32 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



2 GEORGE V., A. 1912 



REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS IN AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE 



AT KAMLOOPS, B.C. 



The following report, under date of March 31, 1911, has been received from Mr. E. 

 W. Calhoun, Superintendent of the Harper ranch, Kamloops, B.C., on the results of 

 some experiments which have been conducted, under the instructions of the Minister of 

 Agriculture, by the Director of Experimental Farms, on ten acres of land set aside 

 for that purpose. 



It is proposed to conduct, from year to year, on this land, experiments with winter 

 wheat and spring grains; a portion also has been set aside for the testing of varieties 

 of apples. These tests are being arranged so as to gain experience as to the best 

 methods to follow in growing grains and fruit trees under the dry conditions which 

 prevail in the vicinity of Kamloops. 



Harper Ranch, Kamloops, B.C., March 31, 1911. 



To Dr. Wm. Saunders, C.M.G., 



Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I beg to submit herewith a report of the work done during the past season 

 on the ten acres of land placed at the disposal of the Dominion Department of Agri- 

 culture on the Harper ranch, Kamloops, B.C. 



After fencing, this land was first broken in May, 1909, and backset in June ; the 

 ground was very dry at the time, but the fall grains were seeded in August, and the 

 packer was used as directed. During the following winter, we had a very light snow- 

 fall which did not exceed four inches in all, and only lasted for three days. In a 

 climate like this, where the evaporation is so great and the snowfall so very light, the 

 land was really drier in the spring when the vegetation should have started, than it 

 was in August when the grain was seeded. 



On January 9, two samples of winter wheat which had been grown on one acre 

 of the land seeded August 31 at the rate of one bushel per acre, were sent to the Ex- 

 perimental Farm at Ottawa. This grain headed out about June 2, 1910, and was cut 

 on July 5."" 



The plot seeded at the rate of about thirty lbs. per acre, owing to the unfavour- 

 able season, yielded very little, while the spring grains, for the same reason, were 

 practically a failure. 



APPLE TREES. 



We received from Mr. Thos. A. Sharpe, Superintendent of the Experimental Farm 

 at Agassiz, sixty-one yearling apple trees which were planted on April 8 about four 

 inches deeper than they had been in the nursery. Each tree was given about three 

 gallons of water at the time of planting and on May 3 a similar watering was given, 

 removing enough of the loose earth from the surface so as to hold the water close to 

 the tree, and, as soon as it had soaked into the ground so that it would not puddle, we 

 rilled it again with the dust mulch so as to retain the moisture. In June, a similar 

 watering was given. With the exception of three trees, they all survived, and appar- 

 ently went into the winter in good condition. 



Yours truly. 



(Sgd.) E. W. CALHOUN. 



* When received, this wheat was handed to the Dominion Cerealist, who reports on it 

 as follows: — 'The sample of Kharkov winter wheat which has been received from Kam- 

 loops from the crop raised there last season, is excellent hard wheat, of admirable ap- 

 pearance, and weighing a little over 65 lbs. per bushel.' 



