FIRM CROPS OF CXXIDA IN 1901 51 



A, The pasture is ploughed under on the fourth year, and that contains some 

 clover, clover also is sown with the mixed crops in the fifth year and ploughed under 

 with the manure for the roots and corn. 



Another important matter on which we have had additional evidence during the 

 past year, is in regard to the improvement of seed by selection, by picking out the large 

 heads from a crop and using the best of the grain so obtained as seed. This work haa 

 been carried on at Brandon, Indian Head and Agassiz. At Brandon 34 varieties have 

 been sown in plots side by side, the grain from the picked heads being grown next to 

 the plots sown with unselected seed. This unselected seed, however, has been screened, 

 so that it has been a good example of screened seed. The plots varied considerably in 

 yield. In some the crops from the selected heads did best, and in some cases the best 

 crops were obtained from the unselected seed. In the 34 plots of wheat grown from 

 the selected hand-picked heads the average yield of the whole was 33 bushels 39 

 pounds per acre, whereas the 34 plots sown with the unselected screened grain gave 

 an average yield of 33 bushels 48 pounds per acre, an average of 9 pounds per acre 

 in favour of the screened seed. 



At Indian Head only one variety of wheat was tested in this way and that was 

 Red Fife. In this instance there were three plots sown, one from seed taken from 

 large heads selected by hand; second, seed from the ordinary crop well screened, and 

 third, the small seed which was left as the screenings from the well cleaned grain. 

 The crop from the selected heads was 59 bushels 40 pounds; from the well screened 

 seed, 67 bushels, and from the small seed screenings, 59 bushels 40 pounds. In this 

 instance the advantage was with the screened seed, the yjiall wheat screenings having 

 given the same crop as the selected heads. 



By Mr. Lovell: 



Q. It did just as well when it was not selected, as when it was ? 



A. The screenings did equally well with the selected heads. 



Q. What was the weight per bushel in each case ? 



A. The weight of the grain grown from the selected seed was 63 pounds per bushel, 

 from the unselected screened seed 61J, and from the small screened seed ,62 pouads. 

 The selected seed gave the heaviest grain. 



By Mr. Rohinson {Elgin) : 



Q. That would hardly pay for the trouble of screening ? 



A. I have not yet given you all the results. At Agassiz eleven varieties of wheat 

 and eight varieties of barley were similarly tested, the grain from the unselected 

 heads being sown in plots alongside of those sown with the hand-picked selected heads. 

 In this instance nine of the wheats grown from the selected heads have given the 

 larger crops and two from the unselected heads, the average difference in favour of 

 the seed from the selected heads at Agassiz being 5 bushels 4 pounds per acre. The 

 eio'ht varieties of barley sown there, all gave larger crops from the seed from selected 

 heads. While in two instances the difference was onl^ 20 pounds per acre, yet the 

 average difference in favour of the seed from the selected heads of barley was 1 bushel 

 24 pounds per acre. It seems evident from these experiments and from others that we 

 have tried before, that where the soil is very uniform, as it is on the North-west plains, 

 and where it is highly charged with plant food, there is not the same advantage gained 

 in selecting seed that we have in other parts of the Dominion, where the land is more 

 variable and contains less plant food. We have had in a former season from rejected 

 seed that would not be saleable at all for seed purposes at Indian Head, as good crops 

 as we had that year from well screened seed. 



It would appear that where the seed is sown in a soil where there is an abundance 

 of nitrogenous matter and other plant-food, and its power of holding the moisture 

 is good, there is such an abuadance of food for the young plant, that it does not matter 



