REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. g 



eubstituted and this variety was also sown in 1893. The following are the recordti 

 of the dates of sowing, coming up and ripening of the wheat each year : — 1888 

 sown May 23rd, appeared above ground May 28th, ripe August 24th. 1889, sown May 

 17th, came up May 22nd, ripe August 30th. 1890, sown April 28th, come up May 13th, 

 ripe August 12th. 1891, sown May 9th, came up May 18th, ripe August 24th. 1892^ 

 sown May 6th, came up May 15th, ripe August 14th. 1893, sown May 27th, came up 

 June 2nd, ripe August 23rd. It will thus be seen that the White Eussian wheat 

 required from the date of sowing to maturity a period of 93 days in 1888; 105, in 

 1889; 106, in 1890; and 107, in 1891, or an average for the four years of nearly 

 103 days. The Campbell's White Chart" matured in 100 days from the date of sowing 

 in 1892 and in 88 days in 1893, an average for the two years of 94 days. 



TREATMENT OP SOIL. 



The usual treatment of the soil on all the grain plots has been to gang plough 

 soon after harvest and after the shed grain and weeds have well started to plough 

 again about 7 inches deep. In spring the plots have been disc-harrowed twice before 

 applying the fertilizers and again harrowed with the toothed or smoothing harrow 

 before sowing. On those plots where barnyard manure has been used, the manure has 

 been lightly ploughed under as soon as possible after it has been spread on the land and 

 harrowed with the smoothing harrow before sowing. Wherever barnyard manure 

 is spoken of it is understood to be a mixture of horse and cow manure in about 

 equal proportions. 



REMARKS. 



The season of 1891 was quite favourable for wheat growing whereas 1890 and 

 1893 were specially unfavourable which will in a measure account for the great 

 variation in the crops of these years notwithstanding the quantities of fertilizers 

 applied to the land in the intervals. This also serves to show that the character of 

 the season has a more immediate effect on the crop of the year than any application 

 of fertilizers no matter how complete or li'^eral that may be. We may however 

 rest assured that the useful elements of fertility stored in the soil will not be lost, 

 but that they will materially aid in every favourable season by increasing the crop 

 returns. 



BARLEY PLOTS. 



The quantity of seed sown per acre on the barley plots was 2 bushels in the 

 years 1889, 1890 and 1891 and 1^ bushels in 1892 and 1893. Two-rowed barley has 

 been used for seed throughout the whole period. The variety chosen for the first 

 three years was tho Saale barley, which is highly esteemed by the brewers of G-reat 

 Britain, followed by the Goldthorpe in 1892 and the Duckbill in 1893. In 1889 the 

 seed was sown May 17th, came up May 22nd and the grain was ripe August 20th, 

 1890, sown April 28th, came up May 13th, was ripe August 11th. 1891, sown May 

 9th, came up May 16th, was ripe August 17th. 1892, sown May 6th, came up May 

 15th, was ripe August 18th. 1893 was sown May 27th, came up June 2nd and was 

 harvested August 20th. The average time required from the date of sowing to 

 maturity during the three years in which the Saale barley was used as seed was 99f 

 days, the Goldthorpe matured in 1892 in 104 days from date of sowing and the 

 Duckbill in 1893 in 85 days. 



