Scott. i* Agriculture. Canada

Scott

i*

Agriculture

HISTORICAL SERIESNO.21, availablefrom Superintendent

ExperimentalFarm

ResearchBranch,AgricultureCanada Box10

Scott,Saskatchewan

SOK 4A0

©

Minister ofSupplyandServicesCanada1985

Cat.No.A54-2/21E ISBN:0-662-14123-7

Printed1986

cover photo

Seeding crestedwheatgrassintobadlyerodedland

COTT

ertmen

m

»#

K.

J.

Kirkland

Editor

Research Branch

Agriculture

Canada

Historical

Series

No.

21

CONTENTS

Page

FOREWORD

v

CHAPTER

1

The

Scott

Experimental

Farm

1

CHAPTER

2

EarlyAgriculture

and

The

Experimental

Station 2

CHAPTER

3

The

Early Years,

1910-1920

5

CHAPTER

4

Illustration Stations 9

CHAPTER

5

The

Dirty Thirties

15

CHAPTER

6

World

War

II

and

the Forties

23

CHAPTER

7

Post-War Expansion

26

CHAPTER

8

The

Scott

Experimental

Farm 1960-1985

29

CHAPTER

9

Past

to

Present

—

Achievements

31

APPENDIX A

34

APPENDIX

B

35

FOREWORD

We

are verypleasedtopresent the

story ofthe Scott ExperimentalStation

in recognitionofits75thanniversaryin 1985and the 100th anniversaryofthe Experimental

Farms

Service in

Canada

in 1986.

In ordertocapture the

many

contributions

made

to agricultureover

the past75yearsbytheScott

ExperimentalStationstaff, Ihave asked

C.H. Keys and D.H.

Dabbs

tohelpwrite

theStation's history. I would liketo

thank

them

for their efforts, and also those

who

helped record theeventsthat

took place.

Initiative,dedication, serviceto agriculture and hard

work

have characterized the efforts ofthestaffat

alllevels since 1910. Theireffortshave beeninstrumentalin shapingthe

agriculturaldevelopmentof

northwestern Saskatchewan.

In theearly years, theScottStation

gained recognitionforitsleadershipin

horticulturaldevelopment, livestock

feeding and croprotations.

Most

ofthe information arisingfrom theresearch conductedat Scott

was

transferredto

producers through fielddays held at

numerous

locationsthroughoutthe northwestregion.

During thelate 1930'sand 1940's the

Stationprovided leadership inthe reclamationof

huge

tracts ofbadly eroded land.

Through

the supervisionof

G.D.

Matthews

and the tirelesseffortof

Scottemployees, thousandsofhectares

of land

were

returnedto productivityby

establishing crestedwheatgrass.

Much

ofthisland is

now

part ofthe

PFRA

Community

Pasture network.

The

introduction of

snow

ridgingtechniques

toconserve

snow

meltmoisturefor both foragesand cereals

was

largelythe

resultofthe researchconducted atthe

Station.

During the

1950s

and early1960's, Scottreleased severalcultivarsof cereal,forage,fruitand potatoesthat

havecontributed significantlyto increased production in

many

areasof theprairies.Several ofthese cultivars

still playa prominentrolein the

agriculturalsystemsofthe 1980's.

Duringthis period theStationalso achievedgreatsuccess inthearea of

weed

control. In 1946, 2,4-D

was

introduced.

Many

use patternsforit

were

investigated and

recommended.

Eversince,

weed

controlresearchat Scotthasbeenof majorimportance.

During the pasttwo decades,

agricultural productionhas

become

specialized and highlymechanized. However, as cropproduction has

become

more

specializedthe associated problems have

become

more

complex.

The

ScottStation respondedtothis

change

byestablishing a unitwhich specializesincropproductionsystems and,as aresult, theStation has gained

international recognitionfor itsresearch on

weed

control,herbicide residues, soil fertility,acidic soils, soil salinity,crop

sequences

and associated tillage

systems.

In thesucceeding chapters, Mr. Keys, Mr.

Dabbs

and Ihaveoutlinedthe

developmentofthe Stationfrom sod-breaking intheregiontothe present.

We

regret thatspacelimitations

prevented us from directing

more

attention to individual personalities.

Throughoutthis history, Station

achievements have

been

highlighted.

However, it

was

thetirelesseffortsofa dedicatedstaffthat

made

the Station's

achievementspossible.

/V

I

Ax\ U

(

<W<>

K.J. Kirkland Superintendent Experimental

Farm

Scott,

Saskatchewan

1985

Digitized

by

thelnternet

Archive

in

2012

with

funding

from

Agriculture

and

Agri-Food

Canada -

Agriculture

et

Agroalimentaire

Canada

http://archive.org/details/scottexperimenta21kirk

CHAPTER

1

The

Scott

Experimental

Farm

In 1985, theAgriculture

Canada

Experimental

Farm

atScottisthe major

agriculturalresearch establishment serving northwestern Saskatchewan. Withits Project

Farms

atKindersley, Lashburn,Mervin-Glaslyn and

Loon

Lake, serviceisprovided toanarea covering approximately 9,000,000 ha (22,000,000 ac)and 17,000farmers.

The

Experimental

Farm

itselfoccupies 338 ha(834 ac) ofElstowandScott clay-loamon theoutskirts ofthe

Town

of Scott, 175

km

(108mi)westof

Saskatoon. It

employs

15people

year-round and anadditional10during the

summer

months.

The

Scott

ExperimentalStation,asit

was

originally called,

was

established bythe

Experimental

Farms

Servicein 1910. Thus,from

modest

beginningsit has

become

a

permanent

andimportantlink inthechain of agriculturalservicesin the PrairieProvinces.

Inthisdry regionof settled Canada, twofactorsareofgreatimportanceto

cropproduction. First,

because most

of

therain fallsduring thegrowing season,

good

cropyieldscan beattained withas

little as an averageof

350

mm

(14in) of precipitation peryear. Secondly, high

summer

temperaturesandlong

daylengthensurethatplantsreceive the heatand lighttheyneedforgrowth. However, the areaischaracterized bya

rathershortgrowing season (anaverage

frost-free periodof92days).

Common

cereals and oilseedsthat matureearly

can be

grown

successfully. Winters tend

to belongandcold, makingthe

productionofwintercereals a

somewhat

higherrisk.

Research

work

atthe Experimental

Farm

isconcentratedon improving the production and performanceofcereal andoilseedcrops. Major research projectsare

underway

incroprotations,

minimum

tillage,zerotillage and conservation farming,

weed

control,

weed

competitionandchemical fallow,

soil fertility, plant nutritionand soil

improvement, and evaluationand developmentofcereal andoilseed cultivars.

CHAPTER

2

Early

Agriculture

and

the

Experimental

Station

The

movement

of settlers tothe northwesternportionofthe prairiesand

intothe parkland beltshortly afterthe

turn ofthecentury brought

new

challenges. Withthisdevelopmentthe Departmentof Agriculture's

Experimental

Farms

Servicerecognized the needforfurtherexpansionintothe

new

area.

The

originalsiteofthe Experimental

Station(1910) lies immediatelysouth andwestofthe

Town

ofScott and south

ofthemain lineofthe

Grand

Trunk

Pacific Railway

(now

Canadian National Railway)in

Township

30,

Range

20,

West

ofthe 3rd Meridian.

The

site

was

selectedby Mr.

Duncan

Anderson

and

was

subsequentlyvisited

andapproved bythe Directorofthe Central Experimental Farm, Dr. William Saunders,andotherofficials. It

was

purchased bythe Dominion

Government

inthe springof 1910 and

Anderson

began work

immediatelyasthe

Officer-in-Chargeofthe initial stagesof

development. Mr.

