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34 Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [vol. x 



made in concert with agricultural chemists in many parts of the world 

 with a view of determining the value of rain and snow as suppliers of 

 nitrogenous plant food and of ascertaining the differences that may 

 exist in the atmosphere in various countries in respect to richness in 

 nitrogen compounds. The average per annum for the past five years 

 so supplied is 6.18 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. 



Water Supply of Farm Homesteads. 



Because of the practical importance of the work I cannot omit 

 some mention of the examination of waters from farm wells, creameries 

 and cheese factories. Every year we find an increasing interest in this 

 matter of a pure water supply on the farm, and though not of the nature 

 of a scientific research, I have every reason to believe that our labours 

 in this connection — ^which means the examination of some hundreds of 

 waters annually — have been instrumental in improving the supplies of 

 the farm homesteads throughout the length and breadth of the land. 

 There is no better watered country in the world than Canada, but too 

 often, alas, health has been sacrificed to convenience, and the farm well, 

 because badly located, is a source of disease rather than one of good 

 health. 



In closing, a few words must be said about our directly educational 

 work. In addition to our reports and bulletins, there is a very large 

 and ever-increasing correspondence in all the departments. Farmers 

 have the privilege of writing us without even the cost of postage on 

 their letters, and they have not been slow to avail themselves of the 

 privilege. Questions on all matters relating to general and special 

 branches of farming daily pour in upon us, so that I can truly say we 

 have become a Bureau of Information on agricultural subjects. And 

 we encourage this branch of our work, for we seek, as we have done 

 from the first, to keep in touch with the farmers and make the institution 

 one of real assistance to the man on the land. In this, I believe, we 

 have met with signal success, so that to-day the attitude of the farming 

 people generally towards the Farms is one of confidence and receptive- 

 ness — an attitude that must tend to an ever-widening of the usefulness 

 of the system. 



The Experimental Farms have undoubtedly exerted an influence 

 of great practical value throughout the length and breadth of the land, 

 and I trust I may have been able in this imperfect and fragmentary 

 presentation of their work, not merely to justify their existence but to 

 furnish evidence of the wisdom and forethought of the Government in 

 their establishment. 



