12 BULLETIN 076, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF • AGRICULTURE. 



vegetative period is the time from seeding until the heads appear. 

 The fruiting period is the time from the appearance of the heads 

 until the kernels are ripe. The height of the plants is the average 

 of several measurements made at different places in the plat. 



Harvesting is done with a corn binder, leaving a stubble about 

 6 inches high. The bundles are shocked in the field and left from 

 four to six weeks to cure before thrashing is done. They are then 

 hauled to the scales and weighed. The heads usually are cut from 

 the bundles before thrashing is done, but occasionally very dwarf 

 varieties are thrashed without heading the bundles. Thrashing is 

 done with a Keystone No. 1 separator. The thrashed grain is 

 weighed as it comes from the thrasher and the acre yield computed 

 therefrom. The yields are based on 60 pounds to the bushel for 

 kafir and 58 pounds for all other varieties. 



ENVIRONING CONDITIONS. 



A brief summary of the environing conditions during the 6-year 

 period from 1914 to 1919, inclusive, is given to aid in the interpreta- 

 tion of the results obtained from these experiments. 



The season of 1914 was not favorable to high yields. The first 

 three months of the year were without precipitation. April had a 

 number of light showers, but none of them penetrated the soil to any 

 depth. May was unusually wet and cold, which caused poor germina- 

 tion in most plats of the early seedings. June was remarkably dry, 

 and the light rains in July furnished only temporary relief to the crop. 

 The rains in early August stimulated growth, and were followed by 

 about an inch of rainfall in the first 12 days of September, which re- 

 sulted in only fair yields. 



The season of 1915 was exceptionally favorable, resulting in the 

 highest yields in the history of the Amarillo Cereal Field Station. 

 The seasonal rainfall was sufficient and so distributed that the crop 

 at no time suffered for moisture. 



Dry and unfavorable conditions obtained during the season of 1916. 

 May was dry. A good rain fell on June 4, followed by a number of 

 light showers during the remainder of the month. July had a few 

 light showers, but the next rain of value did not come until August 20 

 and 21. This was followed by dry, hot weather during the remainder 

 of the month and the first 10 days of September. The light rains of 

 September furnished only temporary relief, so that very low yields 

 of all grain-sorghum crops resulted. 



During the season of 1917 enough moisture fell to grow good crops, 

 but the distribution was poor. The moisture for April was less than 

 half the normal, May was slightly below, and June was almost bone 

 dry, only a few light showers falling. July was normal in rainfall, 



