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[BULLETIN 1304, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The average yields also serve to illustrate the variations in the yields 
of the different crops in different years. Considering all crops, the 
15-year period may be roughly divided into five exceptionally good 
years, when all or nearly all crops produced decidedly better than 
normal yields; six average years, when all or nearly all crops produced 
approximately normal yields; and four exceptionally poor years when 
all or nearly all crops produced decidedly less than normal yields. 
One of the outstanding facts shown by Table 4 is the almost certain 
production of coarse feed by the forage crops. The station results 
indicate that forage crops are the most dependable crops that can be 
grown on the average dry farm of this region. Complete failure 
needs be feared but rarely if dependence is placed each year on a care- 
fully selected variety of crops instead of on one or even two crops. 
The comparative reliability of the different crops is considered in 
further detail later in this publication in connection with the indi- 
vidual crops and methods. 
RESULTS WITH WINTER WHEAT 
Winter wheat stands first among the important small-grain crops 
for this region. Compared with the other small-grain crops it shows 
remarkable ability to produce uniformly favorable yields and responds 
2-5 
rs 
/4- 
* 
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Fig. 5. — Average yields of winter wheat obtained under different tillage methods at the Akron Field 
Station for the 15 years from 1909 to 1923, inclusive 
to good cultural treatment as well as or better than the other small 
grains. 
Winter wheat during the 15-year period produced a normal or nearly 
normal yield six times, a yield decidedly better than normal three 
times, and a yield decidedly less than normal six times. The best 
average yield was 33.8 bushels per acre, in 1912. The lowest average 
yield was 0.6 bushel in 1922, when it failed completely under most 
methods. One crop of spring wheat, resulting from reseeding after 
winterkilling in 1909, is included in these averages. 
The yearly production and the 15-year average production of winter 
wheat under eight different methods of treatment are given in Table 
5 and shown graphically in Figure 5. 
The yield of winter wheat on fallow is the average of two plats, 
one in a 4-year rotation and one in a 2-year alternation of winter 
wheat and fallow. The agreement between the two from year to 
year is very close, and the 15-year average yields differ by only 0.6 
bushel, the difference being in favor of the 4-year rotation. 
Fallow as a preparation for winter wheat stands out sharply from 
the other methods under trial. The 15-year average yield of the two 
plats on fallow is 19.1 bushels per acre. This is 8.6 bushels per acre 
more than the highest yielding method under trial in which wheat 
