6 BULLETIN 1306, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGHICULTUEE 
yield of this crop averaged witllin 27 pounds per acre of that of spring 
wheat and only 89 pounds less than that of oats. In 1923 the yield of 
corn was greater than that of any of the small grains. In addition 
to the grain, the stover yield of corn is of considerably greater value 
than the straw yield of the small grains. 
Sorgo as a forage crop produced good yields in all years except 1919. 
The average yield for the 6-year period was 2 tons of field-cured forage 
per acre. Sorgo was grown in cultivated rows only. 
Alfalfa and brome-grass have been rather uncertain crops. No 
yields have been secured in the years of seeding. Second-year alfalfa 
produced a fair crop in three of the six years and the third-year, 
alfalfa in four of the six years. More than one cutting in a season 
was obtained in only one year, 1922, when two cuttings were made. 
Second-year brome-grass produced a fair crop in only two years, 
1918 and 1923. Failure in 1920 was due to no stand being obtained 
in 1919. Third-year brome-grass produced a yield in three out of 
the six years, but the yield in 1923 was from a reseeding in 1922 as a 
consequence of the failure to obtain a stand in 1921. 
RESULTS OF FALL AND SPRING PLOWING 
In the experiments with crop rotations and tillage methods a num- 
ber of comparisons between fall plowing and spring plomng are pos- 
sible where the preparation of the land is the same except for the 
time of plowing. All of the fall plowing is done as soon as practicable 
after the crop is removed. In some years corn ground is plowed 
later than land in small grains because the crop is removed later. 
For small-grain stubble the date has varied from August 24 to October 
6 and for corn ground from September 3 to October 11. Spring 
plowing for small grains and flax is done as early in the spring as 
the ground can be worked, and for corn it is done shortly before 
planting time. 
The average annual yields and the average yields for the 6-year 
period of spring wheat, oats, flax, corn, and barley on comparable 
fall-plowed and spring-plowed plats are shown in Table 5. Spring 
wheat on land in small grain the previous year shows a slight but 
consistent advantage in favor of fall plowing. The higher yield was 
on spring plowing in 1921 only, but the crop that year was practically 
a failure on both fall plowing and spring plowing. The average yields 
for the 6-year period are 15.2 bushels per acre on fall plowing and 
1,4 bushels less on spring plowing. On corn ground the dift'erence is 
even smaller, but the slight advantage is with spring plo^^-ing. 
With oats following small grains the average yields for fall and 
si)ring plowing are the same, 32.4 bushels per acre. There was a 
slight advantage with fall plowing in three years, and in one year 
both methods were complete failures. 
Only two plats of barley are available for comparison. Both are 
seeded continuously to that crop. The highest yield was on fall 
plowing three years and on spring plowing two years. The average 
yield for the 6-year period is in favor of fall plomng by 2.5 bushels 
per acre. This is very nearly the same as the results obtained from 
the pairs of plats treated in a similar manner for spring wheat and 
for oats. 
