3. A Scientific Approach to Prairie Agriculture

Dominion Experimental Farms

Farmers and agronomists, agricultural institutes and societies, provincial agricultural colleges, and the federal government each contributed in the development of effective dryland farming techniques and the establishment of the Dominion Experimental Farms at Ottawa, Indian Head and Brandon were and important Federal contribution.

Pressure to establish a federal agricultural education service had existed since the mid-nineteenth century. Not only were most recent immigrants from Europe ill-equipped to deal with the problems of Canadian agriculture, but

Early in the settlement era it became obvious that agricultural methods that travelled with settlers from common in Ontario, Britain, Central and Eastern Europe were inadequate to the challenge of farming the semi-arid regions of the prairies.

Brandon Experimental Farm

In 1885, the government committed itself to the establishment of Dominion Experimental Farms in five provinces, and in 1887, one such farm was established at Brandon. Agronomists at these farms conducted a great many experiments related to dryland farming.

Research findings related to comparisons of seed varieties, methods for summer fallowing, bluestoning and seed drilling made available to local farmers and inquiries from farmers were diligently answered by the research scientists.

The Brandon Farm was just one of a network of experimental farms and field stations, which included a second Dominion Experimental Farm at Morden and experimental and demonstration farms operated by the Manitoba government Agricultural Extension Services and the Manitoba Agricultural College.

Scenes from the Brandon Experimental Farm

 

Illustrated Souvenir of  Brandon,  Manitoba  :  Published by W. Warner,  Brandon : Page 40

 Demonstration and Reclamation Farms

Killarney Demonstration Farm

The Demonstration Farm at Killarney represents on of the Manitoba government’s efforts in agricultural research and education. It was established when George Lawrence, a Killarney pioneer, was Manitoba’s minister of agriculture. The purpose was to identify and promote farming practices and crop varieties suited to this particular region of the province.

The demonstration farm was closed in 1946.

Melita Demonstration Farm 1913  (From “Our First Century”)

November 6: Mr. S. A. Bedford, Deputy Minister of Agriculture in the Manitoba Government was in town last week and located a government demonstration farm in this district. It will be on the Fred Merret farm west of town and will face the main road. Forty acres just west of the house was secured. Mr. Bedford expressed himself as highly pleased with the location believing that he had secured a fair average of the soil in the district.

Mr. Bedford said the plan of the government was to carry out at small cost, demonstration plots at various places in the province. The land will be divided into five acre plots and under a system of rotation of crops will be cropped every year. Experiments are to be carried on with fodder and root crops. Work on the plots will be done by the resident farmer under instructions from Mr. Bedford. Mr. Bedford, who for 18 years was superintendent of the Brandon Experimental Farm, and who also is a close student of agricultural life is undoubtedly the right man in the right place as Deputy Minister of Agriculture in this western province. For 30 years Mr. Bedford has studied conditions in the west. He is a firm believer in mixed farming as he points out one of the things which the demonstration farm will demonstrate will be the manner in which stock feed can be grown without diminishing the wheat product. To Mr. Lyle is due much of the credit for the establishment of this farm in this constituency.

 

Mature shelterbelts, north of Melita

 
Melita Reclamation Farm
 (From “Our First Century”)

The Dominion Department of Agriculture (1935-1960), leased N 19-4-26, S 30-4-26 and 29-4-26 just north of Melita to experiment in reclamation of lands abandoned, and to determine the best cultural practices and cropping methods to prevent further serious drifting.

Mr. H. A. Craig B.S.A., a graduate of the University of Manitoba drafted plans and Mr. J. Parker resided at the station to be in charge.
 
History of the Reclamation Station Melita (From “Our First Century”)

Ken Dawley 
from Melita Tails & Trails

The Reclamation Station, Melita, Manitoba, was established in 1935 under provisions of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act investigating problems associated with drought and wind erosion in the Souris River basin. Large tracts of land in southwestern Manitoba had been devastated by wind and wide areas were denuded of their vegetation. Over wide areas, the topsoil which contains the natural fertility for crop production, was removed to varying degrees leaving exposed an infertile subsoil which during periods of below average rainfall is capable of supporting meager crops. The site chosen for the Station is representative of the extensive area which has been severely eroded by wind. The Reclamation Station is operated as a substation and is supervised from the Experimental Farm, Brandon.

