14 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 



CONFERENCE OF SUPERINTEKDENTS. 



In January last a conference lasting four days was held at Ottawa between the 

 superintendents of the branch Farms and Stations and the officers of the Central 

 Farm. A programme covering the subjects to be discussed was drawn up and fillowed. 

 The conference did much to systematize the work at the various Farms and Stations, 

 and to strengthen the esprit de corps of the whole staff of the Experimental F. rnis 

 vSystem. 



NEW STATIONS 



MORDEN^ MAN. 



In January, an area of some 280 acres was purchased near Morden, in southern 

 Manitoba, and preliminary work thereon was commenced this spring, under the super- 

 vision of Mr. Charles Boyle, as foreman-manager; 



SUMMERLAND, B.C. 



On the Penticton Indian reserve, at Summerland, B.C-, 550 acres were taken over 

 for Experimental Station purposes. Of this area, 275 acres are irrigable. The remain- 

 ing 275 will be worked under '" dry-farming " conditions 



On November S, Mr. R. H. Ilelmer was appointed Superintendent of the Summer- 

 land Station. 



Up to March 31 of this year, 91 acres have been cleared and ploughed. A 

 large amount of lluming and ditching has been done, and other preparations made 

 for irrigation, and an agreement made with the municipality of Summerland for 

 supplying water for the above purpose from the town water system. 



EXPERIMENTS AT FORT VERMILION, PEACE RIVER DISTRICT, 



ALBERTA. 



Seeding commenced on April 30 at the Station, and was general in the district 

 during the first week in May. May and June were favourable to rapid growth although 

 the rainfall was light. Haying commenced July 15, and the first grain (Black Mesdag 

 oats) was cut on the 22Tid. Strawberries were ripe by that date, and raspberries by 

 the end of the month. Prelude wheat was cut July 4. 



The first killing frost occurred on the night of September 7. 



Some fencing was done on the Station, taking in an additional area of 3 acres. 



The amount of fall work done in the Peace River district was considerably above 

 the average, owing to the favourable weather. 



The winter of 1914-15 has been a very mild one, with ample snowfall, which 

 should provide abundant moisture for germination and early growth. 



Nine varieties of wheat tested gave yields of from 63 to 44 bushels per acre; 

 five varieties of oats from 120 to GO bushels per acre. Four varieties of barley (six- 

 row ) gave returns of from 57 to 51 bushels per acre, and two varieties of two-row 

 yielded 62 and 61 bushels per acre, respectively. One variety of peas tested, the 

 Arthur, yielded 45 bushels per acre. 



Five sorts of potatoes gave returns of from 441 to 210 bushels per acre. Garden 

 vegetables such as peas, onions, carrots, asparagus, rhubarb, celery, beans, beets, par- 

 snips, turnips, cucumbers, marrows, squash, pumi>kins, cauliflower, cabbage, and 

 tomatoes were successfully grown and were of fine quality. 



Corn for ensilage, six varieties of which were tried, ran from 20 to 16 tons per 

 acre. Field turnips (four varieties) from 20 to 15 tons; mangels (four varieties) 

 from 36 to 20 tons: and field carrots (four varieties) from 36 to 26 tons per acre.. 



