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



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR MANITOBA 



EEPOET OF S. A. BEDEORD, SUPERINTENDENT. 



Brandon, Man., November 30, 1905. 

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



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit, herewith, my eighteenth annual report with 

 details of experiments undertaken and work accomplished on the Experimental Farm 

 for the province of Manitoba. 



The past winter was a very pleasant one, with abundance of sunshine and very 

 little snow. 



The month of March was unusually mild and free from storms of all kinds. 

 Several wild plants were in bloom on the 31st. The first seeding of grain was done on 

 the 31st of that month, about ten days earlier than the average. The soil at this date 

 Vi-as in excellent condition for seeding. 



April was unusually dry and favourable for seeding, and nearly all the wheat was 

 sown under the very best of conditions by the close of the month. 



The rainfall during May and June was excessive, and in the Red river valley much 

 of the young grain was seriously injured, but on this farm and in Western Manitoba 

 generally no damage ensued. 



The month of July was unusually favourable for all kinds of farm produce, and 

 growth was very ranlv, so much so on this farm that a very large proportion of the 

 grain was badly lodged, and at one time it threatened to be an unusually late harvest, 

 but towards the end of August the temperature increased and grain of all kinds matured 

 very rapidly. 



During harvest the weather was quite favourable, there was no killing frost until 

 September 11, when the thermometer indicated 5 degrees of frost. The crops were 

 then all saved, hence there was no injury from this cause. 



The yield of all kinds of grain was above the average, and the province rejoices in 

 one of the most abundant harvests in its liistory. ' 



On the Experimental Farm nearly all kinds of grain, roots and fodder plants gave 

 unusually large returns. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRING WHEAT. 



Owing to the abundant rainfall during June and July, spring wheat on summer- 

 fallow lodged badly, and at one time it was feared that serious injury would again 

 result from rust, but fortunately conditions were more favourable during August, 

 1905, and very little injury resulted from this cause. For some reason nearly all the 

 spring wheat grown in Western Canada this year is light in colour, and very little of 

 it grades No. 1 hard. On this farm nearly all of the wheat grades No. 1 northern, and 

 the kernels are plump and well matured. 



A feature of this year's crop w^as the excellent quality of the straw of Preston 

 wheat. This was quite evident both in the small plots as well as in the larger fields. 



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