82 . EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1914 



There was precipitation during thirteen of the eighteen first days of June. This 

 kept seeding back so long that many farmers could not put in more than half the 

 grain which they had intended to sow. The bulk of the oats was sown, at the Station, 

 during the first and second weeks of the month, corn from the 19th to the 26th, 

 potatoes on the 24th, swedes on the 28th and 29th. 



A drought lasted from the 20th of June until the end of July. The land, which 

 had been repeatedly flooded in early June was now parched and cracked. Everything 

 had been sown late, and the dry weather stopped germination. At the Station, hay- 

 ing commenced on the 10th and was finished on the 20th. 



August was wet and cold. Farmers who had delayed haying had a great deal 

 of trouble, besides obtaining only a poor quality of feed. Grain grew well during 

 this month, but corn, potatoes and roots were at a standstill. 



September was damp and cloudy, sunshine averaging only a little over three 

 hours per day. Corn did not grow, and was practically a total failure all through 

 the district. 



October was wet, as it rained on seventeen days. Nearly all the grain was cut 

 during this month at the Station and vicinity. Much of it was still green, and most 

 of it was light and will be useless for seed in 1913. Cutting corn was only begun 

 on the 1st, and potatoes were dug ion the 12th, at the Station. 



November was dull, there being only 26-2 hours of sunshine during the month. 

 Swedes were pulled from the 6th to the 11th. On the 14th, sleighs were used, but 

 were discarded for wheels on the 22nd, and put into use for the winter on the 26th. 



December was quite mild. The rain of the 20th, immediately followed by severe 

 cold, caused a great deal of damage to fruit trees. 



January was also very mild, and the rain of the 17th brought the snow down to 

 ten inches. This was about two feet less than usual. 



February was colder than last year, and furnished the only regular winter 

 weather of the season. There were two bad storms, on the 15th and 22nd, and trains 

 on most railways were either cancelled or very late. 



March was mild and wet. The rains caused an early thaw, and the cold weather 

 of the end of the month froze the ground which had been uncovered early. Thie will 

 injure meadows and pastures, especially on low-lying places where the water stood. 



FIELD WORK. 



That the season was a very bad one, can readily be seen when crops of 1911 are 

 compared with those of 1912. For instance, corn only yielded 21 per cent of what 

 it did last year; swedes, 38 per cent; potatoes, 25 per cent; oats, 71 per cent. Hay 

 yielded about the same as the year before. 



Cultural experiment with Indian corn. — This was commenced in 1911 and con- 

 tinued in 1912. The following figures show comparative yield for the two seasons : — 



In drills, 42 inches apart, 8 inches between plants. . 100 per cent. 



48 " " 8 " " " .. 95 



In hills, 42 " " 42 " « " .. 69 " 



« 36 " " 36 " " " .. 65 



Of course, these results are far from definite, and too much importance should 

 not be attached to them until two or three more experiments, at least, are made. 



Rotations. — To make room for the extension of the orchard, one of the 6-year 

 rotations had to be dropped out temporarily. A five-year rotation, however, was 

 started so that there are now four: one 3-year, one 4-year, one 5-year, one 6-year. 



