DIVISION OF TOBACCO 1009 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



good, but weeds caused considerable trouble, especially mustard, bindweed and thistles. 

 However, 19,500 pounds of oats were harvested, of which 7,500 pounds were sent to 

 the Central Farm at Ottawa, and the remainder kept at Farnham to feed the horses. 

 This is an average of 20 bushels per arpent, with an average weight of 35 pounds per 

 bushel. The whole 30 arpents varied in fertility, however. Eight arpents yielded at 

 the rate of 38 bushels each, and 15 others only gave 15 bushels per arpent. The catch 

 of clover was excellent, and at the end of October the plants were 6 inches high. 



Four arpents more, recently broken, and of a sandy character, were sown twice to 

 buckwheat. This was ploughed under each time. The treatment served to destroy 

 weeds to a considerable extent and to increase the fertility of the soil. This part of 

 the farm was manured in the fall, and will be sown this spring to oats and clover, 

 which, if necessary, will be treated with a topdressing of nitrate of soda. 



PLANTATION. 



On May 25, 12,000 plants had been taken from the beds and were ready for setting 

 out. The heavy rain of the 26th prevented this, and the land had to be prepared 

 again. The weather remained wet and cloudy and, notwithstanding our efforts, the 

 soil remained too wet for planting with the machine. It was necessary to plant by 

 hand. Four men planting and two assistants were employed in this work. Eight 

 days after, all the " filler " varieties were planted, that is to say, 2 arpents of Las^ 

 Almas, 2 of St. Felix and 2 of Ciiban. The planting of these three varieties was done 

 in the same manner, the plants being placed 18 inches by 30 inches apart. As it waa 

 planted, the ground was sprinkled with a mixture of corn meal and Paris green. This 

 had to be repeated, the first application being spoiled by the rain. 



Owing to the damp, cloudy, warm weather, the transplanting was very successful. 

 Unfortunately, insects, and especially cutworms did great damage, and it was neces- 

 sary to replace some 70 per cent of the plants. 



On June 3, the planting of the "binders" varieties was begun. This was done 

 entirely by machine, the plants being placed at the usual distance, namely, 18 inches 

 by 30 inches. 



The soil was in very good condition and moist enough to render the application 

 of water unnecessary. The rains of the 8th, 9th, and 10th of June delayed planting, 

 which was finished on the 15th. The planting done was :— One arpent of Havana 

 Seed Leaf, 2 of Comstock Spanish, 2 of Yamaska and 2 of Big Ohio x Sumatra; as 

 in the previous case, the Paris green mixture was used several times. Insects did less 

 damage than in the other plantation, and only about 30 per cent of plants required 

 replacing. Generally speaking, the transplanting was successful. Hot weather com- 

 menced at this time, and everything promised well. 



Beside the main plantation a supplementary one was made of the following 

 varieties : — 



600 plants of Erbasanta 

 600 " " Makhorka 

 1,000 " " Canelle 

 300 " " Sumatra 

 300 " " Big Ohio 

 300 " " Comstock Spanish 



The two first-named varieties could not be harvested; they were too late and the 

 frost of September 8 had practically destroyed them. 



We were able to hybridize fifty flowers of Comstock and forty-two of Big Ohio. 

 This was attended with considerable difficulty as the Sumatra variety flowers long 

 after the Big Ohio and Comstock. However, in the first case, success was obtained with 

 forty-eight seed capsules and in the second, with thirty-five. The seed pods "were 

 well on towards maturity when the frost of September 8 destroyed all seed formed. 



Farnham. 



