REPORT OF MR. THOMAS A. SHARPE. 453 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPERIMENT WITH CANARY SEED. 



A plot of this seed was sown April 24. The seed did not germinate freely and 

 the stand was thin and the crop poor. 



Length of stalk, 24 to 30 inches ; length of head, 1 to li inches. 



Cut August 27 — Weight green, 1 ton, 160 pounds ; yield of seed per acre, 420 

 pounds. 



EXPERIMENT WITH SPELTZ WHEAT. 



An experimental plot of this grain was sown May 11. It grew vigorously and does 

 tiot appear to be subject to either rust or smut. Rii>e August 18. 



Days to mature. Length of straw. Head. Gross weight. Grain. 



Inches. tons. lbs. lbs. 



99 48 2J 2 80 1,340 



DISTRIBUTION OF SEED SAJiCPLES. 



The following packages were distributed to applicants in the spring : — 



Packages of trees and shrubs 280 



Three-pound packages of wheat 41 



" " oats 68 



" " pease 73 



« " barley 36 



" " potatoes 284 



Packages of tree seeds and nuts 83 



Packages of bulbs 106 



SUMMARY OF FORACxE CROPS HARVESTED. 



Tons. Lbs 



Clover hay 63 265 



Mixed grains cured for hay 37 1,000 



Clover ensilage 75 .... 



Corn ensilage 15 1,600 



Turnips 18 1,700 



Mangels 8 600 



Carrots 9 325 



Total •. 227 1,140 



OATS TREATED WITH COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS. 



These plots were on a fairly strong clay loam that had produced a crop of pease 

 in 1899, following clover, and evidently did not benefit much from the nitrate of soda. 

 The dressing of supei-jihosphate on plot No. 3 was a little too heavy, as the crop was 

 badly lodged, and difficult to harvest. The muriate of potash did not have time to do 

 as much good as it should have done, if it had been applied earlier in the season, but 

 the straw on plot 5 was very stiff and bright, and the grain plump, as was that of 

 plot 6, where a little dressing of each of the fertilizers was used. There was no rust 

 or smut on p,ny of the plots. 



