CEEEALS ON THE BELLE FOURCHE EXPERIMENT FARM. 



63 



Table XLVI. — Yietds^of wheat, oats, and barley, separately and mixtures of 

 these crops, grown on irrigated land on the Belle Fourche Experiment Farm, 

 1915 to 1911, inclusive. 



Crop and mixture. 



Yields per acre (pounds). 



1915 1916 1917 Average, 



Barley 



Oats 



Wheat 



Barley and oats 



Barley and wheat 



Oats and wheat 



Barley, oats, and wheat 



Averages of crops grown alone: 



Barley and oats 



Barley and wheat 



Oats and wheat 



Barley, oats, and wheat. . . 



1,830 

 1,825 

 1,641 

 1,950 

 1,775 

 1, 750 

 1,930 



1,828 

 1,735 

 1,733 

 1,765 



1,108 



1,300 

 1,083 

 1,300 

 1,083 

 1,333 

 1,283 



1,204 

 1,095 

 1,191 

 1.164 



2,516 

 2,325 

 2,391 

 2,516 

 2,300 

 2,225 

 2,108 



2,420 

 2,453 

 2,358 

 2,411 



1,818 

 1,816 

 1,705 

 1,922 

 1,719 

 1,769 

 1,774 



1,817 

 1,761 

 1,760 

 1,780 



In 1915 all of the mixtures and in 1916 all of the mixtures except 

 the barley and wheat showed higher yields than the averages of the 

 crops grown alone. In 1917 the barley and wheat, oats and wheat, 

 and the barley, oats, and wheat mixtures yielded less than the aver- 

 ages in the grains sown alone. The 3-year average yields show very 

 little advantage in growing the grain mixtures. The barley and oats 

 mixture yielded 105 pounds per acre more than the average of the 

 two crops grown alone, but the other three mixtures yielded nearly 

 the same as the averages of the same grains grown alone. Under 

 the conditions of the experiment the growing of grain mixtures 

 would not be advisable. If the varieties of the different crops had 

 very different habits or periods of growth, increased yields from 

 mixtures might be expected, but this would be offset by the difficulties 

 and losses in harvesting. 



WHEAT AND FLAX MIXTURES. 



The experiments with mixtures of wheat and flax were begun in 

 1916. After the crops had emerged the severe soil blowing early in 

 May destroyed nearly all of the flax plants, both in the mixtures and 

 where sown alone. Most of the wheat plants survived, but the mix- 

 ture experiment was of no value. The mixtures of wheat and flax 

 were again sown in 1917 and 1918. The flax, Damont, C. I. No. 3, 

 was sown at the rate of 15 pounds per acre, whether mixed with 

 wheat or sown alone. 



The wheat. Marquis, C. I. No. 3641, was sown at the rates of 37 

 pounds and 75 pounds per acre alone and mixed with flax. The 

 almost total absence of weeds from the plats made the experiment 

 of less value, because the object of the mixture of wheat and flax 

 is to overcome or replace weeds. The relative quantities of wheat 

 and flax produced in the mixtures were determined only in 1917. 



