DIVISION OF FIELD HUSBANDRY 123 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



' SHALLOW PLOUGHING AND DEEP CULTIVATION ' VERSUS ' DEEP 



PLOUGHING.' 



The season of 1911 completed an eight-years' test of the above methods of prepar- 

 ing land for hoed crops. While the results have shown the advantage of deep over 

 shallow tillage, especially in preparing for roots, they have not indicated to any 

 marked degree, a superiority of one or the other of the above methods. 



In 1912 the two four-year rotations used in this experiment were re-arranged, 

 and divided into eight one-acre plots. The experiment will be continvied for another 

 term of years, but, owing to the changes made, this year's results will not be included 

 in averages that will be drawn. 



Rotation ' S' (Shallow ploughing and deep cultivation). 



First year. — Corn or roots. Field manured at rate of 24 tons per acre. Ploughed 

 out of sod previous August, 4 inches deep, and subsoiled to a depth of 8 to 9 inches, 

 worked at intervals and ridged up in fall. In case manure is not applied before plough- 

 ing, deep cultivation is attained by means of a strong, deep-reaching cultivator, after 

 the sod has rotted' in the fall, or the next spring. After the corn crop is harvested the 

 land is ploughed shallow or cultivated in preparation for the grain which follows. 



Second year. — Grain. Seeded down with 10 pounds red clover and 12 pounds 

 timothy per acre. 



Third year. — Clover hay. Cut twice in the season, and the aftermath left on the 

 field. 



Fourth year. — Timothy hay. Broken in August and prepared for corn or roots, 

 as indicated above. 



Rotation 'P' (Deep ploughing). 



This rotation differs from rotation ' S ' only in the treatment of the timothy hay 

 field in' preparation for corn or roots. It is manured and ploughed in August, 7 inches 

 deep, top worked, and ploughed again in late fall, 7 inches deep. 



The details of cost and returns are shown in the tables herewith presented. 



