225 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



Acknowledgements. — To Mr. A. T. Charron, M.A., First Assistant Chemist, Mr. 

 C. Robinson, B.A., and Mr. A. T. Stuart, B.A., Assistant Chemists, my sincere thanks 

 are tendered for much valuable assistance in the conduct of the work of the Division. 

 Mr. E. B. Carruthers, M.A., Assistant Chemist, who had had charge of the analytical 

 work in connection with the samples from the Meat Inspection Division, resigned his 

 post during the year. 



Extension of Chemical Building. — The need of further laboratory accommoda- 

 tion has been keenly felt for some time past. It is therefore with pleasure that we 

 can announce that work on the extension of the chemical building was commenced 

 last November, which when finished will add four good-sized laboratories to the pre- 

 sent suite, and much facilitate the work of the Division. 



I have the honour to be, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 



FRANK T. SHUTT, 



Dominion Chemist. 





CONSERVATION OF SOIL-MOISTURE. 



This important investigation was begun in 1910, with the object of ascertaining 

 the influence of various cultural operations and croppings on the moisture-content 

 of the soil. It comprises a series of cultural and rotation experiments conducted on 

 the Experimental Farms at Brandon, Man., Indian Head, Sask., Rosthern and Scott, 

 Sask., Lethbridge, Alta., planned and arranged to include a number of systems of 

 tillage, soil management and crop rotation likely to prove suitable for farming in the 

 open prairie districts enjoying but a sparse and irregular rainfall. Soil samples 

 from the experimental plots have been taken at two depths, to 18 inches and 18 

 inches to 5 feet, periodically throughout the season, and their moisture-content 

 determined. 



It will be understood that this work is still in progress and, therefore, that final 

 conclusions must be deferred. It is possible, however, to indicate some of the more 

 striking results that already have been obtained. 



In ' Prairie Breaking,' the plots were ploughed from two to five inches deep. In 

 two seasons of the three, the soil of the deeper ploughed plots, for the first eighteen 

 inches, retained the more moisture. Though the difference usually was small, it was 

 fairly well maintained throughout the summer, the surface of the plots having been 

 kept well cultivated. It was found that adjacent plots of recently-broken land sown, 

 after due and similar preparation by discing and harrowing, to a mixture of peas 

 and oats and flax respectively, differed considerably in their moisture-content as the 

 season advanced. That bearing the peas and oats was the more moist; probably 

 owing to the greater protection against surface evaporation provided by the more 

 leafy crop. 



The influence on moisture-content of ' Depth and Time of Ploughing ' was 

 determined on a large number of plots.. As regards depth, the ploughing varied from 

 three to eight inches, with an additional subsoiling of four to six inches on certain 

 of the plots. The times of ploughing were one month apart, in May, June and July. 

 The trend of the results from two seasons' records is in the direction of greater mois- 

 ture storage following the deeper ploughing, but evidently there is a limit — probably 

 determined by the nature of the soil— beyond which the stirring of the soil by the 



