CEREALS AT THE AKRON FIELD STATION 59 
The average yield of oats on both fallow and cornland during the 
6-year period was low, and the seeding of even the best varieties in 
this section is justly very limited. Acre yields in pounds are slightly 
in excess of yields of spring wheat. Barley has produced fair yields 
on fallow as well as on cornland, averaging 1,054 and 760 pounds, 
respectively. The superiority of barley over the best oat varieties 
for feed production is clearly demonstrated. Both oats and barley 
are better than spring emmer, which has yielded only 575 pounds on 
fallow and 345 pounds on cornland. 
Winter rye appears to be a better cash grain crop than any of the 
other cereals except winter wheat. The price of rye is usually high 
enough so that the crop brings a greater return than spring durum 
wheat or barley. 
Winter rye possibly has a more important place in the cropping 
systems on the more sandy soils, which are likely to blow, than on 
the “hard lands.” It is not so easily damaged by blowing as is 
winter wheat and yields better than any of the other small grains. 
At the station the yields of winter rye are 300 to 400 pounds less than 
those of the best winter wheats. | 
The yields of corn possibly are higher than can normally be ex- 
pected. About 800 to 1,000 pounds of shelled corn to the acre 
would be more nearly a normal yield on average soil, cropped the 
previous season. The data clearly indicate, however, that corn has 
a very definite place in the district, as it is one of the most productive 
crops that can be grown. Corn works well into a rotation and makes 
a fair quantity of roughage for livestock, as well as a yield of about 
15 bushels of grain to the acre on soil previously cropped, 
The yields of grain sorghum have been less than those of any 
other cereal except emmer. Unless a better yielding strain than 
Manchu Brown kaoliang can be developed, grain sorghum has little 
place in the cropping system of the district around Akron. Proso 
has yielded well in the seasons when any crop was produced and with 
the exception of corn and barley has outyielded all other feed grain 
crops. However, it is usually necessary to grind the seed before 
feeding, and there often is little or no market demand for the seed. 
These facts and the danger of total failure in unfavorable years make 
the crop of doubtful value. 
CHOICE OF CROPS AND TYPES OF FARMING RECOMMENDED 
The value of corn in this district is only partly recognized. Most 
of the crop is now husked from the standing stalks and the fields are 
then pastured by livestock. A few fields are cut with corn binders 
and the fodder is fed to the livestock after the ears have been removed. 
As yet there are few silos of any kind in the district, although the 
climate and soil are very favorable to the use of the pit silo, which can © 
be built at a comparatively small cost. 
Most of the district in which the station is located is too dry to 
crow alfalfa successfully, and sweet clover generally has given only 
fair results, owing to the difficulty of obtaining stands. No legume 
suitable for hay purposes is now grown generally. ‘The sorghums, 
Sudan grass, winter rye, and millet are used for roughage, the concen- 
trates commonly fed being’ ear corn and threshed barley. Larger 
profits from the feeding of livestock, particularly dairy cows, probably 
