The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-01-20
BEST SOIL FOR BARLEY
In Great Plains Territory Die I
Corn Land Is Favored.
Factors Exerting Greatest Influence
on Production Are Water supply
Condition Of Seeded and
Preceding Crop.

Three Of the factors that exert the
greatest influence on the production OF
barley in the Great Plains area are
the water supply. the physical condi'
tion of the seedbed. and the recog.
nized, II not understood. effect OF the
Immediately preceding crop. Differ
ences in climatic conditions OF differ
ent seasons have caused much wider
variation in yields of barley than have
resulted from the different methods
OF cultivation. tried at II stations In
this area, according to the United
letin No. 222, Barley in the Great
Plains Area. and the Relation Of Cul.
tural Methods to Production"
In some sections OF the region bar
ley has not been considered strictly as
a market crop. but rather as a feed
crop. The price is usually determined
by the quality OF the barley from a
brewing standpoint. the demand being
for a uniform product well matured,
and of a good color. Certain sections
OF the dry regions afford opportunity
to grow barley OF good quality, espe,
cially in those years when conditions
are favorable for the production of
good plump berry. Dry weather with
the absence of dews affords good con,
ditions under which to harvest the
crop without injury to quality or color
In the main. however. barley in the
Great Plains area has been grown as
feed rather than as a market crop.
Barley has the advantage OF requir.
ing on the average a shorter growing
season than either oats or wheat. and
Is therefore exposed for a shorter
length of time to the unfavorable eli
matte conditions likely to occur. When
seeded at approximately the same
time as oats, II will ripen with or be-
fore the earliest oats. or course the
variety of barley planted determines
somewhat the length OF the growing
season, but the above applies to the
average OF barleys.
Earliness Of maturing is considered
important in enabling a crop to escape
drought, and this is important in the
Great Plains area which is classified
as semiarid. The distribution OF the
rainfall, within certain limitsl is more
important than the total amount re
ceiyed during the year. A relatively
low rainfall. when properly dlstrib
uted, may produce a crop, where a
much higher rainfall. unfavorably dis
tributed. may result in a crop failure
A much smaller crop usually results
from a soil that starts out in the
spring with a small amount of stored
moisture than from one that is well
supplied with moisture. AS was stated
earlier, the difference in climatic con.
ditions was found to cause a much
wider variation in yields than resulted
from the different methods OF cutiva.
tion in practice. In fact so great has
been the factor of seasonable rainfall
that at some stations. where precipi
tation was not sufficient, and where
the same methods OF cultivation we're
practiced as at other stations, where
precipitation was not sufficient, and
where the same methods OF cultiya.
tion were practiced as at other sta.
tions, the crop resulted in a failure.
While some methods of cultiyating
barley at Bellefourche, 8. D.. Garden
City. Kan, Dalhart and Amarillo, Tex,
have increased the yields. they have
not brought them up to a point that
affords much encouragement for the
growth of barley. The conclusion Is
that the combination OF soil and eli.
mate is not favorable to this crop
at these four stations, and that the
conditions cannot be overcome by cul.
tural practices.
The results obtained at each OF the
IA different stations of the Great
Plains area are published in this bul.
letin, which gives the local data for
each station. This bulletin may be
had by those in this region upon ap.
plication to the editor and chief of
the division OF publication, as long
as the departments supply for free
distribution lasts