7-8 EDWARD V!l. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1908 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR SASKATCHEWAN 



ExrcRiMENTAL Farm, Indian Head, Sask., 



March 30, 1907. 

 Dr. W.Ar. Saunders, C.M.G., 



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir,— I have the honour to submit to you the nineteenth annual report of the 

 operations on the Experimental Farm for the Province of Saskatchewan, at Indian 

 Head, Sask., during the year 1906. 



The past season was on the whole favourable for crops of all sorts over this 

 province and Alberta. Spring wheat, oats and barley gave good crops as a rule, in all 

 sections of the country. 



Very little snow fell in the winter of 1905-OG, and little or no severe weather was 

 experienced anywhere. 



Spring opened early in April with seeding under full headway by the 10th. No 

 delay was caused by unfavourable weather, and as the soil was never before in a better 

 condition for the horses and drills, the work was quickly completed. 



Grain germinated evenly, and with abundant moisture in nearly all sections of 

 the country, the growth was very satisfactory. At one time it promised a repetition of 

 1905'3 immense crop of straw, but fortunately a warm wave passed over the country 

 early in July, checking the excessive growth. A second hot wave on August 13, 

 brought in the harvest with a rush, but at the same time reduced the yield by several 

 bushels per acre. 



Harvest was general on August 20, and the weather being ideal for the work, it 

 was early and inexpensively completed. 



Threshing started without delay on completion of harvest, and like the harvest 

 was finished the earliest on record. 



The crops on the Experimental Farm were not as satisfactory or abundant as in 

 the preceding year, biit were much more easily harvested and threshed, and on the 

 whole gave good returns. 



The first and only hailstorm that has ever injured crops on the Experimental 

 Farm passed over it on July 24. All crops were injured more or less, but the fields of 

 Red Fife. Stanley, Percy and Huron wheats, and two-rowed barley, on the southeast 

 part of the farm received the greatest damage. This hailstorm passed in a south- 

 easterly direction, and unfortunately did great damage to many fine fields of grain 

 for 10 miles, 



EXPERIMENTS WITH WHEAT. 



The crop of wheat on experimental plots and field lots was very promising until 

 the hailstorm passed over the farm. In no case was the straw extra heavy or lodged. 

 \Vhile it is impossible to say how much, the yields were reduced by the hail, about one- 

 third of the grain when threshed was found to be quite small and shrunken, caused, no 

 doubt, by he straw being broken down and the circulation being stopped, as at the 

 time the grain was only partially fiUed. 



16—22 



