APPENDIX TO THE REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTAL FARMS REPORTS FROM THE DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE DIVISION OF CEREALS DIVISION OF BOTANY DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS DIVISION OF POULTRY DIVISION OF TOBACCO FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1914. PRINTED BY ORDER OF PARLIAMENT. OTTAWA PRINTED BY J. he L. TACHE, PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1915 [No. 16.— 1915.]— 32 iiiH f i , 2... 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. .1915 APPENDIX TO THE REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE ~-.r ■ ' — — -■" I EXPERIMENTAL FARMS REPORTS FROM THE DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE DIVISION OF CEREALS DIVISION OF BOTANY DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS DIVISION OF POULTRY DIVISION OF TOBACCO FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1914. PRINTED BY ORDER OF PARLIAMENT. *<. OTTAWA PRINTED BY J. dk L. TzVCHE, PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1915 [No. 16.— 1915.]— 32 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 CONTENTS VOLTJIVIE II SECTION B. — Continued. Pi-epared by Pages. Horticulture^ Report from — Ottawa, Out "W. T. Macoun ; M. B. Davis, B.S.A., C. F. W. Dreher, B.S.A. ; P. B. Buck, B.S.A. ; A. J. Logsdail, B.,S.A 483-748 Charlottetown, P.E.I J. A. Clark, B.S.A 553-559 Nappan, N.S W. W. Balrd, B.S.A 560-574 Kentville, N.S W. S. Blair 575-602 Fredericton, N.iS W. W. Hubbard ecS-eiS Ste. Anne de la PocatiSre. Que Jos. Beg-in 614-615 Cap Rouge, Que G. A. Langelier 616-642 Brandon, Man W. C. McKillican, B.S.A 643-663 Indian Head, Sask T. J. Harrison, B.S.A 664-676 Rosthem, Sask W. A. Munro, B.A., B.S.A 677-684 Scott, Sask R. E. Everest, B.iS.A 685-692 Lethbridge, Alta W. H. Fairfield, M.S 693-707 Lacombe, Alta G. -^I. Hutton, B.S.A 70'8-719 Agasslz, B.C P. H. Moore, B.S.A 720-731 Invermere, B.C G. E. Parham 732-734 Sidney, B.C S. Spencer 735-736 Cereal Division, Report from — Ottawa, Ont C E. Saunders, B.A., Ph. D 751-765 Charlottetown, P.E.I J. A. Clark, B.S.A 766-771 Nappan, N.S W. W. Baird, B.S.A 772-777 Ste. Anne de la Pocatifere, Que Jos. Begin 778 Cap Rouge, Que G. A. Langelier 779-784 Bran, 1914. when visiting Fredericton to address the New Brunswick Fruit Growers' Association. June 19 to -23 was spent at the Experimental Station at Kentville, N.S., and in ■visiting the demonstration orchards at Berwick and Bridgetown. During this visit the experimental work was gone over and discussed with the Superintendent. While attending the annual meeting of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association on January 20 and 21, I again had the opportunity of visiting the Station and meeting the Superintendent. The Experimental Farm, Nappan, N.S., was reached on June 23. While here I marked a number of trees and shrubs^ near the house and on the grounds, for removal as they were crowding others or encroaching on the roadway. The closing up of a long range of beds devoted to annuals was suggested, thus extending the lawn over to and into the orchard, putting the bed east of this extension. I visited the Experimental Station, Charlottetown, P.E.I., on June 25, and went over the experimental work with the Superintendent. Changes on the ornamental grounds were suggested looking to the improvement of the same. These included the closing up of an iris, pa3ony, and rose bed, the making of two new beds parallel to the main driveway and also a perennial border along the trees bordering the public road, between the main driveway and the road to the barn. Ottawa. 486 - EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 MEETINGS, ADDRESSES, AND PLACES VISITED. Every year meetings are attended and addresses given by the staff of the Horti- cultural Division, and places are visited where information can be obtained vs^hich will be useful in the work. In November, 1913, I visited the Massachusetts Ag-ricultural Station, Amherst, Mass.; the New England Apple Show, Boston; and the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; at all of which places valuable information was gained. During the same month I attended the annual meeting of the Society for Horticultural Science, Washington, and delivered an address on " The Characteristics of One Hundred Northern Spy Apple Seedlings." The biennial meeting of the American Pomological Society was also held here and at this meeting I gave an address on " The Present Status of Canadian Pomology." I also responded on behalf of the " North " to the address of welcome. As one of the jury of three on " The Student Eruit Judging Contest," held in comiection with the meeting of this society I was able to render further service. At the exhibition of fruit held by this -society at the time of the meeting I showed a collection of nearly one hundred and fifty varieties of apples all of Canadian origin. Most of these were new varieties originated at the Central Farm at Ottawa. For this collection the Canadian Government was awarded a silver Wilder medal. On December 2 and 3, 1913, I attended the winter meeting of the Quebec Pomological Society at Westmount, Que., and gave an address on " Experiments in Fruit Culture at the Central and Branch Farms." At the annual meeting of the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, held at Kentville, I spoke on "Strawberry Culture" on J anuary 21, 1914, and at the annual meeting of the New Brunswick Fruit Growers' Association on January 23, delivered addresses on " Some New Varieties of Apples " and " Experiments in Orchard Culture at the Central Farm." At the short course in horticulture at Macdonald College, I gave two addresses on February 11, one on " Work in Horticulture on the Experimental Farms " and an illustrated lecture on " The Beautifying of Home Grounds." On February 20 I gave an address on " Bulbs, Planting and Forcing" before the Ottawa Horticultural Society. I gave addresses at the meetings of the Niagara Peninsula Fruit Growers' Association on February 25, 26, 27, 1914, at Grimsby and St. Catharines, Ont., on "Fruit Growing, Varieties and Methods Throughout Canada ;' "Best Varieties of Plums, Pears and Apples for Commercial Orchards"; "Best Varieties of Strawberries and RaspbeiTies for Commer- cial Plantations"; and "Influence of Temperature on Fruit Growing." The twenty- fifth anniversary of the Burlington Fruit Growers' Association was attended at Bur- lington on March 11, 1914, when addresses were delivered on "Horticultural Methods in Different Parts of Canada with their application to Burlington," and on "Varieties of Fruits for the Burlington District." My assistants in the Horticultural Division also rendered considerable service during the year. Mr. F. E. Buck judged the flowers and fruits at the exhibition at Perth, Ont., and Knowlton, Que., in September, 1913. He also judged at Carp on October 1. He attended the annual meeting of the Ontario Horticultural Association at Toronto on November 20 and 21, 1913, and gave addresses on " Recent Experimental Work " and- notes on " New and Little Known Annuals tested at Ottawa." In September, 1913, Mr. C. F. W. Dreher attended the meeting of the American Vegetable Growers' Association at Toledo, Ohio. Earlier in the season he paid a visit to the Horticultural Experiment Station, Vineland, Ont., the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, Ont., and the Cornell Agricultural College, Ithaca, N.Y., to study methods employed there and results. On the same trip he visited the Bow Park Farm, Brantford, Ont., and vegetable growers in the vicinity of Toronto and London, Ont., for the same purpose. He also attended the meeting of the Ontario Vegetable Growers' Association held in Toronto, November, 1913. Ottawa. ■ DIVISION OF. HORTICULTURE 487 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Mr. A. J. Logsdail visited the Grimsby district to collect pollen for breeding work in May, 1913, and to do some crosising there. He also attended the meeting of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association in Toronto in November, Mr. M. B. Davis delivered an address at the meeting of the Quebec Pomological Society on December 2 on " Co-operation in Nova Scotia." He attended the annual meeting of the New York State Horticultural Society at Rochester, N.Y., in January, 1914, and at that time made a special study of spraying machinery. On February 20 he gave an address on " The Outlook for Fruit Growing " at a meeting of the St. Lawrence Valley Fruit Growers' Association at Morrisburg, Ont. He spent several days in the Niagara peninsula in March, 1914, making a special study of the "dehorn- ing " of apple trees. NEW GREENHOUSES ERECTED FOR THE HORTICULTURAL DIVISION, CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM. Four new greenhouses erected for the Horticultural Division at the Central Experimental Farm are neariug completion and are already occupied. They are what is known as the Pierson U-Bar flat-iron curved-eave construction and will give about 7,500 square feet under glass. They are heated with hot water from sectional boilers, and consist of a main house 107 feet 6 inches long and 25 feet wide, divided into two by a glass partition, and three. detached houses 12 feet apart on one side of it, each 58 feet 6 inches long and 25 feet wide, and each connected with the main house by a glass portico. The main purposes to which these houses will be put are as follows: — Five different kinds of benches are being installed which will be tested for relative usefulness and durability. On these and in the solid beds on the ground different methods of culture of flowers, vegetables, and of some fruits will be tried. The cross-breeding of flowers, fruits, and vegetables will be carried on during the Avinter months, and selections made from existing varieties or strains, A specialty will be made of the testing of florists' novelties and reporting on the same. Although tomatoes, radish and lettuce are the winter vegetable crops usually fi-rown, it has been found that other kinds of vegetables succeed well when forced, and experiments will be tried with a variety of crops. Experiments will be tried in the forcing of ^strawberries, grapes and other fruits. This winter several hundred pots of strawberries are being forced with the object of learning which succeeds best. Fifty pots of fifteen varieties of £T:iropean grapes are being forced, it being believed that there will be a growing demand for these grapes in Canada, Being in pots the vines do not take up space permanently in the houses, but can be moved about when necessary. In England grapes are successfully forced in this way^ A large number of plants are needed for bedding on the ornamental grounds at the Central F^arm, and the greenhouses will be utilized for propagating these. Hitherto the glass available has been" so limited that it was not possible to do much experimental work under glass, but with the five houses now available it will be po^iQible to do much more and better work, OTHER IMPROVEMENTS DURING THE YEAR. Nearly every year the ornamental grounds suffered badly from lack of water, as no adequate supply could be obtained under the conditions which prevailed previous to this year, but in 1913 the large lawn was piped and taps put at suitable places to serve the grass, flower beds and borders. The rose garden was also piped and in future an abundant supply of water is assured, Ottawa, 488 t\iPr.PIME^''TAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 PUBLICATIONS. During the year I prepared a new edition of the bulletin on Plum Culture, which was published, in which there was much new material and the old altered where necessary to bring it up to date. For the International Institute of Agriculture at Eome, I contributed a paper on " The Present Status,of the Fruit Industry of Canada " which was published in the December, 1913, issue of their Montldy Bulletin of Agri- cultural Intelligence and Plant Diseases. Contributions were also made to the Agri- cultural Gazette of Canada. Many papers were prepared, as indicated under the para- graph on meetings and addresses for different horticultural societies throughout Canada- and the United States which are published in their annual reports. COEKESPONDENCE. Notwithstanding the many provincial institutions throughout Canada to which a large number of persons nijist write for information on horticultural subjects, the correspondence in the Horticultural Division continues to be very considerable. In 191-') there were 6^26 letters received and 6,747 despatched. A large proportion of these letters required technical information which must have proved of great value to those asking for it. It is believed that it is the people who ask for information that profit most by what is given to them, and the numerous letters which have been received expressing appreciation for the letters, reports or bulletins sent to them is very gratify- ing and inspires one to make greater efforts to render help in this manner. The other office work of the Horticultural Division continues to grow. DONATIONS. Each year the Horticultural Division receives donations of seeds, cuttings, and plants. Those received in 1913 are gratefully acknowledged herewith : — FRUITS. Sender Donation. Dearness, J., London, Ont Apple Scions. Fisk, J. M. Abbotsford, P.Q Grape cuttings. Guay, A. E., Ville Marie, Que Scions Temiscamingue plum. Jolinston, R. A. A., Ottawa, Ont Grape cuttings from Grand Canyon, Arizona. Rockhill, Harlow, Conrad, Iowa Strawberry plants. VEGETABLES. Armstrong, C. G., Orono, Ont Seed of Ne Plus Ultra Swede turnips. Bieroft, G. W., London, Ont Onion sets, Egyptian forcing. Bond, John S., Shellmouth, Man.. ..Century lettuce "'^^''^ Bonskill, F. G. Port Hope, Ont Seed of Earliana tomato, and of a chanc( tomato. Burpee, Atlee Co., Philadelphia, Pa Seed of new beet from Holland. Herripin, J. L'Annonciation, Que. . . . Pofatoes. Hoydon, A., Bigstone, Alta "The Pride" seedling potato. Leach, D. H., Salmon Arm, B.C Potatoes. Mcintosh, Mrs. M., Elmside, Que.. ..Canadian Beauty potatoes. O. A. C, Guelph, Ont Seed of Hipper No. 2 and Industry tomato. Speers, J. B., Aurora, Ont. (per Mr. Kime) Early Eclipse potato. Stevenson, A. P., Dunstan, Man Seed of Free Pre.'^s corn and Selected tomato Wlutby, Geo., Harmattan, Alta Duke of York potatoes. Ottawa. DIVISIOX OF llORTICL'LTUIi'E 489 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ORNAMENTAL PLANTS. Arnold, Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass Trees and Shrubs. Fisher, E., Kamloops, B.C Hollyhock seed. Macoun, Prof. John, Sidney, B.C Cuttings of PojJulus Vancotiverienbis. Stephens, C. L., Orillla, Ont Columbine seed. Home Nursery Co., Lafayette, 111.. ..2 plants Polish privet. PLANT BREEDING. Duncan, C. O., Vineland, Ont Strawberry plants and seed of apple crosses. Dewar, R., Grimsby, Ont Seed of commercial varieties of grapes. Gellatley, D., Gellatley, B.C Tomato seed. St. Ryan, W., Grimsby, Ont Seed of apple crosses. Sweet, J. (V.M.H), Oakleigh Park, London, England Seed of New grapes. {V. vinifera.) Tielebein, F., Millet, Alta Tomato seed. Turney, A. G., Fredericton, N.B Strawberry plants. STAFF OF THE HOETICTJLTTIRAL DIVISIO:^T. W. T. Macoun, Dominion Horticulturist. M. B. Davis, B.S.A., Assistant in Pomology. F. E. Buck, B.S.A., Assistant in Ornamental Gardening. A. J. Logsdail, B.S.A., Assistant in Plant Breeding-. C. F. W. Dreher, B.S.A., Assistant in Vegetable Gardening. J. F. Watson, Secretary. H. Holz, Foreman of tlie Division. Wm. T. Ellis, Foreman in charge of Greenhouse. J. Mclvee, Foreman in charge of new Greenhouses. H. J. Read, Foreman in charge of Records. J. Taggart, Foreman of Ornamental Grounds. M. D. MacCallum, Stenographer. G- E. Bass, Stenographer. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. I desire to acknowledge the help rendered to the Horticultural Division and to me personally during the past year by the members of the staff of the Division at the Central Farm and by the Superintendents of the branch Farms and Stations. Mr. F. E. Buck, B.S.A., Assistant in Ornamental Gardening, has continued to care for and develop the lawns and flower gardens with the experiments connected therewith, and has shown much enthusiasm in his work. Mr. A. J. Logsdail, B.S.A., Assistant in Plant Breeding, who began new lines of work in plant breeding and continued the work already begun, has shown great interest in his specialty. Mr. C. F. W. Dreher, B.S.A., Assistant in Vegetable Gardening, has been devoted to his work. Mr. M. B. Davis, B.S.A., Assistant in Pomology, though appointed near the close of the fiscal year^ has already given me substantial help. The Secretary of the Division, Mr. J. F. Watson, after being connected with the Division for twenty-one years, is leaving it at the end of the fiscal year to devote his time to Exhibition work. He has been associated with me for the past sixteen years and I desire to express my appreciation of the work rendered by him to the Horticultural Division and especially in regard to, what he accomplished in helping to systematize the office methods. 1 much regret his leaving the Division, but wish him much success in his new field of work. Mr. M. D. Mac- Callum will take up the duties of secretary as, during the past year, by his diligence and accuracy he has shown himself to be competent in the work. Mr. G. E. Bass, who has Ottawa. 490 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 been assisting in the correspondence and other office work, has also rendered efficient service. Mr. H. Holz, foreman, continues to oversee the outside work of the Division in a satisfactory manner. Mr. James McKee, foreman in charge of the new greenhouses, although connected with the Horticultural Division for only a few months, has been very successful with the plants under his charge, and the appearance of the houses is a credit to him. Mr. W. T. Ellis, who remains in charge of the old greenhouses imtil the end of the fiscal year and afterwards will devote his time to the records of the Horticultural Division, has been in charge of the old greenhouses since 1887, during which time he has rendered faithful service. Mr. Horace Read continues to keep satisfactorily many of the horticultural records of the Central and branch Farms and Stations. Mr. James Taggart, the foreman of the ornamental grounds, has again looked after this part of the work to the best of his ability. To the other men who, though in less responsible positions, yet give their physical strength to the work, I wish to extend my appreciation of their services. During the year it has been my duty to have much to do with the Superintendents of the branch Farms and Stations, both while visiting their places and through corre- spoijdence, and I am very pleased to express my appreciation of the spirit of co-opera- tion shown by them all. I have the honour to be, sir. Your obedient servant, W. T. MACOUN, Dominion Horticulturist. CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA, ONT. CHARACTER OF SEASON. The frost was out of the ground sufficiently to plough and dig in certain places in the Horticultural Division on April 15, 1913, the average for fifteen years being April 12. There was some vei-y hot weather in April, the highest temperature being 86-5 F. It was over 70° on six days during the month. The lowest temperature was 21° on the 20th. The first week of May was very warm, and fruit trees began to bloom earlier than usual, crab apples beginning to bloom on the 4th, when the highest temperature for the month 89° F. was recorded. After May 6 the weather became cool and con- tinued so throughout the month. The strawberries, which were uncovered on the 5th were found badly injured, evidently by the ice during the winter. There were frosts recorded on four days during the month, the lowest ternperature being on* the 10th when it was 28-8 F.; the last frost recorded was on May 15 when the temperature was 30° F. Flowers of currants were injured by frost, and the early blooming varieties of plums suffered badly, practically no fruit setting. June was cool up to the 10th. On June 9 there was a light frost on the lower ground, though none recorded by the standard thermometer, necessitating the cover- ing of tomato plants the night before. The remainder of June was very warm, and as there was little rain vegetation suffered considerably. The highest temperature for the month was 93-2 F. on the 27th. It was 80° and over on twelve days during the month. July was a very warm month, with little rain. The highest temperature was 100°r. on the 4th, being the highest ever recorded at the Central Experimental Farm. The temperature was 90° and over on six days, and 80° and over on nineteen days during the month. Early in the month the lawn grass was burned brown in many places, the strawberries dried up, the potatoes were badly checked in their growth, OlTAWA- DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 491 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 and many other things suffered. Nearly an inch of rain falling on the 12th did much good, but by the 19th the lawn grass had not yet become green and more rain was needed. This want of sufficient rain continued until August 22, by which time the grass looked worse than was ever remembered. August was a warm month, a very warm speW lasting from the Ist to the 21st. The highest temperature during the month was 97-2° on the ITth. September was a fine warm month. The temperature was below freezing on one day only, the 15th, when it was 30°, and tender things were killed, although tomatoes in protected places pulled through. 'The highest temperature was 88° on the 2nd. The early part of October was fine and moderately warm. There was no frost since the middle of September until October 2-2, when the temperature fell to 26-2, the tomatoes not being killed until this time. The ground was not thoroughly wet until the last week of this month. It has been a very dry growing season. November was a mild month, the temperature being above freezing on every day but two. The highest temperature was 63-2° on the 22nd, and the lowest lY-2° on the 28th. There was snow on the 28th, but this disappeared as the weather became mild and winter did not set in until December 7, on which day there was a heavy snowfall on unfrozen ground. The average date that winter set in during the past sixteen years is November 25. December was mild for a winter month, the lowest temperature being 5° below zero on the 27th aiid 28th, being the only times it was below zero during the month. It was above freezing on seventeen days. By the end of the month there was about a foot of snow on the ground. The weather continued comparatively mild until January 10, after which it was much colder. The lowest temperature during the month was 30-0° below zero. It was below zero on fourteen days during this month. There was a good covering of snow during the month and about 18 inches on the level at its close. February was the coldest month of the winter. It was below zero on nineteen days during the month and on the 11th it reached 30-2° below zero. On five days the temperature was above freezing. March was a mod^erately cold month, although on eighteen days the temperature rose above freezing. It was three times below zero during the month, the lowest being 2° below on the 20th, and the highest 48° above on the 26th. There was very little precipitation during the month. T-he snow went very gradually, and at the end of the month the ground was appearing only in places. FEUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS, 1913. While the apple crop in some parts of Canada was a medium to good one in 1913, the fruit in many places was of an inferior grade owing to the development of the Apple Scab Fungus. This was particularly true of the Maritime Provinces, the province of Quebec, and eastern Ontario. Spring frosts also reduced the crop in many places in Eastern Canada, Nova Scotia suffering most in this respect, the crop there being much reduced and in some places practically the whole crop was destroyed. In eastern Ontario and the province of Quebec the Tent Caterpillars caused great destruction. In British Columbia the crop was medium to light. On the whole it was a very unsatisfactory apple crop. Pears were a good crop in Ontario, but light elsewhere. The plum crop was good in most places in Canada. It was light in Nova Scotia, however. There was a good crop of peaches both in Ontario and British Columbia. The crop of grapes was good in the province of Ontario, where they are mainly grown. The strawberry crop was a light one in most places in 1913. Spring frosts and drought caused most of the loss. The crop of other small fruits was fair. Ottawa. 492 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Potatoes and tomatoes were a good crop on the whole, but in some parts, parti- cularly in eastern Ontario and the province of Quebec, the potato crop was niuch reduced by the drought which set in when the tubers were forming and caused the tons to dry up. At the Central Experimental Farm the apple crop, notwithstanding the spring frosts, was a medium one. On account of there being so many varieties under test in the orchards at the Central Farm, there is usually a good crop on trees of a number of them, and at least a medium crop on the whole. The better varieties of pears have not proved a success at Ottawa, being killed sometimes by winter and sometimes by blight, but there are a few Russian or European varieties, although of inferior quality, which are both hardy and blight-resistant, and bore fair crops in 1913. These were Kurskaya, Lemon and Sugar. The crop of native plums was practically destroyed by spring frosts, but the Americana varieties, which are later in blooming, were not so badly affected, and there was a medium to light crop of them. The cherry and European plum crop was practically a failure owing to injury to the flower buds, probabjy in late winter or early spring, when there are sudden and great changes of temperature. Grapes were a light crop this year, due evidently to spring frosts; currants and gooseberries were below medium, for the same reason. The crop of strawberries was poor owing to ice remaining on the plantations for a long time and killing a large proportion of the plants. Spring frosts also injured the flowers on plants which were left. The rasp- berry crop was light but this was mainly due to drought, though the canes lacked vigour. The potato crop promised well until the latter part of July, when the extremely hot, dry weather caused the leaves to dry up and the crop was below medium. The tomato crop was also reduced considerably by the drought, and in fact most veget- ables suffered. SEEDLING FRUITS SENT TO THE HORTICULTURAL DIVISION FOR EXAMINATION, 1913-14. For the past twenty-six years, seedling fruits have been sent to the Central Experimental Farm for examination and test. The fruit is usually sent first, and if the variety is considered promising, scions or cuttings are asked for and, as a result, many promising fruits of Canadian origin are now under test. During 1913-14 the following persons sent samples. Descriptions were made of all of these fruits, but only those considered promising for some part of Canada are described in this report. Record Number. 596 Seedling apple from C. H. Black, Spencerville, Ont. 597 " " from H. J. Clarke, Belleville. Ont. 598 " " from R. M. Bethar.breck, Watertown, Ont. 599 " " No. 1 from C. L. Stephens. Orillia, Ont. 600 " " No. 2 from C. L. Stephens, Orillia, Ont. (See description.) 601 " crab apple from F. E. Webster, Creemore, Ont. 602 " apple (British Columbia new seedling Spy X Sow apple) from F. S. Fair- field, Orono, Ont. 603 " apple No. 3 from Geo. Bowman, Tin Cap, Ont. ' 604 " " from F. B. Webster, Creemore, Ont. 605 " " from E. P. Bradt, Morrisburg, Ont. (See description.) 606 " crab apple from Mrs. Dennis Darcy, Sheenboro, Pontiac, Que. 607 " apple " l-oomer " from E. L. Loomer, Kingsport, N.S. (See description.) 60« " " from Ernest H. Eaton, Upper Canard, N.S. 609 " " from W. E. Easton, Cobble Hill, B.C. 610 " " " " " 611 " " " " " (See description.) 612 " peach from W. O. Burgess, Qiieenston. Ont. 613-614 " grapes from C. L. Stephens, Orillia, Ont. Ottawa. * DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 493 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 600. Seedling apple No. 2 from C. L. Stephens^ Orillia, Ont. — Above medium size; oblate; cavity open, medium depth; stem short, stout; basin medium depth and width, smooth; calyx open; yellow, streaked, splashed and washed with orange red; seeds medium size, acute; dots obscure, except some distinct brownish marks; skin moderately thick, moderately tough; flesh yellowish, tender, melting; core small, flavour subacid, juicy, pleasant, aromatic; quality good; season late September, evidently to November. A pleasant dessert apple with a little the flavour of Sops of Wine. May be useful, coming after Duchess. 605. Seedling apple from E. P. Bradt, Morrishurg, Ont. — Medium size; oblate to roundish, ribbed; cavity open, deep; steni medium length, slender; basin deep, open, wrinkled; calyx closed; yellow well washed with crimson; seeds medium size, broad, acute; dots indistinct; skin moderately thick, moderately tender; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy; core small, open; flavour subacid, pleasant; quality good; season evidently November to February; tree grown in a lot in Morrishurg and said to be a seedling. I'rom outward appearance and flesh would consider it a seedling of Mcintosh. Evidently the same season as Mcintosh and, if hardier, will be promising. 607. Seedling apple from E. L. Loomer, Kingsport, N.S. — Below medium size; roundish to oblate; cavity medium depth and width, russeted at base; stem medium length, slender; basin medium depth and width, wrinkled; calyx open; yellow, well washed with very dark red; seeds below medium, acute; dots few, greyish, distinct; skin thick, tough; flesh white but almost all tinged with red, tender, juicy; corr medium size, open; flavour mildly subacid, pleasant, raspberry-like; quality good; season evidently September and October. Of the Fameuse group. This was top-grafted on Gravenstein about thirty-five years ago. Have suggested the name of " Loomer." Rather too dark in colour and stained flesh might be against it. 611. Seedling apple from W. E. Easlon, Cohhle Hill, 2?. C— Medium size; round- ish; cavity medium depth and width; stem medium length, stout; basin medium depth and width, wrinkled; calyx closed or partly open; yellow; seeds below medium, acute; dots moderately numerous, grey, conspicuous; skin thin, tender; flesh, white, crisp, juicy, tender; core small; flavour subacid, pleasant; quality good; season evidently Septem.ber to early October. A good dessert apple, which might be desirable to propagate if productive and hardy. APPLES OPJGINATED IN THE HORTICULTURAL DIVISION, CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM. Each year a few of the best of the many seedling apples originated in the Horticultural Division are named, and descriptions published in the annual report. Since 1903 there have been 1,214 different varieties fruited which have been raised from seed without liand pollination and of which only the mother parent is definitely known. Of these, sixty-six fruited for the first time in 1913. Of the total of 1,214 which have fruited ninety varieties have been considered sufficiently promising for ?ome part of Canada to name, and the descriptions of ten are now published for the first time. Amho (Swayzie Seedling). — Size above medium; roundish, ribbed; cavity deep, open, russeted; stem short, stout; basin deep, open, wrinkled; calyx open; pale yellow 16—33 Ott.wa. 494 EXPERIMENTAL FAIiMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 thinly splashed and washed with carmine; seeds medium size, acute or obtuse; dots few, white, indistinct; skin moderately thick, tender; flesh dull white, tender, melt- ing, moderately juicy, core small- open ; flavour subacid, spiccy, pear-like ; quality good to very good; season September to October. Resembles Swayzie somewhat in flavour, but not specially otherwise. Promising. Casco (Mcintosh Seedling). — Size medium to below; roundish; cavity medium depth and width, russeted; stem short, stout; basin open, medium depth, wrinkled; calyx closed; yellow well washed and splashed with bright attractive crimson; seeds medium size, acuminate; dots few, small, indistinct, white; bloom pinkish; skin moderately thick, tender; flesh, yellowish, crisp, tender, juicy, perfumed; core medium size, open; flavour, subacid, pleasant; quality good; season September and October. Resembles Mcintosh very much in outward appearance, flesh, flavour, and perfume, but smaller. Consort (Wealthy Seedling). — Above medium size, oblate; cavity deep, open; stem short, stout; basin deep, open, nearly smooth; calyx open; greenish yellow splashed and washed with crimson; seeds above medium, obtuse; dots obscure; bloom pinkish; skin moderately thick, moderately tender; flesh yellow, crisp, tender; core small to medium; flavour subacid, pleasant, juicy; quality good; season late November prob- ably to March. Does not resemble Wealthy except in character of flesh. Dulcet (Lang-ford Beauty Seedling). — Medium size; roundish, regular; canity medium depth and width, slightly russeted ; stem medium length, slender ; basin medium depth and width, smooth; calyx open or partly open; pale greenish yellow well washed with deep crimson; dots moderately numerous, yellow/ distinct; bloom thin, bluish; skin moderately thick, moderately tender; flesh yellowish, very tender, juicy; core medium; flavour sweet or mildly subacid, pleasant; quality good; season mid- September to mid-ISTovembcr. A good svyeet apple. Gilda (Mcintosh Seedling). — Medium to below medium in size; oblate regular; cavity medium depth and width; stem medium length to short, stout; basin deep, open, smooth ; calyx open ; yellow well washed and splashed with bright crimson ; seeds medium size, broad, acute, plump; dots numerous, white distinct; bloom thin, pinkish; skin moderately thicky moderately tough; flesh yellowish, a little coarse, juicy; core medium; flavour subacid, pleasant; quality good; season October to probably Januaiy. Resembleis Mcintosh a little in flesh and flavour. Attractive. Jethro (Wealthy Seedling). — Above medium size; oblate to roundish, conic; cavity medium depth and width; stem short, stout; basin deep, medium width, wrinkled; caiyx open; pale yellow washed and splashed with orange, red and carmine, green about cavity; seeds medium size, acute; dots numerous, yellow, distinct; skin moderately thick, moderately tough; flesh yellowish, crisp, tender; core medium size, open; flavour juicy, briskly subacid, pleasant; quality good; season late September to December. Resembles Wealthy very much in flesh and flavour. Lucia (Salome Seedling). — Medium to above medium size; roundish, slightly flat- tened at ends, slightly ribbed; cavity medium depth, open; stem short, stout; basin open, medium depth, nearly smooth; calyx open; yellow thinly splashed and washed witli orange; seeds medium size, acuminate; dots obscure; skin moderately thick, moderately tough; flesh yellow, crisp, firm, juicy; core medium; flavour subacid, pleasant; quality good; season mid-December to March or Api-il. No marked resemblance to Salome. Ottawa. DiriSIOX OF HORTICULTURE 495 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 * Sparta (Northern Spy Seedling). — Medium size; roundish; cavity open, deep; russeted; stem short, moderately stout; basin deep, open, nearly smooth; calyx open; greenish yellow washed and splashed with crimson; seeds medium size, acute; dots very few, white, indistinct; skin moderately thick, tender; flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy; core medium, open; flavour briskly subacid, pleasant; quality good; season December to late winter. Resembles Northern Spy somewhat in flesh and flavour. Toshlet (Mcintosh Seedling). — Below medium size; roundish, regular; cavity medium depth and width, sometimes lipped; stem medium length, slender; basin shallow to medium, open, nearly smooth; calyx open, or partly open;, yellow well washed with attractive crimson; seeds medium size, acute; dots few, yellow distinct; skin thick, tender; flesh white and yellowish with traces of red, crisp, juicy; core medium; flavour subacid, pleasant; quality good; season November to January, Resembles Mcintosh very much in outward appearance and flavour, but smaller. A handsome apple. Valerie (Mcintosh Seedling). — Medium to below medium size> conical; cavity me- dium depth, russeted; stem short, stout; basin shallow, medium width, wrinkled; calyx closed; pale yellow well washed with bright crimson; dots few, pale, distinct; bloom none; skin moderately thick, tough; flesh white, tender, juicy, crisp; core medium; flavour subacid, pleasant; quality good; season late August to mid-October. Attractive in appearance. Resembles Mcintosh in character of flesh and flavour. CHARACTERISTICS OF ONE HUNDRED SEEDLINGS OF NORTHERN SPY APPLE ORIGINATED IN THE HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. At the Central Experimental Farm, seed of a number of varieties of apples, includ- ing Northern Spy, was saved from the 1898 crop of fruit, the object being to obtain, if possible, new varieties which it was hoped would prove superior to those already available, and which could be successfully grown in parts of Canada where the winter was as severe or more severe than it is at Ottawa. It was thought that in an orchard containing a large number of varieties of apples the chances of obtaining desirable combinations of characters were very good. These seedlings where one parent only is known would also be interesting to compare with those grown from seed produced by hand pollination where both parents were known, should such crossing be done, as it was subsequently. The Northern Spy apple had not fruited at Ottawa as a standard tree, it not being sufficiently hardy to withstand the winters there, but in 1898 we were successful in obtaining fruit from this variety top-grafted on Oldenburgh, -but subsequently the graft was killed by a very severe winter. No special selection was made of the fruit from which the seeds were taken. The seeds were sown in the spring of 1899 but, with few exceptions, did not germinate until the spring of 1900 and after being transf)lanted and grown in nursery rows were planted in the orchard in the spring of 1901 and 1902, a few only being planted in 1901. The trees with but few exceptioais are strong growers, and only a small proportion has been injured by winter. The detailed descriptions of the one hundred seedlings referred to in this report were prac- tically all taken by the writer. In such work as describing varieties of apples it is desirable that the descriptions be taken by one person, especially where comparisons are to be made, as in most of the characteristics described it is a matter of individual judgment rather than exactness. "We believe that it is important to bring together the notes thus made a?, in our judgment, they furnish strong evidence of the value of the Northern Spy apple in breeding new varieties. It may be stated here that descriptions of the characteristics of seedlings of other varieties were given in the 16—33^ Ott.vwa. 496 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 annual reports of tlie Central Experimental Farm for 1909 and 1911. A much larger proportion of the seedlings of some mother parents resemble the parent in certain waj's than of others. CHARACTERISTICS OK ONE HUNDRED NORTHERN SPY SEEDLINGS ORIGINATED AND FRUITED AT THE CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAAVA, CANADA. Size.^ Per cent. Small 2 Below medium 12 Me;Muin .. 48 Above medium 25 Large 13 100 The size of Northern Spy is above medium to large. Form. Per cent. Oblate 28 Roundish conical or roundish 69 Conical 3 Oblong 0 100 The form of Northern Spy is roundish conical. Colour. Per cent. Green or j'ellow predominating- 7 Red or crimson. .^ 67 Pinkish red 4 Orange and Orange red 22 100 The colour of Northern Spy is red, varying in shade from pinkish red to bright red. Cavity. Per cent. Small 9 Medium 51 Large 40 100 The cavity of Northern '"py is large. Stem.- Per cent. Short 54 Medium ■ 41 Long 2 97 The stem of Northern Spy is short to medium. Basin. Per cent. Small 16 » Medium 58 Large ' 26 100 The basin of Northern Spy is medium. Calyx.^ Per cent. Open 78 Closed 21 99 The calyx of Northern Spy is usually closed but often open. 1 Note. — Apples under IJ inches in diameter are very small; between IJ and 25 inches, small; 2J to 2 J inches, below medium; 2i to 22 inches, medium; 2% to 3 inches, above medium; 3 to 3^ inches, large; above 3i inches, very large. Ottawa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 497 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Seeds.' Per cent. Small ". 0 Medium 90 Large 4 94 The seeds of Northern Spy are medium in size. Dots. Per cent. Distinct 50 Indistinct 50 100 The dots of Northern Spy are distinct thoufrh not conspicuous. Shin. Per cent. Thin 3 Medium 87 Thick 10 100 The skin of Northern Spy is medium in thickness. Skin.- Per cent. Tender 33 Medium 32 Tough 33 98 The skin of Northern Spy is moderately tender to tender. Flesh.^ Per cent. Ju'cy 45 Moderately juicy 51 96 The flesh is noted as tender in 72 per cent, crisp in 47 per cent, and coarse in 17 per cent of the seedlingsi. The flesh of Northern Spy is crisp, tender and juicy. Core. Per cent. Small , 18 Medium 76 Large 6 100 The core of the Northern Spy is medium. Core. Per cent. Axile 64 Abaxile 36 100 The core of Northern iSpy is Abaxile. Flavour. Per cent. Sweet " Mildly subacid 4 Subacid '"1 Briskly subacid 27 Acid 1 100 The flavour of Northern Spy is subacid. Quality. Per cent. Medium 25 Above medium 46 Good to very good 29 The quality of Northern Spy is very good. 10^ 'This character was not recorded for quite all the seedlings. Ottaav.\. 498 ' EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Season. per cent. August to mid-September 1 Mid-September to mid-October . . . 16 October and November 43 December to February 22 December to April 18 100 The season of Northern Spy is December to April. Resemblance. — Notes were taken when there was a marked resemblance to Nortli- ern Spy in other characteristics, and the following gives some indication of the proportion of these points of resemblance. Per cent. In general appearance 35 In form 12 In flesh 39 In colour 19 In flavour 3' No marked resemblance "3 Size. — Only 2 per cent of the seedlings was small. Of these, one variety had the iirm breaking flesh of a crab apple, the other was like a small apple. Only 12 per cent was below medium, leaving 86 per cent of good marketable size. Over 1,200 seedlings of eleven different parents have now fruited and the per cent of apples of marketable size is about 80 per cent. Form. — Sixty-nine per cent of the apples was roundish or roundish conical, but it is interesting to note that 28 per cent was oblate, which is a fairly large proportion. Colour. — Only 7 per cent had green or yellow colour predominating, but the per cent of orange and orange red colour, 22, isi striking. There are indications that the Northern Spy when in bloom received pollen from Sops of Wine, an orang':- red coloured variety growing in the orchard, as the flavour of some of the seeJlin'^'^ resembles Sops of Wine. Flavour. — Eighty-eight per cent of the seedlings was subacid or bri kly subacid, and 7 per cent was sweet. Four per cent mildly sulTacid and 1 per cent acid. This does not, however, represent the true flavour. Thirty-six per cent had a ||^vour dis- tinctly Northern Spy-like and it would be very difficult to distinguish some of the apples from Northern Spy in this respect. There are, among these, seedlings with the flavour of Northern Spy with a season beginning in September and ending in spring. Eight per cent had a peculiar flavour somewhat resembling Arkansas Black, or Paw- paw, and as this flavour has been detected in a seedling of Northern Spy sent from another part of Canada it would indicate that in the ancestry of the Northern Spy there was a variety with that flavour. A few, 2 per cent, had a flavour resembling Sops of Wine; this fl.avour was also detected in Wealthy seedlings. Quality. — It was hoped that an apple as good in quality as the Northern Spy _would give a fair proportion of seedlings of .good flavour and quality, and we have not been disappointed. Seventy-five per cent are distinctly above medium in quality, of which 29 per cent are good to very good. Season. — It is quite encouraging to find that 40 per cent of the seedlings are winter apples, only one seedling out of the 100 being a summer variety, and only 16 per cent early autumn, whereas in the case of the Wealthy seedlings, 21 per cent wore summer apples, and 29 per cent early autumn, and 21 per cent winter. Number propagated fmd named. — Of the 100 seedlings described, no less than forty-five were considered sufficiently promising to propagate for further test, and 0tt.\wa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 499 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 1 seventeeu of the best have been named as follows: Ascot, Bingo, Donald, Elmer, Epsom, Glenton, Homer, Nestor, Marcus, Niobe, Orlando, Rocket, Rosalie, Sandow, Sparta, Tasty and Thurso. Of these, ten are autumn varieties and seven winter. As rapidly as possible these are being propagated and sent to the Experimental Stations and private individuals in Canada and the United States for further test, and it is expected that some time in the future at least a few of these will take their place among commercial varieties and extend the season of apples of the Northern Spy type, and as they are hardier than the parent will extend the area over which this type can be successfully grown. Time of hearing. — Northern Spy, which is late in coming into bearing, has given this characteristic to most of the seedlings. It is interesting to compare ninety- eight seedlings of Wealthy, which, however, are one year older, with the 100 seedlings of Northern Spy ; the Wealthy, as^ is well known, being a very early bearer. It will be seen that all of the Wealthy seedlings had fruited when the Northern Spy began to fruit. Per cent. Wealthy seed sown 1898 — Fruiting. 1903 1 1904 1 1905 19 1906 22 1907 11 1908 44 98 Northern Spy seed sown 1899 — 1908 9 1909 4 1910 16 1911 34 1912 33 1913 4 100 From this experience with Northern Spy as a mother we are led to believe that it is one of the best parents to use in cross-breeding. In the seedlings just described it has impressed its good characteristics on a large proportion of its progeny, although a self-sterile or partly self-sterile variety. The Mcintosh apple has done the same, and this also is regarded as a very desirable parent. Ottawa. 500 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 POMOLOGY. (M. B. Davis, B.S.A., Assistant in Cliargc.) As the writer was not appointed to the Horticultural Division until after the growing- season of 1913 was over, he was unable to take charge of the field experiments for that season, hence the matter which follows is the result of work done or informa- tion gathered since that time. WINTEE-KILLING OF CHEKEY BUDS. In view of the fact that the cherry crop has in the past been a very uncertain crop in this locality owing to winter injury of the fruit buds, it was decided to carry on a simple experiment this last winter in order to ascertain, if possible, at just what time or under what conditions the injury took place. By gathering buds from the orchard at intervals during the winter and examining them carefully, the period of injury can be arrived at within very close range. At every gathering, three lots of buds were gathered, one lot being placed in cold storage at about 40 degrees, one placed in the greenhouse at 70 degrees, and the other being examined at once. In no case were the counts appreciably different. The lot placed in the greenhouse was allowed to stand in water until they blossomed, the lot in cold storage only remained there until they were thawed out; they were then taken to the greenhouse to blossom. With the exception that these were a few days later in blossoming, there appealed to be no difference in the lots. This went to show that the sudden transference of the buds from a cold temperature to a warm temperature did not apparently do any injury, when the conditions of moisture were such that the buds could not dry out. In all, eight gatherings were made. The dates and other information in detail are contained in the following table. It might be well to note that the first injury took place betwecH February 26 and March 10, and that no injury took place after that date. It is also noteworthy that the buds withstood the 30° below zero weather of January and February without incurring any injury. From the 21st of February to the 25th, we had a fairly severe cold spell with the thermometer well below zero. This was immediately followed on the 2Tth by a warm period, with day temperature nearly always well above freezing'. The buds, during this period, received their injury. PERCENTAGE OF INJURY, AND DATES OF GATHERING. Variety. Dec. 13 Jan. 5 Jan. 20 Feb. 5 Feb. 19 Mar. 10 Mar. 25 Amarcllo TioQuet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 69-1 OS- 7G-9 78- 711 61- 4.5-4 38-2 OS-"? I?ruRselcr Brain Minnn'=!ota d'Ostheim 60- 7S-1 Vladimir. 70-3 Montmorency Ordinaire Cerise d'Ostheim Clriotte d'Ostheim 73- 59- 47- Orel 24 39-5 Ott.\wa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 501 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ■ The fluctuation in percentage of injury of March 10 and 25 is due, of course, to a probable error. In no case was it more than 2 per cent. From this it would appear that in order of hardiness these varieties would stand as follows : — Quite hardy — 1. Orel 24. 2. Griotte d'Ostheim. '6. Cerise d'Ostlieim. Only moderately hardy — 4. Amaralle Boquet. 5. Brusseler Braun. 6. Montmorency Ordinaire. Not very hardy — 7. Vladimir. 8. Minnesota d'Ostheim. Unless further injury takes place, we bid fair to have a moderately good crop of cherries, even on those varieties with 78 per cent of buds injure 1, for the remaining 22 per cent are sufficient, if all develop, to load the trees, there having been a very large number of fruit buds formed last year. "dehorning" of old apple trees. On March 10, a visit was made to the Niagara district in order to investigate some of the orchards which had been dehorned or vigorously headed back. A summary of the advantages and outcome of such treatment may not.be out of place in this report. Dehorning or heading-back of old trees has been advocated by many in the past as a means of rejuvenating an old and neglected orchard. There are many old orchards throughout the country where the trees are so high as to make it practically impossible to properly spray and prune them, . hence the almost impossible task of attempting to control insect pests such as the San Jose scale. " To overcome this diffi- culty, some growers cut their trees back about 8 to 10 feet, bringing them down to a height of 18 to 20 feet, where they could be properly cared for. To do this with such large trees meant, of course, the removal of some very large limbs, which gave rise to a doubt as to whether or not the trees could survive such treatment for any length of time. The results obtained from, two orchards in the Niagara district are veiy interest- ing indeed. One of the two orchards is that of Mr. Jos. Tweddle, at Sioney Creek, Ont. Here were found Baldwins, Greenings, and Spys, all dehorned. They had been dehorned for two years and to date show no signs of rotting at the cuts except in one or two instances where the cuts were carelessly made by the pruner. In some cases Mr. Tweddle had painted the wounds, and in other cases he had not. Although no rot was apparent in the unpainted cuts, yet it seems advisable to paint all wounds to keep out the weather and any possible infection from fungous diseases. In the case of the Spys, some 8 to 10 feet had been removed, and the results attained were very satisfactory. Mr. Tweddle plans to dehorn during the year when he expects a full crop so that the trees will not be inclined to put out too much sucker growth. In the Spys, the sucker growth was not overabundant, but yet sufficient to give a large amount of new wood to select a new frame from. Probably the most interesting was his Baldwin orchard. Here are to be found trees which two years ago had very little brush on them, and what they did have was Ottawa. 