/-• 1 7- 7 > -? \pril II, 19 8. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUR] W OF II. ANT INDUSTRY- Circular No. 5. B. X. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bun BARLEY CULTURE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAIN'S. MARK ALFRED CARLETON, Cebi \i i>t in Charge of Grain Investigations. WASHINGTON : GOVE*'.'. OFFICE : 1»08. BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. Pathologist and Physiologist, and Chief o) Bureau, Beverly T. Galloway. Pathologist and Physiologist, and Assistant Chief of Bureau, Albert F. w I Laboratory of Plant Pathr/logn. l'.rwin F. Smith, Pathologist in Charge. TnVi stigatiom of Diseases of Fruits, Merton B. Walte, Pathologist in Charge. Laboratory of Forest Pathology, Haven Metcali, Pathologist in Charge. Truck Crop Diseases and Plant Disease Survey, William A. Orton. Pathologist in Charge. Plant Life History Investigations, Walter T. Swingle, Physiologist in Charge. Cotton Breeding Investigations, Archibald D. Shamel and Daniel N. Shoemaker. Physiologists in Charge. Tobacco Investigations, Archibald D. shamel, Wightman W. Garner, and Ernest II. Mathewson, in Charge. Corn Investigations, Charles P. ITartley, Physiologist in Charge. Alkali and Drought Resistant Plant Breeding Investigations, Thomas If. Kearney, Physiologist in Charge. Soil Bacteriology and Water Purification Investigations, Karl F. Kellerman, Physiologist in Charge. Bionomic Investigations of Tropical and Subtropical Plants, Orator F. Cook, Bionomist in Charge. Drug and Poisonous Plant Investigations and Tea Culture Investigations, Rodney II. True, Physiologist in Charge. Physical Laboratory, Lyman J. Briggs, Physicist in Charge. Crop Technology and Fiber Plan' Investigations, Nathan A. Cobb, Crop Technologist in Charge. Taxonomic and Range Investigations, Frederick V. Coville, Botanist in Charge, Farm Management Investigations. William J. Spillman. Agriculturist in Charge. Grain Investigations, Mark Alfred Carleton. Cerealist in Charge. Arlington Experimental Farm, Lee C. Corbett, Horticulturist in Charge. Vegetable Testing Gardens, William W. Tracy, sr., Superintendent. Sugar-Beet Investigations, Charles O. Townsend, Pathologist in Charge. Western Agricultural Extension Investigations, Carl S. Scofield, Agriculturist in Charge. Dry-Land Agriculture Investigations, F. Channing Chilcott, Agriculturist in Charge. Pomological Collections, Gustavus B. Brackett, Pomologist in Cha rge. Field Investigations in Pomology, William A. Taylor and G. Harold Powell, Pomologists in Charge. Experimental Gardens and Grounds, Edward M. Byrnes. Superintendent. Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, David Fairchild, Agricultural Explorer in Charge. Forage Crop Investigations, Charles V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge. Seed Laboratory. Edgar Brown, Botanist ill Charge. Grain Standardization, John D. Shanahan, Expert in Charge Subtropical Laboratory and Garden, Miami. Fla., Ernst A. Bessey, Pathologist in Charge. Plant Introduction Garden, Chico, Ca'., August Mayer, Expert in Charge. South Texas Garden, Brormsi lib , Tex., Edward C. Green, Pomologist in Charge. Cotton Culture Farms and Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work, Seaman A. Knapp, Special Agent in Charge Seed Distribution (Directed by Chief of Bureau 1 ., Lisle Morrison, Assistant in General Charge. Editor, J. E. Rockwell. Chief Clerk, James E. Jones. [Circ. 5] 2 COX T I- X T S. Page D( velopmenl of the industry 5 Distincl barley districts 5 i omparison oi > ields of differenl varieties in the northern Greal Plains are Two-rowed compared with six-rowed barley 9 Br I hilt better strains 10 Maintaining pure seed lu Cultivation 11 of barley 12 [C'irc. o\ 3 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/barinnOOunit B. P. T.-36S. BARLEY CULTURE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY.^ The barlej crop throughout the larger part of the United States is one thai has been rapidly growing in importance in recent years. Its growth has been especially rapid in the north-central State- and the northern States of the Great Plain,-, partly at least because of the fact thai these two districts are particularly well adapted for barle} culti- vation. It is also true thai the use of barley in stock feeding has increased a great deal in recent years. Preceding the year 1901, the largesl crop recorded for the United State- was that of 1895, amounting to 87,720,744 bushels. In 1901 there was a crop of L09,932,924 bushels. Since thai time there has been a fairly constanl increase, until in 1906 the production was 178,916,484 bushels, of winch 38,725,400 were harvested in North Dakota and Smith Dakota. These figures are taken from the Crop Reporter of tin- Department, issue of January, inns. From the figures given in tin- same publication it is apparent, also, thai there ha- been considerable increase in the yield per acre, considering the yield- in five-year period- for the pasl foil \ years. 