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



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR THE MARITIME PROVINCES. 



Nappan, N.S., March 30, 1907. 

 To Da. Wm. Saunders, C.:\r.G., 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith my report of the operations . for the 

 past year on the Experimental Farm for the Maritime Provinces at Nappan, N.S. 



The past season was not a particularly good one, the long wet period in the spring 

 had the effect of making all spring-sown crops from one to three weeks later than 

 usual, which resulted in moderate crops of all sorts, except hay, which did not suffer 

 so much from this cause. Hay was on the whole slightly better than usual. Follow- 

 ing the particularly late spring came a prolonged dry spell in the later part of the 

 season which resulted in grain ripening somewhat rapidly, causing the crop to be 

 rather light and the quality of the grain not quite iip to the average, while roots, and 

 fall-growing crops suffered very materially. Those conditions brought hay quite up 

 to the average in crop, while grain was below the average both in quanti>ty and quality, 

 ]\rangels were better and turnips slightly below the average, while corn was quite iip 

 to the average. The new take of grass started well, but made poor growth during the 

 latter part of the season. Pasture was decidedly poor, except in the very early part of 

 the season. The lessening of the crop in some particulars has been more or less off- 

 set by the very high prices of all kinds of farm produce. The season's operations 

 closed up very suddenly and left many farmers with much fall work unfinished. 



I have again to acknowledge my indebtedness to Mr. J. Thomas Coates and Mr. 

 R. Donaldson, who have kept all records of crop and live stock experiments in a care- 

 ful and painstaking manner. 



WEATHER. 



December, 190,5, commenced fine with light rain on the 3rd and light snow on the 

 4th. Another snowfall on the 10th made sleighing for the rest of the month. The 

 thermometer registered 7° below on the 16th, which was the lowest for the month. 



January opened fine until the 4th, when a warm rain fell, the mercuiy rising from 

 zero to 40°. A light snow fell on the 9th. On the 12th and 13th rain fell and spoilt 

 sleighing for the rest of the month. Another light snow fell on the ISth, but not 

 enough to make sleighing. The rest of the month was fine excepting on the 24th, 

 when a light rain fell. The thermometer went to zero on the 4th, 2° below zero on 

 the 10th, the lowest being 9° below zero on the 11th. 



February opened dull and foggy until the 3rd, when it turned cold. On the 6th 

 there was a light snow storm and cold weather followed. On the 15th another snow- 

 storm came, making good sleighing. The rest of the month was fine, finishing on the 

 28th with a rather heavy snowstorm. The mercury registered zero on the 4th, 14° 

 below zero on the 17th, 5° below on the 18th, and zero on the 20th. 



March opened with a cold rough storm, followed by fine weather until the 9th, 

 after which the weather was much broken. A fine week from the 20th to the 27th 



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