502 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 located on the tips of long branches, giving the tree the appearance of an old paint brush. In this orchard, 5 to 6 feet only could be removed the first year, for if }nore liad Ijeen taken there would not have been enough foliage left to carry on the work of the tree. At the time of the visit to the orchard, a great change had taken place. The old trees were practically rejuvenated. The result of the dehorning was that the trees put out a very vigorous growth of suckers, both on the tops and also well down to the main trunk. By selecting the best of these, Mr. Tweddle had formed practically a new tree and next year will be able to take 5 feet more off the top, thus bringing his trees down to the desired height. He will then have changed old tall trees with foliage on the tips of the branches into moderate high, spreading trees, with a reasonable amount of wood and foliage from the tips, right back to the main trunk. In the case of the Baldwins, the amount of sucker growth was perhaps a trifle too much. This was due, no doubt, to the fact that owing to weather conditions, the crop was very light the year he dehorned instead of being heavy, as he had expected. This, of course, gave the trees a tendency to put out large amounts of sucker growth. In the other orchard visited, that of Mr. W. H. Bunting, were found Kings, Baldwins and Greenings, all dehorned with excellent results, although the Baldwins in some cases had thrown out very large amounts of sucker growth. SOME RECOMiIE^^DATIOXS IN REGARD TO " DEHORNING." There are many old and uncared-for orchards throughout the country which could still be made to give profitable returns if a system of dehorning or hcixding-back was to be followed. In these old orchards where new growth has long since ceased, it may be induced by a vigorous heading in during March or April. The amount that should be removed at the first dehorning depending on the condition of the tree. If the tree is one which has very little foliage, it cannot stand as vigorous a heading back as the one which has considerable, for enough foliage must be left to carry on the work of the tree. The result of the heading-back will be to induce a large amount of sucker growth, and these suckers may be selected to form a new framework to the tree. After the suckers have become established, the remainder of the top may be removed and in a short time almost a new tree will result. Instead of having only a tree with bearing wood on the tips, the grower will have one with bearing wood all the way to the trunk. There may be eases, however, where the neglected orchard has suckered out too much, owing to rich soil, and instead of being barren, is too thick. In this case many of the suckers will have to be removed and the remaining ones headed back to give tlie tree the proper shape. In a case like this the pruning would be better done in the summer, so as not to induce too much wood growth. These two distinct types of neglected orchards are found eveiywhere, and each requires different treatment. In the one case are trees which are making no growth and producing no bearing wood, in the other case are trees which produce too much wood, and do not bear fruit on it, or if they do bear any, produce very poor fruit on account of the excessive shade produced by dense foliage and sucker growth. WOUNDS. All wounds made by the pruner should be well painted and if in a few years these have not healed over, they should again be painted. Use a lead and oil paint without lUiy turpentine in it. The paint will fill up the pores of the wood and prevent any disease from getting established before the bark heals over. Ottawa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 503 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 COST OF PKODUCING SOME DIFFEREXT HORTICULTURAL CROPS IN CANADA. Cousiderable time was spent in compiling from reports and information gathered in various ways, the cost of producing some of the more important horticultural crops of this country. A summary of the information obtained is given below. APPLES^ PKR BARREL. New Bransivich. — As per information obtained from report of A. G. Turney, average for 1911, from four orchards, $1.07. Ontario. — According to Robt. Thompson, 1911, $1.86. Nova Scotia. — As per Report of Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association, 1911, $0.83 to $0.99. British Columbia. — According to F. N. Hales, Armstrong, B.C., $0.75 to $0.93 ■per box, or per barrel about $2.25 to $2.79. Qiichec. — As per Prof. W. S. Blair, Superintendent Experimental Farm, Kent- ville, N.S., 1912, $1.12* to $1.50. Central Experimental Farm, average for thirteen years, based on closely planted trees (Wealthy), $1.53. PEACHES, PER BASKET. Ontarid. — According to Robert Thompson, St. Catharines, Out., 39.6 cents. - * Grapes, per basket. Ontario. — ^AccordiAg to Robt. Thompson, St. Catharines, 11.5 cents; according to J. F. Carpenter, Fruitland, Ont., 12-8 cents. strawberries, per basket (1 qcart). Ontario. — According to Robt. Thompson, St. Catharines, based on yield of 7,200 boxes per acre, 2-6 cents. Data from Dominion Horticulturist, based on yield of 6,000 boxes per acre, 3-6 cents. potatoes, per bushel. Dominion Horticulturist. — Based on yield of 300 bushels per acre, 20-5 cents. Dominion Field Hushandman. — Based on actual yield of 445 bushels per acre, 14 cents. Manitoba. — Based on yield of 250 bushels per acre, by S. R. Henderson, Kildonan, Man., 17 cents. New Brunswich. — ^Based on yield of 183 bushels per acre (average for province in 1913), 27-3 cents. tomatoes. .0<< •43 w O >^ W J o tn c H o ^ to O > S P >i ■O (U 0) ^ TJ : 13 !?: ^ -s o E a; CO >, C3 Q o *^ '/J o Ph o o o u Si ■ — ' -*-; o c »3 O. o If o CO o . ?^ o C<1 ■* M '- ; CO CO CO CI o CO *— 1 00 in 1 ■* 1 12 13 o 1— ( o> 00 t-- CO lO •* oo CI »-H B O o ti c 03 > c £ a: c ' 1 E P- 1 c 'S IS bl t c C3 ° .s Q OlTAWA. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 507 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 « o o : £ s ■ 1 ■ & o s o s J CIS s o a •' — '. S o s • t : ■£ : -1 : GO s ; •2 ^ '. e ;^ 1 : c o 6£ C a. c O ti c -*^ 0) a cl c3 M "3 K 1 Ottawa, 508 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 A NEW SYSTEM OE OECHARD CULTIVATION. Among the many systems of orchard cultivation which have been originated within the past few years, there is one whicli appears to be very worthy of mention. The system in question may be called tjae " Johnson Method." It was originated some seven years ago by Mr. E. H. Johnson, of Greenwich, Kings County, N.S., and is termed by rE OF THE BEST AXNTAL FLOWERS OF MEDIUM HEIGHT. Arrocliniinns or Everlastings (Acrocliniuin). — -This pretty little "Everlasting Flower" should be much better known. It is pretty in the border and very satisfac- tory when dried for winter boquets. Balsams (Impatiens Balsamina).- — Balsams are rapid-growing plants and always popular. Their one drawback is they are very tender to frost. Grow in good soil Camellia-flowered varieties are the best. China Asters (Calliste pints). — For cutting purposes the asters are held in high esteem. ^Modern varieties of the Ostrich Plume and Victoria types are as fine as som*^ chrysanthemums. No garden in town or country should be without asters. Coreopsis (Coreopsis). — The two species of coreopsis, namely, C. Drummondii and C. tinrtoria, with their many pleasing colour variation?;, are fine additions to our gardens. Useful also for filling the vases indoors. Clarhias (ClarJiia). — The double varieties are dainty and beautiful. Some of th*^ colours are particularly rich. Ott.4wa. •530 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS • 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Gaillardia, Annual (Gaillardia). — Annual Gaillardia is not so appropriately called " Blanket Flowers " as the perennial form. In a good warm summer they do very well and are very useful for cutting. They need a long season. Godetias (Godetia). — Godetias produce strikingly pleasing colour eflFects in tlie garden. They are beautiful flowers, deservedly popular. Larkspurs, Annual ( Delphinium) .—-The tall varieties of the annual larkspurs are the best. They last longer and their tall spikes show up to splendid advantage. Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella). — This old-fashioned flower has its quaintness in its favour. A three-hundred-year-old flower is worthy of a place in the flower garden. Marigolds (Tagetes). — The "African" and "French" marigoldis are very similar in many ways. Both are quick-growing and free-flowering, with flowers in shades of yellow, orange, with maroon markings. They like the heat. Marigold, Pot (Calendula).- — These have flowers which many prefer to those of the ordinary marigold. The plant is of another type although the flowers resemble those of Tagetes. Stands considerable frost. Nemesias (Nemesia) — These are flowers with a modern popularity. The colours are bright and attractive and the plants very neat in appearance. Pin-Cushion Flower (Scahiofia). — Its popular name well describes this flower. Most useful for cutting. They like good soil and plenty of room. Flowers of various colours, with a velvety appearance. Poppies (Papaver). — There are several new varieties of annual poppies which are worth growing. The Shirley poppies are, however, deservedly most popular. Stocks, Ten-Wecl-s (Stocl:). — If they had no fragrancy, these bright coloured flowers would still be popular, but being so richly fragrant they are great favourites in the garden. Scarlel Sage (Salvia). — The best of all the scarlet flowers. Should have a good background to show it up by way of contrast. Sow seed early. Snap-Dragons (Antirrhinums ). — Ver>' popular flowers in a great range of bright jnd glowing colours. Sweet SuUans (Centaurea). — Another useful flower for indoor decoration. New varieties have larger flowers and longer stalks. Zinnias (Zinnia). — A popular flower sometimes known as "Youth and Old Age." Well-growii plants will produce very large flowers. They are often used as cut flowers, but aTe rather formal in appearance. They like a sunny position. SOME OF THE BEST TALL-GROWING ANNUALS. Cosmos (Cosmos). — A graceful and attractive plant with feathery foliage. For the list of the newer varieties see " Notes on New and Little-known Plants." Ecerlastings (Helichrysiims). — These popular "Everlastings" are the largest and the -most showy for winter decorations. They should be cut for drying when not •more than half open. To be had in five or six colours. 'La7-l-spurs, Annual (Delphiniums). — The tall varieties should be grown in prefer- ence to the others. See note in previous list. White, deep blue, and orange scarlet. are good colours. Painted Tuhe-Tongue (Salpiglossis). — When grown under favourable conditions this is one of the most beautiful of all annuals. Colours varied and exceedingly rich and pleasing. Ottawa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 531 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Sunflowers (Helianthus). — 'Some of the newer varieties can be recommended as superior types. Tohacco Plant (Nicotiana). — This well-known fragrant flower is well worth growing. The coloured variety looks well mixed with the white variety. It will open best in the evening and on dull days. SOME OF THE BEST CLIMBING ANNUALS. Morning Glories (Ipomoea). — The Japanese morning glories are the best, the flowers being larger and of many rich (jolours. Nasturtiums, Climhing (Tropaeolum).- — The many good climbing varieties should have a fairly rich soil in order to do well. Sweet Peas (Lathyrus). — Too well known to need comment. The Spencer varieties are the best. NEW AND LITTLE-KNOWN ANNUALS TESTED AT OTTAWA, SUMMER. 1913. Amongst the twenty " New or Little-known " annual flowers favourably reported on below, only a few are even fairly well known, while most of them are very seldom heard of in Canada. Most of them sliould be welcomed by flower lovers. (The seed of all the annuals was sown in hotbeds April 11 to 14, and the plants were put into their permanent positions the first week of June.) ^ Amelia cornuta (Prophet Flower). — Plants spreading, 12 inches to 18 inches high, covered with a mass of yellow bloom, each flower having five black spots which fade to light brown and then, after a few days, disappoar entirely. A native of northwest India. Useful for suitny situations and rock gardens. In bloom from July 2 till late September. Bartonia aurea (Barton's Golden Flower). — This is more correctly classified as Mentzelia Lindleyi. — Plants spreading 18 inches high, single flowers 1^ inches across, a rich golden yellow, opening more freely towards the evening. Does well in the sun. Useful for the border or rock gardens. In bloom from July 10 till end of August. Centranthus macrosiphom — Plants uprigijjt or slightly spreading, 18 inches high, flowers small rosy-red, borne in Valerian-like masses. A Spanish annual standing the heat well. Useful for a border or rock garden. In bloom from June 4 till late September. Centaurea imperialis (Sweet Sultan). — Plants 24 inches to 30 inches high. Flowers of various colours, 2 inches to 3 inches across, on long stems. Great improvement on the older Sweet Sultans. Splendid for cutting. In bloom from July 3 till early September. Cacalia cocoinea (Tassel Flower). — Plants upright, IS inches high. Small flowerheads of vivid orange scarlet, borne on long stems. Fairly useful for cutting and also for borders, on account of vivid colours. In bloom from June 14 till middle of August, Cosmos or Cosinea (Cosmos). — Plants 3 feet high. — The cosmos is a Mexican plant allied to the dahlia. Its finely divided feathery foliage is very pleasing. This particular variety called Dobbio's New Early Flowering, is excellent in that it is in bloom six weeks to two months earlier than other varieties. Useful for special locations and the back of border. Flowers various colours. In bloom from June 26 till late September. Ottawa. ,532 EXPERIME'STAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Jacolaeq (Senecio or (Iroumhcl). — Plants 12 iiichos Jiiuli. folia.iio thir-k and fleshy, not affected by the heat. Flowers borne in dense heads, double, various colours. Useful for bedding or the rock garden. In bloom July 27 till early October. Lupinus (Lnpitie)- — Plants 18 inches high, upright, flowers in spikes, various colours. vSun-loving plants doing well in soil where lime is plentiful. T'^seful for the flower garden or border. In bloom from July ',] till August. Linum grandiflonim (Flax). — Plants 12 inches high. Flowers bell-shaped, rich scarlet crimson. Eftective on account of its rich colour. Useful garden plant. In bloom July 15 till end of September. Leptosyne Stillma,nii. — Plants 12 inches high. Closely related to the coreopsis. Yellow flowers on fairly long stems. Useful for cutting. This variety is of recent introduction. California plant, liking a sunny situation. In bloom from June 27 till late September. Lepiosiphon hyhrids. — Plants 0 inches high. Flowers small, neat, attractive, and of various colours. These dwarf hybrids are likely to be very useful for edging and rock-work. In bloom from July G till end of August. Lavatvra roseo splendens (il/aZZou;).— Plants IS inches to 24 inches high. Flowers a pretty shade of rose pink. The Lavateras are effective plants with their beautiful cup-shaped flowers. Useful in the garden or border. la bloom from July 2.") till middle October. Martynia fragrans {Elephant's Trunh). — Plants very spreailing, 12 inches high, large woolly leaves. Flowers fragrant, gloxinia-like, of mauve and inirple. Like.s. a moist and smiuy position. Useful when a bold foliage plant is needed. In bloom from July 10 till middle September. Oxalis {Cloth of Gold). — Plants 9 inches high, resembling the clover plant. Flowers yellow, rather small. Does well in warm sandy soil. In blooni from July 2 till early September. Rndbechia Golden Sunset (Coneflower). — Plants IS inches high, flowers yellow with chestnut markings. A compact, attractive plant, bearing a great profusion of bloom. Useful for cutting. In bloom from July 3 till late September. Sphenogyne sj^ec/osa.— Plants 12 inches high. Flowers Marguerite-like yellow with brownish centre, lasting only for a- short season, otherwise attractive. In bloom from July 8 till middle August. Statice, Annnal fSea Lavender). — Plants 24 inches high. Flowers in spikes or sprays, everlasting, small, bell-shaped; colours, cream and purple. Useful for cutting and may be dried as ordinary everlasting flowers. Does well in light soil. In bloom from July 15 till middle October. Tagetes Golden Gem (Dwarf Marigold). — Plants 9 inches high. Flowers small orange-yellow, growing in great profusion over the entire plant. Stands drought well and blooms best in rather light soil. Useful for edging or bedding. In bloom July 19 till late September. Viscaria cardinalis (Bose of Heaven). — Plants 18 inches high. Profuse blooming annual, pleasing, brilliant crimson Qup-shaped flowers. A fine garden or border flower. Similar to Lychnis. In bloom July 14 till early September. Whitlavia grandiflora (Whitlavia). — Plants 12 inches high, related to Xemophila and sometimes classed with Phacelia. Flowers bell-shai)ed, deep blue, atti-active in early sunnner. but do not last long. Useful in flower garden. In bloom June 16 till middle August. OlTAWA. DIVISION OF IIORTIGULTURK 533 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SELECTED STRAINS OK NEW VARIETIES OF WKIJ.-KNOWN ANNUALS. In addition to the foroK'oing', a few new varieties or selected strains of certain well-known annuals put on the market during- the year 1913 as novelties, by various seed firms, slionld be mentioned. In very few instances, however, were these novelties superior to the older varieties. Alonsoa gracilis (Mash Flower). — One of the best of the Alonsoas. Cyanns minor (^Coru Flower j. — Very free flowerinf;:. Cyamis major (Corn Flower). — Mixed shades of blue, free iloweriug. Celosia cristata (Cockscomb). — Scarlet, q, neat dwarf variety. Clarhia elegans. — Double coppery red, attractive colour. Chrysanthemum Inodonun (Bridal Robe). — Very free flowering". Dimorphotheca aurantiaca hybrids (Cape Daisy). — Some pleasing colours. Eschscholtzia Thorburnia (California Poppy). — Deep orange yellow. Linaria reticulata aurea (Toadflax). — A pleasing free bloomer. Morning Glory (New Airy Fairy). — Colour not attractive. Petunia, Large-flowered, Fringed.- — A very good strnin. UNSATLSFACTORV Xh'AV PLANTS. The following" "New or Little-known xinnuals " did not show up to advantage this year. No adverse criticism, however, will be made until they have b(.'en tested further : — Collinsia bicolor (Collin's Flower). Campanula atiica (Bell Flower). Calindrinia speciosa (Rock Purslane). Gypsophila elegans compacta (Chalk Plant). Hebenstreitia comosa. Kaulfussia amelloides (Caiie Aster). Limmanthes Douglasii. Leptosyne maritima, Schizopetalon Wal/rcri. THE MAKING AND CARE OF LAWNS. The first experiments at the Central Farm with grasses for lawn purposes were made some twenty-five years ago. Tn Bulletin No. 19 of the Central Experimental Farm, published in 189-3, Dr. Fletcher, who was at that time botanist, reports some interesting results in connection with types suitable for lawns under trial at that date. Since then many experiments with various objects in view luive been carried on. The many adverse conditions which have often prevailed at Ottawa, both in regai-d to soil and season, have offered ample opportunity to test out the merits of grasses and mix- tures recommended for lawn purposes. The points taken up in the following article with regard to types of soil, time to sow, nurse crops, etc., are points, advice about which is given not oidy on accepted ])rinciiiles of good practice prevailing elsewhere, but also oti the finding of many years of work with regard to such methods at Ottawa. The making of the nuiin lawn at Ottawa, in fact, was a practical problem founded on no small handicap. The soil Oti\\\\. 534 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 in some places was nothing less than a sand-knoll of the poorest type. The same lawn at the present time offers many interesting problems in the maintainance of an old lawn, the trial of the weed-killers now extensively advertised, the restoration of areas winter-killed through the formation of ice, the effects of commercial fertilizers, the effect of top-dressing with stable manure, etc. Although much information has been obtained with regard to some of these points, the experiments now under way will, it is hoped, supply much more needed information. Practical ways of watering lawns economically and efficiently are also being investigated. The question then so frequently asked by many correspondents of the Experimental Farm as to what is the best way to make a good lawn, is a very important question. The lawn is our outdoor carpet, and a very beautiful carpet it is, and upon it in suitable positions are to be placed the garden furnishings, in the shape of shrubs, trees, etc., which are to remain as fixed furniture for many years. A lawn, then, if for this reason alone, should be well made, but another equally important reason for starting the lawn correctly, is that a good velvety lawn is more delightful to walk upon than anything else, whereas, a poor-looking lawn is an eyesore and a source of constant trouble. Lawn grasses are so classed because of a peculiar habit of growth which separates them from among hundreds of other varieties. Often, however, these other varieties get into lawns and cause trouble by producing patchy effects, due to a difference in the habit of their growth. Burnt-looking patches, in dry spells, are often due to their presence, although such patches may be the result of an uneven type of soil or uneven water supply. This being the case suggests that in order to make a good lawn, the first consideration is that of the two important factors of soil and seed. SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION. The soil for a good lawn, in respect of its quality, is not of vast importance. A very poor piece of land, if properly prepared, will in a few years support a good lawn. Soils, of course, are of many: types, but it may be best here to consider all soils as belonging to one of three classes. These classes are: (1) heavy or clayey soils; (2) medium loamy soils; and (3) light sandy soils. Soils belonging to the first and third classes need more preparation than soils of the second class, that is, medium loamy soils. Soils of the first type, namely, heavy clay soils, should be first of all drained, if possible. Drainage to a heavy soil is like fresh air to a stuffj- room. The oxygen in the fresh air as it passes down through the soil, has exactly the same results on the plant growth, as fresh air has on the human system. Oxygen or air is enabled to pass through a drained soil more freely than through an undrained soil, because the water in passing down to the drains below, leave channels through which air is sucked. In many cases where drainage is not given, sickly growth or bad winter-killing of the grasses results. Soils belonging to the second class, that is, medium loam soils, are the best soils for lawns, and need little improvement before sowing the seed. Soils belonging to the third class, or sandy soils, are also fairly good soils for lawns, when it is possible to add enough vegetable matter or barnyard manure to supply plant food for several years. Such soils, however, dry out very quickly, and the grasses are more liable to be injured by drought. Where good soil is procurable, it is eafer to apply a top dressing, to such soils, of about 6 inches of good loam. GRADING^ LEVELLING AND SPECIAL PREPARATION. It may sometimes happen that the plot to be sown to lawn is very uneven in char- acter. In such a case it has to be graded or levelled. In the act of levelling, care should be taken to take off the top layer of soil and keep it by itself, ready to apply as a top dressing all over the freshly-graded parts Ottawa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 535 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 after the work of levelling is finished. Plants will seldom grow in the raw sub-soil. The top soil being the richer in plant food should always be kept at the surface. In filling up holes, be careful to see that the soil is well packed into them, or subsequently settling takes place and an uneven lawn is the result. BEST GRADES FOR THE LAWN. The best grade for a town lawn is to have it slope slightly away from the house and towards the street. This prevents surface water from remaining on it after heavy showers and also gives the appearance of greater size to the lot. The levelling should be done as perfectly as possible before the seed is sown. Hand rakes are the best toob to accomplish this, and all stones, except those which are very small, should be ruked off. Wlien the soil is not of the very best quality, good large applif aticns of farju- yard manure, in a well-rotted condition, should be made just previous to the final pre- paration. Unless the manure is exceedingly well rotted, it may be best to apply it several months previously. One of the best of the commercial fertilizers is fine steamed bone meal. A " complete fertilizer," consisting of potash salts, superphosphates, and a little nitrate of soda, also gives satisfactory results. Such fertilizers may be applied at the rate of from 250 to 500 pounds per acre, or about one ounce to a square yard of lawn. Commercial fertilizers should not be applied during dry weather. Two or three applications during the course of the season, applied at the above rate, will generally give better results than a much larger quantity applied all at once. HOW AND WHEN TO SOW THE SEED. The seed should be sown when there is no wind, because the seed, being very light, is difficult to distribute evenly in windy weather. To ensure even distribu- tion, it is best to mark ofl' the lawn into strips about 6 feet wide, and sow fairly lightly. Then mark it off again at right angles to the first strips, and sow a second time. Seed is best sown during one of the three following seasons : First, as early in the spring as possible, that is, as soon as the ground is dry enough to work. If the ground has been prepared the previous autumn, so that all that remains to be done in the spring is to srw it to seed, the spring is perhaps the most satisfactory time to sow. The second season is during the latter part of August or early in Septem- ber. Should delays hinder the early spring sowing, it is generally better to put off sowing till this season. The reasons for this are that during the months of June and July, the seed fails to germinate, or if it germinates, the long hours of sun- light and the dry atmosphere kills off the tiny plants, whereas by September, by the aid of dew and rain, the seed germinates quickly and survives the heat of the sun far better. The third season is as late in the autumn as possible — just before the ground freezes up. The object of sowing the seed at this season is to gain time in the spring. The seed will lie in the ground without harm during the winter, and will germinate very early in the spring. It must not be sown too early in the autumn, otherwise it may germinate and the young plants being quite tender at the start of their life, most of them will be killed off by frost. After the seed has been sown, the soil should be carefully and not too heavily raked and, with most types of soil, a final rolling will prove beneficial. KINDS AND QUANTITY OF SEED. From the vicinity of i^jTew York northward, the best lawn grass mixture is one consisting of Kentucky Blue grass, and a small quantity of White Dutch clover. In some cases Red Top is mixed with the Blue grass. Seed firms selling special lawn grass mixtures, generally add to these grasses some such quick germinating grass as Ottawa. 536 EXFERIMESVAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 timothy or English Rye gra>s. Such grasses are for temporary purposes onlj". The reason for this is that the permanent lawu grasses take several years to get well established, but when they do finally take possession of the ground, the best of results continue for years. Where the lawn is made for the purpose of tennis or croquet, it is best to omit the clover, as this takes longer to dry out after a shower and is slightly slippery. Seed should be sown at the rate of 4 to 6 bushels per acre, accord- ing to the soil, season and mixture. Kentucky Blue grass, 5 bushels. White Dutch clover, 1 or 2 pounds, with 1 bushel of Timothy or English rye added for results the first season, is an excellent mixture. All reliable seed firms sell excellent mix- tures which often give good results, but Kentucky Blue grass alone or with White Dutch clover is recommended. A piece of lawn the size of a tennis-court requires nearly a bushel of seed, or a piece 50 by 100 feet, three pecks. Grass seed is gener- ally sold by weight, one bushel of Blue grass weighing 14 pounds. Sometimes what is known as ''' a nurse crcyp " is sown with the lawn grasses. This generally consists of either oats or barley, and is used in order to give shade and lirotection to the tenderer grasses. A " nurse crop " is useful when a lawn has to be Sown late in the sjiring. Tf used, it should be cut when not more than 6 inches high, and will require about three cuttings during the season. CARK OF A NEW LAWN. A new lawn should not be left to grow as it pleases during the first year, as is sometimes supposed. The first cutting should take place when the grass is about 4 or 5 inches high, and a new lawn s-own late the previous autumn or in the early spring should be cut four or five times during the first season. The grass is improved thereby and weeds which are bound to come up freely in new lawns are also kept in check. After the first season, most weeds will disappear, but should dandelions or plantains make their appearance, nothing less than cutting out each plant with a "spud." or pulling it up by the roots, will be effectual in keeping them in check. All other weeds, with a few exceptions, have a less persistent root system, and cannot survive one or two cuttings with the lawn mower. A good sharp scythe may be used to cut tlie lawn for the first few times, although a lawn mower in good condition is perfectly satisfac- tory, and wiM not pull up the grass by the roots. WATKIilXG AND GENKRAL TREATMENT. Should it be necessary to water the lawn, it must be well soaked at each applica- tion. Sprinkling a lawn is very bad practice, as the water does not get deep enough into the soil to reach the roots, and instead of benefiting, it causes the surface to bake in the form of a crust, which is fatal to healthy growth. Moreover, owing to the law of capillarity, far more watei: is lost by evaporation the next day than was added by the sprinkling. Young lawns, and even well-established lawns, are always improved by a good rolling in the spring. Should thore be any holes in the lawn, they may be filled up at this time by adding some good loam. The grass will quickly push up through soil thus added. Where leaves and other waste materials have accumulated on the lawn during the winter, such should be raked oft" in the early days of spring. Thorough raking will also improve the grass. Another point to remember is. that a delay in cutting the lawu in the sj^ring always makes the first cutting much harder work, and sometimes produces injury to the grass as well; therefore, get the lawn mower into shape during the winter, and out on the lawn as soon as it is green in the spring. In addition to the foregoing information relating to the making anil care of an ordinary lavra, the Central Farm is frequently applied to for information regarding points referred to below : — Ottawa. DITISIOX OF HORTIClLTrRE 537 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 BEST GRASSES I'OU SlIAl)^ I'L ACESs. In all casc^ it is advisable to sow some of the seed of Kentucky Blue grass recommeiided for ordinary lawns, or Canadian Blue grass (Poa compressa) together with either Various-leaved Fescue (Festuca lieteroplii/Ila) or Eough-stalked Meadow grass (Poa trivialls). One -or both of the last with one of the blue grasses will make a goocars. For many years, as stated, the older types have occupied iiermanent positions in the lawn beds at the Central Experimental Farm. The Darwin tulips, however, during the last few years, owing to their colour, height and beauty of form, have dominated Ottawa. 538 EXPERIMEXrAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 the situation in the latter half of the month of May. That is. it has been found that the blooming season of the tulips has been considerably lengthened by the addition of this section. The experiments now being conducted, and which are a continuation of work along similar lines in the past in connection with these flowers, aim to obtain information along the following lines: The hardiness of the bulbs, the length of the bloomi)ig season, displaj^ effect, usefulness as border plants when left growing in the same place for several years, summer treatment of the bulbs, etc. When all the merits of this group of flowers are considered, it is not to be won- dered at that of the hundreds of thousands of bulbs grown in Canada, millions in the United States, and tens of millions in Europe, many thousands of them in many parts and colours may be found growing at the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa. In the autumn of every" year they are planted to make, in the following spring, what is perhaps one of the most gorgeous displays of colour that it is possible to create. Eacb year the various types of bulbs are becoming more popular in Canada, and frequent inquiries are received at the Central Farm regarding their culture. When the word " bulb " is mentioned, there immediately comes to the mind, masses of gay tulips in beds and borders, and patches of white and golden narcissi in lawn and woodland. The range and brightness of the colours of the tulip are not equalled perhaps in the whole of the floral year. After the long, colourless winter, they appeal to man's primal love of rich colours, in a degree seldom equalled by the beautiful flowers of later seasons. Under bulbs may be classed about fifty to sixty different genera of plants, but of this number, the tulip and narcissi rank first and second, with perhaps lilies, crocuses, snowdrops and gladioli following fairly closely, while hyacinths, freesias, blue-bells and glory-of-the-snow find greater welcome, as worthy companions of these favourites, every year. EASY TO GROW. The fact that some of our finest flowers are to be found amongst these bulbous- plants is apparent to even a novice in the art of floriculture. And it is encouraging to an amateur gardener to know that most bulbs are very easy to grow successfully. This is due to the fact that when a good grade of bulb is bought, a good plant is practically- assured. The size and quality of the bulb determine the resulting flower, and the only skill, if such it may be called, that is required by the grower is to put it into a medium in which it may develop its enclosed flower or flowers. Xo amount of care or high culture will add more spikes of bloom to a hyacinth, or flowers to a daffodil, than were formed when the bulb was growing the previous spring in Holland. Holland is the country where most of them are grown, and consequently, they are often called " Dutch bulbs." REQUIREMENTS OF THE BULB. Given then, a good bulb, what has to be done in order to get it to develop into a good plant? Its requirements in regard to soil, moisture, and manure, are of the- simplest kind. First, as to soil, all bulbs generally do best and most varieties require a soil through which water can pass with reasonable freedom, or, in other words, the soil should not remain soggy, as such soil will suffocate the plant. If the soil is soggy,, it must be drained and some sand and coarse manure added to it. Second, as to moisture, most bulbs require plenty of water, and hardly too much can be given when the soil is of the right texture; this is especially true with regard to the period just before blooming. If the soil is right in texture, the water in passing Ott.\w.^. DITISIOX OF HORTICULTURE 539 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 through it, leaves channels through which air is supplied to the roots, and that is why the soil should be well drained and not soggy. Third, with regard to manure. The directions in this connection must be com- bined with a warning. Bulbs should not have any manure at all, unless planted in a border in which they are to remain for several years. In supplying manure, in such cases, it must be trenched in, and must not on any acount, come in contact with the bulbs. It is a good practice to apply the manure a year previous to the planting of the bulbs, in order that it may become thoroughly mixed with the soil, and almost entirely decayed. TIME TO PLANT. Most of the spring-flqwering bulbs must be planted in the autumn. In places where the ground does not freeze up till late, planting may be continued till Novem- ber, but the earlier they are planted the more time they have to make root growth in the autumn, and as a consequence, larger and better flowers may be looked for in the spring. now TO PLANT. The simple&'t method of planting in beds, where the bulbs should come in ^ regular order, at similar distances apart, is to take a long strip of wood or a piece of rope and mark off the bed as follows : — If the bulbs are to be planted 6 inches apart, procure two little pieces of stick, 6 inches long, and a cord several yards long. Two persons are required, each taking one of the little sticks and one end of the cord. They then place themselves on oppo- site sides of the bed, and draw the cord across it several times as if sawing with it, until the cord has made a distinct mark in the ground. Then each moves his little stick along the 6 inchesi of its length, and repeat the operation with the cord. When the bed is finished one way, it must be marked from the other two sides. A bed is very quickly and accurately markcl by this method. The bulbs are then placed in position at the intersections of the lines, that is, at the corners of the 6 inch squares. They are then planted with a trowel. The distance apart at which bulbs are planted vary with the size of the bulbs, and variety of the bulbous plant. Good-sized tulips are best planted 6 inches apart; narcissi from 4 to 9 inches apart. Bulbs of other types and varieties vary considerably in size, and ability to increase in the bed, or borders. Anemones, crocuses, and the smaller bulbs should be planted from 2\ to 4 inches apart. Lilies, from 4 to 9 inches apart, according to the variety. Some lilies, like Superhum and Elegans, increase quite rapidlj^ and will have to' be taken up, divided, and re-planted after a few years. Another way to plant bulbs is to remove the soil from part of the bed to the right depth, and place the bulbs in position and as they are thus placed, push them into the soil slightly. The shifted soil may then be returned. Some care is required if this second method is adopted ; otherwise, if the soil is returned carelessly, the bulbs are knocked out of position. It has its advantages, however, since it ensures that all bulbs are planted at an even depth, and if the soil is very heavy in character, it may be greatly improved by placing a thin layer of sand immediately under the bulbs. DEPTH TO PLANT VARIOUS BULB^. The depth at which to plant almost all types of bulbs is determined to some extent }Dy the type of the soil. The simplest way to give good advice in this regard is to say that as a rule a bulb should be planted at an average depth varying from three to four times its Ottawa. 540 EXI'EIUM 1L\ TA L FA Ji}fS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 diameter. Thus l^-inch to 1^-inch tulips should be planted in good garden loam, about 4i to 5 inches deep. Should the soil be of a very heavj' type, 4 inches would be better, while in a lighter type of soil, 5 inches would be a better depth. The following are average depths: — Anemones, about 2 inches. Crocus, about 2 to 2i inches. Gladioli, about 3 to 4 inches. Snowdrops, about 2 to 2^ inches. Bulbous irises, about 2 to 3 inches. Tulips, about 4 to 5 inches. Hyacinths, about 5 to 6 inches. Xarcissi, 4 to 6 inches. Lilies, about 3 to 7 inches. BULBS IN THE JTOUSE. The planting of bulbs in pots and bowls is not discussed here, inasmuch as it is a slightly different subject. The process, however, is equally simple, and the two points of greatest importance are with regard to proper " rooting " of the bulb.s, and " watering." Indoor bulb culture may be summed up in a few words, namefy: plant as soon as received, in a porous soil; water-carefully and not overmuch; keep the plants cool for several months in order to produce good root growth, a temperature of about 40° F. being best; in forcing the plants for bloom, bring the pots tirst into a temperature of about 50° F., and later as high as 70° F., and let them have lots of sunshine; keep well watered as they are making stem and flower growth. VARIETIES. The number of varieties and types of popular bulbs, like the tulip, hyacinth and narcissus, is apt to perplex the beginner. A simple way is to obtain a dealer's cata- logue each spring, with 9ome of the popular varieties marked. Take this catalogue and visit the public parks and the homes of your friends who grow bulbs, and check off those which appeal most to your personal tastes. Some of the varieties which have done well at the Farm for bedding and border planting are as follows: — EARLY TULIPS (In bloom during the first half of May). Name. Colour and Remarks. Albion Artus Chrysolora Cottage Maid Duohesse de Parma Joost van ^'ondl•l Joost van Vondol White Keizerskroon Mon Tresor Prinee of Austria ^'ermilion Brilliant , White. Scarlet . Golden yellow. White, bordered pink. Orange or terra cotta, with yellow edge. Cherry red and white, very fine. Pure white, very fine. Bright red, with broad yellow edge. Fine golden yellow. Bright orange vermilion, sweet scented. Brilliant vermilion. Ottawa. DIVISIO^' OF HORTICULTURE 541 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EARLY DOUBLE TULIPS (In blooiii tluriiig the middle part of May). Couronne d'Or Imperator Rubrorum. Murillo Deep yellow. Bright scarlet. Fine pink. DARWIN TULIPS (111 blooui during the last half of May). Clara Butt Deep apple blossom. Farncombe Sanders Bright scarlet. Gretchen Delicate pink. Pride of Haarlem Carmine pink, large flower. LATE (may-flowering) TULIPS (In blooni during the last half of May). La Merveille Picotee Maiden's Blush. Sunset Orange red, large flower, sweet scented. White, margined pink. Red and gold. Isabella Cream and carmine red In addition to the foregoing list of standard varieties of tulips, which have ^iven every satisfaction during the past years in which they have been grown, the Central Farm has under test a large number of the newer varieties of narcissi, tulips, anemones, and other bulbs. During the past two years, the newer \ arieties of Darwin tulips have given great promise. Some of them are exceedingly attrac- tive and really beautiful flowers for either the border or for cutting. These newer varieties will be reported on in a subsequent report or bulletin. SOME HELPFUL HINTS. It would be idle to contend that mistakes are not occasionally made in such simple technique as is required in order to grow bulbs successfully. Such mis- takes, however, are more often due to carelessness than to lack of knowledge. The following hints are given to guard the beginner, as far as possible, against mishap. They cover all important steps from the time of ordering to the preparation of the beds for the following year. 1. Ordering the Bulbs. — Always order early. If possible, during the summer. Pay a fair price and get a good quality bulb. Fine flowers will result. 2. When to Plant. — As soon as the bulbs can be obtained from the dealer, is a good rule. In northern parts of the Dominion, few spring bulbs can be planted too early in the previous autumn. October is a good month. 3. Where to Plant: — Plant the early tulips in the formal beds or borders. The late and Darwin tulips are best planted in the borders, where, if grouped in irregular clumps, they make most effective masses of colour. They will do well for several \ears without being moved. Tulips and narcissi like the sunny spots best, but both narcissi and daft'odils do best in those parts of the border where the richest soil is to be found. Underdrain all very damp places. Ottawa. 16—36 542 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 4. Fertilizing the Ground. — Too much attention is given to the enrichment of the soil for bulbs. The previous statements have indicated that seldom is it necessary to add fertilizer of any kind to soils of ordinary garden quality. When bulbs aire planted in borders in which they are to remain for some years, it is advisable to trench in some good stable manure the previous season. Manure in direct contact with bulbs will cause fungous and other rot troubles. Of the commercial fertilizers, super- phosphate and ground bone are the best, especially for soil which is to be used for potting bulbs. _ - v 5. Protecting from Frost. — As soon as the ground is frozen to the depth of several inches, a light covering of coarse manure or straw is helpful to the bulbs, in that it aids in holding the snow. Heavy manure, or wet leaves should not be used, as both will exclude too much air from the bulbs in the spring and autumn. Air and drainage are essential to good root growth. Remove the covering as soon as the ground begins to thaw out in the spring. 6. Watering in Spring. — In a dry spring, it may be necessary to water bulbs, such as daffodils. Should such be necessary, apply a big quantity once or twice, rather than a little at frequent intervals. 7. About Colours and Heights. — Tulips are obtainable in an immense assortment of colours and types. If colour effects are sought, it is not wise to attempt to obtain them the first year or two. At least, not unless the grower is familiar with the habits of the different types. The early tulips generally grow about a foot high. The late, or as sometimes called "may-flowering" tulips, grow about the same height, with the exception of a few of them, which grow as high as 2 feet. Darwin tulips, the latest and most beautiful of all types of this popular flower, are generally taller, some growing as high as 2i feet. Th^ are also varied and exquisite in tlie range of shades and colours. Narcissi are generally yellow, in some tint or shade of that colour, oi white. In height, they generally average about 12 inches, when grown under suitable conditions. Both tulips and narcissi are very suitable for cutting. Darwin tulips will last for a week to ten days as cut flowers in the house. ABOUT TREES AND SIIRrBS. Canada ha? a large number of beautiful and attractive trees and shrubs, which add dignity and charm to large portions of the Dominion. But, that significant phrase, " a treeless country," vivid in its descriptive force, is also truly applied to large portions of its area. To distribute over the face of such portions some of the beautiful native or suitable exotic trees and shinabs is a task eminently worth while. Not less worth while is the task of making them better known around the homes and in the gardens of the vaster and more favoured portions of the country. Ottawa. DiriSIO^- OF HORTICULTURE 543 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 In round numbers, about four thousand varieties of ornamental trees and shrubs liave been tested in the Arboretum, and on the ornamental grounds at the Central Farm at Ottawa. While many of these are not hardy enough for general recommenda- tion, a great number of those tested have been found to be very useful and attractive. From among that number, those in the following lists are selected and recommended for certain special purposes. Inquiries with regard to trees and shrubs for such pur- poses are very frequently made at the Farm. SOME REASONS FOR GROWING ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. A beautiful tree is one of the most beautiful things in all God's creation. Trees around the home give pleasant shade, and on hot days, moderate excessive temperatures by means of transpiration. Trees around the home make pleasant contrast with the straight architectural lines of the house, and often add an unconscious charm to the home. Trees around the house break the force of windstorms, and often protect it from injury. Shrubs may be grouped into picturesque masses, may be used to screen unsightly buildings, or planted to soften harsh boundary lines. Shrubs are ornaments in the out-of-door room, which last for many years, and receiving a little attention, grow into a beauty of perfect form and fitness. Shrubs are beautiful and oftimes fragrant in time of flower, clean and attractive ,'n foliage, and their fruits are often the winter food for our bird friends. The cost of a tree or shrub .spread over the long years of its life, during v.-hich it ministers to our higher senses and love of the beautiful, is often less than the cost of one meal. The worth of trees and shrubs is the worth of subtle influences, directing life's motives into channels leading from the brute towards the Creator. GOOD STREET OR AVENUE TREES. American Elm (Ulmus americana). — The best of the larger quick-growing hardy trees for wide streets or avenues. Ba>iSwood, or Linden {Tilia americana or Tilia PlatypJtyllos). — Both the Ameri- can and the broad-leaved European varieties make useful trees for either avenues or streets. Maple, Sugar, or Bode Maple (Acer saccharum). — One of the best known, popu- lar and most useful trees for street planting. Maple, Norway (Acer platanoides). — This maple does not grow so large as the sugar maple, but forms a round-headed symmetrical tree, hardy and attractive. Oak, Bed or Scarlet (Quercus ruhra and coccinea). — The oaks,, although of slightly slower growth, make good avenue or street trees. The red and scarlet are the best. ADDITIONAL TREES USEFUL FOR STREET OR AVKMK I'LANTING. Green Ash (Fraxinuf) pennsylvanica lanceolala) (viridis). Red maple (Acer ruhrum). Pin oak (Quercus palustris). Carolina poplar (Populus deltoides). Maiden-hair tree (Ginhgo hiloha). Sycamore (Platanus occiden.talis and orientalis). White a'^h (Fraxinus americana). Ottawa. 