1-2 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1902 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM FOR MANITOBA. 



REPORT OF S. A. BEDFORD, SUPERINTENDENT. 



Brandon, Man., November 30, 1901. 

 To Dr. Wm. Saunders, 



Director Dominion Experimental Farms, 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith my fourteenth annual report, with 

 details of experiments undertaken and work accomplished on the Brandon Experi- 

 mental Farm during the past year. 



The past winter was unusually mild. Snow fell early and the ground was com- 

 pletely covered until spring, but owing to the absence of severe wind storms there were 

 very few drifts. 



Spring opened about the average date, the first seeding being done at the Experi- 

 mental Farm on the 8th of April, but on the 15th of April there was a heavy snow 

 storm which delayed seeding for a week. After this date the weather was favourable 

 and seeding was finished by May 16. 



During the latter part of May the weather was unusually hot and dry, so much so 

 that in a few instances young plants were completely killed. 



On June G, there was a heavy fall of wet snow. The growing grain was com- 

 pletely covered, while trees and shrubs were bent to the ground and in many instances 

 severely injured. 



On the night of the 7th of June, there were six degrees of frost, which severely in- 

 jured both wild and cultivated fruits. 



The rainfall in June was above the average and the growth of grain rank, but 

 very soft and favourable to the spread of rust. 



July was quite favourable for the growing crop, and August was dry and free of 

 frost. 



September and the early part of October were very showery and unfavourable for 

 stacking and threshing, and much of the wheat became badly bleached, but the yield 

 of all kinds of grain was largely above the average in nearly every part of the pro- 

 vince, and the country has produced much the largest crop of grain in its history. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRING WHEAT. 



Perhaps the most important feature, this year, in connection with this, our most 

 valuable grain, is the remarkably Tiniform excellence of the crop throughout the pro- 

 vince. In no portion of the country has the crop been a failure, and in nearly all 

 parts the yield has been above the average. In addition to this the area sown is larger 

 than usual, these two features combining to make it the largest crop of wheat grown 

 in the country. 



Owing to the rank growth of straw and the unfavourable weather, the crop wa3 

 unusually expensive to harvest and thresh, and it is feared that a considerable portion 

 of it, in some districts, will remain in the stack all winter. 



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