'The increase in acre yield- 1 1 1 : i x he largely the result of tin' establishment of better \ arieties. DISTINCT BARLEY DISTRICTS. An investigation of barley cultivation in the northern States cov- ering eighl to ten year-, conducted by the Bureau of Plant Indus- try in cooperation with the agricultural experiment stations in the differenl States, lead- to the conclusion that there are two rather well marked barley districts in tin- region. One extend- over Wisconsin, Minnesota, and adjacent area-, including the valle the Re<4 River of the North: the other extend- over the northern B ireau lias conducted investigations with barley m a number of points in Hi- northern Great Plains area, and a considerable amount of information of urate nature with respect to barley adaptation and cultivation in this region is ii. .w at hand. A large part of tin- work has been conducted in cooperation with the North l' ind South Dakota agricultural experiment stations. With these tigations a- a ba ipanying article has been prepared by Mr. Mark Alfred Carleton, Cerealist in Charge "i Grain Investigations, ami as there appears to immediate demand among the farmers "i this area for such information, ii is thought best in publish it in i In- form "i a circular, B. '1'. Gallow w. ' [Cin 6 BARLEY CULTURE IX THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. portion of the Great Plains, including practically all of South Dakota, all of North Dakota except the extreme eastern portion, the Plains area of Montana, and small adjacent portion- of Wyoming and Nebraska. The discussion of barley culture in this article must be understood to apply particularly to tin- second area— that of the northern ( treat Plains. In physical geography the northern Great Plains area differs from that of the north-central States district approximately as follows: In the latter district there is much more rainfall, there are con- siderable areas of timber, and the climate is fairly cool: in the north- ern Great Plains district the average annual rainfall is much less than in the other district and becomes gradually -mailer toward the West, there is very little or no timber, and the summers are hot. It is probably largely due to these differences in climate and soil that there :- a corresponding difference with respect to the varieties of barley adapted to these different districts. From the investigations already mentioned, it has been quite thoroughly demonstrated that a- a general thing the six-rowed barleys are much better adapted to the north-central States district, while in the 1 northern Great Plains the two-rowed barleys succeed better. COMPARISON OF YIELDS OF DIFFERENT VARIETIES IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS AREA. In the following tables are shown the comparative yields of a number of different varieties of barley at several different experi- ment stations. At the State agricultural experiment station at Fargo, X. Dak., it is seen from the table of yields obtained as an average of live-years' tests that the six-rowed barleys have done a little better than the two-rowed varieties. This is in \{c<\ River Valley, and. a- before stated, that valley appears to belong in the north-central States district as regards barlej adaptation. Table I. I" agi yields of varieties of barley foi I i ■ h> Vo th Dakota I cult II" 1,1 St n ion. N.Dak. Variel y. Average number daj s ma I uring 1 years in head Yield pel icn i sion No. 1902 1903. 1907. Average, li\ < 107 -i - 84 • 95 v.', 94 83 81 6 1 6 6 6 2 2 2 2 6 63. 1 55 3 :,.-». 7 7.7. 1 48. 1 49. 3 1 40. 1 in 2 ■£ i 40.2 33. (I 35. 4 1 30. 2 27. 2 31.6 33. 1 1 17.9 Ml 5 15 ii n ii 16 B 12 16. 1 17.1 46.9 61.2 £ BO g :.4. 3 ii, 9 41.0 42.7 966 42.5 Tl'i 40.0 S71 in 3 789 847 rds i] m d Chief . I 37. 3 649 40. 1 172 149 720 M 1 null- less Greal Beardli 34. S 32. 3 [Circ. 5] BARLEY I i LTURE IN ["HE NORTHERN GR] \i PLAINS. i Prof. J. II. Shepperd, agriculturist and vice-director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experimenl Station, al Fargo, writes as follows <■ :erning i liis matter: The trials of the North Dakota Station have been directed toward a study of the * * * two-rowed barley compared with the six-rowed strain.