92 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



and the tests are being continued through a series of years. With 

 regard to the best time to sow, it has been shown that a difference 

 of a week or two in the time of sowing makes an enormous difference 

 in the yield. 



A very valuable addition in equipment that has been made to 

 this division in recent years is a small flour mill and baking apparatus. 

 It is now possible to make satisfactory milling and baking tests 

 from very small quantities of wheat ; hence an important feature 

 has been added to the work of the cereal division, and the pos- 

 sibilities of doing good service to the country have been considerably 

 increased. All the new varieties produced at the experimental 

 farms are subject to milling and baking tests before being dis- 

 tributed to farmers for trials. 



This system has made it possible to eliminate some undesirable 

 new sorts which though very promising in most respects were 

 found to be deficient in flour strength for bread making. 



Testing in this way has also clearly demonstrated the inferiority 

 of club wheat and Western farmers have been strongly advised 

 to discontinue sowing it. In the same way it has been shown that 

 flour from very soft Red Fife wheat has markedly less strength for 

 baking purposes than that obtained from very hard Red Fife. The 

 two samples compared were both grown in the same district of 

 Manitoba but on different kinds of soil. This investigation into 

 the quality of wheats is to be extended to all the leading sorts of 

 both spring and winter wheats now grown in Canada. It is believed 

 that many farmers pay too little attention to the quality of the 

 varieties they grow, and in many instances it will be found practic- 

 able to substitute superior sorts for those now being cultivated. 

 At present, however, the information obtainable by farmers in 

 regard to the quality of the leading sorts of wheat is very meagre, 

 and with the Canadian system of marketing grain in large bulk 

 of mixed lots, it is desirable in the interests of all that only wheat 

 of a high standard of quality should be grown. 



The Chemical Division 



Part of the equipment of the Central Experimental Farm 

 consists of a splendid chemical laboratory where since 1887 it may 

 be said the building of the agricultural chemistry of Canada has been 

 going on. Owing to destruction of the original laboratory by fire in 

 1896, the present building was erected. It is of a most up-to-date 

 description, consisting of basement, main and upper floors. The main 

 floor is occupied by two laboratories and offices for the chief chemist 

 and two assistant chemists. The upper floor provides rooms for 

 storage of samples and for photographic purposes, while the store 

 rooms for chemicals, apparatus, and grinding and milling rooms are 

 in the basement. This institution and its resources are devoted to 

 the aid of Canadian farming by research work, analysis, and cor- 

 respondence. In this it has been the studied policy from the out- 

 set, as in all the departments of the experimental farm system, 



