183 EXPETdMEXTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



EXPERIMENTAL STATION FOR CENTRAL QUEBEC, 



CAP ROUGE, QUEBEC. 



REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT GUS. A. LANGELIER. 



CHARACTER OF SEASON AND CROP NOTES, 1913. 



For the fanner in the districts about Quebec, 1913 was a very good year. The 

 spring was very early, grain seeding commencing at this Station on April 29. Haying 

 began on July 9, but not until a couple of weeks later was the bulk of clover and 

 timothy cut. IVTanchurian barley was the first field grain harvested, it being cut on 

 August 6, and by the 30th of the same month practically all grain was in the stock. 

 The first snowfall recorded was on November 26, when about 2 inches fell. Freezing 

 up took place the following day. 



As affecting the hat/ crop. — The mild winter of 1912-13 left bare many meadows 

 and pastures, which were injured by frost. On the undrained, low areas, practically 

 all the clover was killed and some of the grasses siiffered. The crop of hay, however, 

 with the splendid growing weather of June and early July, was a fair one in the dis- 

 trict and averaged over two tons per acre at this Station. 



Aa affecting the gram crop. — The spring of 1913 was one of the earliest in many 

 years, some grain being sown the latter part of April. The thermometer went down 

 to 25.2° F on May 15, and to 27.2° F on May 17, and no doubt this early-sown grain, 

 which was only a few inches high at the time, was affected by these frosts. All grain 

 sown from the 7th to the 15th of May made a splendid growth, there being just enough 

 precipitation and heat at this period to give what was nearly a record crop in the 

 district. Farmers who delayed sowing until the end of May saw their grain at a 

 standstill during the drought which lasted throughout August, and harvested crops 

 yielding much lower than they would have obtained had they been more diligent. 

 The crop of oats was a very heavy one at this Station, averaging over 78 bushels per 

 acre. 



As affecting the corn crop. — Though early sown cereal grains were not greatly 

 affected by the drought, Indian corn suffered severely. It is a heat-loving plant, but 

 requires plenty of moisture to grow well, and the farmers who did not conserve 

 moisture by cultivating often had a poor crop. During the night of September 14, 

 frost nipped the corn and terminated its growth. Our yield here was about 25 per 

 cent below the average. 



' As affecting roots. — The growth of roots was no doubt delayed by the drought of 

 the latter part of sunmier, but the cool nights of September and October, coupled with 

 a fair precipitation, gave them a renewal of vigour with the result that an average 

 crop was harvested both here and throughout the district. 