16— SHi 544 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 GOOD TREES FOR SHADE AND ORNAMENTS AROUND THE HOME. Purple-leaved Norway Maple. — Produces handsome purple leaves in spring and summer. Wier's Cut-leaved Silver Maple. — A very beautiful weeping tree. Western or Japanese Catalpa. — Big handsome leaves, and attractive flowers. Oucumher Tree. — Big broad leaves, and curious fruit. Kentucky Coifee Tree. — A rugged looking tree with beautiful leaves. American Larch, or TamaracJc. — Graceful and attractive, pleasing green colour. Rowan Tree, or Mountain Ash. — Noted for its handsome fruit and pretty leaves. Laurel-leaved Willow. — A handsome tree with glossy leaves. GOOD TREES FOR SHELTER BELTS. Norway Spruce. — A rapid growing tree. • White Spruce. — Makes a veiy compact tree. Austrian Pine. — A sturdy compact tree. Scotch Pine. — Makes rapid growth. Laurel-leaved Willow. — A large bushy-like tree, dense foliage. Carolina Poplar or Cottonwood. — The most rapid growing tree of all. Manitoba Maple. — Rapid growing, the lower limbs extending to the ground. Caragana arhorescens. — A small tree or shrub, but very hardy, with tough branches. SOME GOOD EVERGREEN TREES FOR PLANTING AS INDIVIDUAL SPECIMENS. Wliite Spruce. — Several planted together make handsome groups. Norway /Spruce.— Individual trees with their di-ooping branches are A'ery effective. RocJcy Mountain Blue Spruce. — Koster's blue spruce is the best. This tree, at all stages of its growth, is wonderfully attractive and striking. Pyramidal Arhor-Vitce or Cedar.- — Without pruning it grows to a tall pyramidal or column-like tree. Douglas' Golden Arhor-Vitas or Cedar. — This variety is attractive because of its colour, bright green tipped with gold. Globe Shaped Arbor-Vita^ — Its natural shape is globular, produces a good efl'ect when grown in a right setting. TREES NOT RECOMMENDED, ALTHOUGH OFTEN PLANTED. Horse Chestnut. — Subject of late years to a fungous disease. Cut-leaved White Birch. — A beautiful tree, but subject to the attacks of a borer, treucrully proves fatal. Silver Maple. — Subject to severe damage from wind, owing to its soft, brittle wood. Black or Yellow Locust. — Subject to the attacks of a borer, which proves fatal. Ottawa. Dryr!rthem Spy, and have proved themselves most promising as new apples. The objects in view in making these crosses were as follows : To obtain an early bearing, heavy yielding, good keeping, and firm apple of first-rate quality, that would begin to bear fruit as early as the Wealthy or Wagener. The climatic conditions during the season of blossoming were not very favourable, nevertheless a number of fruits were secured from these crosses, and seed sown for spring germination. The following is a list of the crosses made with apple varieties : 18-11— Baldwin, F. X Gravenstein, M. 18-12— R. I. Greening, F. X Gravenstein, M. 18-13— Northern Spy, F. X Gravenstein, M. ^ 18-15- Wealthy, F. X. Macintosh Red, M. 18-16— Scott Winter, F. X Baldwin, M. 18-19— Glenton, F. X Wealthy, ]\r. 18-20— Bingo, F. X Wealthy, il. (N.B. — The letter F. denotes the female parent, or tree upon which the fruit was produced, and M. the male parent, or tree from which the pollen was secured.) Ottawa. 548 ' EXPEIU MENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 The onliiud, containing several hundred seedling apples already in bearing, some fruiting for the tirst time, has given quite a large percentage of most promising fruit. The work entailed in recording the quality and characteristics of these seedlings is in itself a work of no mean proportions, and is largely undertaken hy Mr. Maeoun per- sonally. PEARS. ^• ith regard to pears, several crosses were made between our tender varieties, such as Clapp's Favourite, Clairgeau, Sheldon, and Kieffer, with the more hardy and blight resistant, but otherwise much inferior pears of Russian origin, such as Kurskaya, Zucherbirn and Lemon pear. The pollen was secured from orchards in the Niagara district and the crosses were effected on the hardy trees in the Experimental Farm orchard. A number of fruits were obtained, and the seed from them sown as in the ease with the apples. The following is a list of crosses made with pears : — 16-17 • — Lemon Pear, F. X Clapp's Favorite, M. 16-18 —Kurskaya, F. X Ivieffer, M. 16- 18a — Kurskaya, F. X Clapp's Favorite, M. - 16-19 — Zuckerbirn, F. X Clapp's Favourite, M. 16-21 —Clairgeau, F. X Kurskaya, M. 16-22 — Clapp's Favourite, F. X Kurskaya, M. An experiment was conducted to ascertain if possible the length of time that pear pollen might be obtained during the winter and saved for hybridizing puri)oses for the following spring. With this object in view, branches were cut from the varieties Kurskaya, Lemon Pear, and Zuckerbirn, early in February and again in the middle of March. These branches were placed in water in a warm atmosphere. The branches cut in February flowered about March 4, and those cut on March 15 flowered April 9. Pollen was saved from these flowers, 'thoroughly dried and stored in glass vials. The following crosses were made on May 9, Avith the pollen that had been secured the March previous : m 16.11 — Kurskaya, F. X Zuckerbirn, M. (Eighteen fruits, all seedless). 16.12 — Kurskaya, F. X Lemon Pear, M. (Twenty-one fruits developed ; forty- three seeds). 16.13 — Lemon Pear, F. X Kurskaya, M. (No fruits developed). The following crosses were made with pollen secured during the previous April : — 16.15 — Kurskaya, F. X Zuckerbirn, M. (yielded ten fruits, no fully developed seeds). 16.16— Zuckerbirn, F. X Kurskaya, M. (yielded twelve fruits containing twentj'-one fully developed seeds). These facts seem to suggest that the pollen from the Lemon Pear and Zuckerbirn (that produced normal fruit, but having no seeds) was deficient in sexual vitality, but sufiiciently potent to cause a pseudosexual enlargement of the torus, or fruit tissues of the receptacle. The pollen of Kurskaya that had been saved a month, and had lieen obtained under similar artificial conditions, produced both fruit and i>ecds. The pollen of Zuckerbirn or Sugar Pear had produced fruit in both instances, but in neither case had the fruit flovoloped any seed. Ottawa. Plate LI 1 1. ■ llfi«|ieflK!it!lltlltt!lifilK! jgliili^iKiiglgllgli^ I A tyiiical ear of Early Adams (Dent) No. 1 and Malakoff (Sweet) No. 4. Nos. 2 and S are types of crossed ears illustrating forms of " blended " and "mosaic " Xenia. A method of selecting tomato seed. 16- 1915-p. 548. DIYISION OF nORTICVLTVRE 549 S'ESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 It might be of scientific interest to state that iu the crosses made with the variety Kurskaya as the female parent, fruit was obtained on each of the trees worked upon, but only in the cross Kurskaya X Clapp's Favourite was seed obtained. The means employed in securing pollen prevented any possibility of contamina- tion. The flowers used for hyl)ridizing purposes were covered with bags before opening, and just prior to the opening they were emasculated and rebagged. It would seem from the above results that the pollen from the Lemon Pear, which was nearly eight weeks old and had been secured from branches of a dormant tree, forced under arti- ficial conditions, had produced fruit containing seeds. PLUMS. A large number of seedling plums of the americana type have begun to fruit, and during the i)ast season notes were taken on the qualities of the fruit of over two hun- dred of these young trees. Several of the Caro, Gloria, and Brackett seedlings are very promising, and are being propogated in limited quantities so that stock may be available if they prove to be consistently as good during the next three or four years as in the past. Several crosses were made with plums, but only three fruits resulted, and these failed to reach maturity. GEAPES. With regard to grapes, a quantity of seed was obtained in the autumn of 1912 of the varieties Moore's Early, Campbell's Early, Concord, Worden, Vergennes, Brighton, Champion, Niagara, Salem, and Daisy. Half this seed was sown in the fall, the remainder in the following spring. The autumn-sown seed germinated most satisfac- torily, but the other gave poor results. These seedlings will be grown for another sea- son in the nursery row and then planted in permanent positions in the vinery. The object in view being to secure, if possible, an early-maturing, firm, edible grape, that may be grown as far north as the Ottawa valley, with a reasonable chance of com- mercial success. The above-mentioned varieties of grapes spring from two origins, the Vinifera and the Labrusca. The following five varieties are considered to be of purely Labrusean origin, namely : Moore's Early, Concord, Worden, Vergennes and Champion. Wheren? the varieties Campbell's Early, Brighton, Niagara, Salem and Daisy are of hybrid composition, consisting of Labrusca and Yinifera origins. It has been considered that these grapes of directly hybrid origin afford a most promising field for further improve- ment among their seedlings, which may be expected to segregate into series nf noticeably distinct forms, from which it is hoped may be secured one or two grapes of particular value. The seedlings of purely Labrusean origin are being grown upon tlie assumption that the origin of such excellent commercial varieties as Concord, Worden, and Moore's Early may be capable of prodvicing even better grapes than these. VEGETABLES. The work with vegetables has consisted very largely in selecting and isolating the earliest maturing strains of Malakoff sweet corn and Earliana toma.toes, having at the- same time a due regard for the qualities of heaA^?^ yield, uniformity, and disease resis- tance. During the summer of 1912, a carefully detailed record was secured of the merits of the several strains of Earliana tomato and Malakoff sweet corn grown on tlie Experimental Farm. In 1913, the best of these strains were selected and planted ii> isolation, to determine as far as possible their individual merits. Ottawa. 550 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 TOMATOES. Several crosses were made with the best of the Experimental Farm strains of Earliana with the earliest maturing strains of the varieties Chalk's Jewel, Bonny Best, Dwarf Stone, and Success, with the hope of securing an early, yet firm and fleshy tomato. The seed from these crosses has been har\'ested and this work will be developed next season. It may be stated that although some of the selected strains did not give as good results as had been indicated by the parent stock, the majority, comprising nearly 70 per cent, gave record of improvement over the original strains in varying degrees. The following table is a record of the yields of the several selected strains at dehnite periods during the season of fruiting. (The strains such as 23-11, 23-12, 23-13 and 23-14 consist of the average seed selected from several plants of each particular strain during 1912; whereas 23-llA and 23-llB were grown from seed saved from two particularly good plants, selected from amongst the average of 23-11; therefore, by comparing the yield of 23 -11 A with 23-11, we were able to ascertain whether any iidvance had been made by this particular selection over the original strains from which it had been chosen.) ' The first picking was made on August 6, the last on September 4. This experi- ment was conducted on a somewhat extensive scale, so that thoroughly reliable data might be obtained for future work in this line. One-hundredth of an acre was planted with the progeny of each plant selection and one thirtieth of an acre with the progeny of the strain. For example, one-hundredih of an acre was planted with progeny from each of 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D, and one-thirtieth of an acre with progeny from 13. Record No. of strain. Yield for the first two weeks of cropping. Yield for the second two weeks of cropping. Total yield for first month. Improvement or loss. 2311A lb. 6 6 8 5 10 8 13 13 13 9 14 14 14 13 10 IS 25 14 17 14 15 20 21 14 18 17 17 14 18 17 15 12 16 13 lb. 165 122 111 141 147 134 129 135 108 1.34 149 124 129 152 142 176 138 126 120 122 121 106 114 103 106 113 125 • 134 120 115 144 118 109 114 lb. 171 128 119 146 157 142 142 148 121 143 163 138 143 165 152 194 163 140 1.37 136 136 126 1:5 119 124 130 142 148 138 132 157 130 125 127 + 23-llB 23-llC 2311D 2311 2312A 2312B 23-12C -f 2312D 2312 23-13A 2313B -f 23-13C 2313D 4- Zo ' lo a3-14A + + + 23-14B 23-14C 2314D 2314 2315A + . + 2315B 2315C 2315D ' 2315 23-16A 2316B + 4- 2316C 2316D 23-16.... 2317A + + 4- 2317B 2317C 2317 Ott.\wa. DIVISIOX OF HORTICULTURE 551 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A quantity of tomato seed has been secured for the purpose of distribution to experimentalists. This seed was saved from the best of our early strains and is recom- mended for northerly districts that have short sununer seasons. It has been developed oxpressly with the object of producing a large proportion of its entire crop within the first three weeks of cropping. This variety does not produce a total yield as great as such varieties as Success, Bonny Best, or Challc's Jewel, but in districts where early autumn frosts are likely to be experienced, the yield of ripe fruit obtained from these early strains of Earliana have. exceeded the yield obtained from varieties that are more generally grown in southern sections. It may here be said, with reference to the growing of this early strain, that the seed has been obtained solely from the earliest ripe fruit, and is now more or less acclimatized to the climatic conditions around Ottawa. It has been noticed, however, that under changed climatic conditions, the seed grown in Ottawa does not succeed as well the first season as seed saved from these plants in the locality to which the seed was originally sent and there grown the second season. In explanation of this fact, it may be pointed out that the plants grown from this seed in a new locality, those that mature, are the most suited to the new climatic conditions in which they find themselve-s, and being the most successful in producing a crop, are the ones that will be chosen as seed parents. In this way an elimination is made of plants not so suited to the locality in question, and the later results show an encouraging improvement over earlier efforts in growing that crop. Tkis improvement being a generally acknowledged fact, it behooves large growers of tomatoes to experiment with several varieties until they have found the best and, 'while doing this, they should save their own seed. In consideration also of the?e factsi, all experimenters who may be testing early strains as distributed from the Central Experimental Farm are requested to report on the quality of the crop produced from the seed they may have procured, and to save seed from thid crop to grow a second year. I venture to say that many more would save their own seed were they fully aware of the improvement gained by so doing. Regarding the saving of tomato seed, the following facts may be of assistance to those desiring to save their own seed : — 1. Choose early, smooth, medium-sized fruits, and keep them until fully ripe. 2. Cut the fruit in half and squeeze the pulp containing the seed into some vessel such as a glass jar, add about one-third the volume of water, leave this in a dark warm room until it shows signs of fermentation (this .should bo in about two days). 3. Pour the pulp over a wire screen (the screen is made of fine wire, twelve meshes to the inch, or the usual grade of wire screening used for screen doors). 4. Wash the pulp thoroughly with water until all except the seeds has passed through the screen. 5. Leave the seed on the screen to dry (not in the sun). 6. When the seed is thoroughly dried, place it in either a paper or cl' wriid\:led like the pure-bred >eed of Malakoff (No. 4). Several of the earliest-maturing strains of Challenge Black Wax beans were grown and selected for disease resistance. Strains selected in 1912 for vigour and disease resistance liave shown improvement over strains where selection along these particular lines was not emphasized. FLORICULTURE. With regard to floriculture, a number of second-generation sweet pea hybrids were grown and flowered, nothing of particular varietal worth was secured, but the data recorded elicited information of material value. A number of first and second- generation seedlings of geraniums were grown, and several promising plants were secured, but here again the information regarding the inheritance of these seedling.^ was of chief value. Crosses were made with varieties of phlox, petunia, sweet peas and aquilegia, and seed from the majority of these crosses was secured. (Sweet pea seed was s-ecured much more plentifully during the past season than during the season of 1912.) Plant breeding offers a most promising field for improvement along all lines of liorticulture; in fact it would indeed be bold for any one to predict the limitations of the inheritable possibility of any of our commercial fruits, when wo compare them with the uncultivated origins from which they undoubtedly have sprung. With the evidence of such wonderful improvements in the past, it must surely be admitted to be only reasonable that the possibilities for improvement in the future should be as great as that of the past. Ottawa. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 553 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION FOR PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, J. A. CLARK, B.S.A. Good progress was made with the work of beautifying the h;vvus, grounds and the Station in general. Visitors who have been at the Station from year to year remark that it hardly seems possible that so much could be accomplished in so short a time. An increasing interest in the growing of flowers and in the beautifying of the homes of the province was shown by the organization of the Floral Association of Prince Edward Island, and by the great success of the Flower Show which was held in Ohar- lottetown, August 28 and 29, 1913. The small fruits and vegetables attracted much attention and gave very satisfac- tory returns generally. While this has been an off year with the larger fruits in the province, at the Experimental Station good yields have been recorded. CHARACTER OF THE SEASON. The winter of 1912-18 was exceptional, as snow sufficient for sleighing only lay on the ground from February 12 to March 15. The first part of February was very cold. The frost entered the ground to a great depth, as it was not covered by snow. April was unusually mild, the temperature reaching a maximum of 78.75° on the 26th. This brought the trees and grasses much further forward than usual at that season. Cro- cus, squills and one shrub (Daphne Mezereum) came into full bloom. May was cool throughout, light showers of rain fell on twenty different days; this put vegetation back quite as late as the season of 1912; which was much later than the average. The moist weather was ideal for transplanting, and held the spring flowers, such as tulips and narcissus, in full bloom for a long period of time. The temperature of June was 3° below the mean average. A minimum temperature of 33.5° indicated that frost had not occurred at the station buildings, although hoar frost was observed elsewhere on the farm on four different nights. These frosts were so severe in some sections of the province that considerable damage to the bloom of the fruit was reported. The fro- — 19L"j — ]). 55(). DIVISIO^' OF HORTICULTURE 557 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PARSNIPS. One variety (Hollow Crown) produced a very large crop of good roots. PEPPERS. Peppers were a failure, no fruit formed. PARSLEY. The double curled variety produced an abundance of very fine leaf. PEAS. Twelve varieties of garden peas were grown, one-half of each row was pulled green and the other haK allowed to ripen. The first ready for use were the Gradus and Greg- ory's Surprise. The vines made a tremendous growth, the dwarf varieties growing as high as the standards usually do, and the standards growing 9 feet high. They all ripened up well. Stratagem, Thos. Laxton, American Wonder, and Gregory's Sur- prise gave the best returns. TOMATOES. This was a banner year for tomatoes, no less than ten varieties matured fruit. Sparks' Earliana (Sunny Brook strain) with a yield at the rate of over one thousand bushels per acre led with the largest amount of marketable fruit. Alacrity 2-24-9 had a greater total yield but a smaller amount of saleable fruit. These were closely followed by I.X.L., Bonny Best, Rennie's Earliest, and Prosperity. The fruit remained on the vines without being injured by frost untiLOctober 15. TURNIPS. Among the turnips grown, the Extra Early ^^ hite ]Milan was the best. SQUASH. The squash patch was a feature of the vegetable gai'den. They not only took possession of the land but produced squash at the rate of over 20 tons per acre. Long Vegetable Marrow led with a yield at the rate of 27 tons 1,500 pounds per acre. The most popular varieties are the Hubbard and the Golden Hubbard. POTATOES. The uniform test plots of potatoes were grown in the orchard. A check row was grown on either side of the rows of apple trees. The land was under cover crop the previous year. It received about 15 tons of manure per acre of well-rotted barnyard manure, which was well worked into the land a week before planting. The seed was cut into large sets by quartering the potatoes, and planted on May 30. The plants were sprayed regularly and thoroughly with Bordeaux. No blight was observed. The yield per acre was computed from the weight of one row 66 feet long. The tubers were dug October 23, and were very free from rot. Rows 30 inches apart, plants 12 inches apart in the rows. 16—37 GiiARr.oTn:i<)\vN. 558 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Potatoes, Test of Varieties, 1913. No. Name of Variety. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Total Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre of Marketable. Yield per Acre of Un- marketable. Colour and Form. Bush. Lb.lBush. Lb.lBush. Lb. Table Talk Empire State Reeves Rose Early White Ro^o Bliss Triumph Selina Burbank Lion's Paw Dreer's Standard Irish Cobbler Mclntyre Orwell Square Late Puritan Fitzgerald Gold Coin Carman No. 1 -. . . . Green Mountain Burbank's Seedlin;.!: Wee McGregor Money Maker \merican Wonder V'ick's Extra Early R. New Yorker Up to Date Factor Morgan's Seedling Garnet Chili Hard to Beat Sutton's W'hite City " Acquisition Rochester Rose Rawlings (Ashleaf) Kidney California Red Dalmeny Beauty 486 407 369 324 315 313 305 290 281 271 268 268 266 265 258 251 251 247 247 230 225 192 192 185 171 140 138 138 121 115 91 78 64 35 36 11 23 50 42 10 14 41 1 53 53 46 41 13 49 49 33 33 29 8 4 3 39 47 50 43 42 38 14 45 57 1 428 349 326 262 268 258 2 77 258 228 247 198 232 226 225 217 202 209 215 209 194 198 151 130 128 131 130 87 123 61 61 70 68 42 58 59 30 30 53 13 26 13 20 33 28 36 13 8 40 44 8 32 8 12 28 31 10 2 14 10 30 46 53 53 25 17 41 57 57 42 61 46 55 27 32 53 23 70 36 40 40 40 49 42 32 38 36 26 40 61 57 40 10 51 14 59 53 21 10 21 37 37 41 53 57 29 44 1 21 28 25 17 33 33 33 5 41 1 25 17 40 33 53 37 33 40 13 56 45 21 20 40 20 Round, white. Long " pink. white. Round, pink. Long, wliite Oval Round " Long, blue. Oval, white. Long " Round Long Round n Long Round Long ii u Oval, red. Round, white. Long Round Long, pink. Round, white. Oval, pink... " white. A series of experiments started in 1912 with potatoes was continued this season, and more definite information obtained, last year's results being greatly influenced by injury to seed. The plots were planted May 30 and dug October 23. The land was prepared as mentioned for the test of varieties, the fertilizer experiment had the com- mercial fertilizer applied in addition to the manure mentioned. Test of Different Methods of Cutting Sets — Late Puritan. Weight of Sets per Acre. • iNo. Method Used. Bush. Lb. 1 88 1 44 2 44 3 44 4 17 36 5 22 6 13 12 7 Total Yield per Acre. Whole potatoes 1 foot apart Base half of potato 1 foot apart Whole potatoes 2 feet apart Seed end of potato 1 foot apart 2 eyes to each set 1 foot apart One-quarter of potato split lengthwis One eye to each .set 1 foot apart 492 467 403 369 213 179 67 Yield per Acre Marketable. Yield per Acre Un- marketable. iBush. Lb. 'Bush. Lb. Bush. Lb. 58 21 20 11 24 52 13 418 414 349 307 202 170 62 17 74 41 63 21 59 53 21 18 61 53 44 10 40 43 34 9 57 4 16 C II.\RL01"1 ETOWX. • DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 559 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 This experiment would seem to indicate that it is not the number of eyes in a set, but the amount of food stored there that gives the yQung shoot such a vigorous start that it may later produce a heavy crop. The experiment with fertilizers would indicate that a complete fertilizer applied at the rate of 400 pounds per acre in the following proportion: Nitrate of soda, 125 pounds; superphosphates, 175 pounds and muriate of potash, 100 pounds; in addition to barnyard manure gave the best return for the investment, increasing the yield 145 bushels and 7 pounds per acre. Basic slag gave no increase over the check. The experiment with fresh-cut sets limed and not limed, planted at once or held for a week indicated that sets limed and planted at once gave the best returns. The potatoes planted June 6 gave a heavier crop than those planted either a week earlier or at any later date this season. A test was made to determine the best distance apart to plant potatoes in the row, and also to determine the best distance to leave between the rows. This year the dis- tances we have been using for a number of years, namely, 12 inches between the plants in the row and 30 inches between the rows gave the best returns. The other distances tried were 14 and 15 inches between plants in the row and 33 and 30 inches between the rows. FLOWERS. ANNUALS. About 150 lots of annual flower seeds were planted in hotbeds the second week in April; they germinated very quickly and were transplanted out d-uring the moist weather of May. These, together with about 150 others that were planted in the open, were used to decorate the Station grounds. They made a wonderfully fine showing throughout the whole season, the moist mild autumn causing many of them to con- tinue in bloom until the last of October. Phlox Drummondii were the finest we have seen. The asters were very much better than we have ever had before, the blight not doing nearly as much injury as formerly. The following deserve special mention owing to the profusion of their bloom': Antirrhinum, marigold, portulaca, sweet peas, candytuft, and poppy. The verbena, and coreopsis, and salpiglossis were the finest we have yet had at this Station. BULBS. The showing of bulbs planted in October of the previous year was simply finer than we can describe. They began blooming two weeks earlier than usual, and the moist weather of May lengthened their blooming period so that some of them were still blooming the last of June. They formed splendid bulbs and many of these were taken up and planted again in the late autumn, along with over 5,000 new ones from Holland. PERENNIALS. Those beautiful flowers are very satisfactory to the busy people that are living in the countrj', because just at the busy season when the annuals need attention, these can be left to take care of themselves for a time. We thought we had had beautiful pseonies before, but they never came anywhere near in size or amount of bloom of those of the past season. Perennial phlox, roses, and dahlias were almost their equals for amount of bloom, and they exceeded the pseonies in period of bloom by several months, continuing as they did right up tu the 1st of November. Besides the ones mentioned and the many others that have been tested from year to year in the perennial borders, about 134 new lots of perennials were sown in cold frames and ti*ansplanted out in the autumn. These made excellent growth and should add greatly to the appearance of the grounds in future years. The Kentucky waterlilies were admired by thousands. They were often the first thing inquired for by visitors, their fame having gone throughout the province. 16 — 37i • Chari.ottetovvn. 560 EX I' E in .1/ /;a tal ea mis 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 . EXERIMENTAL FARM, NAPPAN, N.S. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. W. BAIRD, B. S. A. EFFECT OF SEASON ON IIOrvTICULTURAL CROPS. The season of 1913 was not as good as that of previous years for the horticul- tural plants. Although the winter was not so severe as far as low temperature was concerned, still the ground was left open to what fros-t there was, as we had very little snowfall during the winter 1912-13. The roots of the small fruits being thus left unprotected, a large amount of winter-killing was noticeable. Spring opened giving promise of early growth, but proceeded to be otherwise, being very unsettled. A large amount of rainfall was recorded, and frost was registered several times during May and June, causing damage to different fruit blooms, strawberries in particular. The apple crop was below the average, both in quality and quantity, there being very little colour, due no doubt to the limited amount of sunshine, which was very small in comparison with that of previous years. Although the lack of sunshine was a drawback to the fruit crop it did not damage the growth of the shrubs and flowerss it being in favour of the latter, as very little wilting was noticeable in transplanting from the hotbeds to the open, thus giving them all a good start. Some WivVtiidi! Obskrvatioxs taken at Nappan, N.S., Experimental Farm, 1913. Month. January February . . '. March April May June July August September. October November. December. Te.\iper.\tl"re F. PREfIPIT.\TIOX. Mean, i HiKlie.st. Lowest. Rainfall. Snowfall. \ Total. i Heaviest \ in 24 i Hours. 23 1.3 32 40 47 'A 62 61 54 55 38 27 96 31 52 03 75 50 33 00 59 28 09 5 52 51 62 71 67 74 82 80 78 72 05 55 — 4 —15 — 1 14 26 31 41 33 31 28 10 0 Inches 2-42 •45 204 3 01 2-38 1-97 98 76 70 83 63 65 Inclie.s. Inelio.-^. Ii;clies. 50 170 41-2 4-5 40 160 2-92 215 616 3-46 2-38 1-97 4-98 3-76 2-70 7-83 2C3 4-25 Total for year '■ 35-82 87-70 1 44-59 Average for five years 32-17 ! 62-94 i 38-47 Total for six growing months, April to Soptem- ] ber -. 18-80 ! 4-5 ; 19-25 Average of five years for six growing months, April to September 17-63 3 3 i 18-16 Total Sun- shine. Hours. 86-75 11215 140 00 132-70 169 15 265-90 226-05 238 10 165-95 71-30 115-45 80-20 1803-70 1925-50 1197-85 1228-21 DIVISION OF HORTKTLTIRE 661 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 COMMERCIAL ORCHARD. The small commercial orchard, which was planted in 1011, came through the win- ter very well and made a vigorous growth during the summer. Some of the early- varieties, such as Duchess and Wealthy, produced some fruit. The object of this orchard is to demonstrate what it actually costs to start a yomig orchard and care for it from infancy until it gives a return equivalent to the amount expended on it, and as to how long before the production will be sufficient to cover all investments. In order to arrive at a uniform valuation of labour and pro- duction from year to year, set prices are used for labour and production, i.e., manual labour is charged at lY cents per hour, one-horse team at 2Y cents, two-horse team at •li cents, and so on. The value of the crops is calculated in the same way, i.e., wheats oats, barley, rye, and buckwheat, 1 cent per pound, and so on for other crops accord- ing to their value above those mentioned. Records of these are reported in the annual bulletin from this farm. The following is a record kept of the cost of labour since its inception: Nappan^ 562 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 1 o o t 01 tn CM CM 3 o o O s t^ r^ > »» Pi _ ■ +- '. c i • > ■l '. jr c; ;. 3 r c d X c; o (/ > Ui o O "7 "5 ; — ^ 'p . 1 , 3 r-i »— 'ci r-" -+-* M fcC TJ ,- — N o • _c c °? IS • ^ ^ r^ OS Ii -^ +i C CI ^ S§^ o o ss ^'H •2gS S--2 o m o T3 S CO „ M M a D K c o o ooo oo O 00 o 00 c U3 *i CO c: t^ •^ t^ CO i> t^ t^ 00 00 ji c r^ ffi 00 ?'3 CJ cc c^ 00 rt rt o 00 t^ ■* « IM c-i f-^ C-) 1— ( U »i. CM ^ , 3 • O • d "5 . — ' t, o d C) ^. 2 d ^ t- CO '*'. § i^ o t4< o a; IS SI co' «» ;- % cS cS M •- c3 03 03 ^ c 22 o OS >, >> S" >• >, c3 OS cq o: c o o 2 s|sss S6 a E b> o ^ y-S ^ 03 Cd Qj 2 o (u a) 03 03 c8 Oi (U a; > >-l T-H p^M-HtM *-H 1 sec c C 73 sSS « 0) C3 03 J2 e3 03 C H 3 s s s 6 ss a o +■ ^ -H C-1 .-1 coo o 1— t »— ( 0 0 -^ -HC<1 O o c c: • o^-^:;::!::!:: ;:-3-' 4> +i C3 Q 2c^U--i-:00l0^t0OO^t-(M(M "^ M J-i — 1 — 1 --1 i-c .-iC- •"S >>- - - g- >>- ^ ^ -^^i > > gc3^-.- C-— .--- ~tj O C a c <• S ►^ »^ C ^ ^ 1 Nappan. DIVISIOX OF HORTICULTLIRB \ 563 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENT WITH POTATOES. Twenty varieties of potatoes were planted in uniform test plots of one-hundredth of an acre each. The land was of medium to heavy clay loam, ploughed from pasture the previoi!> year. Manure was applied on surface, and ploughed under, the fall of 1932. It was cutaway harrowed once in the spring of 1913, crossed ploughed with gang plough. again cutaway harrowed twice, and smoothing harrowed once. Drills were run 28 inches apart and all seed was dropped by hand on June 6 at the rate of 25 bushels per acre, the seeds being 12 inches apart in rows. Thej' were harrowed down and ploughed up twice before they came up, were gone over twice with a hoe and cultivated four times with a one-horse cultivator. Sprayed twice during the season with Bordeaux ; '"--rture. All varieties made a strong growth. The following table gives the ( omparative results: — Nappan. 564 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Potatoes. Name of Variety. Character of Soil. Size of Plot. Planted. Dug. Charactei of Growth. 1. American Wonder 2. Carman No. 1 3. Vick's Extra Early 4. Morgan Seedling 5. Gold Coin 6. Rochester Rose 7. Rawlings' Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) 8. Empire State 9. Factor 10. Monov Maker 11. Irish Cobbler 12. Hard to beat 13. Late Puritan 14. Everett 15. Dalmeny Beauty 16. Reeves' Rose 17. Dreer's Standard 18. Table talk 19. Wee McGregor ,20. King Edward Clav loam. Acres. 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 l/IOO 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 l/IOO 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 1/100 June 6 6 6 Oct. 22 8 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 8 8 8 8 22 8 22 8 22 8 8 Strong Average, 22,550 pounds or 375 bushels, 50 pounds. Nappan. DIVISION OF HORTICVLTURE 565. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Total Yield per Yield per Yield per Yield per When Average Quality. Yield per Acre of Acre of Acre of Acre of Form and Colour, Matured. Size. Acre. Sound. Rotten. Market- Unmar- able. ketable. Bush. Lb. Bush. Lb. Bush. Lb. Bush. Lb. Bu.sh. Lb. Oct. 22 Large Good 461 40 426 46 35 391 40 70 Long, white. it 12 Medium it 420 420 .. .. 358 20 61 40 Round, white- It 22 (( a 478 20 426 40 51 40 375 103 20 Long, pink and white. U 22 Large Fair 303 20 282 30 20 50 261 40 41 40 Oblong, pink and white. Round, white. n 22 Medium Good 416 40 387 30 29 10 358 20 58 20 tt 22 ' Large Fair 470 470 403 20 66 40 Oblong and pink. n 22 Medium Fair 416 40 366 40 50 316 40 100 Flat, round, white iC 22 Large Poor 318 20 288 20 1 30 258 20 60 Long, white. %i 22 Medium Poor 228 20 207 30 20 50 186 40 41 40 Round, white. i< 8 Large Fair 271 40 271 40 200 71 40 Long, white. (< 12 Medium Good 510 510 441 40 68 20 Round, white. l( 8 Small Poor 233 20 233 20 '.'. 183 20 50 Round, white. li 8 Medium Fair 466 40 419 10 47 30 371 40 ' 95 Long, white. t< 22 Large Poor 546 40 473 20 73 20 400 .. ,146 40 Fiat, round, white i< 8 Medium Fair 245 217 30 27 30 190 .. 55 Long, white. li . 12 « U 306 40 286 40 20 .. 1 266 40 40 Oblong, pink. *< 12 (C Good 251 40 251 40 . . 1 205 .. 46 40 Round, white. Mi 22 Large Poor 441 40 408 20 33 20 375 .. ! 66 40 Round, white. u 28 « Good 556 40 556 40 .. ,478 20 ; 78 20 Oblong, white. tt 8 Medium Fair 173 20 173 20 .. i 115 .. ; 58 20 Oblong, white and pink. N.4PPAy. 566 EXFElilMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 From the above table it will be noted that the Wee McGregor gave the largest yield, it being 556 bushels 40 pounds per acre, and that 85-9 per cent of them were marketable potatoes of a large size and good quality; That Everett, second largest yielder, gave 546 bushels 40 pounds per acre, but had ordy 73-2 per cent marketable potatoes of large size and poor quality; That Irish Cobbler, third largest yielder, gave 510 bushels per acre and had 86-4 per cent marketable potatoes of medium size and of good quality. Vick's Extra Early comes fourth in the list, with a total yield of 478 bushels and 20 pounds, and had 78-4 per cent marketable of medium size and good quality. That Rochester Rose came fifth, with 470 bushels per acre and had 86-1 per cent marketable, large and only fair quality. Late Puritan sixth, 466 bushels and 40 pounds per acre, had only 79-6 per cent marketable ones of medium size and fair quality. Ameri- can Wonder seventh, with a yield of 461 bushels 40 pounds, had 84-8 per cent market- able potatoes of large size and good quality. Table Talli, which was eighth, was large and of poor quality. Carman No. 1, while ninth, is one of the best and yielded 420 bushels per acre, with 85-3 per cent marketable potatoes of medium size and excellent quality. Hence, in concluding, would state that the following are the most productive varie- ties, quality and size considered, for this section: Wee McGregor, Irish Cobbler (Early), Carman No. 1, and Vick's Extra Early, that is of the above twenty varieties tested. STRAWBERRIES. This year the yield of strawberries was not as good as in former yeai's, neither in quantity nor quality. This no doubt was due to the previous wet fall, which kept them from getting the thorough cultivation which all strawberry plantations require, and con- sequentlj' they had to be mulched without such. When the mulching was removed this spring we found a number of plots almost entirely winter-killed. The size of the strawberry plots was 16^ by 5 feet, or %28 of an acre. ] 'rom the recorded list, twenty of the most productive varieties ; together with their yields, are named as follows: No. Name. I Yield per 1 plot. Yield per Acre. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 If) 17 18 10 20 Michel's Early Crescent Howard No. 17... Parker Earle Seedling No. 15... Ilaverland Clyde .John Little Seedling No. 12. . Bisel Sample Capt. Jack Carleton Wolverton Barton's Eclipse. Greenville Ida Beverly Thompson's Late Bedenvood Quarts. 18 15 14 13 13 13 12 12 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10 10 10 10 9 Qu.irts. 9,504 7,920 7.392 6,864 6,864 6,864 6,3.36 6,336 5,808 5,808 5,808 5,808 5,808 5.808 5,808 5.280 5.280 5,280 5.280 4.752 Nappan. niVISIOy OF HORTIClI/riRE 567 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SQUASH. Ten varieties were planted on June T, all making fairly good growth. The plots were 3 by 5 feet, with twelve plants to the plot. No. Name. Fit for Use. Size. Date of Yield Harvesting, per Plot. 1 100 99 96 Carter's Trailing White V'egetable Marrow. . . Hubbard Long White Bush Marrow Sept. 15 )et. 1 .. . . ■' 1 ;ept. 1.5 .. . >c-t. 1 U 1 a 1 a 1 u 1 Large Medium . Small... Medium . . Large Medium. . Small Medium ... }ot. 1 : ;■•••■ Lbs. 196 128 80 69 67 44 43 %(\ 94 101 98 Delicata Golden Hubbard Mammoth Whale 103 Delicious 93 Summer Crookneck 95 Custard Marrow 27 97 White Congo CABBAGE. Five varieties of cabbage were sown in hotbeds on the 7th of April, pricked oif on the 28th, and transplanted into the open on June 10. Each plot consisted of two rows 30 feet long, 30 inches apart. These in turn comprised forty plants, which were 18 inches apart in the rows. Ten average heads in each variety were weighed and recorded as follows : — EARLY CABBAGE. No Name. Fit for Use. Quality. Weight o He. Average id.-?. Weight per head. Weight of ten heads. 18a 18 ISb 18c Flat Swedish Lubeck Danish Summer Ballhead Imported Amager Danish Ballhead Aug. 3 " 10 " 10 •' 10 July 24 Aug. 1 July 13 Aug. 6 Good Medium .... (lood ti Lb 12 11 9 7 7 7 6 6 Lb. 120 110 90 70 15 16 14 17 Early Paris Market Extra Early Midsummer Savoy Early Jersey Wakefield Small Erfurt 70 70 60 00 LATE CABBAGE 19 IFottlers Imp. Brunswick Aug 20 JLarge I.,atc Drumhead 23 jCopenhagen Market 22 Winningstadt 23c jExtra Amager Danish Ballhead 23d jDanish Red Delicatesse 23b Red Danish Stonehoad N.\!*P.\\. 568 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 CAULIFLOWEE. Three varieties were sown in hotbed's on May 10 and transplanted into the open on the 3rd of July. Two rows of each were planted 30 feet long and 30 inches apart, each row consisting of forty plants 18 inches apart. Note was taken of the number of good heads, which is given below : — No. Name. Fit for Use. Quality. Number of really good heads. 24 24a 25 Early Snowball Danish Giant Sept. 5 " 10 " 10 Good Medium .... 7 5 Selected Erfurt _ 3 TOMATOES. Ten varieties of tomatoes were sown in hotbeds on the Tth of April. These germinated between the 14th and 16th of the same month, and were planted out in the open on June 26, five plants in each variety 4 by 4 feet apart. As none were allowed to ripen they were all harvested green. The following table gives the comparative results : — No. Ill 107 104 108 105 106 110 109 112 113 Name. Quality. Weight. I.X.L Rennie's XXX Earliest. Sparks Earliana 'l Florida Special Chalks Early .Jewel Bonny Best Alacrity Alacrity Prosperity Earliana, Langdon Lb. Poor 48 Good 38 ii 37 ii 33 a 27 11 25 Fair 21 n 17 None ({ ONIONS. Four varieties were sowii in hotbeds on the 8th of April. These were transplanted in the open on June 11 in rows 30 feet long and 15 inches apart. These were weighed when pulled, with the following results : — No. Name. Fit for Use. Colour. Quality. Weight. 72 Large Red Wethersfield . . . . .... Sept. 14 . . Red Red Yellow Red Very good it Lb. 47 70 Salzer's Wethersfield " 28.... Oct. 1..,. Sept. 28. .. 36 71 69 Danvcrs Globe Johnson's Dark Beauty 34 31 Nappan. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 569 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 GARDEN PEAS. Twelve varieties of peas were planted on the 16th of May in rows of 30 feet long and 30 inches apart, the peas being 1 inch apart in the rows. The following is a record kept of the various- varieties : — No. Name. Fit for Use. Size of pod. Per cent good. How filled. Dates and Yields. July 30 Total. Aug. 12 Aug. 20 Aug. 30 81 83 McLean's Advancer Stratagem Gregory's Surprise American Wonder NotWs New Perfection.. . Gradus Aug. 12 " 21 July 30 Aug. 12 " 12 " 30 " 12 " 12 " 12 Julv 30 Aug. 20 '• 12 Inches. 2 2h 2 2^ 2 3 3 2 2 3 2 2 100 100 80 90 85 90 95 100 95 Good... Lb. 11 Lb. 9 15 7 5 7 7 2i ""9" Lb. 4 8 6 4 4 3 5 2 2 3 3 5 Lb. '"'4'"' ""5"' Lb. 24 23 78 80 87 7^ ii . . . Medium (( a Good... 6 17^ 12 10 5 8 lU 7 23 2U 19 18 84 Telephone 17 8? Heroine 17 86 Premium Gem 15f 15 12 85 R8 Thomas Laxton Sutton's Excelsior Juno 80 80 90 Medium Good.. . f^ ... 2 7 GARDEN BEANS. Seven different varieties of beans were sown on the 26th of May iu rows 30 feet long and 30 inches apart, the peas being 2 inches apart in the rows. The following- are the yields of the different varieties when fit for market: — No. Name. Fit for Use. Refugee "1,000 to 1"..-.. Valentino Rustless Wax Early Refugee Bountiful Stringless Green Pod Wardwell's Kidney Wax Colour. Aug. 16 i 16 I 16 i 16 * 16 i 16 t 21 Green. Yellow Green.. Quality. Dates and Yields. Aug. 16 Aug. 21 1 Aug. 28 Medium. . Good Very good Medium. . I Poor. Good. Lb. 7 8 6 10 4 4 Lb. Lb. 5 5 3 2 2 2 4 Total. Lb. 20 20 16 16 11 9 9 NaI'I'AN. 570 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 BEETS. Six varieties of beets were sown on the 16th of May in rows 30 feet long and 30 inches apart. The beets were thinned to 2 inches apart. The following is the record kept of the different varieties:— No. 10 13 11 9 S 12 Name. Fit for Use. Shape. Black Red Ball \iig. Early Blood Red Turnip Eclipse Ruby Dulcet Meteor Egyptian Dark Red 7 Ball.... 7 Turnip.. 7 Pointed . 7 Round . . 10 Turnip. 10... Quality. Medium Good.. . Weight when pulled. Lb. 32 31 27 25 24 11 LETTUCE. Ten varieties were planted on May 10 in rows 15 feet long. The plants were thinned to 6 inches apart and the weight of half of each row was recorded. No. 56 54 52 53 59 62 60 58 55 57 Name. Fit for Use. Size of Head. Giant Crystal Head Ji; All Heart Red Edge Victoria Unrivalled Summer Iceberg '. Dark Green Capucinc Improved Hanson Crisp as Ice Grand Rapids Black Seeded Simp.son -. ly 30 Large. ' 30 Medium . ' 30 ' ,30 ' 30 . . Large. .30 iMedium. 30 .. 30 .. 30 .. 30 .. Quality. Good Poor Medium. . Good. Medium,— Good ^x>ry good Poor Weight. Lb. 13 11 10 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 CARROTS. Tliree varieties were planted on May 16 in rows 30 feet long and thinnel to IJ inches apart. These were weighed when pulled, giving the following results : — No. Name. Fit for Use. Shape. 26 French Horn 28 jHalf Long Chantenay 27 Improved Nantes Aug. 16 10. 12. Short.... Medium. Quality. Good Medium Weight when Pulled. Lb. 57 50 32 Nappan. DIVISION OF HORTlCULTrRE 571 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 CUCUMBERS. Five varieties were planted on June 7 in hills 5 by 4 and 6 feet apart. Of tlie'^ie, records were kept which are given below : — No. 47 51 48 50 49 Giant Pera Extra Early Russian. Peerless White Spino Prize Pickling Cool and Cnsp Xiiinc. Fit for Use. Sept. 5. " 4. " 8. Weight per hill when picked. Lb. 25 24 21 13 11 CORN. Eleven varieties were planted on the 7th of June, but only two of the eleven- developed enough for table use. These were Golden Bantam and Early Malcolm. PARSNIPS. Hollow Crown was the only variety planted, but yielded a very good crop*. PARSLEY. Double Curled gave the best results. PEPPERS. Four varieties were planted in hotbeds on April 7. These were transplanted on April 10 and planted in the open on May 10, but none matured sufficiently to get records from. SALSIFY. Long White was the only variety tried, which gave very good results. APPLES. The apple crop was the lighte&t we have had for a number of years, and the fruit was of a very inferior quality. The latter was due no doubt to the lack of thorough pollination. PLUMS. The plum crop, on the other hand, was the best we have bad for some time,. especially the Blue and Yellow Ga^es. Naim'ax. .572 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 PERENNIALS. Three hundrod and eighty varieties were grown. These, also, made good growth and there was a profusion of bloom which lasted throughout the flowering season. The following are some of the varieties and their time of blooming : — No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1.5 16 17 18 19 20 21 Name. When in Bloom. To Achillea sibirica ' June 1 Bleeding Heart " 18 Campanula Raineri Aug. 2 Delphinium " 12 Echinacea -. " 10 Funkia .- Gaillardia June 15 Helianthus Aug. 1 Iris .J. .June 15 Kniphofia -. . . Aug. 30 Lilium " 15 Mentha " 6 Narcissus < May 15 Ononis July 15 Paeonies June 1 Phio.x July 5 Rudbeckia June 1 Salvia : Aug. 29 Spiraea July 25 Trollius I June 1 Verbena Aug. 26 June 20 July 20 Sept. 29 " 30 Oct. 20 " 15 " 2 July 20 Oct. 15 Sept. 6 " 6 June 10 Aug. 10 June 30 Sept.20 Oct. 1 Sept.22 Aug. 20 July 3 Oct. 1 DAHLIAS. Fifty-two varieties were planted in uniform soil, all of which gave a very strong growth and a profusion of bloom. The following are twenty of the best varieties and their colours : — No. Name. Shape. 3 4 6 9 12 19 27 32 33 37 41 44 45 46 49 50 51 59 53 36 Excelsior Crimson Cactua. Ethel Yeatman Yellowish pink " Comedy " Vjrown Great Western fight scarlet Crescent Salmon Success Yellow New Sarum < )range " Vedette Red The Bride White Canadian Pink " Primrose ' Dark crimson " Glory of Wilts Yellow , Manifesto iWhite \ " Mrs. A. Dver Yellow i " Freyda...: " ' " Dr. Kendal Pink | " Auburn Beauty Yellow ! " Mrs. Pearce White Common Chas. Turner Scarlet iCactus. Electric White I Nappan. DIVISION OF HORTICVLTIRE 573 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 FLOWERS. Practically all the annuals were sown in hotbeds about the 10th of x\pril and by the middle of June they were ready to be transplanted out into the annual beds, which were prepared the previous fall. The following is a list of the annuals grown and their time of blooming : — o Name. Date of Planting 1 Asters 2 Balsams 3,Candytuft 4jCoreopsis 5|Cockscomb. . . . G.Clarkia 7 Cosmos S'Dimorphotheca QGodetia 10 Larkspur 11 Lobelia 12 Linaria 13 Lupines 14 Marvel of Peru. 15 Nigella 16 Marigold 17 Malope 18 Nemesia 19 Portulaca 20 Pansy 21|Petunia 22iPhlox 23 Swan River I Daisy 24|Salvia 25|Scabiosa 26 Stocks 27:Salpiglossis 28 Sweet Sultan... 29 Verbena 30;Viola SllZinnia Date of Trans- planting. April 9 8 8 7 8 8 8 8 7 7 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 8 8 12 8 8 7 7 7 12 June 20., " 20.. " 18.. " 15.. " 24.. " 23.. " 20.. " 23.. " 18.. " 20.. " 23.. " 20.. " 20.. " 20.. " 20.. " 20., " 12., " 20., " 20., " 23. " 18. " 20, " 18. " 23. " 18. " 18. " 18. " 12. " 18. " 12. " 20. No. Var- Length of Began to ieties | Time in Bloom Grown. | Bloom Full Bloom 49 2 2 7 1 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 5 1 3 3 7 1 1 6 12 6 3 7 5 6 Days 60 27 58 31 31 26 40 13 26 45 31 14 33 35 29 47 28 32 31 57 28 35 22 24 26 39 21 26 36 21 40 Aug. 15. , " 18.. " 7.. " 18.. " 10.. " 17.. " 21., " 28.. " 20.. " 16.. " 20.. " 18.. " 28.. " 17.. " 27., " 14., " 18. " 20. " 20. " 14. " 18. " 14. " 17. " 29. " 25. " 13. " 28. " 25. " 14. " 17. " 20. Sept. 8. " 9. Aug. 20., " 30,, " 29, Sept. 6. [ " 13, " 5,, " 6, " 14. " 12, Aug. 24, Sept. 8, " 10, " 10. " 13. " 7. " 10. " 3. " 20 " 10. " 10. Bloom Falling. Oct. 15, Sept. 14.. " 3.. " 18., " 10. " 12., " 30, " 10,, " 15,, " 30, " 20,. " 1., " 22, " 21, " 25. " 30, " 15, " 21. " 20. Oct. 10, Sept. 15. " 18. Height. 2 feet. H " Sinches. 2 feet. 1 " 3 h " 1 " " Z « T 1 " 1 " 36 inches. '9 /' 3 feet. 2 " li " 2 " 3 " 8 inches. 2 " 6 2 feet. 1 " 2 8.. 9 inches 14.. 22., 1 feet. 7.. 20.. 2 14., 21.. 1 10., 18., H 10,, 20,, 2 7., 19., 1 2,. 7,, 0 inches 18.. 29,, 2 feet. IG— 33 Nappan. 574 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 SWEET PEAiS. Seventy-three varieties of sweet peas were planted and practically all made good growth, which resulted in a large amount of rich coloured bloom. The following is a list of twenty of the best varieties and their colours: — No. Name. Colour. 162 166 170 179 182 188 193 201 207 212 213 227 229 233 220 214 206 189 195 199 Mrs. Routzahn Spencer. Elsie Herbert Debbie's Cream Flora Norton Spencer... King Edward Mrs. Walter Wright Prince of Wales Othello Spencer Frank Dolby Elfrida Pearson Etta Dyke Prince George May Campbell Earl Spencer Tennant Speucer Clara Curtis Flora Norton Spencer. . . Black Knight Saint George Scarlet Monarch Pink. White rose. Cream . Light blue. Crimson. Rich rose. Deep rose. Maroon. Lavender. Salmon. White. Lilac. Carmine. Salmon. Rosy mauve. Primrose. Pale blue. Chocolate. Orange scarlet. Crimson scarlet. GROUNDS. During the past season considerable change has been made in the grounds. Some 2 acres of new lawn' have been added, taking a small portion of the old orchard next the main road. On this a mixture of grasses and clovers was sown, made up as follows: 30 pounds, Kentucky Blue grass, 15 pounds White or Dutch clover, 55 pounds Timothy. An excellent catch wis obtained and by next year we ought to have a nice lawn. Then, too, a number of shrubs were removed from the lawns, they being too thick and doing more damage than good. Nappan. DlVISIOy OF nORTICULTVRE 575 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, KENTVILLE, N.S. