The Snowflake herald., 1916-04-28
BEST SOIL FOR BARLEY
In Great Plains Territory Disked
Corn Land Is Favored.
Factors Exerting Greatest Influence
on Production Are Water Supply,
Condition Of Seedbed 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
ni2ed II not understood. effect of the
1n'rediately preceding crop. Differ
cnces 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 IA stations in
this area, according to the United
States Department of Agriculture Bul
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 feed
crop. The price is usually determined
by the quality of the barley from a
brewing standpoint the demand being
for uniform product, we'll matured.
and Of 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
D1oin hoc
feed rather than as 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. it will ripen with or be-
fore the earliest oats. OF 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 limits. is more
important than the total amount re
ceived during the year A relatively
low rainfall, when properly distrib-
uted. may produce a crop, where a
much higher rainfall, unfavorably dis
tTibuted. may result in 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 cultiva-
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 were
practiced as at other stations. where
precipitation was not sufficient. and
where the same methods of cultiva-
tfon were practiced as at other sta
tions the crop resulted in a failure
While some methods of cultivating
barley at Bellefourche, s. D., Garden
fly. 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 CAM OF be overcome by cul-
;Lral practices.
The results obtained at each of the
Ii 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-
plcation to the editor and chief of
the division of publication, as long
as the departments supply for free
distribution lasts
arm ~ ANNA 40 "a, ~anAR