196 



Journal of Agriculture . 



[8 April. 1907 



Wheat Growing. 



A marked step in advance was taken in 1905. The immediate necessi- 

 ties of the northern wheat farmer had been previously met by means of the 

 lessons of the small experimental plots wadely established throughout the 

 grain areas, but there w^as a growing feeling that a more systematic and con- 

 tinuous series of experiments was necessary, during the course of w^hich the 

 pioblem of improving the general wheat vield of the State might be effec- 

 tively studied. It Avas decided to approach the problem in three separate 

 directions, viz. : by means of improved methods of cultivation, the intelli' 

 gent use of artificial manures, and by improved varieties of wheat. 



Arrangements were entered into with some 30 representati\e farmers 

 throughout the principal wheat-growing districts to each furnish 10 acres 

 of land for a term of seven years. The Department undertook to supply 

 the seed, manures, and supervision, and tO' furnish an annual payment of 

 ^15. These fields were sown in 1905 with 40 varieties of wheat, and, 

 moreover, included trials in deep cultivation, green manuring, and the 

 growth of fodder crops. 



Results of First Two Years' Experiments. 



The results of the first year's experiments (published in the Journal, 

 March, 1906) were considered satisfactory; they confirmed previous manure 

 experiments in a similar direction, and established the superiority of the 

 superphosphate over other forms of phosphatic manures. The addition 

 of nitrogenous and potassic manures was shown to be (at present) unneces- 

 sary. The yields of the wheat varieties indicated p-reat possibilities, and 

 many of them pro\ed superior to the farmers" own wheat crops growing in 

 the vicinity. 



The following table shows the varieties producing the best results : — 



The fodder crops were hardly a success, and did little more than em- 

 phasize the necessity of deep cultivation and constant after attention for 

 this class of plant. In 1906, portion of these wheat fields was again 

 sown with wheat varieties, the remainder of the field being put under three 

 distinct methods of fallow, viz., ordinary bare fallow, rape fallow, and 

 subsoil fallovv". The results of the season just past are regarded as excel- 



