28 BULLETIISr 402^ U. S. DEPAETMElSrT OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Wliat has been true of other similar tests at the Akron Field 

 Station is true of the rate-of -seeding test with oats, namely, that 

 the data are not consistent. In 1911, which was a dry year, there 

 was a gradual increase in yield as the rate of seeding increased. In 

 1912 there was no uniform variation. The 6-peck rate yielded 71.9 

 bushels per acre, the 4-peck rate 40 bushels, and the 3-peck rate 61.7 

 bushels. In 1913 the data show an exact reverse. The 6-peck rate 

 produced the lowest yield, the 4-peck rate the highest yield, and the 

 3-peck rate next to the lowest. In 1914, again, the highest yield 

 came from the 4-peck rate, but the 3-peck and 5-peck rates are both 

 lower in yield than the 2-peck and the 6-peck rates. In 1915 there 

 is a return to a uniformly gradual increase in yield as the rate in- 

 creases from 2 pecks to 6 pecks. 



It seems probable that a part of the lack of uniformity throughout 



the experiment may be due to soil variation. The 4-peck rate has 



produced the highest average yield in the five years. The 4-year 



average from the 6-peck rate is highest, but two seasons of favorable 



rainfall are included. In the one year of low rainfall, 1913, the 6- 



peck rate produced less than half the yield from the 4-peck rate. 



The conclusion drawn from the data available at the present time is 



that the 4-peck rate will produce the highest yield under average 



conditions. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH BARLEY. 



In this section of the Great Plains spring barley is grown both 

 for farm use as a feed and for market. One variety may be best 

 adapted for feeding and another prove to be best to grow for market. 

 Several varieties and strains of barley have been tested, and four of 

 these, representing three groups, have been grown for eight years. 

 The 8-year average yield of four huUed barleys is 35.9 bushels 

 per acre. No rate-of-seeding tests have been conducted with barley. 



Varietal tests of barley have been conducted on field plats and in 

 the nursery. 



PLAT EXPERIMENTS. 



The varietal tests of barley have become more extensive from 

 year to year. Table XX shows the annual and average yields of 

 19 varieties of barley grown at the Akron Field Station for varying 

 periods from 1908 to 1915, inclusive. 



The 2-rowed hulled group contains the Blackhull (C. I. No. 878), 

 which has black glumes, and nine other varieties with light glumes. 

 All of this group have beards. The 6-rowed hulled group contains 

 Arlington Awnless (C. I. No. 702), which has light glumes and no 

 beards; Coast (C. I. No. 690), with white glumes and long heavy 

 beards; Horsford (C. I. No. 877), light glumes and hooded; and 

 Gatami (C. I. No. 575), with black glumes and beards. The data 

 show that of the varieties grown throughout the 8-year period, 



