REPORT OF MR. THOMAS A. SHARPE 415 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



CLOVER EXPERI^IENTS. 



So much attention lias been called to the necessity or usefulness of treatment of 

 clover and alfalfa seed with special cultures of bacteria that it was thought desirable 

 that an experiment be tried with seed treated and untreated of common red clover and 

 aJfalfa. 



A quantity of seed of these legumes, both treated and untreated, was received from 

 the Central Experimental Farm, for a test of this nature on the soil of this farm. The 

 land chosen for this test has been under cultivation since 1894 and has been dressed 

 several times with barnyard manure and has had after-growth of red clover turned 

 under five times. The last time was in the fall of 1903, when a heavy growth of clover 

 was turned under and a dressing of about ten tons per acre of farm yard manure 

 applied during the winter following and thoroughly worked into the soil in spring and 

 a crop of roots raised in 1904:. 



The land was lightly ploughed and harrowed early this spring and a half acre was 

 seeded with inoculated alfalfa seed at the rate of twenty-five lbs. per acre, and the ad- 

 joining half acre sown with untreated seed at the same rate. Adjoining plots of half 

 an acre each were sown with treated and untreated red clover at the rate of 12 lbs. per 

 acre. A half bushel of barley per acre was sown broadcast at the same time, not as a 

 nurse crop, but to be useful as a guide to the mower, and the plots were clipped off sev- 

 eral times during the summer, the clippings being left as a mulch. 



The growth has been very good on all the plots, but up to the present time no dif- 

 ference is apparent, which in the case of the red clover is quite natural as clover has 

 always done remarkably well on this field. 



Another season will perhaps show what effect the culture has on the alfalfa, which 

 Las failed on two previous occasions. 



SUMIIARY OE CROPS. 



Tons. Lbs. 



Hay. . . 47 500 



Clover in silo. 67 1,300 



Corn in silo 33 1,100 



■ Turnips 38 1,600 



Carrots 5 200 



Mangels 4 1,600 



Potatoes 6 280 



Wheat ■ 587 



GARDEN VEGETABLES. 

 Beets. — Sown April 4. 



Early Blood Turnip. Eit for table, July 5. Crisp, sweet, fine flavoured; dark red. 



Egyptian. Eit for table, July 5. An even, rapid grower; crisp, fine flavour; dark 

 red. 



Nutting's Dwarf Improved. Eit for table, July 10. Fine grained; good quality. 



Long Smooth Blood Red. Fit for table September. Very fine quality; sweet, 

 crisp; a good keeper. 



Beans. — Sown April 14. 



Dwarf Golden Skinless. Fit for table, July 10. Very productive; pods from 2^ 

 to 4 inches; crisp; good quality. 



