40 



BULLETIN 297, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table XXII. — Yields of flax and weight of seed per bushel in a date-of-seeding test on the 

 Belle Fourche Experiment Farm in 1912 and 1913. 





Date of seeding. 



Yield. 



Weight 

 of seed 





Grain. 



Strav.-. 



per 



bushel. 



May 15 



1912. 



Bushels. 

 8.3 

 10.6 



7.7 

 4.8 

 3.0 



Pounds. 

 1,020 

 1,860 



1,110 

 830 

 530 



Pounds. 

 55 



June 1 





54.3 



May 2 



1913. 



•54.8 



May 23 



55.0 





53.7 







SUMMARY. 



The experiments here reported were conducted on unirrigated land 

 on the Belle Fourche Reclamation Project at Newell, S. Dak., from 

 1908 to 1913. 



The results obtained at Newell are believed to be applicable in 

 general to western South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and south- 

 eastern Montana. 



The experiments were conducted on a heavy, impervious clay soil 

 known as Pierre clay. This soil is quite typical of the locality. 



The average precipitation during the six years was 13.41 inches. 

 The average precipitation during the growing season for small grams, 

 March to July, inclusive, w r as 7.76 inches. The minimum precipita- 

 tion for the growing season and for the year was recorded in 1911. 



On the average, satisfactory yields were obtained from winter 

 wheat and fairly good yields from spring wheat. The returns from 

 spring oats, barley, and emmer and from winter rye and emmer have 

 not been sufficient to make these crops profitable. Total or almost 

 total failures of all crops were recorded in 1911 and 1912. 



The best average yields of spring wheat have been obtained from 

 the durum varieties, Kubanka and Arnautka. Of the spring common 

 w T heats, the best variety to grow appears to be the Power Fife. 



The best rate of seeding for durum wheat is from 4 to 5 pecks to the 

 acre and for spring common wheat from 3 to 4 perks. 



The best varieties of winter wheat for western South Dakota are 

 the Kharkof, Turkey, and Crimean. These arc very similar varieties, 

 which- differ only slightly in value. 



Experiments to determine the best date of seeding for winter wheat 

 have failed to show any definite results. In general, the date of 

 seeding must be determined by the seasonal conditions. Medium 

 early seeding is to be preferred if there is sufficient moisture to insure 

 germination. 



It is much better to grow winter wheat than spring wheat in the 

 Belle Fourche section. The average yield of Kharkof winter wheat 



