172 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



BARNYAKD MANURE— PLOUGHING DOWN versus TOP DRESSING FOR 



BARLEY. 



One plot in rotation " F," with an area of .SO of an acre, had iK-'t received man- 

 ure, so far as .we could learn, for fifteen years. In the spring of 1913, 3 tons 1,800 

 pounds of barnyard manure were applied to the north half of the plot. The whole 

 I)lot was then ploughed and worked similarly and seeded to Hanncben barley. After 

 the grain came up, the south half received a top dressing of 3 tons 1,800 pounds of 

 barnyard manure. During the summer the top-dressed portion of tlie field was at least 

 one week behind the other, and at harvest it yielded 3 bushels 13 pounds less barley 

 and 43 pounds less straw than the ploughed-under half. The difference in yield of 

 barley per acre in favour of the manure being ploughed down was 7 bushels 29 pounds. 



COUCH (TWITCH OR QUACK) GRASS. 



A hay field that was badly infested with couch grass was ploughed August, 1912, 

 and was rolled and cutaway-disc harrowed the following day. It was given a double 

 cut with the disc harrow oxi August 14, 22, and 29, and on September 10, 12, and 27. 

 It was worked deep and the couch cut hi short pieces and buried. In the spring of 

 1913 the field was as green as ever with couch. ' It was then decided to resort to our 

 old method of destroying this troublesome weed. The teeth of the spring-tooth harrow 

 were «:et deep and the field was gone over twice on May 12, the smoothing harrow 

 being used afterwards to shake out the roots. On May 14 the field was raked and 

 several tons of couch roots per acre were removed. It was then ploughed 6 inches 

 deep, spring-tooth harrowed twice, rolled and seeded.. The smoothing harrow was used 

 again to shake out the couch roots that the other harrow had brought to the surface, 

 and though the harrow was lifted continually the couch gathered into bunches so that 

 it had to be spread by hand. Wlien the couch on the surface was thoroughly dried 

 out, the field was given a light top-dressing of manure. The couch which had been 

 hauled off and completely killed was placed on top of the spreader loads and put back 

 on the field. The field gave an average yield of 80 bushels of oats per aero, and 

 appeared to be completely free of couch. 



SOIL CULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 



Ten acres of the land next to the Abegweit Athletic Association grounds, and 

 lying between the Prince Edward Island railway on the east and the Malpeque road 

 on the west have been set aside for a comprehensive set of- experiments in soil cultiva- 

 tion and renovation. 



In Prince Edward Island some of the problems in respect to which the farmers 

 are looking to the Experimental Stations for solution or for further information are : — • 



1. The improvement of neglected lands. These lands fall into two classes, (a) 

 Whole farms that have been robbed of their fertility by excessive cropping witli ofits 

 and timothy until natural grasses and weeds have possession, (h) The back fields 

 on the majority of homesteads, which need improved rotations, better cultivation and 

 more fertilizing. 



2. The conservation and increase of soil fertility. 



3. The control and eradication of weeds. 



4. The conservation of soil moisture. ^ 

 .^omo of the lines of experiment that are to be put under way arc: — 

 Neglected land treatment. 



Depth of ploughing. 



After-harvest treatment of sod land in preparation for grain. 



Charlottetown. 



