12 BULLETIN 1293, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Another comparison of wheat on fallow and on corn ground can be 
made in rotations Nos. 5 and 3. In rotation No. 5 (fallow, wheat, and 
oats) wheat is on fallow, and in rotation No. 3 (corn, wheat, and 
oats) it follows corn. The average yield was 21.T bushels in rotation 
No. 5 and 18.8 bushels in rotation No. 3, or 2.9 bushels in favor of 
the fallow. Oats in the two rotations averaged 35.2 and 34.5 bushels, 
slightly the better in the rotation containing fallow. Rotations 
Nos. 8 and 4 are similar to Nos. 5 and 3 except that the places of 
oats and wheat are reversed. Oats after fallow in rotation No. 8 
(fallow, oats, and wheat) averaged 44.3 bushels and after corn in 
rotation No. 4 (corn, oats, and wheat) 39.8 bushels, or 4.5 bushels 
more after the fallow. The yield of wheat in the two rotations was 
16.6 and 16.1 bushels, or 0.5 bushel more in the one containing fallow. 
The average yield of corn in rotation No. 3 was 14.4 bushels of 
grain and 3,199 pounds of fodder, and in rotation No. 4 it was 13.8 
bushels of grain and 3,204 pounds of fodder. 
At Hettinger wheat on fallow in rotation No. 18 averaged 17.4 
bushels, and following corn in rotation No: 19 it averaged 16.8 
bushels, or less than 1 bushel in favor of fallow. In these same ro- 
tations oats following corn averaged 32.3 bushels and following 
fallow 31.4 bushels, or 0.9 bushel more after corn. All wheat on 
fallow at Hettinger averaged 16.9 bushels and all on disked ground 
15.4 bushels. Five plats of oats on fallow averaged 35.4 bushels, and 
six plats on disked corn ground averaged 32.2 bushels. 
At Williston the spread between the yields of grains on disked 
corn ground and on fallow was greater than at the other stations. 
Spring wheat averaged 18 bushels on three fallow plats and 14.4 
bushels on seven disked corn plats, or 3.6 bushels in favor of fallow. 
The increase with oats was from 33.4 bushels on disked cornland to 40 
bushels on fallow. Barley averaged 28.7 bushels on fallow and 23.8 
bushels on disked corn ground in rotation No. 6. In rotations Nos. 
18 and 19 the average increase in the yield on fallow over that on 
disked corn ground was 4.1 bushels of wheat and 11.2 bushels of 
oats. In rotations Nos. 5 and 3 the yield of wheat was 3.1 bushels 
greater on fallow than on disked corn ground, and in rotations Nos. 
8 and 4 the increase of oats after fallow was 1.8 bushels. 
The comparisons cited indicate that, measured by yield, fallow 
has some advantage over disked corn ground as a preparation for 
small grains at the three stations, the advantage being greatest at 
Williston. The response is about equal in degree for each of the 
small-grain crops. At Dickinson there is some indication that a 
small effect is seen in the second crop after fallow, but if present at 
all it is very slight. The small increase in grain yields which re- 
sults from fallow would not offset the value of a corn crop which 
averages about 15 bushels of grain, or 3,500 pounds of grain and 
stover, or over 3 tons of silage. The cost of raising the corn crop is 
very little more than that of handling bare fallow. 
The choice between fallow and corn or the relative areas of each 
on a farm must depend on several factors. As a matter of crop in- 
surance both should be included wherever possible. The chances 
for a good yield of most crops are increased by the use of fallow, 
but are increased nearly as much when corn takes the place of the 
fallow. Corn should be grown to the extent that it can be handled 
to advantage and fed to livestock. If a straight grain-farming 
