4 BULLETIN 1094, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
apparent drops in some of the recent years have been due to winter 
losses rather than to a restriction of the acreage attempted. It has 
been shown that winter wheat in Ellis and Rush Counties occupies ] 
about 72 of every 100 acres in crop. For Russell County the pro- 
portion is 63 and for Rooks and Trego about 50. 
These statistics show that in such counties as Ellis and Rush if — 
every acre in other crops were seeded to winter wheat only about 
one-third the total wheat acreage would be provided for. After this is 
done 2 of every 3 acres of wheat must still be sown directly following 
wheat. As every acre in other crops is not seeded to wheat it seems 
safe to conclude that in the area represented by the Fort Hays (Ellis 
County) branch station approximately two-thirds of the wheat is 
grown following winter wheat. 
The greatest single problem, measured in terms of acres involved, 
that the agricultural practice of the section presents is how to prepare 
wheat stubble for seeding winter wheat. 
The relative importance of other crops in the rotation possibilities 
offered by their acreage is shown in Table 2. This table shows the 
average number of acres occupied by winter wheat and the other 
more important crops during each decade or partial decade of the 
period from 1874 to 1920, inclusive. It is shown by this table that 
corn comprises the largest acreage of any of the other crops and that 
the grain and forage sorghums make up the second largest acreage, 
with a comparatively small acreage devoted to small grains, millet 
and other crops. 
TABLE 2.—Average numoer of acres in Ellis County occupied by winter wheat and the 
other more important crops during each decade or partial decade of the 47-year period 
from 1874 to 1920, inclusive. 
Areas cropped (acres). 
Decade. 
Winter Spring Bar- Pota-| Sor ‘ Al- 
wheat. | BY: | wheat.) CO™- | Jey. | O8ts- | toes.| ghum. | Millet.) Milo. | Kafir falfa 
1874 to 1880... 5, 827 206 239 | 3,825 60 494 139 695) *E, Sd6/| = Pestle ae ones 
1881 to 1890...| 26,129 | 4,013] 740| 7,934| 373] 2,794] 435] 3,053 | 3,972|__.....|...-..-|------ 
1891 to 1900...| 110,458 | 2,438] 156 | 13,366 | 4,467| 3,491] 557] 6,110] 3,672] 2812194) 201 
1901 to 1910...| 177,686 | 524] 175 | 21,553 | 3,272 | 2'349| 630| 5,883|3,340| 47 | 6,806 | 1,677 
1911 to 1920...| 163,584 | 403 8 | 33,065 | 7,873 | 6,072} 651 | 12,155 | 1,592 | 1,799 |15, 448 | 2) 248 
The effect that this heavy cropping to wheat may be having upon 
yields is an important question worthy of the most careful study. 
A period of 47 years would seem to be sufficiently long to afford 
conclusive evidence on the single concrete question of whether 
yields are increasing, unchanging, or decreasing; but on examina- 
tion it is found to be relatively short when considered in connection 
with the great fluctuations in yields from year to year and for irregu- 
larly recurring periods of years, 
