2-3 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1903 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR TOE MARITIME PROVINCES. 



REPORT OF R. ROBERTSON, SUPERINTENDENT. 



Nappan, N.S., November 30, 1902. 



To Dr. Wm. Saunders, 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



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

 Experimental Farm for the maritime provinces at Nappan N.S. 



The season has been backward and cool generally. The Indian corn crop was much below 

 the average and did not mature well. The hay crop on the marsh was light, while the 

 upland gave a fair yield. The grain crop was exceptionally good, and the root crop was 

 also larger than usual. The catch of clover was exceptionally fine, and the after grass 

 good. 



More than the usual number of people visited the farm this season. These were 

 mostly parties and excursions from surrounding sections and adjoining counties. The 

 number would have been greatly increased, if more satisfactory railway arrangements 

 could have been made by those living at a distance. 



I a^ain wish to acknowledge the valuable services of Mr. Thomas Coates, farm 

 foreman, who has kept the records of all the grain experiments, and has taken charge of 

 general farm work, and of Mr. Robert Donaldson, herdsman, under whose care all the 

 experiments with stock have been carried on. 



WEATHER. 



December opened cold, with some snow, but not enough fell for sleighing until the 

 4th. The thermometer went down to 5° above zero on the 6th. Moderate weather for a 

 few days was followed by cold. On the 17th and 21st there were further snow-falls. On 

 the 23rd the thermometer registered 7° below zero, when the weather quickly moder- 

 ated and all the snow disappeared. Unsteady weather, without snow, continued to the 

 end of the month. 



January commenced very cold, and continued more or less so until the 9th and 

 10th, when a snow storm with high winds blocked the roads in many places. Good 

 slei'^hinf' continued until the 22nd, when mild weather, with rain, put an end to it. 

 Sleighs did not run again until February 5. The thermometer was down to zero 

 on January 15 and 18 and 6° below zero on January 21. February commenced cold, the 

 temperature falling to 3° below zero. The weather kept fairly cold with small snow 

 storms making good sleighing by the 8th, which continued to March 1. The ther- 

 mometer re'^istered 10" below zero on the 12th, 4° below zero on the 16th and zero on 



the 17th. 



The thermometer only registered below zero once in March and that was on the 9th 

 when 2° below zero was reached. The month generally, was moderate. Sleighing kept 

 (rood until the 12th. The remainder of the month was quite open. 



April was a»fine open month, with no very cold weather. The thermometer fell 

 below freezing only from the 5th to the 8th. 17th to 20th and the 26th. The month 

 generally was quite dry but gloomy. The first seeding was done April 24th. 



May opened cloudy and cool with rain on the 8th, 9th and 10th. The 12th 

 registered 4° ; 14th, 3^ ; 15th, 4° ; 16th, 2° ; 19th, 8° and 21st 6° of frost. Up to this 

 time the weather was fine and dry. The remainder of May was showery but much 



warmer. 



231 



