222 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



Samples received for Examination and Report for the Twelve Months ended 



March 81, 1913. 



Conservation of soil moisture. — In many districts of the Northwest the rainfall 

 is sparse and uncertain, and the so-called ' dry-farming ' methods, which have for 

 their object the absorption and conservation of the rain for crop use, are in vogue 

 Deep and early ploughing, subsurface packing, frequent cultivation to ensure a sur- 

 face mulch of dry earth and to destroy capillarity, and summer fallowing, are among 

 the principal means to that end. To obtain data as to the influence of these cultural 

 operations and systems on crop yields, an extensive series of experiments was in- 

 augurated in 1911 on several of the western Experimental Farms. This investigation 

 is still in progress. To trace the moisture-content of the soil as affected by these 

 operations and systems of soil management and to correlate it with crop yield, it 

 was determined to take soil samples from the several plots periodically throughout 

 •the season and to ascertain their percentages of moisture. Data from two seasons' 

 work have already been obtained but a final report will not be made until the cL 

 of the experiment, many of the plots being under rotations of from 3 to 5 years' 

 duration. We can, however, at this stage, report several findings of considerable 

 interest which indicate that the available soil-moisture may be very profoundly modi- 

 fied by methods of tillage. The whole question is one of great importance to the 

 farming interests in the prairie provinces. 



The influence of environment on the composition of wheat. — This research has 

 thrown much light on the cause of the high quality of our northwestern-grown 

 wheats. It would seem that moisture and temperature conditions during the 

 the filling out of grain may markedly affect its composition. A fairly 

 dry soil and high temperatures during the later summer months, hasten maturity 

 and conduce to a hard berry with a high percentage of gluten. Such conditions 

 frequently prevail over large wheat-growing areas in the prairie provinces during the 

 development of the seed, and no doubt constitute an important factor in determining 

 the quality of the harvested grain. Similarly, it has been found in a semi-arid dis- 

 trict that wheat grown under irrigation is always softer, less glutinous, than that 

 (from the same stock) grown on an adjoining area under dry-farming methods. Ami 

 the same is true for barley. 



Further results, obtained by growing wheat from the same stock on the Experi- 

 mental Farms and Stations across Canada during the season of 1912, are now being 

 reported on. They bear out the conclusions previously reached, and furnish a i 

 interesting series indicative of the modifications that may be effected in one season's 

 growth by varying conditions of soil and climate. 



