GRAIN FARMING IN NORTH DAKOTA. 31 
SEED. 
Within certain limits little difference in yield of grain is caused by 
sowing different amounts of seed. Much depends upon the season in 
this regard, small amounts of seed giving better results in dry sea- 
sons, because there ma} T not be sufficient moisture to mature a heavy 
stand, while a light stand may come to full maturity. The more 
space allowed each plant the greater the amount of stooling, so that 
where grain is sown thin, more stalks of grain mature from the same 
individual seed than where a thick planting is made. 
The amount of seed commonly sown per acre, and which produces 
the best yields in the average, falls between the following limits : 
Mini- Maxi- 
mum, mum. 
Wheat bushels__ 1.0 2. 
Oats —do 1.5 2.5 
Barley do____ 1.3 2.0 
' Flax " do .4 .7 
STUBBLING-IN GRAIN. 
The practice of disking grain in the stubble of the previous crop 
without plowing is followed to some extent, and information was 
obtained from 136 farmers in 35 counties of North Dakota as to the 
profitableness of the practice. The following is a summary* of the 
information obtained : 
112 farmers reported the practice as without profit. 
33 farmers reported one-fourth to one-half normal yield. 
28 farmers reported a marked increase in weeds. 
13 farmers reported normal yield when previous crop was properly tilled. 
7 farmers reported normal yield under any previous condition. 
10 farmers reported the plan satisfactory only for rye. 
A few scattered farmers reported that it is more profitable to 
summer-follow than to stubble-in grain. Others reported that it is 
more profitable to let the land lie idle than to stubble-in, since stub- 
bling-in often fails to return the equivalent of the seed sown. 
Three principal arguments are used in favor Of the practice: (1) 
A saving is made in time and cost of preparation and in consequence 
a larger area can be seeded; (2) stubble of the previous crop left 
over the winter catches and holds snow; and (3) the quality of the 
grain is said to be better from stubbling-in than from planting on 
plowed ground. 
There are several serious disadvantages: (1) Low yields, from 
one-fourth to one-half of normal; (2) fields dry out rapidly, as less 
moisture is absorbed than by plowed ground; (3) the ground is 
harder to plow the following year; (4) a much shorter straw is made; 
and (5) weeds and insects are increased materially by the practice. 
