REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 67 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPEEIMi::N^TAL STATION FOR CENTRAL QUEBEC. 



Cap Rouge, Que. 



character of season. 



For the farmer of central Quebec, 1913 was a very good year. The spring wa3 

 exceedingly early and the only drawback was the drought which lasted throughout 

 August. Those who sowed early, cultivated their hoed crops well, and attended to 

 their work in time, did not suffer materially from this dry period. 



Hay. — The mild winter of 1912-13 left bare many meadows and pastures," and 

 there was not much clover. Still, the crop of hay was a fair one, due to the splendid 

 growing weather of June. At the Station, it averaged over two tons per acre. 



Grain. — The crop of grain was the heaviest seen in central Quebec for years. 

 There was just enough precipitation to hasten germination, also to force vegetation, 

 and all which was sown before May 15 escaped the bad effects of the drought of 

 August. At the Station, oats for the trial plots were put in on the last two dtiya 

 of April; the main crop averaged over 78 bushels per'acre. 



Coi^n. — The drought of August was detrimental to Indian corn, and a rather 

 early frost, on the night of September ]4, cut down the yield in tons. 



Roots: — Though momentarily stopped by the dry weather of August, roots 

 recuperated under the beneficial effects of the cool nights of September and Oct' her. 



Fruit. — Tlie temperature was just right for fruit, with the exception of a fr. st 

 during the middle of May. This hurt the early flowering trees. 



Vegetables. — The season was as good as could be wished for. Vegetables and 

 peppers, as well as egg plants, matured their fruit for the first time at this Station. 

 A lot of tomato seed was saved, which shows that temperatures were favourable. 



Flowers. — There was enough heat and precipitation, at the right time, for flowers. 



LIVE STOCK. 



All the live stock did well during the year. 



Horses. — There are now seventeen horses at the Station : twelve French 

 Canadians — nine mares, two yearling fillies, one colt; two teams of from 2,60O to 

 2,900 pounds weight, and a driver of about 1,000 pounds. 



Experiment — Winterijig a horse at low cost. — This experiment was continued for 

 the third year. 



Cost of raising horses. — Very few people have an idea of what it costs to raise 

 a horse until he is fit to work or to sell. To throw light on this subject, it is intended 

 to weigh the feed given to young animals. A colt dropped on May 31, 1913, l.ad 

 eaten food amounting to $27.51 by April 1, 1914. On the latter date, when he was 

 ten months old, he weighed 735 pounds. The average weight of the sire and dam 

 of this weanling is about 1,075 pounds. 



Dairy cattle. — The herd now comprises fifty-three head of pure-bred and grade 

 French Canadians. There are one aged and three yearling bulls, twenty-seven cows, 

 nine yearling heifers and thirteen calves. Out of this number, there are sixteen 

 grade cows and heifers. These grades are kept to see if a profitable herd can be 

 developed from them by using pure-bred bulls as sires. The profits given by eighteen 

 cows which completed a lactation period during the year, were from $107.10 dowa 

 to $24.22, neglecting the labour item. 



