216 



EXPERIM i:\ TAL FA RMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 

 Rotation Experiment, Returns and Net Profits, 1912. 



Rotation. 



'C three years' duration. 

 'K' six years' duration. . 

 'L' six years' duration. . . 

 'N' seven years' duration 

 'O' seven years' duration 



Total cost 



to operate 



per acre. 



$ cts. 



8.86 

 13. 04 



8.75 

 10.98 

 12.40 



Value of 



returns 



per acre. 



$ cts. 



13.56 

 17.97 

 14.25 



21 67 

 23.52 



Net profit 



per acre 



1912. 



$ cts. 



4.70 



4.93 



5.50 



10.69 



11.12 



CULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 



Experiments covering a wide variety of cultural methods, have now been under 

 way for two years. This cultural work deals with twelve different lines of cultivation; 

 each branch has been allotted a certain sized block of land which is sub-divided into 

 plots, arranged so as to run a rotation varying in length, according to the information 

 sought. In the case of the experiment seeking information on the question of how 

 best to summer-fallow, for instance, a three-year rotation is followed. Seventeen 

 methods of summer-fallowing are being tried out, one range of seventeen plots being 

 under treatment each year while grain is being grown on each of the other ranges of 

 seventeen plots each, and, by the yields secured over a number of years, the merits of 

 the various systems may be compared. 



In planning to secure an answer to the question, ' What is the best previous pre- 

 paration and seeding practice for seeding down to grass and clover,' a five-year rota- 

 tion, including fifty-five plots, has been arranged. 



The following outline is given of the work being done, but it is perhaps too soon 

 to draw conclusions from results. 



A full statement of this work is given in the ; Guide to the Experimental Farms 

 and Stations' for the prairie provinces, available through the Publication Branch, 

 Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. 



Depth of ploughing. — Experiment No. 2. — 



(a) Ploughing on wheat stubble to be sown to oats. 



(b) Ploughing for summer-fallow. 



(c) On sod. 



Summer-fallow treatment. — Experiment No. 3. 

 Stubble treatment. — Experiment No. 4. 

 Seeding to grass and clover. — Experiment No. 5. 

 Breaking sod from cultivated grasses and clovers. 

 Applying barnyard manure. — Experiment No. 7.— 



(a 1 ) On corn or roots. 



(b) On wheat. 



(c) On barley. 



(d) On oats. 



Green manuring. — Experiment No. '3. 

 S$ed bed preparation. — Experiment No. 9. 



-Experiment No. 6. 



