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SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



May, 1921. 



Functions of the College of Agriculture. 



1. Teaching: The training of teachers, researchers, 

 farmers, members of administrative and technical 

 staffs of Government, journalists, etc. 



2. Research: (a) In pure science, (b) In applied 

 science in relation to problems not primarily interpro- 

 vineial or national. 



3. Extension: The amount and character of the in- 

 vestigational or teaching work undertaken to be deter- 

 mined by agreement with the Provincial Department of 

 Agriculture or the Department of Education. 



Although, as we liave noted, many splendid examples 

 of co-operative effort are to be found in our present 

 systems of agricultural administration and education, 

 the fact remains that closer co-operation and better 

 co-ordination of the agencies working for the develop- 

 ment of agriculture in Canada is not only desirable but 

 ahsolutely necessary. Some, way must be found to 

 bring our different, but naturally related organizations 

 into closer and more effective contact. "Unity of pur- 

 pose, plan and action must be secured." Unnecessary 

 duplication must be eliminated. Agricultural research 



methods must be standardized so that the results ob- 

 tained by one investigator may be compared with those 

 obtained by another. Opportunities must be afforded 

 workers in the same or related fields for contact, which 

 cannot but prove stimulating and enlightening. 



To this end a memorandum setting forth in detail the 

 policy and work of each organization in each province 

 should be prepared and made available for all inter- 

 ested. 



Tlie prospect for these needed reforms originating 

 witliiu the organizations directly concerned is, I fear, 

 not sucli as to give large warrant for success. The sug- 

 gestion that a small body of individuals, with an in- 

 timate personal knowledge of the requirements of Can- 

 adian agriculture, but preferably not officially con- 

 nected with any of the three branches mentioned, make 

 an exhaustive study of the wliole question of the divi- 

 sion of fields of work and of Government assistance 

 thereto in all its phases is one upon which I cannot now 

 improve. The adoption of this suggestion would, in my 

 opinion, lay the foundation for a comprehensive agri- 

 cultural policy whicli would meet most effectively pre- 

 sent day requirements. 



How Plant Breeding Will Popularize 

 The Barley Crop 



By G. H. CUTLER, 

 Professor of Field Husbandry, University of Alberta. 



Notwithstanding the fact that barley antedates all our 

 common cereal grains in point of antiquity, distribution 

 and general utility by man, its relative position today 

 as a world food product is exceedingly minor. _ Even 

 corn, rye, rice and potatoes take precedence over it. In 

 Canada, barley stands third in point of view of produc- 

 tion. In comparison with oats, its greatest feed rival, 

 total production is in the proportion of about six to one. 

 Throughout the Middle West in Canada, its handicap 

 in yield for the years 1915-18 inclusive, in relation to 

 oats, is quite as great as in Canada as a whole. 



When one considers barley from the purely agronomic 

 and economic standpoints, it seems reasonable to predict 

 that it should assume more and more a position of 

 greater relative importance in Western CaJiada, and 

 that the wide difference in produc-tion that at present 

 stands between it and oats should be materially nar- 

 rowed. In its behalf the following may be cited as 

 merits worthy of consideration : 



Eaiiiness—Bsivley ripens in 75 to 100 days, oats in 90 

 to 125 days. This" characteristic commends the use of 

 barley to the northern sections in our prairie provinces 

 where the season is short and early fall frosts are feared. 



A Cleaniiuj Ciop.— Owing again to its earliness, bar- 

 ley can be used as a cleaning crop to seed land that is 

 infested with wild oats— cutting botli wild oats and bar- 

 ley as a green feed. 



Productiveness— Averai^ing the yield per acre over 

 the whole of Western Canada for the years 1915-18 in- 

 clusive the vield of barley was only 15.23 lbs. per acre 

 less than oats. Oats, 1156.45 lbs. per acre ; barley 1141.22 

 lbs. per acre. (1)* 



Value ns a Feerlr-'s Grain— On the basis of the aver- 

 age yield ju.st quoted for Western Canada and total 



• Refer to literature cited on last page. 



digestible nutrients, barley yields approximately 92-6 

 lbs. more actual feed per acre than oats. Yield of bar- 

 ley, 906.8 lbs. ; yield of oats, 814.2 lbs. This combined 

 with the fact that barley far exceeds oats as a finishing 

 grain for liogs and cattle must be viewed with much 

 favor. 



It would seem, therefore, that as a matter of farm 

 economy and management, the barley acreage especially 

 in all northern districts in Western Canada might be 

 greatly extended even at the expense of oats. 



That barley is not more widely grown is probably due 

 to a number of causes, the most potent of which may be 

 cited as (a) the tendency of barley to lodge on rich soils 

 owing to weak straw, (b) the tendency of the heads to 

 break off, (c) the readiness with which the seeds shat- 

 ter and (d) the presence of the beards on the most pro- 

 ductive grain varieties. In this paper the last men- 

 tioned only will be discussed. 



A careful examination into cause number 4 reveals 

 the following interesting facts : 



The beard makes the harvesting and threshing of the 

 crop very disagreeable, — growers frequently having dif- 

 ficulty in getting men to stock and thresh the crop. 



The straw often causes sore mouths in animals that 

 consume it. The pieces of awns pierce the membranes 

 of the mouth and are held tiiere by the numerous curved 

 barbs. AViien sheep are fed on barley the awns work 

 into the wool. 



If we carefully examine the beard of the common 

 barleys under a microseoiie we find very minute, often 

 hooked, teeth distributed along its several edges or 

 nerves. These teeth or barbs are the source of annoy- 

 ance in the barley beard. If tliese were not present the 

 beard in itself would be (piite harmless and unob- 

 jectionable. 



In support of these statements we have only to exa- 



