DITISTOX OF CERE. if. S 



767 



C'ESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



v''Lptember, and all of the early-sown grain was saved in excellent condition. Tho 

 rainfall of October was excessive and almost continuous. The weather was unseason- 

 ably warm, sprouting' considerable of the late grain, the greater part of which was 

 not saved until the cool w^eather of November came. 



Taken as a whole, the season was favourable to large yields. The very earliest 

 gr-iin did not do so well as the later varieties. The late-sown grain gave very large 

 yields but was very badly injured by the weather conditions of autumn. 



ITNIFOKM TEST PLOTS OF CEEEALS. 



The uniform test plots of cereals were sown as follows: Spring wheat, May 13; 

 oats, May 15; barley, May 22. The grain was sown on duplicate plots of one-sixtieth 

 of an acre each from haud-selected seed obtained from the choice heads of the 1912 

 cereal plots. The paths between the plots were 4 feet wide; these Avere seeded down to 

 grass with the plots and one scrape of the light harrows used to cover them. Ten pounds 

 of Early Red clover, 3 pounds of alsike, and 1 pound of White Dutch clover were sown 

 per acre. This made a very strong growth and the paths were cut for hay in August. 

 The plots wei'e rogued twice, and every precaution used to maintain the purity of 

 the diri'erent strains of grain. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRING WHEAT. 



The grain grew very strong, except one plot of Chels-ea which was weaker owing 

 to an unavoidable dead-f'.a-row. Scarcely any rust occurred, and the percentage of 

 loose smut was much lower than last year; all heads observed were destroyed at once. 

 The seed was treated with foma.aldehyde for stinking or ball smut; the result was most 

 satisfactory. 



Spring Wheat. — Test of Varieties. 



*Plots injured by sparrows, damage estimated. The yields from Nos. 1. 4, 5, 6, and 8 are the {iverages 

 from duplicate plots. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. 



The oats were very slow coming up, being fully two weeks sown before they 

 were well above ground. The seed was all carefully treated with formaldehyde at the 

 rate of 1 pint to 30 gallons of water, and though the seed wa^s quite badly infested with 

 loose smut (Ustilago avenue) yet a careful examination tliroughout the summer showed 

 that the smut had been destroyed and that the grain was free from it. The plots of 

 Daubeney headed out nine days before any of the other varieties and two weeks before 

 the Norway. The weather was such that the Daubeney did not lill nearly so well as 

 those beading out later. 



IG — 50J Charlottetown. 