Norman

Davies

became

the

Farm

Foreman. Plans, developedin Ottawa,

were

usedin

laying out thegroundsandbuilding

sites. Constructionofthe

Superintendent's dwelling(including officespace) anda stable-carriage

building

were

begun

immediately.

A

well

was

dug

nearthe dwellingto supply waterforthewholeunit.

These two

structures,builtin 1910, arestillbeing usedtoday.

It isinteresting toread the following extracts ofAnderson'sreporttothe

Director,as includedinthe Experimental

Farm

Report,

March

31,1911. "This farmis situatedonthe mainlineofthe

Grand

TrunkPacific Railway, closeto

the

Town

ofScott.

The town

hasa populationofabout600,and is103 mileswestofSaskatoon, and 233 miles eastof

Edmonton.

Scottisthe centerof

alarge areaofsplendidgraingrowing country.

The famous Tramping

Lake regionlies directlysouthandthe well-knownCutKnifesectiontothe northandwest.

The

farmconsists of

198.5 acres, andis

bounded on

theeast bythe maintravelled roadleading into thewell settled

Tramping

LakeDistrict,

onthe north bythe railway, and

on

the southand west bythedivisionline.

The

surfaceofthefarm isundulating,

open

prairie, unbroken byeitherbushor sloughs.

One

ortwosmall pot-holes, and hereandthere a few stones can be seen".

Superintendent's dwellingandstable-carriage

Farming

began

on

May

16,1910, with 43 ha(105ac) brokenthatyear. It is

interestingalsotonote the costofthe breakingas

summarized

inthe annual

report: Breaking Packing Backsetting SingleDiscing Double Harrowing Total Cost $ 9.27/ha (3.75/ac) 0.62/ha (0.25/ac) 9.27/ha (3.75/ac) 1.24/ha (0.50/ac) 1.24/ha (0.50/ac) $21 .64/ha (8.75/ac)

The

areatobe served bythe

Farm

includedallagriculturalland in

Saskatchewan

northofthe South

Saskatchewan

Riverand westof

Range

5,

West

ofthe3rd Meridian. Inaddition,

a smallareaofeast-centralAlberta

was

includedasScottterritory.

On

March

1, 1911, thefirst

Superintendent, Mr. R.E. Everest,

was

appointed. Inthatyeartesting ofcereal

varieties(oatsand

wheat

only), rates of

seeding, depthsofseeding (oats only)

and growingofmixedcerealsand

legumes

(oats

and peas

or barleyand peas)forfeed

were

started.

Some

crop

rotations

were

establishedand

one

of

these, Rotation "C",has

been

continued on the

same

land areatothe presenttime. Horticulturetooka prominentplacefrom theoutset.

An

orchard

was

established with a

number

of varieties ofapples, aswellas

currants, gooseberriesand

strawberries. Vegetables

and

flowers

were

testedforadaptation. Seventeen

cultivars of potatoes

were

tested.

W.J. Wright, Ottawa,examining Rotation

"C

whichwasestablishedin1911.

CHAPTER

3

The

Early

Years,

1910-1920

Meteorological records includingdata onhigh and low temperatures,hoursof

sunshine and precipitation

were

started

in May, 1911.

From

theoutsetit

was

recognizedthat

climaticconditionstendedto be

more

severe atScott thanatthe Experimental Stations inthesouthern part ofthe prairies. Late spring andearlyfall frosts,

coupledwith limited moisture, created conditionsthat limited cropselectionas

well as production. Marquiswheat, introduced into

Saskatchewan

in 1907,

was

thestandard cultivaratScott.

Testing ofwinter

wheat

startedinthe fall

of 1911,but it

was

not a success. Since

many

ofthe cultivarsoffield crops, as

well aspracticallyall horticulturalcrops, were sent outfrom eastern

Canada

for

testing, there

were

numerous

failures.

Through

Everest's superintendency,

1911-1914,the

emphasis appeared

to

be on systemsof

management

of soil, from breaking thesodtothe production

ofcropsthereon.

The

firstfeeding trials

ofbeefcattle

were

conductedduring the

winterof 1913-1914.

The

productionofa wide rangeofcrops

was

triedwiththe ideaofusing

them

as livestockfeeds,

i.e. turnips,mangels, fieldcarrots, corn,

sunflowers,as wellasothertypesof

forage crops.There

was

also considerable

work

inextension.

The

Superintendent actedasajudgeof

CountryFairs in 1912atOutlook, Brooks, Zealandia, Kindersley, Luseland, Brownlee andHanley.There

were

also

more

than700visitors atthe

Stationduringthatyear, mostly during

the

summer. The

interestdeveloped in

horticultural cropsled tothe appointmentof Mr. H.C. Love as Gardenerin 1912. This

was

theyearthat thearboretumand the

specimen

hedges

werestarted and

some

ofthese arestill

present today.

». w

-

"—

_-?

i^i

-a

Feedingtrialsofbeefcattle(1913-1914).

Arboretums and specimen hedges

In 1914, Everest took leaveof

absence

tojointhe

armed

forcesin World

War

Iand Mr. M.J. Tinline

was

appointed asActing Superintendent.

A

furtherhalfsectionof land,the south halfof17-29-20

W

3,

was

purchasedto

expand

thefield

work

and tobe developedfor livestockproduction research. Forty-one hectares(100ac)

were

brokenthatyearanda foreman's cottage

was

alsobuilt.

The

going rate

forlabour

was

19 cents perhourand

wheat

was

worth 33dollars/tonne(90 cents/bu).

During the yearsofWorld

War

I,

expansion

was

slow

because

of financialand

manpower

resource

limitations. In1915, the Dominion

Horticulturist, W.T.

Macoun,

made

the

following statementregarding Scott "Consideringthefewyearsthisstation

has beenestablished,the

development

inhorticulture has

been

verygreat.

A

few crabappletrees are alreadyfruiting.

Horticultureat this stationisalready

attracting

much

attention inthedistrict".

Extension

was

a verynecessary

function ingetting information outtothe farmer.

The

Experimental Station's exhibit atseven local fairsattracted

about5,000visitors and an additional

2,524 peoplevisited the Stationitself.

The

fallof 1915

marked

the

introduction of livestock (otherthan

work

horses)tothe

program

conducted

atScott.

A

flockof 100 range

ewes

was

purchasedforthe purposeofupgrading

with purebredsires.

Economics were

also includedinthe program.

The

year also

marked

the introduction of cattalo, including

some

hybrid buffalo, tothe

Station.

The

latterventurelastedonlya

little

more

than a yearasthe Station

was

notequipped tohandlethistypeof

animal.

The

fencesand corrals

were

simply notadequate,andthe animals

were

moved

totheWainwright Buffalo Parkin

December

1916

where

studies of buffalo x domesticcattlebreeding

were

continued.

The

toughwinterof 1915-16 resulted

ina highdegreeofwinterkill inthe orchard, perennialflowerbordersand shrubberyplantings.

The

summer

of

1916, however,

was

long

remembered

forits

abundance

ofmoistureand

excellentcropproduction.

Banner

oats

yielded 1.73tonne/ha(112 bu/ac) while

Marquis

wheat

yielded 0.46tonne/ha(42 bu/ac).

Poultry

were

broughtintothe

program

attheStation in1917. Pulletsand2-year

old hens

were

compared

for

egg

production,eggfertilityandchick

hatchability.

The work

also

compared

typesof incubators,

methods

of

brooding, aswell as feeds andrations

forlaying hens,fatteningpoultryand growingchicks.

Experiments onfeeding steers included the

assessment

of

economics

ofwinterfattening,

dehorned

vs

hornless animals, strawsheltervscorral

EarlyfielddaysattheStation attracted large

crowds.

*'.> _ws

Cattalointroducedtothe ScottStation (1915).

feeding, and sunflowersilagevs dry

feeding.

The

animals

were

purchasedin

thefall and marketed inthe spring.

