30 BULLETIlSr 1094, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE, 



tliird, or one-sixth of the total wheat acreage, might be sown follow- 

 ing com, and the other sixth following miscellaneous crops, chiefly 

 grain and forage sorghums. The greatest cultural problem in terms 

 of acres involved, consequently, is how to prepare wheat stubble for 

 wheat. 



Results of experiments in methods of wheat production conducted 

 cooperatively at the Fort Hays branch station are available for the 

 14-year period from. 1907 to 1920, inclusive. 



During this entire period wheat has been grown continuously after 

 wheat by several methods of cultivation. There are 90 days between 

 harvest and seeding. Late plowing, 73 days after harvest and 17 

 days before seeding, has averaged 10.5 bushels per acre. This is the 

 lowest yielding method under trial, but is practically the same as the 

 EUis County average of 10.2 bushels for the same period. Early 

 plowing, 32 days after harvest and 58 days before seeding, has aver- 

 aged 14.6 bushels per care. Early plowing subsoiled has averaged 

 17 bushels, and land listed instead of early plowed has averaged 17.3 

 bushels. Land alternately fallowed and cropped to wheat has aver- 

 aged 20.3 bushels. 



During the 7-year period from 1914 to 1920, inclusive, surprising 

 success has attended the growth of wheat sown in wheat stubble 

 either disked or uncultivated. This method has averaged higher 

 yields than late plowing and nearly as much as early plowing. 



The results of the experiments show the possibility of increasing 

 the county average. Land that can be early plowed or listed can 

 not be fallowed profitably, although the yield per acre might be 

 increased somewhat. Land that can not be prepared early could 

 be fallowed more profitably than plowed late and seeded. If free 

 from perennial weeds or grasses it could still more profitably be 

 seeded in the stubble, with no preparation unless perhaps a double- 

 disking. 



Studies of the method of fallow and the length of the fallow season 

 show that the effectiveness of fallow is not increased at this station 

 by cultivation for a longer period than the growing season of the fallow 

 year. The greater part of its benefits may be realized by cultivation 

 in the period between harvest and seeding. The essential factor of 

 the fallow is the maintenance of a bare surface, prevention of the 

 gi'owth of vegetation. The cultural methods by which this is accom- 

 plished are of minor importance from the standpoint of resultant 

 yield. Their importance is in their relative cost and their effective- 

 ness in preventing soil blowing. 



Green manures, although more expensive, do not increase yields 

 over bare fallow or even over early plowing of land from which a 

 crop is harvested. 



