REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 55 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



MEETINGS AND ADDRESSES. 



The sessions of the Annual Meeting of the Farmers' and Dairymen's Associa- 

 tion at Fredcricton were attended by the Superintendent and an address given by 

 him on the growing of Indian Com for Silage, and the comparative results in food 

 value from the crops of Indian corn and turnips per acre as grown at the Station. 



Ten horses and four cattle were also furnished for the judging classes in con- 

 nection with the same meeting. 



Lectures on live stock feeding and the agricultural capabilities of New Bruns- 

 wick were given before the Short Course students at the Agricultural School at 

 Woodstock in March. 



EXPERIMENTAL STATION FOR EASTERN QUEBEC. 



St. Anne de La Pocatiere, Que. 



character of season. 



With the exception of 1912, the season of 1913 was probably the most unfavour- 

 able for lield work and yield of crops experienced for many years. 



The snowfall during the winter of 1912-13 was very light, biit there was an 

 exceptional amount of rain, and the soil was covered all winter with a heavy coat 

 of ice. This damaged grass land very much, and the clover meadows were com- 

 pletely destroyed. 



The ice and snow were practically all gone by March 22. April, though bright, 

 was windy and cold. It was the driest month of the season, and at its close the 

 soil was powdery on the surface while the subsoil was still frozen. 



May opened warm and dry, but became colder on the 7th, continuing cold and 

 rainy to the end of the month. This was very unfavourable to growth. 



Temi>eratures in June were variable and there were frequent light rain.s. July 

 was rainy and cool, most unfavourable weather for haying, which was in conse- 

 quence delayed in this district until August, with the exception of the hay crop on 

 the Experimental Station, which was saved in July. 



August and September gave the best growing weather of the year and the grain 

 crops were harvested in excellent condition. 



October was rainy and cold. During the month, much of the grain in this dis- 

 trict, which had been sown in June, was harvested. In a section like eastern 

 Quebec, where the growing season is so short and the weather so uncertain, more 

 attention to fall cultivation is very desirable. It would avoid, to a great extent, 

 the late harvesting of the crops and would double the chance of profitable returns. 



Fall work on the land was possible up to November 20. The first snow fell on 

 December 7. January and February were marked by extremely cold weather and 

 frequent snowfalls, though none of them was heavy. March was a cold month, 

 although no extremely low temperatures were registered. The snow and ice dis- 

 appeared during the last days of the month. 



It might be stated that the snowfall in those parts of the counties of L'Islet 

 and Kamouraska bordering on the river and surrounding the Experimental Station 

 is lighter than in other sections in the same latitude. This is probably caused by 

 the low altitude and the proximity of the St. Lawrence. 



ENLARGEMENT OF THE STATION. 



One hundred and twenty-five arpents of land were added to the Station in the 

 fall of 1913. 



