IMPROVEMENT OF SEEDS AND SEED GRAINS. a7 
By Mr. Ross (Ontario): 
Q. Is Sir William Macdonald still going to continue the giving of prizes? 
A. They were given only for three years, but Sir William has said that if the 
Sovernment is not willing to stand behind the seed growers’ association with enough 
money to make the thing national he will be glad to do it. I have said it is a question 
that so concerns the nation that I have asked the Minister to put in the estimates a 
sum sufficient to do this on behalf of the government. It is intended then to let the 
Macdonald-Robertson Association become the Dominion of Canada Seed Growers’ 
Association. We expect to have a Bill, perhaps this session, to make these associa- 
tions subject to the control of the department as the live stock associations are. 
Q. Quite right! 
By Mr. Thomson (Grey): 
Q. Are these associations distributed throughout the provinces? 
A. The members of the one association are distributed pretty well throughout all 
the provinces; the places where we had the largest percentage were in the French part 
of Quebec and in Prince Edward Island. We expect provincial and district associa- 
tions will be formed. 
By Mr. McGowan: 
Q. I should think there would be no need to give prizes. 
A. No, there is no need to give prizes, but it would seem desirable, after these 
associations are started in each county or group of counties perhaps, that the man 
who keeps his plot best, has it cleanest and has the best yield, should obtain some re- 
cognition, a prize perhaps like those at agricultural exhibitions. 
By Mr. Erb: 
Q. You recommend selecting the very largest heads of wheat; but when selecting 
sugar beets you advise choosing the medium sized root. What is the difference? 
A. The difference is this, that a large head of wheat contains more grains of 
wheat, of as good quality, than a small head, whereas a very large beet contains a 
smaller percentage of sugar than a medium sized one. The sugar grower desires to get 
the largest quantity of sugar per acre and finds that in a crop of roots of medium size. 
We find in grain the larger the plant the better. In many instances in the competition 
we found the number of bushels per acre almost double the number of grains per head. 
Q. Is it found that the larger beets do not contain such a large percentage of 
sugar as the medium sized ? 
A. That is the rule, I believe, to pick out the medium sized for mothers. 
By Mr. Robinson (Elgin): 
Q. Is that found to be the rule, twice the number of bushels pe. ucre that there 
are grains per head? me 
A. That appeared to be indicated by the observations that have been made in the 
Macdonald competition> 
Some beets have the habit of growing out of the soil more than others, and the 
growers discard that kind of beet because the part above ground contains less sugar 
nd—— 
a Q. What did you say about the part above the ground? 
A. It is found to be largely mixed with impurities difficult to separate from the 
sugar. 
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