DIVH^ION OF FIELD HU SB AS DRY 



231 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



The fullowiuf;' tabic summarizes the cost of prodiictiou of the more important 

 tiehi crops gTowii this year:— 



Cu.sT 01- rnoDUCTiOK of Field Crops, Indian I lead, 1013. 



*This d(tes not include the cost of summer-fallowing. 



ROTATION OF CROPS. 



Southern Saskatchewan is devoted primarily to grain-growing, and wheat has 

 been the only crop grown extensively since the country was first settled. It will no 

 doubt remain the important crop for some years to come because of our locati( n 

 and climatic conditions. But that there must be a change in the system of cropijing 

 is admitted by all up-to-date farmers, for the growing of wheat alone and summer- 

 fallowing every third year, is too favourable to the introduction of weeds, the ex- 

 haustion of the soil fibre and the depletion of fertility. If the quantity and quality 

 of wheat are to be maintained, loss from these causes must be guarded against. 

 Suitable rotations of crops will do much to minimize these losses. With this in 

 mind, a number of different rotations have been put in operation to test their 

 adaptability to this district. The costs, returns and profits of these rotations are 

 being recorded, and analyses will be made from time to time to gather information 

 as to their effect on soil fertility. 



ROTATIOX " C" (three YEAR.s' DURATION). 



Fir»l year. — Summer-fallow. . 



Sceon d yea i: — Wheat . 

 77) irrf (/par.— Wheat. 



Thi.s rotation consists of tlirce fields containing 6:i acres each. In 1913 the entire 

 rotation gave a iirofit of $9. til per acre, and the average profit im- two yeai'S is $0 72 

 per acre. 



This rotation is followed by the majority of farmers in the southern portion of 

 the province. The rainfall being more or less sparse the summer-fallow is necessary 

 to store moisture for the two succeeding crops. The objection tti the long-continued 

 use of this rotation is that it tends to exhaust the soil fibre, facilitates the introduc- 

 tion of weeds, and must ultimately deplete fertility. 



Indian Head. 



