A REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE DOMINION 

 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is now over a quarter of a century since the Dominion Experi- 

 mental Farms system was inaugurated under the Directorship of 

 Dr. William Saunders who remained at the head of the system until 

 his retirement a little more than a year ago. This period has been 

 marked by an extraordinary development of Canadian agriculture. 



In the early eighties, when it was decided by the Government 

 that something should be done to improve the conditions of agricul- 

 ure, the industry had reached a comparatively low ebb. In the older 

 provinces, the land was commencing to show in a pronounced way the 

 results of primitive methods of cultivation. In the newer provinces, 

 just then opened up, the conditions of soil and climate called for very 

 different methods from those to which the farmers in this and other 

 countries had been accustomed. This condition, with the other 

 already mentioned, demanded a widespread movement that would 

 cope with the situation in all parts of the Dominion. 



The advancement that has been made is fairly accurately repre- 

 sented in the production of the principal cereals and numbers of live 

 stock in 1891 compared with 1912. These are shown in the following 

 tables: 



WHEAT OATS BARLEY 



Bush. Bush. Bush. 



1891 41,144,779 82,515,415 17,148,198 



199,236,000 361,733.000 44,014,000 



HORSES CATTLE SHEEP SWINE 



1,470,572.. 3,997,78!.. 2,563,78!.. 1,733.850 

 1912 2,336,800.. 6,983,700.. 2,36O,6OO.. 2,656,400 



These figures do not, however, reveal the backward methods 

 under which farming was carried on in those days, and which were 

 most in need of improvement. 



In the older provinces, as on the Prairies at the present time, 

 it was the rule to depend chiefly upon the sale of grain for revenue. 



