68 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



land remained wet a long time owing to poor drainage facilities. There was no 

 grading, nor any open furrows, the land had been cross-ploughed and, furthermore, 

 it rained almost continually. The fields planted in tobacco were manured at the rate 

 of 18 tons to the acre. 



Beds. — The beds had been established on some nearby land, kindly put at our dis- 

 posal. They were seeded on April 12 and 13, and the seedlings were ready to be 

 transplanted on May 28. 



Transplanting. — On account of unfavourable circumstances, transplanting could 

 not be started before June 15, and was not finished until the 30th. The seedlings 

 took root slowly. They were beginning to weaken, as some of them had been kept 

 over ten days. Cutworms and army worms did a great deal of damage, and a great 

 number of plants had to be reset. 



Plantation. — The following varieties were included in the plantation: Big-Ohio- 

 x-Sumatra, Yamaska, Havana-Seed-Leaf, Brazil, Comstock Spanish, Rusticas and 

 Cuban. The growth was slow and weak. Owing to the dampness of the season, the 

 greater part of the tobacco went to seed prematurely and less than half a crop was 

 obtained. The only variety that had a normal stand on some parts of the plantation 

 was the Big-Ohio-x-Sumatra. 



On the Farnham Station, the seedlings were set out late, and the crop was 

 harvested at the end of September. The last part of it was taken in on the 26th. 

 The rains which fell during the harvesting operations prevented the tobacco from 

 ripening completely. Curing was, however, effected without any trouble. 



Fall Ploughing. — As soon as the tobacco crop was safely housed in the curing 

 barn, the whole farm was ploughed up; land which had been twenty years in sod 

 was ploughed as early as possible. Some grading was done and furrows were opened 

 for carrying off the water in the spring. The ditches were cleaned and deepened, and 

 the plot which was to be planted in tobacco in 1913 was manured in the fall at the 

 rate of 18 tons per acre. The effect of this treatment was soon noticeable; the land 

 which in May, 1912, could not be cultivated was almost ready in March, 1913, in 

 spite of a wet spring. 



Buildings. — None of the buildings that were on the farm when the Division took 

 it over were in shape to be used. One of the sheds was used temporarily as a shelter 

 for agricultural machinery, but a curing house had to be built as soon as possible. It 

 was completed in the first days of September. This curing house is large enough to 

 receive the crop of twelve acres. In the fall and winter, a horse stable, a stripping barn 

 and a double-purpose shed, to serve as curing house and implement shed, were built. 

 With its present equipment, the Farnham Station is able to produce and take care 

 of 15 acres of tobacco. • 



THE HARROW STATION. 



The common varieties of tobacco used in southern Ontario are grown and tested 

 on this Station. Owing to the nature of its soil, it is more especially adapted to the 

 growing of Burley tobacco. 



A three-year rotation is followed: grain, tobacco and corn. Clover is sown with 

 the grain, and ploughed under in the spring, when the land is being prepared for the 

 setting out of tobacco. 



The fall wheat was seriously injured during the winter and the land had to be 

 seeded over again in the spring. On the other hand, a splendid crop of corn was 

 secured, and yields of 145 bushels to the acre were obtained on some plots. 



