REPORT OP TEE CHEMIST 49 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



often the necessary preparatory step towards the education of the community, and it is 

 this belief that has led us to encourage this branch of our work, though frequently it 

 must be prosecuted at the expense of investigation and research. There is undoubtedly 

 a keen and widespread desire for accurate information on farming matters and 

 the Experimental Farm strives to furnish it. 



^ LECTURES AXD ADDRESSES. 



Undoubtedly a most important part of our work is in the giving of addresses at 

 agricultural conventions and meetings of farmers. By this means not only is know 

 ledge disseminated, but we come into personal contact with many of the best farmers, 

 dairymen, fruit growers, in the Dominion, thus enlisting their co-operation, which is 

 so necessary for the furtherance of our work. At the same time we have an oppor- 

 tunity of learning, as we could in no other way, the peculiarities, and possibly the 

 special difficulties, that may prevail in different parts of the country and which sub- 

 sequently furnish material for research. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



A concise account of each year's work, written in language understandable by the 

 farmer, appears in the Annual Report, nineteen of which have now been issued and dis- 

 tributed throughout the Dominion. Many of the special investigations are written up 

 and sent out in bulletin form. These bulletins are issued from time to time as the 

 researches are completed or brought to such a stage that the results obtained arc 

 of value to agriculturists. Reference to several of those written by this Division will 

 be made later when speaking more particularly of the original research we have under- 

 taken. 



Evidence is given yearly before the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Col- 

 onization of the House of Commons on the work of the Division, and this receives a 

 limited distribution through the members of the House and is also widely copied by the 

 press. 



In this connection, mention should not be omitted of the valuable agency of the 

 Canadian press, and especially that devoted to agriculture. The use of their columns 

 has always been available to us, and this opportunity of quickly reaching the reading 

 farmer has frequently afforded a valuable means for disseminating knowledge of a 

 timely character. 



SAMPLES SENT IN BY FARMERS FOR EXAMINATION. 



In order to make the Division as practically useful as possible we have examined 

 and reported upon samples of an agricultural nature forwarded by farmers. These 

 are received from all parts of Canada, and include soils, naturally-occurring fertilizers 

 --6uch as mucks, marls, seaweed, &c. — forage plants and cattle foods, well waters, 

 dairy products and insecticides. As far as time permits and occasion demands, 

 these are examined chemically and microscopically. The greater number of these 

 can only receive a partial analysis, but in every case we endeavour to make such 

 determinations as will furnish useful information to the sender. Between 500 and 

 700 of such samples are received yearly, and an account of those which afford infor- 

 mation of general interest is given in the annual report. 



INVESTIGATIONS AND RESEARCHES. 



Naturally, out chief and most important work is in carrying out by the aid of 

 chemistry such investigations as may serve to solve those problems in Canadian agri- 

 culture which more or less affect the country in general. In the limited space allotted 

 to this report it would be quite impossible to mention even briefly the many researches 



