EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR THE MARITIME PROVINCES. 



EEPOET OF W. M. BLAIE, SUPBEINTENDENT. 



To William Saunders, Esq., 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith the following report of the opera- 

 tions on the Experimental Farm for the Maritime Provinces at Nappan, N.S., during 

 the year 1891. 



WEATHER. 



The winter was changeable, with light snowfalls followed in most cases with 

 rain, and changing again to periods of extreme cold. 



The spring was dry, with cold winds extending into June ; from that time until 

 the end of the year, with the exception of October, the weather was all that could 

 be desired for farm work. The woi'k on the Experimental Farm commenced on 

 27th April ; seeding began on the 30th and continued, with slight interruptions, until 

 12th June, when the last of the turnips wers sown. With fine harvest weather all 

 the crops were secured in good condition. 



MANURE. 



In addition to the barnyard manure made on the farm, 580 loads of marsh mud 

 were drawn during the winter months. This was supplemented by some special 

 fertilizers of the following kinds: — "Ceres" superphosphate, from Jack and Bell, 

 Halifax, N.S. ; the Archibald phosphate, from Samuel Archibald, Truro, N.S., and a 

 few bags of Eeliunce and Yictor fertilizer from the Nichols Chemical Co., of 

 Capelton, Quebec. All ©f these were found to increase the crops materially. 



HAY LANDS. 



Both the English and the Broadleaf hay on the marsh was a light crop, while 

 that on the upland was verj^ heavy. About 60 tons of the former and 35 tons of 

 the latter were secured in good condition. It was found necessary to build another 

 brush heap and strengthen those already built, in order to protect the dykes from 

 the heavy swell of high tides, and for this purpose 75 loads of brush and stone were 

 used. 



WHEAT. 



The following statement shows the quantity of seed used and the names of the 

 different varieties of wheat sown, the size of the plots, height of grain when 

 mature, the condition of straw, when harvested, date of harvesting, weight of grain 

 both in straw and when threshed. 



This grain was sown on land where roots and corn were grown last year. 



