312 



Notwithstanding the rather unfavourable weather in the spring of 1891 the 

 area under crop in this province was considerably greater than ever before, and the 

 crop generally was a good average. 



The number of fruit trees and small fruit plants planted this year is far in 

 excess of any previous j^ear, and the prospects are that before long British Columbia 

 will have not only enough fruit for home consumption but also a large surplus for 

 export. 



FALL WHEAT. 



Fourteen varieties of fall wheat were sown last fall. Owing to the freezing 

 and thawing in February they all suffered, and were a much lighter crop than the 

 previous year ; but the summer and harvest being dryer and hotter than that of 1890, 

 the berry of both fall and spring wheat is much harder and brighter than the crop 

 of that year. 



Below will be found a report of the date of sowing, heading, ripening, and the 

 yield of -^ of an acre of each variety tested. 



In this connection I wish to explain that owing to lack of barn accommodation 

 our grain had to be stacked, and in this climate, where there is so much wet weather, 

 especially iu autumn, the grain in small stacks gets damp and it is difficult to thresh.* 

 This entails a loss, which in small plots materially reduces the yield. 



