1076 



EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 



7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 



EXPERIMENTS AT BEAVERLODGE, ALBERTA. 



By W. D. ALBRIGHT. 



Following an extremely dry late summer and autumn in Grande Prairie, the winter 

 of 1914-15 set in in November, the ground being finally closed to the plough on Novem- 

 ber 11. Winter was steady and mild, — 23° being the lowest temperature recorded. 



Seeding operations were be^jun the latter part of March, although most of the 

 grain was sown in April. Cool weather at the outset retarded growth considerably. 

 Frequent showers and a light snowfall at the end of April provided abundant moisture 

 early in the season, but dry weather in June damaged the crops considerably, especi- 

 ally those on stubble. The rainfall in July was heavy, and frequent showers and warm 

 growing weather continued until harvest. Heavy frosts occurred in September, but 

 the grain did not suffer mucii, as it was practically all in the stook. There 

 was very little wind throughout the summer. On the whole the season of 1915 will 

 rank as a phenomenally good o^e, and very favourable for grain crops. 



The plots of grain, one-sixtieth acre each, were sown at the foot of a hill sloping 

 to the west. The land was not in good condition, owing to the fact that it had been 

 sown with grain for the five years previous, and was consequently very foul with weeds. 

 To destroy these the ground was harrowed or raked by hand. 



The varieties tested were grouped in four ranges as follows: — 



1st range, oats: Abundance, Ligowo, Eighty Day, Banner and Daubeney. 



2nd range, wheat: Marquis, Pioneer, Prelude and Huron. 



3rd range, barley: Manchvirian, Success and French Chevalier. 



4th range, peas: Arthur (Ottawa seed) and a double sized plot of Arthur (home- 

 grown seed from last year's trial plot). 



The results were as follows : 



Name of Variety. 



Date 

 of 



Sowing. 



Date 



of 

 Ripen- 

 ing. 



Yield 



per 



acre. 



Remarks. 



Oais:- 



Abundance . 



Ligowo 



Eighty Day 



Daubeney . 



Banner 



Wheat:— 



Marquis 



Pioneer 



Prelude 



Huron 



Barley: — 

 . Manchurian. 



Success 



April 9 



.Vpril 6 



" C 



" 6 



" 6 



April 23 

 " 23 



French Chevalier 



Peas: — 



Arthur (Ottawa seed) 



Arthur (home grown seed, double size plot) 



" 23 



April 23 

 " 23 



Aug. 



Aug. 



Bu. lb. 



Aug. 24 



" 24 



" "5 



" 8 



" 24 



26 

 20 

 16 

 30 



8 

 5 



Aug. 31 

 " 31 



38 



22 

 35 



8 

 28 



88 



1 

 ■88 



I 



ill C 



43 

 37 

 26 



68 



42 24 



36 

 30 



consumed by 



Some sheaves 



stock. 

 Poor soil. 

 Results confused in threshing. 



Average of two plots given. 



Daubeney .seemed the better 



grain. 

 Good soil. Rank straw. 18 



sheaves. Some thrips. 

 Poor soil 



Soil extra good. 



Some sheaves consumed i)y 

 stock. Promised very light 

 yield. 



Large plot on better soil than 

 small one. 



