CEREALS AT THE AKRON FIELD STATION 19 
The experiments with corn, sorghums, and the minor cereals were 
not grown on plats of standard size. The varietal plats of corn 
usually consisted of three 8-rod rows and the varietal plats of sorghum 
of four 8-rod rows. ‘The experiments with proso, flax, buckwheat, 
and millet usually were sown in fiftieth-acre plats. 
Since 1918, promising selections and varieties from the nursery 
have been sown in hundredth-acre plats on fallow for increase and 
preliminary plat experiments. Plats of standard varieties of the 
different cereals are included at regular intervals for checks. 
REPLICATION OF PLATS 
As the experiments at Akron during the earlier years were con- 
ducted very largely on tenth-acre plats, it was not possible to sow 
more than one plat of each variety. Check plats generally were 
included at regular intervals in most of the experiments. As the 
work increased and need for replication became more apparent, 
reduction in the size of plats was necessary, as the area available was 
limited. Four plats now are sown of each variety, rate of seeding, 
and date of seeding included in the regular plat experiments. Check 
plats have been eliminated, as the sowing of four plats at some 
distance from each other tends to reduce experimental error due to 
soil variations. It has not always been possible to include four 
plats of the less important varieties in the experiments. Two plats 
were then sown, one on each soil preparation. 
No definite plan has been followed in the replication of plats in 
experiments of corn, sorghum, proso, flax, buckwheat, or millet. 
Usually one plat of the corn varieties was planted and two of each 
variety of the other crops. Check plats were included at regular 
intervals in the corn varietal experiments. 
RATES AND DATES OF SEEDING 
Fall wheat and rye in the varietal and date-of-seeding experiments 
have been sown at the rate of 3 pecks to the acre. Spring wheat, 
rye, emmer, barley, oats, and buckwheat have been sown at the 
4-peck rate. Sorghum, flax, millet, and proso usually were sown at 
the rate of about 20 pounds to the acre, and corn at the rate of about 
7 pounds of shelled corn to the acre. 
The fall-sown grains generally have been seeded during the month 
of September. During the past several years the date of seeding 
has not varied more than a day or two from September 15. The 
spring grains have been sown as early as practicable. During wet 
or unfavorable seasons seeding sometimes was considerably delayed. 
As a rule the seeding of spring grains during the last half of March 
is advisable, as the weather then is often more favorable than that 
during April. 
Corn usually has been planted as soon as possible after May 15. 
For the best results in this section it should generally be planted 
before May 25. Sorghum, proso, buckwheat, millet, and flax were 
usually seeded about June 1. At that time the danger of frost is 
not great, and the soil has become sufficiently warm for the seed to 
germinate. 3 
