236 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



THE USE OP BARN- YARD MANURE AS A FERTILIZER. 



Last year a few tests were made with barn-yard manure as a fertilizer for 

 wheat, to ascertain whether the effect of the manure was lasting or not; these 

 plots were sown again this year with wheat; very little increase is shown from the 

 manure applied in 1892, but the unrotted gives slightly the best return. 



Upland prairie, light loam, sown 12th May with press drill, IJ bush, per acre, 

 one-tenth acre plots, 20 tons per acre of each kind of manure applied in spring of 

 1892. 



Besides the plots included in the preceding table, eight additional ones on clay 

 loam were this year treated with manure which_ was applied both on the surface 

 and ploughed in. It will be seen that manure applied on the surface has generally 

 given the best return, it no doubt acted as a mulch and retained the moisture dur- 

 ing the drought. Fall ploughing appears to encourage weed growth, and this 

 agrees with our experience every year. Soil clay loam, Eed Fife, sown 2nd May 

 with press drill, \^ bushels per acre, plots, one-tenth acre, wheat stubble land. 



TEST OF DRILLS. 



The difference each year between the returns from drilling and broad-casting 

 have been so great on this farm, that the importance of this question should be kept 

 constantly before the farming public. 



In addition to a report of this year's tests of drilling and broadcasting wheat, 

 a summary of four years' tests is also given; it will be seen that the average differ- 

 ence in favour of drills is over 5 bush, per acre with wheat, and 11 bush, with barley. 

 It is estimated that there are one million acres devoted to wheat in this province, 

 and if only 25 per cent of this is sown broadcast and the results reached on this farm 

 fairly represent the whole province it represents a loss of over one million bushels 

 a year. 



We find that in addition to the increased yield obtained by sowing with a drill, 

 the grain also ripens more evenly and stands up better. 



