2 BULLETIN 242, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
parison either of the crops grown here and at other stations or of 
different methods of producing them at this station. Better yields 
have been obtained with corn at both of these stations, but as there 
are no results from other crops with which to compare them they are 
not given in this publication. At Tucumcari the work has not been 
carried on for a sufficient length of time to obtain averages or to 
warrant the drawing of definite conclusions. It is probable, how- 
ever, that what may be said of crops at the other three stations under 
consideration will, in a general way, also apply to the Tucumcari 
district. 
With this brief statement the work at these three stations will not 
be further considered, and the study will be confined to the results 
obtained at Garden City, Dalhart, and Amarillo. Although these 
stations are located some distance apart, they are confronted by gen- 
eral problems that are much the same, the local differences being in 
their intensity rather than in their nature. In order that the char- 
acteristics of this section may be more clearly understood, a brief ac- 
count of the climatic and soil conditions is given here. 
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. 
In a general way the climatic conditions at each of these three sta- 
tions, in so far as they materially influence crop results, may be 
briefly described as follows: A limited annual rainfall of irregular 
distribution, a high wind velocity, a very high rate of evaporation, 
possible hail, and in the higher altitudes violent fluctuations in tem- 
perature. All of these factors will be discussed separately and for 
each station under consideration. 
PRECIPITATION. 
Rainfall is the most important factor influencing crop production 
in this section. In determining its influence, it is important that the 
distribution be considered as well as the total quantity. In a great 
many instances the distribution may have even greater influence than 
the total annual precipitation in determining crop production. It 
frequently happens in the case of torrential rainfall that a large per- 
centage of the water will be lost by run-off. On the other hand, fre- 
quent light showers may at the end of the year give a large aggre- 
gate rainfall. These light showers wet only the surface soil, and the 
moisture may be lost by evaporation before another shower falls. 
Consequently, light showers may be of little value to growing crops. 
In any study of annual precipitation records of the distribution must 
be considered before its effects can be completely understood. To 
afford some means of general comparisons, the annual rainfall record 
for each of these three stations is given in Table I. 
