374 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



This spring a fair start was made about 20th April, but dry weather set in shortly 

 after, and very little progress was made, except in low places or margins of the fields 

 till 20th June. The rains a few days before this date made a rapid change and insured, 

 on the whole, a fair yield, but not so good as would have been caused by an earlier rain. 

 Parts of the fields were extra heavy, while other portions on knolls were short. 



Thirty-two tons of the gi'ass were saved for seed, but it is not in a very satisfactory 

 condition, in so far as a large yield of seed is concerned. Throughout the field reserved 

 for seed, the early growth was ripe while the growth caused by the June rains was quite 

 green, consequently much of the early seed was lost. On account of the large amount 

 of green growth at the bottom, the mower instead of the binder was used in cutting the 

 crop for seed. This makes threshing more diflficult, but gives a very fine lot of fodder, 

 as good in fact, as if cut for hay. 



The older fields of Brome Grass gave light crops, several portions being very shoi t 

 and hardly worth cutting. Being an early grass to start, the past spring was greatly 

 against a good crop, especially on fields from which several crops had been cut. 



From several years' experience with Brome Grass, it appears, to obtain the bc^t 

 results in hay that two crops should be taken from the field, which should then be 

 ploughed up unless required for pasture. While this will necessitate a little more work 

 in sowing a fresh field or a few acres each spring and ploughing up the same amount of 

 old grass land, various advantages will arise from the adoption of this course, 1st, good 

 fodder will be supplied each year by the newly seeded land ; 2nd, there being a first crop 

 of hay each year, it is likely to be a good one ; 3rd, Brome sod is easily ploughed after 

 the second crop, but is very tough after the fourth or fifth ; ith, the roots of the grass 

 when ploughed up afford protection from winds and in this respect are equal, so far as 

 experience shows, to the native sod ; this being the case it is evident that it will be a 

 great advantage to' other crops to treat old worked land in this way. 



Without the heavy rain which fell on the farm in June last, it is probable that 

 from the fields on which two crops had been previously cut, there would not have been 

 one-half ton of hay per acre. 



On 18th, 19th and 20th May, several acres of Brome sod were ploughed up. One 

 portion was ploughed six inches deep ; a second, three inches deep, and a third one and 

 one-half inch deep. The deep ploughing was sown with pease, harrowed well and 

 rolled. The other portions rolled down, and on 23rd and 28th July backset five inches 

 deep. The pease did not germinate till after rains on 15th and 18th June, and were 

 caught by frost before maturing. There was, however, a good crop of straw and grain, 

 the pods being well filled. Except where the first two furrows met no Brome Grass 

 roots survived. 



On the other portions some roots were still alive when the plots were backset, but 

 at this date all seem to be dead. 



Considering the large amount of rain which fell on 15th to 18th June, and the 

 favourable growing weather for several weeks after, the growth on the land ploughed 

 was very small indeed, and with our ordinary June rainfall there will not be the 

 least difficulty in killing the roots of this grass by breaking and backsetting. One acre 

 of sod five years old has, this fall, been ploughed four inches deep as a further 

 experiment in getting rid of Brome Grass. 



For information regarding sowing the following is quoted from the report for 1896 : 



"This grass is better sown alone ; at least it should not be sown with a grain crop. 

 The grain takes too much moisture from the young grass-plants, only the most vigorous 

 of which will survive the dry weather in September; whereas, if sown alone all the 

 plants have an equal chance. 



"It is also advisable to sow the seed on soil that does not blow. Summer-fallow 

 would be the best preparation, but on account of its liability to drift it is not safe in 

 many parts of the Territories to use this kind of land. Stubble land ploughed three or 

 four inches deep in April or May, and well harrowed after the seed is sown, is found 

 to be quite safe from winds as the stubble harrowed on top prevents all drifting. 



