m 



EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 

 Table IT. — Moisture: — Amount per Acre to depth of 16 inches. 



Considering first the data obtained on the Brandon soils, it is to be noticed that 

 the soil in fallow last year (B) contained, during May, June, and July of the present 

 year, both in the first and second eight inches more moisture than soil to corres- 

 ponding depth from the area that was cropped last year. This will be more appai-ent 

 by consulting Table II., from which the following results are obtained : — 



Tons. Lbs. 



May 11, 1900, excess of moisture in land fallowed, 



1899, per acre 199 1,029 



Juno 11, 1900, excess of moisture in land fallowed, 



1899, per acre 331 452 



July 11, 1900, excess of moisture in land fallowed, 



1899, per acre 06 478 



Between June 11, and July 11, the large excess of moisture prtwiously present 

 in soil (B) fell off rapidly, and was reduced to between 60 and 70 tons per acre. This 

 in all probability was due to two causes ; the first, the greater absorptive and retentive 

 power of soil (A) — in fallow 1900 — to hold the rainfall of the month 4-46 inches (see 

 table), and secondly, the large moisture requirements of the growing crop on soil (B). 

 These factors continued evidently in a more marked manner from July 11, and August 

 11, so that at the latter date a reversal of the previous conditions had taken place and 

 the soil in plot A now contained 204 tons moisture more than that in plot B. The 

 draught by the growing grain on the moisture on this latter plot would be at its maxi- 

 mum this month — a fact that well explains our results. 



Leaving out of consideration the data of plot A for October — regarding which 

 we cannot at present offer any explanation — it will be observed that there is a constant 

 tendency for the soil moisture in both fallowed and cropped soil during the latter 

 months of the experiment to approximate. This is evidently due to the unusual wet 

 autumn (see table of rainfall), the evaporation being slight. However, results show 

 that on November 11, when the last samples were collected. tlu> fallowed soil contained 

 about 50 tons of moisture per acre more than in the cropped soil, the evaporation from 

 the latter naturally being greater. Under more normal conditions we might, judging 

 from our early results, expect a much larger excess of moisture in the fallowed soil. 



