20 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



Tons of Plant Food in Soils. 



Phosphoric Sulphuric 



Potash. Lime. Acid. Acid. 



Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. 



Sandy Soil 2.42 1.70 1.74 1.10 



Clay Soil 6.38 12.3 2.82 1.50 



Loam 8.70 16.0 4.0 1.8 



Humus 6.39 37.8 1.5 1.4 



Moisture Requirement of Common Crops. 



Water used Depth of Dry matter Acre inches 



per ton'dry water used, per acre. ot water in 



matter. ton of dry 



Tons. Inches. Tons. matter. 



Barley 464.1 20.69 5.05 4.096 



Oats 503.9 39.53 8.89 4.447 



Com . ^ 270.9 15.76 6.59 2.391 



Clover" 576.6 22.34 4.39 5.089 



Peas " ' 477.2 16.89 4.009 4.212 



Potatoes ! 385.1 23.78 6.995 3.399 



Average 446.3 23.165 5,987 3.939 



Approximate Amounts of Water Retained in Plowed and Unplowed Lands. 



1st foot 2nd foot 3rd foot 4th foot 



lbs. water. lbs. water, lbs. water, lbs. water. 



Land plowed 13.87 20.66 18.32 16.05 



Land not plowed 10^ 17-98 17^ 13^ 



■ T-oss on unplowed .... 3.29 2.f.S 10^ 2.11 



Mulches of Soil. 



The following table shows the relative effectiveness of soil mulches at 



different depths and different numbers of cultivation: — 



Not cul- Once in 2 Once per Twice per 



tivated weeks week " week 



per acre. per acre. per acre, per acre. 

 Cultivated 1 inch deep. 



Loss in tons per 100 days .. , 724.1 551.2 545.0 627.8 



Loss in inches per 100 days . . 6.394 4.867 4.812 4.662 



The % water saved ■ 23.88 24.73 27J.0 



Cultivated 2 inches deep. 



Loss in tons per 100 days . . 724.1 609.2 552.1 515.4 



Loss in inches per 100 days.. 6.394 5.380 4.875 4.662 



% wajter saved 15.88 23.76 28^1 



Cultivated 3 inches deep. 



Loss in tons per 100 days . . 724.1 612.0 531.5 495.0 



Loss in inches per 100 days.. 6.394 5.402 4.694 4.371 



% water saved 15.49 26.60 31.64 



