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



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR SASKATCHEWAN 



Experimental Farm, Indian Head, Sask., March 31, 1909. 



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



Director, Dominion Experimental Earms, 



Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit to you the twenty-first annual report of the 

 operations on the Experimental Farm for the province of Saskatchewan, at Indian 

 Head, Sask., during the year 1908. 



The past year was one of great disappointment for crops over the greater part of 

 the province, and, following the crop of 1907, which was a very serious failure, the 

 outlook in many districts has been rather disheartening. 



In the eastern portion of the province, rain was abundant in nearly all districts 

 during the greater part of the growing season and grain of all sorts gave small yields. 

 The sample, however, was good and commanded the best price going. 



In the eastern portion of the province rain was abundant in nearly all districts 

 early in the season, and crops made a rapid growth up to July 8 when hot, dry 

 weather set in, and continued all through the month and up to August 12, when heavy 

 rain was followed by a slight frost, which injured v.'heat on fallow land. The hot 

 days of July 24 and' 25, no doubt, also injured a good deal of grain. 



Spring opened from April 10 to 15, and seeding became general during this 

 period. Land was never in better condition, and a great deal was sown up to the 

 24th when rain and snow delayed work for a few days. Seeding was completed early 

 in May. 



Wheat harvest commenced about August 20, with oats and barley a week earlier. 

 The weather continued fine and the crop was easily secured early in September. 



Threshing started from September 15 to 20, and continued with little or no delay 

 until completed in October. 



Grain crops on the Experimental Farm were very promising for heavy yields, 

 especially in straw, all through the season, but the hot, dry month of July and the 

 cold snap of August 12 told against the wheat crop the same as all over the province. 

 Oats, barley and peas gave good yields and fine samples. The hay crop was extra 

 good. While roots, potatoes and corn suffered greatly in yield from the dry, hot July,- 

 the quality was extra fine. 



WHEAT EXPERIMENTS. 



Wheat tests were not satisfactory either in plot or field lots. The plot tests were 

 on fallowed land not uniform in quality of soil, and, when the hot winds of July 24 

 struck the lighter soil, they ripened up the straw quickly, which resulted in a good 

 deal of small, shrunken grain with yields greatly reduced. 



The field lots were sown on fallowed land, and on Brome-sod, broken and backset 

 the previous year. The grain on the fallows was heavy and very promising \ip to 

 July 25, when it was injured by the hot winds, and, the slight frost following on 

 August 12, the injury to the yield and quality was considerable. 



The grain on the Brome backsetting, strange to say, did not suffer from either 

 of these causes, but from wire-worms working in the soil and thinning out the grain 

 as it came above the surface. 



Test of Varieties. 



Seventeen varieties of spring wheat were sown on April 16 on clay loam, mixed 

 near the edge of coulee with considerable sand and gravel, which in ordinary years 