Work

withcattle

was

atfirstlimited towinter feedingofsteers, buta breeding

program

ofpurebred dual-purpose Shorthorns

was

initiated in 1921

when

thesecattle first

became

available. Five heifersand a

young

bullfrom Indian

Head, Saskatchewan,constituted the

original breeding herd.

The work

with animalsalso involved cross-breedingof

sheep

toimprove the woolquantityandquality ofthe basic rangetype ofanimal. Feeding trialswith lambs

were

alsoconductedto assess

thevaluesofvariouscropsand

by-productsthat

were

produced locally,

i.e.,cereal straw,grainscreenings, forage crops,silageand

some

root

crops.Cross-breeding ofswine

(Yorkshire, Berkshireand DurocJersey)

was

started toassessthe various crossesfortheirefficiencyand quality of

porkproduction.

The work

involving livestock,including poultry,

was

developedtoprovide informationtofarmers

who

were

trying todevelop an industryina

new

area that, in

many

instances,

was

alien to

them.

Evaluatingearlyintroductionsof cereal cultivars.

Experimental

work

withsoiland crop

management

followedsimilar patterns.

There

was

much

tobelearned aboutthe manipulationofthedifferentsoil types and theresponseofthe variouscropsto

them, keepingin mindthe severe

climaticconditionsthatprevailed throughoutthe area.

Aftera

decade

ofoperation, which included the periodofWorld

War

I,a

second professionalstaff position

was

establishedand earlyin 1921 Mr. Elmer

Van

Nice

assumed

theposition of

Assistanttothe Superintendent. This

marked

thefirstof several

new

professionalstaff positionsthat

were

to

becreatedat laterdates.

Inaddition totheintroduction ofa smallherdof purebred Shorthorncattle in 1921, aPercheron Horse Breeders Association

was

formedinthe district,

with

government

assistance.This, along

withthe purebred sheep,hogs and

poultry,

was

the basisforpromoting

livestock

improvement

inthearea. Similarprocedures

were

followedinfield crops. Pure seedofthe

most

promising

cultivars

was

increased andsold to

Stationsfor furtherincreaseand

distribution.

At the

same

time,experiments

were

conductedtodeterminethe

most

efficientcroprotations, crop sequences, andthe besttillageoperationsfor use on summerfallow andstubble land.

These

studies

were

conductedon plots of100 square metres (1/40ac)orsmall fieldsof0.4ha(1 ac)each.

To

carryout thewide rangeoftasks

that

were

requiredinthe livestock, field

cropsandhorticultural programs,the Superintendentandhis assistant

were

supported bya

number

ofyear-round and seasonal

employees

underthe supervision ofthe

"Farm

Foreman".

Some

ofthese

employees

specializedin

certain areasofwork. Frank

Rouse

(1920-1951)

was

inchargeof Poultry;

James

Allaway(1921-1943)Horticulture;

Lome

Wilson,Cerealand Forageplots;

George

Prost (1921-1961) Field

Crops

andTillage; andAlex

McCallum

was

Livestock

Herdsman.

GardenerJamesAllaway evaluating a white

lilacselection.

A

third professional,Mr. Francis M. Maclsaac,joinedthe staffin 1924, butit

was

notuntil 1928thatMaclsaac,

better

known

as

"Mac",

was

appointed as anAssistanttotheSuperintendent.

Those

years (1924-28)

marked

the beginningof "departmentalization" or

specializationatthefarm level.

Van

Nice

was

responsibleforAnimal Husbandry,

Maclsaac

assumed

the responsibility for FieldHusbandry,while the

Superintendent lookedafterHorticulture

inaddition to hisadministrativeduties.

Further staff

changes

in 1928

saw

Mr. G.D.

Matthews

appointed as Superintendentfollowingthe

sudden

deathof hisbrotherVictor. Inthe fallof the

same

year, Mr. N.F. Bell arrived at

Scottto

assume

responsibility for

supervising theIllustration Stations locatedin northern

Saskatchewan

and ina smallareaofnortheastern Alberta.

Up

tothispoint, the Illustration Stations in

Saskatchewan

had

been

supervised by Mr.

Edward

Sackvilleoutofthe Swift CurrentExperimentalStation.

In 1924, Tinline

was

transferredto

Brandon

and Mr. Victor

Matthews

was

CHAPTER

4

Illustration

Stations

An

Illustration Station Division

was

established asa

new

division ofthe Central Experimental

Farm

inOttawain 1915.

Under

itstermsofreference, it

was

responsible forthecoordination and supervision ofdemonstrations

carried out with selectedfarm cooperators throughoutthe various

agricultural areasofCanada.

The

selected farmersagreedtocarry out practices being

recommended

forthe

area,andtodemonstrate theproduction

of

new

cropsthat

were

made

available

tothem. Livestock production improvement, aswell as farmstead planningandbeautification

were

also a

part oftheactivitiesofan Illustration

Stationoperator.

Inthefirstyearofactivity, Mr.

John

Fixter, theSupervisorinOttawa, established aunitin theKindersley district, nearMadison,onthe farmofthe Halpenny brothers. Laterinthe

same

year,farms operated by Dr. S.E.

Shaw

at BiggarandMr.

Hugh

Hill at

Lloydminster

were

approved, with

work

tobegin thefollowing year. In 1918, a

station

was

established at

Meota

onthe farmofMr. WalterTait. In 1919, asite at Zealandia

was

selectedonthe farmof

Mr. W.A. Roberts.

From

1915to 1921,89Illustration

Stations

were

inoperationin

Canada

and all

were

supervised from Ottawa.In 1922, it

was

decided to transfer

some

of the responsibility of planningand supervising the

work

on Illustration Stationstosupervisors

who

would be locatedat selectedExperimental

Farms

orStationsacrossthe country. In Saskatchewan, the

work

was

supervised fromSwift Currentby

Sackville. There

were

15stations

throughoutthe provinceatthetime. In

Alberta, it

was

interesting tonotethat

theSupervisorforthatprovince

was

Everest,

who

had beenthefirst Superintendentat Scott.Thisform of

organization remainedinplace until

1928

when

Saskatchewan

was

splitinto

two supervisory areas.

The

southern

portion oftheagricultural arearemained underthe supervisionofSackville at

SwiftCurrent.

The

new

northern area included thenorthernagriculturalareaof

Saskatchewan, plus a narrowstripon theeastern sideofAlberta nexttothe

provincial boundary, and asfarsouthas

theSouth

Saskatchewan

River.

The

ExperimentalStationatScott

was

to be the headquartersfor this

new

district.

Althoughthe Illustration Station

Supervisors

were

located atthevarious Experimental

Farms

and Stations,their positions

were

actuallyattachedtothe Central Experimental

Farm

inOttawa. This alsoapplied tothefundingof

IllustrationStationsand Supervisors. Reports

were

directedtothe Chief SupervisorinOttawa throughthe Experimental StationSuperintendent.

When

Mr. N.F. Bell,

who

had been

appointed as Supervisorof Illustration StationsfornorthernSaskatchewan,

arrivedat Scotttotake uphisduties in

thefallof 1928, theSuperintendent and

staffatScott

knew

nothingaboutthe

whole arrangement. Consequently, Bell

was

sentto SwiftCurrentto

become

acquainted withhis

new

dutiesand

become

familiarwiththe Illustration Stationsthat

were

tobetransferredto

IllustrationStationsupervisorsandoperators

inconferenceatScott(1929).Standing(leftto right):C.H. Snider,Guernsey;R. Simpson,

Kindersley;H. Hill,Lloydminster;J. Moynon,

Supervisor,Ottawa;W. Tait,Meota; H. Therrien, St. Paul,Alberta. Seated(leftto right):F. Macintyre,Meanook,Alberta;

J. Grant,Glenbush;N. Bell,Supervisor,

Scott.

