EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. 



REPORT OF A. MACKAY, SUPERINTENDENT. 



Experimental Farm, Indian Head, N.W.T., 



31st October, 1894. 



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To Wm. Saunders, Esq., 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith my seventh annual report, giving 

 particulars of the work accomplished on the North-west Experimental Farm during the 

 year 1894. 



The crops on the Experimental Farm the past season have been the poorest since 

 the farm has been established. Although the spring opened favourably and the seeding 

 time was the best for several years past, dry weather set in early in the growing season 

 and with a high temperature, often between 95° and 100° ; the harvest resulted in small 

 yields and with many varieties of grain in poor samples. 



The crops throughout the Territories were variable. In the northern and north- 

 western districts where rain was more abundant, gratifying results took place. In the 

 eastern part of Assiniboia a fair crop of good wheat has been reaped, while the western 

 half suffered almost a total loss of grain and vegetables. Local showers gave fair crops 

 to a few in a district, while others a few miles away had little or nothing from the 

 showers passing them by. In many cases a good shower saved the crops, and although 

 no large yields are reported, the quality of wheat was good wherever harvested. The 

 harvest came in early and was easily taken off on account of the light crop of straw. 



In no year has the beneficial effect of fallowing land been so apparent on the Experi- 

 mental Farm as during the past season. While grain sown on fall and spring ploughing 

 held out for a time and at first promised well for a good crop, it gradually went back 

 and finally was not worth cutting. Fallow-land on the other hand held out and proved, 

 as it always has done, to be the only safe way of growing grain in this country. In the 

 districts where almost total failure of crops took place, " fallows," it was said, were of 

 no avail in averting the loss. This may have resulted from various causes, but may 

 safely be put down to the fallow not having been worked early enough in the spring to 

 receive the full benefit of the June and July rains of 1893. Many farmers leave their 

 fallows till the proper season is past for the first ploughing, and then make one plough- 

 ing do for the season, resulting, in dry years, in certain failure. 



Winds were not so destructive to crops on the Experimental Farm as in some former 

 years. They were, however, troublesome and injured a good many plots after the grain 

 was well above ground, the tender blades being cut by the small particles of earth being 

 blown through them. Winds were continuous during a large part of the growing 

 season, and after being very warm caused the ground to dry up much more than it 

 otherwise would have done. 



Weeds caused great loss throughout the country the past season, the dry weather 

 giving them a good start in land not properly worked. Pig weed (Chenopodium album) 



