| BULLETIN 1421, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
of getting a stand of alfalfa and clover is to seed, them in the early 
spring with wheat, oats, or barley. Obtaining a stand of clover or 
alfalfa may be the chief reason for growing the grain crop. (2) 
Alfalfa, clover, and beans have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, 
and for this reason the production of these crops may increase the 
yield of subsequent crops very materially. This may be of greater 
importance than the cash value of the crops produced. (3) Sugar 
beets, potatoes, beans, and corn are row-tilled and it is frequently 
necessary to place one of them in the rotation or cropping system in 
order to keep weed pests under control. 
THE SMALL-GRAIN CROPS 
Wheat, oats, and barley require practically the same cultural 
operations and there is little difference in their acre cost of pro- 
duction. [Each of these crops may be used also as the nurse crop 
for starting alfalfa and clover. In other words, they are competitive 
crops. For these reasons the changes in the acreages devoted to 
these three crops will be discussed as a group. 
Wheat.— During the 12-year period, 1913-1924, wheat has occupied 
a ereater percentage of the combined crop and pasture land than any 
other crop with alfalfa a close second. During the first four years 
of this period there was considerable variation in the acreage devoted 
to wheat. The wheat acreage was rapidly increased from 1916 to 
1918. This rapid increase was doubtless due to the assurance of an 
attractive price and the urgent request of the Federal Government 
for an increased total production of this crop. From 1918 to 1924 
there was a steady decline in the acreage and importance of wheat. 
In 1924 only 14 per cent of the combined crop and pasture area 
of the project was in wheat, whereas in 1918 there was 43 per cent. 
As a feed crop wheat outdistances both oats and barley. When 
expressed in pounds per acre the average yields of these crops on the 
farms studied in this investigation from 1919 to 1922 were as follows: 
Wheat, 2,580 pounds; oats, 1,568 pounds; and barley, 2,064 pounds. 
It is apparent, therefore, why wheat has become the prominent small- 
grain crop of the project. 
Oats.—During the early years of the project, oats were an impor- 
tant crop. While the irrigating system was being constructed there 
was a demand for considerable horse feed. This provided a local 
market for oats. As this local demand diminished and as farmers 
became able, through their experience, to compare the yields and 
acre values of wheat, oats, and barley, the relative acreage of oats 
began to decline. In 1912 approximately 14 per cent of the land in 
crops and pasture was in oats and in 1913 but 10 per cent. This 
decline continued for several years and since 1918 less than 2 per 
cent has been in oats. 
Darley.—Barley, like oats, is grown for local consumption. For 
this reason it has never become an important crop. In only one 
year since 1912 has as much as 5 per cent of the crop and pasture 
land been occupied by barley. This was in 1924. The other ex- 
treme was 1.6 per cent in 1913 and again in 1921. 
ALFALFA 
Alfalfa has been a very prominent crop from the beginning of the 
agriculture of the project. It is the chief hay and soil-building crop 
ee on oe 
