CEREALS AT THE AKRON FIELD STATION at 
TaBLE 19.—Average agronomic data recorded on durum wheat grown in rate-of- 
seeding experiments on fallow at the Akron Field Station, 1911-1922, inclusive, 
except 1917 
Dates of— | | Acre yield ! 
Tere here ec | ; ‘Stem-rust| Bushel 
Rate of seeding | ay Height infection | weight 
Heading | Maturity Grain Straw 
Inches | Percent | Pounds | Bushels | Pounds 
38 2— | 59. 2 5. 2, 210 
PRDCCKG ewes were tiG ss. ee eee June 25 | July 28 15 , 
OMPECKS se Sonne a Ne Re ele a Lh | JlIne 26 je" donee = 37 OR | 58. 7 16. 3 1, 902 
ASPEORS et hss ee SR Ee so (Polar |e=adosaee 37 » 58. 8 16.9 2,116 
LRP OVO a aed ee a OE A re doses] |=dos== 36 2 58.8 16. 4 2, 071 
Gipecksist sia Sees tise Eee ee June 27 | July 27 36 2+ 57. 5 16.5 2, 225 
1 Omitting data for 1911, 1918, and 1920. 3 Average for 9 years only, 1911 and 1918 omitted. 
2 Average for 10 years only, 1920 omitted. 
Several interesting facts are brought out by these data: (1) The 
net yields have not been increased by sowing at a rate in excess of 4 
pecks per acre; (2) thin seeding will not increase the yields or prevent 
failure in dry seasons; (3) seedings up to 6 pecks to the acre did not 
reduce the yields appreciably. 
It has been commonly assumed that durum wheat should be sown 
at the rate of 4 to 5 pecks per acre on dry land, whereas 3 pecks is 
regarded as the best rate for hard red spring wheat. The Hicker rate 
for durum wheat has been recommended because of the large size of 
the durum kernels and because durum wheat does not tiller as freely 
as hard red spring wheat. The slight differences in yields shown in 
Table 18 indicate that about the same results may be expected on the 
average from any rate of seeding between 3 and 6 pecks. 
The proportion of straw to grain has not been exactly the same for 
the different rates of seeding. In the plats sown at the lower rates, 
weeds have increased the total weight of the crop. The data indicate 
that plats sown at the heavier ratessheaded slightly later and matured 
slightly earlier than those sown at the thinner rates, but this was not 
true in allseasons. The wheat in plats sown at rates of 5 and 6 pecks 
per acre was shorter than that on the other plats. The bushel weight 
of the grain from the plats sown at the 2-peck rate was slightly greater 
_ than that from the plats sown at the heavier rates. 
=~ Lhe average yields obtained on cornland in 1918, 1919, and 1920 were 
as follows: From the 3-peck rate, 7.6 bushels; from the 4-peck rate, 
8.6 bushels; and from the 5-peck rate, 8.7 bushels. 
In 1915 Galgalos, a white spring wheat, was sown at rates ranging 
from 2 to 6 pecks to the acre. The 2-peck and 4-peck rates yielded 
20 bushels each; the 3-peck rate, 18.6 bushels; the 5-peck rate, 21.2 
bushels; and the 6-peck rate, 20.8 bushels. In 1916 Marquis, a hard 
red spring wheat, was sown at rates ranging from 2 to 6 pecks and also 
at the extremely high rate of 16 pecks to the acre. The yields 
obtained were: From the 2-peck rate, 9.8 bushels; the 3-peck rate, 
11.8 bushels; the 4-peck rate, 10.5 bushels; the 5-peck rate, 10.8 
bushels; the 6-peck rate, 6.7 bushels; and the 16-peck rate, 10 bushels. 
These data are insufficient to justify drawing conclusions; but, like 
most other data from similar experiments, they indicate that rates of 
seeding within reasonable limits affect yields very slightly. 