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. SAXBY BLAIR. This, is the second annual report of some of the work done in horticulture at this Station. It will be seen that progress has been made during the past season in extending the orchards, grading and planting the lawns, conducting trial tests with vegetables and flowers, and in starting a series of orchard experiments with fertil- izers. In addition to this, orchard spraying experiments have been conducted at Berwick, Kings county; Falmouth, Hants county; and Bridgetown, Annapolis county. The results of some of the experiments conducted are given herewith. The season was decidedly favourable for the development of scab, and on all unsprayed trees the percentage of diseased apples was very large. This was no doubt due to the trees coming into leaf early, followed by a long, cool, damp, period before blossoms were fully opened, which favoured the formation of scab on the foliage before the usual first spray before the blossoms were open, was applied; all sprays applied early, for this season at least, gave the best results. WEATHER. April was dull, with frequent warm spells. On the 26th, 82° is recorded. Rain occurred on fifteen, and light snows on seven days. The temperature averaged 3° above normal. May was cool, with few bright days. Rain is. recorded on nineteen days; the total precipitation was not, however, above the average. The temperature averaged 3° below normal. The main average temperature from April 15 to May 1 was 47-93° ; May 1 to May 16, 44.73° ; May 16 to Jime 1, 47.97°. It will be seen that the latter half of April was slightly warmer than the latter half of May, and that the first half of May was three degrees, on the mean average, lower than the latter half of April. Thus the warm April forced the trees into foliage but, owing to the low temperature early in May, the growth was very slow until after the middle of the month. There was frost on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, when the thermometer registered 27°, 28°, and 28° respectively. This did considerable damage in some places to the varieties such as the Gravenstein, which blossom early, and were just commencing to open. June was cool and cloudy, with very slight precipitation. The temperature aver- aged slightly below normal. July was generally cool and cloudy, with the highest temperature during the first week. The precipitation was normal. The temperature averaged 1° below normal. August was dry and warm. Rain is recorded on seven days, with total precipita- tion very light. The temperature averaged 1° below normal. September was a seasonable month throughout. Rain fell on eleven days, but the total precipitation was less than the average. The temperature averaged 2° below normal. October was an unusually wet month, rain was recorded on twenty days, with nearly 9.60 inches as the aggregate, or 20 per cent greater than normal. The tem- perature was unusually high, and averaged 9° above normal. The first fall frost of 1° was recorded on October 1. The only other frost recorded for the month was on the 23rd, when the temperature fell to 32°. During the 16— 38^ 576 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 first week in November, frost occurred every night, and 11° and 10° were recorded on the 3rd and 4th respectively. November was fine and seasonable. Temperature slightly above normal, and pre- cipitation about one-half of normal. December was mild and pleasant weather, with snowfall of 13| inches. There was sleighing on Christmas day in some places. There was sleighing in January from the lOtli to the 24:th. The snowfall totalled 16^inches. Below zero was registered on the 1st, 14th, 19th, and 20th; the temperature being 1°, 1°, 2°, and 5° below zero respectively. The weather came in decidedly mild on the 24th and 25th, Math a temperature of 47° and 50° respectively. This took off all the snow and thawed out the streams and ground. The latter part of the month was also mild, with considerable rain, and the month closed with deep mud on the roads. The first week in February was seasonable, but during the following three weeks, from the 10th to the 27th, the weather was cold continuously. The thermometer went below zero on eight days. On the 11th, 12th 13th, 14th, 16th, 22nd, 24th and 25th, the lowest temperature was 6°, 14°, 9°, 7°, 1°, 17°, 10°, and 16° below zero respectively. During this period the winds were high and the frost penetrated buildings and cellars that had previously been considered frost proof. The ground was practically free from snow until the 15th, and as a result the ground was frozen to a great depth, and much inconvenience was caused in the town from vsater pipes, supposed to be below frost, freezing. There was fairly good sleighing from the 15th to the end of the month. The snowfall was 13 inches. Six inches of snow fell in March, but the^e was little sleighing except during the first week. The brooks and streams thawed out early in March but the tem- perature remained low after the first week, and the frost came out very slowly and ice remained in the woods imtil well into April. The month was unusually cloudy, especi- ally during the first two weeks, for which period 39.5 hours of sunshine is recorded. METEOEOLOGIOAL EECOEDS. The mean average temperature, rainfall and hours of sunshine as recorded at the Experimental Station, Kentville, N.S., for the year commencing April, 1913, are as follows : — April May June July August September October November December. January February.. March Mean Average Rainfall. Sunshine. Temperature . 0 Inches. Hours. 41-9 4-29 137-1 46-2 3-17 178-2 56-7 1-23 270-1 65-4 3-72 252-1 63-3 1-70 238-4 .54-3 2-55 156-6 56-5 9-60 57-8 3S-4 1-97 111-5 23-44 4-39 74-65 19-68 2-80 91-6 14-19 2-59 118-7 30-72 3-73 118-2 Ke] sriTILLE. DITISIOy OF HORTICULTURE 577 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PLANTATION'S MADE. Orchard Planted in 1913. Induded in the varieties of fruits, planted are 49 cherries, 60 pears, 78 phims, 37 peaches and 90 apples, of which two trees of a variety were set. Three hundred and fifty Wagener apple trees were planted as fillers, and 100 Gravenstein and 50 Mcintosh were set in the main orchard. There were 120 trees planted for fertilizer experimental work, namely 30 Koxbury Eusset (Nonpareil), 30 Kibston, 30 Stark and 30 Milwaukee. There were also planted 60 "Wagener, including 10 each of the different grades of nursery trees sold by nurserymen, set out in order to get some information as to their relative value for commercial planting. Por an exiDeriment in close planting, 45 dwarf pears of three varieties, and 120 plums of four varieties, were set in a block already planted 20 by 20 feet apart, making the trees 10 by 10 feet apart; also 36 trees each of three varieties of cherries grafted on Mazzard stock and a duplicate lot grafted on IMahaleb stock were set to test the relative value of these as stocks to graft on; also, 60 trees, 80 each of Burbanlv and Giant Prune plum, using trees of ddfferent ages and grades, were planted, and 10 trees each of quince and apricot. The total number of trees set is 1,589, consisting of 860 apples, 336 plums, 165 pears, 134 cherries, 74 peaches, 10 apricots and 10 quinces. There are now approximately 33 acres planted to orchard. SMALL FRUITS AND GRAPES. There were planted 31 varieties of grapes, 146 plants in aU; 9 varieties of goo£cL'.''rries, 6 plants of each; also 30 varieties, 6 of each, of currants; 16 varieties, 12 each, of blackberries; 8 varieties, 50 of each, of raspberries; and 10 varieties, 100 of each, of strawberries were set. These total 1,972 plants, and, with few exceptions, have made a good start. LAWNS AND PLANTING SHRUBS AND TREES. An area of about 5 acres .in front of the farm buildings, which is hilly and more or less broken, has been partly put into lawns and planted with shrubs and trees. This land, for the most part, is of a sandy nature, and very poor. An area of about 4 acres was worked up, graded and seeded to Kentucky Blue grass and white clover, using ."'"^ pounds of the former and 3 pounds of the latter to, the acre. The summer was dry and the grass made very poor growth, but during the ■fall, however, with unusual rains, the grass made a good growth, and a fair lawn will result. Complete fertilizer at the rate of 500 pound's per acre was sown broadcast and harrowed in before seeding. The trees and shrubs sent from Ottawa for planting the grounds have, for the most part, made a good growth. The evergreens, in a good many cases, failed to grow and will have to be replaced. The roads have been improved somewhat during the season. The heavy fall rains have washed the edges badly, and it seems desirable that cobblestone water- courses should be made along the hill road to prevent such erosion. An avenue of sugar maples has been set part way along the central drive through the farai. These trees have been placed 40 feet apart. A number of trial hedges have been planted for the purpose of getting additional information as to the most desirable sorts. The flowering plants from the seed sent from Ottawa made an excellent showing during the summer. Kentville. 578 EXPERfMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 VEGETABLES. Tests were made of the various vegetables from seed supplied from the Experi- mental Fai*m, Ottawa. The land on which these were grown was poor and not very- suitable for vegetables, and no large yields can be reported. TOMATOES. Forty-one varieties were tested. The variety Alacrity was the earliest, and this, together with the various strains of Earliana, is> undoubtedly the best for this climate. . The Bonny Best also gave good returns of ripe fruit. Six plants of each variety were planted June 7. These were started on April 7. The Alacrity produced, on the average, 7 pounds of ripe fruit per plant, and the various strains of Earliana 4^ pounds of ripe fruit per plant. The total yield of green and ripe fruit was, however, greater with the Earliana strains. CABBAGE. ; / Twenty-five varieties of cabbage were tested. These were started April 8 and planted in the open ground on May 27. The best early variety tested was the Copen- hagen Market, while Henderson's Succession was a good second early sort. Danish Roundhead is a very firm round variety, and a good keeper. Autumn King and Fottler's Improved Brunswick are excellent, large, late sorts. LETTUCE. Thirty varieties of lettuce were tested. These were started March 25 and planted in the field May 8. All-Heart, Giant Crystal, and Iceberg were considered the best cabbage-head varieties, and Grand Rapids and Black-seeded Simpson- the best of the open-headed sortsu PEAS. Ten varieties of garden peas were sown. Gregory's Surprise was the earliest, followed by Excelsior, Thos. Laxton, and Gradus, all of which are good early sorts. For second early, Nott's Excelsior, Premium Gem, and McLean's Advancer. For Main crop, Telephone, Heroine, and Stratagem. For late crop, Juno and Admiral Dewey. GARDEN BEAXS. Ten sorts of string beans were tested, of which Wardwell's Wax, Early Red Valentine, and Refugee or 1000 to 1, a very late sort, are the best. SWEET CORN. Fourteen varieties of garden corn were planted but made very inferior growth, due in part to the cool season. The earliest variety was the Early ^Malcolm, which wasi followed by Peep-o'-Day and Extra Early Cory. MUSK MELONS. Six varieties of musk melon were tested, and three strains of Montreal melon were also included in the trial, these were the Montreal Market, Decarie, and Gorman. The seed was so\vn in S^-inch pots in the greenhouse on March 31. The plants were carried in these pots until May 22, when they were set from the pots to frames 6 by 12 feet in size covered with four 3 by 6-foot sashes. The plants should have been set out ten days earlier, but we were delayed in getting the frames ready. Kentville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 579 SESSIONAL PAPER No, 16 Eight plants were set to each frame, about 1 foot apart. The ground was pre- pared by making a trench about 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide and placing in this 6 inches of good heating horse manure. The soil was rounded over the trench, and after the frames had been closed for two days to warm up the soil the plants were set. The frames were kept well ventilated during the day and closed at night until the first weelc in July, the plants were then gradually hardened off by lifting the frames and they were finally removed toward the end of July. The fruit splits badly under our climatic conditions, which is no doub't caused by the great range between our night and day temperature. This splitting, of course, renders the fruit unmarketable and consequently the growing of this crop will probably never be of any commercial importance unless varieties are obtained that fwiU not split. The following table gives such information as we were able to secure in the growing of this crop : Firet fruit ripe. « Picked Aug. and Sept. Number. Yield Weight. Average Weight per fruit. Sound. Split. Paul Rose Emerald Gem . . ..."". Aug. 8... " 7... Sept. 2... " 4... Aug. 3... Sept. 9... " 3... " 10... 26 72 32 38 14 15 19 10 28 8 6 16 15 13 25 13 54 80 38 54 29 28 44 23 Lb. Oz. 48 11^ 62 6 24 12^ 26 91 53 15^ 65 3i 182 8 74 14 Lb. Oz. 14-2 12-5 Earliest Ripe Hoodoo 101 7-9 Hackensack Montreal Market Decarie Gorman 1 13-8 2 5-3 4 2-3 3 41 CUCUMBERS IN THE GREENHOUSE. Seven varieties of cucumber were grown in the greenhouse during the summer. Two of these, Arlington White Spine and Davis Perfect were American varieties and the other five were English sorts. The seed was sown in 3^-inch pots on April 25. One plant was grown to a pot, and these were set from the pots to benches at a distance of 4 feet apart on June 3. The soil was well enriched with well-rotted horse manure and bone meal. A dressing of horse manure was also given on July 22. The vines were trained to a trellis with wires 1 foot apart and the laterals were allowed to spread on each wire 2 feet on each side of the main vine. The house was well ventilated during the day and during very warm days was kept moist by wetting the paths and underneath the benches in order to give a humid atmosphere. This was generally well wet down at 4 o'clock and closed down for the night. The American sorts were hand pollinated, which was done by removing the male flower and placing them in contact with the female blossoms. Kentville. 580 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 The following table gives such information as we were able to obtain: Variety. First fruit picked. Number of fruits from two plants. July Arlington White Spine July Davis Perfect I " Lockie's Pertection . . I " Rochford's Favorite ' " Veitch's Sensation " Marquis of Lome " Telegraph " 10... 31 16... 32 13... 37 16... 32 16... 29 IS... 18 19... 21 August. 94 68 39 22 32 19 50 Total No. from two plants. 125 100 76 54 61 37 71 Average weight per fruit. Lb. Oz. 91 12-8 4-3 8-7 9-9 6-7 5 POTATOES. Sixty plots of potatoes of Vno acre each, or two rows each 66 feet long and 33 inches apart, were planted on May 27. The land on which they were grown was a poor sandy loam. The previous crop on this land was buckwheat, which was ploughol under in the fall. The ground was ploughed again in the spring, worked up well, and fertilizer made Tip of 150 pounds of nitrate of soda, 250 pounds of acid phosphate, 250 pounds bone meal, and 150 pounds sulphate of potash sown broadcast at the rate of 800 pounds per acre, and harrowed in before planting. The sets were cut two to three eyes to a piece and were planted 14 inches apart in a row. The crop suffered considerably from the dry weather during July and August, and the percentage of unmarketable tubers was very large. The crop was harvested on October 6 and 7. Two plots were planted of Late Puritan, Gold Ooin, Wee McGregor and Rawlings (Ashleaf). Kidney, with seed got from different sources, and also three plots of Car- man No. 1, Irish Cobbler, Green Mountain, and Table Talk, with seed from different sources. The test included forty-eight varieties. Kentville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 581 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Variety. 1- Rawlings (Aslileaf) Kidney 0-B 2. Morgan Seedling C 3. Manistee 0-H 4. Early White Albino O-^ 5. Late Puritan C 6. Green Mountain C 7. Clark's No. 1 C 8. Wee McGregor 0-IH 9. Vick's Extra Early C 10. New Queen O-Di 11. Table Talk 0-L 12. Rawlings (Ashleaf) Kidney C.. . 13. BoveeO-A 14. Clyde 0-J 15. Empire State C 16. Wee McGregor C 17. Irish Cobbler O-Di 18. Dalmeny Hero 0-W 19. Gold Coin C 20. Table Talk O-B 21. Houlton Rose O-Di 22. Rochester Rose C 2.3. Tab-eTalkC 24. Mclntyre C 25. Irish Cobbler C 26. Snow J-O-J 27. Carman No. 1 0-J 28. Delaware 0-J 29. Conquering Hero 0-W 30. Gold Coin 0-J 31. Rural New Yorker C 32. Up-to-Date 0-D 33. Burbank C 34. Acquisition 0-S 35. Todd's Wonder 0-H 36. Pan American O-H 37. New Scotch Rose 0-A. . : 38. Early Norther O-Di 39. Burpee's Extra Early 0-Bu 40. Eureka Extra Early 0-Bu 41. Silver King O-H 42. American Wonder C 43. The Scott O-K&B 44. Carman No. 1 0-A 45. American Wonder O-A 46. Scottish Triumph 0-K & B 47. Sir Walter Ra'eigh O-H 48. Dreer's Standard C 49. Green Mountain 1837 O-J 50. Everett C 51. Early Hebron 0-D 52. Carman No. 1 C 53. Irish Cobbler O-B 54. Late Puritan O-B .55. Dobbie's Prolific 0-D 56. Early May O-H .57. Green Mountain 1837 0-J 58. Early Ohio O-Ont 59. Early Rose 0-H 60. Factor 0-D Bushels marketable tubers per acre. Bushels unmarketable tubers per acre. Bushels total per acre. 204 34 238 198 34 232 200 30 230 196 32 228 184 32 216 180 34 214 184 30 214 176 32 208 178 28 206 174 32 206 158 48 206 164 32 196 160 36 196 162 34 196 166 28 194 166 28 194 160 34 194 138 50 188 158 30 188 130 56 186 1.38 46 184 136 44 180 118 60 178 128 48 176 144 32 176 140 26 166 134 28 162 134 28 162 94 66 160 130 28 158 134 22 156 126 30 1.56 134 20 154 102 60 152 132 18 150 124 26 150 116 32 148 120 26 146 112 32 144 96 46 142 116 26 142 124 18 142 110 30 140 120 20 140 118 18 136 96 38 134 106 26 132 110 20 130 100 24 124 100 23 123 96 26 122 94 22 116 88 20 108 86 20 105 80 26 106 72 26 98 64 24 83 60 22 • 82 56 20 7o 42 26 68 Kentville. 582 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Similar varieties of potatoes f rora different sources tested in 1913 : Bushels Marketable per acre. Bushels Unmarketable per acre. Bushels Total per acre. Carman No. 1, 0-J r 134 120 94 160 144 88 180 100 64 158 118 130 158 130 184 86 176 166 204 164 28 20 22 34 32 20 34 24 24 48 60 ' 56 30 28 32 20 32 28 34 32 162 " 0-A 140 C 116 Irish Cobbler 0-Di 194 " c 176 0-B ". . . . 108 Green Mountain C 214 " 1838 0-J 124 1837 0-J . . . ... 88 Table Talk 0-L 206 C 178 O-B 186 Gold Coin C 188 " 0-J 158 Late Puritan C . 216 O-B .-... 106 Wee McGregor 0-I-H 208 C 194 Rawlings' Kidney, (Ashleaf Kidney) O-B 238 t{ tt tt f^ 196 FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS WITH TOMATOES IN THE GREENHOUSE. In order to determine something of the fertility of the virgin soil and the rela- tive influence of the different plant food constituents when anplied in the form of chemical fertilizers, a series of tests was started in the greenhouse. The soil used was a sandy loam which had not previously been cropped, it having been taken from a field that was broken up out of green spruce and birch stumps the previous season. The bench was filled with this soil to a depth of 5 inches, the soil well worked over and pieces of roots removed and thoroughly mixed so that it was uniform in every particular. /The area occupied by each plot was 2 square yards. The respective plots were fertilized with the following amounts per acre. This was thoroughly mixed with the soil by hand. No. 1— ___ Lbs. Nitrate of Soda 150 Sulphate of potash 150 Acid phosphate 300 Total 600 No. 2— Nitrate of sot^a 300 Sulphate of potasli 300 Acid phosphate 600 Total 1,200 No. 3— Nitrate of soda 300 No. 4 — Nitrate of soda 300 Sulphate of potash 300 Total 600 Kentville. DIVISION OF nORTICVLTURE 533 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 FERTILIZER EXPERIMEXTS WITH TOMATOES IN THE GHEE^IIOJIHK— Continued. No. 5— Xitrate of soda 3qq Acid phosphate ." . .. 600 -^ Total 900 No. 6— Check, no fertilizers. Xo. 7— Nitrate of soda 300 Sulphate of potash 150 Acid phosphate 300 Total 750 No. S— Nitrate of soda 150 Sulphate of potash 300 Acid phosphate 600 Total 1,050 No. 9 — Nitrate of soda 300 Sulphate of potash 3 00 Acid phosphate 600 Total ; 1,200 Livingston's Globe tomato plants were planted 18 inches apart, and each plot contained nine plants. The seed for these was sown on July 9. They were transplanted into 3-inch pots on July 23, and shifted to 4:^-inch pots on August 9. They were set into the per- manent bench on August 26. The firs.t ripe fruit was picked from plots Nos. 1, 2, 4, 8, and 9 on November 17; plots Nos. 5, 6, and 7 on November 24; and plot No. 3 on November 27. The plants were lifted and weighed on the 24th January, 1914. The yield from these plots is given in the following table : — Yield of Fruit per plot of 2 square yards. Yield November. Yield December. Yield January. i Yield of green fruit on plants I Jan. 24. Total Yield from plants. No. 1. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 lb. 1 2 i 2 1 2 1 2 oz. 10 10 12 .5 1.3 14 lb. 5 4 5 4 5 3 4 6 6 9 13 2 8 4 7 13 lb. 2 3 2 3 6 3 1 3 6 oz. 2 15 11 9 '7 1.5 6 8 lb. oz. 13 4 8 7 3 8 13 3 1 lb. oz. 10 2 12 10 10 1 11 14 9 7 15 10 14 12 6 17 7 As already stated, the plants were lifted, all earth shaken off and the plants weighed from each plot. Notes were also taken as to the character of the foliage. It had a noticeable unhealthy purplish colour, and in some cases had died, the green matter disappearing from it with a consequent dryiiig up. The different plants were measured and the average height of> the nine plants is given. Kentville. 584 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 "Weight and Character of plants when dug up. - Plot. Average Height of plant, Colour of foliage. Dead leaves. Weight of plants. No. Feet. Inches , ,5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 7 3 2 7 5 9 Medium Purple i Slight Medium " Slight {Medium " I Very '' Medium Very I Very Lb. tz. 18- 11 33 24 21 56 34 36 42 It will be noticed that plot 3, where nitrate of soda was used shows only 9 ounces gain in growth over the check plot. Also it will be seen that the gain in fruit is only 2 pounds, 2 ounces over the check plot. Where nitrate of soda and sulphate «f potash was used on plot 4 there is a gain of only 13 ounces in growth over the check plot; also the gain in fruit is only 3 pounds 1 ounce. On plot 5, where acid phosphate and nitrate of soda were used there was a gain of 2 pounds in growth over the check plot, and a gain in fruit of 6 pounds 10 ounces over the check plot. Since there is little gain from the nitrate of soda in plot 3, we may fairly assume that acid phosphate has been largely responsible for the increased yield. In all cases where the acid phosphate has been increased there has been an increased growth and increased crop. It would appear that our soils are principally deficient in phosphorus. Kentville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 585 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTS WITH GROUND LI:MEST0NE IN THE GREENHOUSE. A sample of ground limestone was received from the Eastern Lime Co., Sydney, N.S., and in order to test its value on our soil a sexies of small areas was limed at the rate of 3,000 pounds per acre, and duplicate plots left untreated. The results given are from half a square yard, and are sufficiently striking to indicate that lime, together with phosphorus in some form is necessary to produce satisfactory results with some crops. The data secured were with a crop of spinach. The soil used in this test was from a newly brokcn-up. field area not previously cropped. # Plot. 1. Per acre. Limed 3,000 Lb. per acre. Not Limed. Lb. oz. oz. Nitrate of Soda 150 150 300 Sulphate of potash Acid phosphate 14i 4 Plot 2. Nitrate of soda 300 300 600 Sulphate of potash . . .' Acid phosphate . . 17 3 Plot 3. Nitrate of soda 300 2i 3 Plot 4. Nitrate of soda 300 300 Sulphate of potash 2i 1 Plot 5. Nitrate of soda 300 600 Acid phosphate 12 2k Plot 6. Check, no fertilizers. . 2 1 ' Of particular interest is the result obtained from nitrate of soda alone at the rate of 300 pounds per acre, which is very little better than the check plot, and also the plot where nitrate of soda and sulphate of potash were used, which was but slightly better than the check plot. These plots, as compared with plot 5, where nitrate of soda and acid phosphate were used, indicate that acid phosphate together with lime gave the best results, and that acid phosphate without the lime did not materially increase the crop. The illustration shows the spinach plots about one-half grown. The plots com- mence with number one at the farther end of the bench. The space between the stakes across the bench was given commercial fertilizer evenly spread over the whole area. Lime was applied and worked into the soil in which the three rows to the right of the illustration are growing. No lime was applied to the soil in which the three rows to the left are growing. Kentville. 586 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 FEETILIZEE EXPEEIMENTS WITH FRUIT TREES, COVER CROPS AND INTERMEDIATE CROPS. In order to test the relative value of different fertilizers for growing apple trees, and intermediate crops, a series of tests was started in the spring of 1913. The object of this experiment is principally to determine what fertilizers or combination of fertilizers are most desirable for producing trees which will come into profitable bear- ing in the shortest time. Cover crops of vetch will be sown on the area occupied by the trees, which area will be increased year by year as the trees grow. The effect of these fertilizer on the cover crop will be noted and the data as to the relative value of different combina- tions for a leguminous cover crop determined. Since young orchards occupy little of the land during their early growth, it is considered advisable to grow intermediate crops between the trees. It has been thought that a good orchard rotation for the land not occupied by the trees is grain, clover, potatoes. This offers a practical three years' rotation which should prove satis- factory to the average orchardist. The intention is to use the fertilizers in the same proportions and same quanti- ties each year xmtil su&h time as the growth of trees or crops may show that ferti- lizers are being used to excess. The effect of the different fertilizers will be noted on the intermiediate crops. It will be seen that the experiments are three-fold: Eirst, to determine growth and ulti- mate frmtfulness under the influence of different fertilizers; second, effect of fertili- zers on the cover crop; third, quality and quantity of intermediate crops on the differently fertilized plots. It is the intention to continue these tests for a period of ten to fifteen years, or longer as may be thought desirable. The varieties of apple trees in this test are Gravenstein, with Wagener as fillers. The Gravensteins are set 40 by 40 feet apart, and the Wagener set one way between the trees making the rows 20 feet apart one way and 40 feet the other. The following table gives the quantity of fertilizer used per acre, and the yield of potatoes during the past season on the various plots as calculated from plots of one- fortieth acre each. The variety Green Mountain was planted. Kentville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 587 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Fertilizer Experiment with Potatoes. Per acre. Marketable Bushels * Unmarket- able Bushels Total Bushels per acre. per acre. per acre. Plot 1. Lb. 150 350 150 AfiH nV> 0*^1111 otp 1791 34 213:^ Plot 2. 150 500 150 "Rqcip 16-1915— p. 588. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 589 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 conducted. The per cent of trees giving strong, medium and weak growth during the season, an average for all the varieties, is also given. It will be seen that there is an apparent injury from using large quantities mixed into the soil in that the growth on these plots was not as strong as that on the plots not so treated. It will be noticed also that where large quantities were spread on the .surface and worked in shallow the growth was better than when it was mixed with the soil at planting time. It would appear that moderate applications may be used to some advantage. These trees will not be fertilized next spring and notes will be taken as to their growth next season. No. 1, 600 pounds per acre spread on surface after planting and worked in to a depth of 3 inches No. 2, 1,200 pounds per acre spread on surface after planting and worked in to a depth of 3 inches No. 3, 1,800 pounds per acre spread on surface after planting and worked in to a depth of 3 inches No. 4, 2,400 pounds per acre spread on surface after planting and worked in to a depth of 3 inches No. 5, 3,000 pounds per acre spread on surface after planting and worked in to a depth of 3 inches No. 6, 600 pounds per acre mixed in the soil dug out for planting the tree No. 7, 1,200 pounds per acre mixed in the soil dug out for planting the tree No. 8, 1,800 pounds per acre mixed in the soil dug out for planting the tree No. 9, 2,400 pounds per acre mixed in the soil dug out for planting the tree * No. 10, 3,000 pounds per acre mixed in the soil dug out for planting the tree No. 11, Nitrate of Soda, 600 pounds per acre spread on surface after plant- ing and worked in to a depth of 3 inches , No. 12, Nitrate of Soda, 1,200 pounds per acre spread on surface after planting and worked in to a depth of 3 inches No. 13, Check, no fertilizer No. 14, Manure, 6 pounds per tree at rate of 15 tons per acre worked into soil after tree was planted No. 15, Manure, 6 pounds per tree at rate of 15 tons per acre worked into soil dug out for planting the tree Per cent strong growth. 12-5 Per cent medium growth . 12- 5 62-5 62.5 62-5 500 750 87-5 50-0 37-5 12-5 12-5 37-5 500 62-5 62-5 500 Per cent weak growth. 25 37-5 500 25-0 12-5 500 62-5 87-5 87-5 50 0 .50-0 37-5 37-5 37-5 EXPERIMENTAL ORCHARD WORK. There are no bearing apple trees at this Station except a few scattered, uneven ones along the base of the hills on land very broken and difEcidt to get at, consequently it has been found advisable to select one orchard at Berwick, Kings county, one at Bridgetown, Annapolis county, and one at Falmouth, Hants county, for orchard experi- mental work. Spraying experiments for the purpose of getting definite information as to what spray mixture will control the apple scab best and give the largest percent- age of first-grade fruit have, for the most part, occupied our attention during the past season. The experiments were duplicated as far as possible in the different orchards. Orchards with trees as uniform as possible were selected, and these were divided into plots of six trees each. All trees in a comparative test were given similar treatment other than spraying, thus eliminating possible error. The experimental work .at Berwick and Falmouth, was conducted by J. M. Rob- inson, B.S.A., Assistant for Horticulture, Experimental Station, Kentville, and at 16 — 39 Kentville. 590 experime:s-tal farms 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Bridgetown by M. B. Davis, B.S.A., now assistant in Pomology to the Dominion Horticulturist, Experimental Farm, Ottawa. For the purpose of explanation of the terms in the foUoAving tables a few words are necessary. As there was a great difference in the degree of both scab and russet on. the fruit in these experiments, three divisions were made in each, and we havfe -slightly, medium, and badly scabbed, and slightly, medium, and badly russeted fruit recorded. All apples on which were found very minute scabs on the side, or with small scabs at the calyx end, which did not materially affect the appearance of the fruit, were classed as slightly scabbed, those apples having scabs which were easily noticeable and which injured the appearance, but which did not cause cracking of the, fruit, were classed as medium scabbed, while those apples which were cracked by the fungus, or half or more covered with the scabs, were classed as badly scabbed. In rtisseting practically the same rule applied, and apples were classed as badly russeted when cracked or much blackened, as medium russeted when slightly black- ened or roughened, and as slightly riisseted when the russet was visible but not definite enough to in any way affect the appearance or market value of the fruit. ' All scabby apples were graded in" these experiments as No. 3 and in our opinion this is where they should be placed, but in ordinary packing the apples classed by us as slightly scabbed would have for the most part graded as No. 1. This fact will make our per cent of No. 1 and No. 2 fruit seem small and a comparison between our per cents and those which are obtained where No. 1 and No. 2 do not embody only strictly clean fruit will not be fair. Plan of Experiment, Berwick Orchard — Section A — Gravenstein. Plot. A. April 28. 1st. May 17 before blo.s- soms open. 2nd. June 6 after petals fall. 3rd. June 20. 4th. July 9. 5th. July 18. No. 1 Bordeaux (( L-Sulphur Bopdeaux tt V tl L-Sulphur t( L-Sulphur ti Bordeaux a n it " L-Sulphur it it Bordeaux L-Sulphur L-Sulphur Bordeaux it u L-Sulphur " L-Sulphur a Bordeaux it ii it L-Sulphur it It it tt it L-Sulphur Bordeaux it it Bordeaux " 2 "3 • ~^ Bordeaux " 4 L-Sulphur 1 L-Sulphur « " 5 " 6 .' L-Sulphur it Bordeaux (( L-Sulphur it it Bordeaux L-Sulphur Bordeaux L-Sulphur L-Sulphur. L-Sulphur it Bordeaux Lr-Sulphur Bordeaux n a L-Sulphur L-Sulphur " 7 I^SuIphur "8 . . . ... " 9 " 10 " 11 " 12 "'13 "14 '.'1.5 " 16 " 17 "18 " 19 " 20 Plot 18 received no arsenate in the fifth application, and in plot 20 no arsenate of lead was used in the fourth and fifth applications. Sherwin-Williams arsenate of lead was used in all the other spray mixtures at the rate of 5 pounds to 100 gallons. The Niagara brand lime snlphur was used. The spraying mixture tested 1-009 specific gravity or approximately 1 gallon concentrated lime sulphur to 40 gallons water, Bordeaux made according to the usual formula, 4 pounds copper sulphate, 4 pounds lime, and 40 gallons water was used. Kentville. DiriSIOy OF nONTICULTURE 591 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Spraying Experiments in the Berwick Orchard. o 18 19 20 How Sprayed. Ba— B, 1,2.3,4 B a— B, 1, 2, 3 B, 1,2,3,4,5. I^Sa, I^S, 1,2,3,4. L-Sa, L-S, 1,2,3... Check, no Spray. . . . L-S, 1,2,3,4,5 L-S, 1,2,3,4 B, 1,2, 3, 4 B, 1, 2,3 B, 1,2; L-S, 3, 4 B, 1,2; L-S, 3; B, 4. B, 1; LrS, 2, 3; B, 4. I^S, 1,2,3; B,4.. . I^S, 1,2; B,3, 4.. . L-S, 1,2,3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 |B, 1; L-S 2; B 3; L-S 4. ]L-S, 1,2,3,4. Check, no Spray. JL-S, 1,2,3,4 Per cent by Wt. No. 1 and 2. Per cent Russet Medium Per cent Per cent Per cent Russet Bad Russet Total Scab Medium 59 15 52-78 50-94 73-33 81-49 407 77-63 64-29 43-33 36-33 46-36 39-19 65-13 63-16 69-80 48-00 52-53 76-86 000 50-79 39-25 49-32 53-66 2-46 0-09 . 0-00 1-25 1-76 40-75 50-00 50-00 45-70 41-63 24-68 58-66 6-85 57-31 8-66 0-00 19-77 43-02 21-60 28-04 0-00 0-09 0-00 0-00 000 25-69 24-02 16-45 14-71 M3 0-00 12-11 0-00 3-01 0-00 000 000 98-45 93-71 98-37 48-96 65-12 11-43 47-00 55-54 83-22 93-14 85-34 83-85 73-42 72-73 92-90 59-82 91-78 59-74 20-00 81-92 5-55 9-87 12-81 4-17 1-78 28-99 3-83 7-25 7-91 11-27 11-40 14-06 7-60 2-60 4-60 13-24 15-03 9-52 22-00 14 13 Per cent Scab Bad. Per cent Scab Total. 4-22 5-27 7-92 2-43 0-54 38-45 2-65 4-31 4-45 7-84 7-17 9-90 4-92 5-19 5-84 5-48 7-61 8-44 64-00 10-73 19-97 32-82 40-44 25-00 10-70 97-83 16-70 32-56 38-01 46-07 49-51 54-68 33-05 37-60 24-21 49-77 44-85 44-10 100-08 49-50 Pl.\n of Experiment^ Section " E " Falmouth Orchard. Plot. 1st Spray May 9. 2nd Spray before blos- soms open May 20-21. 3rd Spray after petals fell June 11-12. 4th Spray June 23-24 5 th Spray July 14. Nq 9 L-Sulphur Check no Spray L-Sulphur Check, no Spray L-Sulphur L-Sulphur L-Sulphur Bordeaux Bordeaux (( (( L-Sulphur L-Sulphur it it it a L-Sulphur Bordeaux L-Sulphur n t( L-Sulphur It Bordeaux L-Sulphur Bordeaux Bordeaux L-Sulphur " 10 L-Sulphur -' 11 -' 12 - " 13 L-Sulphur " 14 ; • 15 L-Sulphur " 16 Bordeaux " 17 t( " 18 •' 19 •' 20 " 21 * L-Sulphur " 22 '• Niagara brand lime-sulphur 1-009 specific gravity. Bordeaux 4-4-40 and arsenate of lead at the rate of 5 pounds to 100 gallons was used in these sprays. Kentville. lC—P,n 592 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Spraying Experiments in Falmouth Orchard. Plot. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 How Sprayed. ■^^J'^J'^lPer cent'per cent'Per cent and 2 by Wt Russet iMedium Gravenstein. L-S, 1,2,3,4 L-S, 1,2,3,4,5 L-S, 1,3^4 No spray L-S, 1,3, 4, 5 L-S, 2, 3, 4 L-S, 3, 4, 5 L-S, 2, 3; B, 4, 5 B, 2; L-S, 3,4; B, 5 B, 2; L-S, 3; B, 4, 5 No spray B, 2; L-S, 3; B, 4 B, 2; L-S, 3; B, 4; L-S, 5 B, 2, 3; L-S, 4,5 No fruit 94-68 85-65 11-25 79-39 64-93 5-13 No fruit 71-43 No fruit 21-57 78-02 92-13 80-95 0-00 0-08 0-00 0-19 000 0-00 35-37 0-00 58-75 67-17 61-70 Russet Bad 000 0-00 0-00 000 000 000 1-22 0-00 1-76 0-43 5-28 Russet Total Per cent Per cent Scab Scab Medium Bad 37-21 25- 18 17-82 27-85 12-89 33-92 100-00 48-02 96-81 96-33 96-98 0-98 0-55 46-87 3-59 6-29 43-86 45-69 0-00 108 1-51 000 000 7-26 0-11 0-00 19-30 0-00 4-20 000 0-00 0-00 Per cent Scab Total 3-52 4-88 87-E5 15-85 20-54 83-63 6-10 75-76 11-99 6-91 8-68 Plot 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 11 12 13 15 20 21 22 How Sprayed. Per cent No. 1 and 2 By Wt. Per cent Russet Medium Per cent Russet Bad Per cent Russet Total Per cent Scab Total Golden Russet. L-S, 1,2,3,4 L-S, 1,2,3,4,5 L-S, 1,3,4 No Spray L-S, 1,3,4.5 L-S, 2,3,4 L-S, 3, 4,5 L-S. 2, 3; B, 4, 5 B, 2; L-S, 3, 4| B, 5 B, 2; L-S, 3; B,4, 5 No Spray B, 2; L-S, 3; B, 4 B, 2; L-S, 3; B, 4; L-S, 5 B, 2, 3; L-S, 4, 5 Spy. L-S, 1,3,4 No Spray '. L-S, 1,3,4,5 L-S, 3. 4, 5 B. 2; L-S, 3; B, 4 B, 2; L-S, 3; B, 4; L-S, 5 B, 2,3; L-S, 4, 5 90-00 94-25 ■- 89-48 36-96 86-49 71-90 70-59. 85-20 87-28 80-68 45-22 No fruit. 68-71 78-72 88-55 34-67 79-81 25-73 76-67 86-09 81-68 0-00 0-00 000 0-00 000 0-00 000 0-00 0-00 0-00 0-00 0-00 000 0-00 000 0-00 000 18-18 1013 15-76 000 000 000 0-00 0-00 0-00 000 2-43 0-41 6-42 000 5-75 1-53 000 0-00 000 000 000 0-27 0-88 0-00 000 000 000 000 000 000 2-43 0-41 6-42 000 5-75 1-53 10-09 -31 5 SO 3-48 49-49 37 07 54-93 4-83 4-53 5-24 60-79 9-80 24-71 30 00 6-52 11-97 1201 51-66 24-44 15-31 2-30 62-81 13-09 65-68 13-13 7-20 6-78 SPR.\YING EXPERIMENTS IN THE BRIDGETOWN ORCHARD. The first spray used tested 1-01, the second 1-0095 and the third and fourth, 1-009 specific gravity. ''Niagara brand lime-sulphur was used. The Bordeaux mixture was made according to the usual formula (i.e.) 4 pounds copper sulphate, 4 pounds lime, and 40 gallons water. Arsenate of lead at the rate of 6 pounds for 100 gallons was used in all the sprays. y Kentville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 593 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Plan of Orchard Experiment^ Bridgetown. Plot. 1st Spray before blos- soms open May 12. 2nd Spray after blos- soms fell, June 9. 3rd Spray June 20. 4th Spray July 3. No. 1 Bordeaux Lime-Sulphur Lime-Sulphur Bordeaux Lime-Sulphur Lime-Sulphur Lime-Sulphur Bordeaux Bordeaux Bordeaux Lime-Sulphur Bordeaux Bordeaux " 2 Bordeaux " 3 Lime-Sulphur " 4 Bordeaux Orchard Spraying Experiments, Bridgetown. Plot. 1 2 3 4 5 How Sprayed. Gravenstein. B, 1; L-S, 2; B, 3, 4. L-S, 1, 2; B, 3,4 L-S, 1,2, 3,4 B, 1, 2,3,4 Check, no Fruit. . . . . King. B, 1; L-S, 2; B, 3, 4. L-S, 1,2; B,3,4 L-S, 1,2,3,4 B, 1,2,3,4 Check, no Spray Bex Davis. B, 1; L-S, 2; B, 3, 4. L-S, 1,2; B, 3, 4 L-S, 1,2,3,4 B, 1,2, 3, 4 Nonpareil. B, 1; L-S, 2; B, 3,4. L-S, 1,2; B, 3, 4 L-S, 1,2,3,4 B, 1,2,3,4 Per cent No. 1 and 2. Per cent Eusset Bad. Per cent Per cent Russet I Scab Total ' Medium Per cent Scab Bad. 50-7 41-6 48-3 54-5 72-3 69-4 82-5 71-2 2-4 72-2 72-6 58-6 41-4 74-2 890 88-9 73-3 31-3 20-0 5-5 42-9 45-7 55-8 5-8 60-8 00 770 67-2 47-3 631 29-4 18-0 12-9 31-2 62-6 34-7 2.5-8 78-2 68-7 73-1 18-6 71-2 11 87-6 92-4 58-8 G9-6 57-2 36-1 37-6 56-2 14-5 18-5 140 8-9 0-7 3-4 0-7 0-6 30-9 4-4 0-7 61 0-5 1-6 10. OS 06 9-9 14-2 9-6 8-7 0-2.5 0-8 0-0 00 33-5 0-7 1-6 6-5 11-8 0-0 10 0-7 Per cent Scab Total. 49-3 .58-4 51-6 45-5 13-85 23-0 17-0 13-7 97-3 51 12-0 24-5 26-S 13-3 10-7 8-9 8-5 BORDEAUX VS. LIME-SULPHUR SUMMARY. Lime-sulphur has of late years been gradually taking the place of Bordeaux as a suitable mixture with which to control apple scab. Bordeaux mixture has given good results in combating this disease but on account of causing objectionable russeting on the fruit, and decided foliage injury, it is not for this section at least a satisfactory spray. '' The results obtained would indicate that for the control of apple scab, lime-s.ulphur is equally as effective as Bordeaux, the foliage was much healthier in all the plots where lime-sulphur alone was used, and the fruit in every case was much brighter and Kentville. 594 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 better in appearance. The following table gives some of the results from using these two spraying materials, and is an average from the plots sprayed. Bordeaux Lime-sulphur No spray p.c. Russet medium. 40-75 1-76 0-00 p.c. Russet bad. 25-69 0-00 0-00 p.c. Scab medium. 7-91 7-25 28-99 p.c. Scab bad. 4-45 4-31 38-45 The Gravenstein was used in this test and it will be noticed that over 66 per cent of the fruit was injured by russet caused by the Bordeaux spray. It will be seen also that the lime-sulphur controlled scab slightly better than Bordeaux. Bordeaux gave 12-36 per cent scab against 11-56 per cent for lime-sulphur and 67-44 per cent scab where the plot was not sprayed. The results at Bridgetown were equally as conclusive as to the russeting of the fruit, but Bordeaux showed a little -better control of the scab than lime-sulphur. p.c. Russet bad. p.c. Scab medium. p.c. Scab bad. Bordeaux Lime-sulphur No spray 60-8 5-8 GO 0-7 0-6 30-9 0-0 0-0 33-5 It will be sefen that 64-4 per cent of the fruit of the trees not sprayed were badly or medium badly affected with the scab as against a very small percentage where Bor- deaux or lime-sulphur was used. The foliage was not injured so much from Bordeaux in this orchard, and during the early part of the season appeared to be if anything more vigorous in the Bor- deaux plot than on the lime-snlphur; the condition changed, however, and as the season advanced tlie lime-sulphur plot had much less injury. The Gravenstein was used in this test. At Falmouth, Bordeaux, as compared with lime-sulphur on a block of Spy apples, gave results as follows : — p.c. Russet :p.c. Scab. Bordeaux Lime-sulphur No spray 8-63 3-94 47-01 The per cent of russet, it will be noticed, is quite large, and the lime-sulphur plots had less scab than the Bordeaux plots. ALTEfi^NATIXG BORDEAUX AND LIME-SULPHUR. Various applications of Bordeaux alternating with lime-sulphur were tried to determine whether it is practical or advisable to u&e one or the other of these mixtures Kentville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 595 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 at certain times. It would appear from results obtained that there is no advant- age in doing so. In every case a decided russeting of the fruit with considerable foliage injury accompanied the use of Bordeaux. BORDEAUX 3-3-40 vs. BORDEAUX 4-4-40. To determine whether a wealier strength of Bordeaux would give less russeting and prove effective in controlling the apple scab, tests were made of a mixture made from 3 pounds copper sulphate, 3 pounds lime, and 40 gallons water, compared with the usual one made from 4 pounds copper sulphate, 4 pounds lime and 40 gallons water. It was found that the weaker strength did not materially lessen the russet on the fruit and was less effective in the control of scab where the variety Gravenstein was used, as is shown in the following table: — ^^. p.c. Russet medium. p.c. Russet bad. p.c. Scab medium. p.c. Scab, bad. Bordeaux, 3-3-40 53-33 40-25 33-33 19-33 6-67 11-35 36-67 Bordeaux, 4-4-40, 3-68 The per cent of russet was less with the weaker mixture in the Ben Davis under a similar test, but the scab was not controlled so well. Bordeaux, 3-3-40. Bordeaux, 4-4-40. p.c. Russet medium. 41-96 42-32 p.c. Russet bad. 21-01 27-66 p.c. Scab, slight. 23-77 10-14 On a Ribston block in the Fahnouth orchard tlie Bordeaux 3-3-40 gave 10-33 per cent slightly scabbed and 36-32 per cent russeted as against 2-85 per cent slightly scabbed and 81-25 per oent russeted in the 4-4-40 Bordeaux, THE RELATIVE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT BRANDS OF ARSENATE OF LEAD IN CAUSING FOLIAGE INJURY. To determine whether some brands of arsenate of lead cause less injury to the foliage than others when used in combination with lime-sulphur, a series, of tests were conducted by using two brands of English lead and Sherwin-Williams and Swift's lead with lime-sulphur, 1 gallon Niagara brand concentrate lime sulphur to 40 gallons water and duplicating the t«sts with 1 gallon to 30 of water. The claim is made that certain brands of arsenate of lead are less liable to cause injury from arsenical burning after application. The Sherwin-Williams arsenate of lead, which is a neutral lead, is claimed to be safer on this account than those leads made by the acid process. That there is a difference in regard to possible injury from different makes is evident from data given below. A comparison between Sherwin-Williams and Swift's arsenate (the two brands used very extensively in the valley) shows little if any difference as regards foliage Kentville. 596 EXPERUIEy'TAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 injury- The Swift's arsenate of lead averaged 2-60 per cent injury and the Sherwin- Williams plots averaged 2-47 per cent injury. The data relative to leaf injury was obtained by taking 100 leaves from branches and twigs on a part of the tree showing least injury and 100 leaves from a part showing worst injury. These were taken consecutively as they grew. The leaves were gone over carefully and the per cent of injury determined. This work was checked up against field observations, which placed the injury in the same relative position. The work was conducted on a block of Spy apples in the Berwick orchard. The results are as follows : — Materials Used. p.c. Scab p.c. Foli- Total age Injury Lime-sulphur 1-40, Swift's arsenate — 2 lb. to 40 gn.' — " 1-40, Sherwin-Williams 2 " 40 " . . " 1-40, Swift's arsenate 3 " 40 ' . 1-40, Sherwin-Williams 3 " 40 " . . . " 1-30 Swift's arsenate 2 " 40 " . . . 1-30 Sherwin-Williams 2 " 40 " . . . Check, no spray Sherwin-Williams arsenate alone, 2 lb. to 40 gal Lime-sulphur 1-40, J. C. Eng. arsenate, 2 lb. to 40 gal 1-30, " " 2 " 40 " 1-40, S. C. " " 2 " 40 " 1-30, " "2 " 40 " 38-58 1-45 25-68 2-57 28-25 2-87 36-36 2-02 20-10 3-50 25-83 2-82 97-09 1-05 96-63 113 26-67 3-30 16-51 6-85 23-83 4-70 23-36 10-71 FUNGICIDAL VALUE OF ARSEKATE OF LEAD. It is claimed that to add arsenate of lead to lime-sulphur the lime-sulphur will thereby be made more effective as a fungicide. A series of tests were started at Berwick and Falmouth to get information on this point but unfortunately the check plots and also the comparative plots in many cases did not produce fruit. On one block of Spy apples at Berwick the following results were obtained: — Lime-S. 1-40, 3 lb. arsenate lead. 1-40 2 1-30, 2 " " . Check, no spray Arsenate of lead alone p.c. Scab p.c. No. Total 1 & 2 32-20 65-56 32-13 67-86 22-96 67-77 97-09 2-86 96-63 2.86 p.c. No. 3 32-71 36-68 30-58 91-43 95-28 p.c. Cull 1-72 0-45 1-64 5-71 2-86 The total scab on the lime-sulphur arsenate plots was for the'most part only slight, whereas that on the unsprayed and arsenate of lead plots was largely m'edium or badly scabbed. The arsenate of lead when used alone at least apparently has little value as a fungicide. Results in the Falmouth orchard would go to show that lime- sulphur arsenate is preferable to lime-sulphur alone.' The lime-sulphur arsenate had 19-07 per cent of scab and the lime-sulphur alone 29-25 per cent of scab. HOME-BOILED VS. COMMERCIAL LIME-SULPHUh. In order to determine the relative efficiency of home-boiled as compared with commercial lime-sulphur, a series of plots was sprayed with the two. The home- Kentville. bo S O u O O H !^''' DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 597 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 boiled was made according to the usual formula, 50 pounds lime, 100 pounds sulphur and 50 gallons water, and boiled for one hour. Water was added from time to time to replace that lost from boiling, keeping the total volume up to 50 gallons. The results obtained at Berwick are as folloAvs : — G7-avenstein Home-boiled 1-008 s.g Commercial 1 • 008 s.g Ben Davis. Home-boiled 1 -003 s.g Commercial 1-009 s.g Home-boiled 1-003 s.g Commercial 1 • 008 s.g p.c. Scab p.c. Scab p.c. Scab medium. bad. total. 13-54 6-88 48-6.5 7-31 4-08 45 -S8 p.c. Scab slight. 28-42 10-98 26-32 14-39 It would appear from the foregoing that the j^iagara brand commercial lime sul- phur was preferable to the home-boiled as it controlled scab better. On a block of Kings, however, in tlie same orchard the home-boiled had 21-15 per cent scab, as com- pared with 25-61: per cent on the commercial lime-sulphur plots. At Bridgetown the per cent of scab was 27-3 on the home-boiled as compared with 17-0 on the coimnercial lime-sulphur plot. TIME TO SPRAY. In order to get some information as to the time that scab can be controlled to best advantage, in other words the most important spray for the control of apple scab, a series of experiments were made at Falmouth with lime-sulphur arsenate. Date of Spraying. p.c. Scah). May 9, Mav 20, June 11, June 23, July 14 3-52 Mav 20, June 11, June 23 20-54 June 11, June 23, July 14 83-6-3 No spray 87-35 The foregoing would indicate that for this season at least the early spray on May 9 was the most effective. SPUAYIXG EXPERIMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF APHIS. Young trees were used for this experiment. The leaves in many cases were curled, and some of the insects escaped the spray, which accounts for the aphis alive after the different mixtures had been put on. The spraying was done August 4, and the trees were carefully examined and records made on August 6. During this period many of the aphis, not touched by the spray, spread over the trees, and had the records been taken earlier a better record as to the relative efficiency of the materials would no doubt have been obtained. More definite results would have been secured had the leaves not been curled so that all the insects could be hit with the spray. Where the materials recommended for aphis were used with lime-sulphur there was an injury, but unfortunately we had not a check plot sprayed with lime-sulphur alone and cannot tell but that similar injury would have resulted from an application of Kentville. 593 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 lime-sulphur alone at this time. The injury on plots 20 and 22 was so marked, how- ever, that this combination' is apparently' not advisable. It would appear that Nico soap, 1 pound to 30 gallons, or Black Leaf 40, 1 part to 1000 is effective in killing the insect touched by the spray. The soap-kerosene emul- sion, it will be noticed, is as effective as the flour kerosene emulsion, and costs only half as much. The latter, however, is much easier to make. The addition of soap to the Black Leaf 40, on plots 7, 8, and 9 should have increased the effectiveness of the spray, and that it did not may have been due to the possibility of more leaves being curled on these plots, and the aphis protected from the spray. The Nico soap used was supplied by Blackie Bros., Halifax. The Black Leaf 40, was purchased from the Kentucky Tobacco Product Co., Louisville, Kentucky. Experiment for Control of Apple Aphis . