4-5 EDWARD VII. 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



A. 1905 





I 



REPORT OF AXGUS MACKAY, SUPERINTENDENT, 



EXPERBIENTAL EaRM, InDUN IIeAD, N.W.T., 



November 30, 1904. 



Dr. Wm. Saunders, 



Directoi* Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir,— I have the honoiir to submit to you the seventeenth annual report of the 

 operations of the Experimental Farm for the Northrwest Territories at Indian Head, 

 Assiniboia, during the year 1904. 



The past season, for grain growers throughout the Territories, has been a success 

 in many districts, while in others it has been very disappointing. 



The winter was exceptionally fine up to the middle of January, when cold weather 

 set in and continued up to April, with heavy falls of snow. 



Seeding started late in April, and the soil being wet, very little was sown before 

 the first week in May. Fine weather continued throughout May, and grain all came 

 up evenly, and never made a more promising start ; in fact, on well cultivated farms 

 the growth early in June was too rank, and required a set-back for profitable returns. 

 This set-back came in the form of dry, hot weather from June 10 to July 13, when a 

 general rain set in and relieved all fears for the crop so far as moisture was concerned. 



Wheat harvest commenced the last week in August, but vv'as not general till Sep- 

 tember 1, and in many districts frost came on the night of September 10 while con- 

 siderable grain was still standing, although in all districts the large bulk was in stook. 



Drizzling rain retarded harvest work considerably, and continued up to the second 

 week in October, when fine threshing weather set in, and from then to November 23 

 nothing could excel the wonderfully fine weather experienced throughout the whole 

 of the Territories. 



CROPS ON THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM. 



The crops on the experimental farm have seldom been better, more uniform, of 

 better quality, or more easily secured than during the past season. 



Leaving out a few of the varieties tested, which will be referred to when reached, 

 the returns have been very satisfactory, and the quality above the average. 



In no case was the straw as heavy or long as in many previous years, and in only 

 a few places was the grain lodged, or down in the least. The heads, however, were both 

 large and well filled. 



Rust, which did injury in parts of Manitoba, did not reach the dangerous stage 

 in the Territories before the grain was ready to cut. On the experimental farm prac- 

 tically no harm was done. While rust appeared on the leaves of the wheat, the grain 

 was too far advanced for the crop to be injured. 



Wheat, oats and barley were all in stook when frost visited the country on the 

 night of September 10. Pease were in a good many cases not ripe, and were more or 

 kss injured. The yields of all varieti;^s were good, however. 



411 



