26 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



" The plots laid out for the experimental work with fertilizers were one-tenth of 

 an acre each, 21 of which were devoted to experiments with wheat, 21 to barley, 21 to 

 oats, 21 to Indian corn or maize, and 21 to experiments with turnips and mangels. 

 Owing to the difficulty and unavoidable delay attending the draining of some wet places, 

 it was not practicable to undertake work on all the plots the first season. The tests 

 were beo-un in 1888 with 20 plots of wheat and 16 of Indian corn; and in 1889 all the 

 series were completed excepting six plots of roots, Nos. 16 to 21 inclusive, which were 

 available for the work in 1890." In all cases the plots in each series have been sown 

 on the same day. 



" In 1890 it was found that all the grain plots had become so weedy that the 

 growth of the crops was much interfered with, and with the view of cleaning the land 

 one-half of each of the wheat and oat plots was sown with carrots in 1891, and one- 

 half of each of the barley plots with sugar beets. In 1892 the other half of each plot 

 in each of these series was sown with carrots. In 1893 it was thought desirable to con- 

 tinue this cleaning process, and carrots were again sown on the half of the wheat and 

 oat plots occupied with this crop in 1891, and also on the half of the barley plots 

 cropped with sugar beets that year." In 1894 the one half of the oat plots was sown 

 a^ain with carrots and the half of the plots devoted to wheat and barley have been 

 planted with potatoes. 



TREATMENT OF SOIL. 



" The treatment of the soil on all the grain plots has been to gang-plough soon 

 after harvest, and after the shed grain and weeds have well started to plough again 

 about 7 inches deep. In spring the plots have been disc-harrowed twice before applying 

 the fertilizers and again harrowed with the toothed or smoothing harrow before sowing. 

 On those plots where barnyard manure has been used, the manure has been lightly 

 ploughed under as soon as possible after it has been spread on the land and harrowed 

 with the smoothing harrow before sowing. Wherever barnyard manure is spoken of it 

 is understood to be a mixture of horse and cow manure in about equal proportions." 



It is proposed to give each year in the annual report a summary of these permanent 

 fertilizer plots, taking the average yield of the whole of the previous period adding the 

 results of the current year and then giving the average yield for the full time. The 

 experience of each year will add materially to the value and reliability of the tests for 

 the whole period. 



WHEAT PLOTS. 



The seed sown on each of these plots from the beginning has been in the proportion 

 of 1| bushels per acre; and the varieties used were as follows. In 1888-89 and '91 

 white Russian, and in 1892-93 Campbell's White Chaff. In 1894 the Rio Grande wheat 

 was sown April 19th, came up April 29th and was ripe August 8th requiring from the 

 date of sowing to maturity a period of 111 days. Shortly before sowing the Rio 

 Grande it was tested as to vitality and found to be very deficient in germinating power, 

 less than half the kernels sprouted. As it was not practicable then to secure better 

 seed, double the usual quantity of seed was sown namely : three bushels per acre, which 

 gave a proportion of growth on each plot of about the usual thickness. 



The season of 1894 at Ottawa has been more favourable for the growing of spring 

 wheat than any other season during the seven years these tests have been carried on excep- 

 ting that of 1891, and the yields taken as a whole are about one third above the average. 

 This year the plot on which the rotted manure was used has yielded at the rate of 2 

 bushels 29 lbs per acre more than that on which the fresh manure was used. This gain 

 however is not sufficient to offset the previous gains of the fresh manure plot and it still 

 averages a little better than any other plot in the series. 



