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



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR THE MARITIME 



PROVINCES. 



Nappan, N.S., March 31, 1909. 



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



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith my report of the operations on the 

 Experimental Farm for the Maritime Provinces, at Nappan, N.S., for the year 

 ending March 31, 1909. 



The summer season of 1908 was not particularly favourable, being notable for its 

 extremes, in both wet and dry weather. 



Beginning in the cpring with a long cold and wet period, all spring-sown crops 

 were more or less late in being sown, which is always a disadvantage. The weather 

 was, however, quite suitable for the hay crop, which is of first importance in this 

 locality, and which in 1908 gave the best yield obtained in many years. Midsummer 

 was extremely dry, with the result that most of the grain and root crops were below 

 the average, although some of the early sown grain was fully up to the average. The 

 latter part of the summer was again quite wet, and resulted in good growth of after- 

 math, and pasture was better than usual. The season ended with the most remarkably 

 fine weather seen for many years, which gave the farmers a better opportunity for 

 getting all their fall farm work completed, than is usually the case, the latter being 

 important, on account of the shortness of the season. 



The apple crop was better than usual, both as to quantity and quality of fruit. 



It is again my pleasure to acknowledge the services of Mr. Thomas Coates, farm 

 foreman, and Mr. Robert Donaldson, herdsman, who have well and faithfully per- 

 formed the tasks allotted to them during the past year. 



WEATHER 



April, 1908, oi>ened with a snowstorm which continued until the night of the 2nd, 

 7 inches of snow falling during these two days. Snow fell on the 3rd, Sth, 19th and 

 21st ; 2 inches falling' on this latter date. 



Eain fell on the 7th, 9th, 15th, 18th, 19th, 28th and 29th, the heaviest rainfall 

 being on the 19th, when 1-01 inches fell. 



From 1° to 22° of frost was registered every night this month until the 26th, 

 when the thermometer went to 41°. No frost was registered after this date. 



May was an unusually wet month, rain falling on 14 different dates, the heaviest 

 fall being on the 27th, when -95 inches fell. From the 19th to the 26th the weather 

 was fine. Seeding was begun on the 20th of this month. The thermometer registered 

 frost on the 7th, 12th, 16th and 20th. 



The first week of June was wet, rain falling on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and 

 again on the 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 20th and 22nd, the weather from this date 

 being fine until the night of the 30th, when a light rain fell. On the 7th, the ther- 

 mometer registered 78°, on the Sth 79°, on the 9th 78°, on the 10th 79°, and on the 

 11th 80°, dropping on the 12th to 59°. 



July was very warm, with no rain in the early part of the month. The thermometer 

 registered above 80° on 11 different dates, going as high as 91° on the 8th. The 

 rainfall was very heavy during the latter part of the month, rain falling on 10 

 different dates, the heaviest being on the 20th, when 1-31 inches fell. 



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