20 



BULLETIN 39, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



given the State an average profit of 46 per cent during the decade. 

 On this basis there has been one season, 1911, when oats were pro- 

 duced at an average loss of 63 per cent and two other seasons, 1008 

 and 1910. when there was very little gain. The data are presented 

 in detail in Table VII: 



Table VII.— Annual and average acreage, acre yield, and total production of 

 oats in South Dakota for the 10 year* from 1908 to 1912, 1 inclusive. 



Year. 



Area. 



Yield per 

 acre. 



Produc- 

 tion. 



Year. 



Area. 



Yield per 

 acre. 



Produc- 

 tion. 



1903 



Acres. 



706,000 



713,000 



721,000 



1,275,000 



1,325,006 



1,365,000 



Bushels. 

 38.6 

 39.0 

 39.0 

 36.4 

 24.7 

 23.0 



Bushels. 



27, 267, 000 



27,825,000 



28, 104, 000 



46,410,000 



32,728,000 



31,395,000 





Acres. 

 1,559,000 

 1,550,000 

 1,540,000 

 1,550,000 



Bushels. 



27.9 



23.0 



7.4 



33.8 



Bushels. 



1904 



1910 



43,566,000 



1905 





35,650,000 



1906 



1912 



11,396,000 



1907 



Average.. 



52,390,000 



190S 



1,230,400 



29.3 



33, 673, 100 



1 Data supplied by the Bureau of Statistics, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



For the 5-year period from 1907 to 1911 the climatic conditions 

 were much less favorable than during the four years immediately 

 preceding. In 1912 the season was again favorable to the produc- 

 tion of oats. Climatic conditions have been the main factor causing 

 variation in yield. It is thus apparent how important it is to have 



BROOK/ fi/GS . 



S/XTY-DAY 



SWED/SH SELECT.. 



L/A/OOLM 



BELYAK. 



BANM£R. 



S/XTY-DAY. 



SWED/SH SELECT.. 



/./MC-OL.N- 



BELYA/<. 



BAAVA/E/?. I 



M33.0BC/. 

 \32.0BV 



/-//G/-/MO&E 



I 22.3 BU. 



Ml— MM SS.7BU. 



/3. 7 BC/. 

 Milflfl 23.7 BC. 



Fig. 6. — Diagram showing the average production in bushels to the acre of the leading 

 varieties of oats grown at Brookings and Highmore, S. Dak., for the seven years from 

 1906 to 1912, inclusive. The vertical line indicates the yield estimated as necessary to 

 cover the cost of production. 



adapted varieties of oats. These best respond to favorable condi- 

 tions or best resist unfavorable ones, so that, on the average, for a 

 period of years, they are able to produce the best yields of grain of 

 good quality. 



VARIETAL TESTS. 



The results of trials of a number of varieties of oats at the various 

 stations in South Dakota, are presented in Table VIII. The Banner 

 variety (S. Dak. No. 116, C, I. No. 160), which is included in these 

 tests, is typical of the oats quite generally grown in the State. With 

 this variety for comparison the reader can form an accurate idea of 

 the value of the better varieties and of the result if more attention 

 were given to the growing of the best ones. In this table the annual 