Responsibilityforthe Illustration Stationslocated atGuernsey, Kindersley, Lloydminster, Loverna, Marcelin,

Meadow

Lake,

Meota

and Spruce Lake

was

transferredtoScott.

Responsibility

was

alsoaccepted from the Manitobaareaforastation at Tisdaleand, fromthe Albertaarea,a

stationat St. Paul,Alberta.

Within a 5-year period ofactivity, Bell

hadnearlydoubledthe

number

of

Illustration Stationsoperatingwithin his

district. Thisdistrictof

some

453,250 squarekilometers (175,000square

miles)hadwithinitlargeareasof

semi-arid prairie, parklandand

wooded

regions. Ofnecessity, alarge

number

of projects

was

carried.

Some

ofthese

were

common

toallstations(e.g., cereal cultivarevaluation),

whereas

others

were

establishedto

meet

special

problems(e.g., alfalfa seed production). Duringthis

same

period, drought

and

soildrifting,

accompanied

by grasshopper and wheat-stem sawfly

infestations,created severeproduction problemsinthe prairieareasofthe district. In addition,extremelylowprices

forallfarm products throughoutthe

entirecountry created a depressionthat

hassincebeen referred toasthe "Dirty Thirties".

The

drought andthe depressionput a severe strain

on

the Experimental Stations andIllustrationStations,as

answers

tothe immediate problems

were

needed

desperately. In1935, the Federal

Government

broughtintoeffect

the Prairie

Farm

RehabilitationAct (PFRA).

The

effectofthis act

was

to

convert the IllustrationStationswithin

thedesignated

PFRA

areainto District

ExperimentSub-Stations.

The

units withinthe Scott areaofsupervision

were

located atConsort and

Metiskow

inAlberta, and Dunblane, Guernsey,

Juniata,Kindersley, Loverna

and

Rosetown

in Saskatchewan.

They

became

focal points inthe struggleto

combat

theeffects ofcontinualdrought.

These

units

were

speciallyfunded so

that

more

detailed

work

could be

initiatedinrelation tosoil drifting control,

soil

management

and cropresidues, moisture conservation, cropping systems and

numerous

other applicable

projects, such as grasshopper and sawflycontrol.

As

results

became

available,they

were passed on

to

farmersinthesurroundingdistrictsby

means

offield days,pressarticles and printed bulletins.

During thethirties the

demand

for

Illustration Stationsintheareafar

exceeded

the

manpower

and

money

availabletosuperviseand operate them.

Atthe outset, theexperiments and demonstrations

were

conductedon

large plotsorsmallfields,

some

of

them

as largeas 1.6ha(4 ac),withthe operatorsperforming

most

ofthework.

It

became

apparentthatalot

more

informationcould beobtained from smaller plots,with theSupervisorand support helpdoing the work, using portableequipment. This gradually

became

theaccepted procedureandthe operators

were

mainlyresponsiblefor

land preparationand post-harvest cleanup.

By

1938, the

program

had

expanded

to 19 IllustrationStationsand 8 ExperimentalSub-Stations. It

was

at this stagethata secondSupervisor, Mr. R.H. (Bob)Anderson,

was

appointed.Aftertwoyearsofworking as

a

team

withBell, it

was

decidedthe

territory should besplit.

Anderson

moved

his headquartersto Melfortin 1940and

assumed

responsibility forthe IllustrationStationsandthe

Experimental Sub-Stationsthat

were

located eastofthe3rd Meridian,except

forthe stations locatedat Haffordand Parkside,which

were

included inthe Melfortarea. Bellcontinued tolookafter theStations innorthwestern

Saskatchewan

anda small areaof

northeastern Alberta.

>**«.

Thedroughtand depressionofthe1930s

resultedintheintroduction ofthePrairie

FarmRehabilitationAct(PFRA)in 1935.

Because

the northwestern

Saskatchewan

Illustration Stationsand Experimental Sub-Stations

were

located inallofthe majorsoil zones, and represented a

number

ofsoiltypes

within azone, they

became

ideal locations forsoil fertilitystudies

when

commercialfertilizers

were

first developed inthe mid-thirties.

These

studies stimulated agreat deal of interest inthevariousdistricts,

particularlyinthe northernareas

where

the lack offertility, afewyearsafterthe

land

was

broken,

was

a realproblem.

As

thefarming areasaged, the

maintenance ofsoilfertilitycontinuedto

be an important areaofresearch.

FieldDayatthe GlaslynIllustrationStation (1935).

*£«.-. irs*sv'

aWM

-V-'-<*. .

".-' -_{-~. •}

.'.43)2

ni

Thousandsofkilometresof sheiterbeltswere

plantedaspart ofthe

PFRA

programtohelp reclaimland thathadbeenseverelyeroded

during thedirty thirties.

Following 1937, theworstofthe droughtyears, productionandthe general

economic

conditionsthroughout thearea improved.In thefarnorth,a

large

number

ofpeople

moved

intothe areafrom theprairie citiesand farms

farthersouth.

As

well,settlers

were

still

being broughtinfrom other countriesby

government

andthe colonization branchesoflargeland holderssuch as the

CNR,

CPR

andthe Hudson's

Bay

Company.

Many

ofthesepeoplehad no previousagriculturalexperience, while others applied their prairieexperienceto

the north without success.

The

Illustration Stations atGlaslyn,

Glenbush,

Meadow

Lake, North

Makwa

and PiercelandinSaskatchewan, and at

Meanook

andSt. PaulinAlberta, played asignificant part inthe developmentof

those isolatedareasofsettlement. It

was

necessarytoprovide

many

ofthese

new

farmerswith

much

basic

information

on what

cropstogrow,

how

to

grow

them,

what

typesofequipment

were most

suitable, aswellas on the

improvement

and careoffarm livestock.

Theapplication offertilizerswasinvestigated extensivelyduring thethirties.

Holdingfielddays atthe Illustration Stations

was

one

ofthe main

ways

of

disseminatinginformation. Peoplecould seethecropsbeing

grown

andthe

effects offertilizer.

They

could seethe valueof cultivatedgrassesand

legumes

forimproving forage andpastures, and

furtherseethebenefits of better livestock selectionsand

management.

It

should be noted alsothata

number

of

people hadgreatdifficultywith the Englishlanguage. However,theycould

stillappreciate the valueofwhatthe

newer

cropsand

methods

ofproduction being demonstratedcould

do

forthem.

Fielddaysat IllustrationStationsand Experimental Sub-Stationsallowed peopleto seethe progressbeing

made

inthe mainfacetsofagriculture ata time

when

travel,for

many

people,

was

largely limitedtothe

community

inwhich they lived.Bell

worked

veryhard, particularlyduring the yearsofWorld

War

II,

when

physicalandfinancialhelp

was

extremelylimitedandata time

when

many

people inthesenorthern areas

were

strugglingsimplyto survive.

In 1944,Bell resigned from his positionasSupervisorand it

was

not

until

September

1945thatthe position

was

refilled by Mr. C.H. Keys,

who

had

justbeen discharged fromthe

armed

forces(RCAF).

By

thetime hearrived on

thejob the

number

ofstations had declinedtothe fiveunits locatedat

Glenbush, Kindersley, Loverna, North

Makwa

and Rosetown. Immediateaction

was

taken tolocate

some

new

sites.

By

thetime wintersetin,two

new

locations had been approved;

one

at

Conquest

and

one

atGlaslyn.

The

Station at

Conquest

was

in thecentreof afield

shelterbeltarea.

Thousands

of hectares hadbeen plantedto shelterbeltsaspart ofthe

PFRA

program

tohelp reclaim landthathadbeenseverely eroded during thedirty thirties. Studiesonthe

influence oftheseshelterbelts

on

crop production

were

tobe conductedthere.

The

Station atGlaslyn

was

on

strongly degraded Gray-Blacksoil and in anarea

that

was

proneto latespringand early

fall frosts.

