38 The Ottawa Naturalist. 



products, that it will only be possible for me on the present occa- 

 sion to refer to a few of the more important features of this 

 work and to direct your attention to those conclusions that seem 

 to be of special interest to us as Canadians. 



In 1888 we began an examination of our wheat, the results 

 being published in Bulletin No. 4 of the Experimental Farm 

 Series. That work was almost exclusively confined to wheat 

 grown in Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Not only 

 was the composition of the grain ascertained, but as far as 

 possible the influence of climate, soil and cultivation upon the 

 wheat were studied. Our analyses of the western wheats showed 

 besides other good features, a large percentage of albuminoids 

 (gluten). Both the physical and chemical data testified to the 

 excellent milling qualities and the high nutritive value of the 

 Red Fife as grown in the provinces referred to. The effect of 

 environment upon wheat is an interesting study, but one into 

 which we cannot to-night examine with minuteness. It must 

 suffice to state that the conditions of the North-West appear to 

 be particularly favourable to the increase in the most important 

 constituents of the wheat, viz: the albuminoids the percentage of 

 of albuminoids (or flesh-formers) present being the chief factor 

 used in grading and valuing wheat. 



Further analytical work on Canadian cereals was that done 

 by me when acting as a professional juror at the World's 

 Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Of 166 samples of 

 wheat submitted to analysis, 49 were from Canada. The data, 

 which are published in my report now in press, again furnish 

 ample proof of the very excellent qualities of the wheat from 

 Manitoba and the North-West Territories. Indeed, the averages 

 from these provinces are fully equal to those afforded by the 

 best grain growing districts of the world. The samples sub- 

 mitted by the Province of Ontario at this Exposition had not 

 been selected with care or skill, and, as a result, the general 

 Canadian average of quality appears to be much lower than it 

 really is. 



