REPORT OF TEE DIRECTOR 43 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



tinued since 1898, and each plot of the wheat, barley and oats has occupied the full 

 tenth of an acre. 



In 1900 and 1901 clover was again sown on all the grain plots, which produced a 

 good growth during the season and was ploughed under in October. 



APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS DISCONTINUED. 



Another direction in which information was sought was in reference to the length 

 of time which a liberal application of barn-yard manure would continue to affect sub- 

 sequent crops, and in 1899 on plots 1, 2 and 6 the barn-yard manure, which had been 

 used for ten or eleven years in succession, was discontinued. The phosphate fertilizer 

 was also omitted on plot 6 in each ssries. 



In 1900 all the fertilizers on all the plots were discontinued, and it is proposed 

 to continue to grow the same crops on all these plots from year to year without ferti- 

 lizers for some years, sowing clover with the grain each season. In this way it is 

 expected that much information will be gained as to the value of clover as a collector 

 of plant food, and also as to the unexhausted values of the different fertilizers which 

 have been used on these plots since the experiments were begun. 



SPECIAL TREATMENT OF PLOTS OF INDIAN CORN AND ROOTS. 



As it was not practicable to sow clover to advantage on the Indian corn and root 

 plots, the sowing of these latter crops was discontinued in the spring of 1900 and 

 clover sown in their place in the proportion of 12 pounds per acre, and no fertilizers 

 were applied. The clover on these plots made strong growth, so strong as to necessi- 

 tate twice cutting during the season, the cut clover being left on the ground in each 

 case to decay and add to the fertility of the soil, and was left over for further growth 

 in the spring of 1901, and ploughed under for the roots about May 10, and for corn 

 about the middle of that month. Then roots and Indian corn were again sown. This 

 course will be continued for some years, growing Indian corn and roots every second 

 year, and common red clover the alternate season. No fertilizers were applied in 1900 

 or 1901, and it is proposed to discontinue their use entirely for some years, so that the 

 effect on these crops of the ploughing under of clover every second year may be care- 

 fully studied under the varying conditions presented by these more or less exhausted 

 plots. 



WHEAT PLOTS. 



The seed sown on each of these plots from the beginning has been in the propor- 

 tion of 1 J bushels per acre, excepting in 1894 ; and the varieties used were as follows : — 

 In 18S8-89-90 and 1891, White Russian, and in 1892-3, Campbell's White Chaff. In 

 1894, the Rio Grande wheat was used, when, owing to lack of germinating power in the 

 seed, a larger .quantity was required. In 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900 and 1901 

 Red Fife wheat was used in the usual quantity of l£ bushels per acre. In 1901, the 

 Red Fife was sown April 30, came up May 8, and was ripe from August 10 to 12. 



The season of 1901 has not been specially favourable for the growing of spring 

 wheat at Ottawa, and the fact that all the plots have increased in yield notwithstanding 

 that the fertilizers have been all discontinued for the past two years seems to show 

 that the ploughing under of the green clover is having a beneficial effect. This influ- 

 ence is very evident on the check plots which have been unmanured from the beginning 

 where the increase both in grain and straw is remarkable. 



