434 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOED. 



ments at the Brauclon and Indian Head farms, the plan of which has been 

 previously noted (E. S. R., 22, p. 332). Tables state the yields and value of 

 each crop on each plat during each of the years of the experiment and the 

 total revenue per acre for the entire period in each case. Three varieties of 

 corn have been tested for planting at different distances. " The highest average 

 5'ield for 11 years is from sowing in rows 24 in. apart, but there is very little 

 difference between this and 30 in. apart. . . . Should cleaning the land be an 

 object in view, it must be sown at least 36 in. apart." 



At the Indian Plead Farm, 9 strains of alfalfa, secured from this Department 

 in 1905, were tested. In 1909, Minnesota (Grimm) yielded 4 tons 870 lbs. per 

 acre; New York, Samarkand, and Nebraska were also grown, but their second 

 crops were used for silage so the complete yields are not reported. Of 27 

 strains received from the Department in 1909, " all germinated evenly and made 

 a thick, even stand with the exception of Medicago ruthenica and M. falcata, 

 which attained a height of only a few inches at the end of the growing season." 



At the Lethbridge dry farm, wheat drilled immediately behind the binder in 

 order to catch the fall rains yielded 30 bu. and 20 lbs. per acre. The fields 

 broken from native prairie in June. 1908, and sown in September averaged 

 about 21 bu. and 50 lbs. per acre. Wheat sown September first produced a 

 higher yield than any of the earlier or later sowings. Red Fife on back set 

 land yielded 4 bu. and 51 lbs. more than on land not back set, while in the 

 second year of a similar test the advantage was 1 bu. and 56 lbs. Inoculated 

 and uninoculated plats of alfalfa averaged 5,810 and 3,988 lbs. of hay for the 

 season, respectively. 



On the irrigated farm at Lethbridge, tests of the possibility of growing Red 

 Fife wheat more nearly free from yellow berry were instituted. Seed fi'ee from 

 yellow berry produced 32 per cent of yellow-berry kernels as compared with 56 

 per cent from that not free. The yields per acre of Prussian Blue pea vines 

 were 2,325, 4,030, 4,725, and 4,290 lbs., respectively, on the check plat and on 

 plats inoculated with a pure culture, with Brandon soil, and with Ontario soil. 

 Inoculated alfalfa, sown in May, 1908, had little advantage over the uninocu- 

 lated in color and appearance, but yielded 2 tons more per acre in 1909. 



At the Lacombe Farm, August 8 proved the best date of seeding for winter 

 wheat, May 10 for spring wheat. May 31 for oats, and May 24 to 31 the best 

 dates for sowing barley. Applications of nitrate of soda, basic slag, muriate of 

 potash, and superphosphate of lime were followed by from 2 to 3 times as high 

 a yield of spring wheat as were secured on the check plat. Applications of 10 

 and 20 tons of barnyard manure to land similarly treated in 1908 were followed 

 by yields of 49 bu. and 14 lbs. and 67 bu. and 2 lbs. of oats, respectivel.y Simi- 

 lar results were obtained in barley tests. Both spring and fall-plowed barley 

 yielded more heavily when packed than when the soil packer was not used. 

 Yields of dried alfalfa of 4,080, 5,100, and 3,360 lbs. per acre, respectively, were 

 secured from uninoculated, soil inoculated, and culture inoculated plantings. 

 An application of 561 lbs. of superphosphate and 111 lbs. of sulphate of potash 

 was followed by an increase of 58 bu. and 18 lbs. of potatoes per acre. Country 

 Gentleman potatoes planted 4 in. deep produced more heavily than seed planted 

 either 2 or 6 in. deep. The deeper the planting the fewer were the unmarket- 

 able potatoes secured within the limits of the experiment. 



Tests of rates of sowing were made at several of the farms. Small gi-ains 

 were usually sown at rates of 15, 30, 45, etc., up to 120 lbs. per acre. In other 

 cases, seedings were at the rate of 1. 1*, etc., up to 4i bu. per acre. Alfalfa was 

 seeded at the rate of 5, 10, 15, and 20 lbs. per acre. The rates that appeared 

 most productive are indicated in the following table. 