Early observational investigations disclosed that, while the sandy nature of the top soil had a low water retention capacity as compared with the clay soils of the Carroll Clay Association or the Red River Valley soil types, ground water levels were relatively close to the surface. This indicated that forage crops such as brome grass, crested wheat grass, alfalfa and sweet clover would supply hay and pasture for livestock because these crops were capable of sending down root systems which would feed from the natural water table. At that time, it was postulated that trees would flourish in the region, provided they could be kept free from insects and disease. With these two important factors in mind, a basic plan was formed for the stabilization of soils in southern Manitoba.

The initial work undertaken included land levelling, the stabilization of drift soil by seeding grasses and legumes, fall rye and other crops and tree planting. During the ensuing years, the experimental work has been extended to include a wide field of crop production. The Station now includes 1440 acres of rented land. The need for including livestock in the reclamation program became evident and in 1941 a portion of the purebred Shorthorn herd from the Experimental Farm, Brandon, was transferred to Melita. The feeding of steers, heifers and bulls on an individual basis as part of the sire testing program had been underway for four years.

Meteorological data have been recorded at the Reclamation Station since 1937. This data includes temperature, precipitation, wind velocity and in recent years, evaporation from a free water suface. This information had been useful in relating crop production to climatological phenomena.

The term reclamation implies that waste and is being brought under cultivation. The problems associated with such a program are many, and the final solution to a successful conclusion of the program is often hampered by factors not anticipated. Soils are composed of great hosts of living things and in the application of certain tillage practices or certain fertility treatments, the balance in population of soil fauna may be changed thus giving rise to poor crops of low quality. The problem of restoring fertility to soils which have been severely damaged by wind erosion is of major concern. The use of soil building crops such as grasses and legumes has been an important measure in land reclamation. The application of rotted manure, the growing of green manure crops such as sweet clover and the application of various chemical fertilizers are being investigated. The process of rebuilding a soil which has suffered from erosion is slow as measured by periods of time and thus long term fertility experiments provide valuable sources of information.

The importance of tillage machines cannot be overlooked in a program of soil reclamation and soil protection. The vulnerability of light textured soils to erosion by wind has brought about the improvement in tillage techniques. Trash land farming or the maintenance of the trash or previous crop residue at or near the soil surface should largely replace black summerfallows. While this trash farming procedure is the desired method for soil protection, factors such as weed growth often limit the extent to which trash farming can be carried out successfully. The tendency has been to kill weed growth as soon as sufficient populations have developed over a field and with successive tillage operations. More of trash is buried each time until by the completion of the fallow season, all trash has disappeared. The limiting factor in trash farming seems to be the low organic matter content of the soil. The rate at which this material dissapears when incorporated below the soil surface is extremely rapid under Melita conditions. The reason for this taking place seems to be that the soil population of micro-organisms are so hungry for food that when amounts of organic matter in the form of crop residues are added, they are rapidly consumed, thus leaving a soil low in organic substances.

The testing of cereal and forage crop varieties constitutes an important phase of the experimental work at Melita. The performance of these crops is often quite different from other points of testing in the province and the information obtained serves as a basis for recommendations to farmers of the area. From time to time, new varieties of grain are increased at the Melita station for distribution to local farmers on a registered or certified basis.

The annual Field Days which are held serve as an important method of circulating information which has been compiled at the Station. Local press releases and bulletins covering recommended cereal varieties and cultural practices appear from time to time. Letters, phone calls and personal visits of farmers and others to the Station serve as a yardstick to measure the interest which is being taken in the affairs of the Reclamation Station, Melita.
 

Reclamation Station Beneficial to District
by Murray Parker (son of J. Parker) March 28, 1946

Ten years ago, the land that is now the Dominion Reclamation Station, was chiefly sand banks, Russian thistle and ragweeds. What is now the green lawn was then tree-like weeds extending to eight feet in height. Sand was piled high over the fences, making ridges which are still visible. In the field, holes were gouged and sand piles formed only to be shifted again by the wind. When one looked at the fields, it seemed a futile task to make this arid land productive of crops again.

