Canadian Agriculture. 
257 
formed, sharp-polated grains of rye, with a well-defined groove 
or furrow. But it is too large and shapely for rye. Professor 
Macoun inforin5 me by letter that it was first cultivated, and is 
still grown, at Edmonton, on the North Saskatchewan, and that 
the grain originally sown was obtained from the crop of a wild 
goose some twelve years ago. He inclines to the opinion that 
it came from Alaska, or from some Russian settlement across 
Behring's Strait, and adds that wild geese invariably take to the 
corn stubbles on their way from the north in autumn. The 
Edmonton farmers call it " wild goose barley." I have a few 
grains in my possession and hope to raise some plants, and thus 
get an opportunity of examining " goose wheat " more closely. 
The following figures show the acreage and yield of barley 
during the last two years in Manitoba : — 
Acreage. 
liushels per Acre. 
Total Yield. \ 
1883 
GO, 281 
30-00 
Bushels. 
1,808,430 
18S4 
40,930 
32-83 
1,343,928 
The acreage in 1884 thus shows a falling off of over 31 per 
cent, as compared with 1883, and the yield is 464,502 bushels 
less. The reasons assigned are the want of railway facilities in 
some districts, and the unsatisfr ctory state of the markets in 
1883. The average dates of harvesting barley in the backward 
season of 1884 were : — cutting began August 26, ended Sep- 
tember 11 ; stacking ended September 28. 
Similar information about the oat crop is given in the follow- 
ing table : — 
Acreage. 
Bushels per Acre. 
Total Yield. 
1883 
215,431 
44 00 
Busliels. 
9,478,964 
1884 
128,487 
39-67 
5,107,079 
The falling-off last year is attributed to the unsatisfactorv 
prices which were obtainable for the surplus grain in 1883, and 
in many cases to the distance from market. Oats sown on 
spring breaking of the sod were necessarily put in late, and, as. 
a consequence, the crop incurred damage. All information 
collected last year points to the conclusion that oats, and barley 
too, must be sown early to be successful, and until this point is. 
strictly attended to satisfactory results cannot be expected. 
VOL. XXI. — S. S. S 
