FIELD CROPS. 537 



green luiimirino- for wheat and oats was without benefit, the best 

 results ])eing secured from summer fallowing'. So}^ bean was one of 

 the best preparatory crops for barley. At the Experimental Farm 

 for the Northwest Territories plowing under green crops preparatorj^ 

 for a crop of wheat was without benefit, the soil being seemingly suf- 

 ficiently well supplied with hunuis and nitrogen. In the Maritime 

 Provinces barn^^ard manure alone, and mixed with commercial fertili- 

 zers, has given better results with farm crops than complete commer- 

 cial fertilizers or single elements. 



Inoculating clover seed with Nitragin seemed slightly beneficial in 

 Manitoba and the Northwest Territories, while in British Columbia 

 better results were secured from untreated seed. 



Some experiments were made at the difierent stations to learn the best 

 amounts of mixed grasses to sow for the heaviest yields, and whether 

 better results could be obtained from mixing grain than from seeding 

 alone. In the Maritime Provinces seeding mixtures composed of 2 

 bu. of oats, 1 bu, of barley, and i bu. of peas, at the rate of 3 bu. per 

 acre, gave higher yields of grain than smaller amounts. At the Mani- 

 toba Station there was an average difference in yield of but 55 lbs. per 

 acre in favor of sowing mixed grains, rather than growing the grains 

 separately. In British Columbia a mixture of 1 bu. each of peas, oats, 

 and wheat gave a slightly higher yield than a similar mixture of peas, 

 oats, and barley. In seeding experiments with different grasses the 

 average results for 3 years at the Manitoba Station showed that 

 with timothy and western rye grass, 10 lbs. of seed is sufficient, while 

 with brome grass and bald rye grass, 20 lbs. gave the best results, 

 and with American lyme grass, 15 lbs. was most desirable. 



At the Central Farm an experiment was conducted in planting 

 potatoes at different depths from 1 to 8 in. Level cultivation was 

 adopted and so but little soil was thrown on the potatoes after they 

 were planted. The best average yields for 2 3^ears were obtained 

 when the potatoes were planted but 1 in. deep. "Notes were taken 

 on the depths at which tubers were formed and it was found that most 

 of them were within 4 in. of the surface of the soil, even where the 

 seed had been planted 0, 7, and 8 in. deep. Where the sets were 

 planted less than -1 in. deep, nearly all the tubers were found between 

 that and the surface of the soil.'" 



Experiments with oats for the prevention of smut were carried on 

 at nearly all the stations. Soaking oat seed for 1 hour in formalin 

 (4^ oz. to 10 gal. of water) or i hour in a copper sulphate solution 

 (1 \h. to 5 gal. of water) has quite uniformly prevented loss from 

 this source. 



A variety test with 48 varieties of tobacco was conducted at the 

 Central Station, as to time of ripening and productiveness. The results 

 are tabulated but no conclusions drawn. 



