28 BULLETIN 157, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



studied. Early seeding, not later than October 1, seems desirable, 

 but as this is not always practicable, owing to a dry seed bed, the 

 chief problem seems to be a mechanical one involving some im- 

 provement of the machinery now used in seeding the grain. The 

 improvement believed to be necessary comprises a means for open- 

 ing a furrow through the dry surface soil, sowing the seed in moist 

 earth at the bottom of the furrow, and leaving the furrow partly 

 open so that the plants will not have to force their way through 

 several inches of dry soil. It is believed that seed could be sown 

 with good results in dry weather by this method, as the seed would 

 germinate rapidly and a good stand of grain would be established 

 before winter, thus greatly increasing the possibilities of a good crop. 



BARLEY, OATS, AND EMMER. 



In the fall of 1911 date-of-seeding tests with winter barley, winter 

 oats, and winter emmer were begun. Four dates were used for each 

 grain, namely, September 1, September 15, October 1, and October 

 15. All grains were sown at the rate of 6 pecks per acre on the "oats" 

 side of the drill. As has already been explained in connection with 

 the discussion of the time of seeding winter wheat, there was much 

 winterkilling in the seasons of 1911-12 and 1912-13, and, conse- 

 quently, the results obtained from these experiments with barley, 

 oats, and emmer are of little value. The tests are being continued, 

 however. 



Depth of Seeding Winter Cereals. 



Depth-of-seeding tests with winter wheat have been in progress 

 since the fall of 1908, while similar tests with winter barley, winter 

 oats, and winter emmer were begun in 1911. In all the tests, seed 

 has been sown at three different depths, 1.5, 3, and 6 inches, the 

 drill being set in the first, second, or third notch, according to the 

 depth desired. In all respects other than depth of seeding, the plats 

 in each test were treated uniformly. 



Each fall the plats were seeded at what was considered the best 

 time. Sometimes, as in 1909 and 1910, it was possible to sow the 

 seed early enough to obtain a fair growth before winter and, as a re- 

 sult, good yields were obtained. On the other hand, as in 1908, 1911, 

 and 1912, seeding was not possible until very late in the season, 

 resulting in poor yields, for reasons already explained. 



The yields of winter barley, oats, and emmer were so small in 1912 

 and 1913, because of late seeding and subsequent freezing, that they 

 are not dependable and need not be presented here. The yields of 

 winter wheat in 1913 also were very small, but as they are important 

 in connection with the results of the preceding four years, the yields 

 for the five years are presented in Table X. . 