The

ChiefSupervisorandstaffin Ottawaencouragedtheestablishmentof

new

unitsonthe basisofneed

due

to specific problems.There

was

also

encouragement

forgreater

emphasis

on

projects thatwould generate

new

information. Plots

were

to besetupin such a

way

thatthe data couldbe analyzed statisticallyand published, as

wellasserving demonstration purposes.

It

was

at thistimetoothatthe ideaof

conductingfertilizerexperimentsusing

small, rod-rowplots

was

conceived. This provedto bea great assetinconducting

more

preciseexperimentswithgreater accuracyof applicationandwitheasily

observableand measurableresults.

Small

power

equipment

was

developed

atthelocal level to

make

itpossibleto

handle

more

plotswithconsiderably less

labourinput. Multiple-row

power

seedersand

power

harvesters

were

the two mainpiecesofequipmentthat

made

itpossibletohandlea

much

larger

volumeofsmall plot

work

effectively.

During theearly postwarperiod there

was

a

renewed

interestinresearch

on

agriculturalproblemsthathad beenheld in

abeyance due

to other

demands

on

government

funding.

It

was

decidedtherefore totake a

more

detailedlookatthe problems associated with the

Gray-Wooded

soils.

Threespecial units

were

to be

developed in

Saskatchewan

andAlberta,

locatedontypical

"Gray-Wooded"

soil, todevelop

methods

of

managing

these soilswith respecttofertility, tillage

methods,cropping practices and overall productivity.

One

ofthe units

was

to be locatedin northwestern

Saskatchewan

and

known

asthe

Gray-Wooded

Soil Experimental Sub-Station.

The

original

site selected

was

nearSouth

Makwa.

Within 2 years, however,the

owner

and operatorvacatedthe land, soa

new

site

was

locatedon Mr. R. Kisling'sfarm northeastof

Loon

Lake,

where

itisstill

inoperation.

A

second

Supervisor's

position

was

approved forthe Scott

area, and inthe springof 1949 Mr. W.B. Towill

was

appointed. His mainresponsibility

was

todevelopthe

Loon

Lake Sub-Stationandto supervise severalotherIllustration Stationsinthe northernpart ofthedistrict.

Early studiesat

Loon

Lake indicated

thatthe

"Loon

Riverloam" soil

was

stronglydeficient insulphur,

phosphorus

and nitrogen. Alfalfaforage

yields

were

doubled andtripledwith

additional sulphur.Whilegraincrops responded stronglytocombinationsof

phosphorus

and nitrogen,thisvery dense, loworganic mattersoilwas, and

stillcontinuestobe, a verydifficultsoil

tohandlephysically.

AGRICULTURE

CANADA

RESEARCH BRANCH EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT FARM

R.KISLING

-

OWNER.

TheIllustrationStationestablishedonthe

R. Kislingfarmat Loon Laketoinvestigate problemsassociatedwithGray-Woodedsoils

isstillinoperation.

OtherIllustration Stations inthe northernarea

were

establishedat Dorintosh, PiercelandandTurtleford.

These

unitsrepresented alacustrine

Gray soil,

common

inthe Dorintosh

area; acoarsertexturedtillGraysoilat

Piercelandand a

degraded

Blacktill soil atTurtleford.

The

station atNorth

Makwa

was

closed

due

tothe retirement

ofthe operatorataboutthetimethatthe unit at

Loon

Lake

was

starting.Towill

was

responsibleforthese unitsuntil he

was

transferredto

Thunder Bay

in the

fall of1958.

In 1948,astation

was

establishedat

Marsden, Saskatchewan,todevelop

methods

ofcontrollingyellow toadflax

(LinariavulgarisMill.).This persistent perennial

weed

had

been

spreading

steadilythrough alargeareaofvery productivefarm land.

Marsden

appearedtobein thecentreofthe

most

severelyinfested area. Herbicide, tillage

andcropping treatments

were

used separatelyandinvariouscombinations

todetermineaneffectivecontrol

program

forthisproblem.

Over

the 12-year periodthatthe project

was

active,

numerous

herbicides

were

tested and several

programs

ofeffective control

were

established.This

was

one

ofthefirstinstances

where

the

departmentsupplied the

power

and equipment(except harvesting equipment)to

do

the job insteadof relyingonthe operatorsfor

most

ofthe tillageoperations,and itturned outtobe a verysatisfactoryarrangement.

A

similar, butsmaller, station

was

establishednear Cut Knife,

Saskatchewan,to develop

methods

for controlling

Canada

thistle(Cirsium arvense).

From

1946to 1956, the Supervisors

became

increasingly involved in

more

detailedresearch on soilfertility,

weed

control,tillage and cropping practices,

and perhapsless involved in

economics

(cost ofproduction)andtheextension aspectsofthe IllustrationStation program.

As

a resultof

improvements

in transportation and

methods

of

communication,there

was

inwestern

Canada

a declineinthe

demand

for

demonstrationsanda growing recognition ofthe needforincreased research.

In1955, aConferenceof

Western

Supervisors, Superintendentsof

Experimental

Farms

andStations,

ResearchOfficers involved inagronomic researchatthese stations,andthe

Taking countstodeterminethe effectiveness

ofvariousculturalandchemical treatments

onweedgrowth.

Chiefsofthe Field

Husbandry

and

Illustration Station Divisionsin Ottawa,

was

heldat

Lacombe,

Alberta.

A

review

ofthe results indicated that

some

ofthe

programs

(e.g., soilfertility)on IllustrationStationsgenerated

more

data than similar

programs

on the Experimental Farms.

One

result ofthe meeting

was

that,inthe future,

ResearchOfficersat Experimental

Farms

andStations

were

to

become

more

involved inplanning andexecuting the

programs

carried onatthe

IllustrationStations. This

marked

the beginningof integration oftheoperation

of IllustrationStations withthat of

ExperimentalStations. In 1959there

was

a major

change

inorganizationof

the DepartmentofAgriculture

when

the Research Branch

was

formed,

amalgamatingthe

programs underway

inthe Experimental

Farms

Serviceand theScience Service. Inthe

reorganization theIllustration Stations

were renamed

Project

Farms

and

became

thedirect responsibility ofthe Research StationorExperimental

Farm

withinthearea.

The

ResearchOfficersatScott

were

responsibleforthe

programs

inthe area

ofspecializationconducted atthe Project Farms.

Keys

became

the ResearchOfficerinchargeofcrop

management

and

was

responsiblefor

coordinating the

programs

onthe Project Farms.Since the

change

in organization and

management

of Project

Farms

in 1959, therehasbeena steady decline inthe

number

of unitsremaining in operation. Increasingly,the roleofthe

Project

Farms

hasbeenaltered tofulfill

the research

needs

attheStation rather thanto serve anextension roleinthe communities

where

they arelocated.

Prior to 1959, there

were

some

13

units supervisedby Scott. In1977,

when

Keys

retiredfrom the Research Branch, the

number

of units inoperationhad declinedtofive. Since then there has beenafurtherdecreasewiththe closure

ofthe

Rosetown

Project Farm. Onlytwo

ofthe present units, Kindersleyand

Loon

Lake,

were

inoperationprior to

the formation ofthe Research Branch.

These

unitsstillserve a very useful

purpose, asthey represent

some

major differencesin soilandclimatic

conditions inthe area served.

The

research informationgenerated on the

Project

Farms

is

now

being

made

available toproducers through on-farm demonstrationscoordinatedbythe

FarmLab Program

sponsored bythe

Saskatchewan

Departmentof Agriculture.

CHAPTER

5

The

Dirty

Thirties

Drought, oftenextremelysevere, characterized the 1930's. Soil drifting

was

frequent in

many

areas ofthe prairiesand, in

many

instances, dramatically demonstrated thatcertain

areasofcoarse-textured soilsshould neverhavebeen brokenandreleased from theprairiesod.

