128 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V. f A. 1914 



Comparative Costs, Returns, and Profits, 1912, ' Shallow Ploughing and Deep Cultiva- 

 tion ' versus ' Deep Ploughing.' 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER EXPERIMENT. 



In 1909 three rotations, having for object the gaining of information as to the 

 value of commercial fertilizers in regular farm rotation, were introduced. In this 

 experiment, superphosphate, muriate of potash and nitrate of soda are being substi- 

 tuted to a greater or lesser extent for barnyard manure. In 1S12 a further rotation 

 was added in which no fertilizer of any kind is used. The nomenclature has been 

 changed, so that rotations ' A,' ' B,' ' C ' Fertilizer are now 'X,' ' Y ' and ' Z,' respect- 

 ively, and the added rotation is termed ' N.' 



Rotation ' N '. 



This rotation is of four years' duration, and includes, grain, hay, pasture, roots. 

 The grain follows roots, the land being ploughed shallow or cultivated after the hoed 

 crop is harvested. With the grain is sown 8 pounds red clover, 2 pounds alsike and 

 12 pounds timothy per acre. Field is left seeded down two years, first year of which 

 is cut for hay, second is pastured. In August, pasture land is ploughed 5 inches deep, 

 worked at intervals during the autumn and ribbed up in the late fall. The following 

 spring the land is worked into good tilth and sown to roots, no manure or commer- 

 cial fertilizer of any kind being applied. 



Rotation ' X '. 



This rotation is of four years' duration, and includes grain, hay two .years, roots. 

 The grain follows roots, the land being ploughed or cultivated in the fall after the hoed 

 crop is harvested. With the grain is sown 8 pounds red clover, 2 pounds alsike and 

 12 pounds timothy per acre. The clover hay is cut twice in the season. After the 

 second year hay the land is manured at the rate of 15 tons barnyard manure per 

 acre, and ploughed in August, 5 inches deep, worked at intervals during the autumn 

 and ribbed up in the late fall. The following spring the land is worked into good tilth 

 and sown to roots. 



Rotation ' Y '. 



This rotation is of four years' duration, and includes grain, hay two years, and 

 roots. The grain follows roots, the land being ploughed or cultivated in the fall after 

 the hoed crop is harvested. With the grain is sown 8 pounds red clover, 2 pounds alsike 

 and 12 pounds timothy per acre. The clover hay is cut twice in the season. After 

 the second year hay, the land is ploughed in August, 5 inches deep, worked at inter- 



