336 DRY FARMING 



• DRY FARMING IN WESTERN MANITOBA 



By W. C. McKillican, Superintendent Experimental 

 Farm, Brandon, Man. 



The average precipitation for the ten years, 1911-1919, 

 at Brandon, Manitoba, was 16.33 inches. The area whicl] 

 this represents is therefore of a semi-arid character and 

 farm practices which conserve soil moisture and utilize 

 it to the greatest degree are necessary for success in 

 agriculture. 



SUMMERP ALLOW. 



285. Importance of the Fallow. — The corner stone oj 

 dry farming in Western Manitoba is the summerfallo'w 

 and so is it likely to continue for many years. Grair 

 crops have enjoyed almost a monopoly of crop raising 

 and the summerfallow has served to clean the land, tc 

 conserve the moisture from one year to another and in 

 deed has made grain growing possible in the pioneer anc 

 exploration stages of the country's development. 



286. Methods of Fallowing. — The main features of i 

 good summerfallow as practised in this region are earlj 

 plowing and thoroughness of after-cultivation. Botl 

 of these derive their importance from their efficacy ir 

 preventing the loss of moisture through weed growth 

 By early plowing we mean the first half of the montl 

 of June. May plowing has given no advantage ovei 

 June but June has a very decided advantage over July 

 Depth of plowing is also generally believed to be ar 

 important feature of good summerfallowing. I believ( 

 this is usually correct, though our experimental results ai 



