5-6 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1906 



REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



(Frank T. Siiutt, M.A., F.I.C., F.C.S., F.R.S.C.) 



Ottawa, December 1, 1905. 



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



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 



Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith the nineteenth annual report of the 

 Chemical Division of the Experimental Farms. 



Investigations have been carried on during the past year in all the more important 

 branches of agriculture, and many problems in connection with dairying, fruit grow- 

 ing, grain growing, cattle feeding, &c., have received our attention- 



Soils. — We are able to present data of an important character regarding the 

 accumulation of nitrogen in the soil through the growth and turning under of clover. 

 The results were obtained by the analysis of certain soils before and after the growth 

 of clover, the period of the experiment extending over two seasons. In former years 

 we have detennined the fertilizing influence of the legumes by estimating the nitrogen 

 they contained and by the increase of yield in the crop succeeding them. The method 

 employed in the work now reported on is more direct and attacks the problem from 

 another standpoint. It is a matter of interest to note that the results from all three 

 methods practically agree, thus furnishing evidence of a most complete and satisfactory 

 nature respecting this economic means of soil improvement. 



The study of the various factors by which the soil's moisture may be controlled 

 has been continued, the experiments being conducted, as during 1904, on the Experi- 

 mental Farm at Ottawa, Ont., and Nappan, N.S. The object of the investigation has 

 been to obtain information that would be of assistance in the rational management of 

 orchard soils. Though the results here, owing to a somewhat heavy rainfall, do 

 not show the necessity of cultivation, the experiments at Nappan clearly demonstrate 

 the injurious effect of a grain crop in the orchard and also indicate the benefit to be 

 derived from the dry earth mulch, in localities in which a limited precipitation prevails. 



Closely associated with the growth of the legumes for soil enrichment is the ques- 

 tion of inoculation: Is it necessary to inoculate the soil or the seed in order to 

 obtain the best results with clover and Alfalfa ? We discussed this subject at length 

 in last year's report, stating our position regarding the practical value of cultures. 

 This season we continued the research, using cultures kindly supplied by the Bureau 

 of Plant Industry, Washington, D.C., and the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, 

 Ont. Though on the whole the results are more favourable than those obtained in 

 1904, I doubt very much if they should be constriied as indicating that any general 

 benefit would be derived from cultures in districts in which clover and Alfalfa have 

 already fliourished. 



Chemistry of Insecticides and Fungicides. — Under this heading will be found 

 chapters on several interesting investigations relating to sprays and mixtiires used in 

 the destruction of insect and fungus pests, as follows: — 



(a) An account of Soda-Bordeaux and the injury to fruit trees that may result 

 from the addition thereto of Paris green. 



(b) A discussion of some new forms of Kerosene Emulsion, including a review 

 of the so-called lime emulsions, and a description of certain emulsions in which flour 



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