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Black Leaf 40, 5 oz. to 40 gal., 1 part to 1,280 Nice Soap, 1 lb. to 40 gal Black Leaf 40, 5 oz. to 35 gal., 1 part to 1,120 Nico Soap, lib. to 30 gal " Black Leaf 40, 8 oz. to 40 gal., 1 part to 800, Nico soap, 2 lbs. to 40 gal Black Leaf 40, 2| oz.; Nico soap 8 oz. to 40 gal Black Leaf 40, 5 oz.; Nico soap 16 oz. to 40 gal Black Leaf 40, 5 oz., common soap 16 oz. to 40 gal Common Soap 2 lb. to 30 gal Black Leaf 40, 5 oz., and lime sulphur to 40 gal., 1-008 s. g., slight injury Common soap, 2 lb. to 30 gal - Common soap, 2 lb. to 40 gal : Black Leaf, 40 5 oz. to 35 gal. and lime-sulphur 1-008 s.g., slight injury Black Leaf 40, 8 oz. to 40 gal. and lime-sulphur, 1-008 s.g., slight injury Nico soap, 1 lb. to 40 gal. and lime-sulphur, 1-008 s.g., slight injury Nico soap, 1 lb. to 40 gal. and lime-sulphur, 1-008 s.g., slight injury Nico soap, 1 lb. to 20 gal. and lime-sulphur, 1-008 s.g., slight injury Kerosene flour emulsion (10 lb. flour, kerosene oil 5 gal. to 40 gal. water), dight injury.. Flour emulsion as above and lime-sulphur, 1-008 s.g., badly injured Flour emulsion (5 lb. flour 2^ gal. kerosene) 40 gal. water, slight injury) Flour emulsion (5 lb. flour 2j gal. kerosene) and lime sulphur 1-007 s.g., badly injured. . Soap emulsion f| lb. soap 2 gal. oil to 40 gal.,) slight injury p.c. Aphis Killed. 60 00 62-5 57-5 800 77-5 80- 0 65-0 65-0 67-5 50-0 800 55-0 55-0 80-0 80-0 550 75-0 80-0 65-0 80-0 75-0 80 0 82-5 COST OF DIFFERENT SPRAYS USED IN CONTROL OF APPLE APHIS. In the work of controlling apple aphis we have worked out the cost of the different sprays used and have taken as a basis the cost per 40 gallons of dilute spray. The fol- lowing table will show the difference in cost between the various sprays and combina- tions used : — Materials. Black Leaf 40 Black Leaf 40 , Black Leaf 40 Nico soap Nico soap Nico soap Nico soap, 8 oz. and black Leaf, 40 Nico Soap 1 lb. and Black Leaf, 40 Black Leaf, 40, 5 oz. and common soap il4 oz. to 35 gallons. Common soap '4 lb. to 40 gallons Common soap J2 lb. to 30 gallons Common soap '2 lb. to 40 gallons Flour kerosene emulsion 5 gal. kerosene, 10 lb. flour to 40 gallons Flour kerosene emulsion 2j gal. kerosene 5 lb. flour to 40 gallons. . Soap kerosene emulsion |2 gal. kerosene § lb. soap to 30 gallons.... Dilution. 5 oz. to 40 gallons. . . . 5 oz. to 35 gallons. . . . 8 oz. to 40 gallons. . . . 1 lb. to 40 gallons. . . . 1 lb. to 30 gallons. . . . 2 lb. to 40 gallons 2-67 oz. to 40 gallons. 5 oz. to 40 gallons. Cost. $ cts. 0 37 0-43 0 60 0 47i 0 63 0-95 0-44 0 84J 0 43 0 20 0 13 0 10 0 90 0 45 0 44 Kextville. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 599 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The cost of these mixtures has been calculated on the following basis: — Black Leaf 40 — $12.50 per gallon, or approximately |;1.25 per pound. Nico soap — 47J cents per pound. Common soap — 5 " " Kerosene oil — 15 " per gallon. Flour — 11 " per pound. THINNING APPLES, Experiments in thinning were conducted at Bridgetown in the orchard of F. H. Johnson. The variety of Blenheim was used. Five trees were thinned and these were compared with seven trees unthinned. The trees were uniform and appeared to be equally well set with fruit. Approximately 17 per cent of the apples were removed from the thinned trees on the 15th of July. The apples were counted when picked and were packed by the Banger Fruit Co., Ltd., Bridgetown. The apples were shipped to England through the United Fruit Com- panies of Nova Scotia, Ltd. In addition to the usual marking the letters A.B.F. were put on the barrels of unthinned fruit and M.B.D. on the barrels of thinned fruit, so that the shipment could be traced to the selling point. Assuming that the apples would have been the same on thinned as on unthinned trees, had the thinning not been done, the yield from five trees would have been nine- teen barrels, or the same as that actually picked. This shows that thinning does not necessarily lessen the yield, for the increase in size of fruit malces up for the apples removed by thinning. The apples were sold on their merit and the purchaser knew nothing of the nature of the experiment. The following- prices were received. Unthinned Fruit. Thinned Fruit. $ cts. No. 1 , No. 2 No. 3 67 67 74 $ cts. 2 01 1 66 0 74 The No. 1 fruit from the thinned trees it will be noticed sold for 34 cents per barrel more than for the same grade in the unthinned trees. THINNING EXPERIMENT. Total number of apples on unthinned trees 24, 014 Total number of barrels, tree run 37 Average number of apples per barrel 649 Number of apples removed by thinning 2, 099 Number of apples on thinned trees 10, 426 Number of apples per barrel, tree run 548 IvEXTVILLE. 600 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 PACKED OUT RESULTS. Unthinncd Trees. Thinned Trees. • No. 1 Bbls. 11-75 8-5 9-50 4-75 2-50 Bbls. 11 No. 2 .• 4 No. 3 2-75 Cull ; 000 Slack 1-25 PROFIT.S FROM THIXNING. Unthinned Fruit. Thinned Fruit. Grade. Barrels Price per Bbl. Total. Barrels. Price per Bbl. Total. No. 1 31-8 23- 25-7 12-8 $ 1-67 1.67 •74 •30 S 53.10 38.41 19.01 . 3-84 57-8 21-1 14-5 $ 2.01 1-66 •74 S 116 17 No. 2 35-02 No. 3 10-73 Cull Total 1 114.36 161 92 V ! For comparison, and calculating on the basis of 100 barrels tree run, the above results are obtained which gives a profit of $47.56 from thinning 100 barrels. THINNING GRAVENSTEINS. An experiment in thinning Gravensteins similar to that in 1912 was carried on this season, and the results obtained compare favourably with the results of last year, giving a like increase in value of the thinned fruit. The thinning was done on July 22, when the apples were the size of small crabs, and the thinning was done so that only one apple was left to a cluster; 11 -61 per cent of the total apples on the tree were remov^ed. The Nos. 1, 2, 3, and cull apples were counted and the total ascertained. The fruit was packed by one of the companies of The United Fruit Companies of Nova Scotia, Ltd., without regard to any difference of treatment. The following results were obtained: — - Number apples picked ^ Number apples removed Total apples on tree before thinning Per cent, apples removed by thinning Per cent, total weight grading No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 Cull Nos. 1 and 2 Thinned. 3,447 590 4,037 14-61 65-98 14-59 19-02 •41 80-57 Unthinned. 3,897 '"3,'897'' 54-43 12-44 30-23 2-54 66-87 JvEXTVILLE. DinSIOX OF HORTICULTURE 601 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Though it will be seen by the foregoing table that more apples were picked from the thinned than from the unthinned trees, yet when the number of fruits removed from the thinned tree are taken into consideration we have a total of 4037 in the thinned tree against a total of 3897 apples on the unthinned tree. By making a comparison between the number of apples on each tree before thin- ning took place and the number of pounds of fruit taken from each tree and by cal- culating the weight of 100 apples as picked from the trees, we find that we have a decrease in weight due to thinning of 1-2 pounds in every 100 fruits picked, which gives a total decrease of 43 pounds in the fruit picked from the thinned tree. By taking the per cents of Nos. 1, 2, 3, and cull fruit as obtained from the unthinned tree we have had -18 barrels No. 1, -04 barrels No, 2, -10 barrels No. 3, and • 0085 barrels cull fruit, which would have been worth at the prices given below, 72 cents, 11, 11, and no cents respectively. Making a total of $0.94. As this is a loss due to thinning it should be deducted from the total increase on the thinned tree as shown below. Values of Thinned and Unthinned Fruit. • Price per Barrel. No. packed Barrels. Thinned. Value. Barrels. Unthinned. Value. No. 1 $ 4- 00 2^83 112 •25 4-86 1-08 141 •03 $ 19-44 3^06 1-58 0-00 4^05 •92 2-27 •19 •? 16 20 No 2 2-60 No 3 2^54 Cull •05 Total 7^38 24 08 7^43 91 ..'?Q Balance in favour of thinning per tree, taking picked apples $ Deduction due to loss in total crop from thinning (as shown) Real increase in value from thinning per tree Taking twenty bearing trees per acre per year the increased value from thin- ning 1 acre is 2^69 •94 1-75 35 00 The price per barrel as given in foregoing table was the average price obtained by che United Fruit Companies of Nova Scotia, Ltd., for their first cargo of Graven- steins shipped to England. ORCHAKD SURVEYING. For the purpose of getting information relative to the methods followed by orchardists, a sur\-ey was made during August of fifty orchards in Kings county. DISTANCE OF PLANTING. In many mature orchards the trees have not sufficient space to admit of a free circulation of air and to allow proper cultivation, haiwesting and spraying. The fruit on the lower branches lack in colour, and the fruit buds on these branches lack in vigour. There seems to have been a tendency in recent years to plant even closer than formerly, which means that either a much more vigorous system of pruning back will have to be followed on the filler trees, or else many of these trees will have to be removed, if a first grade crop is to be obtained. Healthy foliage and well-coloured fruit cannot be expected under close-planted conditions unless a vigorous pruning, to give plenty of sunlight and air circulation, is practised. Kextvtlle. 602 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. t915 SYSTEM OF SOIL MANAGEMEKT. The general practice is to fall or spring plough the orchards, cultivate to July 1, and seed to a cover crop. This is done annually in 85 per cent of the orchards. The fall ploughing seems to have given good results as the spring ploughing. No case has been brought to our attention where any injuiy has followed fall ploughing. The thorough working of the orchards is a general practice, and tJiis is done with the disc and spring-tooth harrow. Some orchardists report excellent results from allowing alternate strips between the rows to remain for one year in clover. By this method one-half the ground in which the tree is growing is cultivated and the other haK in clover sod. This gives a heavy growth of clover which is cut during the summer and ploughed under in the fall. Red clover is used where this is practised. COVER CROP. Twenty-six of the orchards visited were seeded to buckwheat, four used buck- wheat and common vetch, three used clover, and the others used no cover crop. It would appear that buckwheat has largely replaced Crimson clover and vetch as a cover crop. This is due largely to the cost per acre for seed. The vetch or clover costs • about $2.50 per acre for seed and the buckwheat about 50 cents. This disadvantage, however, is more than offset by added fertility secured from the use of a leguminous cover crop. It would appear that half buckwheat and half vetch is a good combina- tion cover crop. Common vetch is the best cover crop to use. FERTILIZERS. Nearly 50 per cent of the orchards were fertilized principally with stable manure, and 25 per cent used stable manure in conjunction with commercial fertilizer's. Muriate of potash was used at from 100 to 500 pounds per acre. " Nitrate of soda from 50 to 200 pounds per acre, and phosphate fertilizers from 250 to 1,000 pounds per acre. Basic slag from 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre is now being used extensively. The tendency is toward annual moderate applications, and where this is being followed best results are being obtained. SPRAYING Only eight of the orchards visited were unsprayed, and~^those were only small areas. The general practice is to spray several times and, as will be seen from the following, the majority of growers give several applications: — 8 orchards not sprayed. 5 a sprayed twice. 15 a ti three times. 12 ce i( rfour it 4 u u five a 6 u e< six u On sixty*-seven per cent of the sprayed orchards, lime-sulphur arsenate was used; on 25 per cent Bordeaux arsenate was used for the first and lime-sulphur arsenate for the remaining sprays; on the remaining 8 per cent Bordeaux arsenate was usecL An effort was made to determine the number of gallons used per acre by different orchardists, but owing to lack of uniformity in the size of trees sprayed, little in- formation of value was obtained. It was also noticeable that many growers were much more thorough in their application of the material, and the orchards given many applications were not in many cases as free from scab as those given fewer applica- tions and that done thoroughly. In a great number of orchards the tops of the trees produced fruit with a much larger x>ercentage of scab than the lower branches, which is due to the more thorough application of spray material to the lower parts of the tree. Kentville. />71 /.S70-Y OF HOUTICVLTURE ^ 603 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ^~" EXPERIMENTAL STATION, FREDERICTON, N.B. KEPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. W. HUBBARD. CHARACTER OF SEASON. The winter of 1912-13 was mild and favourable for fruit trees, shrubbery, etc., though the ground was rather bare for the best wintering of small fruits. Three very- hot days in the latter part of April started some plants that were afterwards damaged by frost. May and June were both wet and cold, and so unfavourable was the weather at the blossoming period that pollination was most diiEcult, and^the fruit crop a widespread failure. From July 1 onward the season was all that could be desired, and trees and plants went into winter in good condition. HORTICULTURAL REPORT. The land allotted for flowers and vegetables was a piece 187 by 300 feet, which had previously grown buckwheat; this was ploughed in the fall of 1912. The spring- preparation of the land was retarded owing to the frost remaining in the ground until somewhat late in the season, but a start was made on the 20th May by the application of twenty-four loads of barnyard manure and, after a thorough discing, a dressing of 900 pounds of fertilizer containing 2-Y5 nitrogen, 10-6 phosphoric acid, and 8-3 potash was applied, the laud was then gone over again with the disc harrow, rolled, and har- rowed, with the spike-tooth harrow. Frequent cultivations during the summer kept the weeds down and conserved moisture. About 7,000 ornamental trees and shrubs were set out in the nursery, and have done well, with the exception of some of the evergreens. A flower border for annuals, 300 feet long by 5 feet wide was prepared, and about twenty varieties were grown and produced great quantities of bloom of high quality. Thirty varieties of waved sweet peas were grown in a row 300 feet long, and were in bloom from July 21 to October 17, making a background to the boi'der. A number of varieties of perennials were sown in cold frame and transplanted to nursery rows in readiness for planting out in their permanent quarters next spring. The orchard, comprising 104 trees, had been very much neglected prior to the pur- chase by the Government, consequently the trees required a good deal of pruning, scraping and spraying. A number of Scott winter apples were top grafted with Tomp- kins King, Rhode Island Greening, Northern 3 8 1424 7 520 Hush 271 290 242 . lb. 3 24 00 Tons 11). 12 1845 11 70 11 651 Bu.sh. 430 367 377 lb. 45 59 32 French Horn Improved Nantes Freuerictox. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 607 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PARSNIPS. Varioty. Yield per acre, 2 inches apart. Yield per acre, t inches apart. Hollow (. rown Tons lb. Bush. lb. 13 617 443 37 Tons lb. Bush. lb. 11 70 367 50 FLOWERS. The tJowers MliicJi were grown produced a profusion of bloom which was much admired by visitors. Dianthus superbissimus, salpiglossis and verbena, were excep- tioiuilly iiiio. Sown in hotbed on April 22. Variety. In Bloom. To Akmsoa Warsccivic^ii com pacta Dianthus superbissimus Asters, ten varieties Gaillardia Lobelia Marigold, African French Salpiglossis grandi flora, six varieties Scabious, six varieties Sweet Sultan, three varieties Verbena hi/brida grandiflora Zinnia, six varieties Sept. 28 28 26 28 28 28 28 28 28 28 Oct. 10 Sept 14 Sown in the open on May 12. Variety. From In Bloom To Candytuft, two varieties Ciodetia, two varieties... Linaria Lupinus Malopc. two varieties... . I'oppy, four vuriotics Porlulacii .luno 27 Julv 13 S Auk. 9 Julv 16 " 27 " 21 Sept. 13 28 24 28 28 " '^8 " 28 TAXNAS. Fourteen varieties were started in liotbed on 10th May, and transphinted to flower- iui; quarters on UJtli June. The jjorg-eous colouring- of the blooms and the handsome foliage gave a sub-tro])ical effect to the bed. The following varieties were grown: J)i'. liobiTt Funcke, Richard Wallace, Jlof. Gacrtner TFoppe, Feuermeer, Souve))ir dn President Carnot, Harry Laiug, President If! — 40 .J FltKDERICTON. 608 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Meyer, Queen Charlotte, Rubin, Indiana, Progression, Elizabeth Hoss, Dr. Nansen. Wyoming". DAHLIAS. Thirty varieties were started in hotbed on 1.3th May, transplanted to flowering quarters on June 10. All bloomed freely until hard frost on September 28 destroyed their beauty. The following- varieties were grown : Countess of Lonsdale, Kynerth, Mrs. Chas. Turner, Cuban Giant, Island Queen, Ernest Glasse, Empress of India, Gabriel, M. D. Hallock, Earl of Pembroke, Cannell's Gem, Capstan, Kingfisher, Cactus Queen, Hector, Austin Cannell, Cycle, Miss Anne Jones, Kriemhilde, Matchless, Mrs. Leo- pold Seymour, Bon Ton, Sylvia, Susan Ingham, Queen of Primroses, Irridescent, Grand Duke Alexis, Clifford W. Bruton, Eoadne, Pendant. PERKXXIALS. A collection of paeonies comprising the following twenty-one varieties was planted : Marguerite Gerard. Festiva Maxima, Mile. Leonie Calot, Marie Lemoine, Madame d'Hour, Madame de Galhau, Livingstone, La Tulipe, Duchesse de Nemours (Calot), Charlemagne, Felix Crousse, Couronne d'Or, Mme. de Verneville, Octave Demay, Philomele, Marie Stewart, Mad. Emilie Galle, Marquis de Ivrj', Mme. Auguste Dessert, Madame Geissler, Madame Bucquet. IRIS. A collection of irises comprising the following J;wenty varieties was planted: Iris fiorentina, iris germanica Kharput, iris liyhrida Due de Nemours, Iris hyhrida Mrs. H. Darwin, iris liyhrida Yerschnur, iris neglecta Agathe, iris neglecia Sappho, iris orientalis Gigantea, iris pUcata Gazelle, iris plicata Lord Seymour, iris plicata Mad, Chereau, iris pUcata Heine des Beiges, iris sambucina Solomon, iris squalens vTacquesiana, iris variegata Coquette, iris variegata Darius, iris variegata Gracchus, iris variegata Honourable, iris variegata, Innocenza, iris variegata, Ossian. POTATOES. Six and one-seventh acres were planted to potatoes. The land, a lightish sandy ioam, was ploughed out of a tough couch sod in the fall of 1912 and was well harrowed at intervals during the spring to kill as much couch and weeds as possible. Potatoes were not planted till from the 16th to 21st June. Thej' were sprayed with Bordeaux jnixture made with 4 pounds blue stone, 5 pounds lime, 1\ pounds arsenoid, and 40 erallons water. Scarcely any Colorado beetles were noticed, and there was no black rust The crop suffered somewhat from "Black Leg" and a species of rust attacked ^M>rtions of the field. Those plots where there was no potash seemed to be affected most serioxisly. It did not kill the plants, however, till after 1st September. Cultivation was kept up from three days after the potatoes were planted until the tops became too dense, and in this waj"^ the couch was never allowed to breathe. On account of very wet weather in early October the crop was not dug until the la.st week of that month. Ten pound samples of the different varieties of potatoes grown at the Central F.xperimental Farm, the Experimental Farm at Indian Head, the Experimental Farm 3»t Kappan, and the Experimental Station at Charlottetown, were received and 06 sets . 43 Average yield per acre for the whole crop, 288 bushels and 51 ix)unds. In the potash test plots, the three half-acres on which were applied varyin;? amounts of potash, averaged 311 bushels and 0 pounds per acre. The average for the four plots in the above table is pulled down on account of the small yield from tha half-acre without any fertilizer. Fredkrioton. 610 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 6 V C3 P, I — < o o CD to H >> .2 OS CO O - ^ . - o c-n 5-5 o SC3 - ^ ^ -x C^ m Of^ u "i "1 . - . y . . U O 01 . O (U -«-> -M -»J y -»J -fJ ^!S1S sis IS. -a: o-a (» , t-* ^-. .S ^5 i- -(^ O 3 Oj :3 t: 3-3 O 3 "1 oT •- * P - M "3. 3 —1 - _ - 3 s r 55 3 t: - a, c 3 3 :S i c 3 j5 O — . ^ -/, r: » p O " C -» «»- 3£ . n: o o o 3 - _, := u ;> ^ ;: -. -^ 4>-2^-§j3t: >>j£ 2^ >^ . S >>'S >' .. S 5 d ? » ^ M >.^ -5 C'^-a ■S'3'3^ O ^^ — r^ 3 ^0053 3 O O > t. = s s -^ O '^^ M S +1: g >> >> C " G 3 ra '^ a; C O u K -3 O M 02 I* f m . . > . .« .ti .ti ^ .-S 3 J2^ 3 j3 '- " 3 cj ^ - 3 'i'^.- ": Tj -u *j ->^ o 2 Q 9 o 5 . r. 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A. 1915 m s a> s o -a V CD > o o JO c8 55 c3 m o en O c r3 . o £" M c3 J2 !K o ^ =« t4 O a C P o go o o !- • - '^ r c;3 _^ 3 c; :- .% cs J- CJ 'Si '— ,,t r--^^ 2 "3 0 c O E ^ a rt T1 'fi ■d 3 rf c3 r^ § O M O c .. 3 ^ C (U 7 W)V cS ^^ r^ c3 K i) c 03 2 e +^ +^ V o o c o o o S5S CO « CQ 53 — .« - :« — So ~- M O 3 o .s --a o 3 Ma: 3 S ^ . - 0; "^ N 2- » ta c ^ f-' ^ 2 53 2 o t- m ■-'- C _2 £o3 _2 3 M 3 S >- 5 Mo o a F-*( •'-' -1^ •f-» ►-^ .^ o o t: o m S M 2 a^; oj aj . . c: o - o^ '^ o O O J- c . m CI. > .ti -^ ^ .ti o 5 ^ ^ c3 O . . - M * a - M o— ' o >, 6^ O aj - 2 § " :3 7i > X -^ '^" o o u -s o c - 0$ O 03 "- i. '^ o o ^ e/ — ' o "= sJ a' O N a; t£3 o O 03 f= 2 o o ot: 3-5, o o o c--: M IB K »; 3 e tH . . . m C . oi aj 01 ., , aj +i *^ -^ _^ ly. _-*j O O X.C £ S o c yj Kr t; ^ o oi: O O O >.? — ■ .^. C a; ° a c -- ^ f-l w .J ft C- » £5 K 3 *-' O h in °T3 . ■^ S"S o3 S O o . 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Cl CO Cl •* 1— I ^^ O C; — ^ ^ *— LO -f 01 CO :ri O Cl O CO — < if^ 'M o c; ro c; »rr O »ro ^ C^ CO Ci CO vo -t< 'Ti- Cl CO CO ^0 CO CI '^ CO :o co co c:) 03 ■— <• a; 1 c3 is =? : ^ jr is T3 03 13 C C. c3 OS c ^ fe c > 1^ 5 03 5 G. H^ jj o t> ^^ J3 a iH o M .5 1^-- C G. at 3 -G til 'o -r "o? 5^ ^^ r^c-i ";§ •5 ^ o 5 ! V C ) a:: ^ c3 c3 'S: O "5 = O o M C; :0 u a; c3 a; is is •i '-^ .03 * ^ .ti t- 3 OO u o o p- r— — a; ^ ^. o o ^H ■— 1 »«<5 c G Hi U O d; u ^ O o _2 T3 c c« _>> 0) 03 3 !^ C5 o a a •^ o K « o3 CC " -♦J ." >< •■la ■G « OJ o 3 ^ O ca 05 73 a C a ^ W g; r^ OJ w pt: i— ■ .»^ o; a> « 3 n o -4^ u. ^ o r. Cu, c T3 -G c« rj *r? G r, -c ^ n -^ *■ -r) ? o r. ■o O ta a p. X> m 3 ■(-> -4 -^ ^ ri o Xi <;> +j c Tl n o. ^ c*^ r3 oo _ dJ O O a. Fkicdeiucton. 614 EXPERJMEXTAL FAR}[S 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, 8TE. ANNE DE LA POCA- TIERE, QUE. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT— JOS. BEGIN. The first fruit trees were planted here at this new Experimental Station during the spring of 1913. It would seem at first impossible to grow tree fruits in this latitude — 47 -22 — where our Station is located. lioweVer, the climatic conditions of our district are such that most of the fruits could be grown hei'e with success and profit. The new land anne.xed to our Station will enable us to enlarge the experimental ground for fruit and vegetable g lowing. Four acres are already planted in fruit, which have been well drained and prepared. CHARACTER OF SEASON. The winter of 1912-13 having been exceptionally rainy and windy, with a compar- atively light snowfall, the ground was left bare, and froze deeply. The winter was over about the end of March, when the weather became rather dry, with a few hot days about the end of April, which month was the driest of the season — only -72 inches of rain falling. On account of want of early rain, the ground remained cold, and some frost was found even at the end of May. Such a condition delayed vegetation con- siderably and, after having had signs of an early spring, trees really bloomed about two weeks later than usual in this district and, during the whole season, tempera- tures continued variable and far lielow the usual average of former years. APPLES. Two hundred and eighteen trees of the following varieties were planted on the 9th and 10th of May, 1913: Alexander 15, Afghanistan 2, Anson 1, Battle 1, Bethel 2, Bingo 2, Bruno 2, Brock 2, Burgess Crab 2, Calumet 2, Canada Red 2, Carno 2, Char- lamoff 2, Cora 2, Canada Baldwin 2, Cobalt 2, Danville 2, Dudley 2, Duchess of Olden- burg 19. Evaline 2, Fameuse 5, Forest 2, Galetta 1, Garner 2, Golden llusset 2, Glen- ton 2, Homer 2, Herald 2, Hyslop Crab 2, Kelso 2, Melba 2, Melvin 2, .Mjiit.eil peach 5, Milwaukee 2, Montreal beauty 2, Mcintosh 7, McMahon 2, Medford 2, Niobe 2. North Star 1, Nora 1, Neville 2, Nepean 2, Northwestern Greening 2, Oswald 2, Oka- bena 2, Petrel 2, Pensaukee Russet 2, Pinto 2, Pomme Royale 2, Prosper 2, Peerless 2, Rouleau 2, Radnor 2, Rosalie 2, Ripon 2, Rupert 2, Rufus 2, Red Astrachan 2, Rocket 2, Roger 2, St. Lawrence 10, Sorel 2, Stark, 2, Scott Winter 2, Shiawassee 1, Tetof sky 2, Thurso 2, Wealthy 17, Walter 2, Wolf River 12, Whitney Crab 2. PLUMS. Eighty-one trees of the following- varieties: Admiral Schley 1, Coe's Golden Drop 5, Bonne Ste. Anne 2, Brackett 2, Damson 5, Gueii 2, Grand Duke 5, Gozzling 2, H.-ir- rigan 1, Imperial G^age 5, Lombard 5. Large Blue Seedling 1, Moore's Arctic 5, Niagara 5, Oyama 2, Pond Seedling 5, Quebec 2, Peine Claude 10, Shippers' Pride 5. Terry 2, Yoronesh Yellow 1, Washington 5. ^ DIVISIOA' OF nO/niCULTURE 615 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 CHERRIES. Forty varieties, as follows: Brusseler Braun 2, Cerise de France 5, Cerise d'Ost- lieim 2, English Moi-ello 3, Foiiche Morello 3, Griotte Morello 1, Griotte d'Ostheim 1, Herzforniigo Weielisel 2, Early Richmond 5, Large Montmorency 5, Minnesota Ost- lieim 2, Montmorency Ordinaire 2, May Dnke 2. Suesse Fouche Morello 1, Suesse Fouche Weichsel 1, Vladimir 3. The ground used for this last plantation having been drained in 1912 and thor- oughly prepared the preceding fall, was in very good condition when planted. These trees have for the most part grown well. Record as to growth is as follows: Apples, 82 per cent good, 14 per cent mediimi, 1 per cent bad, 3 per cent dead. Plums, 90 per cent good, 5 per cent medium, 4 per cent bad, 1 per cent dead. Cherries, 68 per cent good, 7 per cent medium, 25 per cent dead. Pernianent trees were planted in rows 25 feet apart and 30 feet apart in the rows while another temporary tree of a different variety was also planted between each two permanent trees in the rows. These temporary trees are mainly new and young and are intended to remain in the rows for some years, when their value will be tested, after which they will be removed. The ground was kept under perfect cultivation, and consequently weeds, chiefly couch grass, infesting it to a great extent, were completely eradicated. Rape gave a fair result enough as a cover crop. As a whole, the orchard already makes a splendid display. Sites for garden and ornamental grounds have not yet been located. Meanwhile, 2,000 tulip bulbs of the following varieties were planted in nursery: Artus 500, Chry- solora 500, Cottage Maid 200, Duchesse de Parma 100, Joost Von Vondel (Red) 500, Joost Von Vondel (White) 100, Keizer^kroon 100. La Peine 200, Pottebakker (White) 200, Pottebakker (Scarlet) 100, Proserpine 100. Vermilion Brilliant 100. A low and moist area 4 acres large was drained with tiles every 25 feet. It was a piece of waste land, most part of which had never been cultivated. Thoroughly pre- pared during August and September, the ground will be ready to be planted in the spring of 1914. StK. \s^E de hk POCATIERE. 616 EXPERUIESTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, CAP ROUGE, P.Q. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, GUS. A. LANGELIER. CHARACTEE OF THE SEASON. Tlie past season was, in general, a very good one for the horticulturist of this district. The fact that a rather large quantity of tomato seed was produced at the Station, also that peppers and egg plants matured fruit shows that there was plenty of heat and sunshine. There was also enough precipitation, and what is most import- ant, it came at the right time. There were two exceptions to note. The first was the injury done by the frost of the middle of ilay to the early flowering fruit trees, and the second, the damage wrought by a small hailstorm to the currants and gooseberries which happened to be in bloom then. But it may be said that 1913 was the best season of the three past for horticultural plants. FRUIT. AIHT.ES. ]\rost of the area transferred from the field husbandry to the horticultural depart- ment was planted to apple trees in 1913. The varieties put in are as. follows: Baxter 12. Bethel 12, Bingo 2, Black Ben Davis 2, Calumet 2, Carno 2, Cobalt 1. Danville 2, Dudley 12, Edith 2, Eike 2, Evaline 2, Excelsior_ (crab) 2, Florence (crab) 1, Galetta 11, Glenton 2, Homer 2, Inkerman Greening 2, Iowa Beauty 2, Laiigford Beauty 12. Lobo 2, Lubsk Queen 12, Luke 2, Melvin 2, Mcintosh Red 80, Mcintosh Sweet 2, Nepean 2, Xcville 2, Niobe 2, Xora 2, Okabena 12, Oswald 2, Palmer 1, Pinto 2, Prosper 2, Queen of Jubilee 2, Reinette de Damson 1, Ripon 2, Rochelle 11, Rocket 2, Roger 2, Rome Beauty 2, Rouleau 12, Severn 2, Trenton 1, Walton .12, Wealthy 201. Total 467.^ Unfortunately, a large number of Mcintosh and many Wealthys died. It was founil out that these trees, though apparently in good condition, had suffered in the mirsery where they were bought. Only one Wealthy, planteil in 1911, produced fruit, whilst last year a few of the Yellow Transparents gave apples. There are now 11-50 acres in apple orchard, and we are following a four-year rotation of vegetables, grain, clover and timothy in the spaces between the trees, leaving 1 feet on each side of them where a cover crop is sown at the beginning of July. ,, PL IMS. Only a few trees were replaced in the plum orchard, which has an area of -74 acre. The following trees, planted in 1911. gave plums in 1913: Wolf (one of two trees), Fitzroy (one of two trees), Terry (one of two trees), Mankato (one of two trees), Bixby (one of two trees). niTISION OF nORTICVLTURE 617 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 C'HERRIES. The cherries were iiioved from the bad low spot where they had been planted to a better location north oi" the pliun orchard. The snow, which piles up to over 6 feet in height, where they were, broke most of the trees, so that the area given to them is only • 27 acre. A few Prunus tomentosa, co\ering an area of -07 acre were tx*ansplanted south of the plum orchard from the unfavourable piece of ground where they had been planted in 1911. SMALL FRUIT. Sixteen varieties of black currants, twelve of red, three of white, twelve of goose- berries, eleven of raspberries, eighteen of strawberries- and thirty of grapes are under test. As some of these were only planted one or two years ago it is too early to say wliich will do best. However, the following tables may be of interest: Cap Rouge. 618 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 •aou-BJiJodcIv >-H -H M C-l ei 5S CI (M IM CI C-l (N IM CJ >— I rH •X^jl^nf) C1 ^H CO C^ ■—( "O CO CJ d ■^ CI >C ■^ .-< CO Cl •aziv^ r-i — CI .— rt CI CI M C« CI .-H d CI CI --I rt •ssauij.i'Bg c -M o *- >, Ph 03 »-3 — •3a[Ai'7 > . o S ^ a*- ^ 2 o =s o 03 c3 c ^ a; •g^u'Bjd HY ■SuiAiq iOlCCl>OC)lCdClCJd«-lC1d'-iCO-»J< 1— (d>«CIO5CiC0^0Ot^tO'*00iO'^CD >— lOlOCI'^OCOClOO'^^COCtOiOCO'— I dOiCO'OiOTfCJiO'*" OlCl ■* O CT; O CO CO t— OO CO © ■ o oo ^ O ■+ lO O -^ -^ CO CI CO >0 ■ CO ■* •s'^u«jd iiv •gUIA]^ ■S'^u^id IIV C 1^ c s o o '■^ >. •3mAiT^ C1COr-iO'MOTt<>0-«*<0 •^cooot^Oat^eoocQ O CO -* O C5 CO O CO ■<*< -Hcet^t— oococoi— it^-xo 050oO'*'^cit--i!;if!co ^ ■^COOCICOUIOCIICOO r-.C"|iOt--O000COO5'^CC CiClCl-^O-^t^OCOOJ -^ >C t- CI CO O C) -^ CO Tf 00 O CO CO CO CI OS O CO rt CO ■* o coco t~00 CI CI Tt< 00 OiO CO OS CO T(< •*■>*< ■uBid [IV I :5 oaTtioo»noocot^cO'^-^ci>ct---ciooo O »C ^H t^ CJ CI CI 1— ( »-f r-H .— ( •-juao jad — paiQ •P^IU^ ja^ujAV •uos'BasSuiMOjS Suijnp poiQ -* 00 T-lCl • o lo M CO CO CO o o o o O O O fO o O >C © COO »0 O "C CO »c CO CI CO CO ■>*< •)8S s^u^id pnox cDt~t>-co»-'oocDt~r~t^cecooodo:oo CI *— I »— ' »— CI CO CO ■*■>»< M Tl< CO --i CO ■<*< m cc T(< T)< CO CO C5 l^ -^ CO 00 CO CI OS tOd Clt^O-^ CO t^ CO t^ 00 -H t^ ic t^ O: 00 "!*< OS -< CO CO Tj* ^- CO CO C 1 «5 t~ CO CI © CO CD t^ t- OS lO OS OS CO d CO -Jf ^ CI -H lOCOOSCOCI^COO t^ CS OS »o d O "^ T— t CO 00 d 1^ lO CO d CO OS CO 'C !>. 00 CO OS OS © CO t--- lO CO CO 00 c I ■* CO — <00»^ d-Tft^t^ CO »0 00 d t-- — 00 T-l .-1 rH C] 00 00 t» ■— I »C UO lO oo "5 oo O •>*' "-I •-• CO 14-3 14-3 25 00 62-5 t- »-( rtCl «5 ^CDCOt»t>- 0000 •pa^uBid sj^ajC jo joquiriN^ coeocococococococococicococoooco CO I— I OS umn^nv ^uxAiq cocomcococsceco co.co co co o 0 CO CO lo CO CO CO CO »o CO >o -H .-I -co • d >0 CO i-H COCDCOOCOCOCOCCCOCO CO •* ■ CO ■* •Suijdc; paiu^ij MOIOJ CCtOCO—COCO — COCOCO as Q? C--2-2 3 ?, o. O 3-C =3 ? C 03 cj o ■^ CO "ifTcO^CO^ lO"-*" CO CO ■ --H ■ CJ .— i CO CD «; us ■^ "-I to O --O CO CO CO CO CD CO CO CO CO CO CD piDiMSi^KpS ■a* T3 h — r>. ;^'WWWh:;SO-axH> ■■ ^ > a. ^T. E J o cs t ci a- o CaI> KoLCiE. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 619 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 1 '■_ : ; CI rH CI ■ CI T~t ^H rH r~t rH CI CI CI CO rH CO CI CO CO c>).»j(,-iirac in M> COt^ CO 050 00 .* i< • (M IM o t-- »n ■coo 0 (N • CD CO r-l — 1 lO .-H ■ UO t^ "0 •^ 00 00 ICCO ooo QO C-) 1,642 2,905 4,118 • o r- 00 -* "5 • >(^ t^ CO IM t^ • osooo »o • M ,-H M r-< CI CD CO 00 CO ■ CI OS 00 CI CO O --I ■ O -^ .* CO CD .* -H • t^ CO OO .— ' O CI CI CO© >o cor^ CI o -^co • M CD "O »0 00 e>^ ■ t^ r^ c*o t^ c^ -^ • M< CI ^ IM 0> 00 (M «O00 CO ro •- ^ IM Tt< • o 00 00^ CO • »o --1 CO 00 "1" ..* t^ O CO — ■ c^ c-t o'l CO CI . l^ CI 00 CI OO O ■o COt^CQ O 'i" CO »l^rH .^ OS CD (M -* 00 m -^ t^ UO C-J t^ •* 00 --I "5 — 05^ -H W5 00 C lO CO .- ^ 00 00 02 < O t^ O .-< CO "5 »o CO CO o 00 CO .-i CO <-! Co 00 d-^'!t?: t~ CD 00 -^ CI 490 2,928 flfi2 • lOCI OC • O W5 0C ■ coo CD 00 00 eo CO CO --5 O O t^ ■ ■ ■ o o • -H o M • .00 CO >0 CD 1(5 "O r-1 t^ CI CI CO C5 CI OO O OSCI rH -; ■ —1 CI ^ e>i CO c^ • • ^N P».-c . T— 1 ,— 1 • • \ \ O l> 'i' -H COrH ■X CO t^ 00 CD QC C-. CC cDt- t- coco CC ■t^lr~ t^CO CD CI ec > CO CD CO CD CO CO CC CO rH iOiOi?5rH..t'»OiC>0»C"0 M eCCOCOcO COlCCOCOCOCOlCCO W5 CO IC »o rHCOCO"<*.CICOCOCDCDOrH cSoo -COCOOOOO UO »0 lO ■ .^ lO »-o »o >o COcOcO«5»OcO»CCO :DCDCO*OCOCDIOCO COiC«5cOCOCDiC«5»OCOiCO COfcC»OCOCOCOlC»OiOCOCD»0 — 't--.OOCOCOcOeO«DCOCDO ooo -COCOOOO© IC LO »(0 .^ »c IC »0 lO OUOOOCOCOO»00>0 in CI LO CO u5 CI ic CI ^ • rH rH • CI CI • CD ■ '-^ • rH CO ■cDco-^'^.^.^'^'.^^-^r CL0OOOOO>nC>0 lO CI iC -H ..Th Ul ic Clio T» CO cDlO'T^o^eoo CD -^ CO CO CO «0 .* CO »f5 LO t-- CI CI CI CI CI CI CI CD CO CD CO O CO CO CO ■ CD CD CO CD to CD CO o o ~ CD CO CO CO CD CO O COCO COCO eo CO CO coco C) CI d C) CI CI CI CI • lO rH,— IrHrHrHrHrH ■ ^-i K5 .^ d — CI CO 2i 2i pi ttS tf ^ ^ 05 7^ C c ■■Sis c '= ■t /— c ■1 r ■J C ►- < _j. < c ■1 n 1 ;4 : ; S :^ : : r ■ - .- ; •\-. -'3h r^ ./, X ^ c H 'r 1 C = .c C ^ c c r t- Q. C C < 1 1 1 Ti c u c & c t c a > ) c a 3C c c . a c c c . t- ;h a, ^^ — ' aj Si o 'o o .-A Cap Kolge. 620 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 a •oouBJiJaddY •AH«n& •azig •sou!iJ«a -" O o -tJ ^ (P (U P ^2 o ^ o OS O e3 u o 5 ■SuTAJ^ •s-^uTJid iiv CO CO (N CI « C-l •*• "^ ■^ C<1 cc "O rH i-H P5 eOTtfl«filO •guiArj •s^uBid \\Y •gujAjT; •s^u'B]d j[v •gUlAI'^ •s^utJid uv •%uoo .lad — poiQ •pO]]I}iJ3^UI^V •uosBas SuiMoaS Suunp psiQ •:^9S Sju'cid ItJ^ox •po^u'Bjd I'eaA jo aaquin^ CO •uran^nv Suiait^ •SuiJdg p8|UEJtJ •guudg SuiATT[ •uran^ny Suiajt^ ■guudg po+u'BU •guiJdg guiAi'i •ULun^ny guiAi^ •guijdg p8^UT3|(J •joioo 3 •i-t :2 ::::;:::: £ ::::::::: :2 ::::::::: ;2 ::::::::: oTon oo c^ -- "O CO o to •*! l^ O C5 t^ !M LO 00 o ^ >c t^ 11 •— I c^i CO c; T'; o O ^ QC 05 ^^ »0 C.' O ^ ^ O O O: t-~ CI iC CC O L':; t-Hio ■— I cj Oi o CO >o CO CI t^ co>o '■ '■ '■ ^~ '■ ^ • co~ ^ ^ ^ '• '• ^ . ,_^ ...•■■ • o •VTo o c ol6 oo r~t^o o o oo o o~ rf lO Its "3 tC !^ lO >0 ""l~t^ O O O O O O O "o^(M O O OO 0"0 O lO T^ lO kO »0 lO ut> to »c ~o >n'o O^O^'ls o o lO (M 1(0 lO lO »C »C IC O c c o I I e 5 o c3"^ (J S 3*^ i^ M gftH--^T3PH P^ WWoDOCCCeo Cm 4J am ■^ s c~ Cap Rouge. D/F/S/O.A' OF HORTICULTURE 621 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 It will be noted that the total area in the fruits is 12-64 acres whilst the small fruits cover -98 acre, the total in fruit being 13-02 acres. There are a couple of thousand apple grafts, a couple of hundred currant and gooseberry cuttings, about twelve hundred raspberry canes, and a few hundred straw- berry plants ready to be distributed in the spring of 1914. Our work will thus not only consist in testing varieties, but in distributing the best of those grown at this Station to farmers of this district, and have these varieties tested by co-operators. VEGETABLES. Varietij tests. — Three hundred and sixty-four varieties of vegetables were tested in 1913. For many of these, separate records had to be kept regarding different spaces between plants, so that it can easily be seen that the horticultural branch is an important one at this Station. The following tables give more detailed information. BEANS. Thirty-six strains or varieties were tested. In this district, the bush or dwarf varieties are much more popular than the pole or climbing ones; for garden purposes., the Lima is practically unknoAvn, the Kidney being universally used; and for the table the yellow-podded or butter sorts are preferred to the green-podded ones. It is interesting to note that the variety which is at the head, both for yield and earliness,. Challenge Black Wax, is out of seed saved at this Station in 1912 from a single plant. The other varieties to be recommended in the district are Davis Wax, Keeney'a Trustless AVax, and Wardwcll's Kidney Wax. Cap Roloe. 16—41 622 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Name. Bountiful . . — Challenge Black Wax. . . Challenge Black Wax. . . Challenge Black Wax... Davis Wax Davis Wax Davis Wax Davis Wax Early Refugee Early Refugee Early Refugee Early Refugee Early Refugee Early Refugee Early Refugee Hodson Long Pod Keeney's Rustless Wax. . Keeney's Ru.stless Wax. . Keeney's Rustless Wax.. Keeney's Rustless Wax. . Keeney's Rustless Wax. . Keeney's Rustless Wax. . Keeney's Rustless Wax. . Old Homestead Old Homestead Refugee or 1 , 000 to 1 Refugee or 1,000 to 1.... Refugee orl, 000 to 1.,.. Stringjless Green Pod Stringless Green Pod Stringless Green Pod Valentine Valentine Valentine Wardwell's Kidney Wax. Wardwell's Kidney Wax. Seed from G C.E.F C.R From one plant . H From one plant ID.G.F. IT C.R. H. seed 1912. U 1913! !! it a C R b! seed i9i2. ! ! " 1913...... C.R T From one plant From on plant . Sown. Planted. May 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 20. " 26. " 20. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. •' 26. " 26. '• 26. '• 26. " 26. " 20. ay 26. •' 26. " 26. " 20. " 26. jM Ready for Use. July 26. " 21. " 21.. " 21.. " 26., " 26. . " 26.. " 26. . " 26.. " 26.. " 26. . " 26. . " 26. . " 26. . " 26. . Aug. 9. July 28. . " 28., " 28. . " 28. . " 28.. " 28. . " 28.. Aug. 14 " 14.. " 7.. " 7.. " 7.. " 25. . " 25. " 25. , ■July 26. ' 26. ' 26. ' 23. ' 23. Rank, as to Yield. 29 27 25 1 11 13 15 12 4 10 14 23 3 7 20 18 21 8 6 19 29 26 22 12 2 17 18 19 28 31 30 16 19 24 9 5 Earli- ness. 3 1 1 1 4 4 4 4 4 4: 4 4 4 4 4 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 8 g 6 6 & 3 3 3 4 4 4 2 2 Cap Rouge. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 62a SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 BEETS. Beets are used nearly exclusively for pickling' in the district, and the dark-red kinds are liked best; the round ones are preferred to the oval, half- long, and long. A. very early variety would have an advantage, becau.se small ones could be sold in bunches when thinning. The Eclipse was the earliest and the heaviest yielder ia 1913; as it conforms to the above requirements, it seems the most desirable. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Roady for Use. Thinned to 2 inches. Thinned to 4 inches. Name. Rank as to Rank as to Yield. Earli- ness. Yield . Earli- nes.s. Black Red Ball Black Red Ball Early Blood Red Turnip Early Model Eclipse Egyptian Dark Red Turnip Meteor B. seed 1912. ... B. seed 1913 . .. v May 24... " 24... " 24. . . J_ .July 28... " £8. . . " 22... " 23... " 22. . . " 23... " 23. " 23. '. '. " 23. . . " 23... 9 8 10 4 3 7 1 5 6 2 3 3 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 10 9 8 5 1 4 6 3 2 7 3 t B " 24... 2 M " 24. . . 1 V " 24. . 2 J. seed 1912 1 J. seed 1913 'J. seed 1912 Ij. seed 1913 1 " 24. . . 2 Meteor. " 94 2 Ruby Dulcet Ruby Dulcet " 24. . . 2 " 24. . . 2 White Cape. H. BROCCOLI. Mar. 22... June 21... Sept. 4. BRUSSELS SPROUTS. Name. Dwarf Improved Dwarf Improved. Dwarf Improved. Seed from. Sown. D. & F. seed '12 April 5. V. seed 1912. ...| " 5. V. seed 1913.... " 5. Planted. June 23. " 24 " 24'. Ready for Use. Sept. 15. " 1.5. . " 15. . Rank aa to Yield. Earli- ness. CABB.\GE. The Savoy and Red varieties are not of much importance in this district and; could very well be neglected. For commercial purposes, the autumn varieties, such as Succession, can be left aside and only tlie early and late ones used. Early Jersey Wakefield, once the standard early variety, is now being rapidly pushed a.side by Copenhagen Market, which comes only a few days later and is a much better yielder. If something extra early is required, one of the Alpha group, as St. John Day, can be grown. For fall and winter, especially when keeping quality is taken into con- sideration, nothing can equal the Danish Ballhead group, of which the Extra Amagec seems a very good strain. Cap Rouge. 16—41 i €24 EXPERIMEXTAL FA RMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 CABBAGE. ^. Name. Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Danish Delicatessc Danish Summer Balihoad Danish Summer Ballhead Danish Roundhead Early Jersey Wakefield Early Jersey Wakefield Early Jersey Wakefield Early Paris Market Early Paris Market Early Summer Express Extra Amager Danish Ballhead Extra Amager Danish Ballhead Extra Early Midsummer Savoy Extra Early Midsummer Savoy Flat Swedish Flat Swedish Fottler's Improved Brunswick Improved Amager Danish Ballhead. Large Late Flat Drumhead Lubeck Magdeburg New Early Market Red Danish Stoneiiead Red Danish Stonehead ; Small Erfurt : . Winningstadt Seed from Sown. B Ht. seed 1912. . Ht. seed 1913.. Ht. seed 1913.. Ht. seed 1912. . Ht. seed 1913.. D. & F. seed '12 & F. seed '12 seed 1912 seed 1913 seed 1912. seed-1913. D V. V. V. V. H M Ht. seed 1912. Ht. seed 1913. V. seed 1912. . V. seed 1913. . H. seed 1912.. H. seed 1913.. V H V D D H Ht. seed 1912. Ht. .seed 1913. D D Apr. 9.. " 9.. " 10.. " 10. . Apr. 9.. " 10. . " 9.. " 8.. " 9.. " 9.. " 9.., " 9... " 9.., " 9... " 9. . . " 10... " 9. . . " 9... " 9. . . 10... " 9... " 10. . . " 9... " 9... " 9... " 9... " 9., " 10., " 9. " 9. Planted. Ready for Use. June 10. . " 10. . " 10.. " 10. . June 10. . " 10. . " 10.. " 10.. " 10. . " 10.. " 10.. " 10.. " 10. . " 10. . " 10.. " 10.. " 10.. " 10.. " 10.. " 10.. " 10.. " 10. . , " 10. . , " 10. . , " 10.., " 10. . . " 10. . . ,' " 10.., ' " 10... 10... Aug. 9... " 9... " 7 . " 16... Aug. IS... " 18. . . " 26... July 31 . . . " 31... " 31... " 30... " 31... Aug. 14... July 31... Aug. .30... ' 30... ' 5. . . ' 5. . . ' 30... ' 30... ' 20... ' 30... ' 30... ' 18... ' 30... ' 5... ' 18... ' 18... ' 5... ' 16... Rank as to Yield. 2 1 4 28 1.5 8 19 12 16 IS 23 22 .1 17 9 24 26 14 6 10 13 8 21 15 3 27 25 20 11 Earli- nes.s. 5 4 7 8 8 9 2 2 2 1 2 6 2 10 10 3 3 10 10 9 10 10 8 10 3 8 8 3 7 C.\RDOON. Laree Soanish H May 26... July 12 1 CARROTS, Of the three forms of carrots, the half-long is generall:^^ liked better, in this •district, than the short and long. The short generally does not yield enough, and the long is inclined to get woody. The Half Long Chantenay is as early as any, and a good yielder, so that it can very well be recommended. Name. Chantenay Early Scarlet Horn. French Horn French Horn Guerande or Oxheart Half LongChantenay Half LongChantenay Improved Nantes... Improved Nantes... Nantes. Seed from Sown. Ready for Use. ..D.& F ...D. & F V. seed 1912. . . V. seed 1913..., D.&F V. seed 1912..., V. seed 1913.... V. seed 1912. .. V. seed 1913... D. & F Maj it '24 26. . 1 Maj ■24 ' 24 24 24 24 24: 24 24 " 26. July 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 26. 26. 26. Thinned to 2 inches. Rank as to j Earli- Yield. I ncss. Thinned to 4 inches. Rank as to Yield. Earli- ness. ' Cap Rouge. DITISION OF EOliTICLLTURE 625 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 CAULIFLOWER. This is probably the hardest vegetable to grow profitably in this district, but many failures are no doubt due to poor seed. The Early Snowball seems the best variety to use here, but Veitch's Autumn Giant is a better yielder, and though generally not giving as fine heads as the other, is pressing it very closely. We may have to change our opinion about these after two or three years' tests. Name. Seed from So\ Danisli Giant Danish Giant Early Snowball Early Snowball Extra Selected Early Erfurt Extra Selected Early Erfurt Selected Dwarf Erfurt Veitch's Autumn Giant Veitch's Autumn Giant Large Smooth Prague Ht. seed 1912... Mar. 27. Ht. .seed 1913. .. Apr. 10. V. seed 1912. . . . Mar. 27. V. seed 1913. ... Apr. 5. V. seed 1912. V. seed 1913. . D. &F E M.seed 1912.. Mar. 27.. Apr. 5. . . Mar. 27.. " 27... " 27. . . I I Ready Planted. 1 for ' Use. June 21. " 24. Aug. 26. Sept. 2. , June 21 . 21. 21. 21. 21. 21. Aug. 18. '• 20. " 23 . " ''.S Sept ."2! " 2. Rank as to Yield. CELERIAC. Earli- ness. 4 5^ 1 2 3 3 5 5> H. Mar. 21... July 10. CELpRY. Of the two kinds, the green varieties, such as Giant Pa.scal, have completely given way, in this district, to the so-called self-blanching sorts.. Seed of this vegetable is always available too late at the Statioii to compare varieties, and no results have been had for three years, that can be depended upon. Paris Golden Yellow is the variety which enjoys the most popularity at present around here. ^AITIP Seed from Sown. Planted. Rfsady for Use. Rank as to Yield. Earii- nes.s. Evans' Triumph B. seed 1912. ... B. seed 1913.. . . D. & F. .seed '12 H V. .seed 1912. . . . V. seed 1913.... G V Man^h 21 " 21. " 21. " 21! " 21 April "5 July 10. . . " 10... " 10. . . " 10... " 10..., Oct. 2... Sept . 15. . . •■ 24... Oct. 2... i . . . 6 1 2 3 7 "> Evans' Triumph 1 Evans" Triumph 2' French Success 3^ Giant Pascal 4 Giant Pascal Noll's Magnificent March 21. April .5. 5. July 10. . . " 10. . Oct. 7... 5 4 Paris Golden Yellow Rose Ribbed Paris " 10 White Plume March 21. .July 10. . . Oct. 2... 4 .3 CORN" Twenty-five strains and varieties were tested. Unfortunately, in this district^ sweet corn is not appreciated a- it should be, and some of the field varieties, which have nothing to recommend them byt their earliness and the size of their ears, find their way to the table? of people who would pass for epicures. The earliest com at this Station was a field variety, but the heaviest yielding was Early Malcolm, grown Cap Rouge. 626 EXPERLVEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 from seed saved at this Station in 1912. This variety is a strain of the Malakoff, selected and improved at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottavpa. I would recom- mend it for an early variety, vpith Golden Bantam for a mid-season, and Country Gentleman, a late variety. Of course, Early Malcolm could be used alone by making successive sowingrs. Seed from Sown. Planted. Ready to use. Raxk .\8 TO Name. Yield. Earliness. Black Mexican R. seed 1912 R. seed 1913 .luno 6 Sept. 25.. " 25.. Aug. 30.. " 20.. Sept. 30.. " 30. . " 25 7 7 5 6 9 9 8 6 2 4 3 1 1 4 7 5 6 7 5 8 7 5 3 11 ■■ 6. " 6. " 6. " 6 " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. 11 Oanad ian C'antin li 3 ("Canadian Hudon B. seed 1913 D. & F. seed 1912... D 1 Country Gentlemen 12 12 Early Evergreen Early Iowa Earlv Malcolm 11 Vn " 4.. Aug. 30.. " 30 . " 30. . " 26.. " 30.. Sept. 8 5 C.E.F. seed 1912.. . 1913... C.E.F. distribution 1913 C.R. from one plant . C.R 3 it 3 a 3 it 2 (I " 6. " 6. " 6. 3 Extra Earlv \dams R 6 Pordhook Early B. seed 1912 B. seed 1913 B. seed 1913 D. &F. seed 1912 .. H " 4.. " 1.. " 10.. " 10.. " 15 " 30.. " 15.. " 25 5 (< " 6. " f). " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. " 6. 4 Oold^n Bantam 9 n - 9 Oolden Rod 10 Metropolitan 12 Perkins Early .1 10 Perry's Hybrid D. & F. Max St. Louis 11 Ste. Flore. jAug. 26.. 2 Stowell's Evergreen G H White Cob. Cory Sent. 1 . 3 4 ^ Cap RorOE. DlVISIOy OF HORrWVLTURE 627 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 CUCUMBERS. This is one of the important vegetables of this district because, besides the large numbers eaten green, practically every farmer pickles some to be used -from one end of the year to the other. The Chicago Pickling has done best here amongst the small varieties; for the large ones, the Early White Spine, though not at the head this year for yield or earlinests, is to be specially commended on account of its quality and good shape, which are two important considerations for the market. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Ready to use. R.\NK A3 TO Yield. Earliness. Boston Pickling D. & F May 31 Aup"- ^ 3 4 8 3 5 10 1 6 7 2 3 9 1 Chicago Pickling C. R 31.. ' ' 7. . ' 16.. ' 12.. ' 12.. ' 20.. ' 9.. ' 14.. ' 16.. ' 12.. ' 12.. ' 12 2 Cool and Crisp H D. & F 31 6 Davis Perfect. 31 4 Early Short Green C. R " 31.. 4 Early White Spine li 31 7 Extra Early Russian R 31 3 Giant Pera B. seed 1912 B. seed 1913 J. seed 1912 May 31 . . 5 t( " 31 . . " 31.. 31.. 6 Peerless White Spine U ( 4 J. seed 1913 i i 4 Prize Pickling R " 31 4 r Egg Plant. Black Beauty New York Improved. H. T.. Mar. 28. " 22. June 23. 23. Sept. 30. Endive. Green Curled. H. April 25.. June 21 Kale. Dwari Green. H. May 26.. July 15.. Kohl Rabi. Early White. H. May 26. 'July 28. Leek. American Flag. E. seed 1913 1 April 25 H. seed 1912 ! " 25 Cap Kouge. EXPERIMENTAL FARMS LETTUCE. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Twenty strains and varieties of lettuce were tested. In this district, the Cos rarieties are hardly known, whilst the curled ones are losing popularity all the time except for forcing in winter; the " head " or " cabbage " sorts are demanded, the butter sub-classes bringing a better price than the crisp ones. It is interesting to note that our strain of Victoria was surpassed by none for yield. Viotoria and All Heart seem to catch our markets well, and our work, with the first named, consists in selecting plants which are late in coming to seed. Name. All Heart Big Boston Black Seeded Simpson. Crisp as Ice Dark Green C'apucine. Giant Crystal Head... Grand Rapids. Iceberg Improved Hanson. Seed from Sown. D April 24. H D. & F. seed 1912. T. seed 1912 T. seed 1913 Vs V T Rousseau Blond Winter. Unrivalled Summer Victoria D. &F. T. seed T. seed B. seed D. & F. D. & F. T. seed jT. seed !V seed 1912. 1912 1913 1913 seed 1912. seed 1912. 1912 1913 From one plant. V 24. 24. 24. 24 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24. 24 24. 24. 24. 24. Planted. Ready for use. Jur 14. 26. 14. 12. 18. 26. 24. 14. 21 21 21 26 16 14 14 14 24 24 16 16 R.\NK AS TO Yield. Earline.ss. 1 4 7 & o 2 2 2 6 6 3 3 Martvni.\. Proboscidca. H. May 26. I Aug. 18. MrsK Melon. Earliest Ripe Emerald (icm S. . . . B ;.:.:::::: M ay 30.. ! " 30.. Extra Earlv Gro(»n ('itron. . . . C.R 30. , Hackensai^k H. seed 1912 H. seed 1913 ' 30.. 30.. a n D. & F. seed 1912... J ' . 30 Hoodoo 30 • Montreal Miirket E 30.. C'.R ' B. seed 1912 B. seed 1913 C.R 30. . • Paul Rose 30.. .{ 30 . ■ Rock V Ford 30 Cap Kouca. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 629 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 OXIOXS. The red varieties are more popular in this district than the j'ellow ones, and the Wethersfield is the one to be recommended. A strain of this variety wa* the earliest ready for market, and the best yielder, in 1913, of eleven strains and varieties tested. An advantage of the red varieties over the yelloAv ones is that, in this climate, the.v keep better through winter. Name. Daiivcis Yellow Globe.. Seeti from 1912 D. & F. .'^eed V. seed 1912 iV. seed 1918 Dark Red Beauty J Extra Early Red R Prizetaker D.