REPORT OF AIR. W. S. BLAIR 361 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Plot No. 4- — This ground was treated similar to plots Nos. 2 and 3 during the 

 season of 1903. The ground was ploughed as soon as fit on May 13 and worked up with 

 disc and springtooth harrows. The land was again worked once each with the disc 

 and springtooth harrows on May 29, June 20 and 29, and on July Y, 13 and 25. On 

 July 25 Crimson clover at the rate of 20 lbs. per acre was sown broadcast and harrow- 

 ed in lightly with the smoothing harrow. This clover started well and made strong 

 growth, giving a thick mat from 5 to 7 inches deep.. 



Plot No. 5. — This plot was worked up in the spring of 1903 and seeded to oats 

 June 24 at the rate of three bushels per acre, with 5 lbs. Mammoth Red clover, 3 lbs. 

 Alsike and 12 lbs. Timothy per acre. The growth of grain was good and was used 

 for green feed early in September. The catch of clover was good. The growth of 

 clover this season was strong and was cut for green feed June 23, when about two 

 feet high. A second growth of clover started up and quite a growth of Timothy also 

 appeared. The second growth made quite a mat of from 4 to 7 inches, which still re- 

 mains. 



WINTER RYE. 



Plot No. 1. — ^Vinter rye is not generally grown here, but was selected for one plot 

 principally to show the drying effect of grain crops on soil. This plot, as compared 

 with the clean cultivated plot, shows a marked difference in percentage of moisture, 

 especially during June, July and August. The rye crop had ceased to grow by August 

 1, but not until the heavy rain on August 21 did this ground which had been so 

 thoroughly dried oait by the rye become sufficiently moist to admit of growth of the 

 clover sown with the rye. It will be seen by referring to the following table that from 

 July 23 to August 21, 2'28 inches of rain fell, yet the ground remained practically the 

 same in moisture content. A thoroughly dried soil does not absorb water quickly, and 

 drying weather generally prevailing at this time of the year quickly evaporates the water 

 from the top soil before it penetrates to much depth. This shows that ground that 

 has been dried out by such crops require very heavy rains to wet it to a sufficient depth 

 for the moisture to be available for the fruit tree. One inch of rain will make the 

 surface of such a piece of land quite wet, but, still not supply the tree with required 

 moisture. When the soil samples were taken August 4, the surface of the plot was 

 quite damp but the soil Ix^low was still thoroughly dried out and did not become moist 

 until after the rainfall on September 3 and 4. 



Plot No. 2 was ploughed two weeks later than plot No. 3„ to determine the effect 

 if any of inverting the top soil by ploughing to check the capillary flow of soil water. 

 A reference to the results obtained will show that there was little difference in the per- 

 centage of moisture in these two plots up to July 9. It will also be seen that these 

 plots both had a Crimson clover cover crop in 1903 which died during the winter and 

 loft a dead mat, which acted as a mulch preventing No. 2 plot from drying out as much 

 as it actually would have done had this decaying mass not been there. The intention 

 was to sow No. 2 and No. 3 plots to oats after working the land on the last of May, and 

 by taking samples from each throughout the season determine what effect early work- 

 ing of the land had in checking the escape of moisture from the land and holding it 

 for the use of the crop later on; but, owing to circumstances unavoidable grain was not 

 sowni until June 20. Plot No. 2 was seeded to oats June 20, and plot No. 3 was seeded 

 to Alfalfa on July 7. 



Plot No. Jf was given clean cultivation to July 25. The data in the column marked 

 4a represent the moisture in the soil to a depth of only 5 inches. The object was to see 

 how the top 5 inches of soil compared in moisture content with that to a depth of 14 

 inches. 



Plot No. 5, it will be seen, was next to plot 4. Quite a striking difference in per- 

 centage of moisture between these two plots is shown. 



