REPORT OF MR. AXGUS MAC KIT 

 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



463 



FALL WHEAT. 



When visiting Southern Alberta in connection with Farmer's Institute work, in 

 March last, many fields of fall wheat were noticed on the drive from Hagrath to 

 Pincher Creek, which have since given large yields of grain. 



With the object of again testing fall wheat on the farm, seed of two varieties was 

 secured and sown on August 5, on a particularly well prepared piece of fallowed land. 



The seed was put down as deep as it was possible for the seeder to work, in the 

 hope that the roots may be sufficiently far below the surface to save them from the 

 effects of spring thaws and frosts, which have heretofore been fatal to fall wheat. 



When the first killing frost came this fall, the wheat had attained a height of 

 eight inches, and the leaves formed a thick mat entirely covering the ground. 



While it is very gratifying to learn that fall wheat has been such a success in 

 Alberta this year, it is not safe to conclude that it will always be so. Last spring was 

 particularly free from thaws and frosts, and as soon as the growth started there was 

 no set-back ; resulting in an excellent crop. In former tests made here with fall 

 wheat, there has never been any difficulty in getting it safely through the hardest 

 winter, and in 1S99, which was perfectly free from spring thaws and frosts, it pro- 

 duced a very heavy crop of straw, but the grain was unfortunately struck by rust and 

 completely destroyed. In all other trials, the alternate thawing and freezing from 

 April 20 to May 25 has entirely killed the crop. 



These thaws and frosts have hitherto made the growing of clovers very difficult on 

 the Experimental Farm, and so long as the Territories are subject to them, it will be 

 advisable not to risk too much on either fall wheat or clovers. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. 



Sixty-four varieties were tested on plots of l-20th acre each ; fourteen of the 

 same varieties were sown on plots of i to 11 acres, and Banner was used in the test of 

 formalin as a preventive of smut. 



The crop on the whole surpassed any previously grown on the farm. 



With the exception of 8 acres of Banner oats sown on backsetting, and the plot3 

 in the rotation test, all the tests were made on land fallowed in 1900 and in good con- 

 dition for crop. 



The seed used was well cleaned by mill and was of excellent quality. 



TEST OF VARIETIES. 



Sown on fallow by hoe-drill, on May 9, at the rate of 2 bushels per acre. 



The grain stood up well, and none of the plots sustained any injury from lodging, 

 smut or rust, except Bonanza, which was, for some unknown reason, very smutty. 



The rust mentioned in the following detailed result of the test was simply on the 

 leaves and did no damage whatever. 