&F Wethersfield Red |D. & F. seed 1912.. Wethersfield, Salzers... .;S. seed 1912 " " . . |S. seed 1918 Wethersfield Large, Red:V. seed 1912... ..'. '. '. " " V. seed 1913 Sown. .April 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 OJ. 24 24 Planted. Ready for use. July 12 14 15 18 12 15 12 14 12 12 12 R.\NK .\S TO Yield. 2 "4) 6 10 9 S 3 7 1 5 4 2 6 to a Earline.s.*. >3 6 9 10 11 2 8 1 3 5 7 4 o c W Par-sley. Carter's Fern Leaved Double Curled Double Curled Emerald M G T. T. H seed 1912 seed 1912. seed 1913, April 24. " 24. " 24. " 24 " 24' July 12.. 1 2 it 5.. 2 1 It 5.. 5 1 it 0. . 3 1 H 5. . 4 1 P.IRSNIPS. Seed from Sown. Planted. Ready for use. Thinned to 2 inches. Thinned to 4 inches. 1 Rank as to Rank as to Name. Yield Eaili- ness. 1 Yield Earli- ness. Hollow Crown a it D. & F. seed 1912... G. seed 1912 G. seed 1913 May 26 " 26.. " 26 Aug. 9.. " 9.. " 9 3 1 ?! 1 4; 1 2 4 1 3 1 1 1 New Maltese M " ''6 9.. 1 Cap Kougk. 630 EXPERIMEyiAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 PEAS. The wriiil^led sorts grenerally are better liketl than the smooth ones, and the dwarf, also the half dwarf are more popular with farmers than the tall ones. The very early varieties are to be recommended as, by successive sowings, a constant supply can be had through the season. Gregory's Surprise is probably the best for this district on account of its earliness, though old standard varieties like Stratagem, Heroine, and Telephone yield a little more. Garden peas are not nearly as popular here as they should be. It is interesting to note that our strain of Surprise was the earliest and Stratagem the heaviest yielder of fifty-two strains and varieties tested in 1913, Name. Seed from Sown. Planted. Ready to use. Rank as to Yield. Earliness. AmpriffiTi \\ f)n('ipr T B From one plant ii K ii M '.'.'.'.'.'. T. seed 1912 T. seed 1913 From one plant u u 11 11 T. seed 1912...'.;!;;! T. seed 1913 From one plant (< a u it Me ...;;;;;. May 30 July 22.. " 23.. Aug. 6.. " 5.. " 5.. " 5.. " 5.. " 5.. " 5 . " 5.. " 5.. " 5.. " 5 " 5.. " 5.. " 5.. 5 15 12 2 8 9 9 9 13 14 16 6 10 11 11 9 15 9 18 13 4 4 6 8 8 10 15 7 19 12 1 3 7 5 11 20 21 21 11 11 17 17 17 12 13 4 8 8 10 '? 10 15 2 Oradus " 30. . 3 TTeroine " 30. . " 30. . 11 10 it " 30 . 10 (( " 30. . 10 (( " 30. . 10 a " 30 9 Juno " 30 10 " .30 . 10 ii " 30. . 10 it " 30.. 10 it " 30 . 10 it " 30. . 10 it " 30.. 10 n " 30 . 10 tl " 30 10 McLean's Advancer " 30. . July 26.. " 26.. " £6 5 " 30 . 5 it " .30 5 « " 30 " 26.. " 26. . " 26. . " 26. . " 26.. " 22. . " 23.. " 24.. " 30.. " 31.. " 31.. " 31 " 31.. " 31.. " 19 " 19.. " 19.. .July 19... " 19... " 19... " 19... " 19... " 28... " 31... " 31... " 31... " 31... " 31... Aug. 2.. " 2 . . July 19;;; " 19... 5 « " 30 . 5 u "- 30 5 n " 30. . 5 ti " 30 . 5 Nott's New Perfection " 30 2 Premium Gem T. seed 1912 T. seed 1913 T " 30. . 3 tt " 30 . 4 fitrataffPin . . .... " 30 7 ti From one plant « G. seed 1912..;;;;;; G. seed 1912 G. seed 1913 " 30. . 8 ii " 30 . g it " 30 g ii " 30 g it " 30. . .g Oreeorv^s SurDrise " 30. . ii a " 30 ti it " 30 From one plant i " a ii it D May 30. " 30 . . it a " .30 . . " 30 ii ii " 30. . " .30 " 30 . . ii Sutton's Excelsior 6 Telephone It 8 From one plant tt ii it tt ti Br. seed 1912...;;;;; 1913 " 30.. 8 a " .30 8 " 30... " .30... " .30 . . g it g 9 tt " 30 g Thos. Laxton " 30... 1 (( " 30... 1 Cap Kolge. DlVISIOy OF HORTICULTURE 631 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PEPPER. Name. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Ready to Use. Rank AS TO Yield. Earliness, Neapolitan Early. " New..', •Cayenne Red D. & F. Seed 1912. J. seed 1912 Cayenne Chili 1913 G. seed 1912... T. seed 1913 J. seed 1912 1913 iFrom one plant. Mar 22. " 22. " 22. " 22, " 22. " 22. " 22. " 22. " 99 June 16. " 16. " 16. " 16. " 16. " 16. " 16. " 16. Sept. 2. " 8. " 10. " 15. Aug. 29 . •' 29. Sept. 10. Aug. 29. 2 3 4 5 1 1 4 1 POT.'VTOES. Of elg^hteen varieties tested, the Iri;?b Cobbler was the earliest and Table Talk the heaviest yielder. It is too early yet, after only three years, to say which variety should be recommended. No doubt, the Irish Cobbler is bound to be popular near cities, where an early crop is always a paying one. But the best-liked sorts are those of the Carman type which can nearly always be depended upon to yield well and which are also better keepers, in cellars, through winter, than the earlier sorts. Name. Seed from. C. R. American Wonder Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) Carman No. 1 Dalmeny Beauty Dreer's Standard Empire State Everett i " Factor I " Gold Coin Hard to Beat Irish Cobbler : " Late Puritan ' " Money Maker | " Morgan .Seedling " Rochester Rose i " Table Talk i " Vick'.s Extra Early ! " Wee McGregor jC.E I Sown. iJune Planted. Ready to use. 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Aug. 15 . . " 18 " 15 " 15 " 15 " IS " 21 « 21 " 15 " 21 " 12 " 18 " 15 " 15 " 18 " 18 " 18 " 18 Rank a8 to Yield. 5 12 14 10 11 7 12 4 9 4 12 6 13 3 1 6 2 Earlines-s. 3 2 3 2 3 4 4 2 4 1 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 RADISHES. Of the turnip-shaped, oval, and long varieties, the firs.t are the best liked in this district; amongst the early, autumn, and winter sorts, the two latter are hardly known; and between the scarlet and white, the coloured ones appeal mo.st to the consumer. The Early White Tipped Scarlet Turnip is probably the one which should Cap Rouge. 632 EXPERIM lis TA L FA RMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 be recommended. However, the WMte Icicle, tliough its shape and colour are against it, is forging ahead rapidly because it is a hea-s-^^ yielder and especially because it does not become woody so soon as the others. Our strain of White Icicle was the heaviest yielder of ten strains and varieties tested in 1913. Name. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Forcing Turnip Scarlet 'V. seed 1912 Forcing Turnip Scarlet White Tipped Turnip Early Scarlet White Tipped Turnip Early Scarlet White Tipped Turnip Early Scarlet White Tipped |V. seed 1912. . .. Turnip Early Scarlet White Tipped " 1913... White Icicle JD. & F. " ■ From one plant " 1913 D. & F. seed 1912. D. & F. seed 1913. April24. " 24. " 24. " 24. " 24. " 24. " 24 " 24 : " 24. " 24. Ready to use. R.\XK AS TO Yield. Earliness .May 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 26. " 29. " 29. " 29. " ^. 2 6 5 4 8 7 9 3 3 1 2 2 2 2 S.^LSIKY. Long White R. .'^opd 1912 " 1913 . . . Mav 26 . . July 28... " 28... 2 1 1 " '>6 .. 1 Spin'.^ch, Victoria D. & F April2.5 June 18. . . Cap Rougb. DIYISIOX OF HORTICULTURE 633 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SQUASH. The summer varieties are as popular in this district as the autumn ones, as they are used mainly t^ preserve, and this can be done as soon as the crop is harvested. As to form, the crooknecks are not liked because there is too much loss and not enough flesh; between the "patty pan" and "'long" sorts, the latter are the most popu- lar, peeling with less waste. The bush varieties are certainlj^ an improvement over the trailint;- ones Vvhieh unnecessarily take too nnich room in the ordinaiy limited area of a gai-den. The Long White Bush Marrow, though not one of the " sho^n-y " kinds, is the one which should be recommended. Name. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Ready to use. TvANK AS TO Yield. Earliness Custard Marrow White Bush! Scallop jV. seed 1912. Custard Marrow White Bush Scallop ' " 1913. Delicata iT Delicious O. seed 1912. Golden Hubbard Hubbard Improved Hubbard Long Vegetable Marrow. Long White Bush Marrow. Mammoth Whale Summer Crookne^k. Trailing White Vegetable Mar- row White Bush Scalloped White Congo M. seed 191.3. M V D. &F V. seed 1912 V. " 1913 V. " 1912 V. " 1913 From one plant V. D. & F D. & F. seed 1912.. R. seed 1913 C D. &F. V June 4....' 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Aug. .30. Sept. 2. " 6. " 4. " 2. " 28. " 28. " IS. " 1.5. " 14. " 14. " 18. " 28. " 28. " 28. " 16. " 28. 14 9 8 9 1.5 10 7 2 1 5 6 11 4 9 13 3 6 10 9 8 5 6 6 4 2 1 1 4 6 6 6 3 6 Cap Rouge. 634 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915- TOM.\TOES. Tweaity-nine strains and varieties were tested in 1913. For this district, the most important consideration is earliness, as it is iieeless to grow a late A-ariety, however good it may 1*., which will not mature a fairly large percentage of its fruit. There .seems no doubt that the better strains of the Earliana are to be partic\xlarly recom- mended ; the Alacrity, which is a strain of the Earliana specially selected at the Cen- tral Experimental Farm, Ottawa, is the most promising which we have. Some inter- est is shown in the small yellow tomatoes for preserves, and the variety known as Yellow Plum succeeds well here. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Ready to use. Rank as to Name. Yield. Earliness Alacrity 2-24-9 r. E. F Mar 22.. " 22.. " 22 . . " 22 " 22. . " 22 " 22 " 22 . . " 22. . " 22 " 22.. " 22.. " 22.. " 22.. " 22 " 22!; " 22.. " 22.. " 22.. " 22 " 2'> " 22.. " 22.. " 22.. " 22.. " 22 " 02 " 22'' " 22. . June ' .July . June 6... 6 . 6. 6... 6... 6... 6.. 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6... 6 .. 6... 6... 6 . . Auk. 25. . " 25... Sept. 6. . . " 4... " 1... " 2... " 4... " 4... Aug. 25 . . . " 25... " 28... " 25... " 25... " 28... " 28... " 21... " 28... " 28... " 25... " 28... Sept. 10... Aug. 25... 17 13 24 19 21 26 27 22 9 6 16 1 7 3 14 4 15 5 10 18 23 8 3 Alacrity 2-24-10 (t 3 Bonnv Best Hs. seed 1912 1913 From one plant B. seed 1912 1913 D. & F. seed 1912... L 8 (( 7 ii 5 Chalk's Earlv Jewol 6 (t (( 7 it ii Earliana, Northern Adiron- dack 7 3 Sparks " 12-18 " 12-13 U It From one plant C.E.F. seed 1912... C.E.F. seed 1912.. . From one plant. . u a n .B. seed 1912....'.'.']' " 1913 S 3 4 3 3 4 l< it 4 ct tt 2 " Suniiybrook Strain. . Earlibell 4 4 3 Earliest of All C. R 4 Florida Soeeial . . . . Bo 9 I. X.-4 Bo 3 Matohloss Bo ProsDoritv Bo 6... 6... 6 .. 6... 9 .. Aug. 18... " 28... " 21... " 28... 2 20 11 12 1 Ronnie's XXX Earliest ii B. seed 1912 " 1913 4 2 ii r\R. from one olant 4 H Yellow Plum . D. & F 6.. Aug. 28... 25 4 Cap Kouge. DITISIOy OF HORTICULTURE 635 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 TURNIPS. There is practically no market for turnips in the district, as consumers do not like their bitter taste, and buy swedes instead. The only exception would be for the very early season when small vegetables sell in bunches. For this, the Purple Top Milan is the best variety. It was the first one ready for market and the best yield<>r at this Station in 1913. Name. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Ready for use. Thinned to 2 inches. Rank as to Yield Earli ness. Thinned to- 4 inches. Rank as to Yield-! Earli- nes9. Strap Leaved Early White Flat Strap Leaved Early White Flat Extra Early Milan ti Favorite Swede Purple Top Milan V. seed 1912 May 26 " 1913.. D.&F. seed 1912 V. seed 1913... D. «&F H 26. 26. 26. 26. 26. July 19. " 19. " 15. " 12. Aug. 2. July 12. 3 2 1 Thinned to six inches. 1 I 11 3 1 1 WATERMELON. Watermelons are a southern product and will never be grown with profit in this district because, to be relished, they must be eaten during warm weather and they are only fit for use late in the season around here. Phinney's Early was both the heaviest yielder and the earliest, in 1913, and it must be remarked that this dis- tinction belonged to a strain developed here. Name. Seed from. Sown. Planted. Ready for use. Rank as to Yield. Earlincs.*. Cole's Earlv G. seed 1912 G " 1913 From one plant H Mav .30 . . -^ Sept. 17.. 6 2 U ' .30 . (( • .30.. " 15.. " 17.. " 15.. " 15.. " 17.. " 15.. " 15.. 5 2 1 Florida Favorite ' .30. . Top CVeam R. :.........:. ' 30. , Phinnev's Earlv B ' .30.. 4 1 8 3 7 1 n From one plant S seed 1912 ' .30.. 1 Salzpr*s Earliest ' 30 2 li 1913 From one plant • 30.. 1 it ' 30.. 1 WrrLooF Chicory. Witloof Chicory ;H |May 26. Sept.. 6. Cap Kouge. 636 EXI'ERIMEMAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 MISCELLANEOUS. Besides the above, we grew in 1910 one variety of broccoli, three strains of Brus- sels sprouts, one variety of cardoon, one of celeriac, two of egg plant, one of endive, one of kale, one of kohl rabi, two strains of leek, one variety of martynia, five strains and varieties of pai^sley, two of parsnip, nine of pepper, two strains of salsify, one variety of spinach, and one of whitloof. The Dwarf Improved, for Brussels sprouts, New York Improved, for egg plants. Double Curled for parsley, Hollow Crown for parsnips, New Neapolitan, for peppers, are the varieties which do best here. SEED GKOWING. Besides these variety tests, nearly 3 acres were used for seed production and for market. Early Malcolm corn (a strain of Malakoif selected at the Central Ex'iieri- niental Farm, Ottawa), Alacrity tomato (another selected strain of the Earliana from O.E.F.) and Surprise peas are grown to produce seed to be distributed to farmers of the district. Last year, 372 samples of corn and 204 of tomatoes were sent out. This year 400 samples of corn, 400 of tomatoes and TOO of peas can be distributed. SEED DISTIMBUTION. When shipping these samples a letter is sent saying that if the person who receives the seed is not interested -enough to answer yes or no to a few que^~tions on an enclosed sheet and to send this in the autumn, his name will be taken oif the lists. If the dis- tribution were made of seeds bought in large quantities from merchants, it would not be so important, but it is believed that when seed grown in the district, well cleaned, pure, of specially selected strains, is sent out, it should fall only into the hands of men who are interested enough to become co-operators ; moreover, this co-operation of theirs entitles them to the distribution another year. The questions asked are generally to know how other varieties tried compare with the one sent out for: (a) earliness, (h) uniformity, (c) yield, (d) quality. When a man reports that he has something better than what he received from this Station, we correspond with him and try to get seed to test here. MARKETIXG. There are those in this district who believe that farmers could get a great deal more for their vegetables if more care were taken to prepai-e the goods for market. For a couple of years past vegetables have been sold from this station, especially in Quebec city, in what is known as a "home hamper." This is a light crate containing half a dozen six-quart baskets in which diifcrent varieties of vegetables are put, wrapped up in a green parafBue paper. This autumn, the home hampers retailed at $1.50. The vegetables which they contained, sold in bulk as generally done, woidd have brought 60 cents and the hamper, paper, etc.. cost about 40 cents. Even counting the extra time used in washing and packing, it is easy to see that it paid to put the goods on the market in fine shape. Cap RornE. DIVISION OF nORTICULTVRE 637 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 OKNAMENTAL GAEDENING. HEDGES. Fifteen difiFerent kinds of hedges were planted since 1911, but it is yet too early to say which will give most satisfaction. The white spruce had to be replaced, as most trees had died. CONIFERS. Twenty-five varieties of conifers are on test on the ornamental grounds, but so far few of them have done well. The following table gives further details : Name. Botanical. Common. Abies concolor Cupressus ericoides " pisifcra aurea filifera Cvpressvs pisifera plumosa — Plumose Retinospora Cupressus pisifera plumosa aurea Ginkgo biloba Juniperus communis fastigiata. Larix europaea Picea canadensis Picea Alcockiana Picea excelsa Picea pungens glauca Pinus Laricio nigricans " montana " Mughus " ponderosa " resinosa " Strobus " syhestris Pseudotsuga Douglasii Taxus cuspidata Thuya occidentalis " Douglasii " " aurea " compacta.. . EUwan- geriana . . " " globosa Hoveii " " pyraynidalis Wareana.... Silver fir Japanese cedar Golden Sawara cypress Japanese thread-branched cedar Plumose RetinosDOra Golden Plumose Retinospora Maiden-hair tree Irish juniper ....." European larch White spruce Alcock's spruce Norway spruce Rocky Mountain blue spruce Colorado blue spruce Austrian pine Mountain pine : . . Dwarf mountain pine Heavy-wooded pine, orbuU pine Red pine White pine Scotch pine Douglas' fir Japanese yew White cedar, or American arbor vitae Douglas' golden arbor vitse Compact arbor vi tee Ellwanger's arbor vitse Globose arbor vitje Hovey's arbor vitse Pyramidal arbor vitse Siberian arbor vitse a 03 3 2 2 5 2 2 8 1 2 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 Mo Q2 bll Condition. Autumn of 1913. Good. Medium 3(N) 3(N) 2(N'> 2 3(N) 2(N) 2(N) 6(N) 1 3(N) 1 1(N) Poor. 2(N) 16—42 Cap Kolge. 638 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. One hundred and nine varieties of deciduous trees and shrubs are planted on the ornamental grounds, and mast of them have done vpell. Only a few were winter- killed, and the living ones will make a splendid show when a few years older. Details will be found about them in the following table : — Name. Botanical. Acer sacchariniirn laciniatum Wieri " platanoides " " Schwedleri... " tataricum Ginnala Aesculus Hippocastanum . . . . Amorpha: fruticosa Ampelopsis quinquefolia Aristolo hia Sipho Berberis Aquifolium " Thunbergii Betula alba " pyramidalis Caragana arborescens " frutcscens macro- phijUa . . " grandiflora " pygmaea Carya alba Catalpa Kaempferi " spcciosa Celastrus articulatus " scandens Clematis vitalba Cornus alba sibirica Cornus alba sibirica variegata . Crataegus Crus-galli Cytisus nigricans " purpureus Daphne Cnr.orum Diervilla hybrida Eva Rathke.. Elaeagnus angustifolia Eunoymus europaeus Forsythia intermedia Gleditsckia triacanthos Hippophae rhamnoides Hydrangea arborescens " paniculata grandiflora . . Juglans Sieboldiana Lespedeza bicolor Ligustrum amurense Lonicera Albertii " Morrowl " punicea " ~tatarica " " fiorc rosea... " " grandiflora alba . . " virginalis alba Neilla opulifolia aurea Philadclphus, Bouquet Blanc. " coronarius " coronarius foliis aureis. . " grand flor us speciosissimus Common. h(iC 13 .5^ 3 OJ , M 73 Name. Botanical. Common. Everlasting flower. Mask flower Sweet alyssum Winged everlasting Snapdragon Balsam Swan River daisy. . . . Cockscomb Sweet sultan Japanese chrysanthe- mum Clarkia Tickseed China Aster Cosmos Acrocliniu7n Alonsoa Alyssum marilimum compactum Ammobium alatum Antirrhinum Balsamina im.patiens. . . Brachycome iberidifolia . . . Celosia Centaur ea moschata Chrysanthemum indicum . Clarkia elegans Coreopsis Callistephus hortensis.. . . Cosmos Delphinium consolida candelabra Dianthus chinensis " superbus Dimorphotheca aurantiaca Eschscholtzia californica Gaillardia Godetia compacta Gomphrena " globosa Helichrysum Iheris umbellata Lathy rus odoratus Linaria Maroccana Lobelia Erinus Lupinus Malope grandiflora Mathiola annua grandi- flora Mirabilis Jalapa Nemesia grandiflora .... Nigella Papaier glaucum " Rhoeas " somniferum Petunia hybrida. Phlox Drurnmondii Portulaca grandiflora Reseda odorata Mignonette Rhodanthe maculata Rhodanthe Salpiglossis variabilis grandiflora Painted tube tongue Salvia Sage Scabiosa atropurpurea grandiflora Tagetes erecta " patula Tropaeolum majus . . . " minus. . . Verbena Viola tricolor Zinnia elegans Stock-flowed larkspur China pink French pink Cape mangold California poppy Blanket flower. Godetia Bachelor's button Globe amaranth. Everlasting flower Candytuft Sweet peas Toad flax Lobelia Lupine Malope Sown. Under Glass. Apr. 4. . Mar. 25, Apr. Mar. 11. 24. 28. Mar. 20. Mar. 2o. " 25. Apr. 11. Mar. 28 . May 21. Mar. 20. " 29. Out- side. May 21, May 21 May 21, Trans- planted May May 7. . " 7.. Apr. 14. May 5, May 5. May 21 Mar. 25 Mar May 21 " 5., Apr. 25 25. 19. Mar. 20. May 5 May 5. . " 5.. May 21. Ten-week stock. Marvel of Peru.. Nemesia Love-in-a-mist. . Tulip poppy Shirly poppy . . . Opium poppy. . . Petunia Phlox Portulaca. Pincushion flower .\frican marigold. . . . French marigold Climbing nasturtium Dwarf nasturtium. . . Verbena Pansy Youth-and-Old-Age. . Mar. 29. Apr 11. Mar. 25. Mar. 20. 25. 20. Mc ,28. 26. •Vpr. 5, May 5. " 5.. May 21 . " 6.. May 5. " 21 " 21. Planted June 21. " 20 June 21. " 7.. " 12.. June 12. June 25. June 25, " 9.. " 25.. May 21 Did not Mav 20 May 5 May 5 " 5.. " 5.. " 5.. May 21 , " 5.. ' 22 ' 22 Mar. 20. ' 20. Apr. 8. May 15. • 5.. ' 21.. June 4. " 4. June 25 . In Bloom. From July 4.. Aug. 1 . . July 14., " 5.. " 12.. " 4.. " 20.. " 21.. Aug. 7.. To Sept. 15 " 14.. " 30 " 30 " 15 " 14 " 30 " 30 " 30 Did not bloom. July 21. 1 Sept. 14 1. " 12..! Aug. 11 j 1 " 10,. July 21. " 21.. " 24.. " 4.. rVug. 1 . . germ in ate June 25. June 9. June 24. ' 25.. ' 25.. Aug. July May 5, " 7. " 5. Did not Apr. 27. May 5. " 20,. " 21.. " 25. May 13. ' 5.. ' 15.. June 7. ' 7. • 7. germin June 16. ' 20.. July June o. 12. 12. 16. 16. 4. 4. 25. 15. 9.. 9.. 14 June 23. July 12 A.ug. 15, July 14 July 4, " 1,, Aug. 20. July 21 " 21 " 27^; June 18. " 26.. " 23.. July 14. ate. July 14. Aug. 1.. " 10.. July 14. " 4.. " 14.. " 7.. " 12.. June 26. July 12. 14 23 30 30 30 30 30 2 23 23 Sept. 30 30 Sept. 30 30 30 30 30 30 14 14 2 2 2 15 15 14 30 Sept. 15 15 15 14 14 15 14 30 Sept. 30 Cap Rouge. 642 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 QUEBEC EXHIBITION. A show of flowers was made at Quebec exhibition, and it is gratifying to report that a diploma was awarded to it, besides one of the gold medals given by the manage- ment for best display made in the Palace of Industry. This medal was won in competi- tion with large firms who spend thousands of dollars for. advertising, and who 'neglected nothing to win at Quebec. It caii truthfully be said that our display of flowers attracted more people than any other one at the fair, as there was continually a large crowd around it. Special inscriptions asked farmers to make the home sur- roundings more attractive and thus reward the faithful wife for her tireless work in bringing up the family, and at the same time keep the boys and girls on the* place if at all possible. SEED DISTRIBUTION. Over 1,400 packages of seed of annuals and perennials were saved and distri- buted, and quite a number of plants of the latter put in last summer for distribution in the spring of 1914. At the Quebec Exhibition, a card made it knowoi that the two hundred first farmers who applied would be entitled to the free distribution, and it did not take long before the applications were received for all we had to give away. This shows the interest taken in trying to beautify the home grounds. Cap Rouge. DiriSIO^ OF HORTIVLLTURE 643 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, BRANDON, MAN. REPORT or THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. C .McKILLICAN, B.S.A. The season of 1913 has been nearly a normal Manitoba season. The principal departure from average conditions was in the rainfall, which was rather light in the early part of the season. Garden crops were planted in good time, with the soil in good condition. Germina- tion was satisfactory in most instances and, as the land was kept well cultivated, the dry weather did not affect growth to any great degree. The dry weather had a more noticeable effect on annual flowers than anything else, and the bloom was hardly as good as usual until the latter part of the summer. POTATOES. Twenty-eight varieties of potatoes were planted in the uniform test rows on May 24, and dug on September 16. In order to eliminate as much as possible any chance of experimental error, the duplicate system of testing was followed. The following yields are therefore calculated from the average product of two 66-foot rows. Empire State ■ Table Talk ,.. Wee Macgregor Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney). American Wonder Peacock's Surprise Reeves' Rose Woodbury's White Rose Sabean Elephant Manitoba Wonder Late Puritan Early Norther Hamilton's Early Morgan Seedling Irish Cobbler Houlton Rose Carman No. 1 New Queen. Medium. " ..: Russet. " Pink Large. " White. Oval Long Red Medium. White Large... . Pink I " ... Round iWhite " ... Lona ; Light pink. Round : White. Long iPink...- I " ... Oval White Medium. " ,Pink ■ " Early Ohio Round.. .... jKed Large... . Rochester Rose 'Oval ILight pink iMedium. Early Hebron | " Pink | " Early Bovee (Medium Long.. . Light pink andj I ; white " Gold Coin lOval IWhite | " Early White Prize ^Long i " ' " ... Money Maker. May Flower Round .... Factor Long Hat. Hard to Beat I " Small. Medium . : Small.. . Yield per Acre. Bush Lb 682 00 650 50 605 50 599 30 590 20 5S6 40 583 00 577 30 566 30 562 50 509 40 508 40 507 50 506 00 496 50 485 50 484 00 480 20 480 20 478 30 474 50 451 40 454 40 445 30 440 00 ::!72 10 344 40 293 20 COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS OX POT.\TOES. Three kinds of commercial fertilizers were tested separately on potatoes, and a combination of the three was also used. Acid phosphate was used, representative of fertilizers containing phosphorus. Muriate of potash was chosen as a typical potash 644 EXPERIMENl^'AL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 manure, and sulphate of ammonia was used for nitrogen. The duplicate system of testing was used for this experiment, and the following yields are based on the average product from two 66-foot rows. The potatoes were planted May 31 and dug on September 26. Fertilizers used. No fertilizers Muriate of potash (320 pounds per acre) Acid phosphate (600 pounds per acre) Sulphate of ammonia (160 pounds per acre). . , Acid phosphate (600 pounds per acre) \ Muriate of potash (320 pounds per acre) .- Sulphate of Ammonia (160 pounds per acre) J Yield per Acre. Bush. Lb. 429 00 474 50 480 20 491 20 476 40 Each of these fertilizers cost about $9 to $10 per acre in the quantities used, exclusive of cost of application. FIVE-YEAR AVERAGES. Thirteen varieties of potatoes have been grown on this Farm for five years, A:i others for four years, and three others for three years. The following table gives the average results of the tests for these kinds: — Variety. Average Earliness. Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) Empire State American Wonder Morgan Seedling Reeves' Rose Late Puritan Irish Cobbler Money Maker Early White Prize Manitoba Wonder Carman No. 1 Rochester Rose Gold Coin Late Medium Late Medium it Late " early " late.. Early Medium. . . . . Early...//.;'. Late Average Size. Average Yield. Large... II it Medium Large. . . Medium Small... Medium Large... Small... Large... Bush. Lb. 534 523 480 479 467 465 448 446 443 443 418 400 378 30 12 46 30 26 10 34 36 42 42 26 24 24 AVERAGE FOR FOUR YEARS. Woodbury's White Rose. Early Ohio Peacock's Surprise Hamilton's Earlj^ Factor Hard to Beat Medium Medium . Earlj^ 'Larjje. Medium. Late.. early... Medium. it Small...; AVERAGE FOR THREE YE.A.RS. 520 482 464 441 301 248 10 10 ■15 22 45 55 Table Talk iLate. Early Bovee [Early Sabean's Elephant Late. Largo... Medium Large... 714 509 459 24 40 30 Bkaxdox. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 645 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 POTATOES — EARLINESS TEST, Twelve of the early maturing varieties of potatoes were tested far earliness. They were all planted on May 3. The following table gives the time they were fit for table use : — Variety. Fit for Use. Early White Prize. Early Bovee New Queen. Reeves' Rose Manitoba \^onde^. Irish Cobbler July Rochester Rose. Hamilton's Early ' " Early Norther. Houlton Rose.. Early Hebron.. Early Ohio 3. 5. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 14. 21. SMALL VS. LARGE POTATOES FOR SEED. A test in comparing large and small potatoes for seed was made. The same var- iety. Table Talk, was used for both, and duplicate tests were made. The potatoes were planted May 24. and dug September 16. The results are calculated from the product of two 66-foot rows. Kind of Seed. Yield per Acre. Large potatoes (Cut to sets) Small potatoes (Planted whole). Bush. Lb 650 50 497 00 The resultant crop contained a larger percentage of small potatoes where the small potatoes were used for seed. COOKING TEST OF POTATOES. A cooking test of twenty-eight varieties of putatoes was made. The following table gives the results of this test: — BtJAxnoN'. 646 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 >. ^ • C8 ^ S ■^ 3 "5 ^ O Ph M )H 0) -o a> (A -f^ h c aa M •A U c3 3 c U (U V s o (72

> d ^ o o 4^ •3 S O" o. tn :« ri«( >.3- _>. -a - ^^ S I' T3 ; : ■ gT3 _ >'-S « 03 C a _3 ss- 3 * • l-J - -J C dj G 0) C o C a 3 -5- a 3 S'S ^ .. M .S 1^.2 o £ (o a o o 73 O O >- n f- O ° flJ O o M o 5 bt-d « o -^ o o S 53 01- ■a o o Si 03 ■73 O. o- O D £ aj 2^ "^ 5-5 o S o a^ !^ O oj p O o !0 01 >, Oi CO o a* a^ >> aj o 1 il :i m I?;:3 w M "^^ a) . ^^ a3^ a a; -a O) >, a) eS 05 aaS" -d-d a ID i) c3 CD a^ O cu m r2-d a); 43 3 aj o -c b-d b O L' C ° ° ^ C3 r* ^ fl c ai >> a> Q m aj ^ . S Q. 1 ??- " : "" a^ ra o. 'rt H 4) S3 «•« -tJ a) J? ca O) o PhQ> m q; 71 aj to CO aj . 01 -d aj 83 >.^ >>L, >>>> a) o a) S3 o) 4) ai::3'to— 1-^ a^ 03 _ o3 -d 03 j^XI g 4= 43 43 J aJ CO 3 cc -4^ :3 aJcSOoS-sOcSOSStS ;<5Wp:JWHOHS§P^W Brandon. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 647 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 VEGETABLES. CABBAGE. Twenty varieties of cabbage were sown in the hotbed in April, and set out in the garden the last week in May. One variety, Copenhagen Market, was grown from two different strains. Some injuries were noted from the larvai of the small White Cabbage Butterfly {Pontia rapae). The use of pyrethrum insect powder will overcome this difficulty. Variety. Weight of individual large head. Copenhagen Market (B.). Kildonan Northern Favorite Improved Amager Danish Ballhead Aug Copenhagen Market (H.). Extra Amager Danish Ballhead Glory of Enkhuizen Fottler's Improved Brunswick or Short Stem. Large Late Flat Drumhead Flat Swedish Magdeburg Lubeck Early Jersey Wakefield Danish Summer Ballhead Winningstadt Early Paris Market Small Erfurt Midsummer Savoy Lb. 19 20 19 16 23 14 14 15 15 15 14 11 B\ 12 9 7 6', 4 Red or Pickling Cabb.'^ge. Variety. Danish Delicatesse Red Danish Stonehead. Ready for use. Weight of 10 heads. Sept. 30. " 30. Lb. 70 52 Weight of individual large head. Lb. 14 7 CAULIFLOWER. The varieties of cauliflower were sown in the hotbed April 14, and planted out the first week in June. Variety. Percentage of Good heads. Texture. Flavour. Fit for use. Average weight. Danish Giant or Dry Weather 76 76 92 Very tender a Good Ll>. 11 Extra Selected Early Dwarf Erfurt Early Snowball " very" Julv 2G.... July 21.... 10 Brandon. 648 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 CARROTS. Three varieties were sown on May 1, in uniform test rows and dug September 20. \'ariety. Remarks. Half Long Chantenay Improved Nantes French Horn Very large. Medium size. Nearly one half bad- ly cracked. CELERY. Seven varieties of celery were sown in the hotbeds April 11, and planted out in the gardens the first week in June. The plants were dug up October 10, and the yield as given in the following table is the product of a 15-foot row of each variety. Variety. Colour. Texture. Flavour. Length of head. Yield from 15- foot row. Evans' Triumph French Success Giant Pascal Noll's Magnificent.... Paris Golden Yellow Rose Ribbed Paris... White Plume White. Yellow. White... Fairly good Coarse, large, hard core Very tender and crisp . Rather hard and coarse Medium Medium coarse Very tender and crisp. Good Rather strong Good Mediumstrong Rather strong Medium Very good .... Inches. 26 r 23 18 24 19 14 13 Lb. 34 32A 24 24 18 15 16 The White Plume is recommended for home use, despite its small yield. It is superior in flavour and in tenderness and crispness. CUCUMBERS. Five varieties of cucumbers were sown on June 15, in hills 6 feet apart and four plants to a hill. The yields given in the following talkie are the product of 12 plants in each case: Variety. Fit for use. Shape. Yield from 12 plants. Prize Pickling July 30.... Aug. 11.... " 9.... " 2 " 11.... Long Medium Shbrt...!!!! Medium Lb. 135 IflO Peerless White Spine Giant Pcra 104* Extra Early Russian 03 i Cool and Crisp 87 JBr.\nuox. DiyiSION OF HORTICULTURE SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 RADISHJ5S. Two varieties of radish were sown on May 14. 649 Variety. Fit for use Early Scarlet White Tipped. Forcing Turnip Scarlet June 12. " 14. Texture. Flavour. Crisp Medium tender. Very strong. Medium strong. BEETS. Six varieties were sown in uniform test rows on May 19, and were harvested on September 10. The following yields are calculated from the product of 30-foot rows, 30 inches between the rows : Variety. Early Blood Red Turnip.. . Eclipse Ruby Dulcet Meteor Egyptian Dark Red Turnip Black Red Ball Shape. Oval Varied... . Flat Round Flat Round Texture. Coarse Medium Coarse. Rather coarse . . . Very fine. . Coarse Very fine. . Flavour. Fairly good.. Good Fairly good. Very good.., Yield per acre. Outward Appearance. Bush. Lb. 1,229 20i Large, rough. 1,122 52 Not uniform. 919 .36 900 12 871 12 561 26 Large, rather rough. Uniform smooth. Rather rough. Small, excellent quality BEANS. Seven varieties of beans were sown on May 19. obtained : The following results were Variety. Colour. Bountiful Early Refugee Honey Pod Keeney's Rustless Wax.. Stringless Green Pod... . Valentine Ward well's Kidney Wax Green... Yellow! Green... Yellow. Texture. Tough. . Tender. Flavour. Very tender . . Excellent. . . . Very good Good Ready for use. Poor germination. Stringy [Medium . Tender :Good.. . . July Aug. Aug. Aug. July Aug. 26. 14. 2. 6. 31. 6. Length of Pod. Inchc.-i. jjRANDON. 650 EXPERIMEtfTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 CORN. Seven varieties of grarden cofn were sown on May 26 in hills 3 feet apart each way. Part of each row was used for the cooking test, and twelve hills were resented for the test of yield. Varictj', Ready for Texture. Flavour. Use. Carter's Improved Sweet. Early Malcolm Early Iowa Fordhook Early Golden Bantam. . Henderson's Metropolitan Perkin's Early Pept. 12 . . Very good . .Very good Aup. 18.. *cpt. 9.. Excellent... -" " 2. .Good Medium.. 4. Excellent. . .Excellent. 9.. Good Medium.. " 10 . . Very good . .Very good Height of Stalks. No. of Cobs. Feet. In. 6 6 6 10 60 70 87 75 84 56 56 Weight of Cobs. Lb. 20 15 24 24 19 25 18 The strain of Golden Bantam was not as good this season as in previous years, tlie cobs, being short. The eating quality of this variety was up to its usual standard, i, e., much ahead of anything else. Early Malcolm is a' selection of Early MalakoflF, made at the Central Experimental Farm. It is recommended for early use. Seed purchased for Squaw corn and Early Adamis proved to be some large late variety instead of what it purported to be. LETTUCE. Thirteen varieties of lettuce were sown in the garden on April 21. Some slight trouble was experienced with cutworms, but this difficulty was overcome, and a good test was secured. Brandon. DIVISION OF EORTICVLTURE 651 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 o 4J 1^ > c3 ID O 03 in > c o w a to o > c3 3 m 3 O cS P5 c3 > N0>0 ■13 O" bD >> T) o CO di o o * tOTJ ^H-T3 *> Ci ^; I— ^ —i a; fl t- -^ 5 » c ^ ^- "r; !-• -, >i 3 3^ to ,'C o a OS ■d 3 ft ft ft--" ^ ft-i. _ ^ CO CO 'd rV' '>3 "O ^^3 i-ioooo^oocoa5030-*=ct^ i c3 3 CO ol3 3 'rH c OW to l-i , !» ara 3 c q; o 313 o 5 ^03 c8 Brandon. 652 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Red Edge Victoria runs to seed very early. Iceberg, All Heart, Crisp as Ice, and Giant Crystal Head are recommended both for quality and length of season. ONIONS. Twelve varieties of onions were sown in uniform test rows on April 18. The yields given are calculated from the product of 30-foot rows, being 15 inches apart. Variety. Colour. Shape. Yield per acre. Bush. Lb Red Flat 1,023 22 t( It 813 6 {{ i( 619 30 it Round 609 49 White Globular.... 609 49 Yellow Oval 600 9 Red Round 564 8 " Flat 503 21 Brown Round 435 35 White Flat 212 57 a (< 193 36 n it 87 7 Large Red Wethersfield Salzer's Wethersfield Johnson's Dark Red Beauty Extra Early Red Ailsa Craig Danvers Yellow Globe McKenzie's Northland Red Early Flat New Australian Brown Early Barletta (Pickling onion) White Pearl White Queen PARSNIPS. Three varieties of parsnips were sown on April 19, and dug October 10. Variety. Shape. Yield per acre. Texture. Flavour. Hollow Crown Very long... Short Long Bush. Lb. 648 32 590 28 580 48 Good Good Good Very good. Very good. Very good, mild New Intermediate Elcombe's Improved The form of the New Intermediate parsnip makes it much to be preferred over the old long type. It is a medium short root, and is quite easily dug. PARSLEY. One variety of parsley, the Double Curled, was grown. It was sown May 14, and was fit for use July 18. The quality was fair and the yield good. SPINACH, One variety, Improved Thick Leaved, was sown May 14, and it produced a very fair crop. SALSIFY. One variety. Long White, was sown May 14, and was ready for use August 20. The total yield from a 30-foot row was 66 pounds. PEAS. Fifteen varieties of peas were sown on April 23 ; with one exception, all germin- ated uniformly. The yields given below are the product of SO-foot rows. The peas were harvested when ripe. Brandon. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 653 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 2 "3 gCXJOOOOO-^oooOOOOO-^OOOO TC«;«5c^co'n>o-<*iroc<5'CeO'*u:)-* 3 O > O o >>' a o a) > O c ^ 0) o o S >< o o >>' T3 o- C4-> ~6 03 o o M t^ •■^ (S o ;-i ,a a > a < 3 e3 O o O +i O o o o _ T3 o o T3 O O o -a o o S o o c o c8 «5000000>OOOai0iO5C30W|-t^505O K Li o o c 1-; 0) r-|« Hl« WIN »^fe« V -}-CO^rtOOOOO(M:000'M-^C<30 C^l Ol C^ CC C^l »-H T— I T— t c i? fe ^' c sir- 1-5 "-S "-5 "-5 '-5 *-• '-5 03 CO Q. 3 a^ass 3.S f^a 0) c o > --2; IC-* CO O -f CO CD C, o J 1-5 <^ 01 .S 12; Ch « 2 o rf :: c;' bc- 2 *-* '^ r- C n= ci r— . r! c o "Branpon. IG— 43 654 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Gregory's Surprise and American Wonder are recommended for earlier use. Stratagem and Reliance are two of the best later sorts, but many of them are very good. SQUASH AND MARROW. Eight varieties of squash and marrows were sown on June 5. The yields given in the following table are the product of 12 plants of each variety. Variety. Shape. Vine. • Colour of Rind. Yield. Weight of one Specimen. * Long Vegetable Marrow Long (( <( Oval....!!,'! Cylindrical. Crooked Round and fiat Long Bush! Long a a Bush !!!!!!! Bush White ii a Orange Green Striped Orange White Lb. 304 297 231 223 206 1021 63 40 Lb. 201 Carter'.s Trailing Vegetable Marrow Lon"' White Bush Marrow 35^ 13i Golden Hubbard 10 Delicious H^ Delicata 5 Summer Crookneck h\ Custard Marrow White Squa-^h Scalloped 5 TOMATOES. Twelve varieties of tomatoes were tested this year. They were started in a hotbed on April 11, and were set out in the garden the first week in June. The suc- cess attained in ripening tomatoes this year is due to the method adopted in growing them. They were pruned more severely than ever before, whole leaves and branches being taken off, as well as the flowering shoots. The plants were fastened up to stakes, so that the sun shone on the fruit. !Ripe fruit was produced abundantly by the middle of August. The following yields were obtained from five average plants from each variety : Variety No. of Plants. Sparks' Earliana, Sunnybrook Strain North Adirondack Earliana Chalk's Early Jewel Prosperity I XL Florida Special Alacrity 2-24-9 Alacrity 2-24-10 Rennie's Earliest Bonny Best 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Ripe Fruit. Green Fruit. Lb. Oz. 24 24 15 21 15 12 15 15 13 11 09 06 07 13 10 07 13 11 09 02 Lb. Oz. Total. Lb. Oz. 3 8 28 01 3 7 27 13 8 3 23 10 1 7 23 04 0 ( 21 01 8 5 20 17 2 4 18 01 9 0 17 11 3 0 16 09 4 8 15 10 Br.sndox. DIVISION OF HOItTICVLTURE 655 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 TURxVlPS. Two varieties of early turnips were sown on ]\[ay 14 and were ready for use on August 1. Variety. Shape. Colour. Texture. Flavour. Yield per - acre. Extra Early White Milan Long White Flat Strap Leafed Flat Flat White White Hard to cook, very tough Bitter Hard to cook , tough. .Very bitter . Bush. Lb. 797 5 706 37 FRUIT TREES. The season of 1913 has, on the whole, been a favourable one for fruit trees. No serioijs injury from weather conditions was noted in the spring. However, a num- ber of trees died from the effects of sunscalding in 1912. A number of trees were affected by^fire blight. No im]flortant damage from insects was noted. APPLES. Not much success can be reported with standard apples. A couple of trees of a variety called Sweet Russet bore fruit, but the quality of the fruit was not very good. A large number of trees of Dr. Saunders' cross-bred varieties are doing well. These varieties were produced by crossing standard apples with Pyrus haccata, a wild Siberian type of crab apple, as the mother. This is very hardy, but bears small, astrin- gent fruit. These cross-bred apples are about the size of a crab apple, and, while they are not of sufficiently good flavour to be eaten raw with much pleasure, they make very good preserves or jelly. Some of the most successful varieties this year are Silvia, Alberta, Elsa, Columbia, Ruby, Northern Queen, Eve, and Carleton. There are quite a number of seedlings of cross-bred apples growing in the orchard. Most of these produce fruit abundantly, but the fruit is very inferior. A few trees have borne fruit of good quality, two in particular, a seedling of Cluster and a seedling of Sparta being deseiwing of mention. The young seedling trees of standard varieties planted in 1912 have done well. Additional seeds and seedlings of the Charlamoff, Blushed Calville, Repka Ivislaga, Hibernal, Patten's Duchess, and August have been planted this year. As was done last year, these are planted in large numbers in nursery rows, 1 foot apart in the row, and the rows 3 feet apart. Thus a large number can be growTi on a small area. Tlie object is to test the hardiness of the individual plants before they are set out in per- manent locations. Large numbers are used so that a greater selection is possible. By starting with the seeds or with yearling trees, a longer period is possible for selec- tion and acclimatization than is possible with the usual size of trees obtained from nurserymen. PLUMS. The plum orchard bore very prolifically this season and, with one or two exceptions, the fruit ripened before the frost became severe. A number of young trees of the Cheney variety which were set out only last season bore small quantities of fruit. The 16 — 43^ Brandon. 656 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Major plum, a selection of the native stock, again ripened nearly two weeks earlier than the other kinds. This plum, though rather small and thick in the skin, is of excellent flavour, and makes splendid preserves. The usual variety of native plum was also harvested, as were some promising seedlings of Cheney. The Compass Chen'ies appear to be quite hardy, and bear freely. The fruit has the distinct flavour of cherries. Of the other hybi-id plums, Opata, Sapa, etc., which were put out last season, none fruited as yet, but for the most part they made a good growth. SHALL FRUITS. The new plantation, of small fruits has grown very well this season, but on account of the small quantities of fruit produced, no definite record was kept as to yield except in a few instances. A single bush of Houghton gooseberries gave nearly 5 pounds of fruit and nearly all the bushes of that variety bore some fruit, while Downing bore no fruit whatever. The Caroline, Herbert, and Sunbeam raspberries all produced small quantities of berries. ROSES. There are about twenty-four varieties of roses in the rose bed. These were all cut back in the autumn of 1912 and banked up with earth and straw so as to prevent frost injuries. The result was that very little killing back was noticeable, and a num- ber of the bushes flowered quite freely this season. The following are amongst the best bloomers : — Name. Commenced to bloom. Hybrid Perpetuals — Magna Charta Mrs. R. G. Sharman-Crawford. Mrs. John Laing Earl of Dufferin Ulrich Brunner Margaret Dickson Rugosa Hybrids — Blanc Double de Coubert Madame Georges Bruant /. Conrad F. Meyer Austrian Briar— Persian Yellow. June 28 June 21 June 28 June 28 June 21 July 5 June 18 July 28 Sept. 1 June 20 to 28 FLOWERS. Notwithstanding the fact that the perennial flowers produce an abundance of bloom with a minimum amount of labour, there is a dearth of them in the western farm gardens. Eealizing this, a perennial border has been commenced on the Farm this year, in order to demonstrate the ease with which hardy varieties can be maintained, and also to illustrate the arrangement of the plants. The bed has not been completed this year, but the plantings have been so arranged that additions can be made from time to time. Brandon. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 657 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 In the old perennial beds a succession of bloom was maintained from the bloom of the iris in May, until the frosts of October destroyed the giant daisies, perennial phlox, etc. The following lists of hardy perennials is here appended with time of full bloom- ing : — Variety. Date of Full Bloom. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica) German Iris (Iris germanica) Columbine (Aquilegia) Day Lily {Hemerocallis) Pinks (Dianthus) Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) Paeony (Paeonia) Sweet William (Dianthus barbatns^i Horsn Mint [Monarda piinctal-i) Perennial Larkspur [Delphinium) Campion (Lychnis chalcedonica) Perennial Phlox (Phlox paniculatn) Bellflower (Campanula Raineri) Giant Daisy (Chrysanthermim uliginosum) June June June June June June June June July July July Aug. Aug. 15 Sept.l5 U 16 16 16 18 18 22 30 12 17 20 1 FLOWERIXG BULBS. The usual supply of flowering bulbs was received in the autumn of 1912. The daffodils, scillas, etc., and a few of the tulips were potted and kept in the basement for use in the house during the winter. The following is a list of a number of these var- ieties, and time of blooming: — Brought up from basement. Narcissi or Daffodils- Bloomed. Golden Spur Barri Conspicuus . Sir Watkin Cynosure Princeps Empress Poeticus Ornatus. Scilla. — Scilla sibirica. Chionodoxa — Luciliae. . Gigantea. iFeb. 9. .Jan. 15.. Feb. 14. Feb. 4.. Feb. 18. " 6.. " 2.3. Mar. 7.. Mar. 17. " 7.. " 22. Apr. 2. . Apr. 14. Mar. 4. Feb. 18.. " 24.. Mar. 10. Feb. 2.3. Mar. 8. Brandon. 658 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1515 TULIPS. Variety. Colour. Brought up from Basement Bloom. Keizerskroon Pottcbakker (Scarlet) Duchesse de Parma iBrick red Joost von Vondel iWhite Cottage Maid Couronnc d'Or Red and yellow Jan. Bright red Rose and white. Orange yellow. . Feb. 15.. 20.. 29.. 6.. 11. 15.. Feb. Mar. 3. 15. 17. 20. 26. 4. The tulips that were planted in the flower beds made an exceptionally fine show- ing. The varieties were arranged so that the colour blended, and only those that bloomed about the same time were placed together. The usual method of planting in 'Jihe fall and mulching, was "followed. EARLY OR DUTCH TULIPS. Variety. Colour. Blooming Period. From. To. Artu.s _ Cottage Maid Couronne d'Or Chrysolora Duchesse de Parma Imperator Rubrorum. . . . Joost von Vondel (white) . (Red).. Keizerskroon La Reine Murillo Pottebakker (white) Pottebakker (Scarlet) Vermilion Brilliant Bright red Rose and white. Orange yellow. . Orange yellow . '. Brick red Scarlet White Red Red and yellow White Pinkish white... White Scarlet Scarlet 7 May 15 24 15 12 15 23 13 23 23 15 23 12 23 15 May 29. 30. 27. 29. 29. 30. 27. 30. 29. 27. 31. 27. 30. 28. DARWIN AND COTTAGE OR LATE TULIPS. Variety. Colour. Full Bloom. Darwin Varied June 2 Gesneriana Spathulata.. May 31. May 29. Isabella La Mervcille . Bronzy salmon 29. La Candour \Miite 29 Picotee Yellow Rose ^"\■hite, pink edge Golden yellow " 29. " 31 T^R\xnoN. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 659 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 DAHLIAS. About thirty varieties of dahlia were received from OttaAva this season. All were planted, but owing to a dry period ensuing immediately after planting, the growth was not as strong as usual. The flowers were much smaller than in 1912. The following ate a few of the best bloomers, with time of flowering. Variety. Tine of Flowering. M. D. Hallock. Gabriel Sylvia Capstan July 28. Aug. 6. Aug. 7. Aug. 25. Later in the season the Cactus Queen, Bon Ton, and King Fisher. ANNUALS. The season for flowers has, on the whole, been fairly satisfactory, thougli somewhat dry in the early part. The method of sowing the seed in boxes in the hotbed early in April, and transplanting in June to the flower beds, has again been successfully fol- lowed. The sweet peas, nasturtiums, etc., were sown in the outdoor beds. Thirty-two varieties of asters were grown. These made a splendid showing. The blight which usually attacks the asters here was largely combatted by moving them to a difl'erent part of the grounds. Only a very small percentage of loss was noted in the new loca- tion, while a few varieties planted on the usual beds were badly injured. SWEET PEAS. About 100 varieties of sweet peas were under test this season. With the exception of about one dozen varieties, which failed to germinate, they did very well, giving a wealth of bloom, even late in the season. The soil for the sweet peas was dug up deeply the previous fall. All seed was sown on April 22, and the plants were in bloom by the second week in July. The following are selected for size of flowers, and distinctness of colouring: — Variety. Colour. King Edward VII 'Rich crimson. Black Knight Maroon. Lord Nelson Deep navy blue. Paradise Ivory White. Countess Spencer i Pink. Stirling Stent .: Salmon orange. Helen Pierce Marbled or marbl6d blue. Senator Spencer Claret flaked on heliotrope ground. Aurora Blushed pink Brandon. 660 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 ANKUALS. Notes were taken on the flowers as in all the experimental work, and the following list of varieties with a part of the data secured^ is here appended: — Variety. Aster (33 varieties) Antirrhinum (13 varieties) Alonsoa (2 varieties) Balsam (mixed) Brachycome iberidifolia Clarkia elegans Celosia cristata {Cockscomb) . Candytuft (2 varieties). Coreopsis (6 varieties) . , Dimorphotheca (Orange daisy) Dianthus Gaillardia (annual) Godetia (2 varieties) .... Kochia (Summer Cypress) Larkspur (Annual) 3 types Linaria (2 varieties) Lobelia (2 varieties) .... Marvel of Peru Malope (2 varieties) Marigold (2 varieties)... Nemesia (5 varieties) . . . Nigella (Miss JekyU) . . . Nasturtiums (12 varieties) Phlox Drummondii (7 var- ieties) Pansies (3 varieties) Petunia (3 varieties) Portulaca Salvia Sweet Sultan (3 varieties). Stocks (10 week)- 12 var- ieties _. . . Salpiglossis (6 varieties)... Scabiosa (6 varieties) .... Sweet Peas (102 varieties) Verbena (7 varieties) Where sown. Hotbed. 4' Outside. . Hotbed Viola (4 varieties) . Outside. Hotbed Date sown. Date Trans- planted. .\pril 12. . June " 11.. I " 12.. 12.. 12.. 12.. 12.. 12. 12. " 12. .\pril 15. " 15. " 15. April 15. " 16. " 16. " 15. " 16. " IG. " 16. " 15. " 10. May 22. April 15. " 15. " 15. " 16. " 16. " 16. " 15. " 15. " 15 " 22. " 15. " 15. 5. 5. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4. 4.. 4.. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5. 5.. 5.. 5.. 5. . 5.. 5.. 5. . 5.. 5.. Height of Plant. 1-3 in. to 2 ft. 4 in. 9 in. to 2 ft. 8 in. 2 ft. 5 in 14 in. 16 in. 9 in. 14 in. 1 in. 10 in. to 3 ft.. 14 in. 2ft 5 in. to 13 in 2 ft. 6 in 2 ft. 4 in. to 3 ft. 14 in. to 18 in 4^ in. and 5 in . . . 3 ft. 2 in 2 ft. and 3 ft 1ft. and 2 ft 9 in. to 11 in 15 in Flowering Period. 9 in. to 2 ft 6 in. to 8 in 14 in. to 19 in 8 in 20 in 16 in. to 3 ft. 2 in. 6. 6. 14 in. to 16 in 3 in. to 3 ft. 3 in. 2 in. to 10 in.. . . 