160 Canadian Record of Science. 
Observations on Early Ripening Cereals.* 
By Wm. Saunpers, DrRECTOR OF EXPERIMENTAL Farms, OTTAWA. 
“In this paper the author gave some interesting and prac- 
tical results which have been obtained from the distribution, 
for test, of a variety of spring wheat, known as ‘ Ladoga’ 
which was imported from Northern Russia in the spring of 
1887. From careful observations extending over a series of 
years in Russia, it has been shown that wheat and other 
cereals ripen in léss time in the northern provinces than 
they do in the more southern parts of that Empire, the dif- 
ference in favour of the north varying from 12 to 35 days. 
While this may be partly attributable to the influence of 
light during the long summer days, there is no doubt that 
the cereals in the north have undergone gradual changes 
by which they have accommodated themselves to a shorter 
period of growth, and thus acquired an early ripening 
habit. 
“‘Shortly after the author was appointed Director of the 
Experimental Farms of Canada, he opened correspondence 
with seed dealers in Russia with the objece of securing the 
earliest ripening wheats grown in that country. This cor- 
respondence resulted in the purchase of a quantity of 
Ladoga wheat, a variety much esteemed in Russia, but new 
to Canada. This wheat was grown near Lake Ladoga, 
north of St. Petersburgh, in lat. 69—840 miles further north 
than Ottawa—where the summer season is shorter than 
in any of the settled portions of the Northwest of Canada. 
A large proportion of this grain was distributed by mail in 
3ib sample bags to such farmers as were found willing to 
test it and report upon it, the greater part being sent to 
Manitoba and the Northwest. The reports which have been 
received place the period of ripening of the Ladoga wheat 
on an average at from ten to fifteen days earlier than other 
varieties in cultivation, a difference which, if maintained, 
will suffice to ensure the ripening of this wheat soon enough 
to escape the early autumn frosts which in the past have 
always caused more or less injury to the crop in the Cana- 