* and a coinp of yields with the hull-less and beardless sorts. The two-rowed strains proi plumper berries and on thea\ erage perhaps slightly better colored grain. TheaA erage of a five years' trial, however, with li\>- six rowed varieties against four two-rowed ives a difference of 3.6 bushels per acre in \ i < • 1 < I in favor of the six-rowed strains. It ina\ well be noted thai in these trials not I' the pedigree two- rowed varieties obtained l>\ the Department of Agriculture from Sweden have been included, though these varieties in other trials to he mentioned have had great weight in increasing the average of the two rowed sorts. No results are yel available of any extensive t rials made at other experimenl stations in North Dakota, except for one year, 1907, at the Dickinson substation, where in trials of many bar- le\ varieties the two-rowed varieties greatly exceeded the six-rowed sort- in yield per acre. No trials have been made of different barlevs in the eastern portion of Montana, but at the Mate station at Boze- man. where conditions influencing barley adaptation are likely to he very similar, the results of trial- of a number of varieties covering the years 1900 to 1906, inclusive, -how a considerable difference in the average yield- in favor of the two-rowed varieties. A table giving a comparison of the yields of the two classes of barley at this station for the year- mentioned i- here given: Table II s "/ th Montana An Eyperim "f \ sirirtv. New Zealand 2-rowed. . . heuri Chevalii I I lei Norl Cull . rowed... ■ M li Daws l- lit} 111 51. 1 112 111 50 5 111 ■' llull-lcss. i Hess. These data are calculated from the annual reports of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station for the years 190-1 and 1906. On 159 of the second report a summary i- given of the yield- of different classes of barley, from which it i- -ecu that the average yield of grain per acre in pounds for two-rowed barleys for the years and 1906 was 3,1 6S, while thai of six-rowed barleys (nol hull- 8 BARLEY CULTURE IX THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. less) was 2,496, or a difference of 672 pounds per acre in favor of the two-rowed barleys. The variety trials with barley at the State Agricultural Experi- ment Station at Brookings, S. Dak., have been very extensive and interesting, and have covered the period from 1900 to 1907, inclusive. Some of the best varieties, however, were introduced much later than the others. In 190-"! a severe hailstorm destroyed the entire crop of all small grains before harvest time. It is only possible, therefore, to give average yields that furnish any reliable information for the period of 1904 to 1907, inclusive. The results of these tests are strik- ingly in favor of the two-rowed barley-. It is worth while to refer to these trials somewhat in detail. There were a good many more varieties of two-rowed barleys grown than of the six-rowed sorts. The names of the twenty best two-rowed varieties are here given in the order of yield, and also the names of the five best six-rowed varieties in the order of vield. Table III. — Twenty best two-rowed varieti of yield at th South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. G. I. No. 187 35 24 200 2114 203 207 26 Swan Neck Chevalier. - - . Hannchei - P l Mo 10585 Chevalier, S. I'. I. No. 10584. Hanna Chevalier Bohemian I [anna Lower Frankish Hanna Yield G. I. per acre. No. 46 7 158 44.9 4 1 9 27 ll 9 201 43.3 18 43. 2 42.8 41.9 41.4 47 41.3 178 Name Bavarian ....do Bohemian Kitzing Golden Melon Princess. S. P. I. No 10583 Hanna Primus. S. P I No 10586 Striegum Sidney Yield per acre. Bushels. 41.3 40.0 39.9 39.0 38.6 38, 6 38.2 34.8 34.1 33. 9 T mi if. IV. — Fire best six-roicedt arieties in order ofyii Id at tfu South Dakota . Igricultural I net iment Station. G. I. No. 182 lsl Name. i >dessa .... Common six-rowed Minnesota v -' *> leld per acre 16 6 11 6 41.1 G. I. No Name. > leld " 170 7S Manchuria. . Sangatsuka. 39.0 28.3 The average yield of the live best two-rowed varieties for the four- year period specified is 44.9 bushels and that of the five best six -rowed varieties for the -a me period is 39.3 bushels, a difference of 5.6 bushels in favor of the two-rowed variel ies. There are several things of interesl concerning these tests. Though the average yield of the six-rowed sorts is considerably lower than thai of the two-rowed varieties, "nevertheless the Odessa variety, originally from Russia, made an average yield of only one-tenth of a bushel less than that of the highest yielding two-rowed variety, the Swan Neck. Minnesota No. 6, which has stood the highest in many |:\|;|.I.