6 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SEED GRAIN. 



The work carried on with grain, at the Experimental Farms, has not been limited 

 to the testing of varieties and determining which sorts promise to be the more profitable 

 for general growth, but during the past six years the endeavour has been made to 

 improve the character and quality of the various sorts of grain grown in Canada, by 

 the distribution of samples among farmers, for seed, of those sorts which have given 

 the best returns. The good results of this continued effort are now beginning to appear 

 in many districts, where these newer and more productive sorts of grain are fast replac- 

 ing some of the less prolific varieties formerly in cultivation. At the outset, when the 

 applications for samples were fewer, there was no difficulty in sending two or three 

 samples to each applicant; but the number of requests received has increased so largely 

 that it was found necessary, last year, to reduce the number of samples sent to each 

 individual to two, and later in the season, to one. With this limitation the available 

 stock was all promised by the middle of February, when the lists had to be closed and 

 the many later applicants could not be supplied. As it is very desirable that this distri- 

 bution be as general as possible, it is proposed to limit the number of samples during 

 the coming season to one for each individual. 



The distribution provided for from the Central Experimental Farm, for 1895, will 

 consist chiefly of the most promising varieties of oats, barley, wheat, pease and potatoes, 

 all of which have been grown on the Experimental Farms for this purpose. The 

 several branch farms will also distribute, as heretofore, samples to the farmers residing 

 in the provinces and territories where these institutions are established. 



The samples sent out from the Experimental Farm at Ottawa during the early 

 months of 1894, were distributed as follows : 



Prince Edward Island. 



Oats 122 



Wheat 77 



Barley 73 



Pease 50 



Potatoes 6 



Corn 4 



332 



Number of applicants supplied, 173. 



Nova Scotia. 



Oats 468 



Barley 376 



Wheat 328 



Pease 159 



Potatoes 40 



Corn 26 



1,397 



Number of applicants supplied, 758. __ 



New Brunswick. 



Oats 344 



Barley 237 



Wheat , 232 



Pease 72 



Potatoes 31 



Corn 44 



960 



Number of applicants supplied, 581. 



