


133 
April, yet the crops were earlier than others in this region, 
and the plants strong and productive. The barley in par- 
ticular was cut before any other field in this vicinity, so far 
as is known. The seed was placed at, or very near, the 
surface of the ground, but at this time of year there is so 
much moisture in the soil no difficulty was experienced in se- 
curing early vegetations. 7 
COMPACT VS. LOOSE SEED-BED. 
Plat B. 16, 33 feet wide, was ploughed, harrowed and 
-fitted in the most careful manner. Fertilizer at the rate of 
400 Ibs. per acre was applied to the same. Beginning on 
-the north end, extending south, twenty feet were com- 
pacted as much as possible. A heavy iron hand roller was 
worked over the surface, and afterwards the ground was 
carefully tamped. By this method the soil was made very 
compact, at least on the surface. Twenty feet extending 
south of this space were treated just the reverse of the pre- 
ceding. The ground was hoed, and the soil loosened as 
much as possible. The first twenty feet, A1 were marked 
into ten rows, each 33 feet long, and planted on April 22 to 
“White Australian oats, and the covering on each drill rolled 
-firmly over the seed. The second twenty feet, A? were 
ymarked into ten rows, planted to the same kind of oats in 
_a like manner, and the soil loosely laid upon the seed. The 
forty feet remaining were treated identically with the pre- 
ceding forty, the third set of twenties, B', being compacted 
and ten rows of Imperial barley planted, and the fourth set, 
B? made very loose, and ten rows of the same kind of barley 
planted. 
Practically speaking, the two plats of oats vegetated to- 
gether, and the barleys likewise. No noticeable difference 
was to be seen in these plats during most of the growing 
season. The larger weeds were pulled from A’ and B’, 
but the soil was not otherwise disturbed. A? and B? were 
hoed whenever necessary, and the soil kept loose and porous. 
On July 22 the following conditions existed on A? and A?. 
The plants on A! were erect and ripe enough to cut. Those 
_on A? had been levelled by the wind’and rain of a few days 
previous, and were a tangled mass, and not ripe enough to 
cut within a week of thoseon A!. On July 29, the ten rows 
on A2 were marked ripe enough to cut. Those on A? were 
nicely cradled; those on A? were cut with the scythe, 
owing to the lodged, tangled condition of the straw. 
No special and striking difference was noted in case of 
the barley on B! and B?, excepting in maturity. B' was 
ripe enough for cutting on July 29, B* not till Aug. 4. The 
following table contains figures of interest regarding both 
of these crops. 
