5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 



CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA. 



REPORT OF THE ASSISTANT DOMINION FIELD HUSBANDMAN— 



0. C. WHITE, B.S.A. 



AYEATHEK CONDITIO:sS AND CHOP NOTES, 1913. 



The season of 1913 will be recorded as one of the worst in the history of the 

 Ottawa valley. Clovers, as a rule, came through the winter in a weakened condition, 

 and were in many cases completely killed out during the alternate freezing and thaw- 

 ing of the early part of April. Seeding was commenced on the average date for the 

 previous ten years, namely, the twenty-third day of April, and was continued under 

 favourable conditions until its completion. Mangels, potatoes and corn were practi- 

 cally all sown by the end of May, though the weather became colder and rather more 

 unfavourable towards the latter part of the month, and on farms where drainage was 

 not good seeding of corn was delayed into June. The drought of this month ijiateri- 

 ally reduced 'the yields of all field crops. Late-sown roots, especially turnips, germin- 

 ated poorly, hay made very slow growth, and pastures became badly burned up towards 

 the end of the month. July continued comparatively dry and very hot. Corn, roots 

 and potatoes suffered greatly, oats made scarcely any growth, and hay, a great deal 

 of which was left standing in the hope that rain would ultimately come and improve 

 it, was literally burned up. Our average yield of two tons per acre cannot be taken 

 as a criterion of yields throughout the district. ' Not half a crop ' was the general 

 comment of farmers in the ▼icinity. Temperatures in August continued high, and 

 while more rain fell than in July, comparatively dry weather obtained until near the 

 end of the month. These rains helped the root and com crop considerably, but were 

 too late to ensure any material growth of straw. Grain filled fairly well, however, and 

 both yield and quality were much better than was promised early in the season. At 

 the Farm here approximately 55 acres of oats were harvested, the average yield being 

 50 bushels per acre. September was exceptionally fine, but frosts on the 15th and 16th 

 did much damage to corn, which yielded considerably below the average here, and 

 very much below throughout the locality. On the Farm, cutting began on the 20th of 

 the month and the corn was practically all ensiled by the 30th. October was a 

 splendid month for the growth and harvesting of roots, which, in spite of their poor 

 beginning, yielded almost up to the average returns for this i'arm. The weather con- 

 tinued very open and mild until late November, final freezing up occurring on the 

 28th of the month. 



The following records regarding field operations and the weather may be of 

 interest : — ^ 



First date of sowing field grain, 1913 April 23. 



First date of sowing field grain, average of eleven years.... April 23. 



Earliest date of sowing field grain, 1903 to 1913 April 10 (1910). 



Latest date of commencing seeding field grain, 1903 to 1913.. May 4 (1904). 



First date of sowing mangels, 1913 April 26. 



Date of sowing potatoes, 1913 May 15. 



First date of sowing corn, 1913 May 23. 



Date of commencing hay harvest, 1913 July 7. 



Date of commencing- grain harvest, 1913 August 2. 



Qiite of commencing corn cutting, 1913 September 20. 



Date of harvesting mangels, 1913 October 27. 



Date of freezing up, 1913 November 28. 



Average date of freezing up, 1903-1913 November 23. 



Earliest date of freezing uo, 1903-1913 Nov. 15 (1911). 



Latest date of freezing up, 1903-1913 Dec. 1 (1908). 



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