7-8 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1908 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



1906 



REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 



WM. SAUNDERS, C.M.G., LLD., F.R.S.C, F.L.S. 



Another satisfactory harvest has been reaped and farming in Canada is in the 

 ascendant. Many thousands of immigrants are flocking to our shores and millions of 

 acres of virgin lands are being brought iind'cr crop. The mass of surplus food pro- 

 ducts available for export shows every year a marked increase while as yet the area 

 of land under cultivation is relatively small. What these exports will amount to in 

 the near future when the country becomes well settled and the acreage of crop much 

 larger no one can foretell. This is a country of vast agricultural resources. 



In the maritime provinces the hay crop has been in most districts above the 

 average; wheat and oats have given a fair return but in some sections have been 

 somewhat below the average; barley has given good returns. Indian corn has given 

 excellent crops cut green for fodder; field roots have done fairly well, mangels being 

 about an average crop and turnips below the average. Potatoes have done well. 



In Quebec the hay crop has been less than an average and most grain crops have 

 fallen a little short although the quality has been good. The output of dairy products 

 has been large and the prices highly satisfactory. 



In Ontario the wheat, both fall and spring, gave excellent crops, oats also and 

 barley were the best crops had for many years, while field roots and Indian corn gave 

 about an average return. The hay crop was a little below the average. 



The pastures were rather short in midsummer, but they improved later on. The 

 year on the whole has been a successful one with dairy farmers and cheese and butter 

 have brought excellent prices. 



In fruits, fall apples were abundant, but the crop of the winter sorts was less than 

 an average one. Plums gave a light crop, but most other fruits an average return. 



In the Northwest provinces the crops have averaged remarkably well. The 

 weather was favourable at seeding and at harvest time and the grain was saved in 

 good condition. The total crop areas and yields of 1906 in the three provinces, Mani- 

 toba, Saskatchewan and Alberta according to official returns were as follows : 



Bu'Sbels. 



Wheat 94.110,626 



Oats 86.216,027 



Barley 20,779,734 



This is an excellent showing. 



