10 BULLETIN 253, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The sampling of April 17, 1910, shows a higher moisture content in 

 the first and second feet of plat A than in the corresponding feet in 

 plat B. 



The sampling of April 8, 1911, shows about six times as much water 

 in plat B as in plat A. 



On April 9, 1912, plat A contained more than twice as much avail- 

 able moisture as plat B. As the greater part of the moisture in plat A 

 was due to snow held by the stubble, it is probable that the snow 

 melted and the stubble refilled several times during the winter, and 

 as the increase in the moisture in this plat from October 30, 1911, to 

 April 9, 1912, was greater than the precipitation during that period, 

 the snow must have drifted on to this plat from adjacent fields. 



The moisture in the soil on April 15, 1913, was all in the first foot. 

 The amount in plat A was slightly greater than in plat B. 



In the late fall of 1913 there was but little moisture in the first foot 

 of plat B. This was slightly increased during the winter of 1913-14. 

 Plat A contained much less water at the time of sampling in the late 

 fall. There was an increase in the amount in the first, second, and 

 third feet during the winter. The grain yield from plat A was 82 per 

 cent higher than that from plat B, while the total yield of straw and 

 grain was only 16 per cent higher. 



In 1909, 1910, 1913, and 1914 there were but small differences in the 

 moisture content of the two plats at the time of seeding, and in those 

 years the better yields were from spring plowing. In 1 9 1 1 , when there 

 had been a heavy precipitation the previous August, there was a very 

 pronounced difference in favor of fall plowing. In 1912, when there 

 was moisture to the depth of 6 feet in plat A and 3 feet in plat B, the 

 yields were nearly equal. This was chiefly due to the heavy summer 

 precipitation, which supplied the crop without its having to depend 

 on stored water. 



A comparison of annual yields from spring plowing and fall plowing 

 shows considerable differences every year, except in 1912, when the 

 summer precipitation was high enough to produce good yields with 

 little or no stored moisture. In five years out of the six wheat and 

 corn have averaged better on spring plowing than on fall plowing. 

 In those five years there is not an instance where either the spring- 

 plowed wheat or corn plats dropped below the average of the fall- 

 plowed plats. 



The oat yields each season show a slightly greater variation than do 

 the yields of either wheat or corn, but still they must be considered 

 consistent. In four of the six years the average yields from the 

 spring-plowed plats were higher than those from the fall-plowed plats. 

 These were the years when spring plowing gave the better results with 

 both wheat and corn. The only year that oats gave a higher yield 



