66 



the composition of the wheat the effect of cross-breeding and of 

 environment, and of assisting in the decision as to which hybrids 

 are worthy of perpetuation. 



Many other lines of investigation have been carried on with 

 wheats and flours in relation to baking, etc., particulars concerning 

 which are to be found in the reports and special bulletins of the 

 Experimental Farms. 



WELL WATERS. 



An exceedingly useful branch of work carried on by the 

 Chemical Division has been, and continues to be, the sanitary 

 examination of well waters sent in from all parts of the 

 Dominion for a determination of their purity. More than 2,000 

 such samples have been dealt with and reported upon as regards 

 their nature, quality, wholesomeness, etc. This work has enabled 

 the chemist to report that there is probably no better watered country 

 in the world than Canada, both from the standpoint of quantity 

 and purity. It has also impelled him to repeatedly utter a note of 

 warning in regard to the supply frequently furnished to house and 

 farm buildings from wells or springs open to pollution from barnyard 

 or back door surroundings. It is pointed out that shallow wells 

 adjacent to such conditions may remain good for a few years after 

 a homestead is established, but sooner or later, the soil surrounding 

 them must become saturated and clogged with organic filth and unable 

 to perform its useful work of purification. . The samples examined 

 from year to year reveal a high percentage of polluted waters and 

 these in 90 per cent of the cases, come from shallow wells situated 

 near polluting sources. What is recommended is the drilled or 

 bored well, located at a safe distance from possible sources of con- 

 tamination and effectively protected from the entrance of surface 

 wash. Such wells may be depended upon to furnish in the great 

 majority of cases an ample supply of good wholesome water. 



MOISTURE CONTENT OF SOILS. 



Work upon the moisture-content of soils managed under various 

 conditions of cultivation has shed much light upon the effect of 

 summer fallowing, packing, surface cultivation, etc. Results at 

 Brandon and Indian Head from work upon fields fallowed and 

 cropped the previous year showed that the land that had been 

 fallowed carried much more moisture all through the season than 