In 1936, a quarter section was enclosed by three rows of trees and three intersectional hedges. When trees were planted, windbreaks had to be built of weeds and old sweet clover to keep the sand from cutting off the delicate young trees. Today these trees have attained a height of 25 feet, forming an excellent windbreak, and beautifying the farm to a large ex- tent. During the growing season, these trees are of particular value, in protecting the sprouting plants and helping to prevent soil drifting, as they are now of sufficient height to reduce the wind velocity. In winter the trees collect a large amount of snow, and this extra moisture is bound to be beneficial to adjacent crops.

As each quarter section of the farm varies from the others, there is considerable difference in soil, thus different experiments are carried out on each. The only land that was safe from wind erosion, was land which had couch grass. One quarter section in particular, was solid couch grass, but in the past few years this land has been brought into production, producing real good crops during favourable seasons.

The method of couch grass eradication has been a combination of the stiff tooth cultivator, with narrow points and the one-way disc. After about three cultivations it was found necessary to go over the field with the one-way disc to chop the clumps of sod and grass roots. It was found necessary to watch the new growth of couch grass very closely. In this sandy loam soil, all that seems necessary to kill the couch grass, is to open the soil, with cultivation letting the air in to dry out the land and the roots. In a wet season the cost of couch eradication is almost doubled compared to that of a dry season. Another important factor in the eradication is to work only the acreage that can be properly handled by the equipment available during the season.

In the growing of grain crops in this light sandy loam soil it has been the practice on the Reclamation Station to strip farm, this way that soil drifting is more easily controlled. Observations for the past eight years have revealed that, on days when soil drifting was prevalent, the wind blew from the northwest. The next highest wind came from the southwest. It would appear then, the strips should be north and south.

Besides strip farming, trash covers have been found very effective in controlling wind erosion. Sufficient trash must be left on the surface so as not to be buried by successive tillage operations. Results for the past nine years show little difference in yield or cost of production from the ploughed areas in comparison with the surface-worked fallows. The main advantage of surface tillage is the protection it gives to the soil.

On soil such as we have in this district and that farmed for as long as it has been, the time has come to begin seeding a portion of the land down with grasses and legumes. It would appear that this could be worked in with crop rotation system. There is no doubt the soil is in need of fibre and organic matter, to get results the fields or portion thereof should be left in grass at least three years. At present on the station there are 240 acres of the 1120 acres seeded down to grasses and legumes.

Since the time of its opening, the Reclamation Station has set a fine example of what can be done to otherwise useless land. It has also rendered valuable service in the form of expert advice and suggestions on various farm problems. It is to be hoped that in future years this station will continue to show good results, thereby setting an example of Canadian progressiveness in the agriculture field.


Herb Edgar Family History
 (Edward History Book)

Edgars operated a mixed farming operation on the farm north of Lyleton, 28-1-28
The Edgar farm was selected by the Brandon Experimental Farm as a sub-station in 1935 to record cost of production, rotations, and test plots of new varieties of grain, with yearly field days held on the farm to view the year's work. This project was under the direction of M. J. Tinline and D. A. Brown. Herb also recorded the rainfall and snowfall from 1935-1970. In 1960 the Experimental Farm changed the substation to a Research Station with more emphasis on plot work, varieties and yields. The contract was terminated in 1970.

Lyleton Sub-Station by G. H. Edgar (Edward History)

Soil Drifting was a big problem in the early thirties due to the drought and the grasshoppers, leaving very little stubble or trash in the soil. About the only thing that would grow was the Russian thistle which was cut and put up for feed.

In 1934, the federal government under the P.F.R.A. (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act) decided to set up a series of sub-stations in Western Canada to control soil drifting by strip farming and other cultural methods.

Under the Brandon Experimental Farm with Su-perintendent Mr. M. J. Tinline and Mr. D. A. Brown, section 28-1-28 was selected as the site for the Lyleton sub-station. The south half of the section was owned by Herb Edgar and the north half was owned by Jack Parsons. A supervisor was selected by the Experimental Farm to work with the operators of the sub-station. Mr. A. W. Wilton was the first permanent supervisor.

