190 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



EXPERIMENTAL STATION FOR SOUTHERN ALBERTA, 



LETHBRIDGE, ALTA, 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. H. FAIRFIELD, M.S. 



THE SEASON. 



The season of 1912 resembled that of 1911 in that the rainfall during the early 

 part was deficient, while during the latter part the usual amount was received. 



The results of the crops on the Station during the summer of 1912 have been 

 interesting, although in many instances somewhat disappointing. The season opened 

 up in a most propitious manner. Work on the land began on March 28, and the first 

 seeding was done on April 1, although it would have been possible to have begun a 

 little earlier. The soil was left moist from the fall of 1911 and the land was in 

 excellent shape to work in the spring; consequently, the grain crops, in fact all crops 

 planted, were put in under exceedingly favourable conditions where land had been 

 prepared the summer or fall previous. However, the rainfall during April, May and 

 until the end of June in the immediate vicinity of Lethbridge was extremely light. 

 Grain sown on summer-fallowed land and on very early spring ploughing, where the 

 land was cultivated immediately afterwards, came up well, because it was possible to 

 place the seed in moisture. Germination on land that was not so treated was not 

 good. 



On account of the previous season closing up so early in the fall of 1911 it was 

 impossible for the farmers in southern Alberta to do much fall ploughing, the result 

 being that a great deal of grain was ' stubbled ' in this past spring, and most of this, 

 in the Lethbridge district, germinated poorly. 



The rainfall was very light, indeed, until the last few days in June; from then on, 

 during July, August and September it was above normal. On account of this light 

 rainfall during the first part of the growing season, all early sown crops, and especi- 

 ally winter wheat, suffered acutely. Crops that looked extremely promising early in 

 the season gave but low yields. Late-sown crops, on the other hand, did much better 

 providing they ripened before the frost. 



The yield of all the crops on the non-irrigated portion of the station was rather 

 low, with the exception of peas and such late growing crops as turnips, potatoes, etc. 



On the irrigated portion of the Station, however, where water was applied in 

 June, and in some cases even in May, the yields were very much more satisfactory. 

 In the case of hay, however, especially alfalfa, we found the rainy season rather diffi- 

 cult to operate in, as it was hard to get it cured properly. Alfalfa usually makes its 

 most rapid growth when supplied with the necessary moisture during the hot weather 

 of July and August, but this year, on account of the many showers during this 

 period, the weather was not so hot as it ordinarily is, so the alfalfa fields did not pro- 

 duce quite as much as they usually do. 



