284 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



Wheat Cut at Different Stages of Ripeness. 



The result of this year's test varies very little from that of last year, the yields and 

 weight with one exception increasing until the grain was ripe ; it is evident, however, 

 that should danger from early frost threaten, wheat of both red and white varieties can 

 be cut in the dough stage without a very large shrinkage either in weight or yield, and 

 a week's time is often sufficient to save the crop from injury by frost. 



Seven pecks seed per acre. Sown with common hoe drill on summer fallow. 



Name of Variety. 



Red Fife, 1st cut, 



2nd " 



3rd " 



4th " 



White Connell, 1st cut 

 2nd " 

 3rd " 

 4th " 



Stage when cut. 



Early milk stage 

 Late " 



Dough stage . . . 

 Ripe yellow. . . 

 Early milk stage 

 Late 



Dough stage . . . 

 Ripe yellow 



u 



4J 0i 



beg 



Lbs. 



55 

 58 

 61 

 62 

 53 

 58 

 61 

 63 



SUMMARY. 



1. Wheat cut before reaching the dough stage loses heavily both in yield and weight per bushel. 



2. Although it is preferable to allow the grain to harden before cutting still there is very little 

 shrinkage after the dough stage is reached or within say a week of ripening. 



Cost of Growing Wheat per Acre on Summer-fallow. 



In accordance with your instruction, an endeavour has been made during the past 

 season to determine the cost of growing an acre of wheat in this country. A careful 

 record of the work done on a field on this farm has been kept which forms the basis of 

 this calculation. The conditions however surrounding the various farms of this pro- 

 vince are so different, that the cost of growing an acre of wheat to the average farmer, 

 must vary with the circumstances in which he is placed. 



Some of these conditions are the size of fields, amount of stone or scrub on the 

 land, quality of the land; favourableness of the season, fall frosts, good or bad harvest 

 weather, distance from market, value of land, whether wheat growing is used to supple- 

 ment other agricultural products or whether teams and men have to be kept especially 

 for this work, and last but not least the ability of the farmer himself. 



The field selected for this purpose was a long field containing fourteen acres, it pro- 

 duced 29i bushels per acre of No. 1 hard wheat, weighing 62 lbs. per bushel, and 

 worth 42 cts. per bushel in Brandon at this date (31st October). 



It will be seen from the following particulars that it cost $7.88 per acre or within 

 a fraction of 27 cts. per bushel at 29-g- bushels per acre. 



