54 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 



That the land has been much improved by this treatment has been shown in 

 increased crops on many plots, when compared with adjoining plots on which no 

 clover had been sown. With the oat crop in one series of experiments, the average 

 increase for the first year was 28 per cent in the weight of the grain produced and 78 

 per cent in the weight of the straw. In the second year, when barley was sown on 

 the same series of plots without any additional fertilizer, the increase in the weight 

 of grain produced on the plots which had been treated with clover was 29 per cent, and 

 the increase in the weight ^f straw, 35 per cent. In a similar course of experiments 

 conducted with potatoes, the plots treated with clover gave an average increase in 

 the weight of the tubers of 28 per cent. 



In preparing the land for crop different methods are adopted in different parts 

 of the Dominion. In the eastern provinces the advantages arising from fall ploughing 

 have been repeatedly shown. The exposure of the soil to the influence of frost, sun- 

 light and air is beneficial, and spring work is materially advanced, and crops can be 

 got in earlier by the general adoption of this practice. On the North-west plains it 

 has been found of great advantage to ' summer fallow ' a part of the land each year. 

 This practice conserves moisture, destroys weeds and brings the farmer much larger 

 crops. The yield of wheat on land which has been summer-fallowed will average 

 fully one-third more than on land which has been prepared by fall or spring ploughing. 



That increased crops result from early sowing has been fully demonstrated by 

 the tests carried on at the experimental farms. These experiments with early, medium 

 and late sowings have been conducted for ten years on plots of one-tenth acre each on 

 land very uniform in character. The same preparation has been given to the soil in 

 each case and the same lots of seeds have been used for each sowing. Forty-eight 

 plots have been devoted to this experiment, eight of which have been sown at the 

 very earliest time practicable with two varieties each of wheat, oats, barley- and pease. 

 A second series has been sown at the end of a week, and others at the end of each 

 subsequent week, until six successive sowings have been made. These plots have all 

 been harvested and threshed separately and the result published each year. The best 

 crops have been had from the second sowings, made just one week after it was possible 

 to sow the seed; beyond this, delay in sowing has resulted in loss, which has become 

 more serious as the delay has been greater. The average of the ten years' experi- 

 ments shows as follows : — 



With wheat a delay of one week beyond the period named has entailed a loss of 

 over 30 per cent ; two weeks, 40 per cent ; three weeks, nearly 50 per cent, and four 

 weeks, 56 per cent of the crop. 



With oats a delay of one week has caused an average loss of over 15 per cent ; 

 two weeks, 22 per cent ; three weeks, over 32 per cent, and four weeks, about 48 

 per cent. 



In the case of barley a delay of one week has resulted in an average loss of 23 

 per cent ; two weeks, 27 per cent ; three weeks, 40 per cent, and four weeks, hearly 

 46 per cent. 



With pease the loss in crop from delay has been less. A delay of one week hns 

 lessened the crop to the extent of 4 per cent ; two weeks, 12 per cent; three wees, 

 22 per cent, and four weeks, 30 per cent. 



The results of these experiments have led farmers generally to pay more attention 

 than formerly to early sowing, and in this way crops have been improved. 



Anotker important consideration in connection with successful farming is the 

 selection of the best varieties of seed for sowing, taking into consideration produc- 

 tiveness, quality and earliness of maturing. That there are varieties more productive 

 and earlier in ripening than other sorts has been abuixlantly proven. 



During a five years' test of 41 varieties of oats, all of them sown each year on the 

 same day, and on similar soil, the results have demonstrated the relative productive- 

 ness of certain sorts. Each year a list has been published of the best twelve in the 

 scries, and during the whole period of five years only fifteen varieties have fnuiid their 



