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BCLLETIX 1293, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The practice was to plow at seasonable times both in the spring 
and the fall. The average date of spring plowing was April 11 at 
Dickinson. April 13 at Hettinger, and April 14 at Williston. The 
date of fall plowing averaged September 13 at Dickinson, October 2 
at Hettinger, and September 11 at Williston. Although these dates 
are no earlier than plowing is done on many farms, they are some- 
what earlier than the average dates on which the operation is com- 
pleted. Plats plowed in the fall were left rough over winter to 
prevent soil blowing and to hold snow. Seeding was done at the 
same time on both spring and fall plowing. 
The differences in yields between crops grown on fall-plowed and 
on spring-plowed land at Dickinson were small. Wheat on fall 
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Fig. 3. — Average yields of wheat, oats, barley, and corn on spring-plowed and fall-plowed 
plats at Dickinson, Hettinger, and Williston, N. Dak. Spring plowing is shown by solid 
columns and fall plowing by slanting lines 
plowing averaged 16.5 bushels to the acre and exceeded that on 
spring plowing by only 0.3 bushel. All other crops averaged higher 
on spring plowing than on fall plowing. Oats averaged 35.1 bushels 
on spring plowing and 33.5 on fall plowing, barley 21.2 bushels on 
spring plowing and 20.4 bushels on fall plowing, and corn 15.1 
bushels of grain by each method and 3,707 pounds of fodder on 
spring plowing and 3,277 pounds on fall plowing. 
A greater advantage is shown for spring plowing at Hettinger 
than at Dickinson. Wheat in one comparison averaged 11.6 bushels 
on spring plowing and 10.5 bushels on fall plowing. Two plats of 
wheat on spring plowing and two on fall plowing that can be com- 
pared for the period from 1917 to 1922, inclusive, when all crops gen- 
erally were below the average in production, show an advantage of 
only 0.4 bushel in favor of spring plowing, the yields being 6.7 and 6.3 