\ CULTURE IX THE NORTHERN GREAT PLA1 '.» barley trials al the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station, ga> e a yield hereof over 5 bushels per acre less than that of the highest yielding two-rowed variety and of the Odessa variety <>f its own group. Minnesota No. 6 is a pedigree variety of many years' standing, devel- oped from the Manchuria. In these same trials i he Manchuria variet\ . of the original stock and not pure bred, made the lowest average yield of the five best six-rowed varieties. An interesting feature is the uniformly high yield- per acre of the lour best two-rowed varieties, which are pedigree barleys introduced from Sweden through Mr. I). (I. Fairchild, Agricultural Explorer of the Bureau of Plant [ndus- giving abundant proof of the value of the production of pure types of barley. The Hanna variety (G. I. No. 24 has been widely introduced throughout South Dakota and has become a rather popular barley, although in these trials it yielded the lowest of the five best tu o-rou ed sorts. In trials of a few varieties of barley at the Highmore, S. Dak., sub- experiment station t'or the years 1903 to 1906, inclusive, the only six-rowed variety tested through all these year-. Minnesota Y really made an average yield of slightly more than that of the best of the two-rowed varieties. The difference, however, is ven slight, and it is to be noted that the pedigree varieties introduced from Sweden, which gave such high yield- at Brookings, were not included in these tests until the year L905. Such varieties as these would have to be compared with Minnesota No. 6 to make a fair comparison, because of the thorough breeding of Minnesota No. 6 from a -ingle original mother plant. AH hut one of these Swedish varieties during the years L905 and 1906 gave yields considerably in exec-- of Minne- -.'I a No. 6. TWO ROWED COMPARED WITH SIX ROWED BARLEY. In recent year- there ha- arisen a considerable rivalry between two-rowed and six-rowed barleys, and there ha- been much discus- sion a- to the relative merit- of these two classes of barleys. It is well known that the two-rowed barleys are generall) used in Germany and are considered much better than the six-rowed varieties. In this country the six-rowed varieties have been in favor. This is no doubt partly owing to the fad that the six-rowed barley- have until recently been given more attention by the farmers, and have therefore obtained a foothold in this country. It is only recently, after the thorough investigation of many barley varie- ties already mentioned, that the difference in adaptation of these two groups of barleys to different portions of the country has been ascertained. This natural adaptation of the two groups to different area- appear- to clear tin- situation nicely, at least from the [Or. 10 BARLEY CULTURE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. agricultural standpoint. As there seem in be good arguments from the commercial standpoint for the production of either class of bar- leys there is apparently no good reason why the tanner should not cultivate the particular barley which gives him the best acre yields, and in the region of the northern Great Plains there is no question but that tin- class is the two-rowed barleys. BREEDING BETTER STRAINS. Mention has been made of the superior productiveness of the thoroughly bred Swedish barleys and of the Minnesota Xo. t> pro- duced at the Minnesota Experiment Station, the former being two- rowed varieties and the latter representing the six-rowed group. From the results shown to be obtained by other barleys, there is not the slighest doubt that the superior yields of these highly bred bar- leys are due entirely to their thorough breeding, they having orig- inated from stock no better than that of the ordinary sort-. Since during recent years a large part of the attention of the agri- cultural experiment stations has been given to adaptation trial- of many varieties, not much time has yet been given to breeding pure barley types in this country. In South Dakota the work has until recently been almost entirely a study of many varieties in adaptation trials. The work of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion has already been mentioned. At the State station at Fargo, X. Dak., a great deal of time has been given to barley -election, and two very good pedigree varieties have been developed at that sta- tion: The Mandscheuri (Manchuria'. X. Dak. Experiment Sta- tion Xo. 871, a six-rowed variety, and the "Man-ury," X. Dak. Experiment Station No. 172. a two-rowed variety. A number of other pure types which do not Act appear to have developed into satisfactory strains, ready for distribution, are being handled by this experiment station. MAINTAINING PURE SEED. The subject of get tine- unmixed seed is of the greatest importance and should always receive careful attention. The farmer can not. of course, do accurate breeding exactly according to the methods em- ployed by the experiment stations, but he can largely maintain the quality of the strain or variety he already possesses, keeping it fairly pure, well cleaned and graded, and occasional!) selecting the hot plants from the field for starting a .-mall seed plat. It is especially important to keep two-rowed barley absolutely separate from six-rowed barley. It is better not to grow these two kinds even on the same farm. Many farmers over a large area should unite in growing strictly one kind of barley, after being fairly sure that they have selected the one most satisfactory. [Circ. i] BARLEY CULTURE IN THE NORTHERN GREA1 PLAINS. 