271 



Let a settler compare the early, medium and late f-codini;- as shown in wheat 

 tests on this Karra and then compaie them with his own returns and I doubt not 

 the}' will be found much the same. 



Early maturing grain is another point of very great importance. I need not 

 remind yon, Sir, how safe the field ot Ladoga wheat on this farm looked on the 

 morning of the 21st August last, nor how cold and green its neighbour, Red Fife, 

 across a 12-foot road, looked on that eventful morning. By the dates given it will be 

 seen that both were sown at the same time, and while one was waiting your inspec- 

 tion sevcj-al days after being ripe, and still was cut some time before the frost came, 

 the other on which our whole country depends was barely ready for the binder 

 when frost overtook it. 



The fiidd of Carter's Prize Cluster Oats also had been seven daj^s in stook on 

 your arrival, while others were hai-dly fit to cut 10 days afterwards. Yet the Cluster 

 variety' was sown only one or two days earlier than these. 



I respectfully submit the foregoing to the serious consideration of the settlers 

 of the Norih-Wo.-^i Territories. 



The returns ftom the various crops grown on the Experimental Farm the past 

 year will, I trust, bo regarded as satisfactory. 



You saw them being harvested and can understand how bright the prospects 

 may be one day and how clouded the next. How a promise of forty bushels per 

 acre, to-day, may be materially reduced to-morrow. Although many of the varieties 

 of wheat were injured by frost, the returns fi'om other grains, the results of tests of 

 fodder plants and the progress made in tree culture, will, I hope, be deemed favour- 

 able. 



The winter of 1889-90 was considered a genuine one. The past summer may 

 al^o be classed in the same category, inasmuch as it was totally different from any 

 of its predecessors since 1882. Winter lingei'ed long, but finally gave way about the 

 middle of April. A favourable seeding season followed and crops on the Farm were 

 huiried in as quickl}' as possible. In June, rain, long absent, came in abundance; 

 in fact, the outpour was too boisterous by far and, when accompanied by hail, 

 proved disastious to many things. The root-crop, corn, young grass, &c., suffered 

 considerably. The growth of straw after the rains came was very remarkable, but 

 had the great drawback of causing the grain to be long in ripening and j^roved, in the 

 end, to be a serious loss to the country. 



On the Ex])eiimental Farm, sixteen varieties of wheat were in stook when frost 

 came, and those uncut suffered in proportion to the state ihey were in when over- 

 taken. 



All the varieties of barley but one were harvested on the 21st August anc 

 be taken as entij'ely free from loss, so far as frost is concei-nod. 



Six kinds of oats were uncut on that day. These sutVereJ in weight, although 

 straw and quality did not appear to be at all aftected. 



Five degrees of frost was recorded on the Farm on the 21st August, which was 

 sufficient to kill potato-tops, curn, cucumbers, beans, &c. 



Harvest commenced on 9lh August and was prolonged till the 25th Septem- 

 ber on account of frequent rains and a heavy snow storm, which unusual occurrence 

 took place on loth September. 



All grain was got in in good condition and, when thieshed, barley alone was found 

 to be discoloured, but not to any great extent. Wheat was not hurt by rain, but 

 the frost cut down the yield and greatly injured the grade. 



It is worthy of notice the effect fallowed land had on the crop just harvested, 

 it having prolonged the ripening process fully eight days over that which had been 

 fall ploughed ancl several days over spring ploughing. 



Hoc winds in July caused the grain on fall and spring ploughing to be con- 

 siderably shrunken but hastened the ripening and caused such to be out of danger 

 of frost earlier than on fallow land. The summer fallow, however, has several great 

 advantages — causing a better yield, it can be got ready when no other work is on 



