24 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



3. Hoed crops form a large proportion of every rotation. An attempt to farm 

 a small area without a hoed crop was not successful. Weeds could not readily be 

 kept in check. 



4. No field is left in hay for more than two successive years. Our records 

 show that the second crop almost always costs more per ton than the first, and that 

 .succeeding crops are very liable to be grown at a loss. 



5. Barnyard manure is applied frequently in comparatively small quantities, 

 rather than at long intervals in large quantities. 



The following record shows the comparison of the chief items in connection with 

 these rotations : — 



. Costs, Eeturns and Net Profits of Eotations " A," " B," " C," " D " and " R." 



dotation. 



Cost to 

 operate 

 per acre. 



Value of 



returns 



per acre. 



Profit or 



loss per 



acre, 1913. 



Profit, 

 average 



of 

 8 vears, 

 1904-11. 



A (Five years' duration) . . . 

 B (Five years' duration). . . 

 C (Four years' duration) . , . 

 D (Three years' duration) . 

 *R (Three years' duration) 



cts. 



17 55 

 21 83 

 17 08 

 19 35 

 19 14 



cts. 



19 40 

 21 47 



16 97 



17 80 

 19 50 



cts. 



1 85 

 -0 36 

 -0 11 

 -1 55 



36 



$ cts. 



8 78 



9 03 

 8 15 



10 08 



I Records kept for 1912-13 only. 



SHALLOW PLOUGHING AND SUBSOILING VERSUS DEEP PLOUGHING. 



This experiment has now been under way for ten years. Two four-year rota- 

 tions differing only in the above-mentioned autumn preparation for hoed crop of 

 mangels and corn were laid down in 1904. 



The average returns for the ten years show a very slight advantage in favour of 

 the deep ploughing. If there is taken into consideration the fact that where sub- 

 soiling is practised a single plough must be used, whereas a two-furrow riding plough 

 may be operated under the deep-ploughing method, the higher cost of operation in 

 the former method would reduce the actual net profits still more. This experiment 

 ■will be continued, as the results have not as yet shown any decided advantage in 

 favour of either method. 



COMMEKCIAL FERTILIZERS AS A PART SUBSTITUTE FOR BARNYARD MANURE. 



In 1&13 there were completed five years of experiments designed to supply 

 information concerning the relative fertilizing merits, in regular farm rotation of: — 



1. No manure or fertilizer of any kind, but pastured one year in four (records 

 kept in 1913 only). 



2. Barnyard manvire. 



3. Complete commercial fertilizer. 



4. Barnyard manure, together with commercial fertilizer. 



Tlie i-€sailts S'how a distinct advantage in barnyard manure alone over com- 

 mercial fertilizer alone for this soil, but point to the possibility of combining the 

 two to good advantage when barnyard manure is scarce or high in price. 



