liEPORT OF Mli. W. a. BLAIR 



359 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



The experience gained here seems to indicate that Crimson clover is one of the 

 best cover ci'ops for use in orchards. It produces a good thick mat of nitrogenous 

 material easily turned under and out of the vpay for future cultivation. Crimson clover 

 is an annual, and only odd plants will stand the winter. The killing of the clover 

 in the winter, however, is not considered a disadvantage because the ground is worked 

 a.<» soon as it is fit. 



The cost of these different seeds per acre for sowing to cover crop, is as follows : — 



3 bush, pease at 80 cents per bushel $2 40 



4 " oats at 40 cents per bushel 1 60 



3i " winter rye at 60 cents per bushel 2 10 



3 " buckwheat at 50 cents per bushel 1 50 



40 pounds sand vetch at 9 cents per pound 3 60 



14 " mam. red clover at 14 cents per pound 1 96 



20 " crimson clover at 8 cents per pound 1 60 



son. MOISTUKE EXPERIMENTS. 



The object of these experiments was to obtain information relative to the moistura 

 contents of soil when growing grain or grass crops as compared with that given clean 

 cultivation from early spring until time for sowing a cover crop. The reason for 

 obtaining this information was to see whether fruit trees growing in soil cropped with 

 grain or grasses had sufficient moisture to make proper growth of wood and fruit 

 during this part of the season. 



Fruit trees make their wood growth during the first half of the season; con- 

 sequently any check to this growth during June and July, should, if at all possible, 

 bo prevented, especially for young trees. Grasses and grain crops make their growth 

 principally during the first part of the .siimmer and require large quantities of water 

 for their full development. After this water has been taken up by the roots and per- 

 formed its function in plant growth it is transpired from the leaves in the form of 

 vapour. This taking up of the soil moisture would probably, if the rainfall during the 

 season were light, provided those crops are grown within the root area of the tree, 

 deprive the tree of the necessary moisture for proper growth. 



