pecks, and oats and barley at 6 pecks, 

 seem to be the proper rates of seeding to the acre, for 

 these cereals in western North and South Dakota. 



In Saskatchewan, it is stated that long experience has 

 shown that best results are obtained from sowing if 

 bushels of wheat and 2 bushels of oats or barley to the 

 acre. On summer-tilled heavy soil, a seeding of if 

 bushels of wheat and 2f bushels of oats or barley to the 

 acre may be a little better, and will cause the crop to 

 ripen earlier. Atkinson and Nelson (1914, pp. 154-155) 

 found, in 5 years' experiments with rates of seeding for 

 winter wheat, that 3 to 4 pecks gave the best yields, 3 

 pecks being apparently better than 4 pecks. For oats 

 and barley, about 40 pounds to the acre seemed to be the 

 best. 



Experiments conducted so far at the Archer, Wyoming, 

 substation indicate that about 3 pecks of wheat and 4 

 pecks of oats or barley are the best quantities of seed to 

 the acre. Invariably a little less seed will be required 

 for any cereal in drilling than in broadcasting. In experi- 

 ments by Montgomery (1910, pp. 7-9) at the Nebraska 

 station for several years, 10 pecks of oats in broadcasting 



