9-10 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1910 



REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



Frank T. Shutt, M.A., F.I.C., F.C.S., F.R.S.O. 



Ottawa, April 1, 1909. 

 Dr. "Wm. Saunders, C.M.G., 



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith the twenty-second annual report of 

 the Chemical Division of the Experimental Farms. 



As heretofore, investigation and research in matters relating to the general agri- 

 culture of the Dominion have had our first attention, but there has been no neglect 

 in respect to those other branches of our work that bring us into direct touch with the 

 individual farmer and fruit grower — the furnishing of infornriation by correspondence 

 and the analysis of samples of an agricultural nature sent in for examination. The 

 larger number of the more important problems that we have been at work upon during 

 the past year are reported on, and brief reference may be made to them as follows : — 



Wheat. — Continuing our inquiry on the influence of environment on the composi- 

 tion of wheat, we are able to present further evidence that the proportion of protein 

 in wheat is markedly affected by the moisture-content of the soil during the develop- 

 ment period of the grain. 



Interesting data have been obtained from the analysis of the winter wheats, 

 Turkey Red and IQiarliov, grown at Lethbridge and Lacombe, Alta. The quality of 

 the wheats as grown under irrigation as compared with that of wheats from non-irri- 

 gated areas, is an important question that receives elucidation from this work. 



A noteworthy fact in these analyses is that the percentages of protein from these 

 winter wheats are not appreciably lower than many we have obtained from Red Fife 

 as grown in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 



The influence of storage on wheat and flour has been studied from the chemical 

 standpoint. The work, which is as yet of a preliminary character, indicates a slight 

 increase in the percentage of protein due to storage, the increase being larger when 

 the samples had been kept as flour. 



The first steps have been taken towards learning the effect of dampness on the 

 quality of the wheat. The present results indicate that wheat may remain very wet 

 for a considerable time without its composition being materially affected, provided 

 that there has been no heating or fermentation of the grain. 



Boils. — A number of soils collected in the valleys of the Upper Columbia and East 

 Kootenay, B.C., have been submitted to analysis. From the chemical and physical 

 data of the examination, suggestions have been made towards the economic mainten- 

 ance of their fertility. 



Certain alkali-affected soils from British Columbia have been examined, and 

 information respecting their reclamation given. 



Further data as to the enrichment of soils through the growth of clover have been 

 tabulated. For the past six years a plot has been constantly in clover, and analyses 

 made from time to time show a continued increase in its nitrogen content. The total 

 increase in nitrogen during the period mentioned amounts to 375 lbs. per acre. 



Inoculation for the Growth of Alfalfa. — Alfalfa hays from inoculated and un- 

 treated soils, at the Experimental Farm, Lacombe, Alta., have been analysed, with the 

 result that the alfalfa from the inoculated plot was found the richer in protein. 



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