46 



Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



Table I. 

 Yields of Oats and Wheat Crops. 



The results marked * are each the average of two plots only ; the other results are the 

 averages of three plots in each case. 



Note. — In the case of the plots planted to lupins in 1915 it should 

 be mentioned that the germination of the seed was very unsatis- 

 factory. No seed was o})tainable in 1917, so that Burt oats was sub- 

 stituted for lupins. 



Of the remaining- four legumes which were given proper trial 

 field peas and_ English mustard have proved the best. The mustard 

 received in 1917 a small dressing of nitrate of soda in addition to the 

 phosphate and piotassic fertilizers applied to tlVe legumes. The 

 results from mustard are nevertheless remarkable. 



It appears that hairy vetch must be considored a better green 

 manure than spring vetch. 



The high yields of oats in 191H and of wheat in 1918 are signi- 

 ficant. In the case of the plots where field peas and mustard were 

 ploughed in, these yields are double the returns normally obtained 

 from this type of soil with a fertilizer treatment, such as the grain 

 crops received in the two applications prior to their harvest. The 

 yield of oats in 1916 for both green manures amounts to appro:?^- 

 mately twelve bags per acre, and the yield of wheat in 1918 six bags 

 per acre. The large yields must be attributed to the green manure. 



Where the green manure can be cheaply grown by being sown at 

 a time when the operation does not interfere with the seeding of 

 marketable crops such as wheat or oats, the system is strongly recom- 

 mended. The operations of fallowing usually commence after the 

 middle of June. Erom this time on to the end of August catch green 

 manure crops should be sown on the fallowed land and ploughed 

 under in late spring, before the soil has become loo hard — if possible, 

 as soon as the crops are in full flower. Field peas lend themselves 

 admirably to this system of soil improvement and are being grown 

 extensively for this purpose on the farm lands of this station. 



The seed should be sown fairly thick, and, if possible, a portion 

 of the phosphatic fertilizer intended for the succeeding gjrain crop 



