CEREAL EXPERIMENTS AT THE WILLISTOIST SUBSTATION. 



33 



EXPERIMENTS WITH FLAX. 



The yields obtained from the varieties of flax that have been tested 

 at W illi s ton are shown in Table XVIII. In 1908 the flax was sown 

 on ground that produced oats the previous year. In 1909, 1910, and 

 1912 the flax varieties were tested on breaking. In 1911 they were 

 on ground that was planted to corn the previous year, but that crop 

 was destroyed by hail in August. In 1913 and 1914 the varieties 

 were sown on fallow ground. In both these years the plats were 

 so overgrown with Russian thistles that the yields were not considered 

 comparable and hence are not reported. 



Table XVIII. — Annual and average yields of six varieties of flax grown at the Williston 

 substation, 1908 to 1912, inclusive. 1 



C. I'. 





Yield per acre (bushels). 



NO. vaiioiy. 



1908 



1909 



1910 



1912 



'Average. 



16 



North Dakota Xo. 1221 



8.5 

 7.4 

 7.8 



23.5 



22.4 

 21.7 

 11.2 



5.4 

 6.5 

 5.2 

 3.6 



27.5 



26.8 

 27.2 

 23.9 

 30.0 

 19.7 



16.2 



17 





15.8 



18 



North Dakota Xo. 1133 ... 



15.5 



10 







8 









12 

























i These varieties were grown in 1913 and 1914, but the plats were so overgrown with Russian thistles 

 that comparable yields could not be obtained. 



The average yields of the three lots of flax that have been grown 

 for the four years (1909 to 1912) are practically the same, ranging 

 from 15.5 to 16.2 bushels. In 1912 the race known as North Dakota 

 Resistant No. 52, which was included in the tests for the first time 

 that year, produced the highest yield. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH MINOR CEREALS. 



Experiments with the minor spring cereals at Williston have in- 

 cluded three varieties of emmer, one of rye, one of spelt, one of proso, 

 and one of millet. While emmer has given good yields for most of the 

 six years tested, it has not proved to be a better crop than barley. 

 Table XIX presents the annual and average yields for six years (1909 

 to 191 \) of one variety of emmer and one of rye with those of standard 

 varieties of durum and common wheat and of oats and barley for 

 comparison. The average yields per acre are given in pounds as well 

 as bushels, so that the comparison can be made more readily. 



Table XIX shows that oats produced more pounds of grain per 

 u<re than the besl varieties of wheal, barley, emmer, and rye. The 

 average yield of Siberian oats for the six years was 2,256 pounds to 

 the acre.; of Kuhunka durum and Power fife wheat, 1 ,96S and 1,872 

 pounds, respectively; of Manchuria barley (Williston No. 170), 2,088 

 pounds; of emmer, 1,580 pounds; and pfrye, 1,.'>77 pounds. 



