74 ' EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



The results in 1913 correspond closely to the average of past years. Without 

 exception, the smallest amounts of each gave the lowest yields. The crops obtained 

 increased quite rapidly with the amounts of seed used up to a certain point, after 

 Arhich the increase was small and irregular. It is the point at which this change 

 takes place that appears to be the most profitable quantity of seed to use. Our 

 results to date indicate the following rates of seed to be the best : — 



Winter wheat, non-irrigated, 60 pounds per acre. 

 Spring wheat, non-irrigated, 75 pounds per acre. 

 Oats, non-irrigated, about 75 povmds per acre. 

 Barley, non-irrigated, 75 to 90 pounds per acre. 

 Spring wheat, irrigated, 90 to 105 pounds per acrp. 

 Oats, irrigated, about 90 pounds per acre. 



The results with barley on the irrigated plots have not been uniform, and it is 

 therefore difRji^dt to draw definite conclusions. From the data to hand, however, 



75 to 90 pounds per acre may be recommended. 



, SOIL CULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 



The dry-land soil cultivation investigations incepted in 1911 were carried out 

 successfully, but as yet few of the experiments have shown any marked results. 

 Some interesting points, hov/ever, have been brought out, which may be briefly 

 mentioned. 



Prairie Brealiiny. — In this experiment, the results have brought out nothing 

 that has not before been fairly well demonstrated. They strongly support the con- 

 tention that sowing crops immediately after breaking is unprofitable, and point out 

 that the most advisable and practical method -ef procedure on new land is to break 

 the sod in the spring and allow it to lie till the following season before cropping. 



Depth of ploughing. — The plots ploughed 8 and 4 inches deep appeared to suffer 

 from drouth before those ploughed 6 and 7 inches deep. Ploughing beyond the 

 latter depth, however, seemed of no advantage. 



Time of Ploughing. — One of the most striking results observed, because it 

 happened almost without exception, was the fact that land ploughed in the fall gave 

 poorer returns than that which was ploughed in the spring. Similar results have 

 been obtained in previous years, but the difference has never been so marked as was 

 the case this year. No doubt the dry winter with its scanty rainfall was, in a 

 great measure, responsible for these results. 



CEREALS. 



The usual variety tests of wheat, oats, barley and peas were carried out on both 

 the irrigated and non-irrigated land. There was nothing striking in the season's 

 results in these investigations that would warrant special mention. 



FORAGE CROPS. 



Corn has done much better than usual this season. Some varieties, such as North- 

 western Dent, Canada Yellow and Longfellow, ripened a few ears. The heaviest yield- 

 ing sort in the variety test on the dry land was the Ninety Day, which yielded at the 

 rate of 11 tons 1,064 pounds of green feed per acre. The best yielding variety on the 

 irrigated land was Compton's Early, which gave a yield of 15 tons and 1,278 pounds 

 per acre. 



