REPORT OF MR. R. ROBERTSON 



353 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPERIMENTS WITH FERTILIZERS ON WHEAT. 



a 



Experiments to test the value of different kinds of fertilizers on this grain crop 

 were again conducted this year. The Preston wheat was used. The size of each plot 

 was one-fortieth acre, and six plots made up the test. The land on which these tests 

 were carried on was a poor light clay loam. The previous crop was grain, having re- 

 ceived for that crop 100 pounds complete fertilizer per acre. This land has never had 

 any stable manure, and having been cropped several times, was in a poor state of 

 fertility. 



The land was ploughed in the spring, and was worked up with the spring-tooth 

 twice, and once with the smoothing harrow before seeding. The grain was sown with 

 the seed drill June 6, and harvested September 3. 



One-half of the nitrate of soda for plots 1 and 2 was sprinkled finely over the 

 ground when the grain was 2 inches high, and the other half when it was 6 inches high. 

 The fertilizer used in plots 4 and 5 was scattered on the ground just before sowing and 

 lightly covered with the harrow. On plot 6 one-half of the fertilizer was scattered 

 finely over the ground before sowing, and lightly covered with the harrow, and the 

 ether half was sprinkled over the ground when the grain was 2 or 3 inches high. Plot 

 3 was not fertilized, being left for a check. The results were as follows : — 



Variety 

 of Wheat sown. 



Fertilizers used per Acre. 



Preston. 



Nitrate of soda. 



Lbs. 



100 

 200 



Check 



Superphosphate.. . . 

 Muriate of potash . . 

 A mixture of — 



Superphosphate . . 



Muriate of potash. 



Nitrate of soda. . . 



400 

 400 



200 

 100 

 100 



Yield 

 per Acre. 



Bush. Lbs. 



23 

 22 

 20 

 22 

 24 



23 



20 

 00 

 00 

 00 

 20 



20 



SPECIAL EXPERIMENTS WITH FERTILIZERS. 



Experiments for the purpose of ascertaining the relative value of fertilizers, com- 

 monly used for field crops of various kinds, were again conducted this year. 



The plots were one-eighth acre each, 38 x 1434 feet, for each kind of fertilizer used. 

 These were subdivided into ten strips 14 feet wide, each running lengthwise across all 

 the differently fertilized plots. These strips were sown with ten different kinds of 

 crops, namely, potatoes, mangels, turnips, carrots; corn, oats, pease, barley, wheat and 

 mixed grain, making in all 140 plots. A margin of two feet was left between each plot, 

 and one foot between each crop plot. Two plots were left without any fertilizers to 

 serve as check plots. Each of the crops were sown at about the same time as the uni- 

 form test plots of the particular crop, with the same amount of seed per acre, and were 

 cultivated in the same manner. The strips that are in grain one year are planted to 

 roots, potatoes and corn the following year, and vice versa. The quantity and kinds of 

 fertilizers used are applied each year. This is the third year of the tost. The follow- 

 ing table gives the yield per acre of the various crops, as calculated from the quantity 

 obtained from each plot: — 



10—23 