18 in. to 4 ft 12 in. to 18 in 9 in. to 12 in. July 22 to Oct. 7. " 16 until frost Sept. 22). May 5 to Sept. 10. Froze off June 5. June 28 to Sept. 13. " 23 to Aug. 16. July 17, Froze Sept. 21. Slightly injured by frost Sept. 16. June 16 to Sept. 16. " 28 to frost, (Sept. 21. June 23 to Aug. 30. July 17 to frost Sept. 22. " 8 to frost (Sept.22) " 1 to Aug. 19. Ornamental leaved. July 19; dug up Oct. 7. June 15 to Sept. 22. July 1 to Sept. 22. " 28 to frost, Sept. 21. " 17 to Sept. 22. June 16 to Sept. 22. " 28 to frost (Sept.22) July 26 to Aug. 15. Full bloom Aug. 8. Froze Sept. 21. June 23; dug up Oct. 7. . " 23; dug up Oct. 7. " 28 to Sept. 30 July 1 to Sept. 21. " 28 to Sept. 20. " 3 to Sept. 21. " 1; dug up Sept. 22 "July 2 to frost Sept.22 July 28 to Sept, 13. " 4 until dug up Oct " 17 until dug up Oct. 7. June 23, until dug upOct. Br.\ndon. DITI8I0N OF HORTICULTURE 661 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLES OF POTATOES. A free distribution of 269 samples of seed potatoes, 3 pounds per sample, was made to applicants in the province of Manitoba. ARP.OHETUM. No additions have been made to the arboretum this season, but the usual notes regarding wintering, season's growth, etc., have been made. No serious injuries have been noted except some depredations from leaf-destroying insects. The Spruce Bud Worm (Tortrix fumiferana) has done considerable dam^age to both the white and blue spruce trees. The Manitoba maple, ash, elm have also suffered, but in a lesser degree, from insects peculiar to them. The growth this season has, on the whole, been very good, and no losses have been recorded. Owing to the hot dry weather that prevailed during the early part of June, the flowering period of the flowering shrubs was somewhat shortened. Nevertheless, there being a variety of each of the kinds of shrubs, a continued bloom was maintained throusrhout the flowering season. FLOWERING SHRUBS. Quite a num'ber of varities of Lilac (Si/ringa) are under test; Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) bloomed from May 31 to June 12. Syringa Josilcaea or Josika's lilac bloomed from June 9 to June 25, Syringa villosa, a Chinese lilac, from June 14 to June 26, and Syringa amurensis from June 21 to June 30. With their beautiful foliage the lilacs make splendid specimen shrubs all the growing season. "lonicera tatarica" (tartari.'VK honeysuckle). The different types of this variety of bush honeysuckle have proven quite hardy, and ^ve a wealth of fragrant bloom; the flowering season for these is from June 2 to 17. C.^BAGANA. The different forms of Caragana gave an abundance of bloom, but only for a short season. This year the bloom was from May 29 to June 7 for Caragana arhor- escens or Siberian pea tree. This is the largest of the Caraganas. Caragana grandiflora and Caragana frutescens are smaller in size; they bloom about the same time as Caragana arhorescens. Caragana pygmcea is much smaller than the preceding type and blooms June 5 to 20. It is grown principally for its flne foliage. JS'INEBARK (PHYSOCARPUS) . £ This shrub kills back badly during the winter but usually produces a fair amount bloom. Both Fhysooarpus (Neillia) opiiUfoUm and opxdifolius aureus bloomed from June 16 to 28. VIBURNUMS. Snowball (Viburnum Opulus sterile) was the most prolific bloomer of all the flowering shrubs. It was a mass of snowy white flowers, for a considerable period — Brandox. 662 EXPElilMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 June 9 to 23. While the snowball has not bloomed evei-y season on this Farm, it is well worthy of a place in any collection of shrubs'. The Wayfaring tree (Vihurnum Lantana) kills back badly some seasons; it blooms May 29 to June 5. The Highbush cranberry (Viburnum Opnlus) does very well, and the red berries in the autumn add to the beauty of the shrubbery. The season for blooming, both for it and the sheep- berry {Viburnum lentago) is June 5 to 17. SPIRAEAS. There are a number of varieties of spiraea in the arboretum. Those that stand the winter fairly well are: Spiraea Van Houttei, Spiraea hypericifolia, and Spiraea Billardii; these bloomed from June 1 to 23. Quite a large number of other species are under test ; the above are a- few of the more commonly-grown flowering shrubs. HEDGES. It has always been the practice on this Farm to test out hedges for windbreaks as well as for ornamental purposes. At the present time about twenty are under test, and no part of the arboretum is the subject of more comment from visitors. The newer and smaller hedges are located on the south sido of the drive between the superintendent's residence and the barns, while a few of the older hedges are on the north side of the drive. Of the latter, the white spruce (untrimmed) is the largest, about I7i feet high and 7 feet across. The result of cultivation, is well illustrated in the growth of the spruce hedge; where one end was cultivated, and the other end not cultivated, the latter is only about half the size of the cultivated part. A trimmed hedge of Oaragana arborescens is now 16 feet high and 5 feet across; both these hedges are now almost wind proof. The following list is given as quite a number of inquiries are received regarding suitable material for hedges : — Bhandon. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 663 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 0) o O o Q c; M ^ S o c3 oj c3 M .« a 0) a; . t^ ^ a; ^ c- "^ _ .-. +^ ■13 s S =3 a'" S G a> > B O o > o > c3 c & k> P fcO •XS h c3 g s O O XI a -.-I C=5"0 " 01 C „ .2 i-c-^ p I i W Sec SQ .= a c fe ft o ° -a (3 03 O m ^ -3 . T3 03 . (D S e OJ c3 a^ 03^ <1> fi 3 (D to Wl O to bfi c3 -a B 03 OJ a o o o H fcD o c3 '3 CO O X o -tJ ^J +i -1-5 Xi *i-t^ ^ t^ iOTt<> X CO . +3 X >0 IC (M <^ 00 -XI 00 .X ^^•ft O O rt ^ ^ m a 3.2 ftTj o o o c/jco cc T3^ a 3 O SJ •l-l 73 o T3 3 T3 01 « ID T3 >^ B C 3 !-i .-J 10 m 3 0) 3 Q cc 3 13 ft o 3 a O 3 -a a T3 a a a >> > 1 3 > 1 3 > 3 73 -1"^ ^ s ^ Tl ^g — -a ^ 0, 1 0 0 ^ OJ CD (1 a; c n 0 H a 2 ■^ .^ *^ g « s.- C ., .- Ol CO Tt* 10 ; J2 a P. a 8 -II •2.1 3 Qj . o; 3 >- p a 9 o >• e a a a 3 ■ft 0) s ?! c s a. ^ 3 .2 =1 3 o ■^a o o o ■ S a a CO 'a S -m' CO o X u 3 o 3 J3 r> 1-^ 0 73 ID M cS o 3 O O 4^ c9 (O 03 a c3 S, ?'273 a ~ o 5^ ^ S a 13 =0 a 0 a- l~ a u 00 Q V ai 0 n. 0 7a s CO Br\>:!>ox. 664 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION FOR SOUTHERN SASKATCHE- WAN, INDIAN HEAD, SASK. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, T. J. HARRISON, B.S.A. During the year, Mr. Angus Mackay, who for twenty-six years was Superintendent of this Farm, resigned and accepted the position of Inspector of Western Experimental Farms. Wlaile in charge he did much for the advancement of horticulture, not only in southern Saskatchewan but in the whole Canadian Central West. He transformed a portion of this Farm from a bare waste of prairie to a veritable park of shelter belts, hedges, drives, lawns, and flower gardens. The horticultural grounds will forever be a monument to the great work he has acomplished for the West. Although much has been done, there is much still to do, for at present there is a scarcity of western data on horticulture. Our immense correspondence shows the great interest that is being taken by the farmers in this line of farming. WEATHER CONDITIONS. On the whole the season of 1913 was favourable for the growth of all clashes- of horticultural crops. The spring was early, with no damaging frosts to aifect the fruit blossoms. May was mild and bright which facilitated the earlj^ planting of the vege- tables and aruiual flowers. Eight and one half inches of rain fell in June and July, stimulating a luxurious growth in the vegetable and flower gardens. The large amount of sunshine in August and September had the effect of ripening the fruit and vege- tables before the fall frosts damaged them. A hail-storm in the late summer damaged the apple crop to some extent, thus lowering its value. The fall was warm and bright, causing an abundant bloom in the flower gardens until killed by the frosts in October. VEGETABLE TESTS. ASPARAGUS. A good crop was obtained from the old beds of Barr's Mammoth, Barrs Elmira, and Conover's Colossal. In use from May 5 to August 6. Three new varieties. Pal- metto, Columbia Mammoth, and Colossal were sown on May o. The seed came up on June 12 and made a strong growth during the season. These plants will be trans- planted to permanent beds in the spring of 1914. Beans- -Sown in the garden 1 ^lay 16. Variety. In use. Ripe. Remarks. Karl V T? ef uffoo . . Aug. 20.. July 28.. " 28 Sept. 4.. " 19.. Poor croD. a TCpTinpv's UnstlosR Wax Did not ripen. Poor crop. it Warf] Udell's Kidnpv Wax. . . .... Aug. 3.. July 28.. " 25. . " 20. . Aug. 30.. Sept. 4. . Aug. 30.. " 20 . Strincless Green Pod Bountiful tt Ref usee te DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 665 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Beets — Sown May 3, pulled October 1. Variety. In Use. Eclipse .* jJuly 18. Ruby Dulcet ' " 16. Meteor " 16. Black Red Ball Early Blood Red Turnip... . Egyptian Dark Red Turnip. 28. 22. 26! Yield per acre. Bush .Lb. 792 40 783 631 20 715 20 773 20 676 40 BRUSSELS SPROUTS. ^ Sown in the hothouse April 17 ; transplanted in the garden May 28 ; in use Sep- tember 9 ; average weight per head 3 pounds ; very satisfactory. Yields of vegetables were computed from the weights obtained from one row 30 feet in length. Cabb.\ge — Sown in hothouse March 24; set out in garden May 26; taken up Octobers. Variety. In use. Average weight of one head. Remarks. Small Erfurt Winningstadt Lubeck Magdeburg Copenhagen Market Early Jersey Wakefield Early Paris Market Large Late Flat Drumhead. . Extra Early Summer Savoj^ Fottlers Improved Brunswick. . Danish Delicatesse Red Red Danish Stonehead Danish Summer Ballhead Extra Amager Danish Ballhead Copenhagen Market Imp. Amager Danish Ballhead. Flat Swedish Aug. 2. 8. July 27 Aug. 7 July 27 li 29 Aug. 2 it 26 it 2 it 1.5 Sept. 30 H 20 Aug. 26 ii 10 July 27 Aug. 10 " 15 I Lb. 4 10 6 9 15 11 4 11 5 13 ^ 4 5 5 9^ 8 9 Good crop. Cauliflower — Sown in hothouse April 14; set out in garden May 28. Variety. In use. Average Weight. Remarks. Danish Giant Aug. 10.. Lb.' 6 Good crop. Did not ger- minate. Good crop. Early Snowball Extra Selected Dwarf Erfurt Aug. 6.. 7 Indux Head. 666 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Celery — Sown in hothouse March 24; transplanted June IS' in trenches 18 inches deep, 9 inches of well rotted manure in bottom of trench and 6 inches of soil on top of manure. Variety. In use. Weight per dozen heads. Evans' Triumph French Success White Plume Noll's Magnificent.. . Paris Golden Yellow- Giant Pascal Rose Ribbed Lb. Sept. 9. 15 " 20. 30 " 2. 22 " 10. 21 " 22. 23 " 20. 24 " 23. 18 Carrots. — Sown in garden April 28 ; pulled October 1. Variety. French Horn Improved Nantes. . . . Half Long Chantenaj' In use. Yield per acre. Remarks. July 15.. " 15.. " 20. . Bush. Lb. 715 20 792 40 773 20 Good crop. it Cttrok — One variety, Colorado, was sown in the hothouse April 1. Xone of the seed germinated, so that no results can be given. Cucumbers — Sown in the hothouse April 1; transplanted in garden May 28; all var- ieties gave a very satisfactory crop. Variety. Giant Pera Cool and Cri.sp Extra Early Russian. Prize Pickling Pe:'rless White Spine. A.ug. Weight from three hills. 8.. Aug. 20.. 14., (t 26.. C. (( 20.. 8.. it 20.. 16.. li 30.. Lb. 30 24 42 50 37 Indiax Head. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 667 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Garden Corn — Sown in garden May 27. Variety. Early Evergreen Perkins Early Early Malcolm Golden Bantam Fordhook Early Extra Early Adams ; Early Iowa .1 Metropolitan Squaw (Indian Head seed) Squaw (from Rennie) Sept. 10 a 16 Aug. 22 (< 28 i( 30 Sept. 4 Aug. 28 Sept. 9 Aug. 20 Sept. 9 Lb. 5 6 7 4 7 6 8 10 6 6 ECG Plant — The seed was sown in the hothouse on April 1, and the plants were trans- planted in garden on June 13. No fruit matured. Cress (Extra Curled) — Sown in garden on April 28. In use June 10. Pepper (Long E'ed Cayenne) — Sown in hothouse April 1. Transplanted in garden on June 13. No fruit matured. Summer Savory — Sown in garden May 5. Eeady for use August 2. Sage — Sown in the garden on May 5. Ready for use August 20. Lettuce — Sown in garden on April 28 and May 27. First seeding in use June 14. Second seeding in use July 6. Variety. Remarks. First seeding. Remarks. Second seeding. Red Edged Victoria Black seeded Simpson Gant Crystal Head Grand Rapids -. Improved Hanson , Crisp as Ice All Head jMedium heads Iceberg lExtra large. Summer iGood heads Good heads. Extra good. Good heads. Extra good. Medium heads. Large heads. Good heads. Parsley. — Two varieties, Double Curled and Triple Curled, were sown in the garden on May 5. Eeady for use July 10. Both varieties gave good crop. Triple Curled is recommended. Radish. — Two varieties, Turnip Scarlet and Early Scarlet White Tipped were sown in the garden on April 28, and a second seeding was made on May 19. The crop from the first seeding was ready for use on June 14. The crop from the second seeding was ready for use on June 26. Both these varieties gave satisfactory crops. Rhubarb. — The old beds gave a good crop from May 19 up to June 28 when they were removed to make room for lawns. A new bed was planted out in the new enclosure set aside for the horticultural experiments. Victoria, Strawberry, and Myatt's LinnaBUS are varieties that are recommended. Indl\n He.\d. 668 EXPERIMEIfTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Salsify. — One variety, Long White, was sown in the garden on May 5. Ready for use September 20. Taken up on October 3. The crop was extra good. Spinach. — Two varieties, Victoria and Bloomsdale, were sown in the garden on May 5. Eeady for use on June 20. Victoria is recommended as a good variety. Squash — Sown in hothouse April 7. Variety. Set out in garden. Weight per 3 hills. Delicious , ■ . . Vegetable Marrow Crookneck Squash Delicata Custard Marrow Long White Bush Marrow. Golden Hubbard May 28. " 28. " 28. " 28. " 28. " 28. " 28. Aug. 15.. Oct. 3.. July 25.. 3.. Aug. 20.. 3.. ii 28.. 3.. a 30.. 3.. n 2.. 3.. a 15.. 3.. Lb. 33 194 42 81 48 104 113 Onions. Onions. — Sown in garden April 26 in rows 15 inches apart. On account of the onion maggot attacking all varieties the crop was not satisfactory. Variety. Yield per acre. Remarks. White Queen Early Barletta Australian Brown White Pearl Red Early Flat Extra Early Red Large Red Wethersfield Dark Red Beauty Danvers Yellow Globe. , Bush. Lb. 174 164 212 193 290 154 188 145 222 20 40 20 40 30 20 Poor crop. tt ti Medium crop. Poor crop. a tt Medium crop. Garden Peas — Sown in garden May 3. Variety. In Use. Gregory's Surprise Nott's New Perfection Gradus Thomas Laxton Sutton's Excelsior .' . Premium Gem McLean's Advancer Juno Telephone Stratagem American Wonder Heroine July 8. 16. 14. 8. 20. 10. 16. 28. 24. 30. 10. 30. Ripe. Remarks. Aug. 13... " 13... . Sept. 4... Aug. 10... " 30... " 10... " 30. . . Sept. 8... " 4... " 2... " 13... Good crop. Indian Head. > < 16— 1915— p. G68. > < DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 669 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Parsnips — Sown in garden April 26. Taken np October 2. Variety. Hollow Crown. Guernsey , Yield per acre. Bush. Lb. 483 20 464 Remarks. Excellent crop. il tc PuMPKTNs — Sown in hothouse April 1. Set ont in parden ^far '^^■ Variety. Jumbo, or Mammoth King. Connecticut Plelcl In Use. Aug. 30. L'o. Weight from 3 hills. Lb. 333 111 Tomatoes — Sown in hothouse on March 24. Set out in garden June 4. Variety. Prosperity Florida Special Chalk's Early Jewel Sparks' Earliana Earliest North Adirondack Bonny Best Alacrity 2-24-9 (C.E.F.).. Alacrity 2-24-10 (C.E.F.) . Sunrise Earliana Earliana (C.E.F.) First ripe. Aug. 28. " 28. " 26. " 20. Sept. 1. Vug. 12. " 10. July 26. " 28. Aug. 30. " 1. " 28. Weight from 3 plants. Lb. 14 9 10 9 8 14 8i 20 16 10 10 14 Remarks. Medium crop. Light crop. Medium crop. Light crop. it (( Medium crop. Light crop. Heavy crop. << <( Medium crop. it It Garden Turnips — Sown in garden ]\fay 16. Taken up October 2. Variety. Early White Extra Early D. & F. Favorite. IC— 44 Yield per CLcre. Eush. Lb. 1,260 20 1,160 1,392 Remarks. Very heavy crop Indian Head. 670 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS & GEORGE v., A. 1915 POTATOES. Twenty-six varieties of potatoes were tested in drills "0 inches apart, and the sets plantefl 4 to 5 inches apart in the drill. Potatoes — Test of varieties. o Variety. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 1 Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) Americiin Wonder.... Carman No. 1 Everett Empire State Early Norther Early Hebron Dreer's Standard . . . Dalmeny Beauty . . . Factor Houlton Rose Hard to Beat Late Puritan Irish Cobbler Money Maker Morgan Seedling. . . . New Queen Rochester Rose Reeves' Rose Table Talk Vick's Extra Early.. Gold Coin Wee MacGregor. *Bermucia Early.. . . Eureka Extra Earlj-. *Early Ohio Character of soil. Date planted . Date lifted. Claj' loam . May 30. " 30. " ,30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " .30. " .30. •■' 30. " .30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " .30. " 30. " .30. " 30. " 30. " 30. " 30. Sept. 23. 23, 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23, 23, 23, 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. 23. Growth bize. Yield per acre. Form and ColoHr. Strong.. Large... Medium Medium Strong.. Large. Medium Large. 'Medium Medium Strong. . L'lrge.. Medium Large Bush. Lb. 281 145 195 251 175 353 373 431 445 276 558 223 331 354 345 3G7 392 333 382 390 355 540 483 43 525 36 40 40 20 20 40 40 20 60 10 10 20 20 20 40 oval, white. long, white. oval, " long, pink. long, white. long, red. long, pink and white. oval, white. " red. " white. (( (< round, white. " pink. oval, pink and white. oval, red. it ii " white. " pink and white. " white. " red. " white. " red. •Evidently seed was poor as very few came up. SMALL FRUITS. Early in the season the old plantation of small fruits was removed in order to make room for lawns. A new plantation was set out in which six specimens of each variety of currants and raspberries, and three specimens of each variety of gooseberry were planted. A list of the different varieties is given below. 6 Greenfield Red. 6 Pomona. C Perfection. 6 Red Dutch. 6 Red Grape. RED CURRANTS. 6 Red Cross. 6 Rankins Red. 6 Victoria Red. 6 Wilder. 10 White Grape. 6 White Cherry. 12 Large V.'hite. WHITE CURRANTS. 6 Verrieres White. 6 White Imperial. Indian Head. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 671 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 6 Boskoop Giant. 6 Climax. 6 Collins Prolific. 6 Clipper. 6 Eagle. 6 Dominion. 2 Ruth. 3 Downing. 3 Ramsay. 3 Smith's Improved, 3 Richland. 3 Houghton. BLACK CURRANTS. GOOSEBERRIES. 6 Eclipse. 6 Magnu,s. 6 Kerry. 6 Saunders. 6 Victoria Black. Red Jacket. Mabel. Rideau. Silvia. Carman. Pale Red. BLACK RASPBEURIES. 6 liilborn. RASPBERRIES. 6 Early King. 6 Golden Queen (White). 6 Marlboro. 6 Dr. Reider. 6 Snyder. 6 Cuthbert 6 Sunbeam. 6 Herbert PLUMS. The old plum orchard which was set out in 1894 was thi.s year cut out to allow of a new arrangement of the grounds. These trees which were of the native Manitoba variety, gave heavy crops of fruit almost every season, but, as a rule, the early fall frosts destroyed the fruit before it had ripened. In 1908 a number of cross-bred var- ieties were received from Professor Hansen, of Brookings, South Dakota. These were set out and are standing the winters well. Several varieties have fruited, giving large plums of good flavour. APPLES. Up to the present experiments with the larger varieties of apples have not led to very great success, probably on account of the fact that the stock used has been grown in eastern nurseries until two or three years old and then shipped west and planted. As a rule these trees winter-kill the first season and those that do survive receive a bad check so that they are useless for experimental work. In order to try and overcome the above difficulty by acelini^.tizing the young trees, some 3,000 seedlings were received from the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa, in the spring of 1912. These were planted in nursery rows and have survived their first winter without killing back in the least. This S])rin,a' a further shipment of 800 seedlings was received and planted iia the nurserj\ In tlils way it is hoped to secure hardy stock that will stand transplanting to the orchards without killing back the first winter. Below is a list of those varieties now in the nursery : — I 1912. 600 Anis seedling. 5.50 Antonovka seedling:. 525 Beautiful Arcade seedling. 55 Hibernal seedling. 220 Tetofsky seedling- 160 Duchess 450 Charlamoff " S50 Yellow Transparent seedling. If^— 44A 1913. 125 Handsome white seedling. 516 Blushed Calville 44 Angus " 94 Patten Duchess " 139 Patten Greening Indian Head. 672 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 In addition to the above, fifty 2-year old apple trees were obtained from Mr. A. P. Stevenson, of Dunstan, Man. These were planted out in the orchard and made a good growth during the past season. Below is a list of those obtained: — 5 Hibernal. .5 Blushed Calville. 5 Charlamofe 5 Anisette. 5 Repka Kislaga. 5 Volga Anis 5 Wealthy. 5 Whitney Crab. 5 Transcendent Crab. 5 Hyslop Crab. CROSS-BRED APPLES. A record was kept of the weight of fruit gathered from some of the best trees, and is given below. The date of picking was September 11 to 13. Orchard. Row. Record . No. Variety. Year planted. Year Ijcgan fruiting. Weight of fruit. Average Diameter. Xn 3 1 1 5 3 4 5 5 5 5 6 11 13 20 2 2 3 3 5 8 8 9 10 18 229 244 280 295 405 420 4»6 437 438 439 611 670 695 787 893 898 904 911 928 1281 1283 1297 1305 1437 Novelty 1902 1904 1906 1902 1901 1903 1903 1903 1903 1903 1904 1907 1905 l')08 1905 1905 1905 1905 1905 1908 1908 1908 1006 1906 1910 1911 1911 1909 1908 1911 1909 1909 1909 1909 1911 1911 1909 1912 1911 1911 1911 1911 1913 1912 1912 1912 1911 1912 Lb. 9^ 12 32 70 34 25 126 107 42 36 56 15 36 20 12 28 301 26 72 56 22 32 22 401 inch. O ' 3 ' a ' 4 ' 4 ' 4 ' 4 ' 4 < A ' 3 ' 5 ' 5 ' 6 ' 6 ' 6 ' 6 ' 6..... ' 8 ' 8 ' 8 ' 8 ' 8 Eve 1 1 Charles H Aurora.. ; Cavan 11 Ruby u Charles H ii 11 U I5 u I5 Derby Jewel li Stork Jewel 1 1 ^3 C^htirles.. . 1 .1 Tonv.. ' Eve Prince 11 Jewel. 1 1 1 1 I5 Edna C^olumbia.. ii Indian Head. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 673 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ANNUAL FLOWERS. ^'al■ietv. In bloom Transplanted in garden. From To Remarks. Asters (9 varieties) Asters (25 varieties) Antirrhinums (18 varieties) . . Alonsoa Balsam Brachycome Clarkia Celosia. . : Celosia (mixed) Eschscholtzia Dimorphotheca Coreopsis (6 varieties) Larkspur (3 varieties) Linaria •• . . . Marvel of Peru Mignonette Nemesia ._ Nasturtiums (5 varieties) . . . . Phlox (7 varieties) Petunias (3 varieties) Verbenas (6 varieties) Salvia Cosmos (mixed) Lobelia Pansies Viola Stocks Sweet Peas (18 varieties) Nigella Alonsoa Candytuft Chrysanthemum Anthus Gaillardia Godetia Linaria (mixed) Lobelia Lupines (mixed) Malope (crimson and white). Marigold (African mixed) . . . Marigold (French dwarf)... . Poppy (4 varieties) Portulaca (double mixed). . . Sweet Sultan (mixed) Verbena (mixed) Viola Pansy (extra choice) Acroclinium (Dbl. Rose).... (Sgl.Ro.se).... (Sgl. White)... Rhodanthe (mixed) Ammobium alatum Gomphrena (mixed) " (variegated) Helichrysum (mixed) ....... Calliopsis Stx)cks (Virg. Mixed) June 2 July 1-5. .. Sept. 14. 2 " 24...iOct. 4. " 2 " 15... 'Sept. 15. " 5 " 14... 'Aug. 20. Seed did not germin ate. June 6 Au?. 15. July 4 July 24. i i " 4., 6 1 " 6.. 6 1 " 2.. 6 1 " 6.. 6 i " 29. 6 Aug. 2.. 4 July 22.. 6. 2 3. 4. 3. 2 6. 6. 25. 26.. 18.. 10.. 3. 3. 30. 12. Sept. 2. Au2. 20. " 20. " 21. 'July 30. 'Aug. 20. Sept. 2. Aug. 28. " 20. " 30 " 30 " 30. " 30. " 30 " 30. " 20. " 26. 6 " 12... " 26. Seed did not germinate. Good. Fair. Good. Fair. Good. Medium. Good. Medium. Good. r'air. Good. Sown Apr. 19:July 10... June 6 Aug. 2... i " 5 'July 20., 5 |Aug.30. Aug. 30... " 25. . " 25.. " 30.. I Seed did not germinate. .Tune 6. . . July 28.. Did Aug. 2.. 6 June 28 . . 6... 5. . . 6... 6... 6... 6... 5... 9 " 28.. Aug. 16. . " 2 July 15.' Aug. 10 . June 20. .July 28. " 10. Aug. 30. not bloom Aug. 26.. " 11.. " 30.. Sept. 2.. " 3.. Aug. .30.. Sept. 16.. Aug. 26.. Sept. 1 . . " 2.. Did not germinate. June ■| ." June 26... Sept. 28.. " 20... " 28.. " 24...!Oct. 2.. Did 'not bloom " 30.. July 15.. " 18.. " 7.. " 30 . 1., Sept. 30. i " 30. Oct. 4. Sept. 28. |Oct. 4. Aug. 30. Good. Medium. oood. Medium. Good. Medium. Good. Medium. Good. Fair. It Good. Medium. Good. Indi.\n Head. 674 EXP Eli I M ENTA L FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A 1915 PERENNIAL FLOWERS. Early in the season the old perennial beds were removed in order to allow of a new arrangement of lawns and drives. These old plants, along with a number of new varieties received from the Central Experimental Farm, were planted in a border which is' 12 feet wide and extends for 420 feet on the north and west sides of the iiiclosure. An arrangement of these plants has been made, as to height and colour, tliat will undoubtedly give a very fine appearance when they are in full bloom. A list of the old perennials that flowered after being removed is given below: — Variety. In bloom From To Hesperis June (Jorafrcy Sweet William. Iris..., I " < teranium i " ( lematis j " Yarrow i " Lupinvis " Dianthus " Columbine " Chrj'santhemum " Paeony 0-S21 'July 0-920 " Tiger Lily " Thalictruiii June Hcmerocallis 'July Veroniea Lychnis Spirtica Canterbury Bell. Delphinium July Platycodon 0-727 | |] Aconitura I rSunflowers !Aug. Phlox " Spiraea japonica July 15 Aus. 26 Sept 20 Aug. IS July 26 Sept 28 Aug. 25 Sept -:0 25 i( 14 July 20 U 28 it 14 " 4 u 15 Aug. 11 a 15 Sept 14 Aug. 15 ii 26 Sept 24 U 28 s" 24 iC 4 ii 16 ii 4 Aug. 15 19 30 2 2 24 20 19 .30 15 16 10 28 28 10 15 10 20 28 25 20 20 10 20 25 8 Remarks. Good show of bloom. BULBS. In tlie fall of 1912 some 3,800 tulips, narcissus, and crocus bulbs were received from the Central Experimental Fann, Ottawa, and planted in beds in front of the Superintendent's house. These commenced to bloom on May 22, and were in bloom on June 2, making a very fine show of bloom. On October 21, 1913, 2,T00 tulips, comprising thirteen varieties, were received from the Experimental Farm at Ottawa and planted in beds in different parts of the grounds. C.'^NNAS. On IMay 10, twenty varieties of cannas were received from the Central Experi- mental Farm, Ottawa. These were planted out on June 3 and bloomed from August 16 to September 10. Indun Head. DIVISION OF nORTICVLTORE 675 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 TREES AND SHRUBS. _ All varieties made a good growth dviring the season. A list of those that bloomed is given below: Variety. Syringa vulgaris Syringa villosa Marie Legraye Abel Carriere Madame Lemoine Alphonse Lavallee Madame Casimir Perier. Emile Lemoine Charles X , Jacques Calot La Tour d'Auvergne Charles Joly Michel Buchner Congo Condorcet Lilacs. Otheic Varieties of Shribs. From June Pruiius dcmissa May Pyrus bctulaefolia , " Lonicera latarica splcndens 'June Spiraea argv.ta. Euonymus linearis Sambucus Lonicera gracilipes Lonicera Morrowi Lonicera bella Viburnum prunifolium . Pyrus americana Syringa. May Aug. June Caragana arburescens . . . Caragana fruiescens Caragana Redowskii . . . . Caragana pygmaea Caragana gra ndi flora Caragana mollis glabra. Crataegus coccinca Thuya occidentalis Crataegus sanguinea. . . . Pyrus baccata Sambucus nigra Spiraea japonica Viburnum Lentago May June May June May June June 1. 10. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. 1. 3. 2 i! 2 4! 6. 2. 28. 23, 4, 28. 10, 2 6^ 1. 1. 3. I. 1 28. 28. 27. 4. 27. 28. 26, 3. 4. 27. 1. In bloom ^o June 15 18 21 20 1:5 14 10 14 15 It) 15 17 18 20 18 June 12 i.i 4 i.i 20 (( 9 Sept. 19 June 13 (( 26 u 22 it 24 ti, 21 ii 16 li 15 June ''? 14 t< 14 u 17 it 12 u 14 a 13 a 16 a 13 a 10 " 12 24 Sept. 6 6 June 20 Indian Head. 676 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLES. Each spring a free distribution of samples of the products of the HorticultuKil Department is made to residents of southern Saskatchewan. These samples comprise trees, shrubs, small fruit cuttings, tree and shrub seeds, flower seeds, and rhubarb roots. Below is given a list of these sent out during the past season : Trees, 682 packages containing 75 seedlings. Shi-ubs, 565 packages containing 50 assorted shrubs. Tree seeds and shrub seed, 115 packets containing 1 pound of maple, ash, and caragana seed. Flower seeds, 184 packages containing 3,312 packets of hardy annual and peren- nial flower seeds. Ehubarb roots, 208 packages containing 6 roots each of the most suitable varie- ties. I desire to express my appreciation and thanks to my gardener, B. Goldsmith, who is a painstaking workman, and to my bookkeeper, Geo. Lang, who has done much to make the work of this branch successful. While the office work of necessity takes t3ie greater part of his working hours, he spends considerable time in the horticultural grounds collecting data and studying the growth of different plants. •t-l < m— i!»i5— p. r,7fi. DirisWX OF HORTICULTURE 677 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, ROSTHERN, SASK. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. W. A. MUNRO, B.A., B.S.A. The horticultural work at this Station was vitalized in the season of 1913 by the employment of a qualified gardener, Mr. Wm. Godfrey, of Newcastle, England. Added to this is the advantage of the effectiveness of. windbreaks that have been planted for some time, but until this year were not large enough to be of any service as a protection. Caragana hedges planted ia 1911 are now about 4 feet high, and the currant and raspberry bushes planted the same season are a protection to themselves as well as to the nearby vegetables and strawberries. There was not so much moisture from March to August as in the corresponding- period of the previous two seasons, by over 4 inches, and the latter parts of May and June were especially dry. Nevertheless, none of the crops suffered to any great extent and the rain of July and August revived them. EVERGREENS. Every spring since 1909 we have been receiving evergreens, particularly varieties of spruce and pine, from various nurseries, and only a small percentage have lived. The trees were of various sizes from seedlings 3 inches high to trees 2 feet high. The trouble evidently was because of the difficulty in shipping them such long distances, and at the same time keeping the roots moist. More success was attained by obtaining native black and white spruce in their natural environment north of Duck lake, 2fl miles from the Experimental Station. In 1911, forty-one trees were obtained, forty of which are still alive. In 1912, 157 were similarly obtained and 156 grew. In 1913 we secured 116, and present indications are that only two will die. The trees obtained were of height varying from 1 to 7 feet. FLOWERS. In the autumn of 1912 we potted upw^ards of 300 tulip bulbs and placed them in a dry cool cellar. They were well watered at time of storing and watered at intervals of about two weeks all winter. Two weeks before Christmas holidays we began takimr them up, one or two at a time. After removing a pot from the cellar it was placed in a dark part of the room, and after a few days brought a little nearer a window. In two weeks a bud appeared and in three to five weeks the plant was in full bloom. By bringing' the bulbs up at intervals throughout the winter, there was a constant bloom of tulips in the house from Christmas until Easter. Of upwards of twenty-five vari- ties tried .in this way therfc was not one but came to good bloom. A small number of hyacinths and narcissi were treated similarly, with equally good results. The border around most of the lawn and including a length of nearly one-quarter of a mile was fir&t completely planted in 1913. The shrubs behind the border are of suf- ficient growth to afford a splendid background, and altogether the setting was good. The flowers of particular value are tulips, Iceland pojipy, pinks, nasturtiums, pansies, and later in the season asters, irises and dahlias. 678 EXPERIMENTAL FAIiMti 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 BUSH FKUITS. The work in small fruit culture at this Station has not. been conducted sufficiently long to be of much value as a test of varieties. The dilficulty has been to get anything started, and even yet we have no gooseberries. Black currants planted in 1911 yielded a small crop ini 1913, and so with the red and white currants. Better results were obtained from the raspberries. Following are the yields for 1913 of the raapfcerries under experiment that were planted in 1911 : — \ Variety. No. of Bushes. Yield in Pints. Turner 15 23 23 22 m 323^ 7 Loudon King Sunbeam 19H To protect the raspberries from danger of froet they were bent over in the autumn and the tips were weighted with a shovelful of earth, and over the whole again was placed a layer of straw 1 foot in thickness, and the straw was held in place by poplar poles. In the spring, after the snow had left they were uncovered and nothing more was done the remainder of the season than keeping the weeds down. After the berries were picked the canes that had fruited were removed. STrtA\\^ERRIES. Difficulty has been experienced in obtaining a start in strawberry culture. The plants received from a distance are usually pretty much dried, and out of fifty we could not get more than from three to ten to grow. However, by nurturing th lb. oz. 33 15 Fordhook Earlv 21 2 Extra Early Adams 19 12 Early Iowa 15 12 Carter's Improved Sweet 13 12 Golden Bantam 6 5 Perkins Earlv 5 3 EOSTHEBN. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 681 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Cucumbers. Variety. Two plants of each variety. Hotbed. Giant Pera _ _ __ . 131 Extra Early Russian 71 Peerless White Spine 66 Cool and Crisp ... 49 Prize Pickling ... . 19 Onions. Variety. Weigh of one row 30 ft. long. Good bulbs Thicknecks Large Red Wethersfield ' lb. 10 16 34 2 34 33 29 26 37 17 oz. 1 8 4 4 3 1 3 3 15 4 lb. 31 16 11 . V> 10 4 2 4 11 13 oz. 15 Danvers' Yellow Globe 12 Salzer's Wethersfield _ 6 Johnson's Dark Red Beauty .....' 8 Extra Early Red ft Early Barletta 5 W"hite Queen 10 White Pearl 6 Australian Brown 8 Red Early Flat 8 Parsnhps. Variety. Weight. Hollow Crown. Peas. lb oz. 24 3 Variety. Stratagem Gradus American Wonder. juno Nott's New Perfection. McLean's Advancer. . . . Premium Gem Heroine Thos. Laxton Gregory's Surprise Telephone Sutton Excelsior Weight of one row 30 ft. long shelled. lb. oz. 8 2 14 11 8 7 6 .5 5 14 14 7 ROSTHERN. 682 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Salsify. 1 Variet}'. Weight of one row 30 ft. long. Long White lb. oz. 31 15 Squash. Variety. Three hiils of each variety. No of fruits. Long Vegetable Marrow Carter's Trailing Vegetable MaiTOW Long White Bush Marrow Golden HuVjbard Summer Crookneck Delicious Tomatoes. Variety. Five plants of each variety. No. of Weight of ripe fruits. ^. green fruits. Bonny Besl Alacrity 2-24-9 North Adirondack Earliaiia XXX Earliest Round ; Alacrity 2-2410 Sparks' Earliana (Sunnybrook Strain) Tlennie's Earliest LX.L Prosperity Chalk's Early Jewel lb. 0 5 4 7 5 4 6 5 14 4 4 7 4 5 0 3 2 12 3 3 9 3 3 10 1 4 12 3 4 Turnips. Variety. D. & F. Favourite. Weight of i 30 ft. row. lb. 98 oz. 14 EOSTHERN. DiriSlOy OF HORTICULTURE 683 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 POTATOES. The results in the experiments with potatoes this year were rather disappointing in comparison with those of last year, for in some instances there seemed to be a con- tradiction in results. The variety tests of eleven leading varieties planted on summer- fallow gave the following yields per acre for each of the past three years. The yieW is based upon two rows each 78 feet long. Variety Dreer's Standard Morgan Seedling Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) Everett Money Maker Rochester Rose Late Puritan Reeves' Rose Dalmeny Beauty Vick's Extra Early Irish Cobbler 3-year 1911 1912 1913 average. bush. bush. bush. bush. 528 840 596 654 475 848 634 652 479 804 562 615 497 824 523 615 514 822 494 611 453 807 526 595 431 699 529 553 484 659 456 ' 533 448 744 389 527 431 625 515 523 255 573 437 458 Irish Cobbler is of good quality and in a short season is of decidedly superior quality to any of the other varieties, but is of so low yield and so irregular in shape that it can scarcely be recommended as a commercially profitable variety to grow. Moneymaker produces larger potatoes than any other variety. They are white, long, and have medium eyes, but are of poor quality. Dreer's Standard, Morgan Seeding, and Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) are of good shape and fair quality. An experiment has been conducted for the past two years on depth of seeding with the following results: — Depth of Seeding. 4 inches deep, 4 inches sub.s-iiling 6 inches deep 4 inches deep 2 inches deep 1912 Bush. 789 775 659 465 1913 Bush. 498 526 540 531 2-year average. Bush. 634 650 599 498 Two plots of potatoes othervv'ise alike in every respect were cultivated differently in 1912 and 191?>. One plot was hilled in June whereas the other was kept level. The potatoes from the plot treated to level cultivation were slightly more sunburned than those froin the plot that was hilled. If digging is not done early there is more danger from a few of the potatoes in the level plot being frozen by the early fall frosts. Variety. 1912 1913 2-ye'ir average. Hilled ". Bush. 620 645 Bush. 567 527 Bush. 593 Unhilled 586 ItOSTllERiC. 684 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Following are the results: A similar experiment in 1910 showed a difference of 50 bushels per acre in favour of level cultivation. Potatoes planted at different .distances apart gave the following results :■ — Distance apart. 1912 1913 2-year average. Seed 12 inches, rows 30 inches 657 609 570 505 528 394 581 " 14 " " 3.3 " 618 " 15 " " 36 " 482 EOSTIIERN. DIVLSION OF UORTICVLTURE 685 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, SCOTT, SASKATCHEWAN, EEPORT OF THE SUPEEINTENBENT, R. E. EVEREST, B.S.A. The weather conditions of the past year favoured successful wurlc- in gardening. The season of 1913 opened early, growth was uniform and continued well into late summer. The rainfall was not heavy but was such as to encourage a fair growth on well tilled land. .This moderate growth in an open season permitted classes of vegetables to mature here which had in previous years failed. Tomatoes were ripened, cucumbers grew in the open, celery came to the table stage, and corn was practically in use. Horticulture, especially in fruit and ornamental tree growing, is persistently arranged for, and a considerable showing is already made on the grounds in this direc- tion. Improvement was made to the entrance of the Station in the autumn by opening up a main drive through the lawn, changing the gateway to the corner adjoining the town and, on this portion of the road line in front of the lawn and residence, 700 feet of lawn fence was erected, replacing the plain fence previously used. • This change improves the approach to the Farm considerably. Work in horticul- ture has not received vei-y much thought or effort heretofore in this young grain-grow- ing section of the province. The clerical and outside work of experimenting requires knowledge and experience to change the present prevailing custom, and as these are obtained, marked advance in thi=! line of work will be seen. • VEGETABLES. POTATor.S — TEST OF \ARir.TlE?. Nineteen varieties of potatoes were planted on tlie 20th of May in drills 30 inches apart and the sets at about 12 inches apart in the row. There were four rows of each variety, each row 66 feet long. Frequent cultivation was given during the season, and a fair growth of top was seen. The potatoes were taken up on the 30th of Sep- tember. The crop was not large in total yield, but in quality and size of tuber the result was favourable. 16—45 686 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 PoTA'JOES — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. Date of planting. 1 Table Talk 2 Wee McGregor 3 Dreer's Standard. . 4 Rawlings' Kidney, Kidney) 5 Morgan Seedling... 6 Carman No. 1 7 Dalmcnv Beauty... 8 Gold Coin 9 Money Maker 10 Rochester Rose. . . . 11 Empire-State 12 Everett 13 Irish Cobbler 14 Late Puritan. f.\shlcaf Vick'sE.xtra Early. Factor 15 16 17 Reeves' Rose. 18 Hard to Beat 19 American Wonder. May 20. 1 " 20. • " 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. 20. Date of lifting. Sept. 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 20 30 30 Size. . Medium .Large... . Medium tt Large... . Medium .Large... .Medium .Small... .Large... Medium .Large... .Medium .Large... .Medium (( n ! Small... Yield per acre. Form and ColoHr. Bush. Lb. 283 48 lOval, white. 255 12 iLong, white. 242 33 Round, white. 240 237 226 218 216 209 202 188 179 175 172 148 133 132 130 80 54 3 3 54 28 24 39 58 27 9 30 54 18 Kidney-shaped, white. Long, white. Round, white. Oval, white. lOval, white. Long, white. Long, red. Long, white. Long, pink. Round, deep eyes, white Oval, white. Long, pink and white. Oval, white. " red. " white. Round, white, pink eyes Seven varieties of potatoes grown on a different area basis were also tested and resulted as follows. Potatoes. — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. Number of rows growTi. Prince Albany 'l row, 66 ft. New Queen. Early Norther Houlton Rose Early Hebron Early Ohio, 0-1693 ... . Bermuda Early 0-16SS. 2 rows, 66 66 66 " 66 1 row, 66 2 rows, 66 Date of plant- ing. Date of lifting, j Size. Yield per acre. long.... 1 May 20 <( " 20. it " 20. u " 20. 11 " 20. It " 20. (( " 20. Form and Colour. ?ept. 30 Large., " 30 Medium.. 242 " 30 „ 228 Bus.Lb. 356 24 " 30 Large. " 30 " " 30 Small. " 30 Large. 209 193 107 48 36 48 Oval, white. Oval, red. Round, red. Long, red. Round, red. Round, pink. 39 36 Round, red. BEANS. So■v^^l in the garden May 19. One row 30 feet long of each, and rows 30 inches apart. Variety. Wardwell's Kidney Wax. Stringlcss Green Pod. . . . Refugee or 1000 to 1 Bountiful Early Refugee Keeney'.s Rustless Wax. . Valentine Remarks. July 29... Good crop. Aug, 1... July 25... " 13... Aug. 5... " 5... " 5... Scott. DIVISION OF EORTICLLTURE 687 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 BEETS. Sowu May 28; pulled September 22. One row 30 feet long of each, and rows 30 inches apart. Variotv. Early Blood Red Turnip 'July 15. Egj'ptian Dark Red Turnip ' " 20. Meteor July 20. Eclipse ;Aug. 1 . Black Red Ball " 1 • Ruby Dulcet JJuly 20. Yield per acre. Bushels. 5131 51.31 503^ 474* 310' 310 BRUSSELS SPrxOUTS. Sown in hotbed April 9; transplanted into garden May 27; pulled September 25. Average weight per head (trimmed), 3 pounds. CABBAGE. Sown in hotbed April 7 ; set out in garden May 26 ; ' taken up September 23. Variety. In use. Copenhagen Market, (B) ]Aug. Flat Swedish | " Copenhagen Market, (H) j " Improved Amager Danish Ballhead jSept. Danish Summer Ballhead ' Aug. Extra Ama?er Danish Ballhead ;Sept. Large late-flat Drumhead j Aug. Lube?k " Winningstadt Sept. I^ottler's Improved Brunswirk lAug. Sept. Aug. Magdeburg . Early Jersey Wakefield Early Paris Market Extra Early Midsummer Savoy. Small Erfurt Average weight in pounds. Remarks.. Large, solid. Medium. Small, solid. Medium . Small, solid. CAULIFLOWER. Sown in hotbed April 7; set out in garden May 27; taken up August 28. Variety. In use. .\verage weight in pounds. Remarks. Extra Selected Early Dwarf Erfurt July 25.. Aug. 5.. July 20.. 21 2| 2 Good.. Danish Giant or Dry Weather (( Early Snowball n 10— 1.5 .\ Scott. 683 EXPERIMEN'TAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 CARROTS. Sown May 19; pulled September 23. One row 30 feet long of each; rows 30 inches apart. K - - ' \'aricty; In use. Remarks. Half Long Chantenay Aug. 1 . . " 1.. " 1.. Medium crop. French Horn Improved Nantes it CUCUMBERS. Sown in garden May 22; three hills of each variety, hills G feet apart each way. Variety. In use. Remarks. Peerless White Spine Aug. 20. . " 20. . " 20. . " 20.. " 20.. Small yield, but good quality. Prize Pickling Cool and Crisp (C Ext)*a Earlv Russian « Giant TciS tc CELERY. Planted in hotbed April 7 ; transplanted in open June 5; in trenches 12 inches deep. This soil was drawn in as the celery grew. During the dry part of the season the plants were given water. One row 15 feet long of each variety. /- Variety. Remarks. Noll's Magnificent ... Small crop. J'rench Success Failed to germinate. Evans' Triumph Small crop. White Plume ... u Rose Ribbed Paris Failed to germinate. Paris Golden Yellow tt Giant Pascal tt TABLE CORN. Planted May 22; five rows each 30 feet long of each variety; rows 3 feet apart. Variety. Squaw Henderson Metropolitan Fordhook Early - Golden Bantan Early Malcolm Early Iowa Early Evergreen Perkins' Early Extra Early Adams Carter's Improved Swoot Remarks. Almost ready for use when destroyed by frost, Sep- tember 2. Scott. DirililON OF nORTIVULTURE 689 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ONIONS. Sown in garden April 15; taken up September 24. This crop was attacked by cut- worms in early part of season, causing a poor stand. One row 36 feet long of each variety, and rows 15 inches apart. Variety. Red Early Flat Red Australian Brown Large Red Wethersfield .... Danver's Yellow Globe White Pearl Extra Early Red Early Barletta Salzer's Wethersfield White Queen Johnson's- Dark Red Beauty Bushels per acre. Remarks. 263 Good crop. 245 tt 182 Medium crop. 154 ii 154 (t 144 ti 106 Poor crop. 94 ti 72 n 27 « PARSNIPS. Sown in garden May 4; pulled September 22. One row 30 feet long. Variety, In Use. Bushels per acre. Remarks. ITollow r^rown ' Aug. 15. . 155 'Medium croD. PARSLEY. Double Curled, sown in garden May 19 ; in use July 20 ; good crop. One row 30 feet long. GARDEN PEAS. Sown in gardeu May 16. One row 30 feet long of each variety; rows 30 inches apart. Nott's New Perfection. Gradus American Wonder Sutton's Excelsior Heroine .Juno Premium Gem McLean's Advancer Stratagem Thomas Laxton Telephone Gregory's Surprise Variety. In use. July 29.. Aug. 2.. July 18.. " 29. . Aug. 5. . " 5.. July 25.. Aug. 5. . " 4.. July 25.. Aug. 7.. July 20.. Remarks. Good crop. ScOTT. 690 EXl'LHIMENTAL FA RMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 RADISHES. Sown in garden Mny 10; in use June 25. One row of eaeli variety 30 feet long and 15 inches apart. Variety. Remarks. Early Scarlet White Tipped JMedium crop. Forcing Turnip Sco.rlet " LETTUCE. Sown in garden May 18; in use July 12. One row 30 feet long of each variety; rows 15 inches apart. Variety. Remarks. Dark Green Capucine iPoor crop. Unrivalled Summer | Medium crop. Reil Edged Victoria Good crop Rousseau Blond Winter Grand Rapids Improved Hanson Black Seeded Simpson Iceberg Cri.sp as Ice All Heart Giant Crystal Head SALSIFY. Sown in garden May 9; ready for use September 1. Variety. Long White. Good crop. One row 30 feet long. TURNIPS. Sown in garden May 19; pulled September 20. One row 30 feet long of each variety, rows 15 inches apart. Variety. In use. Bushels per acre. Remarks. Extra Early White Milan July 24.. " 24. . Aug. 15.. 707 989 6481 Good crop. Early White Flat Straped Leaf a ~ Y) F Favorite ti RHUBARB. Rhubarb, was in use from May 15 to September 1, giving a good ci'op, this being the second crop since setting out. Scott. DIVISION OF BORriCULTURE 691 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SQUASH. Planted in garden May 22, three hills of each variety ; hills 9 feet apart each way. Variety. Heaviest weight. Total weight. Pulled. Long Vegetable Marrow. . . White Vegetable Marrow. . Long White Bush Marrow. Delicious Golden Hubbard Summer Crookneck Custard Marrow White Bu.sh Scallop Delicata Carter's Trailing Lb. 15 10^ 9 8 7 2 Lb. 671 Sept. 15... 51 15... 58 15... 8 15... 28 15. . . 5 15... Remarks. Medium crop. Poor crop. Small crop. Did not mature. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Nearly all the flowers gave an abundance of bloom, the most interesting being the tulips and pansies. The tulips beginning to bloom May 20, made a very brilliant display, and con- tinued until the pansies, sweet williams, and chrysanthemums were in bloom. The pansies, stocks, phlox Drummondii, and verbenas continued their bloom until the 14th of October, making the border very attractive during the entire season. ANXU.4LS. Variety. Sown in hotbed. Transplanted. In Bloom. Asters April Antirrhinums j " Alonsoa ' " Balsam " Coxcomb " Coreopss " Candytuift " Cosmos " Dianthus i " Oaillardia | " Godetia I " Linaria | " Marvel of Peru i " Marigold ; " Mignonette ' " Nemcsia i " Petunia " Phlo.x Drummondii " Pansies " Portulaca " Poppy Salpiglossis " Sweet Sultan Stocks Scabiosa Verbena Viola Zinnia 7. 8. 10. 9. 8. 9. 9. 10. '.). 10 10. 10. 9. 9. 10. 8. 9. 9. 10. 11. 9. 10. 10. 11. 8. 10. 11. ;May June May 'June , JMay June May Juno May June ti May (( June May June May 30. 4. 30. 9. 29. 16. 28. 28. 28. 28. 29. 29, 28. 28. 27. 29. 30. 4. 29. 28. 4. 4. 27. 27. 21. 28. 2. 28. Aug. 1 . July it June July Sept. 24. " 10. " 2 " 2. " 2 " 10^ Oct. 1. 12 Sept. 10. o. 6. 5. 20. 8. 20. 1 " .June I Aug. July ;Aug. 'July June July Aug. Jiilv Julv Julv 5 i( 15. 12 it 15. 8 it 15. 18 Aug. 15 6 Sept. 2. 20 " 23. 7 Aug. 20. 8 Sept. 10. 8 " 2. 1 " 14. 10 Oct. 14. 20 Sept. 2. 9 . . t< 10 1 9 IG li 15 8 Oct. Sept. 14 27 2 10 Oct. 6. 8 it 14. 7 Sept. 2. .Scott. 692 EXPERIMEISPTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Flowers. — Seed sown in open bed.— Annuals. Variotv. Sweet Peas. Lupines Malope Larkspur.... Nasturtium Date sown. In Bloom. From April 19 iJuly 10. May 2 June 25. 20. 20. 20. Aug. 27. " 18. " 20. To Sept. 24. " 15. " 24. Oct. 1. Sept. 24. FRUITS. Small quantities of fruit matured of strawberries, raspberries, and currants. The strawberry plants, which the previous jear multiplied, made a fair show in tlie row, and future success is somewhat assured from this evidence that we can pro- duce our own plants for renewal and extending purposes. Currants, to the number of twenty varieties, were received from the Central Farm, and set out in the amall-fruit plantation. Considerable extension work was also undertaken with apple stock. Four hundred and seventy-four cross-bred apple trees were received and given places in the orchard, and over 9O0 seedlings were placed in the nursery row. The question of variety and hardy individual specimens is an important consideration in this work' and by the different lines that are undertaken, a strong endeavour is being made to solve the apple production problem. TREES AND SHRUBS. Ornamental trees and shrubs make a very favourable showing. The growth and increase in height is not rapid, but many varieties withstand the severity of winter and continue to make a steady growth. For replacing individuals which had succumbed, and for additional planting, 557 trees and shrubs were received from the Farm at Ottawa and were set out in the arboretum, lawn, hedge, or nursery. In June several specimens were noted in bloom; the following were the number: — Syringa Josikaea, Syringa villosa, Syringa vulgaris Congo, Comus alba sihirica, PotentiUa fruficosa, Caraganfi tragacanthoides, Spircea Van Houttei, Ootoneaster iomentosa, Caragana pygmaea, Euonymus linearis, and Lonicera Alhertii. Scott. >1 a o en a] c 0) "3. a. '> u ■a 1-3 S . O 53 ^-^ 01 OQ s s tie 16— 1915— p. 692. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 693 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LETHBRIDGE, ALBERTA. