Section IV, 1889. [ 109 ] Trans. Eoy. Soc. Canada. 



IX. — The Yield of Spiing Wheat, Barley and Oats, grown as Single Plants. 



By "William Saunders. 



(Bead May 31, 18S9.) 



The percentage of yield obtainable from well cultivated plants of the more important 

 cereals is much larger than i.s generally supposed, and the results obtained by farmers in 

 the ordinary cultivation of their laud give no correct idea of the possible yield. Under 

 varying conditions of soil, cultivation, and season, the yield of wheat in Canada varies 

 from about 12 to 40 bushels per acre, barley from 20 to 50 bushels, and oats from 25 to 80 

 bushels. Estimating the quantity of wheat and barley used as seed at two bushels to 

 the acre and oats at two and a half bushels, we have in the aboA^e results the following 

 percentages from ordinary field-culture : — Wheat, 71 to 22 fold ; ba,rley, 10 to 25 fold ; 

 oats, 10 to 32 fold. 



During the summer of 1888 a large number of different sorts of cereals were grown 

 on the Central Experimental Farm as single plants, for the purpose of ascertaining the 

 relative productiveness of the several varieties. Fifty grains were planted in each 

 instance in two rows of twenty-five each, placed one foot apart each way, with two feet 

 of space between every sort, so that each plant had ample room for its full development. 

 One of the most promising looking plants was selected from each plot and threshed 

 separately to ascertain the maximum yield. Three or four of the next best plants were 

 harvested together, and the yield ascertained, while the entire number of the remaining 

 unselected plants formed a third grade which was also separately threshed. 



The number of experimental plots was 265, of which 114 were spring wheat in 74 

 varieties, 56 of barley in 49 varieties, and 95 of oats in 80 varieties. Of some of the 

 leading sorts, two or three plots were sown with seed obtained from different localities in 

 the endeavour to gain information as to the influence of climate and cultivation on 

 fertility. The land selected for these experiments was a rather light sandy loam, which 

 had for many years been under crop, and appeared to be in a very uniform condition but 

 somewhat impoverished. After the grain was well up, a top dressing was given of a 

 mixture of nitrate of soda, bone dust and unleached wood ashes in the following propor- 

 tions per acre : 200 lb. nitrate of soda, 500 lb. bone dust, and 1,000 lb. ashes. 



Wheat. 



The highest yield of wheat obtained from the plants of the first selection was from 

 the Ladoga which gave 1,292 fold, the lowest was from the Eldorado which gave 207 

 fold, the average from the 114 selected plants being 631 fold. From the second selection 

 the largest was from Pringle's Champlaiu 1,400 fold, the lowest from Medea, a European 



