60 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



Table of Meteorological Observations taken at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, 

 1897 ; maximum, minimum and mean temperature for each month, with date of 

 occurrence, also rainfall and snowfall. 



Rain or snow fell on 165 days during the 12 months. 

 Heaviest rainfall in 24 hours, 1 - 18 inches on July 12th. 

 Heaviest snowfall in 24 hours, 7 inches on March 26th. 



It ^vill be seen the highest temperature during the 12 months was 97* '2, on July 8th. 

 The lowest temperature during the 12 months was — 25° ' 7, on January 25th. 



During the growing season rain fell on 13 days in April, 14 days in May, 16 days in June, 15 days in 

 July, and 14 days in August. 



September shows the lowest number of days on which rain fell, viz., 6. 

 Rain or snow fell on 18 days diu-ing November, 



WILLIAM T. ELLIS, Observer. 



RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS IN THE CROSS-FERTILIZING OF PLANTS, 



SHRUBS AND TREES.* 



In the spring of 1868 the writer began a series of experiments in cross-fertilizing 

 and hybridizing which have been continued at intervals ever since.** This work has 

 included experiments -with varieties of the gooseberry, red and white currant, black 

 currant, raspberry, blackberry, grape, apple, pear, plum, cherry and peach ; also with 

 different sorts of wheat, barley, oats, pease and rye, and with several species of wild 

 flowers and ornamental shrubs. 



The Gooseberry and Currant. 



The first crosses attempted in 1868 were with the gooseberry. These were made 

 with the object of improving the size and quality of what are known as the American 

 gooseberries, by introducing strains of some of the best English sorts, and at the 

 same time to obtain varieties free from the gooseberry, mildew, Sphcerotheca 

 mors-uvce, which has in the past affected nearly all the English gooseberries 

 grown here, so badly both in foliage and fruit as to discourage their culti- 



• Read before the Botanical Section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science at 

 Toronto, Ont., August, 1897. 



** The term " cross-bred " is used when referring to crosses produced between different varieties of the 

 same species, and the word "hybrid," when referring to forms produced by crossing plants which are 

 recognixed as distinct species. , 



