SCO ■ EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 

 GRASSES. 



Owing' to the seviEf drought in spring and early summer, the yield of hay on the 

 Experimental Farm \\\is the smallest on record, the older fields failing to produce 

 enough to pay for cutting. A newly-seeded field of four acres, in a moist situation, 

 gave the best returns, viz., 1 ton 589 pounds per acre of Awnless Brome grass. The 

 abundant rains later in the season produced an aftermath which was rank in growth, 

 and some of it was sufficiently tall for mowing, but the hay from it was not found 

 equal in quality to the first cutting. 



I'lie only clover which reached a sufficient height for mowing was Lucerne or 

 Alfalfa. A plot of this grew 27 inches high, but accurate returns of the yield could 

 not be obtained owing to heavy rains at the time of curing. 



SEEDI'NTG BFtOME ON VERY SANDY LAND. 



It being desirable to seed down an exposed field of thirteen acres of light sandy 

 land with Brome Grass, and wishing to avoid loss from drifting soil, the plan of 

 ploughing in the seed lightly with a three-furrovv^ gang plough was tried with success. 

 The field had been summer-fallowed during 1899, and early in April the Brome Seed 

 was sown broadcast alcne, at the rate of 15 pounds per acre ; this was ploughed in at 

 once two inches deep, and left quite rough. The seed remained dormant until the 

 June rains, but the soil did not drift. In July the young plants appeared above 

 ground, and by autumn the field gave abundant pasture. 



GRASS AS A PREY]^NTIVE OF DRIFTING SOIL. 



The past season was exceptional for the large amount of injury done through 

 drifting soil, thousands of acres of crop, both east and south-west of this place, being 

 almost entirely destroyed from this cause. 



On the Experimental Farm the benefits of seeding to grass was very evident. 

 Knolls and other exposed spots which, in the early history of the farm, were often so 

 badly blown as to lose the seed, were so protected by the fiber of grass plants ploughed 

 under in former years, that the injury was scarcely noticeable. 



It is evident that one of the best preventives of injury from drifting soil is to seed 

 down to grass every few years. 



MILLETS. 



Seven varieties of millets were grown this year, although some of them failed to 

 germinate until after the June rains. They all made a heavy return. 



From several years' experience, it appears that millets are quite reliable in this 

 climate if sown on summer-fallow, or on any naturally moist land, newly ploughed. 

 On dry land, or on land which has been ploughed for some time, the millet seed ger- 

 minates so slowly that the weeds usually choke it out. Tbe Japanese variety was sown 

 ill drills 9 inches apart, the others 7 inches apart ; the size of the plots was one- 

 iwentieth of an acre, and the soil was a clay loam which had been summer-fallowed. 



