282 DRY FARMING 



wheat at first, followed by fallow, wheat and wheat, oats 

 or flax is the general rule. The small seeded annual 

 weeds are quite prevalent owing to the use of so much 

 flax. The weed pest together with the relatively low 

 precipitation, heavy soil and somewhat unsatisfactory 

 yields from fall and spring plowing is tending towards 

 the three year system, of fallow, crop and crop with 

 no plowing for the second crop. A few men are follow- 

 ing the two-year system and fallowing half the land each 

 year. 



"BURNT OUT" SOIL 



A peculiar spotted condition of what seems to be 

 otherwise a normal type of soil is to be found in some 

 parts of southwestern Saskatchewan, southeastern Al- 

 berta and Montana. It is locally spoken of as "burnt 

 out" land. Areas varying in size from a few feet in 

 diameter to as many rods are found, scattered thinly in 

 some areas and thickly in others, where in some manner 

 the surface soil to the depth of six to ten inches seems 

 to have been removed. Many settlers are of the opinion 

 that these areas have at some time been "burnt out" 

 leaving the prairie in the spotted condition it is found 

 in to-day. The more probable explanation is that after a 

 series of dry years with little vegetation on the land, it 

 has become puddled after heavy rains, then slaked down 

 to powder and eventually blown away by the wind. 

 Whatever the explanation, it is clear that the surface soil 

 has gone and that the soil now on top in these depres- 

 sions appears to be quite similar in texture and compo- 

 sition to the subsoil of adjoining normal soil. 



Most of these low spots are covered with grass but in 

 a few areas they carry very little vegetation. After 



