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grain to be cut green and cured for winter fodder; and this part ©f the report will 

 be read with great interest by the farming community-. 



The tests with garden vegetables, fruits, forest trees and flowers, will prove a 

 comparatively safe guide to those who desire to enter there on any of these branches 

 of work. The stock department at the Indian Head farm is already beginning t« 

 demonstrate its usefulness, and has become an attractive feature in connection with 

 the general experimental work. 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM, AQASSIZ, B.C. 



The report of the progress made at this farm is also very gratifying. Since 

 the work was begun in August, 1889, 105 acres have been cleared of brush and 

 stumps and brought under cultivation, 26 acres of which have been planted with 

 fruit. Taking into consideration the condition of the land, the crops reported may 

 be considered as very good. 



The yield of wheat, barley and oats, sown in successive crops a week apart, for 

 six weeks, seems to show that, as far as these cereals are concerned, there is no 

 Bpecial advantage in early sowing in that part of British Columbia. During the 

 early part of last year, when the weather was cold and wet, much of the seed early 

 sown was injured by these unfavourable conditions; a repetition, however, will be 

 needed of such experiments for several years, before any general conclusions can be 

 drawn from them. 



There being more than the usual amount of summer heat last year, the season 

 was favourable for corn, and the crop of the heavier-yielding sorts ranged from 20 

 to 28 tons per acre. It is worthy of notice that the corn planted in hills, in nearly 

 every instance, exceeded in weight of crop that sown in rows, showing the great 

 advantage to the plants of plenty of air and light. 



The yield of the plots of pease was quite phenomenal. The heaviest crop was 

 given by the Mummy pea, 128 bushels 51 J lbs. per acre ; next in order was the Crown, 

 with 116 bushels 15 lbs. per acre, closely followed by the Prince Albert, with 115 

 bushels and 25 lbs. per acre. 



A new fodder plant which has been largely advertised, Lathyrus Sylvestris 

 Wagneri, has produced seed quite freely at Agassiz, while at Ottawa it was almost 

 an entire failure in this respect. The vines also made a very strong and vigorous 

 growth, but Mr. Sharpe was unable to induce either the cattle or horses to eat any 

 of it. 



The crops of turnips, mangels, carrots and sugar beets have been excellent, and 

 the heavy weights produced per acre of these succulent nutritive roots, and the ease 

 with which they can be preserved in that mild climate, is a most encouraging indi- 

 cation of the future possibilities of dairying and stock-raising in British Columbia. 

 The experimental plots of potatoes have also yielded remarkably well. The preva- 

 lence of rot in some of the varieties shows the importance of thoroughly testing the 

 sulphate of copper as a remedy, which is now being so extensively used in Europe 

 for this disease. 



The results of the planting of fruits have been most encouraging. The growth 

 of the trees has been very luxuriant, and it is expected that a large number of the 

 varieties planted will bear fruit during the coming season. The future prospects 

 for fruit production in that province are very ])right, and no effort will be spared 

 in the endeavour to made the testing grounds at the experimental farm as useful as 

 possible to the settlers. From the particulars given by the superintendent in his 

 report, it will be seen that examples of every promising sort which could be obtained 

 are under trial there. 



EXHIBITIONS. 



Extensive collections of the products of the experimental farms were shown at 

 several of the larger exhibitions. At Montreal an excellent display was made; so 

 also at Toronto, London and Ottawa. These collections do not compete in any 

 way with other exhibitors, and are so arranged as to make them as instructive 

 as possible. In this way many farmers who visit these fairs become familiar 