The owners received a rental for the land as well as grass seed and some seed grain from the government.

The fields were laid out in strips from 200 feet to 400 feet wide depending on the texture of the soil, favoring a north-south direction, as the strong prevailing winds were west-northwest and south-east.
The owners were encouraged to be mixed farmers with cattle, hogs and an approved number of hens, as well as to have a large garden, flowers, and shrubs. Fruit trees were supplied from the Morden Experimental farm.

Under their supervision, a large shelterbelt of trees including evergreens were planted around the buildings with a tree-lined roadway to town.

A test plot of all varieties of grain and flax was planted each year. These plots were harvested and recorded by the Brandon Experimental Farm for yield and performance under the local conditions and results published in book form of all sub-stations in Manitoba.
In 1936, the Lyleton Tree Field Shelterbelt Association was formed, but the operators of the substation were not allowed to plant trees in the fields as the government wanted to demonstrate that soil drifting could be controlled by strip farming and cultural methods. However, in 1950, under pressure from the operators the government relented and allowed us to plant field tree shelterbelts.

In 1940 and later, after the yard was landscaped and the farm shelterbelt was established, the super- visor with the owners set up a large tent and a Field Day, with speakers from the Experimental Farm to show and review the different projects, rotations and plots with the new varieties.
Records of cost were recorded on all fields, including time, gallons of fuel, and the implement used.
Precipitation records were recorded by the opera- tors and sent to Brandon each month.
In 1960, the federal government changed the substations to research stations with emphasis on weather and plot work of all varieties of wheat, barley, oats, flax and soybeans. This contract was terminated in 1970.
 

C.P.R. Demonstration Farm
 (From the R.M. of Edward History)

When the village of Pierson was settled on the north side of the correction line, and the railroad came through, the townsite was all used for dwellings and business establishments such as: the lumberyard, hardware, two general stores, schools, churches, implement dealers, elevator and rink. As more room for expansion was required, it was therefore decided to purchase more land from the C.P.R. Company, in order to expand on the south side of the correction line.

In 1912, the C.P.R. Company decided to develop a Demonstration farm and so built up a full line of modern buildings, including a two-story cottage roof house, size 28 by 28 feet. The lower story was covered with white siding, the second story with green shingles as was the cottage roof. The house contained four bedrooms, three clothes closets, and an upstairs hall. The downstairs consisted of a living- room, bedroom, hallway, kitchen and pantry. There was a small excavation under the main floor that served as a storage cellar.

The out buildings consisted of an outside toilet, granary, pig house, hen house and a dairy building for the cream separator and churn, with a wash up space. There was a modern-type barn with a loft and storage space in the centre of the barn. It had a high roof and on the west and east side were lean-tos with the mangers along the outside of the middle hay shed. Facing towards it was a shed for horses and one for cattle, especially the milk cows and cow and calf crop.
In 1912 the C.P.R. Company went all out to fix the portion remaining of the N 35-2-29 for their demonstration farm; crews were hired to fence and cross fence with pagewire. Mr. Irwin Eyers of Gainsborough was hired with his big steam-powered engine and ploughs to break the sod. Buildings were erected and painted. Plots for experimental work were planned and things were put into shape to carry on.

The fall of 1913 Mr. J. Mates and his wife, from Butterfield, moved from their farm and took up residence in their new place as manager of the C.P.R. Demonstration farm. This involved a lot of work keeping records and farm data, so Mr. George Followell was engaged to help Mr. Mates.
When Mr. Mates came to the farm, he sold some of his equipment to the C.P .R. One team I remember was a pair of brown mares, almost identical mates, called Gypsy and Nellie.
This went along well until 1916 when Jack enlisted in the 222 Battalion and his wife and little son went to Scotland to her parents, where a second son was born and Mrs. Mates passed away.
When Jack enlisted, Mr. Hogg, wife and family came to operate the farm.
In 1918 the farm was sold to Mel Mayes, but he gave it up.