These

droughtconditions,aggravated by asevere depression and lowprices

forfarmproducts, brought

new

problemsforfarmers.Consequently, the

demand

forexperimentalresults inall

aspectsoffarmingincreased

tremendously.

New

demands

were

thus being

made

on thestation and"attacks

were

started on such problems as drought, soil drifting,

methods

of

seeding hay and pasture crops, useof

phosphatefertilizers,

weed

control studies, pasturetestsand effect of frost

on datesofseeding wheat". Farmers

showed

a readinesstoapplyresults

which had abearing on anyoftheir

problems, andthere

was

atendencyfor

farmerstolower production costs,

adoptploughless instead ofploughed

fallow, toseedcertain grasses in late

fall, touse phosphatefertilizerandto practice

more

timely tillage for

weed

control. It

was

duringthisperiod oftime

thatthe

one-way

disc

began

toreplace the moldboard plow,serving, in

many

instances, merelytoaggravate soil erosion problems.

Duringatleastthefirsthalfofthe

thirties, Percheron horsesformedthe

majorsourceof motive

power

onthe

ExperimentalStation.

Most

ofthese Percherons

were

purebredand such notedstallions asMel Laet2nd stood

forserviceatspecial rates for purebred mares.

By

theendofthe

decade

the improvementInfarmtractorsand

power

machinery had reducedthe popularityof

thehorse as asourceoffarmpower. However, even those farmers

who

had

essentiallyswitchedtothetractorstill

retained a

team

ortwo ofhorsesfor

small jobsaroundthe farmandfor

winteruse

when snow

conditions

made

itdifficult,and often impossible,to use carsandtractors.

The mainbuildingsatScottin1935.

Cultivation ofcertainareasof light-textured soilscontributedgreatly totheseveresoil driftingofthe 1930's.

Inmanyareas theone-waydiscreplaced the

moldboard plowand,inmanyinstances,

createdfurthersoilerosion problems.

fl> ^i

During thelate thirtiesmanycrops,including

sunflowers,wereevaluatedfor silage.

Percheron horses formedthemajorsourceof

motivepowerontheExperimentalStation.

MostofthesePercherons were purebred suchasthenotedstallionMel Laet 2nd.

Scottcowrecords high production.

Scott

Cow

Scores

High

Production

TORONTO.

Oct. 10.—

Among

top

ranking milk producers in the

ma-ture class Shorthorncows record of

performance standings reported Tuesday night by the Canadian Shorthorn Association

was

Scott

Aughlish Ada, two-year-old

owned

by Dominion Experimental Farm.

Scott, Sask. The

cow

had milk

out-put of 9,894 pounds (347 pounds

butterfat) for the 365-day test

period. The leader was Sprucedale Queen

owned

by A. J. Mitchell of

Toronto with 12.139 pounds of milk (518 pounds butterfat).

Certainly

one

ofthe major

improvementsinthe farmtractorduring

the 1930's

was

the replacementof steel-lugs with rubbertires.This

innovationreducedtherolling resistance

ofthetractorand accounted fora considerable saving in fuelandstress on theoperator'sback.

The

dual-purpose Shorthorn continuedtocomprisethe beef herd during thisperiod.

The

aim

was

to

maintain a

good

beef typeandtoselect

constantlyfor reasonablemilk

production.Considerable success

was

achieved withsuch notable

cows

as Scott Aughlish

Ada

withamilk recordof

4,491 kg (9,894lb) in

one

lactationand ScottPrairie

Rose

who

inseven

lactation periodsproducedatotalof

23,657 kg(52,109 lb)ofmilk with a

butterfatcontentof

4%,

andthus atotal

of946 kg (2,084lb) of butterfat.

Considerableexperimental feedingof

steers

was

carriedonduringthisperiod.

One

itemof particular interest to

anyone

who

livedthroughthedirty thirties

was

thecomparison oflamb's-quarters

(Chenopodium album

L.)silagewiththat ofsunflowersilageduring the 1937-38

winter. During the 1937 growing season,

rainfall

was

sparse untillate inthe season

when

heavyrainscauseda rank growthoflamb's-quartersin

many

ofthe crops. This

weed

and sunflowerplants,

were

ensiled intrenchsilosandthe feedingvalueofthelamb's-quarters

silage

was

foundtobeequivalentto that ofsunflowers.

The

breeding flockof

sheep

had been maintained at approximately60 females until 1936. There nad beenboth Rambouilletsand Shropshires, buta

shortageoffeedand pasture forced a

disposalofthe Shropshiresin 1936and

a reductioninthe Rambouilletbreeding femalestoatotalof30head, which

was

increased to50in 1937. Prior to 1936, it

had been

shown

thatthe Rambouillets

yielded

more

and better qualitywool thandid theShropshires.

A number

offeedingtests

were

conductedduring theearly 1930's with both lambs and pregnant ewes,

comparing suchrationsas frozen

wheat

vsoats, oats vsbarley, as wellas rape pasture alone vs rapepasture plus mixed wholegrain.

In 1938theentire

sheep

flock

was

sold becauseof pasturelimitationsand thesmall

number

offarmersin thearea

who

were

interestedinsheep.

The

swine herd duringthistime

was

entirelyoftheYorkshire breedand the average

number

oflittersraisedeach year

was

20inthespring and6 inthe

fall. Feedrecords

show

thatan average

of494 kg(1,087lb)of mixed feed

was

requiredtoraisea pigfrom birthto

marketweight

when

onelitterper year

was

produced,averaging sevenpigs per

litter.

The

feedforthe brood

sow

for12

months

was

includedin this figure,and

when

twolitters peryear

were

produced theaveragefeed perpig

was

reducedto

417 kg (918 lb).

Feedingtrialsforswine formed animportant aspectoftheanimalhusbandryresearch during thethirties.

During thethirtiesthepoultrybreedingflock

included400 BarredRockchickens.

Many

differentswinerations

were

testedovertheyears,comparing grains alone, indiffering proportions, and grainsfortifiedwithvarious mineral supplements andfishoils.Varioustypes

ofwinterswine housing

were

also

tested. Lambs-quartersagain entered intofeedingtrials andit

was

foundthat2

kg(4.5lb) oflamb's-quartersseed

would

replace 0.45kg (1 lb)ofgrain for

swine

when

a

maximum

of

20%

ofthis

particular

weed

seed

was

mixed with

grain beforegrinding. It

was

pointedout,

however,that touse

weed

seedsinthis

manner

would

seem

unwiseunlessgrain

was

scarceor highin price.

There

was

no mentionof poultryinthe annualreportoftheStation forthe period 1931 to 1936. However,thenext annualreportstatedthatthe poultry

breeding flockincludedfrom350to400 chickensanda

dozen

turkeys.

The

chickensat thistime

were

Barred Rocks. Pedigree

work

was

continuous withthisbreed, leadingtothe

developmentof anexcellentstrainthat

had

good body

sizeandcolor, with an average production of250

eggs

per

year.

Many

feeding trials

were

also

carried out.

As

aresultofexperimental feeding atvarious institutionsinthelate 1920'sand the 1930s,chickstartersas

well as growing andlayingconcentrates had been developed.

These

products

greatly simplifiedthe feedingof alltypes

of poultryandinquiriesatthe Stationfor

informationonthe feedingof poultry

were

greatlyreduced bythe

end

ofthe decade. During the late1930's, there

was

a switch from home-hatchingtothe purchaseofday-old chicksfrom

commercialhatcheriesand bytheendof

the 1930's, the killinganddressingof poultry formarkethad also

become

largelycommercialized.

Duringthis 10-yearperiod,drought and soildrifting

were

major

considerationsinthefield croppractices inthisareaofSaskatchewan.

