Tombstone epitaph., 1915-10-03
GREAT PLAINS WHEAT
0isked Corn Land Gives Most
 Satisfactory Results.
Little Difference Noted Following Fall and Spring Piowine-Green Ma nuring Is Most Expensive
 Method Under Trial.

When the differences in value of the yields of spring wheat are less than the difference in cost of produc- tion. then cost becomes the determin- ing factor" is one of twelve conc,u- sions drawn from extensive experi- mental work carried on by II stations over a series of years and dealt with at length in United States department of agriculture Bulletin No. 2li. Spring Wheat in the Great Plains Area.-Relations of Cultural Methods to Production" The Great Plains area includes parts of ten states. i0.- 900 square miles of territory. taking in much of North Dakota, South Dako- ia. Montana, Nebraska. Kansas, Okla homa. and parts of Colorado. Wyom- ing. New Mexico and Texas. In these states l4 stations have worked on these spring-wheat problems.
 Among the general conclusions brought out by study of the results at the IA stations is one that shows the average difference in the yields of l spring wheat following fall blowing and spring blowing is very small. At ! most stations the advantage of one over the other depends upon the sea- son. The data obtained indicate the importance of understanding the gen eral principles that govern the ob- served seasonal variations and the i'm portance of adjusting this work to the | general economy of farm organization. Disked corn ground has given con | sistently high yields This. together with the low cost of this preparation ! for wheat, has resulted in it's uniform showing Of the greatest profit per acre at those stations where it has been 1 possible to raise wheat at profit and | the least loss at those stations where wheat has been raised only at loss. | The realization of these profits, how ever, depends upon the successful growth of corn as general farm crop in competition with other crops. ac- | cording to the deductions drawn in | this bulletin.
 Subsoiling. as compared with wheat stubble fall plowed without subsoiling, has been of doubtful utility as means ! of increasing yields. As means of overcoming drought it is without value
 Green maturing is the most expen- | sive method under trial It resem- bles a fallow in that it requires the use of the land for two years tor the | production of one harvested crop with the added expense Of seed and seeding. There is saving of cultiva- tion during the spring while the green manure crop is growing. but this is offset by the necessity of blowing to turn the crop under and is not sutfi- cient to make up for the cost of seed and seeding. Yields have not been commensurate with the increased cost of production. It is hardly fair to charge the whole cost of green manuring to the one crop that i'm mediately follows it as is done in this bulletin. It should have a cumulative effect in building up the soil or rem. edying it's deficiency in organic mat. ter. The evidence shows that on nor. nal soils in the Great Plains al least fin the first years of the work little effect from green maturing is shown on other than the first crop.
 One fact standing out prominently is that cultivation is not an unfailing solution of the problem of drought. It will doubtless alleviate it to some extent but can never fully overcome it. At different times and in different sections certain methods have been exploited as to the solution of the problem of dry farming. Each of these systems may have merit. but any and all fall far short of the panacea under all conditions.
 Where work has been carried on for
 several years with no material diff.
 ference in yield obtained under the various methods. the bulletin indicates
 that more freedom may be used by the farmer in planning his operations.
 If spring blowing. fall blowing. or
 disking. after some intertilled crop
 gives practically the same yields the
 rational thing to do is 10 take ad.
 vantage of this fact It is desirable to blow when it can be done most eco
 nomically for men and teams. The