SOIL CULTURE, CEREALS AND FRUITS, 11 



By Mr. Rogers : 



Q. Is clover which has been killed out iu the winter as valuable the next spring 

 as when it is plowed in green in the fall ? 



A. I don't think it is, although it does not seem possible there can be any very- 

 great loss of fertilizing material from freezing. We have had clover crops injured 

 in that way and have cut out square blocks four feet each way and about nine inches 

 deep, and have examined every particle of that soil very carefully, taking out all 

 the roots and tops, and we have found a considerable loss in the weight of the roots 

 as well as of the tops where the killing out occurred ; this led me to think that 

 in all probability before we could plow in the spring there had been decay of the 

 roots and a loss of the valuable fertilizing elements they contain through leaching 

 in the soii, and 1 do not think the crop injured in that way would be equal in 

 fertilizing power to a crop plowed in uninjured. 



I have only given you the results we have had with wheat on the manured 

 plots for the past year. I will now give you those had from the barley. 



The average for the ten years in barley where the rotted manure has been used 

 was thirty-four bushels, thirty- four and seven-tenth pounds to the acre. Last year 

 when the manure was discontinued this plot gave thirty-four bushels, forty-three 

 pounds, practically the same as the average for the past. 



On plot two the fresh manure has given thirty-five bushels, twenty-one and one- 

 tenth pounds as an average for the ten years. Last year this plot yielded thirty- 

 three bushels, forty-six pounds per acre, which is a slight falling off from the average 

 of the past. The weight of the straw also was a little less. 



With regard to the tests with oats, ten years gave an average of forty-eight 

 bushels, fourteen pounds from the rotted manure, while last year the yield was fifty- 

 five bushels, thirty-three pounds per acre. The fresh manuie has given fifty-four 

 bushels, seventeen pounds as an average for the ten years, and last year we had 

 fifty-five bushels and fifteen pounds, showing a decided increase, although no manure 

 was used. There was, however, a decrease in the weight of the straw. 



By Mr. Feather ston : 



Q. I notice in the comparison between spring wheat and barley the difference 

 seems to be in favour of the rotted manure in case of the barley ? 



A. Dining the past year when no manure was applied, the barley did best after 

 the rotted manure. 



Q. How is that accounted for? 



A. That is not easy to explain. The difference, however, is not large, it is a 

 little less than one bushel per acre. In the case of the oats the difference is also a 

 little in favour of the rotted manure, fifteen pounds only to the acre, but the results 

 had from the wheat are decidedly in favour of the fresh manure, to the extent of 

 four bushels per acre. 



By Mr. Sproule : 



Q. For ten consecutive years you applied manure to the same ground and took 

 the average crop of these ten years ? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Then you stopped one year, and after you stopped applying it you had a 

 larger crop than when applying it ? 



A. In the case of the wheat a little larger, but I attribute that to a more 

 favourable season. 



Q. But had you a difference in barley? 



A. In that case there was a falling off from the average of previous years. 



Q Would not that seem to indicate that in the case of wheat you had better not 

 manure at all ? 



A. That conclusion would be scarcely reasonable, the difference has probably 

 been brought about by favourable weather for this crop. 



