50 BULLETIN 1287, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
SPRING EMMER 
One variety of spring emmer, Vernal (White Spring; C. I. No. 
1524), has been grown each year since 1908. A second variety of 
spring emmer, Khapli (C. I. No. 4013), was grown in 1916, 1921, 
and. 1922. The highest yield obtained from Vernal was 70 bushels 
in 1915. Khapli is earlier in maturing than Vernal, possibly escapes 
drought better, and under severe conditions sometimes yields a little 
more. Emmer is often seriously injured by drought, and under the 
conditions at Akron it yields much less than the better varieties of 
barley and oats. Annual and average yields of both winter and spring 
varieties of emmer are shown in Table 29. 
SPELT 
Two varieties of spelt were sown in the nursery in the spring of 
1920. These were Alstroum and Servian (C. I. No. 1724). Weather 
conditions were exceptionally favorable, but the spelt grew so poorly 
that no yield data were obtained. Spelt appears to be inferior to 
emmer at Akron. 
PROSO 
Proso,®° commonly called hog millet or broomcorn millet, and some- 
times known as hershey, has been given a comparatively thorough 
test. Considerable time and space have been devoted to the growing 
of the crop, both in plats and nursery rows, but no continuous plat 
experiments have been conducted. Plat experiments were sown in 
1909 and from 1912 to 1922, inclusive. Good yields were obtained 
from the better varieties in 1914, 1915, 1917, and 1918; fair crops were 
harvested in 1909, 1912, 1916, and 1922; but in 1913, 1919, and 1920 
the crop failed to compete successfully with the weeds and was 
plowed under. 
The best adapted varieties under the conditions in the vicinity of 
Akron apparently are Black Voronezh (C. I. No. 16), Red Turghai 
(C. I..No. 31), and Tambov (C. I. No. 13). These varieties have 
been grown for at least five years and have produced good yields in 
most of the years grown. In favorable seasons excellent yields of 
proso are often obtained at Akron. The highest yield harvested 
was at the rate of 38.3 bushels to the acre from a plat of Tamboy 
in 1915. Aere yields of 18 to 20 bushels have been common. 
Proso seems to be well adapted to the district in which the station 
is located, but the market demand for it 1s so uncertain as to make 
inadvisable the extensive growing of the crop for seed. For hay it is 
inferior to the millets of the Siberian type and, except as a catch crop, 
proso can not be recommended. 
FLAX 
Flax has been sown in 9 of the 15 years during which experiments 
have been conducted. In 1911, 1914, and 1915 the crop failed. The 
highest yield recorded was 13.1 bushels per acre in 1912. The Russian 
variety was grown throughout an eight-year period and other varieties 
for shorter periods. No variety proved superior to Russian, which 
produced an eight-year average yield of only 4.4 bushels per acre. 
After 1916 seeding of flax was discontinued. Most of the seedings of 
flax were made late in May. Better results might possibly have been 
obtained had the crop been sown at an earlier date. 
10 For more complete information on this crop, see Martin, John H., Proso, or hog millet. U.S. Dept, 
Agr., Farmers’ Bul. 1162, 15 p., 4 fig. 1920. 
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