REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND ACTING AGRICULTURIST. 43 



"In 1890 it was found that all the grain plots had become so weedy that the 

 growth of the crops was much interfered with, and with the view of cleaning the land 

 one-half of each of the wheat and oat plots was sown with carrots in 1891, and one- 

 half of each of the barley plots with sugar beets. In 1892 the other half of each plot 

 in each of these series was sown with carrots. In 1893 it was thought desirable to 

 continue this cleaning process, and carrots were again sown on the half of the wheat 

 and oat plots occupied with this crop in 1891, and also on the half of the barley plots 

 cropped with sugar beets that year." In 1894, 1895, 1896 and 1897 the one-half of the 

 oat plots were sown again with carrots and the half of the plots devoted to wheat and 

 barley were planted with potatoes. 



TBEATMBITT OF SOIL. 



" The treatment of the soil on all the grain plots has been to gang-plough soon 

 after harvest, and after the shed grain and weeds have well started to plough again 

 about seven inches deep. In spring the plots have been disc-harrowed twice or gang- 

 ploughed once before applying the fertilizers, and again harrowed with the toothed or 

 smoothing harrow before sowing. On those plots where bam-yard manure has been 

 used, the manure has been lightly ploughed under as soon as possible after it has been 

 spread on the land and harrowed with the smoothing harrow before sowing. Wherever 

 barn-yard manure is spoken of, it is understood to be a mixture of horse and cow manure 

 in about equal proportions." 



It is proposed to give each year in the annual report a summary of these permanent 

 fertilizer plots, taking the average yield of the whole of the previous period, adding the 

 results of the current year, and then giving the average yield for the full time. The 

 experience of each year will add materially to the value and reliability of the tests for 

 the whole period. 



WHEAT PLOTS. 



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

 of 1^ bushel per acre, excepting in 1894 ; and the varieties used were as follows. In 

 1888-89-90 and 1891 White Russian, and in 1892-93 Campbell's White Chaff. In 1S94 

 the Rio Grande wheat was used, and shortly before sowing, it was tested as to vitality and 

 found to be very deficient in germinating power, less than half the kernels sprouted. 

 As it was not practicable then to secure better seed, double the usual quantity of seed 

 was sown, namely, three bushels per acre, which gave a proportion of growth on each 

 plot of about the usual thickness. In 1895, 1896 and 1897 the Red Fife wheat was 

 used in the usual quantity of 1^ bushel per acre. In 1897 the Red Fife was sown 5th 

 May, came up 12th May and was harvested 10th August, requiring from the date of 

 sowing to maturity a period of 97 days. 



The season of 1897 at Ottawa has been fairly good for the growing of spring wheat, 

 and has given crops somewhat above the average. This year the plot on which the 

 fresh manure was used has yielded 1 bush, and 50 lbs. per acre more than that on which 

 the rotted manure was used. This gain has been more than sufficient to offset the gain 

 of the rotted manure plot in 1895, and the fresh manure plot now averages a little 

 higher than any other plot in the series. 



