REPORT OF MR. S. A. BEDFORD 289 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



FLAX ON NEW BREAKING. 



As much the largest proportion of flax produced in this country is grown on new 

 breaking, it was thought advisable to give this plan a trial on the Experimental Farm. 

 Owing to the field being flooded for some days the yield is small, but the result agrees 

 with a similar test on cultivated land, viz., that a liberal amount of seed gives the best 

 crop. 



The land was broken on May 17 but was not dry enough to sow until June 11. 

 The size of the plots was one-fortieth acre, and the soil was a stiff clay loam. 



THE GERMINATING POWER OF GRAIN. 



As usual samples of all the plots of grain on the farm were tested at the Central 

 Experimental Fai'm, for gei'mination, altogether 274 samples were tested with the fol- 

 lowing result : — 



No. of samples 

 tested. 



Wheat 

 Oats. . . 

 Barley 

 Pease. 



Average 



germinating 



power. 



Per cent. 



91 



!'8 

 82 

 96 



EXPERIMENTS WITH INDIAN CORN. 



Owing to the almost continuous rain during the latter part of May, corn was not 

 sown until May 31, about two weeks late. This late sowing followed by cool cloudy 

 ■weather gi;eatly retarded growth, lessened the yield, and prevented the plant reaching 

 its usual stage of maturity. 



The corn binder was again used with very satisfactory results. 



Thirty-eight varieties were used in this test, and the seed was planted on Muv HI, 

 in rows thirty inches apart, using about half a bushel of seed per acre. The crop was 

 cut on Sept. 5. The soil was a sandy loam sloping to tlie south. I'he previous crop was 

 wheat. The yield in each case was calculated from the weight of two rows each sixty- 

 eix feet long. 

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