The extra treatment given these plots is additional to that usually afforded new 

 land in Saskatchewan, and the results prove that more work can be put on new land 

 with profit. 



The packer used was the surface packer. The smoothing harrow the ordinary 

 diamond harrow. The float is a wooden drag, made after a plan of the one used by 

 Seager Wheeler, and is very similar in construction to the ordinary drag used in levelling 

 roads. 



RATE OF SEEDING IN ALBERTA 



G. H. HUTTON, B.S.A., Superintendent, Dominion Experimental Farm, 



Lacombe, Alta. 



The problem of determining the best amount of seed to sow to the acre is a many- 

 sided one, involving such considerations as rainfall, ability of the soil to hold moisture, 

 soil preparation and other factors. Experiments were begun at this station in 1908 f 

 and continued for four years. At Lethbridge in Southern Alberta, similar experiments 

 have been conducted. These should form a fairly safe guide. From results obtained 

 we have felt warranted in recommending the use of larger quantities of seed than were 

 thought best a few years ago. 



Our present field practice is to sow 3 bushels of Marquis wheat per acre on summer 

 fallow, breaking, or following corn, roots or potatoes; of oats, 3 to 314 bushels, and of 

 barley, 2 to 2^£ bushels, on fall-ploughed stubble land. 



In the drier districts to the south and east of Lacombe it would not be practicable 

 to use such liberal quantities as this, but heavier seeding should be practised in those 

 districts than has frequently been recommended. We recommend not less than 1H 

 bushels of wheat on well worked summer-fallow and breaking. While this may prove 

 too much in some years, there are other years when the use of this quantity will insure 

 against frost by inducing early maturity. 



Results at Lethbridge indicate that wheat should be sown at the rate of 105 pounds 

 to the acre on non-irrigated land. This is much heavier than was usually recommended 

 a few years ago; but it is based on four years' experiments, and should cover a fairly 

 average group of seasons. 



I should not feel justified in advising a general increase beyond the rates above 

 indicated in the amount of seed to be used next spring. Spring ploughing dries out 

 more rapidly than fall ploughing, and if a dry season should follow, such advice would 

 give bad results. 



Individual Experiences showing what Good Cultivation will do. 



A farmer near Briercrest reports that from 90 acres summer-fallow on which an 

 outfit worked exclusively during 1914 — that is after seeding up to harvest time — he, 

 this year threshed 4,843 bushels of wheat, almost 54 bushels per acre. On 40 acres 

 stubble he had 1,503 bushels, an average of 2Q}4 bushels per acre. He had 23 acres 

 of oats on summer-fallow, which yielded 2,065 bushels, and 50 acres on stubble, which 

 gave 1,150 bushels. The stubble for both wheat and oats was disced and harrowed last 

 fall and disced and harrowed this spring, and thoroughly well worked. 



In our August issue we referred to crops in Tp. 12, Ranges 5 and 6, west of 3rd, as 

 the best seen on the trip. We estimated yields at from 40 to 50 bushels per acre, for 

 there were no weeds. The owner of the machine who did the threshing in this district 

 reports as follows: "I have kept account of yields; some farms have yielded 50 bushels 

 per acre, the lowest 40. Some stubble fields averaged 45 bushels per acre. Oats 80 

 to 110 bushels per acre. Mr. B's wheat, east of his barn, gave 45 bushels per acre. 



