34 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7-8 EDWARD VII., A. 1908 

 BULLETINS ISSUED DURING 1906. 



Three bulletins were issued this year, No. 53 on the ' Eesults Obtained in 1906 

 from Trial Plots of Grain, Fodder Com, Field Roots and Potatoes.' This bulletin 

 was prepared jointly by Dr. C. E. Saunders, Cerealist, and the Director. 



In this bulletin there are given the results of experiments which were conducted 

 at all the experimental farms during the season of 1905 with spring wheat, oats, 

 barley, pease, Indian corn, turnips, mangels, carrots, sugar beets and potatoes. The 

 relative earliness and productiveness of the varieties are also recorded, with the 

 average crops obtained during the past five years, the several varieties being placed in 

 the lists in the order of their productiveness for that period. A considerable number 

 of cross-bred varieties produced on the experimental farms are included in these 

 tests. 



No. 54, on the ' Breeding, Feeding and General Management of Poultry.' Part 

 1 of this bulletin was written by Mr. A. G. Gilbert, Poultry Manager, in which is 

 discussed the principles underlying profitable poultry raising, description of breeds, 

 rations and manner of feeding them, the moulting of fowls and methods of shorten- 

 ing this period of non-production. Short chapters are also written by Mr. Gilbert on 

 turkeys, ducks, and geese. 



Part 2 was prepared by Mr. Victor Fortier, Assistant Poultry Manager, in which 

 he treats of incubation, natural and artificial, poultry raising, the fleshing of chickens 

 and the fattening of fowls, poultry buildings and runs and the general treatment of 

 poultry, including diseases, injuries, &c. 



Bulletin No. 55 treats of the crops obtained in 1906 from the annual trial plots 

 on the several experimental farms. This is the twelfth of that series of bulletins and 

 was prepared jointly by Dr. C. E Saunders, Cerealist and the Director. In this bul- 

 letin the crops of each year are given, also the average of the past five years, showing 

 the relative productiveness of the many different sorts in the several provinces of the 

 Dominion in which the experimental farms are located. For example, the average crop 

 produced in 1906 by the sixteen varieties of spring wheat under trial at Ottawa was 

 32 bushels 38 lbs. per acre. At Nappan, N.S., it was 29 bushels 27 lbs. At Brandon, 

 Man., 35 bushels 52 lbs.; and at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, 42 bu-?hv°ls 11 lbs. 



Of oats there were 37 varieties under trial, these gave at Ottawa an average crop 

 of 60 bushels 11 lbs. per acre; at Nappan, N.S., 47 bush. IS lbs.; Brandon, 97 bush. 

 31 lbs.; Indian Head, 105 bush. 25 lbs., and at Agassiz, 60 bush. 7 lbs. per acre. The 

 results obtained from these uniform trial plots show that there are marked differences 

 in the relative productiveness of varieties even when grown side by side under similar 

 conditions. Such facts point to the importance of farmers choosing for seed those 

 sorts which give the heaviest crops. 



JOURNEYS THROUGH THE WEST. 



It has been my privilege to travel through the past year over several important 

 districts in Western Canada, concerning which a few notes are submitted. These 

 notes were taken mainly along the line of railway and in such cases only those parts 

 of the country in sight of the railway are referred to. 



CALGARY TO EDMONTON, SEPTEMBER 5, 1906. 



From Calgary to Beddington, 11 miles, much of the land is used for ranching 

 purposes and very little in the way of grain crops is seen, only a few small fields of 

 oats or wheat, Beddington to Airdrie, 9 miles, land still devoted mostly to ranching, 

 fields of grain seen in increased number. 



Airdrie to Crossfield, 10 miles (31 from Calgary). The land for about the first 

 27 miles from Calgary is quite bare of trees or shrubs, but about 7 miles beyond 



