REPORT OP THE DIRECTOR 3 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Northwest Territories at Indian Head, in Saskatchewan, and that for British Colum- 

 bia at Agassiz, in the coast climate of that province. 



In the choosing of these sites the purpose in view was to have them fairly repre- 

 sentative of the larger settled areas in the provinces or territories in which they were 

 placed both as to soil and climate. In the arrangement of the work, such experiments 

 as were most likely to be beneficial to the larger number of settlers we"e in each cato 

 among the first to engage the attention of the ofiicers in charge. 



Nearly twenty years have passed since this work was begun, and during that time 

 agriculture in Canada has made imprecedented advancement. It is not claimed that 

 this progress has been wholly due to the influence and work of the Dominion experi- 

 mental farms. Much credit in this respect should be given to the various measures 

 carried on by other useful organizations established mainly by the several provinces. 

 Foremost among these is the Ontario College of Agriculture at Guelph, which is a well 

 equipped institution which has done noble work. Farmers' institutes and agricultui'al 

 circles, dairy associations, live stock associations, fruit growers' associations and agri- 

 cultural and horticultural societies have all been efficient helpers in this good cause. 

 The commissioner's branch of the Dominion Department of Agriculture has also been 

 an important factor. There is, however, no doubt that the experimental farms estab- 

 lished by the federal govement have contributed in large measure to the general up- 

 building of agriculture in Canada. The progress referred to has resulted in a general 

 improvement in the condition of the agricultural population all over the country, and 

 in a vast increase in the exports of agricultural products. 



There is probably no employment which engages man's attention that requires 

 more skill and more general information to carry it on than farming. Competition 

 is keen throughout the civilized world, and the farmer must turn to practical account 

 every advantage within his reach, bearing on improvement in the quality of his pro- 

 ducts and in lessening the cost of their production, if he is to maintain and improve 

 his position. Investigations involving much experimental research have been conducted 

 slong almost every line bearing on agriculture, and a great mass of important facts 

 has been accumulated and given to the farming community in reports and bulletins. 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS BUREAUS OF INFORMATION. 



Before the Experimental Farms were established there was no place to which the 

 farmer could apply for information to aid him in the solution of the many difficulties 

 which present themselves during the progress of farm work. When these farms were 

 planned, it was arranged that they should become bureaus of information available to 

 every fanner. Evidence of their usefulness in this way is furnished in the rapid 

 increase in the correspondence carried on with farmers in all parts of the Dominion. 

 In 1889, the year after tbe farms had become fairly organized, the number of letters' 

 received was in all about 8,000. Within five years they had increased to over 25,000, 

 and during the past seven years the average number received annually at all the 

 experimental farms was 68,797. In addition an average of about 300,000 reports, 

 bulletins, &c., have been sent out each year. There is thus a constant flow of informa- 

 tion going to Canadian farmers from all the. experimental farms. 



It is, a.s a rule, a difficult matter to bring about rapid changes in the ideas and 

 practice of farmers, but as soon as they are convinced that experimental work with 

 the crops they are growing is carried on in a practical manner by persons competent 

 to give information, and that such work is imdertaken in their interest, and with the 

 special object of making farming more profitable, their sympathy and co-operation 

 are assured. 



The experimental work which has been done at the Dominion Experimental Farms 

 since their organization covers so large a field that it would be impossible to present 

 it in the limited space aflForded by this report in anything like a complete manner. 

 We shall, however, endeavour to refer to some of the more important lines of investi- 

 gation which have been carried on in this large field of labour. 



