16 BULLETIN 1287, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
in this district are local strains, many of which are of inferior quality. 
There is an excellent field for corn improvement. Although the 
production of corn is not so certain as it is farther east, average 
acre yields of 15 to 25 bushels are usual, and yields of 40 to 60 bushels 
are sometimes obtained. The average corn production of the dis- 
trict is possibly about 30,000,000 bushels. Figure 7 shows the 
distribution of the corn crop in 1921. 
Spring wheat is a crop of secondary importance, although the 
district was considered to be a factor in spring-wheat production 10 
years ago. At present much of the spring wheat is grown on irri- 
gated land, especially in Colorado. On dry land Turkey winter 
wheat is much superior to the spring varieties. About 350,000 
acres of spring wheat are now grown annually. As much of this 
acreage is irrigated, the average yields are usually from 15 to 20 
bushels to the acre. Possibly 6,000,000 bushels of spring wheat are 
grown annually. Figure 8 shows the distribution of the spring- 
wheat acreage. The durum varieties are most popular on the dry 
land, but hard red spring wheat usually is grown under irrigation. 
Barley is rapidly growing in popularity. As a feed crop it ranks 
next to corn in acreage and in the average year possibly equals it in 
acre yield of grain in pounds. It is the most important of the spring 
small grains sown on dry-farmed land, but is not extensively grown 
under irrigation. About 350,000 acres of barley are grown in this 
district. Figure 9 shows the distribution of the barley acreage. The 
growing of barley centers near the northwest corner of Kansas. The 
average acre yield of barleyis from 15 to 25 bushels, and the annual 
barley crop of the district is estimated at 7,000,000 to 8,000,000 
bushels. 
The other important cereal crops grown in this district are oats, 
winter rye, and grain sorghums. Small acreages of proso, flax, and 
winter emmer are also sown. Oats are more extensively grown in 
the irrigated valleys and in the extreme northern part of the district 
on the dry lands. Possibly 300,000 acres of oats are grown annually. 
The average yields of oats on the irrigated lands are high, and the 
annual crop is probably close to 8,000,000 bushels. 
Winter rye is an especially valuable crop in the more sandy sections 
because of its ability to withstand soil blowing. It has recently 
become a popular crop for seeding on the “hard lands’’ for pasture. 
At present it is the most popular sown pasture crop. Winter rye does 
not equal hard red winter wheat for grain production in this district, 
as it yields less and the market price is lower. Possibly 200,000 acres 
of winter rye are sown for grain each season. ‘The average acre yield 
is around 10 to 15 bushels and the total annual production close to 
2,500,000 bushels. 
The growing of grain sorghum is confined mostly to the southern 
and eastern portions of the district. Large acreages of sorgo, or sac- 
charine sorghum, are grown for forage, especially in the northern por- 
tion, but the later maturity of most of the grain sorghums limits their 
use. Breeding studies are now under way at Akron with the object 
of producing grain sorghums suited to the short, cool, growing season 
of the district; and encouraging results are being obtained. The 
total area of grain sorghum is about 200,000 acres and the annual 
production about 3,000,000 bushels. There has been a steady increase 
in the acreage devoted to grain sorghums during the past 10 years. 
