290 EXI'EIUMESTXL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA, 



AGASSIZ, B.C. 



KEPOET OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, P. H. MOORE, B.S.A. 



FIELD CEOPS. 



In tlie spring of 1911 practically the entire Farm was put down to a four-year 

 rotation, namely : — ■ 



First year. — ILoed crop of corn, roots or potatoes. ~ 



Second year. — Grain. Seeded down. 



Third year. — Clover liay. 



F 0X1 r ill year. — Pasture. 



With the increase of barnyard manure, the results from each new section 

 planted to hoed crops have shown an improvement. 



The hoed crops this season were grown on a piece of land from which, since 

 1010, orchards have been removed from time to time. x\ part of the area is badly 

 iiifested with couch grass, and another portion suffers somewhat from shading, 

 due to its location between the mountains on the north and a section o£ Douglas 

 fir 'trees on the south. ISTotwithstanding this, the yields have been fair. In aHl, 

 there were harvested 284 tons 1,770 pounds of silage corn, 136 tons 110 pounds of 

 mangels, 9 tons 1,980 pounds of carrots, G tons 100 pounds of sugar beets, 16 tons 

 l,r)00 pounds of potatoes, and 10 tons 800 pounds of turnips, making a total hoed 

 crop yield of 464 tons 260 pounds. 



Two varieties each of corn and mangels were grown as field crops, namely: 

 Longfellow and Compton's Early corn and Giant Half Sugar White and Perfection 

 Mammoth Long Red mangels. Regarding the corn, the sorts grown give the best 

 results of any of the varieties grown to date. With regard to the mangels, we are 

 i!'>t in fj position to make this statement with such assiurance as yet, because several 

 of the varieties now being tested give promise of greater yields per acre. 



The mangels were planted at the rate of 9 pounds per acre in drills, 30 inches 

 apart. These drills were set up with a double mould board plough, rolled and the 

 seed sowii with a hand drill. This rate of planting gave, at the time of the two-le;if 

 stage, a perfect stand. Where fertilizer tests were not carried on, there were sown 

 in the drills, at drilling time, 600 pounds per acre of a mixture of chemical fertil- 

 izers, consisting of 350 pounds superphosphate, 150 pounds muriate of potash and 

 100 pounds nitrate of soda. For the last two years the mangels, when treated this 

 \vay, have grown faster than the average weeds. When once np and growing nicely 

 tlu\v were hoed by hand with a small wheel hoe. They were thus easily and cheaply 

 kept above tlie weeds, and the horse cultivator did the rest until thinning time. 

 They were thinned about 14 inches apart and hoed but once thereafter. 



Because the field was badly overrun with couch grass, a great deal of prepara- 

 tion was required for the corn land. Many harrowings were given with the drag 

 typo of harrow, for too much cutting only defeated our aims. Barnyard manure 

 was ploughed in at the rate of 16 tons per acre. The corn wns planted by 



