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Barley On Moist Land

Categories: Grains and Forage Crops

What would you do with land subject to overflow by the Sacramento when

that river rises 20 feet, and which you wanted to plant to barley this

season? Would you take a chance on the river rising that high this year,

or wait until after that danger was over, and take a chance on not

getting enough rain to make the grain come up; also, if the river did

come up for 48 hours after the grain was in, but did not wash, would the

> grain be lost? Should the grain be planted deeper than on ordinary land,

and, if so, should a drill be used? How much seed should be sown per

acre on good river-bottom soil?



Get the barley in and watch for the overflow rather than to fear it. An

overflow for 48 hours would give you the greatest crop you ever saw,

unless it should be in a settling basin and the water forced to escape

by evaporation. From your description we judge that this is not so and

that the land clears itself quickly from an overflow. Depth of sowing

depends upon the character and condition of the soil - the lighter and

drier the deeper. By all means use a drill if the soil is dry on the

surface. Short rainfall makes the advantage of drill seeding most

conspicuous. On the University Farm 22 trials gave an average gain of

over 10 per cent in yield. The difference would be much greater in a dry

year; it might be 25 per cent greater, possibly, and save high-priced

seed at the same time, as about 90 pounds of seed per acre will do,

instead of 120 pounds broadcast, in accordance with the approved heavy

seeding practice on the river lands.



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