REPORT OF MR. R. ROBERTSON 



255 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



FIELD CEOPS OF BUCKWHEAT. 



Two acres of buckwheat were grown on a clay loam in a good state of fertility, 

 the previous crop having been ensilage corn. The variety used was Silver-hull. The 

 land was sown June 18, and yielded 36 bushels 24 lbs. per acre. 



FIELD CROPS OF GRAIN ON MAESH. 



Fifteen acres of oats were sown on ordinary marsh (or dyke) soil of a rather 

 sandy nature, on which timothy hay had been grown for a term of years, yielding 

 an average crop of about 1 to 2 tons per acre. This was sown with three different 

 varieties of oats, Pioneer, Sensation and Black Tartarian at the rate of 3 bushels per 

 acre. The land was not by any means uniform, making a comparison of varieties 

 uncertain. The total yield was 692 bushels 32 lbs., an average of 47 bushels per acre. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH INDIAN COEN. 



Fifteen varieties of Indian corn were sown in uniform test-plots. The land was 

 a- clay loam on which clover hay had been grown the previous season, the aftermath 

 having been left on the ground, on top of which, in the fall of 1907, was spread stable 

 manure at the rate of about 20 tons per acre, and was ploughed in the spring of 1908 

 after a fairly good growth of grass had started. This was well worked up, but not 

 deeply, and complete fertilizer at the rate of 400 lbs. per acre was added, sown broadcast 

 and harrowed in. On June 6 this was sown in rows 36 inches apart and also in hills 36 

 inches apart each way, harrowed over with a smoothing harrow before coming up, 

 and again just as some of the first plants were coming through the ground. From 

 this on, a one-horse cultivator was used about once each week, until the corn was 

 three to four feet high. When the plants were about six inches high, they were 

 thinned out in the rows from 4 to 6 inches apart, and from 3 to 6 plants left per hill 

 where in hills, the hand hoeing necessary being done at this stage. This crop made 

 very good growth throughout the season and was very satisfactory, being harvested 

 September 28. 



Following were the results obtained: — 



Corn — Test of Varieties. 



g 



1 



2 



3 



4 



5 



6 



7 



8 



9 



10 



11 



12 



13 



14 



15 



Name of Variety. 



Wood's Northern Dent . . 



North Dakota White 



Champion White Pearl. . 



Mammoth Cuban 



Superior Fodder 



Anjrel of Midnight 



."^alzer's All Gold 



Early Mastodon 



Longfellow 



Pjureka 



Pride of the North 



Selected Learning 



White Cap Yellow Dent. 



Compton's Early 



Early Butter 



to 



'S 



In. 



94 

 81 

 102 

 84 

 92 

 82 

 92 

 99 

 88 

 96 

 80 

 83 

 80 

 80 

 85 



Leafinpss. 



Very leafy. . 



II . . 



Fairly leafy. 



Leify . . . . . 

 Fairly leafy. 



Very leafy. 

 Med. leafy. . 

 Fairly leafy. 



Very leafy . , 

 Fairly leafy 



When 



Tas- 



selled. 



Aug. 20. 

 ,. 20. 

 Sept. 5. 



In Silk. 



Aug. 15. 



Sept. 



20. 

 13. 

 20. 



Sept. 1. 



Sept. 3. 



Aug. 15. Sept. 1 



Sept. 3. 



Aug. 20. Sept. 3, 



Condition 

 When Cut. 



Late milk. . 

 Soft glazed, 

 Watery. . 



Glazed . 

 Watery. 

 Early milk 

 Glazed . 

 Watery, 



II 



Late milk 

 Watery 

 Glazed . 

 Late milk 



Weight 



per acre 



grown 



in hills. 



Tons. Lbs . 



25 

 21 

 23 

 2S 

 22 

 21 

 23 

 24 

 21 

 22 

 22 

 20 

 22 

 24 

 22 



1,1.50 



1,230 



1,300 



30 



1,650 



900 



750 



400 



570 



1,870 



1,430 



1,800 



1,080 



1,500 



1,100 



