1921.] 



Seed Improvement in Canada. 



851 



-enough for either purpose. The skins produced during the 

 summer months are of inferior quality and are mostly used for 

 making felt for hats, but winter skins are of high quality and are 

 eagerly sought after by the manufacturers. It is improbable, 

 however, that rabbit production as a separate business would be 

 profitable, even allowing for the value of the carcass, but all who 

 are able to keep a few rabbits mainly on waste material should 

 do so, both because they would be producing cheap food and a 

 useful fur. In this respect the Belgian peasants and small- 

 holders show more initiative in exploiting their opportunities 

 ihan do cottagers and smallholders in this country. 



****** 



There are many agencies in Canada having for their object 



the encouragement of the production and use of good seed. 



g ee ^ Among these may be mentioned field crop 



competitions, combined seed crop and 

 Improvement , -, -, -, , • 



in Canada cleaned seed competitions, seed lairs, pro- 

 vincial seed exhibitions, and seed centres, 

 while the Canadan Seed Growers' Association and the Dominion 

 and Provincial Departments of Agriculture take a leading part 

 in the movement. 



In the April and June issues of this Journal an indication of 

 the methods adopted to improve the Canadian wheat crop by 

 means of breeding new varieties and distributing them to farmers 

 at low cost was given. Further particulars of the campaign for 

 good seed, including crops other than wheat, are contained in 

 the Agricultural Gazette of Canada for March- April last. The 

 experimental Farms Branch of the Dominion Department of 

 Agriculture has a number of Illustration Stations in various parts 

 of the country. An example of the value of these stations is 

 cited : farmers in the vicinity of a station were induced last year 

 to grow 850 acres of clover seed, estimated to be worth $50,000 

 more than would have been the case with the regular crop. The 

 distribution of tobacco seed by the Dominion Department has 

 been one of the chief contributory causes of the increasing 

 value and importance of the tobacco industry of Canada ; while 

 the extension of the flax industry, both in connection with fibre 

 and seed, is largely due to the activity of the Flax Division of 

 the Experimental Farms Branch. 



The Seeds Branch promotes the greater production and use 

 of first-quality seed in several ways. In addition to its seed 

 inspection service, which helps to prevent the sowing of dirty, 

 non-vital seeds, it supports the Canadian Seed Growers' Associa- 



f 2 