11 CULTIVATION. S.i much instruction in the way of cultivation of any crop depends upon the conditions in particular localities thai it is not wise to make more than a lew general statements in respecl to this subject for a district of an) size. There are, however, several principle- of a eral nature to be observed. In the first place, much of the larger portion of the area of the Great Plains has a comparatively low annual rainfall, and it l- therefore important to use even measure for the conservation of moisture in the soil. This is to a large ex- tent accomplished by thorough surface cultivation alter occasional deep plowings. A.s a rule, it is important in this area that all plow- ing for spring grains should be done the preceding season, th there ma\ be occasional local circumstance- that would require a modification of this practice. After the plowing is done, it is at any rate certain that occasional surface cultivation, especially after ram-, is of the greatesl importance. It is an excellent thing to have barley follow a cultivated crop, such as Indian corn. In the western and northern portions of this area, some kind of sorghum may take the place of Indian coin. In the case of a number of experiments made at several experiment stations in the northern Great Plains. it ha- been found that the yields of barley and other small-grain crop- after com are considerably better than those obtained even after summer fallow, while at the same time the income from the cultivated crop is obtained in addition. I he rate of seeding will range from one to two bushels, depending upon the locality and particularly upon the amount of rainfall. There i- no question that seeding should he done with a drill. A much better and more uniform stand is obtained in this way, and grain i- thus better protected from the action of dry winds. especially if drilled at righl angles to the prevailing direction of the wind. \ already mentioned, special attention should he given to quality of the seed. Not onl\ should the seed he kept free from mixture at thrashing time and well cleaned and graded, hut it is usually advisable to use home-grown seed if it is of good quality. Introduced -eed i- better only when it represents some new variety preferable to others of the same class or when it happens to come from a district a little better adapted for barley cultivation. When harle\ i- -ceded at the ii-md time, it is harvested early enough to allow the producer to plow the stubble under, and as a result secure a better crop the following season. Professor Shepperd make- t he following remark : I have known ;i fanner to start three gang plows al work plowing behind the I >i in lor when cutting early-sown barley, the gang plows turning over the 7-1 by the binder. The sheaves fell uii the plowed land and 12 BARLEY CULTURE IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS. avoiding the necessity of moving them again before they were 1 >aded for thrashing. I am assured that the effect of this early plowing, which really approached the average summer fallow, gave a marked improvement on the next season's crop. The young barley may be cultivated with a harrow to greai advan- tage after attaining a height of three or four inches, particularly if this is done after rains. The loss of moisture duo to the formation of a crust is thus prevented. If possible, barley should not be allowed to be discolored by ex- posure to wet weather. Discoloration depreciates its value for com- mercial purposes. The crop should be harvested as soon as it is fully ripe. If barley is well stacked promptly after shocking, the color will be preserved, but a short exposure in the shock is fre- quently fatal to the good color of the kernel. USES OF BARLEY. Barley has recently acquired a steadier and stronger demand and is being more generally used every year. It is growing in favor for feeding to stock, especially for hog feeding. Barley-fed bacon is con- sidered to be of much better quality than that produced from corn. This crop has recently been more remunerative to the acre than either wheat or flax. It is a crop thai lits in with other small grains to good advantage at the harvest and thrashing season because of its early maturity. Professor Shepperd is of the opinion that "barley as a grain for stall-feeding live stock in North Dakota seems destined to fill the place occupied by corn in Stntes farther south. Feeding trials with horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs at this station demonstrate its value in the ration of each of these classes of live stock.'' Approved: James Wilson Si en /a /it of Ai/i icultun . Washington, 1 ». C, April 6, 1908. [Circ. o] o UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08929 0034