288 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



FODDEE-MIXTURES AND FODDER PLANTS. 



As in previous years a good deal of ground was given to fodder mixtures. 

 These were sown on stubble land and on fallow and on account of the very favour- 

 able season a heavy rank crop resulted. A portion of the crop was made into hay, 

 a part cut green and put in silo and the remainder cut on the green side and bound 

 into sheaves to be cut with straw-cutter and fed to horses and stock. 



In previous years the bulk of these mixtures was made into hay. Last year a 

 test was made of allowing the mixture to partially mature, then cut with a binder 

 and after curing in stook the mixture was cut during the winter with straw- 

 cutter and fed to stock. This method having proved vQry satisfactory, the bulk of 

 the mixtures this year after filling the silo was cured in this way. 



Spring rye alone made the best hay. Oats and barley made the best fodder 

 mixture, and pease, wheat and oats gave the heaviest crop. 



The following tables give the results of the tests : 



FIELD PLOTS. 



Names of Grain. 



1 Oats and Barley . 



2 do Barley and Spring Rye, 



3 do on Spring Rye land ... 



4 Spring Rye on Fallow 



Weight 

 per Acre 



of 

 Ensilage. 



Tons. lbs. 



6 1,200 

 5 1,800 



4 1,000 



5 100 



ONE-TENTH ACRE PLOTS. 



Names of Grain. 



Golden Vine Pea, 6 lbs 



Prize Prolific Barley, 5 lbs 



Banner Oats, 3| lbs 



Golden Vine Pea, 6 lbs '^ 



Red Fife Wheat, 5 lbs \ 



Banner Oats, 3J lbs J 



Extra Early Peas, 7 lbs , \ 



White Tares, 6 lbs J 



Duckbill Baj-ley, 6 lbs \ 



Spring Rye, 5 lbs / 



Oats and Spring Rye 



'( 



Weight 



per Acre 



of 



Cured 



Hay. 



Tons. lbs. 



3 500 



2 1,000 



200 

 800 



In addition to grain mixtures corn, horse beans and sunflowers were also sown 

 for fodder. 



The corn although promising at first gave very poor returns when cut. Nine 

 varieties were planted. All were further advanced than in any previous year, but 

 none produced corn fully developed. 



The nine sorts were planted in hills 3 feet apart each way and the same sown 

 by grain drill in rows 3 feet apart on fallowed land which was ploughed and 

 harrowed before the seed was put in. All were put in the same day and the results 

 show but little difference between the returns from the hill and drill planting. 



One variety, North Dakota, was sown on potato land that had been well manured 

 before potatoes were planted in 1893, This gave 8 tons 280 pounds per acre. 



