76 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



6 GEORGE V, A. 1916 



light -frost that came when the plants were in bloom. - The berries were smaller than 

 usvial. and many were misshapen. 



INSTALLATION OF A PUMP FOR IRRIGATION. 



One of the main distributing laterals of the Canadian Pacific Railway irrigation 

 system passes through the Station. There is a certain amount of land lying adjacent 

 to this lateral that is too high to be irrigated by it, though nominally " below the ditch." 

 By using a pump and lifting the water 6 to 7 feet it was possible to irrigate this land. 

 In the spring of 1914 a 9-inch suction and 7-inch discharge rotary pump was installed. 

 This was operated by our 20-h.p. gasoline farm engine, and proved to be quite success- 

 ful. Data as to the cost of operation are being collected. 



LrV'E STOCK. 



No breeding stock is kept on the farm up to the present time. 



Winter feeding experiments were carried on with both steers and lambs. 



Eighty-four head of 2- and 3-year-old steers were divided into four lots. They were 

 all given the same amount of grain — ground barley — but different kinds of roughage. 

 Lot I, alfalfa; lot II, alfalfa and green oat sheaves; lot III, green oat sheaves; and. 

 lot IV, dry corn fodder and alfalfa. A small profit was realized on each lot. 



Four hundred and eighty head of range lambs were purchased and put on feed. 

 They were divided into two lots, both lots receiving the same quantity of grain 

 (mixed barley and oats in equal parts, whole) but lot I was fed alfalfa and lot II 

 alfalfa and green oat sheaves. Lot I returned a profit of $1.04 per head, and lot II, 

 $1.37 per head. 



POULTRY AND BEES. 



Work with poultry was started this year. No fowls were obtained in the spring, 

 but eggs from the Experimental Farms at Ottawa, Agassiz, and Lncombe, as well as 

 some purchased locally, were used for hatching. Owing to unsatisfactory quarters for 

 the incubators and the long distance that most of the eggs had to be shipped, the per- 

 centage hatched was not very high. Over 400 chicks in all were reared. One hundred 

 of the best pullets were saved, and 100 hens were purchased. The winter egg production 

 was quite satisfactory. All the pullets are being carefully trap nested. During last 

 spring and summer a very satisfactory start was made in regard to buildings for 

 poultry work. The work for the season of 1015 is starting out quite propitiously, with 

 a fair hatch of rather early chicks. 



The man in charge of the poultry is also looking after the bees. At present we 

 have only two colonies. Honey was extracted from one of these, the other was weak 

 owing to the queen dying during the winter previous. The amount obtained was 100 

 pounds. Work along this line will be extended as soon as it is possible to increase the 

 number of colonies. 



BUILDINGS. 



A six-roomed cottage for the gardener was erected during the summer. An 

 addition connecting the implement shed to the barn was put up. This will be fitted up 

 for a granary, and part of it will be used for a carriage room. A poultry administration 

 building, a brooder house, and two portable colony houses were erected in connection 

 with the poultry department. 



