280 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 19H 



In addition to these, or rather included in them, is the work in connection with 

 the branch Farms, the forest' belts planted both for ornamental purposes and to test 

 the rate of tree growth; meetings attended; publications; and visits to the horticul- 

 tural districts for the purpose of studying conditions in different parts of Canada. 



POMOLOGY. 



Under pomology is included the study of varieties of fruits for the purpose of 

 learning their relative merits in regard to yield, season, quality, and profit. It also 

 includes the identification, classification, and description, as well as the propagation, 

 planting, and care of fruits, with experiments in cultural methods, including spray- 

 ing. The exhibition and judging of fruits may also be grouped under pomology. 



During the past year, this part of the work has received much attention. Many 

 varieties have been described in detail on cards, which are filed for future reference 

 and compilation. Varieties which have been sent in for identification have been 

 named, and the information sent to the correspondents. Many new varieties were 

 propagated for test on the Central and Branch Farms and for trial in other places, 

 and a number of new ones have been planted out at Ottawa. 



Fruit was exhibited at the Provincial exhibition, Quebec; the Central Canada 

 exhibition, Ottawa; and the annual meeting of the Society for Horticultural Science, 

 at Cleveland, Ohio. Fruit was also judged at several places by officers of the Horti- 

 cultural Division. The general care of the orchards at the Central Experimental 

 Farm also involved much work. 



VEGETABLE GARDENING. 



This includes the testing of varieties of vegetables for comparison of their 

 relative merits as regards season, yield, quality, etc. ; the comparison of different 

 strains of the same variety; cultural methods, and spraying; and the study of com- 

 mercial methods, both in the field and under glass. In 1912, especial attention was 

 paid to potatoes, peas, and tomatoes, though all the principal kinds of vegetables were 

 under experiment. 



ORNAMENTAL GARDENING. 



Under ornamental gardening comes the culture of ornamental trees, shrubs, and 

 herbaceous plants; the study of«their individual characteristics, such as height, form, 

 colouring, and season of bloom, so that information will be available to Canadians 

 to enable them to plant their places in such a way that the tiees, shrubs and herbaceous 

 plants will blend or be contrasted with one another to form pleasing landscape effects. 

 The education of the people by lectures and bulletins on ornamental gardening and 

 t lie encouragement of the beautifying of home surroundings, so much needed in 

 Canada, is also a part of ornamental gradening which received attention during the 

 year. In addition, large collections of roses, irises, phloxes, paeonies, lilacs, gladioli, 

 geraniums and other ornamental plants have been got together to study. There was 

 a fine display of these at the Central Farm in 1912 and visitors were much interested 

 in them and pleased with the ornamental grounds as a whole. 



The forest belts, planting in which was begun in 1888, furnish interesting data 

 on the relative growth of the different timber trees and the merits of mixing the 

 species or planting them in blocks of one kind. The annual measurements of a number 

 of trees were taken in 1912, as in previous years. 



PLANT BREEDING. 



The improvements of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants by- cross-breeding 

 and selection and the study of the laws of inheritance in different kinds and varieties 



