Results of Winter Cereal Experiments. 47 



should be applied at the same time ; this ensures a more vigorous 

 growth of peas in the time available, and an improvement in the 

 action of such slow acting phosphate fertilizers as basic slag and 

 bone dust. 



It is realized that field pea seed is very expensive to-day, but 

 this system of soil improvement and enrichment is probably more 

 economical and as efficient as any other. 



Pea seed can be grown cheaply enough by Ihe farmer himself in 

 this section of the country. Early seeding is, however, very necessary 

 where peas are to be grown as a field crop for seed. The crop must be 

 sown in this case at the very earliest opportunity in autumn in order 

 that the seed may have hardened by the time the (caterpillar (Heliothis 

 ohsoleta) becomes most active in the spring. 



(b) Green Manures versus Feediufj off l)y Stock as a Means of 

 Im.prov in g Fe rtility . 



In this experiment the system of soil improvement by means of 

 ploughing under a green manure crop is compared with a system in 

 which the same crop is fed oif by stock. 



In conjunction with these two series of plots a third series is run 

 as a check in which the entire crop is removed as hay. 



A comparison of the three systems of soil treatment resulting 

 from — 



(a) ploughing under an oat and vetch crop, 



(6) grazing off an oat and vetch crop, 



(c) removing as hay an oat and vetch crop, 



as measured by the returns from the subsequent crops of wheat, 

 receiving the identical treatment with a standard fertilizer dressing, 

 has been carried on for four years. 



The rotation for'all plots in the experiment was the following: — 



1916 — Oats and vetch. 



19ir_Wheat. 



1918— Wheat. 



1919— Same as 1916, etc. 



The fertilizer treatment was as follows: — 



Per Acre. 

 Oats and Vetch Crop, 1916 ... <S0 lb. Superphosphate. 



40 lb. Kraal Ash. 



15 lb. Nitrate of Soda. 

 Wheat, 1917 100 lb. Superphosphate.. 



50 lb. Nitrate of Soda. 



25 lb. Muriate of Potash. 



Wheat, 1918 75 lb. Superphosphate. 



75 lb. Government Guano. 