The

croppingsystemof grain andfallow

became

the

most

prevalent

among

farmers. During the dryyears

particularly,it provedtobethe bestform

ofcrop insurancethatthe farmerhadat hisdisposal. Thissystemgave

some

crop residuefora trash coverto resist

winderosion and itfitted inwellwith strip-farming,which

became

popularin

many

areasofthe prairies. However, trialsatthe ExperimentalStation

continuedto

show

thata properly

managed

3-yearrotation of

summerfallow-wheat-wheat

was

more

profitablethan the 2-year

scheme

of fallowand wheat.

f >-.

v«3

In 1935, Mr. Harold Horner,

who

later

became

Deputy MinisterofAgriculture forSaskatchewan,joinedthestaffand

was

given responsibility fordevelopinga research

program

in

Crop

Management.

A

great

many

trials

were

conducted,all aimed atbetter

management

and higher

yieldsofgrainduring a periodof

protracteddrought.

As

aresult,bythe endofthethirtiesthe deleteriouseffect ofdroughton crop developmentcould begreatlyreduced.

No

formofgrass crops inthe

rotations, norploughing

down

agreen

manure

cropduring a summerfallow

year,

was

suitableduring dry years.

A

10

cm

(4.0in)depthof ploughing or

cultivating

seemed

preferableto either

shallowerordeeperworking. Experimentswithpackers overa 12-year period didnot

show

any

consistent differenceinyieldsinfavorof

packingoverharrowingforthedifferent

stages ofsoil preparation inwhichthey wereused.There

was

no mention inthis

report, however, ofthe relativeeffects of

thesetwo implementsin increasing,or decreasing, thedangersofsoilerosion by wind.

The

studies

showed

thatany

falltreatmentthatdestroyed the

standing stubblereducedtheyield ofthe succeedingcrop.

They

also

demonstratedthenecessityof

some

formoftillageofthe stubble, before seeding thegrain crop, ifany

appreciableyield

was

to berealized

fromthecrop.

An abandonedfarmnortheastofKerrobert

(1935).

TractorandV-typeploughusedto ridgesnow andretainmoremoistureonthefieldsfor subsequent cropgrowth.

r

Inanefforttocombaterosion,strip-farming

wasarecommendedpracticeinthearea.

Researchresults indicated thatthe

application of phosphatefertilizerresultedin

morevigorousearlygrowth,earliermaturity

andincreasedyield.

Scottequipmentseeding crestedwheatgrass

inbadlyerodedsoil(1939).

The

valueofusing barnyard

manure

(when sufficientcould beobtained)

was

demonstrated evenduring these dry years. It

was

alsodemonstratedthat

strawmulch

was

effectivein preventing

the

commencement

of soildriftingon troublesomeareas.

When

carried tothe extentofmulching anentirefieldwith strawatthe rate of3.4tonne/ha(1.5

ton/ac), thispractice gaveayield

increase thefollowingyear

on

spring-ploughedstubble.

Much

work

was

conductedon ratesand

methods

of

applying commercialfertilizer. It

was

immediately notedthatthe useof

phosphatefertilizerresulted in

more

vigorousearlygrowthofwheat, earlier

maturityand an increased yield.

Considerablyincreased yieldsand improvedprofitmargins

were

obtained

when

nitrogen

was

also appliedand 10-48-0 (which laterinthe

decade

became

11-48-0)atas lowarateas20 kg/ha(18 Ib/ac)gaveexcellent results

over a 6-year period.

These

results also

showed

thatthe rate ofseedingof

wheat

on summerfallowcould be reduced from 101 to84 kg/ha(90to75

Ib/ac)

when

ammonium

phosphate

was

used, withoutaffectingtheyield.

They

demonstratedthatfertilizer

was

twoto

threetimes

more

effective

when

drilled inwiththeseedthan it

was when

broadcastprior to seeding.

It

was

alsodemonstrated thatthe use

ofphosphatefertilizers on

wheat

resultedinstrongerearlyrootgrowth and consequentlya lesseningof

damage

by

wireworms

andcertain root

diseases, aswellas generallygivingthe crop ahead starton

many

weeds, thereby reducing yieldlosses

due

to

weed

competition.

Weed

control studies duringthisperiod

were

largely

concernedwithcultural treatments using

timelyandefficient tillage methods. Lamb's-quarters

was

the

most

prevalent weed, followedbywild

buckwheat

(Polygonum

convolvulusL).

During thefirsthalfofthis

decade

Marquis

wheat

reigned supreme, although Garnet

was

used inthe

more

northernareas

because

itmatured abit earlier. However,the millingquality of

Garnet

was

notequaltothat ofMarquis.

Red Bobs

and

Reward were

alsogrown,

particularly tothe north and westofthe station.

The

rust-resistant cultivars

Apex

and Thatcher

were

mentionedin 1936 as being verypromising. Thatcher, in particular,

was

about4daysearlierand

yielded betterthan Marquis.

Victoryand

Banner were

thetwo majoroatcultivars.

Vanguard

was

mentioned as a

new

rust-resistantoat variety,but itapparently hada low weight perunitvolume.

O.A.C. 21

was

the standardof malting

quality barleyin Canada,but itwould

only achieve malting gradein areasof the northwestthatreceived

somewhat

more

moisture than Scott. Hannchen, a 2-rowbarley with

good

kernel weight provedtobe

one

ofthe best barley

cultivars forcompetingwithweeds. Duringthisperiod, theveryearly6-row

cultivarOlli

was

released. At Scottit

ripened 10days earlierandyielded

22%

higherthandidO.A.C. 21.

Because

of

itsearlinessand satisfactory yield

performancethiscultivar

soon

became

promising asa

weed

controlcrop, andit

was

mentionedin 1936thatOlli barley proved

most

promising as a

means

of

cleaningupfieldsthat

were

badly

infested with wild oats. Itquickly

became

evidentthatmaltinggrade barleycould onlybe

grown

reliablyin the moisterareasfarther north, andthat

feed barleysshouldbe

grown

inthe

drierareas.

Flaxdid notproducevery satisfactory

crops, givingcomparativelylowyields

even

when

grown on

summerfallow.

Field peas producedsatisfactory yields

TheExperimentalFarmbecameatesting groundforscoresofornamentalwoodyand herbaceousperennialplants.

when

grown

on clean summerfallow,but gainedno importance inanyarea served by Scott. Likewise,

beans

could notbe

recommended

as afield cropunder conditionsprevailing atScott.

As

farasforagecrops

were

concerned,it

was

statedthatthe prairie farmer

depended upon

oatsforthebulk

ofhisforage, asyields nearlyalways

exceeded

thosefrom

tame

grasses.

It

was

duringthisperiodthat

bromegrass

andcrestedwheatgrass

began

toreceiveconsiderableattention, particularly

because

of theirdrought tolerance

once

a

good

standhad

been

obtained.

One

ofthe

most

effective

ways

ofobtaining satisfactorystandsof

crestedwheatgrasson

abandoned

land

was

todrillitdirectly

among

frost-killed

weeds

inlatefall. G.D.

Matthews

supervised theseeding ofcrested wheatgrass overthevastarea

between

the North and South

Saskatchewan

Rivers.

One

ofthe earliestprojects

was

conductedon a sectionofbadlyeroded landnearthe Station.

Because

ofthe

deep

soil blow-outsand sand drifts,only crawlertractorsequippedwithwide trackscouldbe used.

The

results

achievedbyseedingcrestedwheatgrass

into

weed

patchesatScott

were

spectacular,anditproveditsworthat IllustrationStations allacrossthe southernpart of Scottterritory.

Fflj^wyw^

~

»> » *~.

Tom

Gilsonwith part ofthe apiary(1940).

The

ScottStationalsoconducted extensiveexperimentson grass-legume mixturesand foundthatthe additionof

alfalfatocrestedwheatgrass helped

both crops.

