DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 



623 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



In addition to the above-mentioned plot experiments with red clover, started in 

 1911, a new line of work was taken up, viz., breeding from individual plants. 



A large number of samples of red clover seed were collected during the summer 

 1911, in different parts of Canada, principally from the provinces of Quebec and 

 British Columbia. From these were selected, in 1912, thirty-seven samples, each of 

 which came from one single plant. From each sample thus selected, twenty hills were 

 planted, two feet apart each side. On account, however, of the weather conditions and 

 other unfavourable factors, only a comparatively small number of the hills produced 

 plants. 



ALFALFA. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year 1912-13, twenty plots of alfalfa, secured from 

 different sources, were growing at the Central Experimental Farm. From these plots 

 three cuttings were taken, the first June 22, the second July 24, the third October 3. 



The yield is given in the following table : — 



Alfalfa. — Yield of Different Varieties. 



Number. 



1 



2 



o , 



4 , 



5 



6 



7 



8 



9 



10 



11 



12 



13 



14 



15 



16 



17 



18 



19 



20 



Average 



1st cut. 



Tons. Lb. 



1,920 



640 



960 



680 



800 



280 



1,940 



1,600 



900 



630 



800 



890 



1,320 



1,280 



1,920 



280 



960 



1,760 



160 



1,280 



250 



2nd OCT. 



Tons. Lb. 



1 

 I 

 1 

 1 



1 

 1 



1 

 1 

 1 

 2 

 2 

 1 

 1 

 1 

 1 



240 



810 

 1,480 

 1,320 



120 

 1,120 

 1,680 



800 

 1,920 

 1,910 

 1,520 

 1,920 

 1,760 



160 

 80 

 1,840 

 1,440 

 1,460 

 1,680 

 1,680 



1 1,047 



3rd CUT. 



Green. 



Tons. Lb. 



1,240 



1,440 

 660 

 620 

 180 

 900 



1,220 

 120 



1,820 



1,020 



1,240 



680 



480 



1,900 



1,020 



1,640 



210 



100 



2 1,925 



Dry. 



Tons. Lb. 



.... 1,120 

 .... 1,980 

 .... 1,920 

 .... 1,820 

 .... 1,240 

 .... 640 

 .... 1,280 

 .... 1,320 

 .... 800 

 1,920 

 1,840 

 1,120 

 1,110 

 160 

 1,440 

 1,440 

 1,120 

 1,390 

 1,090 

 1,390 



1,407 



Total Yield. 



Green. Dry 



Tons. Lb. 



15 

 19 

 19 

 18 

 15 

 14 

 12 

 14 

 11 

 12 

 18 

 18 

 16 

 20 

 17 

 18 

 18 

 16 

 16 

 16 



1,800 



840 

 1,180 

 1,620 



460 

 1,540 

 1,340 

 1,040 



660 



80 



1,020 



280 



640 

 1,560 



780 



1,180 



60 



3C0 

 1,410 



620 



16 1,124 



Tons. Lb. 



3 



4 

 5 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 3 

 3 

 2 

 3 

 5 

 4 

 4 

 5 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 

 4 



1,280 



1,430 



360 



1,820 



160 



40 



900 



1,720 



1,620 



460 



160 



1,930 



190 



1,600 



1,440 



1,560 



1,520 



610 



930 



350 



704 



In order to ascertain the influence of self- and cross-fertilization of alfalfa on 

 the production of seed, experiments were planned and started by Mr F. S. Browne, 

 B.S.A. The results obtained so far seem to indicate that alfalfa plants can be 

 readily fertilized by their own pollen. The experiments will, however, be continued 

 during 1913 and the final results reported upon, when more data are available. 



TIMOTHY. 



During the summer of 1911, about 450 samples of timothy seed were collected 

 from wild plants, the majority of which were from the province of Alberta. With a 

 view of producing, by proper breeding, new and constant varieties of timothy of 



