272 



hand, unci at the same time is in the veiy be^^t condition to hurry in the crop in the 

 sprini^, which is one of the things absolutely necessary for success here. 



A g-reat deal of controversy has ai-isen over the best way of killing weeds by 

 summer fallow. The course too commonly adopted is to allow them to attain their 

 full growth, and then turn them under. This is, no doubt, a good plan if the work 

 can be accomplished in a few tla^'s, or before the seeds form and ripen, but in the 

 great majority of cases this cannot be done, and long before the field is ploughed 

 there is a thousandfold added to the already innumerable Aveed seeds i-eady for 

 growth in the spring. Two plans are being tried on the Experimental Farm to 

 overcome these troublesome pests. One is to gang plough a weedy field in the fall, 

 thereby causing weeds to start early in the following spring. The other to plough 

 early in May and June and by repeated cultivation prevent the weeds from attaining 

 more than a bare appearance above the ground. No definite conclusion can yet be 

 given as to the success of the first mode except that it takes not more than one-half 

 the work to keep down the weeds during the time the fixUow is being made, in com- 

 parison with the laboui- necessary on spring ploughing to efiect the same purpose. 

 Whether weeds will aj^pear more numerous in the grain from fall or spring plough- 

 ing can only be determined bj' next year's crop; but as to the success of the latter 

 way, that is by ploughing eai-ly and repeated cultivation, there need not be the 

 slightest doubt. 



Land ploughed last year, before 1st July, bore abundant evidence this year of the 

 wisdom of early work. 



A Eandall harrow was found to be the most effectual implement last summer 

 to keep down the weeds, but it was necessary to use it often and allow nothing to 

 appear very far above the surface. 



WHEAT, 



This, as in past years, was given the largest acreage, for the reason that 

 it is the chief pi-oduct of the country and impoi-tant that some early and good 

 varieties Ite obtained. 



Nineteen new and 28 old varieties were tested. Red Fife wiis given 32 acres, 

 Ladoga 16 acres. White Fife, Eureka, Saxonka, Eed Fern and others, 1 to 2 acj-es 

 each ; 26 varieties had ^ an acre and newer sorts from J^- to i of an acie each. The 

 lai'gei' portion of the land was fallowed, but fall and spi'ing ploughing were sown 

 with Hcd Fife, to test the difference in eailiness and yield. 



Eed Fife and Ladoga were sown at different dates and with different quantities 

 per acre. These were also sown by drill and broadcast, and attempts Avere made to 

 sow by press drill, but on account of the sticky nature of the soil these were not 

 successful. Grain on fall ploughing is shrunken and as will be seen the yield is 

 much less than that on fallow. That on spring ploughing was equall}' as good as 

 on fallow in quality and nearly the same in 3'ield. 



The difference between early, medium and late sowing is very noticeable, but 

 this maj', to a large extent, be accounted for fi-om the frost of 21st August which 

 caught the various lots in different stages of I'ipening. The field sown on 16th 

 April was barely ripe and could have stood several days without injury had no frost 

 occuired. 



The grain from this field grades No. 2 Hard and is plump but frozen. The 

 medium, sown on 24th A;)ril, was cquallj^ heavy in straw as that sown on 16th, but 

 the frost came when the grain was in the milk and the result is 23 instead of 35 

 bushels per acre. Tne late sown on 30th April, was about | less in straw and the 

 heads were much sm;;ller than that first sown. The frost caught it just as the grain 

 was well filled but quite soft, and hurt it bad!}', so badl}' in fact that it is useless for 

 anything but feed, and although the return is lO^^ij bushels per acre, this quantity 

 may be put down at about 12 bushels of wheat for its feeding properties. 



In the tests of different quantities per acre the results must not be taken as indi- 

 cative of the relative advantages from the various quantities sown, as none of the plots 



