INVESTIGATIONS AT ARDMORE, S. DAK. 



37 



Sorgo and Sudan grass were grown in 42-inch rows in the sorgo 

 variety test and in 7-inch drills in the millet variety test during 

 certain years from 1915 to 1931. Comparison of the yields from the 

 two methods of production is made in table IT. Both sorgo and 

 Sudan grass produced higher yields in drilled plots than in rows. 



Table 17. — Acre yields of sorgo and Sudan grass groivn in 7-inch drills and 

 in 42-inch rows at the Ardmore station, during certain years from 1915 to 

 1931 



Crop 



1915 



1916 



1918 



1919 



1920 



1923 



1924 



1925 



1926 



1927 



1928 



1929 



1930 



1931 



Aver- 

 age 



Sorgo: i 



Drilled. 



Lb. 



7,470 

 8,300 



Lb. 

 7,830 

 6,860 



3,980 

 3,660 



Lb. 

 4,170 

 5,850 



3,670 

 4,180 



Lb. 



4,870 

 3,930 



1,880 

 2,430 



Lb. 



8,880 

 3,650 



5,830 

 2,820 



Lb. 

 5,100 

 4,320 



3,400 

 5 090 



Lb. 

 

 936 





 628 



Lb. 



1,160 

 2,433 



4,400 

 2,000 



Lb. 

 5,920 

 4,910 



2,900 

 2,450 



Lb. 

 14, 833 

 6,988 



8,167 

 3,917 



Lb. 



5,333 

 4,193 



4,500 

 2,070 



Lb. 



6,333 

 2,917 



2,667 

 1,675 



Lb. 

 5,000 

 3,065 



4,875 

 3,415 



Lb. 



1,750 

 1,268 



1,500 

 872 



Lb. 



5,618 

 4,259 



3,675 

 2,708 



Sudan grass: 



Drilled 















i Dakota Amber. 



Sudan grass cures readily when cut and is easily handled as hay. 

 It should be planted with a drill and handled like any other hay crop. 

 Sorgo dries Very slowly and is subject to injury by wet weather dur- 

 ing the curing process. Sorgo in rows produces a much higher per- 

 centage of seed than that planted in drills, and is easily handled as 

 a fodder crop. In spite of the lower yield, its production in culti- 

 vated rows is recommended. The better quality of feed and the 

 greater ease of handling more than make up for the difference in 

 tonnage. 



ALFALFA, BKOMEGEASS, AND CEESTED WHEATGKASS 



Tests of alfalfa, bromegrass, and crested wheatgrass were con- 

 ducted by the Office of Alkali and Drought Resistant Plant Breeding 

 Investigations during the period 1917-22. No tests were conducted 

 during the period 1923-25. Seedings of bromegrass, crested wheat- 

 grass, and four varieties of alfalfa were made in 1926, from which 

 yield data are available from 1927 to 1930. 



Results given in table 18 show that crested wheatgrass and alfalfa 

 approached each other very closely in yield during the entire period. 

 In the early seeding crested wheatgrass was more productive, and 

 during the later period alfalfa was more productive. Bromegrass 

 was decidedly lower in yield than crested wheatgrass during both 

 periods. Reduction in yield through becoming sod-boimd was re- 

 sponsible for much of the lowered yield of bromegrass. -In neither 

 of the seedings that were made did crested wheatgrass become sod- 

 bound. 



Table 18. — Annual and average acre yields of alfalfa, bromegrass, and crested 

 wheatgrass hay at the Ardmore station, during certain years from 1911 to 

 1930 



Crop and variety 



1917 



1918 



1919 



1920 



1921 



1922 



1927 



1928 



1929 



1930 



Aver- 

 age, 

 1927-30 



Aver- 

 age, 

 1917-30 



Alfalfa: 



Grimm 



Lb. 

 1,800 



Lb. 

 5,570 



Lb. 

 1,170 



Lb. 



550 



Lb. 

 1,600 



Lb. 



2,000 



Lb. 



4,567 



5,017 



4,667 



4,400 



2,267 



2,227 



Lb. 



1,150 



1,517 



1,117 



1,350 



1,100 



1,533 



Lb. 

 1,160 

 1,360 

 1,360 

 1,327 

 833 

 733 



Lb. 

 350 

 850 

 535 

 485 

 550 



1,135 



Lb. 



1,807 



2,186 



1,920 



1,891 



1,188 



1,407 



Lb. 

 1,992 



S Dak. No. 12 





































Bromegrass 



3,400 

 5,400 



2,300 

 4,800 



240 

 1,100 



160 



250 



800 

 1,400 



800 

 1,500 



1,245 



Crested wheatgrass 



2,008 



