REPORT OF TEE DIRECTOR 105 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Ontario last year, to date, only two have been sold as being unprofitable, and the rest 



iave increased in apparent value at least sixty-five per cent. Three pure-bred cows 



rid one pure-bred bull were purchased during the summer. The herd is just now 



netting into shape so as to be fit to do experimental work upon, and since January. 



L913, a certain amount of work has been carried on with regard to the cost of handling 



. dairy cattle and determining the value of certain foods. Very careful data are also 



eing kept of all operations in connection with the herd, so as to have a valuable 



foundation for future work. 



It is gratifying to be able to report a substantial increase in the number of hogs 

 kept on the Farm, nearly all the increase being Farm-bred. There has been a very 

 great demand during the year for breeding stock, particularly the Yorkshire breed, 

 and the supply has been some seventy per cent short. The demand has come chiefly 

 from the newer districts. 



The Agassiz herd is still headed by Summerhill Jerry 21st, and there are on hand 

 eleven brood sows, ranging in age from nine months to four years. 



Although this branch has been somewhat handicapped' by lack of adequate accom- 

 modation, there have been but few losses during the year, and the hog branch has 

 proved one of the most profitable on the Farm. Some experimental work was carried 

 on, and valuable data obtained. 



With regard to the sheep, the experience of the past year has proved that they 

 are a valuable adjunct even to a dairy farm, and although some of the oldest ewes 

 were sold, the flock increased considerably during the year. The Horned Dorset 

 breed is kept exclusively, and the demand for this breed has increased three hundred 

 per cent in two years. They seem to be well adapted to the damp climate and the 

 lowlands on which they are kept, and are proving to be prolific breeders and very 

 easy keepers. 



The Poultry branch has been enlarged considerably. The breeds kept at present 

 are Barred Plymouth Rocks, Single Comb White Leghorns, and Single Comb Rhode 

 Island Reds. Last year the incubator capacity was not large enough to allow the 

 raising of sufficient stock to permit thorough culling in the fall, and there was not, 

 during the winter, the quantity of poultry that had been expected in the previous 

 spring. During the summer, one new laying-house and a small incubator cellar were 

 built, and, at present there is a large number of eggs set for early chicks. It is 

 hoped this year to increase the flock very materially and to get started early in the 

 fall with some experimental work. Trap nesting was carried on with the Barred 

 Rocks and Leghorns, with fairly gratifying results. 



With regard to bees, the past season has been more successful than the previous 

 one, and a considerable amount of information has been gathered regarding their 

 care and management under conditions such as obtain in the lower Fraser valley. 

 Commencing the year, there .were eleven colonies, but one died early in the season, 

 as they were all quite low in stores. During the summer, swarming was prevented 

 as much as possible, and but two were hived. One of these produced honey freely. 

 In the autumn, there were twelve hives and all had from twenty-five to forty-five 

 pounds of stores, and there was some three hundred pounds of honey to sell. During 

 the winter, two hives were lost probably from too much moisture, there being a back- 

 ward tilt to the hives. At present, there are remaining ten hives. These are in 

 excellent condition, there being plenty of stores and the queens laying, although 

 spring conditions have not been good. They were wintered outdoors, being covered 

 only with some roofing felt to protect them from high winds and rain. The fronts to 

 the south were left open. All work in connection with the bees, with the exception 

 of extracting some honey, was done by the Superintendent, at odd times. The twelve 

 hives took about eight hours work for the twelve months. 



