REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR . 21 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



INCREASE IN PROPORTION OF WEEDY AND SMUTTY WHEAT. 



A study of these figures shows that the character of the season is a most im- 

 portant factor in determining the value of the wheat crop. The year 1904 was com- 

 paratively unfavourable, while the present year has been favourable. That portion of 

 the crop (probably about two-thirds of the whole) marketed before December 1, 1905, 

 ie largely No. 1 Northern. It is also worthy of comment that the number of cars of 

 wheat graded rejected this year on account of weed seeds is more than double that of 

 1904. The total number classed as ' rejected ' for smut has also more than doubled. 

 While the bulk of this wheat classed as rejected is ultimately recovered, the cost and 

 loss of weight entailed by the scouring and cleansing required to bring the sample into 

 a marketable condition are very considerable and materially lessen the returns re- 

 ceived by those farmei-s who send their wheat to market in a condition so dirty and 

 discreditable as to justify the inspectors in marking it ' rejected.' A more vigorous 

 campaign is evidently needed against weeds and smut, to stir up these careless farmers 

 now to a sense of their duty. 



HOW THE UNIFORMITY OF THE GRADES IS MAINTAINED. 



Objection has sometimes been made to the method of grading wheat on the ground 

 that the grades are lacking in uniformity from year to year. Prior to 1899 the grades 

 were fijied from season to season by a board of experts, on samples of the current year's 

 growth brought from different localities and compared. TJfider that arrangement it 

 is quite lil-cely that the grades varied more or less from year to year. Under the pre- 

 sent system a handful is taken from each carload, graded and thrown into a vessel or 

 bin provided for that grade, and this grain th\as mixed is used as a basis for the same 

 grade the following season. Samples are given to the inspectors and others requiring 

 them, and in this way the grades are maintained of a uniform character. 



The system of grading as carried on by the Manitoba Grain Inspection Division, 

 under direction of the Chief Inspector, Mr. David Horn, seems to be very thorough and 

 satisfactory and to command the confidence both of the farmers and buyers in a 

 marked degree. 



CO-OPERATIVE EXPERIMENTS BY CANADIAN FARMERS. 



The assistance rendered to Canadian farmers by the distribution of samples of 

 seed of high quality for the improvement of crops has been continued with gratifying 

 results. Farmers everywhere have gladly undertaken to co-operate with the experi- 

 mental farms in the endeavour to ascertain the relative merits in earliness, productive- 

 ness and quality of the different sorts under trial when grown under the different 

 climatic conditions which prevail in the several provinces of the Dominion. 



During the present year 41,548 farmers have joined in tliese co-operative tests. A 

 large number of reports have been received expre^ssing appreciation of the great value 

 of this work. The samples of wheat and barley sent out have weighed five pounds 

 each, and those of oats four pounds, sufiicient in each case to sow one-twentieth of an 

 acre. The samples of Indian corn, pease and potatoes have weighed three pounds each. 



The samples sent from the Central Experimental Farm during the distribution 

 period for the past year have been distributed as follows : — 



