274 
Canadian Agriculture. 
prairie is of a simple character, and as the sulky plough is 'M 
constructed as to seat the driver, even the ordinary skill of the 
ploughman is not a necessity. The first field operation is that 
of " breaking " ; the top soil is turned over to a depth of from 
two to three inches, and in a slice varying from a foot to sixteen 
inches broad, — May, June, and July being the best months for 
this work. "Back-setting" follows in August and September, 
and consists in ploughing between the slices and turning the 
original surface to the top again, or, in some cases, wedging it up. 
Then, in April or May, after the long frost of winter has crumbled 
the soil and produced a good tilth, the land is ready for seeding 
and harrowing. Sometimes sowing " on the sod " is resorted to 
in spring, as in the case of oats, for example ; the seed is sown 
on the surface of the prairie, which is then subjected to breaking, 
a sod a couple of inches thick being turned over. 
It will not be thought that the soil all over the North- West is 
the same in character as the rich loam of the Red River valley, 
which extends through Manitoba ; what has already been said 
as to the geological features of the great prairie region will show 
that there may be considerable variation. Each correspondent 
was requested by the railway authorities to state the nature of 
the soil on his farm and the depth of black loam. At Moose 
Jaw, the soil is reported various, but all good, with 6 in. to 
12 in. of loam ; at Regina, a black clay loam of unknown 
depth ; at Moosomin, black loam, from 8 in. to 22 in. deep, with 
sand or clay sub-soil. Further information of this character is 
given later on in the description of the C. P. K. Experimental 
Farms. 
Fuel, abundant in some localities, is very scarce in others, 
but the opening up of coal and lignite deposits in the North- 
VVest, and the increasing facilities for railway transport, will 
gradually place the settlers more on an equality in this respect. 
Wood is chiefly used, though that has sometimes to be drawn 
long distances. Water is obtained mostly from wells, some- 
times from creeks, and in rare cases has to be drawn *some 
distance. 
The yields per acre for wheat var^ between 25 and 40 bushels, 
the most usual estimate being 30. Barley ranges from 25 to 50 
bushels, 40 being the most common estimate. Oats yield from 
o5 to 75 bushels, the usual quantity being about 50. Inferior 
yields are attributed by the farmers themselves to bad tillage 
or absence of back-setting. Garden vegetables, and particu- 
larly potatoes, are favourably reported. For potato cultivation 
the method is to plough and backset, and to harrow in the fol- 
lowing spring, after which the seed tubers are laid in furrows 
made by the plough, which is then sent between the furrows 
to cover them up. This is done in May. 
