20 



BULLETIN 222, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In the year of heavy yields and in the following year of very light 

 yields the best production was on disked corn ground. In 1912 the 

 only yield secured was from spring-plowed barley stubble. The same 

 plat also gave the highest yield in 1913. It is probable that in both 

 cases these results were due to the fact that the crop on this plat 

 made a poor start and had a thinner stand, which helped it in with- 

 standing the drought of the summer. 



Subsoiling, as compared with fall-plowing done at the same time, 

 appears to have been effective in increasing the crop in the year of 

 good yield, but not in overcoming drought in other years. The same 

 observation applies to furrowing with the lister instead of plowing. 



In the average results from the whole period of years, summer tillage 

 and disking corn ground stand by themselves. On the basis of yield 

 there is little or no choice to be made between the two. But when the 

 cost of production is figured in connection with the value of the crop 

 it is seen that by all methods except the use of disked corn ground the 

 crop has been produced at a loss. The low cost of production by the 

 disking method enables it to show a nominal average profit of 35 

 cents per acre. 



SCOTTSBLUFF FIELD STATION. 



The results of only two years with barley are available for study 

 from Scottsbluff, Nebr. The crop of 1913 was lost through a fault 

 in the seed that made it necessary to reseed. The reseeded crop 

 grew and maintained the continuity of the work in the effect upon 

 the ground for the following crop, but was too late to mature before 

 growth was checked by the hot weather of midsummer. Production 

 in one year was good and in the other it was poor. 



Table XII. — Yields and cost of production of barley by different methods at the Scotts- 

 bluff Field Station, 1912 and 1914. 



Treatment and previous crop. 



Number 

 of plats 

 aver- 

 aged. 



Yield per acre (bushels). 1 



1912 



1914 



Average. 





1 



23.5 



4.4 



14.0 







Spring plowed: 



1 



1 



21.3 

 22.5 



6.0 

 11.8 



13.7 



Oats 



17.2 







Total or average 



2 



21.9 



8.9 



15.4 







Disked: Corn 



1 

 1 

 1 

 1 



31.3 



23.8 

 24.8 

 39.6 



5.8 

 5.0 

 5.2 

 15.6 



18.6 



Listed: Barley 



14.4 



Subsoiled: Bailey 



15.0 



Summer tilled 



27.6 







Average of all 7 plats 





26.7 



7.7 



17.2 









1 The crop of 1913 was a failure, due to poor seed. 



