Explanatory Notes

…is governed two considerations- определяется двумя соображениями

(to) become well established- хорошо укорениться (о растении)

the best of wheat – лучшие участки (посева) пшеницы

to set in- наступать (о погоде)

Words and word combinations to be learnt:

carbon dioxide	углекислый газ
crown, n	крона (деревьев); венчик, розетка (листьев); корневая шейка
freeze(froze, frozen), v	замерзать, замораживать
heavy soils	тяжелая почва, почва тяжелого механического состава
moisture-retentive soils	влагоудерживающая почва
nourished	питательный
oxygen, n	кислород
root system	корневая система
thaw, v	таять, оттаивать
vigorous, a	сильный, энергичный
winter-hardy variety	зимостойкий сорт

Exercise

1. Translate the following words with the same roots:

to digest, digestible, indigestible, digesting, digested, digestive, digestion, digestibility;

to select, selected, selecting, selector, selection, selectionist, selective, selectively;

nature, naturally, naturalist, naturalistic, naturalism, naturalization, to naturalize;

value, to value, valuable, valueless, valued, valuer, unvalued.

II. Translate the sentences into Russian:

Where spring wheat is grown, it will usually yield better if seeded early.

It needs to make its growth largely before hot weather. Since spring wheat can stand a great deal of cold weather there is little, if any danger from low temperatures when seeding is done early.

III. Fill in the blanks with one of the given words:

Though, through, thorough, thoroughly, throughout

1. This soil needs a …preparation.

2. .…the temperature was rather low, the seed started to germinate.

3. Roots penetrate …the air spaces (воздушные пространства) of the soil.

4. This plant is planted…the word.

5. The seedbed is to be…prepared.

IV. Answer the following questions using the Present Perfect Tense with “just” or “already”:

1. Is this farm going to produce a good potato crop?

2. Is this agronomist going to develop a new variety of wheat?

3. Aren’t you going to speak about applying manure to this crop?

4. Are they going to plow this field next week?

5. Aren’t they going to grow this new variety of wheat?

V. State the function of the Infinitive in the following sentences and translate them into Russian:

1. Fertilizers are applied to improve soil fertility.

2. To produce high yield crops plants require plant nutrients and water.

3. Crops also require micronutrients in order to grow well.

4. To feed the animals properly is necessary.

5. To feed the animals properly farmers should grow grasses and grain crops.

Lesson 7

Oats and barley

Oats and barley have much in common. They are both small grains or cereals and constitute important grain crops exceeded only by wheat, rye and corn in acreage and value.

The species of oats, which include all the cultivated varieties, appears to have arisen in the eastern temperate zone of Europe or western Asia. As for barley, it has been known for thousands of years and must have been cultivated before any recorded history. In the barley ear spikelets resemble those of wheat while the spikelets of oats differ in that they have stacks forming a panicle usually 9 to 12 inches long. There exist many different kinds of oats and barley and as with the other small grains there are many significant differences as to characteristics between varieties raised.

Culture. Both oats and barley are most commonly seeded in spring and grown as annuals. No winter-oat varieties have been developed thus far that are sufficiently hardy for dependable production where winters are severe. They are not grown as far north nor at such elevations as barley, the hardiest winter barleys resisting winterkilling better than any of the present varieties of winter oats. Of the spring sown oats some are very early. These are favoured by the warm climate of the south, for they complete the growth before the hottest, driest part of the season.

Both oats and barley are grown by essentially identical seeding, cultural, and harvest methods. They fit conveniently into the same sort of crop rotations, have about the same effect on the land and on the succeeding crops, and have approximately the same seasonal labour requirements.

If the time of seeding the oat and barley crops is governed by any one principle, it is that seeding should be done early wherever possible. This applies to both crops raised whether fall-or springsown and regardless of variety, since both are subject to reduced yields, provided the planting is delayed too long. Inasmuch as it is desirable to sow both barley and oats as early as possible, conflicts in the date of sowing will sometimes arise. It is for the agronomist to decide which of the two crops is to be sown first.

Words and word combinations to be learnt:

acreage, n	площадь посевов
constitute, v	составлять
crop rotation	севооборот, чередование культур
crop yield	урожайность
cultural methods	агротехнические методы, приемы
dependable production	надежное производство
panicle, n	метелка (тип соцветия)
severe, a	суровый
seasonal labour	сезонная работа
species, n	вид; разновидность; род
spikelet, n	колосок
stalk, n	стебель
a succeeding crop	последующая культура
temperate zone	умеренный пояс