CEREAL INVESTIGATIONS ON THE BELLE FOUECHE FAEM. 



31 



worthy of consideration. In 1911 no yields were obtained from any 

 of the varieties, because of the severe drought. 



In 1912 there was little water stored in the soil, but the precipita- 

 tion during the growing season was fairly favorable. On account of 

 the dryness of the soil at seeding time the drill was run rather deeper 

 than usual. Just after seeding a heavy rain caused the soil to pack 

 and crust, so that the germination was low. This, in addition to 

 the lack of stored water, caused the low yields which were obtained. 

 The midseason and late varieties yielded better than the early 

 varieties, for the reason that they were benefited by a heavy rain 

 which fell early in July, too late to be of material help to the early 

 varieties. 



In 1913 the varietal test of oats was grown on land which produced 

 a crop of corn in 1912. In all previous years the oats were grown 

 on soil which had been fallowed. The corn land was not plowed but 

 was disked and harrowed to make a good seed bed. The rainfall 

 conditions were about normal and fair yields were obtained. As in 

 previous years the 

 earlier varieties pro- 

 duced the highest 

 yields. 



In 1907 two plats 

 of Boswell Winter 

 oats, C. I. No. 480, 

 were sown. Only a 

 small percentage of 

 the plants survived 

 the winter, but these tillered so freely that a yield of 28.5 bushels 

 per acre was obtained. This variety was again sown in 1908 and 

 1909, but winterkilled entirely each year. 



LEADING VARIETIES OF OATS. 



In Table XVII the average date of heading, date of ripening, weight 

 per bushel, and yield per acre of grain and of straw are given for the 

 five varieties which were grown during the entire period of six years. 

 With the exception of the yield data, the averages are for five years 

 (1908-1910, 1912, and 1913). The average yields of grain are shown 

 graphically in figure 10. 



The five varieties which have been grown for the entire six years 

 at Newell, in the order of their average yield, are the Sixty-Day, 

 Kherson, Canadian, Swedish Select, and White Russian. The pure- 

 line selection of Sixty-Day, C. I. No. 626, which was added to the 

 test in 1910, has given an average yield 1.6 bushels higher than the 

 unselected Sixty-Day for the four years from 1910 to 1913. 



The Sixty-Day and Kherson are very similar varieties, imported 

 about 15 years ago from southern Russia. They are early in maturing, 



Y/ELD 

 o 



s 



'O /S 20 36 



early: 



sixty- day . 



KHERSO/V- _ 



M/DSEASOA/: 



CA/VAD/A/V . . 



swed/sm select... 

 late: 



tyR/TE /fUSS /A /V. 





Z9.4 3 (J. 

 3J BU. 







| 



Pf.6BU 





















Fig. 10.— Diagram showing the average yields per acre, in bushels, 

 of the leading varieties of oats at the Belle Fourche Experiment 

 Farm, for six years, 1908 to 1913, inclusive. 



