128 DRY FARMING 



average acre yield of different crops on breaking done 

 at different periods throughout the year. 



Table XVI. — Showing the influence of time of breaking on the 

 yield of different crops in Saskatoon — average of three years 

 test in crop seasons of 1915, '16 and '17. 



Wheat Barley Flax Potatoes Corn 

 Date of breaking bus. lbs. bus. lbs. bus. lbs, bus. lbs. lbs. 



June 10 30 - 22 39 - 33~i9 - 27 215 - 26 30819 



July 10 27-38 36-30 18-24 210-16 30239 



August 10 22-12 26-29 13-20 157 - 22 22608 



September 10 17-27 22-13 13-20 155 - 38 20727 



Early Spring* 15-23 19-44 13-43 143-28 18780 



There are two fundamental reasons why early break- 

 ing increases the yield, the first being an increase in the 

 soil moisture content and the second, a better state of «oil 

 tilth. The increase in soil moisture is due chiefly to the 

 fact that native plants have been prevented from using 

 it up and also to the greater facility with which the 

 cultivated land is able to absorb moisture and prevent 

 its evaporation. The better soil tilth is due to the fact 

 that land that is broken early has a much better chance 

 to disintegrate since it has the necessary moisture to 

 promote decay and is exposed to the action of the weath- 

 er for a greater length of time. 



97. Plow all the Land. — Good plowing when breaking 

 prairie sod is probably more important than any other 

 phase of the breaking operations. Poorly plowed break- 

 ing does not kill all the grass with the result that no 

 crop is produced where the "skips" occur, and in the 

 second and often in subsequent crops this grass increases 

 and seriously lessens the yield. Poor breaking is the 

 chief reason for grass in stubble fields which in turn is 

 one of the chief causes of low yields on such land. 



* Refers to season the crop is sown. The other dates refer to 

 the previous year. . 



