20 



BULLETIN 398, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table XIII shows that the average yield of plats sown October 1 

 and October 15 is from 10 to 11 bushels per acre less than that of 

 plats sown September 1 to 7. 



In all the varietal tests at the Judith Basin substation an effort 

 has been made to sow winter wheat early; that is, between August 10 

 and September 10. In 1908, the only year when there was much 

 winterkilhng, the seeding was late because the seed was not available 



earlier. 



E,ate-of-Sbeding Experiments. 



Rate-of-seeding experiments with winter wheat were started in 

 1909 and conducted for six years. During the first three years, the 

 Tiu-key (C. I. No. 1558) was used, while during the last three years 

 the Kharkof (C. I. No. 1583) was sown. The rates of seeding ranged 

 from 2 to 8 pecks per acre. Table XIV contains the data that have 

 been obtained from these tests. This table shows that there is but 

 little difference in the yields produced from the 3-peck and the 4-peck 

 rates of seeding, the rates from which the highest yields have been- 

 obtained. 



Because of the free tillering of winter wheat it is not necessary to 

 seed heavily in order to get a good stand. Seeding more than 4 pecks 

 to the acre not only reduces the yield but also the quahty of the grain. 

 Three pecks is the rate usually sown by farmers in the Judith Basin 

 and is the one at which all of the plats in the varietal tests are sown. 



Table XIV. — Annual and average yields obtained in a rate-of-:seeding test with winter 

 wheat at the Judith Basin substation, Moccasin, Mont., during six years, 1909 to 1914, 

 inclusive. 



Rate of seeding. 



2 pecks. 



3 pecks 



4 peeks . 



5 pecks. 



6 pecks. 

 8 pecks. 



Yield per acre (bushels). 



1909 



16.4 

 32.0 

 35.4 



23.6 



22.8 



36.5 

 41.5 

 38.0 

 35.0 

 31.6 

 28.2 



33.3 

 37.3 

 35.0 

 35.0 

 35.3 

 36.8 



16.7 

 18.6 

 21.7 

 19.0 

 20.4 

 20.7 



27.7 

 32.5 

 30.3 

 25.7 

 26.7 

 27.0 



25.0 



28.8 

 27.8 



Average. 



1909 to 

 1914 



25.8 

 31.8 

 31.2 



1910 to 

 1913 



28.5 

 32.5 

 31.2 



28.7 

 28.5 

 28.2 



SPRING WHEAT. 



Spring wheat is not as important a crop in Montana as winter wheat. 

 In the Judith Basin the acreage of spring wheat is very small in com- 

 parison with that of winter wheat. In the eastern part of the State, 

 where winter wheat is not a sure crop, spring wheat is of more 

 importance. 



The work with spring wheat at Moccasin has included field plat 

 and nursery tests. The varieties tested have included those tha't 

 have given the best results in other dry-land districts of the Great 

 Plains area. 



