226 ‘TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE.  [VOL. XI 
farming must be introduced, their fertility cannot be maintained by 
fertilizers. Above all it is imperative in the highest degree that the large 
humus content be kept up, be constantly replenished, not only to keep 
fibre in the soil that will prevent loss from “blowing” and ‘‘drifting”’, 
but to maintain the present high capacity of the soil for holding 
moisture. 
With respect to British Columbia our investigational work has been 
carried on chiefly at Agassiz, eighty miles from the coast, and 
on Vancouver Island—the soils being light and gravelly in nature. The 
most profitable results have been obtained on potatoes, mangels and 
corn, and emphatic evidence as to the effectiveness of a complete fertilizer 
application, in conjunction with manure, for these crops has been 
accumulated. In the larger number of instances the fertilizer yielded 
a substantial profit. One of the most profitable formulae was nitrate of 
soda, 100 to 150lbs.; superphosphate, 300 to 400 lbs.; and muriate of 
potash, 100 to 200 lbs. per acre. It would seem from our work that a 
profitable result from the judicious use of fertilizers may be expected 
in many parts of this province, especially on hoed crops, and we may 
look for a large and increasing employment of these aids to production 
in that part of the Domin on. 
As regards Ontario our work has been confined to Ottawa, and 
therefore is only strictly applicable to the eastern part of the province. 
Very briefly it has shown that fertility cannot be economically maintained 
and profitable yields obtained by the exclusive use of fertilizers. The 
results, however, afford satisfactory evidence that fertilizer may be used 
to good advantage in conjunction with farm manures in a good system 
of rotation that furnishes humus to the soil, as in the growing of clover. 
This is probably true of all Ontario and Eastern Canada generally. 
The deduction is that when manure is scarce or has to be purchased at 
a high price it will be profitable to apply fertilizers, not to take the place 
of manure but to supplement its use. No special deficiency has been 
noted in the soils, a complete fertilizer, as a rule, giving the largest 
return. 
Basic slag has proven the most useful phosphatic fertilizer on sour 
soils, heavy clays, on soils naturally deficient in lime and on peat and 
muck soils, while superphosphate on the lighter soils rich in lime has 
given the quickest returns, especially for turnips and cereals. Basic slag 
has frequently proved beneficial to old pastures, increasing the yields 
and improving the nutritive value of the herbage. 
A top-dressing of nitrate of soda, applied in the earlier weeks of 
growth, has been found beneficial to grass, particularly when intended 
for hay. 
