yield of spring wheat 7 



Hettinger 



Data for only 8 years, 1912-19, are available for study at Hettinger. 

 In 1915 all plots produced good crops regardless of the depth of moist 

 soil in the spring, and in 1916 the yields on all were very low, although 

 the soil of each was wet to 3 feet or more in the spring. A comparison 

 of the continuously cropped plots with the fallowed plot in 1917, 1918, 

 and 1919 shows sharp contrast in the yields from soil wet only in the 

 first foot and those from soil wet to a depth of 3 feet or more. The 

 record at this station is too short to be in itself more than indicative. 



Sheridan 



The record at Sheridan is complete for the 22 years 1917-38, except 

 for 1927 when the soil moisture in the spring was not determined. The 

 results are very clear cut in showing only failures or near failures from 



1 foot of wet soil, numerous low yields and an occasional good one from 



2 feet of wet soil, and generally good yields with only occasionally a 

 poor one from soil wet to a depth of 3 feet or more. 



Belle Fourche 



The Belle Fourche station, located near Newell, S. Dak., offers an 

 unbroken record of 31 years, 1908-38, for plot A and 30 years for the 

 other plots. The averages alone of the different groups are somewhat 

 misleading. In the 12 years on plot A and the 13 years on plot B 

 when available water was limited to the first foot section of soil, 46 

 and 43 percent, respectively, of the total yields were produced in 1915. 

 When this year with unusually favorable conditions is eliminated from 

 this group the average yields are 6.1 and 6.3 bushels, respectively. 

 Soil moisture to a depth of 1 foot in the spring is not sufficient. With 

 2 feet of moist soil in the spring, the percentage of failures is held to a 

 reasonably low point, and with 3 feet or more of moist soil, which is a 

 common condition of fallowed land but infrequent on land cropped 

 each year, the incidence of failure is very low. 



Ardmore 



During the period 1912-32, there are data for 16 years at the Ard- 

 more station. Hail destroyed the crops in 1914 and 1922, and in 1921, 

 1923, and 1924 there were no soil-moisture determinations in the 

 spring. At this station the dividing line between high risks with low 

 average yields and low risks with satisfactory average yields rather 

 clearly lies at or near the bottom of the second foot of soil 



Scotts Bluff 



The record at Scotts Bluff is short but rather consistent. With one 

 exception only low yields were obtained from soils wet either 1 or 2 

 feet deep at seeding time. The record was much better, particularly 

 on fallowed land, when the soil was wet to a depth of 3 feet or more. 



