285 



A fodder plant that has never failed on this expeiimental farm is rape. This 

 year it exceeded all previous lecords. It must of course be used in a green state, 

 either by pasturing or cut and fed green. 



In (jrrain — Wheat was given a large acreage and more attention than any other 

 cereal. Thirty-seven varieties were sown in plots or fields from -^ acre up to 30 

 acres. Nine hybrids, besides 16 other varieties, were sown in small plots. Various 

 experiments were made, including the sowing of two varieties each week for six 

 weeks ; sowing several soi'tson same date under same conditions; sowing different 

 quantities per acre; sowing at different depths; sowing by Press drill and broad- 

 cast ; sowing several grades of frozen seed ; different treatment for smut, &c. While 

 some of these tests for various reasons were unsatisfactory, the attention of every 

 settler is called to the result obtained from treating smutty seed with bluestone 

 before sowing. I am told by a grain buyer that every 3rd bushel he buys is dam- 

 aged by smut, and that to such an extent that while he pays 40 to 50 cents for 

 frozen grain, this smutty wheat realizes to the grower only 30 to 35 cents. When 

 it is considered that at a cost of a few cents per bushel seed can be successfully 

 treated for this serious evil, it is reasonable to expect that no farmer will sow wheat 

 next spring without being treated with bluestone. The season was favourable for 

 poor seed, and the result of sowing frozen seed, as shown in test, should not be an 

 inducement for settlers to sow their poor worthless grain. The good showing was 

 caused by sufficient grains germinating in the favourable spring to cause the crop 

 to be thick enough, but not to lodge, while in the better gi-ades so much germinated 

 that the crop was altogether too heavy, resulting in lodged straw and shrunken 

 grain. 



Ladoga wheat again this year pioved early, although badly injured in May by 

 winds. It was ripe, and cut ten days before Red Fife, and escaped all damage by 

 frost, which the bulk of our Eed Fife did not. 



Two promising wheats were tried the past season: Campbell's White Chaff and 

 Campbell's Triumph. The former, a soft variety, but much harder than last year, 

 promised well during the entire season. The latter, a hard variety, though not so 

 promising in the early stages as the White Chaff and some other varieties, gave the 

 finest sample of grain on the farm. 



The India wheats without an exception dj,d poorl}" the past season. The winds 

 and frosts in May had a far more injurious effect on them than on the Red Fife, 

 and although sown on same date and everything in same condition, the India 

 sorts had from one-third to one-half the young plants killed ; the Red Fife had none. 



The barley crop was greatly injured by winds in May. All sown prior to the 

 15th April was killed. That sown from :^5th April to the 11th of May did best. 

 Many of the wheat tests were repeated with barley. The Duck-bill variety proved, 

 as in previous years, its adaptability for the North- West. It stands severe weather 

 in spring, all sorts of weather in the growing months — June, July and August — and 

 invariably gives the best yield -when threshed. A variety called California Prolific, 

 tried the past season for the first time on the experimental farm, proved very good. 

 Straw heads and grain all point to this variety being the same as Duck-bill. 



Oats suffered even more by winds and frost in May than the barley crop. Many 

 varieties covei-ing about fifty acres had to be re-sown with Feed oats. These gave a 

 fine crop but were hurt by frost before being quite ripe. Prize Cluster though not 

 first in yield is first in earliness and a first class oat, and is proving very successful 

 wherever disti-ibuted in the Noilh-West. 



"^ Pease were a very poor crop; while our field lots were entirely killed, the smaller 

 plots were injured by winds and heavy dashes of rain flooding out portions of the 

 plots. 



In respect to these winds which injure us so greatly on the experimental farm, 

 and which from reading this report may convey very erroneous impressions to 

 any one not knowing the country, it may be said that the damage done to the 

 generality of farmers is very small in comparison to that done on the experimental 

 farm. On this farm nearly all sorts of grain are sown for trial on fallow very early in 



