EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



9-10 EDWARD VII., A. 1910 



This ripened the grain too rapidly, and the yields of some crops were considerably 

 reduced, especially oats and wheat. There were several degrees of frost on August 22, 

 which injured some of the later fruits. In the Brandon district, the season was a 

 favourable one and a good average crop was secured, in good condition. The total 

 wheat crop in Manitoba was 50,269,000 bushels, with an average yield of 17 bushels per 

 acre. This brought nearly forty-two million dollars into the pockets of the Manitoba 

 farmei-s. Oats yielded over fourteen millions and barley more than six and one-half 

 million dollars. 



In Saskatchewan, the spring of 1908 was probably the finest season for seeding 

 which this province has had for many years. The weather was favourable at the out- 

 set and seeding was nearly three weeks earlier than that of 1907. The ground was 

 kept in a good condition of moisture by timely showers and growth was very rapid, 

 while, later in the season, hot weather prevailed, which caused the grain to ripen 

 rapidly. On July 25 the temperature rose to 94-5° F. This had an injurious effect on 

 some of the grain, causing it to shrivel. Subseqviently, the weather was very favour- 

 able for harvesting and threshing. At the Experimental Farm at Indian Head, the 

 trial plots of grain gave more than twice the crop of 1907, the varieties averaging 39 

 bushels 21 lbs. per acre. The total yield of wheat in this province was 34,742,000 

 bushels. The yield per acre was rather low, 14-50 bushels, but the total crop realized 

 nearly twenty-six million dollars. 



In Southern Alberta, the crop of winter wheat was very good. The total yield for 

 the province was 3,000,000 bushels, and the yield per acre averaged 29-70 bushels. 

 The yield of spring wheat, of which there was harvested a crop of 3,842,000 bushels, 

 was larger than in any of the other provinces of the Dominion, averaging 22-60 

 bushels per acre. The ten varieties of winter wheat grown at Lethbridge under ' dry 

 farming ' methods averaged 40 bushels 20 lbs. per acre. A field of Kharkov wheat 

 also grown at Lethbridge of 23^ acres, sown at the rate of 30 lbs. of seed per acre 

 during the first few days of September and cut the last week in July following, 

 yielded at the rate of 54 bushels 11 lbs. per acre. The spring wheat on non-irrigated 

 land gave an average of 29 bushels 32 lbs. per acre, while on the irrigated land the 

 yield was 37 bushels 20 lbs. per acre. 



At Lacombe, in Central Alberta, the season of 1908 was much more favourable 

 for wheat-growing than that of 1907. The crop was larger and most of the grain was 

 plump. Seeding was about three weeks earlier than last year, and the growth was 

 rapid until August, when cool weather and some frost delayed the matviring of the 

 grain. In 1907, the trial plots of spring wheat gave an average of 21 bushels 51 lbs. 

 per acre, whereas in 1908, the average yield was 33 bushels 34 lbs. per acre. Oats 

 gave a larger average yield per acre in Alberta than in any other of the western 

 province?. 



In British Columbia the season of 1908 opened earliei*, and grain was sown about 

 ten days sooner than in 1907. The weather later in the season also was favourable to 

 the ripening of the grain, and it matured well and early. Oats, barley, peas, turnips 

 and mangels all gave heavier crops in 1908 than in 1907. 



EXPERIMENTS IN AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE AND ARBORICUL- 

 TURE AT FORT VERMILION, ON THE PEACE RIVER. 



In the annual report of the Experimental Farms for the year ending March 31, 

 1008. reference is made on page 6 to some experiments in agriculture, horticulture, &c., 

 at Fort Vermilion, on the Peace River. These experiments have been continued by 

 Mr. Robert Jones, a practical farmer, who has had many years' experience in the 

 Peace River country. As already stated. Fort Vermilion is about 350 miles in a direct 

 line north of Edmonton, or about 700 miles by the mail route. 