Much

ofthisreclaimed land eventually

became

the

PFRA

Community

Pastures,whicharestill inoperationin

many

areasofthe prairies.

Studies

aimed

at

management

of

snow

were

alsoundertaken.

Snow

ridgingwitha V-type plough provedto

bethe

most

effective.

The

extra moisture retained

on

the fields

was

especially beneficial tohay crops becauseofabundantspring moisture

thatthetrapped

snow

provided.

A

great dealof research

work

was

done

at Scottduringthis

decade

with all

groupsof horticulturalcrops, namely vegetables,ornamentalsandfruitcrops.

The

annual reportsstate thatfewprairie areas

were

blessed withanirrigation

systemthatpermitted the useofwater onlargefields, but

most

farmerscould store

enough

water fromthe spring

run-offinadugoutto irrigatethefarm garden.

A

dugout

was

constructed

adjoiningthevegetabletestgardenin 1936thatwouldstore

enough

waterto

irrigate 0.2ha(0.5 ac).

Commencing

in 1937,thiswater

was

usedvia furrow irrigationto

compare

irrigated versus dryland productionofvegetablecrops

withdramatic results, particularlyduring theextremelydryyearof 1937.

Fertilizer trials

were

also incorporated inthevegetabletrials. Ingeneral,over

theyearsit

was

foundthatin a sheltered garden which

was

manured

annually,

irrigation alonegavethe greatest increasein production with practicallyall

vegetables.

Where

water

was

not

applied,phosphatefertilizers,

when

applied carefully, usuallyincreased yields.

The

necessityofa

good

shelterbelt for

theproductionofalmostall horticultural

cropsinthe

open

prairies

was

adequatelydemonstrated, andthis

was

particularlytrue forthe

home

fruit garden.

Green

ash, American elm,white spruceand Swissstone pine

were

mentionedduring the

1930s

asbeing

particularlyoutstanding trees duringthis verytryingdecade. Lilacsand

honeysuckles

were

especially reliable

among

theflowering shrubs.

The

large

arboretumandthe spaciouslandscaped grounds served asthetestinggrounds

forscoresofornamental

woody

and herbaceous perennial plants. After

many

yearsofdrought, atotalof95different

species, orcultivars, oftreesand shrubs

were

reported tobeinexcellent

condition,and another31 tobein

good

condition.Thisprovedwithout adoubt

thattheprairiedweller,even under severedroughtconditions, hadawide choiceofperennial ornamental material forusein landscapingawellsheltered andwell

managed

farmstead.

A

combined

perennial and annual flowerborderlikewisedemonstrated an amazinglywidechoiceofornamental plantsthatcould besuccessfullygrown.

Experimental

work on

fruit demonstratedfouressential

requirementsfor successful production.

They

were, selection ofadapted

cultivars,asuitable shelterbelt, interest

intheircare, andprotectionagainst rodents.

Hundreds

of cultivars

were

testedbytheStation, but only

comparativelyfew performed sufficiently well tobe

recommended

for hardiness, earlinessand quality. Heyer 12and

Rescue were

thetwoapple-crab

cultivarsthat

were

recommended

forall

gardensinthearea.

The

crabapple

cultivars

Adam,

Amur, Anaros, Bedford, Columbia, Dolgo, Florence,

Osman

and Robin

were

also

recommended.

It

should be noted herethat

Rescue

was

selectedatthe ScottStation.

Plum

cultivarswhichhad performed adequately

were

Assiniboine, Bounty, Dandy,

Mammoth,

McRobert and

Tecumseh,

whilesuitablesandcherryx plumhybrids

were

Brooks,

Champa,

Compass,

Ezaptan, Heaver,

Manmoor,

Opata, Ruby,

Sapa

andSioux.

Among

the smallfruits,a

number

of cultivarsofcurrantsand gooseberries performedfairlywell undernatural

rainfall anddid not require winter

protection. Raspberries, andparticularly

stawberries, requiredatleast

some

irrigation waterinordertoperform adequately. Itisinteresting tonotethata

number

ofthe cultivars ofsmallfruits

recommended

during thelate 1930's are

still being widely

grown

inprairie

Canada.

These

include

Red

Lake red

currant,

Magnus

blackcurrant, Pixwell

gooseberry,andChief raspberry.

A

relativelylarge apiary

was

operated

atthe Stationuntil 1936.

Due

tothe semiarid climateat Scott,andthe

resulting shortageof nectar, it

was

decidedattheendof1936tooperate only ademonstrationapiaryandthe

number

ofcolonies

was

reducedto 10.

Inthisway, demonstrations

on

different

phases

of

management

could stillbe

made

andinformationwould be

available tobeekeeperseitherbywriting

to,orvisitingthe Station.

The most

common

inquiriesconcerned

swarm

control,wintering,feeding,andthe handlingof

package

bees.

CHAPTER

6

World

War

II

and

the Forties

The

processof reclaimingthousands

ofhectares ofbadly eroded, andoften

abandoned

land startedin 1937 and

was

continueduntil 1943. Duringthis period

atotalof 17,630 ha(42,562 ac),i.e., 68

sections,

were seeded

tograsses, and

excellentstands

were

obtained. Personneland

money

were

bothscarce during the

war

yearsandcontinued to

be sofor

most

ofthe 1940's. Gasoline

was

rationedand rubbertires

were

difficulttoobtainduring the war.

New

carsandtrucks

were

unavailableand those oninventoryduring theearly part ofthe

war

somehow

hadto bekept operatinguntilitended. Following the

death of

Maclsaac

in 1942,

Mr. A.G.

Kusch

was

appointedand given responsibility forresearch and extension

work

dealing with cerealand forage crops.

Soon

afterthe

end

ofWorld

War

II, in

addition toMr. C.H.

Keys

who

joined theStationas Supervisorof Illustration Stationsin 1945, Mr. H.A. Friesenand Mr. E.F.

Maas

joined the Stationstaff in 1946 asAssistants in Field

Husbandry

and SoilFertility, respectively. Mr.

John

Strain

assumed

the dutiesofAssistant inchargeof poultryin 1949 andthus

relieved

Van

Niceofpart of hisformer

duties.

One

sub-professional

member

was

takenon staffin 1943 and seven

more were

hired

between

1945 and 1948.This extra staff

made

itpossibleto

takeonaconsiderable

amount

ofextra research work, aswellastocontinue

most

ofthe projectsthat

were

already underway.

The

techniquesfor successfully regrassingdepleted nativepasture using crestedwheatgrass

were

worked

out,

and

one

ofthe best

was

ploughing, packing and seedingin earlyfall.

Fertilizer trialsoncereals

were

expanded

inscope. It

was

already

known

that22 kg/ha(20Ib/ac)of

11-48-0hastenedthe maturityof

wheat

byabout2 days.However, it

was

determinedthatitsuse on late-seeded cropstohelp avoidfrost

damage was

notwarranted. It

was

alsofoundthat

Thatcher

wheat

gave abetterresponse

to 11-48-0at 22 kg/ha(20 Ib/ac)thandid either

Apex

orMarquis.

Whether

fertilized ornot,Thatcherrankedhighest inyield,whileMarquis ranked lowest.

Beforethe adventof herbicides,there

was

considerable interestinthepractice of Indian summerfallow. This practice

was

studiedon

some

ofthe

coarse-textured soilsinthearea asa

means

ofpreventing soildrifting, and

entailed allowing thefallow landto lie

unfilledand

grow

uptoweeds.

Considerablequantities of

snow

were

thustrappedduring thewinter, largely

replacing themoisturethatthe

weeds

had usedthe previousseason.

The dead

weeds

were

then burnedthe following spring,the land ploughed,

packed

and seeded.Soil moisture

was

lowerat0.6 to 1.2

m

(2to4ft), although it

was

highernearthe surface.Consequently

thistechnique

was

neverwidely adopted.