REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 47 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



To the public, there will be introduced only a few of the very best sorts. The great 

 disadvantage of introducing too many varieties for the use of the farming community 

 is fully recognized, and any such error is being carefully guarded against. Very 

 short lists of varieties recommended for cultivation in the different provinces are 

 published from time to time, for the guidance of farmers. 



CROSS-BREEDING AND SELECTING CEREALS AT OTTAWA. 



Cross-breeding and selection have been continued as in other years. An interest- 

 ing new beardless barley called - Arlington Awnless,' which has recently been intro- 

 duced by the Department of Agriculture at Washington, furnished an opportunity of 

 making some promising new crosses for the production of still better beardless sorts. 

 Crosses were also made last summer between Marquis and Prelude wheats, for the 

 purpose of combining, as far as possible, the splendid qualities of these two varieties. 

 Other crosses in wheat and oats, were effected. 



The amount of material now on hand is very great, but it is felt that some new 

 crosses should be made from time to time, so that Canada may not lose the high posi- 

 tion she now holds by the remarkably successful efforts which have been made here 

 for the improvement of cereals. 



DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY. 



As heretofore, the work of the Chemical Division, under the superintendence of 

 Mr. F. J. Shutt, Dominion Chemist and Assistant Director, has been carried forward 

 with a two-fold purpose — the prosecution of research which might lead to the solution 

 of problems in Canadian agriculture, general and specialized, and) the more immediate 

 and direct education and assistance of the individual farmer in matters pertaining 

 to his every-day work. Though spoken of here, for the sake of clearness and con- 

 venience, as distinct classes of work, there is, at times, no sharp line of demarcation 

 to be drawn between them. One frequently prompts and assists the other and thus it is, 

 {that many investigations of wide importance have been taken in hand as the result 

 of information or suggestion contained in a correspondent's appeal for help. Much 

 of the most fruitful and timely work, yielding results of an essentially practical and 

 widely useful character, has been the outcome of efforts to obtain the data necessary 

 to enable one judiciously to advise ,the farmer in his difficulty. 



Naturally, no detailed account can be given in the report of the year's activities 

 in this branch of the work, which seeks directly to advise and inform the farmer 

 through correspondence. It must, therefore, suffice to say that the endeavour has 

 been made to make the Division a Bureau of Information in matters relating to the 

 Chemistry of Agriculture, to which all may apply, and that there is a steadily increas- 

 ing number of those who are sending in questions having reference to the economical 

 maintenance and increase of soil fertility, the nature and amounts of plant-food 

 constituents in manures and fertilizers, the special requirements of crops and farm 

 animals, the relative nutritive values of forage crops and feeding stuffs, the composi- 

 tion of dairy products, the constitution and preparation of insecticides and fungi- 

 cides, and a host of allied subjects in general and specialized farming that call for 

 chemical aid. The experience of twenty-five years has shown this work of answering 

 inquiries and reporting on samples sent in by farmers to be most useful, giving help 

 v, lien and where it is wanted to those who will benefit by it. It has proved very 

 popular and it is thought, successful in disseminating knowledge to those on the 

 farm and further, has won for the reports and bulletins of the Farms many interested 

 and earnest readers. This educational work necessarily occupies a considerable por- 

 tion of the time of the Chief of the Division. 



