26 



BULLETIN 498, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the early seeding in the four years was 6.2 bushels per aero. In the 

 early seeding the thickest rate (s peeks) gave the highest average 

 yield, and in the late seeding the 3-peck rate gave the highest average 

 yield. The average date of the early seeding was March 22 and of 

 the late seeding, April 20. 



Table XIV. — Ann mil and averrtge yields obtained in a rate-of-seeding test of Pacific 

 Bluest* n: wheat sown on tiro dates at the Mow substation during the 4-year period, 1912 

 to 191.5, inclusive. 



Year and date of seeding. 



Season of 1912: 



Early (Mar. 25). 



Late (Apr. 26).. 

 Season of 1913: 



Earlv (Mar. 25). 



Late (Apr. 25).. 

 Season of 1914: 



Early (Mar. 16). 



Late (Apr. 16).. 

 Season of 1915: 



Early (Mar. 22). 



Late (Apr. 15)... 

 Average yields: 



All dates 



Early seeding. .. 



Late seeding 



Yields per acre (bushels) at given rates of seeding. 



2 pecks. 



18.5 

 10.5 



17.5 

 13.7 



12.5 

 14.3 

 10.6 



3 pecks. 



8.8 



17.5 

 10.0 



15.5 

 11.7 



18.6 

 10.4 



13.5 

 15.1 



11.9 



4 pecks, 



13.6 

 11.8 



20.8 

 7.7 



14.5 



8.7 



15. 1 



11.1 



12.9 



16.0 

 9.8 



Specks, 



12.5 

 14.0 



21.3 

 7.6 



17.8 

 5.3 



17.2 

 10.5 



13.3 



17.2 

 9.4 



6 pecks. 



10.5 

 15.1 



18. 3 



8.3 



16.3 

 3.7 



20.6 

 11.4 



13.3 

 16.4 

 9.6 



7 pecks, 



13.1 

 15.5 



20.0 

 10.4 



17.3 

 4.0 



18.0 

 12.8 



13.9 



17.1 

 10.7 



Specks. 



20.0 

 13.1 



18.1 



3.7 



19.2 

 10.2 



14.0 



19.1 

 9.0 



Aver- 

 age. 



10.9 

 13.3 



19.5 

 9.7 



16.7 

 7.3 



18.1 

 11.1 



16.3 

 10.1 



On April 9, 1913, and April 6, 1914, eight check plats were sown 

 with the same variety, Pacific Bluestem, at the rate of 5 pecks per 

 acre. This provided a medium date of seeding to compare with the 

 early and late dates discussed above. The earliest seeding at the 

 rate of 5 pecks per acre gave higher yields in both years than any 

 check plat, further indicating the advantage of early seeding. 



SPRING OATS. 



From the standpoint of total production, oats are a less important 

 crop than wheat and barley in the Columbia Basin. Judging from 

 yields obtained at the substation at Moro, oats probably have not 

 received the attention they deserve from the farmers of this section. 

 This undoubtedly is due to the fact that the header and the combined 

 harvester-thrasher, the harvesting machines most commonly used 

 in the Columbia Basin, are not adapted to the economical handling 

 of this crop. Grain must be thoroughly ripe before it is cut with a 

 header or thrashed with a combined harvester-thrasher. Much of 

 the oat crop is lost through shattering if left too long after maturity 

 before it is harvested. The oat varieties at the substation have 

 always been cut with a binder and thrashed from the shock. 



VARIETAL EXPERIMENTS. 



In 1912 the oat varietal experiment was on spring-disked corn ground. 

 In the other years reported the oats were grown on ground summer 

 tilled the previous year, as in the case of the spring barley and wheat. 



