54 



CANADIAN FARM YEAR BOOK. 



What the Crop Tells. 



The ratio of stxaw to grain tells its 

 story to the critical eye. 



If for several years the straw pro- 

 duction is abnormally high and the 

 grain production is low, these facts 

 point to phosphorus being needea. 



If the leaves of the grain are long, 

 loose, hanging and fluttering and the 

 stems too long for their thickness, the 

 soil probably requires calcium. 



A bright green to yellowish colored 

 foLiage with the tips of the leaves 

 brown or reddish in color, indicates 

 want of nitrogen. 



What Weeds Tell. 



■Broad-leaf plants, like burdock and 

 nettles, indicate moisture, while nar- 

 row-leaf plants indicate dryness. 



Nitrogen is abundant where chick- 

 weed and red pimpernel grow, while 

 lack of nitrogen is indicated by jagged 

 chickweed, field chickweed and vernal 

 whitlow-grass. 



iSoil that is rich .in nitrate of soda 

 (chilisaltpetre) is indicated iby the 

 presence of goose foot, oraches anS 

 burning nettle. 



Foxgloves, spurry and corn mari- 

 golds indicate the presence of calcium. 



Elm trees point to fertile soil; oaks 

 are found on clay soils; conifers on 

 sand, and alders on wet land. 



What Soil Moisture Indicates. 



Soils which hold moisture do not 

 lack nitrogen. The drier the soil may 

 be, as a rule, the greater is the lack of 

 nitrogen. 



Moist summers produce an excess 

 of straw, while dry summers reduce 

 the quantity of straw. 



The dry soil remains poor ,in humus. 

 In moist spots the soil is darker and 

 humus content increased. 



The heavy clay soils require a heav- 

 ier dressing of phosphorus and a 

 lighter dressing of nitrogen; while, on 

 the other hand, on the dry soil the re- 

 verse is true. 



Wet, cold soils are, for the most 

 part, poor in potassium. 



There are other and trustworthy 

 ways for discovering the manurial re- 

 quirements of farm crops on a given 

 soil. While these methods are not 

 difficult to apply, there is not space 

 here to describe them. 



No farm should be without its ex- 

 periment plot, for it has been by ex- 

 perimental work only that anything in 

 agriculture has become known. 



GOOD SEEDS for GOOD CROPS 



(lib' Steei^^^^co^' 



St 



iBP^A 



Br/CCS ' 



To make sure of good crops you 

 must sow good seeds — this is 

 the first essential. 

 STEELE, BRIGGS SEEDS are the 

 best grown. No matter what you 

 need in seeds, ask for STEELE, 

 BRIGGS SEEDS— For Sale Every- 

 where. 



Our Illustrated 1916 Catalogue 

 lists all Farm, Garden and Flower 

 Seeds. A Post Card will bring 

 3"our. copy. 



Steele, Briggs Seed Co., Limited 



" Canada's Greatest Seed Hoose" 



Wianipeg TORONTO Hamilton 



