The Raymer enterprise., 1913-09-25
RAISING SMALL GRAINS
Early Varieties HAZE Best
Chance to Produce Crops.
Species Grown In Eastern Russia
Readily Adapted to semI.ArId
Condition in Western Part
Of the United States.
By MANLEY cHAMpLIS.)


In the semi-arid territory there is
usually rainfall of from four to
eight inches during the months OF
May and June. This rain gives the
crop good start. but ordinarily there
Is very little rain in July and early
August. There is also more or less
danger OF hail in the latter part OF
July. For this reason the earlier varl.
eties OF grains have better chance to
produce good crops. The late varie.
ties spend their time and moisture
prodigally in growing a tall heavy
straw and find themselves In seri.
ous position when the midsummer
drought comes. They get ready TO
produce a bumper crop then find
themselves without moisture and can.
not fill, thus giving partial or total
failure. The earliest varieties, there.
fore. are usually the best for dry
farming, though some seasons may be
exceptions. They do not produce very
much straw. They begin heading out
In the last week OF June and aro>usr.
ally well filled before the drought gets
serious
Besides earliness. some kinds OF
small grains possess drought resist.
ant qualities. They were developed In
regions OF light rainfall and sudden
changes of temperature, and have be-
come accustomed to that kind OF a
climate Some OF them even relish
this kind OF climate and will be smlt.
ten with rusts and blights and yield
little or nothing II grown In humid
sections. The varieties that are be.
coming the commercial standards In
this territory were introduced origin.
ally from eastern Russia by the
United States department OF agricul.
ture. The climate OF eastern Russia
Is similar to that OF our territory and
the fluctuations OF temperature are
even more extreme This fact has
made them readily adaptable to our
conditions.
Some OF the varieties that have
proved especially valuable and are
now widely distributed are given be
How. The settler, when buying seed
should take every precaution to be
sure that It Is pure and OF the variety
which he thinks he is buying There
was large amount OF mixed and
falsely named seed sold to new set
lers in this region last spring
Losses OF this kind can be best avert
ed by buying OF neighbor or OF re
sponsible firm.
The tworowed barleys seem to be
better adapted to this section thar
the six.rowed. although one six.rowet
barley-the Odessa-has good rec
ord at the South Dakota experiment
station. where It has been grown fol
several years. 1t has short straw ant
ripens early. Kitzing and Hanna bar
leys are two-rowed varieties that have
good records and one OF the Hannas
Hanna "a. has become widely dlstrib
uted. The South Dakota experiment
station issued Il bulletin last summer
! giving results and methods used ir
growing barley, which can be secured
by those desiring to go into the barle,
problem.
The small yellow early oat knowr
usually as Sixty-Day has made goot
and Is becoming well distributed. 4
yield OF 80 bushels or more per acr,
Is nothing uncommon for this varIet,
In western South Dakota and Ne
braska. 1t is ready to cut by the mid
die OF July, thus lodging the droutl
that usually begins shortly after tn,
4th OF July. On homestead l0t
miles west OF Pierre yield OF IS bush
els per acre has been obtained. Thi,
yield was produced on typical soil o
the reglon-a heavy brown clay Thi,
variety was introduced from tn,
Kherson valley in Russia and ha,
been tested and increased at the Ne
braska and South Dakota stations un
til 1t is now widely distributed an,
easily obtainable.
Another very desirable oat variet,
for our purpose Is the Swedish Select
This Is only medium early. but oftel
makes large yields, especially II /
receive a good shower during tn,
heading season. The grain when wei
filled is large white, and plump an,
often oferweIghs.