37C EXPERIMENTAL FARM- 



2 GEORGE V., A. 1912 

 ROTATION N. 



Four years. — Wheat, wheal, oats, fallow. 



ROTATION M. 



Four years. — (With manure), wheat, wheat, oats, fallow. An area of 8 acre- la 

 devoted to these two rotations. 



Kotations 1ST and M differ from one another only in that in M manure is used on 

 •the second crop of wheat and in N no manure is used. 



The system of cropping indicated in N, is similar to that followed by many 

 farmers in Manitoba, and this is to be tested with the others to compare the financial 

 returns and the effect on the condition and fertility of the soil. 



Rotation M is to determine the advantage of using manure when the crops grown 

 are as indicated. 



rotation s. 



Forty acres for sheep land. 



Eight years. — Roots and peas, wheat or oats, hay, hay, pasture, pasture, pasture, 

 green crop, rape, etc. 



In this rotation, manure is to be applied twice in eight years, as a top dressing 

 iafter hay in the third year, and for the green crop in the eighth year. 



The land to be under this rotation is forty acres of light land that i3 to be used 

 for sheep. A fence designed to be coyote-proof, encloses the area, and portable fences 

 will be used for subdividing where necessary. 



RELATIVE VALUE OF ROTATIONS. 



The value of a rotation can be determined definitely only after it has been in 

 actual operation for a number of years. It is only then that its effect on the fertility, 

 the condition of the soil, and the cost of production of the various crops can be accu- 

 rately ascertained. It is essential to know the cost of production under each system 

 of rotation as it is only in this way that the value of the products can be compared. 



In addition to the value of the products harvested under a definite rotation and the 

 cost of producing them in labour, rent and manure, there is to be considered the effect 

 of the rotation on the soil fertility and condition as influenced by the amount of 

 humus and plant food consumed and left for subsequent crops. This cannot accurately 

 be determined on large areas as even the most uniform soils vary greatly in com- 

 position over an area of several acres. It has therefore been considered advisable to 

 confine that part of the rotation work which pertains to their effect on the composition 

 of the soil to a small area of uniform virgin soil. This was broken and backset in 



1910. Half an acre is to be devoted to each rotation. This will be cropped and worked 

 the same as the regular rotation except that only one crop of the rotation will appear 

 each year instead of all the crops as in the regular field work. For example Plot A 

 representing Rotation A and consisting of half an acre will be cropped as follows: 



1911, wheat, 1912, wheat, 1913, oats, 1914, hay, 1915, pasture, 1916, corn and roots. 



In addition to there being a plot for each of the rotations above outlined Plot E 

 is added. This is to be cropped with grain continuously. 



Samples of soil for analysis were secured in October. 1910, from each of the plots 

 by Mr. Frank T. Shutt. Dominion Chemist. Two samples were taken from each plot, 

 one representing the top six inches of soil and one representing the soil from six inches 

 to twelve inches below the surface. Samples from the same places will be taken at 

 intervals of a few years for comparison with the original samples to determine the 

 effect of the various system? of cropping. 



