22 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



About the first week of October, after the crops have been harvested, the land is 

 prepared for sowing, as in the spring, ploughed or spaded and raked ready to receive 

 the seed. The seed is then sown just before the freeze up. The advantage of this is 

 tbat the land worked up in the autumu thaws out more quickly in the spring and seeds, 

 slow to germinate, such as carrots, onions and parsnips, being thoroughly moistened 

 by the melting snow, spring up as soon as the frost is out of the ground. There is a 

 difference of from fifteen to eighteen days in germination between seed sown in the 

 fall and in the spring. 



REPORT OF EXPERIMENTS ON THE FRUIT FARM OF THOS. A. SHARPE, 



SALMON ARM, B.C. 



The soil on this farm is mostly gravelly loam and, with proper preparation, is 

 excellent for the production of clover and alfalfa, and of suitable varieties of apples, 

 plums, prunes, sour cherries, and all small fruits. 



Potatoes were exceptionally good in quality this year. 



In 1908, thirty-nine varieties of plums and prunes were planted. 



APPLES. 



Of the apples, nineteen varieties fruited in 1912; of these, Longfield, Jonathan, 

 Ira and Newtown Pippin fruited freely and are all valuable varieties. The others 

 produced only a few specimens, not sufficient to judge of their quality or productive- 

 ness. 



There were also fifty-eight varieties of apples planted in the experimental orchard 

 in 1911 and 1912, and nearly thirty varieties either in nursery on the farm or ordered 

 for this spring's planting. 



CHERRIES. 



Two varieties were planted, Olivet and Planchoury. Both produced good crops 

 of fine fruit, of excellent quality for shipping and canning, as well as for eating out 

 of hand. Two varieties are planted in nursery and about twenty ordered for this 

 ppring's planting. 



PLUMS AND PRUNES. 



All the varieties of plums and prunes fruited. 



German prune, Shropshire damson and Primate were the best in quality and 

 productiveness, Purple being a good second. These are all good shippers. Two 

 varieties of Reine Claude fruited, but ripened so late that they are evidently not 

 adapted to this district. 



About twelve varieties of plums have been ordered for this season's planting. 



PEARS. 



There are thirty-eight varieties planted in the orchard, and several sorts in the 

 nursery. 



SMALL FRUITS. 



Blackberries. — Eldorado, Snyder and Stone's Hardy. These have grown vigour- 

 ously and fruited well without winter protection. 



Red Raspberries. — Cuthbert, Pauline, Columbian and King. These have proved 

 vigourous and fruitful, also without protection. 



Grapes. — Saunders' Seedling, Delaware, Brighton and Worden. These were all 

 vigourous growers and ripened their fruit. 



