REl'VRT OF MJi. S. A. BEDFOIlD 



381 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. !6 



1st. The yield of grain of any kind is comparatively small from breaking and the 

 time can be more profitably used in breaking additional land. 



2nd. It is almost impossible to procure flax seed free from foul weed seeds. Wo 

 have found seven distinct varieties of wild mustard in one lot of fiax procured for 

 this farm. - 



3rd. For some unexplained reason, land sown with flax the first year fails to give 

 full returns for several years afterwards. 



Last year two plots of new prairie land were broken in May, one of the plots was 

 sown witli Common Flax as soon as broken and harrowed, the other was left unsovra, 

 but was ploughed a second time (baclvsett) in July. The plot sown with flax gave a 

 yield of 8 bushels and 12 pounds per acre. 



This year both were again ploughed and sown with Red Fife Wheat, with the 

 following result: — 



Red Fife on backsetting 

 II after flax crop. 



Date 



of 



Sowing. 



May 12. 

 .1 12. 



Date 



of 



Ripening. 



Sept. 5. 

 6. 



Weight 



of 

 Straw. 



Lbs. 



4.200 

 3,320 



Yield 



per 



Acre. 



Bush. Lbs. 



33 

 24 



20 

 49 



From the accompanying table it will be noticed that the plot left without a crop 

 gave 8§ bushels per acre more wheat than the land sown with flax. 



fla:: stubble for gkaix crop. 



On old land a grain crop following flax has usually given fair returns here. This 

 is probably owing to the small amount of stubble left by a flax crop, permitting of 

 a compact seed bed so necessary for the wheat plant. 



DIFFERENT PREPARATIONS FOR A WHEAT CROP. 



All on plots of 1-20 acre each. 



Preparation. 



Wheat after flax 



II wheat 



II oat.? 



II barley 



n millet 



Wheat on summer-fallow 



Rusted. 



Considerablj 



Badly 



Date 



of 



Sowing. 



Date Weight 

 of of 



Ripening. Straw. 



May 11.. Sept. 3 



.1 11.. 11 3.. 



11 11.. ,1 3.. 



>, 11.. „ 3.. 



M 11.. „ 3.. 



.1 11.. .1 4.. 



lbs. per ac. 



56S0 

 4SS0 

 4900 

 4()H0 

 3280 

 4540 



Yield 



per 



Acre. 



43 40 



37 .. 



3'J 40 



S3 40 



35 20 



32 40 



DIFFERENT GRAIN CROPS FOLLOWING FLAX. 



Wheat (Red Fife) after flax 



Oats (Banner) after flax 



Barley (Mensury) after flax. 

 Pease (Mummy) h 



Date 



of 



Sowing. 



May 11. 



H 11. 



.. 11. 



.1 11. 



Date 

 of 



Sept. 3. 



Aug. 26. 



II 22. 



Sept 2. 



Weight 

 of 



Ripening.! Straw. 



Lbs. 



5680 

 4620 

 3060 



Yield 



per 



Acre. 



Bush. Lbs. 



43 

 68 

 52 

 53 



40 



8 



44 



20 