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. H. FAIRFIELD, M.S. CHAEACTEK OF SEASON. The season has proved itself to be a favourable one for horticultural operations. The' winter of 1912-13 was such that the trees and shrubs came through with slight injury and appeared, with few exceptions, to be in a strong, vigorous condition in the spring. The dry weather during the latter part of May and early June, which was so disastrous to grain crops in the immediate vicinity of Lethbridge, was of benefit rather than otherwise in the horticultural work, in that the mean temperature during this period was higher than it otherwise would have been had we had our usual rainy period at this season. The last frost was on May 12, when 29-2° F. were registered. The first frost in the fall occurred on September 12, when the mercury dropped to 32-0°, although previeus to this, slight injury to the more tender foliage could be noticed, more particularly about September 6 when the temperature was 34.1°. CULTUEE WITH AND WITHOUT lEEIGATION. Although we have two Farms, one irrigated and the other non-irrigated, so far the greater part of the work in horticulture has been carried on under irrigation. We have, however, all of the varieties of apples and currants, red, white, and black, grow- ing on the non-irrigated Farm that are on the irrigated, also some of the varieties of raspberries and plums. Notwithstanding that the results as here given were obtained on irrigated land, unless otherwise specified, they should nevertheless be of interest and value to the dry-land farmer. Although it is a fact that it will not always be possible to get the same yields without irrigation, still they can be approached if care- ful attention is given to cultivation to conserve the moisture. When a garden is not to be irrigated, the plants should be placed at a greater distance apart. In the case of annuals they should be planted on land specially prepared the season before with the view .of having a good supply of moisture in the subsoil. Although the importance of having as much summer-fallowed land prepared as possible for grain crops is now generally realized by most farmers in the drier localities in the southern part of the province, the fact that it is jixst as important to have summer fallow on which to plant the garden has not yet been brought home to the average man. The land on which a garden is to be planted on a dry-land homestead should not only have been carefully summer-fallowed the season previous but should contain a liberal amount of barnyard manure, well incorporated therein. This can best be done by applying well-rotted manure just before it is ploughed for summer-fallow. Manure worked in in this way increases the ability of the soil to retain moisture, besides improving its tilth. Never apply manure on non-irrigated land the same season that the crop is planted. Every dry-land farmter should set aside for the kitchen garden just twice the amount of land that he intends to put in in any season. One-half should be manured as mentioned above. In May or early Jiine it should be ploughed at least 8 inches deep. During 694 EXPERI -1/ ENTA L FA RM S 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 the rest of the season sufficient cultivation should be given to prevent the growth of all vegetation. The land should not be ploughed the following spring but be given sufficient surface cultivation to prepare a good seed-bed. The chances of success are greatly enhanced by having a shelter belt of trees planted on the windward side (which is, of course, not necessarily the north side) for, besides protecting the land in a great measure from the effects of the drying winds, it is also almost certain to collect a bank of snow, which is a great advantage. If conscientious cultivation is given so that a loose mulch is maintained at all times on the surface, it is surprising how well vege- tables can be made to yield in even quite dry seasons. It is needless to point out the advantage of making the rows continuous and wide enough apart so that a horse culti- vator can be used, which reduces the amount of hand hoeing that would otherwise be necessary. Lethbridge. DIVISIOX OF HORTICULTURE 695 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PART I.— EXPERIMENTS WITHOUT IRRIGATION OR "DRY FARM". POTATOES. Twenty-five varieties were tested. They were planted ^lay 21 on summer-fallow and were dug October 6. One-liuiidredtli of an acre was planted in eacli case. Varieties of Potatoes (non-Irrigated). Variety. Yield per acre. Marketable. Dalmeny Beauty Table Talk Carman No. 1 Late Puritan Rawlings Kidney (Ashleaf Kidney) Hebron Houlton Rose Gold Coin Empire State Everett Rochester Rose Green Mountain Early Norther Irish Cobbler American Wonder Money Maker Factor Wee McGregor. , Reeves' Rose ' Vick's Extra Early Hard to Beat Dreer's Standard Morgan Seedling New Queen Early Ohio Bu.sh. Lb. 244 48 2''.3 59 221 22 223 19 214 12 199 14 207 41 210 19 209 38 197 55 197 55 194 40 208 22 195 19 20.5 44 197 55 192 5 188 48 177 45 187 31 187 31 188 48 175 47 177 44 152 21 Yield per acre. Unmarket- able. Bush. Lb. -39 57 32 26 3*3 44 32 28 28 39 33 35 19 31 20 24 28 31 37 26 26 19 30 28 27 3 17 33 2 51 55 33 38 38 4 12 9 31 15 50 44 38 15 45 2 2 31 36 20 Total yield per acre. Bush. Lb. 283 281 253 249 248 244 240 238 238 236 231 229 227 226 226 222 220 220 215 213 213 208 206 205 179 52 16 55 21 3 9 14 57 17 59 7 49 53 34 34 39 43 3 30 33 33 19 23 44 41 Red Currants (Non-Irrigated). — Test of Varieties. — Three plants of each variety were planted in 190S, G feet apart each way. Variety. Actual yield from 3 bushes. Raby Castle Rod English Red Grape Large Red New Red Dutch Greenfield Victoria Red Moore's Seedling La Conde Letiibrtixm:. 696 EXPERIMENT A L FARMR 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 White Cliru.vnts (Non-irrigated).— ^Test of Varieties. — Three plants of each variety were planted in 1908, 6 feet apart each way. Variety. Date of first picking. Date of last picking. ActuaJ yield from 3 bushes. White Kaiser July 16 " 17 " 14 " 14 " 14 " 15 " 14 " 15 " 14 Aug. 1 " 1 " 1 July 19 " 19 " 19 Aug. 1 July 19 " 19 Pints. 10 Verrieres White. . . 10 Large White ... 8 Wentworth Leviathan 7 White Cherry 6 White Brandenburg 3 Climax 2i White Pearl 0 White Grape 2 Black Currants (Non-Irrigated). — Test of Varieties. — Three plants of each variety- were planted in 1908, 6 feet apart each way. Variety. Bang Up . Beauty Ethel. Ontario , Saunders Climax Magnus Merveille de la Gironde. Eagle Topsy Winona Monarcli Norton Kerry Date of first picking. July 14. 10. 10. 12. 11. 8. 10. 14. 12. 12. Date of last picking. Aug. 1 9., 14. 14. 1 a 1 July 18 Aug. it U a July 17 /Uff. July 18 ti IS a 18 i( 18 Actual yield from 3 bushes. Pints. 121 81 81 8 7i 6J 51 4f 4 3! 3 2 2 1 raspbp:riues. Tliree varieties are under test. The quality and flavour was excellent, though on account of the dry season the yield of fruit was light. This plantation is some dis- tance from the houses and so much of the fruit was taken by visitors that we are not reporting the amount actually picked, as we feel it would be misleading. Test of Varieties. — (Non-Irrigated). Variety. Date of first picking. I Sunbeam. . . Early King Sarah July 15 ' 17 ' 20 Date of last picking. Julv 31. ' 31. ' 31. Letiibbidge. D7F7S/OA' OF HORTICULTURE 697 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 APPLES. There are four or uiore trees of the following varieties set out in the non-irrigated orchard, and in the table is given the amount of fruit obtained from the most pro- ductive tree in each case. Cross-bred Ai'i'les (Non-Irrigated). Variety. * Date of first picking. Total yield. r Jg-^gl _ _ Sept. 2. . . 3... Aug. 29... Sept. 3... " 2 Aug. 25^! Sept. 12... Aug. 23. . . Sent. 12 . . Lb. 56 Robin ' 54 47 38 Normnn . 31 Pioneer 30 21 Silvia. 16 Bow 3 LETHBRTDfJR. 693 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 PART II.— EXPERIMENTS ON IRRIGATED LAND. POTATOES.— TEST OE VARIETIES. Twenty-five varieties were planted May 23 on land on which grain had been grown the previous season. Manure was applied after the grain was harvested and the land was fall ploughed. The sets were placed from 12 to 1-i inches apart in the row and the rows Avere 30 inches apart. The crop was irrigated three times. They were dug October 1. Varieties of Potatoes (Irrigated).. Variety. Yield per acre Marketable. Green Mountain Vick's Extra Early Irish Cobbler Early Norther Hard to Beat New Queen ^r. . Rochester Ro.~c' Table Talk Everett Empire State Houlton Ro.': Bountiful Early Refugee Stringless Green Pod. . . Valentine Kenney's Rustless Wax. Refugee or 1000 to 1 July 29 Aug. 27 ; " 29 ! " 28 Aug. 2 Sept. 3 CORN. Ten varieties of corn were tested. Variety. Date when rcadv for use. Date when Inst fit for table use. 1."?. 1.5. 16. IS. Squaw Aug. 2 Early Malcolm Fordhook Early Carter's Improved Early Iowa Golden Bantam Early Adams Perkin's Early ' Early Evergreen ^^P,^" Henderson's Metropolitan 1 . Aug. 28 ... " .30 ... "28 . . . i^ept. 2 . . . Aug. 30 21 Sept. 19 22 1 " 2 23 " 8 2 " 10 " 10 Lethbridge. 700 EXPERnfEKTA L FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 PARSLEY. Variety. Ready for use. \ Remarks. Double Curled June 23,... 1 Very large andthick Two TURNIPS. varieties were tested. Variety. Date first pulled. Date last pulled. Earlj' White Strap Leaved Extra Early White Milan June 21 " 21 . . - July 9. 9. ONIOKS. Ten varieties of onions were tested. The yield in each ease was taken from one row 15 feet long. Variety. Ready for use. Danver's Yellow Globe July 27. Large Red Wcther.ifield Aug. Johnson's Dark Red Beauty '* Early Red Flat. Extra Early Red Salzer's Wethorsfield.. New Australian Brow; White Pearl Early Barletta White Queen July Aug. July 5 23. 20. 8. 26. 20. 18. 18. Date of ripening. Oct. 9. " ;5. " 15. " 5. Sept. 29. Oct. 15. " 9. Sept. 29. " 29 " 29! Yield. Lb. Oz. 27 26 00 25 00 25 00 23 00 14 00 10 00 9 8 8 00 6 00 PEAS. Twelve varieties of peas were tested. The yield was computed from one row 30 feet long. Variety. Date of Date of first picking, last picking. Yield. Stratagem Thomas Laxton Telephone Sutton's Excelsior Gradus Nott's New Perfection .Juno Premium Gem Heroine McLean's Advancer. . American Wonder Gregory'^ Surprifo,. . . June 26 Aug. 1. il 20 July 19. li 25 ii ?.Q it 27 Aug. 0 ii 28 ii 3 July 1 It 5 June 26 ii 1 tt 27 Julv 30 ct 27 tt 30 ii 26 tt 28 it 21 it 21 (i 19 n transplanted in the garden after danger of frost was past. Seven varieties of squash were sown in the garden v/ithout having been tirst started in the frames. The following yields 16 — 4<).l Lethbridge. 704 h A run 1 1/ /:x ta l far m;^ were computed in each case from three liills of each variety, ill cold frames. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Test with plants started Variety. Long Vegetable Marrow Carter's Trailing White Vegetable Marrow . Delicious Long White Bush Marrow Golden Hubbard Delicata Summer Crookneck Cu.stard White Bush Scallop Marrow Date ready for use. July 28. Aug. 2. Aug. 10. July 26. Aug. 21. -July 22. Aug. 14. Aug. 2. Weight of matured crop. lb. 98 82 56 47 24 15 2.3 10 Total yield. lb. 224 144 120 73 67 48 30 14 CELERY. Seven varieties Avere tested. The yield was taken from one row 15 feet in length. All put in root cellar on October 7. Variety. Date ready for use. Yield. Remarks. Giant Pascal Aug. 12 •' 20 " 19 " 17 " 20 " 24 " 20 lb. 44 42 40 39 36 34 32 Good keeping variety. Good keeping variety. Good for early use. Evans' Triumph White Plume Noll's Magnificent Paris Golden Yellow French Success Good keeping variety. Rose Ribbed Paris Str./^wberries. — Test of Varieties. Twenty-five varieties of strawberries are being tested. The bed was set ont the previous season. There are two rows 15 feet long of each variety. The rows are 3^ feet apart. STRAWBERRIES. — (Irrigated.) Variety. August Luther Senator Dunlap. . . Pocoinoke Bismarck Williams Splendid Fountain Wm. Belt Tennessee Prolific Glen Mary Marie Clyde Sample 3 W's .Aroma Ab'ngton Ridgcway Van Deman Chapman Gandy Minute Man Nellie, P Brandy wine Buster Irene Date first ripe fruit. Date last picking June 28 July 4 " 5 " 5 " 9 " 6 " 5 " 10 " 9 " 10 " 10 " 5 " 10 " 4 " 10 " 6 " 5 " 4 " 4 " 5 " 10 " 14 " 11 " 9 " 11 'July 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 17. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 28. 17. Actual yield. lb. oz. 10 10 7 11 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 6 10 0 11 6 1 15 12 12 1 13 12 10 8 14 13 10 6 3 0 13 0 11 Letiibridge. DIVISION OF EOhTIClLTLRE 7C5 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 RASPBERRIES. Nine varieties are being tested. There are two rows of each variety 30 feet long, with the roAvs 7 feet apart. The stand is not perfect in all cases so the yields are not altogether comparable, b\it are of sufficient interest to warrant reioorting. Raspberries (Irrigated) — Test of varieties. Variety. Date of first picking. Date of last picking. Actual yield. Size of fruit. MarlJDoro July Herbert ' Loudon i Early King | Cuthbert i Ruby j Sunbeam : Sarah i ' Golden Queen 1 9 14 16 10 15 9 10 18 15 Aug. 9. " 15. " 16. " 11 " 16 " 15. " 16. " n " 16. Pints 60* 42 40i 40 301 291 261 18 13 Large. Large. Large. Medium. Medium. Medium. Medium. Small. Small. Eed Currants (Irrigated) — Test of varieties. Three plants of each variety were planted in 1908, 6 feet apart each way. Variety. Date of first ripe fruit. New Red Dutch.... Large Red Moore's Seedling. . . . Red English Red Grape Victoria Red Red Dutch .Cumberland Pomona Raby Castle Greenfield La Conde Prince Albert Champagne Frauendorfer Long Bunch Holland Fay's Prolific Wilder July 9 " 9 " 12 " 8 " 9 " 10 " 12 " 12 " 11 " 8 " 8 " 12 " 19 " 19 " 10 " 11 " 12 " 19 Date of last picking. July 31. " 31. " 31. " 31. " 31. " 31. " 31, " 23. " 23. " 23. " 23. " 23. " 30. " 31. " 31. " 23. " 23. " 23. Actual yield from Shushes. Size of berry. Pints. 31 26i 24 21 20i 20^ 18 16 131 12^ 12^ 11 *3 2 o i Large. [Medium. I Large. iMedium. ! Large. iMedium. Medium. Medium. IMedium. Medium. Medium . Medium. Large. Large . . . Large. Medium. Large. Large. Lethbridge. 70S EXrElUMEXTA L FA TJM^ 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 White Curraxts (Irrigated) — Test of varieties. Thl-ee jilants of each variety were planted in 190S. 6 feet apart each way. arietj'. Date of first picking. Large White July White Kaiser [ Verripr>"'.S Wh ite I White Brandenburg Climax Wcntv.orth Leviathan White Grane White Fearl White Cherry 18 19 16 19 18 15 16 18 18 Date of last picking. July 21 " 21 " 21 " 21 '• 21 " 30 " 21 " 30 " 21 Actual yield from 3 plants. Size of berry. Pints. 6 6 5 4 31 3 Medium . Large. Large. Large. Medium . Medium. Large. Medium. Medium . BL.AfK r'riiK'.^NTs (rrrigated) — Test of varieties. Three plants of each varii'ty were planted in 1908, 6 feet apart each way. Variety. Date of first picking. Date of last picking. Actual yield from 3 plants. Size of berry. Bang Up July 10 " 11 " 14 " 8 " 12 " 8 " 8 " 19 ;; 10 7 " 19 " 14 " 19 " 20 " 6 July 30 " 30 (' 30 " 30 " 30 " 30 " 30 " 30 " 23 " 13 Pints. 9 8 n 7h 6 6 5- 5- 5 5 - 5 4i 3 3 3 Small. Eagle Large. Medium. Norton Paunders Mediuiii. Magnus Large. Medium . Lee's Prolific Clima.x Medium . Beauty Medium . Kerrv Medium Ontario Medium Ethel " 30 " 30 " 28 " 29 " 30 Medium . Topsv Large. Large. Winon8 . . Monarch Large . J^erv'eille de la Gironde Mediun . APPLES. There are four or more trees of the following varieties set out in the irrigated orchard and in the tables is given the amount of fruit obtained from the most produc- tive tre? ill each case: — APPLES (Irrigated.) Variety. Weight of wind falls. Total yield. Yellow Transparent. Hibernal Okabena Dudley Duchess Tj-:t IT BRIDGE. DITlslOy OF HORTICULTURE 707 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 CROSS-BRKD APPLES (Irrigated). — Test of varieties. Variety. Date of first pifking. Totnl yield. Tony Sept. 11 . . Magnus Aug. 29. . Jewel •. Sept. 3 . . Robin I " 3 . . Lb. 87 52 46 40 OENAMENTAL GARDENING. The number of fiowo-rs, including bushes, herbaceous perennials, and annuals that there is on our prairies is large, considering the short season and capricious climate. The first to bloom in the spring are the tulips and similar hardy species. These bulbs are set out in the fall, and quite heavily mulched with manure. Our bulbs made a particularly fine showing this year. Following these icame a number of herbaceous perennials; th^ irises and paeonies did particvdarly well. Among the annuals, the sweet peas, as usual, were perhaps the most satisfactory. The pansies, pinks, stocks, petunias, verbenas, phlox Drummondii, and a number of others made a brave showing. Most of these, however, were started in hotbeds and bedded out in early June. Among the flowers, the roses attracted perhaps more favourable comment than anything else, on account of their being- less common. These were pruned back in the previous fall to about a foot to fourteen inches from the ground, and were then covered with earth. Among the varieties that bloomed were the following: Margaret Dickson, John Hopper, Paul Neyron, Mrs. J. Laing, Fravi Karl Druschki, Magna Cliarta, Mrs. R. G. Sharman Crawford, Persian Yellow, Caroline Testout, Captain Hayward, and Sir Thomas Lipton. Some of the shrubs that bloomed freely are the following: Lonicera tatarica grandiflora, L. Fenzlei, L. flava, Spircea arguta, 8. sorhifolia, S. japonica, S. Van Houttei, Syringa villosa. Some of the other lilacs that did very well are: Charles X, Madam Abel Chatenay, and Alha grandiflora. We also had a number of blooms on the following shrubs: Rihes aureum, Lycium eitropaenm. Clematis integrifolia, Cytisus hirsutus, Caragana grandiflora, C. frxitescens, C. ahorescens, Euonymus linearis, Philadelphus coronarius, Rosa rugosa/ R. lutea, R. spinosissima. TREES FOR WINDBREAKS. The question of getting a windbreak started around the buildings and garden is one that is of interest to most farmers, and of still greater interest to their wives. The trees that have been used most extensively at the Station and the ones that seem to be the most satisfactory are the native cottonwood and the sharp-leaved, laurel- leaved, and golden willow. The last one is perhaps not quite so hardy as the two former, but grows a trifle faster. The caragana does not grow so tall, but is absolutely hardy, and is ornamental. There are also a number of hardy Russian poplars that could be mentioned. There are just two essentials to the successful growing of trees under our con- ditions; the land should be deeply ploughed and summer-fallowed the year previous, and after the trees are set out they should be kept cultivated carefully all summer. Trees cannot be successfully grown among grass and weeds. Lethbridge. 703 EXPERIMESTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LACO]\IBE, ALTA. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, G. H. HUTTON, B.S.A. HOETICULTURE. The M^eather during the spring- and summer of 1913 was fav urable for the pro- duction of both fruit and vegetables. The last frost of the spring occiirred on May 18, and after this date there was nothing to prevent the setting of fruit, the only drawback being occasional high winds with the accompanying movement of dust. The windbreaks are making satisfactorj- growth, and injury from this cause will be impossible before many years. ORCHAED. % I Of the seedling apple trees planted in the spring of 1912, only a small percent- age survived the winter owing to the soil blowing and leaving the roots exposed. Plum seedlings received from the Brandon Experimental Farm also failed to winter for the same reason. The seeds obtained from apples ripened at Dunstan, Man., and planted here in the fall of 1912, germinated Avell and made good growth this season. They have been left to winter in the frame and are to be planted out in the spring. Eight hundred apple seedlings planted this spring have made a good growth. The varieties of which the trees are seedlings are : Handsome White, Blushed Calville, Patten's Duchess, Patten's Greening. Plums. — The forty-four trees of E. B. "Wliite Xo. .3 which were planted this year have made a weak growth, and the new wood was far from ripe. Prunus tomentom (0-279), (0-280), has made a strong, healthy growth. A small quantity of crab apples of the following varieties ripened: Charles, Progress, Prince, Eve, Eobin. Two trees of Pioneer carried bloom, but did not set fruit. VEGETABLES. BEANS. Sown in the open May 20. Eows 30 feet long. Bountiful E;>,rly Refugee Valentine 'Ward well's Kidney Wax. Keeney's Rustless Wax. . . Stringless Green Pod Refugee or 1,000 to 1 Variety. Height. Ready for use. Inches. 22 15 18 16 34 18 15 Aug. 4 . . 12.. 4.. 3.. 10.. 4.. Sept. 1.. Yield. Lb. oz. 28 6 27 14 23 6 17 9 16 7 15 5 4 2 'Anthracnose. A !-ccond sowuig was' made on June 2. The yield was about 00 per cent of the earlier sowing. Eefugee or 1000 to 1 requires a longer season than ours. nirisiOX OF EORTirrLTURE 709 SESSIONAL PAPER N'c. 16 BEETS. Sown in the open May 30, Earlier sowing May 6. destroyed by cand. Eows 30 feet long. Variety. Ready for use. Meteor Early Blood Red Turnip... . Eclipse Ruby Dulcet Egyptian Dark Red Turnip. Black Red Ball Yield. Lb. oz. ; 62 2 i 51 13 48 12 48 6 43 12 25 12 A sowing made on the 9th of .Time also produced good roots. BRUSSELS SPROUTS. Sown in hotbed April 10. Transplanted May 5. Planted out June 6. Variety . Quantity |A^Vi.c;ht of grown, ten lieads. Dwarf Improved Brussels Sprouts 40 plants.. |52 lb. . ^ J \ CARROTS. Sown April 10, germinated May 20, destroyed by sand. Re-sown May 29. Rows 30 feet long. Variety. Yield. Half Long C'hantenay, Improved Nantes French Horn Lb. oz. Aug. 11..! 48 4 14.. I 42 8 16.. I 28 4 French Horn did not yield as well as usual. A later sowing of this variety on June 9 gave almost the same yield. C.ULIFLOWER. Sown in hotbed April 14, transplanted May 4, planted out June 6. Forty plants of each variety. Variety. Early Snowball Extra Selected Early Dwarf Erfurt. Danish Giant Ready for use. Per Cent of Good Heads. July 21... " 24... Aug. 7... 45 37 37 The cabbage maggot was strongly in evidence. La COM BE. 710 EXPERIME^^TA L FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 CABBAGE. Sown in hotbed April 10, transplanted May 5, planted out June 6. Forty plants each variety. Variety. Ready | Weight of for Use. i 10 heads. Aug. 4.. 4.. " 26. . Sept. 2.. Aug. 30.. " 29. . Copenhagen Market (B) ( 'openhagen M arket ( H ) , Danish Summer Ballhead Improved Ainager Danish Ballhead Flat Swedish Magdeburg Winningstadt ' " 26. Large Late Flat Drumhead :Sept. 2. Fottler's Improved Brunswick j " 2 . Extra Amager Danish Ballhead | " 2 . Lubeck Aug. 14. Early Paris Market ^ ! " 1 Early Jersev Wakefield '. | " 1 Red "Danish Stonehead '. . I^CP}- 2. Danish Delicatcsse Red " 2. Small Erfurt 'Aug. 26. Extra Early Midsummer Savoy [July 2.i Lb. 144 122 101 101 'Jo 94 93 90 87 80 79 05 02 02 60 56 50 Remarks. Good quality. Fair quality. The heaviest cabbage was of Copenhagen Market (B) whieh weighed 28 pounds. CELERY. Sown in hotbed April 9, transplanted June 18. Planted in trenches July 5. Variety. Average weight of 12 heads. Lb. Evans' Triumph Noll's Magnificent French's Success Giant Pascal Rose Ribl:)ed Paris Paris Golden Yellow White Plume Wegg, A., Lewisville Alta., seed from (Sown Apr. 19) 18 151 15 13^ 15 14 S 12 9 8 9 4 ui CUCUMBERS. Planted May 20. One hill each variety. Hills prepared with half-rotted manure. i Variety. In Bloom J Prize Pickling Extra Early Russian Peerless White Spine Giant Pera Cool and Crisp 'Largest llos. 1 July 24... Au^r. 11... 1... a 1... a 20... Yield. Lb. 07.. 15 8 5 None set. Lacombe. DIVISIOX OF HOh'TlCl LTURE 711 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 LETTUCE. Sown April 25, injured bj-^ high winds and sand. Re-sown June 9. Rows 15 feet long; plants thinned to (i inches apart in the row. Variety. Kcinarks. Red Edged Victoria June 28 Unrivalled Sumnier j " 28. . . . Wheeler's Tom Thumb Destroyed. Co.s Trianon I All Heart. [[ Grand Rapids , Giant Crystal Head ' Black Seeded Simpson ;June 28 ... . Cri.sp as Ice Iceberg Improved Hanson Rousseau Blond Winter Durk Green Capucine Destroyed.. July 3 Destroyed.. 11 11 1. 26. 9 5. 5. 5. 12. 11. 6. 8. 20 Ran to seed. Ran to seed. Cos lettuce, earlier than Trianon. oNIOX.S. Sown April 9, germinated May 12, destroyed by saud, and re-sown May 29. Rows 30 feet long. Owing to the late sowing the crop did not have time to reach maturity. Yaneties. — Dark Red Beauty, Salzer's Wethersfield, Danver's Yellow Globe, Large Red Wethersfield, Extra Early Red, Early Barletta, White Queen, White Pearly Red Australian Brown, Red Early Flat. P.VRSNIl'S. Sown April 18 in open; destroyed by sand. Rows 30 feet long. Hollow Crown re-sown May 6, destroyed by sand, yield 17 pounds. Hollow Crown re-sown May 26, yield 22 pounds. PARSLEY. Sown April 18, destroyed by sand. Re-sown June 2, germinated June 23 and grew to a height of 11 iiiches, the variety being Double Curled. PEAS. Planted May 6, in rows 30 feet long. Variety. Ready for I 'so. Height. Quality. Gregory's Surprise July 17 " 18 " 18 " 19 " 19 " 21 " 21 " 21 ," 26 Aug. 4 " 11 " 11..... inches. 3.5 54 30 32 43 72 3!) 31 38 67 34 31 Thomas Laxton G ood Notts New Perfection American Woiider Premium Gem Gradus Good McLean's Advancer ... Extra good. Sutton's Excel.-^ior Heroine Telephone Stratagem Juno 1-.AC0MBE. 712 EXPE lilMEy TA L FA TiMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 PUMPKIN.?. Planted Mny 21; four hills; yielded 106 ])oiindp 8 ounces. The largest pumpkin weighed 18 pounds 8 ounces. RADISH. Sown April 19, partly destroyed by sand. Re-sown June 2, in use July 1. The rows were 15 feet in length. Variety. Forcing Turnip Scarlet Early Scarlet White Tipped . Yield and Quality. Good crop. Good crop. RHl'BARB. Prima Donna Victoria Hobday's Giant. . Paragon Linnajus Monarque Early Raspberry. Daw's Champion. Variety. In L^se. Mav 25 25..... 25 30 25 25 30 25 Yield from three hills. Lb. OZ. 75 58 52 46 34 29 22 12 12 12 8 8 12 8 8 Quality. Extra Good. Good. Fair. Poor. Good. A new plantation was made of the old varieties, ten hills of each : Early Scarlet. Tobolsk, Excelsior, Queen, Royal Albert, Victoria. SQUASH. Planted May 20. Hills 9 feet apart each way. Three hills of each variety. Variety. Ready for Use. Yield. Remarks. Prepared hills. Flat. Long Veo'etable Marrow Aug. 22 " 30 " 25 Lb. OZ. 241 12 150 12 122 12 112 12 12 9 12 3 8 3 Lb. OZ. 221 8 208 4 60 8 14 4 4 6 12 No crops. 2 *Carter'-i rrailing Marrow Long White Bush Marrow Golden Hubbard Not matured. Siiininer CVookneok . . Not matured. . . Delicious . . ! Not matured. . . Custard Marrow Not matured. Not matured. •Only one hill ; others destroyed by cutworms. Long White Bush Marrow produced the largest marrow, which weighed 26 pounds. Lacombe. DIVISION OF nomi'TLTlRE 713 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SM'EET CORX. Planted May 6, May 27, June 9. Twenty hills of each A^ariety, The corn was planted at different dates to test the relative merits of the different dates of planting. The early date gave the best results and the following notes are from that planting: Sweet Corn. Variety. Early Malcolm Fordhook Early Golden Bantam Early Iowa *Squaw Coi'n Henderson's Metropolitan. Extra Early Adams Carter's Improved Sweet . Perkin's Early Date Height. tasselled. inches. 61 July 2.3 70 25 65 Aug. 4 65 July 25 81 Aug. 4 84 4 80 " ■ 2 69 July 24 77 'Aug. 4 •Not the " Scjuaw " usually grown in the West under that name. Early Malcolm produced a small number of cobs. SALSIFY. Seed of Long White salsify Avas sown in the open on April 19 in a row 30 feet long. The yield was 7 pounds of poor quality roots. TOMATOES. Sown in hotbed April 3, transplanted May 22, planted out June 25. Ten varieties were sown, and all but Florida Special produced small quantities of green fruit. Alacrity and Kennie's Earliest ripened a small quantity. TURIs^IPS. Sown April 19, destroyed by high winds and sand. Ee-sown on May 6, and partly destroyed by drifting sand. Re-sown on June 2 in 30-foot rows! Variety. Sown. Ready for Use. Yield. Quality. Early White Flat Strap Leafed Extra Early White Milan June 2 " 2 " 2 Aug. 3 July 12 Sept. 1 Lb. 81 102 27 Strong flavour. Dupuy and Ferguson Favourite Swede — FERTILIZER TEST. Eight plots of one-fortieth acre each were used for a fertilizer test, four with field peas and four with beans.- The fertilizers were: (1) potash, (2) phosphoric acid, (3) a mixture of potash and phosphoric acid, and the fourth plot was used for a check plot. Peas were planted on May 10 and the potash -phosphoric acid plot came nearest matTirity. Planted on May 20. Lacombe. 14 EXPEPTMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 BEANS. Plots. In Bloom. 1. o o. 4. Potash-Phosphoric Acid. Potash Phosphoric Acid. Yield. Chock plot 1 July 17 ~ '' 17 " 17 " 17 Lb. 218 251 174 412 oz. 3 3 9 11 FERTILIZER TE.ST WITH CABBAGE, Sown in hotbed April 10. Variety, Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Copenhagen Market Seeds- man. Fertilizer. B 1 Nitrate of soda B jSwift's B jCheck row H ■ Nitrate of soda H Swift's H 'Check row No. of heads. 10 10 10 10 10 10 Weight. lb. 115 144 130 109 140 122 FLOWER GARDEN. Variety. Acroclinium, 3 varieties Ammohimn alatum Antirrhinum Aster, 34 varieties Alonsoa, 2 varieties Balsam Calliopsis radiata Candytuft, 2 varieties Clarkio clegans Cockscomb Coreopsis, 8 varieties Cosmos Dianthus superbissimus Dimorphothcca aurantiaca Gaillardia, 2 varieties Godetia, 2 varieties Helichrysum Larkspur (annual) 3 varieties. . . Linaria Lobel'a, 2 varieties Marigold, African Marigold, French Marvel of Peru Mignonette Nomesia, 5 varieties Pansy, 2 varieties Petunia, 3 varieties Phlox Drurnmondn, 7 varieties.. Portulaca Salpiglossis, G varieties Seabiosa, G varieties Stocks (ten week) ,12 varieties. Sultan Sweet, 3 varieties Swan River Daisy Verbenas, 6 varieties Violas, 5 varieties Sown in hotbed. Trans- planted. In Bloom. From April 7. " 7. " 4. " 7. " 4. " 4. " 7. " 9. " 9! " 4. " 7. June May June 4. 10. 10. 4. 9. 7. 7. 4. 4. 10 June 10 ! " 4 1 May 13. 13. 19. 13. 26. 26. 13. 26. 27. 16. 24. 22. 20. 10. 16. 26. 13. 27. 10. 99 June July Aug. July June 9. 4 4 May 4 jJune 7 ! .." 4.. -...I " . 10... I June 7 1 " 4 IMay 4 'June 7 ' " 4 1 •' 4. May 22 25. 16. 22. 16. 16. 22. 19.' 14. 16. Ifi. 19. iMav 16. IG 16. 22. .June Aug. June Aug. July Aug. July 30. , . 12... 24... 12..., 14..., 19... 24 . . . 8..., 11... 24..., 19... 25 ... , 5... 30..., 1... 18.... June July July Aug. June Aug. July Aug. July 31. 9. 19. 26. 9. 28. 14. 30. 25. 31. 30. 19. 24. 10. .30. 13. 24. 14. 29. To Oct. Oct. 13 " 13 " 13 6 Sept. 18 6 " 18 Oct. 13 Sept. 18 6 " 18 19 13 6 Sept. 6 Oct. 13 13 13 " 13 " 14 Sept. 6 6 6 Oct. 13 6 Oct. 6 6 Sept. 6 6 « 18 !Oct. 14 Sept. 6 Oct. 13 6 14 Lacombe. DTVIsinX OF nONTTCT'LTURE 715 SESSiONAL PAFZR No. 15 SWEET PEAS. Seed was planted in the tlowcr border on April 16. The first to bloom was Paradi>^L! Ivory, on the 12th of June. Choice blooms were produced by Asta Ohn. In all, seventy-two varieties were grown. A small quantity was started in the cold frame and transplanted, but the results did not warrant the additional work. FLOWER SEED SOWN IN THE OPEN BORDER. Variety. Nasturtium, tall. 5 varieties. Nasturtium, Tom Thumb, 7 varieties. Lupi Poppies, 4 varieties. Virginian Storks. . . . Sown. May 28, " '12. " 12. " 12. " 12. In Bloom. From July 25. July 17. June 30. ,July 26. Aug. 1.. To Sept. 6 " 6 " 6 " 6 " 6 CAXXAS. Fourteen named varieties were started in the hotbed May 19. Progression pro- duced a flower spike, but was cut by frost before opening. GLADIOLI. One hundred bulbs were planted on May 15 in the border. Several flower spikes commenced to open about the 6th of September when the frost cut them. DAHLIAS. Started in hotbed May 19. Planted out June 24. Bloom over September 6. Variety. M.D. Hallock Evadne Ernest Glasse Gabriel Cactus Queen Cycle Kins:fi.sher Clifford W. Bruton... Bon Ton Capstan Austin Cannell Sylvia Kynerith Hector Cnnnell's Gem Countess of Lonr^dale. . Mrs. Cli.irles Turner. . . Cul);in Giant ^. Iridescent Empj'ess of India M uchle.ss Mrs. Leopold Seymour Susan Ingham Lacombe. 716 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 TULIPS. Planted October 18, 1912. Name. In bloom. Name. Artus Maj' 24 Cottage Maid Joost Van Vondel (red) , Joost Van Vondel (white) Pottebakker (scarlet ) Pottebakker (white) Duchesse de Parma Murillo 24 24 24 24 24.. 25 25 Imperator Rubrorum Chrysolora Keizerskroon La Fei le iPrGserpine [Vermilion Brilliant. . . Couronne d'Or In bloom. Mav24 ' 24. 25 24 24 24 24 LATE FLOWERING TULIPS. Name. In bloom, Darwin Gesneriana Spathulata Isabella La Merveille June 4 " 4 " 4 " 6 Name. In bloom. Picotee La Candeur. Yellow Rose June 4 •' 4 " 4 Planted October f^, 1912. Name. N.\RCTSSUS. Golden Spur SirWatkin.. Cynosure Figaro In bloom. May 31 " 31 " 31 June 5 Name. In bloom. ^ ^Emperor iPrinceps Poeticus Poeticus ornatus May 30 " 29 June 8 " 8 The old bulbs were taken up after blooming to make room for annuals. together with 4,400 new bulb's, were planted on the 20th of October, 1913. These, PEREXXLVLS. A large number of the plants received in the fall of 1912, failed to winter. The border planted with them is at present rather exposed. The following survived and produced a small amount of bloom: Delphinium, Aconitum, Iris, Spircva, Phlox, Thal- iortum. Geranium. Phalaris arundinacea, RudhecUa, Gypsophila paniculata, Dicentra spectahilis, Dictamnus, Aquilegia, Hemerocallis, Paeonia, Cimicifuga, Liatris,.Heli- anthus, Platycodon, Bolionia. Lacombe. Z)/17,S70y OF HORTICULTLRE 717 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SMALL FKUITS. A new plantation was made of red, white and black currants- Alternate rows of currants and raspberries were put in, and both made a satisfactory- growth during the season. The following varieties have been tested here and the yields are given herewith in rate per acre. BLACK CL'RRANTS. Varietv. Magnrs Lees Prolific Beauty Monarch Merveille de la Gironde Success Bang Up Norton Ogden Yield per acre. Lb. 13,108 12,604 12,402 11,495 10, SCO 8,570 6,856 6,856 5,848 Varietv. JEthel.... Saunder.s iTopsy. .. lEagle.... jEclipse.. Ontario.. Climax. . Kerry. . . Winona.. Yield per acre. Lb. 4,678 2,, 545 2.520 2,319 1,815 1,815 1,714 907 605 RED CURRANTS. Long Bunched Holland Greenfield. ..' Albert .-, Red Dutch New Red Diitch Rankin's Red Pomona Benwell Large Red La Conde Red Grape Early Scarlet. . . . Cumberland Red Red English Raby Ca.stle Moore's Seedling. Champagne Red. Victoria Wilder Prolific jFrauendorfer I i 2,547 2,218 2,016 1,815 N 613 487 1,-343 579 517 o crop. WHITE CURRANTS. White Cherry White Grape , Wentworth Leviathan. ... Large White Brandenburg Climax White 6,050 3,831 2,9-34 2,243 2,041 iEyatt Nova. White Pearl.. Large White. iWhite Kaiser 1,210 1,159 1,058 529 16—47 Lacombe. 718 EXPERIMENTAL FAPM!? 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 HARDY AND DESIRABLE TREES AXD SHRUBS. Variety. Lilacs — Syringa villosa Charles X Syringa vulgaris Boussingault Syriiiga vulgaris rubella plena Syringa japonica Syringa amurensis Syringa Josikaea cxiniia Cornus alba sibirica (Dogwood) Cotoneaster Caragana (six varieties) Rosa rugosa Spircea Van Houttei Evergreens — , Rocky Mountain Blue Spruce (Colorado Blue Spruce) Black Hill Spruce '. . , Scotch Pine Lonicera (Bush Honeysuckle) In Bloom. From To June 21 July 28 " 8 June 30 " 3 " 28 " 3 " 24 " 19 Julv 14 July 10 "' 17 June 30 " 15 " 19 " 3 " 7 Aug. 3 May 29 June 24 July 20 Sept. 10 June 11 July 14 June 6 July 6 POTATOES. Thirty-two varieties of potatoes were tested at Lacombe this season. They were planted in rows 30 inches apart, the cuttings being dropped about 14 inches apart in the row. The soil was black, clay loam ploughed out of cultivated grass ir Ju'/ of the previous season, and well worked in the fall. ^ Lacombe. DIYISTOy OF HORTICULTURE 719 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 3 O sJ o c >^^. O G c3 8.5 OS > O •r o 9 o ^ & ■• C C O— . X Mt3 . -- cj «> 5 ^ '^ — • 3, • ■•rjc-r • • • • ?r'« 9, > > ~ °-B > > > o ^ > 3_: C ri- . Ci C _£_£ pOOC~."t-j: aj - ^ o o "S "o - ai" aT cT o" c o Sf .-.-.- ■-; o :e cJ-; o . tc^^^QSgiQ^g^:^>3g?^^^^^?Sc5^p^gfa •o d « bt a o « 0) >, o « -M .-io^ g ' 1; S »_: § £ ~ i 5 c "^ ,y -P ' .: c - c ^ o -t s = •- l:-- = 3 CI ic »0 (M IC CO ?C t^ 00 »C C^ (M ^^ CI »C re ■^ »— ' >0 "7* CC C^l CC C^ l-^ C7 iC ^3 CD '-1 C-1 ro ^ cv?c-t— j-co cof^Occc~l^0"tJ n#^ (-^» /^^ •*< JN^ vAi ^-u ^** ^^^^ •cooco:si--iMc;»cc:;QCr-?iit-i< — — ■ '^OOC000a:Ci'^00'^'^'rt*C0CSI00C0Utt^-' rf !-. P C c.-tr h - c 3 _| ■ i ^~ e^cic-rfci^ciooooeoc to cc iS -r ■■£ --o o ac -r oo tociocciT»-iC1t-i-^CC^<^ •rCOOCOCOO'+CI'^ CO^HT*- — Cl— iCl •^■«*" Ci'^ou^cico»-^fOc^o;ciocoCiOOC5C'!Ocaic)> c c3 r! u ■^ C) C a H J3 >^ n 3 P9 it. ■ C ■■ S • : 6 : S ^S-! • 7. ir ^ '^S Ki^i > ;: > 1' w;z<;c«Q 3 ■ c 0} ►i:w IG— 47i c tr'^-i^ o ' W ^ >, c o -t^ « k>"f C C W. — .^j r- ■.^ C o « rt o rt i> o to o pi o a: ■- ffiW CO O 3 Lacojibb. 720 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, AGASSIZ, B.C: | REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, P. H. MOORE, B.S.A. The principal work carried on in 1913 was the variety-testing of vegetables, 105 varieties of which were grown with more or less success. Next in importance came the variety-testing of flowers and the care of the bulbs, and border plants, cutting the grass and keeping all the grass land, shrubbery, and roads in as good condition as time would permit. A small orchard of about 4 acres was planted, containing apples, pears, plums, cherries, blackberries, gooseberries, red and white currants, and strawberries. This, coupled with some ornamental nursery stock, also demanded attention. VEGETABLES. Among the vegetables tested, about the only ones which proved a failure were those belonging to the cruciferce, for all of these were attacked by the cabbage maggot. This pest appeared to come this year with much greater vehemence as com- pared with other years, probably because the garden was very close to that of last year. Mr. R. C. Treherne, of the Entomological Division, conducted a number of experiments on this insect in the gardens here. , The yields obtained do not warrant publishing comparable variety tests on this family of plants. ^ CELERY. Very good celery was grown. The season of growth was about 190 days. The Boil was a sandy loam. The plants were put into a trench and gradually hilled up. The White Plume was the best in quality. From a 15-foot drill there were harvested 86:1 pounds, but this was nearly the lightest yield of the five varieties tried. The largest yield was from Noll's Magnificent, yielding from the plot, or 15-foot row, 136 pounds. The next in respect to yield was Evans' Triumph, giving 120^ pounds per lot. Variety. Date planted. Length of drill. Weight of plants. Noll's Magnificent March 24... " 24... " 24 " 24! ; '. " 24... Feet. 15 15 15 15 15 Lb. oz. 136 0 Evans' Triumph 120 8 French Success 102 0 White Plume 86 4 Giant Pascal 82 8 TOMATOES. Ten varieties of tomatoes were grown. All were started in a hotbed from seed, and planted out when the danger of frost was over. They were trained to a single stem, tied to a stake, and kept reasonably pruned. The weight results are given from five average plants, and all fruit was weighed ripe, as picked. DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 721 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The earliest variety to produce well-ripened fruit was Sparks' Earliana (Sunuy- brook strain), and this ripened on July 29. This variety was also the heaviest yielder, giving 42| pounds per plot. The next highest yielder was the next earliest, being Prosperity. These ripened on August 4, and yielded 42 pounds. The third in yield and earliness was Bonny Best, which ripened on August 4 and yielded 37i pounds. Chalk's Early Jewel ripened early but was the most shy bearer of the ten varieties tested this year. The others yielded between the extremes given, and the latest one to ripen was Alacrity (C.E.F. strain), which matured August 11. Variety. Date planted. Weight of five average plants. Sparks' Earliana (Sunnybrook strain) Prosperity Bonny Best Florida Special North Adirondack Earliana I. X. L Alacrity (C.E.F.), (2-24-10) : . Alacrity (C.E.F.). (2-24-9) Chalk s Early Jewel April Lb. 42 42 37 32 32 31 31 25 23 oz. 12 0 4 8 2 12 12 12 8 SQUASH. Six varieties of this vegetable were tested on a very uniform piece of land. They were all planted on May 7, and harvested as soon as fit for table use. The weight of crop was taken from three hills. Delicious, the earliest one, gave the largest yield (320 J pounds), and was fit for use on August 4. The next largest yielder was Mam- moth Whale, giving 130 pounds 6 ounces, but maturing as late as September 1. The latest one was the Golden Hubbard, and it also gave the lightest yield (26 pounds). The Hubbard was third on the list in yield and also the third to mature. The remain- ing two, Custard Marrow and Summer Crookneck, matured in good season, but both were very shy yielders. Variety. Weight of three hills. Delicious ". May Mammoth Whale ' Hubbard '. Summer Crookneck Cuatard Marrow Golden Hubbard oz 6 0 3 0 0 BEETS. Six varieties of table beets were grown and harvested when they were large enough to give a crop and still fit for table vise. Had they been allowed to grow longer the yields would have been heavier, but their usefulness as table beets would have been outlived. The weights of the crops were taken from two drills 15 feet long and 30 inches apart, and the plants were thinned to 4 inches in the row. They were Agassiz. 722 EJrERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 planted on April 24, and harvested from July 12 to July 18. The two giving the lowest yields gave the best quality of beet, these being Early Blood Red turnip and Black Ked Ball, each yielding 52J pounds per plot. Next to these, and of nearly equal quality, was the Egyptian Bark Eed Turnip, yielding 60 pounds; Meteor, yielding 72^ pounds; Ruby Dulcet, yielding 63 pounds; and Eclipse, yielding 1051 pounds, were all stringy and not of good quality, although they received the same treatment aecorded all the others. Variety. Ec' pse Meteor Rubj' Dulcet Egyptian Dark Red Turnip. Early Blood Red I'urnip Black Red Ball Date planted. Apr!! 24 24. 24 24 24 24 Date harvested. July 18 " 17 " 16 " 14 " 12 " 14 Weights. Lb. oz. 10.5 72 63 60 52 52 4 8 0 0 8 8 PEPPEK.S. Three varieties of peppers were grown, but only a small portion of the fruit ripened. They were planted April 1, and harvested as they ripened, up to October 1. They were grown in plots of two drills 15 feet long and 30 inches apart, and 18 inches apnrt in the rows. In yield of ripe peppei-s, the Neapolitan gave the most, namely 26| pounds. Chili was second, with a yield of 20 pounds, and Cayenne third, giving 131 povinds. This is the first time in tlie past three years that we have ripened pep]>ere at all. Variety Date planted. Date harvested. Weights. Ncapo itan April 1 " 1 " 1 .... . Sept. 24.... " 28.... Oct. 1.... Lb. oz. 26 12 Chili 20 0 Cayenne 13 5 SAL.STFY. Only one variety of salsify was grown, that being the Long White. It was planted on April 15, harvested in October, and yielded 20 poimds fr<>m a plot of two rows 15 feet long and 30 inches apart, thinned to li inches in the row. It was only of fair quality. P.4RSXIPS. There was also one variety of parsnips grown, the Hollow Crown. The plot contained two rows 15 feet long, 30 inches apart and plants thinned to 4 inches in the rows. The quality was good and the yield was 80 pomids. This variety has always given us good results in the past, and, even with its high yield, has very good quality. Agassiz. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 DIYTFUny OF JIO'RTT CULTURE CUCUMBERS. 723 Of the five varieties of cucumbers grown, two were almost a total failure, namely, the Prize Pickling and the Extra Early Russian. They were grown in hills 6 feet apart each way and the weights were taken from three hills. They were planted on May 7 and harvested from August 10 to August 28. Cool and Crisp gave the largest yield (40^ pounds), and matured August 10, as did the Peerless Wliite Spine, but the latter only yielded 21 pounds to the plot. Giant Pera yielc d 22J pounds to the plot, but did not mature until August 20. None of the varieties yielded at all heavily. -Varety. Cool and Crisp Giant Pera Peerless White Spine Prize Pickling Extra Early Russian Weights. Lb. oz r7 Aug. 10 40 4 7 " 20 22 8 7 " 10 21 0 7 " 26 5 0 7 " 28 2 8 CORX. Considering the cool, damp season, sweet corn grew an average crop. Ten varie- ties were grown, and were in hills 3 feet apart each way. The yield is taken from twelve hills. The ears were taken when they were best fit for iise on the table. All varieties were planted on May 15. The earliest varieties, Fordhook Early, Early Mal- colm (C.E.F, strain), Golden Bantam, and Extra Early Adams all matured before September 8. The last-named variety gave the highest yield per plot, having 48J pounds of good cobs. Fordhook Early was the second highest y ielder, with 40 pounds ; Golden Bantam and Early Malcolm were two of the lightest yielders, giving 17 pounds and 16^ pounds, respectively, but the com was of extra good quality, and they produced about the same number of ears, only they were smaller. Variety. Date harvested. Weights. Extra Early Adams Fordhook Early Early Evergreen Blafk Mexican Henderson's Metropolitan. Stowt'll's Evergreen Country Gentleman Perkins' Early Golden Bantam Early Malcolm (C.E.F.).. May 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 Sept. 8 " 4 " 16 " 22 " 18 " 30 Oct. 1 Sept. 8 " 9 " 5 Lb. 48 40 38 37 34 33 32 23 17 16 oz. 8 0 0 4 8 8 0 8 0 8 LETTUCE. Eleven varieties of lettuce were planted on April 1, and the first became fit to harvest on June 6, as an entire crop. The weights were t:iken from a row 15 feet long. The rows were 15 inches apart and the plants were thinned to 6 inches in. Agassiz. 724 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 the row. Giant Crystal Head was this year the earliest, and also the heaviest cropper, producing 51 pounds per plot. The quality was extra good. Next in order of yield, although somewhat later, was Black Seeded Simpson, which produced 46| pounds. The third in yield M-as Grand Eapids, producing 41J pounds. The quality of all three was very good. Variety. Date planted. Date harvested. Weight 30 plants. Giant Crystal Head. . . . Black-seeded Simpson . Grand Rapids Improved Hanson Iceberg Dark Green Capucine... Crisp as lee All Heart Unrivalled Summer . . . . Red Edged Victoria. . . . Rousseau Blood Winter. April June 6 " 28 " 14 " 20 " 20 " 25 " 20 " 20 " 24 " 28 " 24 Lb. 51 46 41 32 31 31 13 13 13 9 6 oz. 0 14 4 12 14 0 8 8 2 0 0 CARROTS. Carrots were grown in rows 30 inches apart and thiruied to IJ inches in the row. All varieties were harvested when just at the small stage fit for table use. They were planted on April 15 and all harvested by July 10. The French Horn gave the highest yield, namely, 33^ pounds. Improved Nantes gave a yield of 30^ pounds, and the Half Long Chantenay gave 29 pounds per plot. They were all very good as table carrots. Variety. Date planted. Date harvested. Weights (30-ft. row) ■ April 15.... " 15.... " 15... July 1 "10 " 10 Lb. oz. 33 4 IrnnrnvPfl Nantes . 30 8 Half Lone Chantenav 29 0 BEANS. Some seven varieties of beans were grown and harvested only as green or string beaiis, in the very best stage for table use. They were grown in rows 30 inches apart and th^ plants left 2 inches apart in the rows. They were planted April 24 and har- vested from July 7 to July 22. The best yielder was Keeney's Rustless Wax, which gave 31 pounds, or a little over 9 tons per acre. The lightest yield was that of Wardwell's Kidney Wax, which was 2G pounds, or over 7 tons per acre. Others which gave fair yields nearly equal to the first mentioned were: Early Refugee, Refugee or 1000 to 1, and Valentine. More weight per acre could easily have been obtained had they been left a few days longer in each case, but the extra weight would have been at the sacri- fice of the quality. Agassiz. DirifilOy OF HORTICULTURE 725 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Variety Date planted. Date harvested. Weight of 30-foot drill Keeney 's Rustless Was April 24.. .. " 24.... " 24.... " 24.... " 24.... " 24.... " 24.... July 11 " 20 " 18 " 22 " 22 " 16 " 7 Lb. oz. 31 0 Earlv Refugee 30 0 Bountiful 29 0 Stringless Green Pod 29 0 Refugee or 1000 to i 28 2 Valentine . . . . . .... 28 0 ~ Ward well's Kidnev Wax 20 0 PEAS. Twelve varieties of peas -were planted about April 15, and the first to be fit for use were harvested June 20. They were planted in rows 3 feet apart and the plants were, as nearly as possible,! inch apart. They were all harvested while in the very highest condition for table use and were not left to mature to make large yields. The earliest variety was Gregory's Surprise, and the next was Thomas Laxton, but both of these were light yielders. The heaviest yielder was Heroine, giving in the pod something- over 7 tons per acre. Others very close to this standard were: McLean's Advancer, American Wonder, Juno, Telephone, and Gradus. The tall varieties were rodded ou ordinary tree branches, and these made excellent trellis work, as none were ever broken down, and they were easy to pick from. Variety Date planted. Date harvested. Weight 30-ft. drill. 1 Heroine April 15... " 15.... " 15.... " 15... " 15... " 15.... " 15.... " 15.... " 15... " 15... " 15.... " 15.... July 22 " 10 " 10 " 22 " 16 " 11 " 7 " 9 June 26 July 9 " 9 June 28 Lb. oz. 30 8 McLean's Advancer 2S 0 American Wonder 21 0 Juno 20 12 Telephone 20 8 Premium Gem 19 8 Gradus . 18 12 Stratagem 18 8 Greeorv's Surnrise •. 16 12 Nott's New Perfection 15 12 Sutton's Excelsior 14 4 Thomas Laxton 14 0 POTATOES. Twenty-three varieties of potatoes were grown on a very uniform piece of ground. It was fall-ploughed clover sod, and a light application of barnyard manure was given. The potatoes were planted in rows 30 inches apart and about 1 foot apart in the rows. They were w-ell cultivated during the season and hilled up when the tops got large enough to cover the row space. To try to prevent the late blight, they were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture four times during the season. The season being a very wet one, it was difficult to choose a time when rain would not more or less wash the spray mixture off. In every variety there were some tubers affected by the disease at digging time, and, after Being stored for a time in a cool, dark cellar, a great many more ppoiled. Under the present system, it seems difficult to get a uniform variety test, for probably the best half-dozen varieties change places in as many years, and occasionally Agassiz. 723 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 one will drop very low without any apparent reason. This means, of course, when they are taken from the yield standpoint exclusively. In the following list results are given in order of marketable yield of the twelve most productive varieties. All small, ill-shaped and very large tubers are not tenjied marketable. It will be noted that Wee MacGregor leads the list with a gross yield of 12^ tons, and a marketable yield of 9 tons 1,645 pounds. The second one, marked " Unknown " was a sample sent to us by Mr. F. Stanton, of Hood Eiver, Oregon, and to date we have not got a name for it. Probably partially owing to the change of soil and climate, it grew very strongly and the potatoes Avere somewhat rough. The fourth variety is one sent by Mr. Angus Cameron, Proctor, B.C. It is one of his own production and a very smooth, white potato, apparently suitable for a main crop. The best early potato, from the point of yield, earliness, uniformity, and quality, was Early St. George. It is a white-skinned, smooth, long, white potato of excellent cooking quality, yielding at the rate of 8 tons 1,820 pounds per acre in 1913. All the varieties reported on were planted May 22. Variety Har- vested. Average size. Season. Yield per acre. Yield per acre marketable Per cent Rot. Form and colour. Wee MacGregor Sept. 15.. " 17... " 15... " 17... " 17... " 16... " 15... " 17... " 16... " 15... " 17... - 17... Large .... Medium. . Large .... ti Medium. . (< u Large Medium.. i( 4< Medium early Very late. Late « It u Medium.. Medium early . . . Late tons. 12 11 11 12 10 9 9 10 9 9 9 9 lb. 552 1364 836 440 64 744 348 856 1404 1272 612 1668 tons. lb. 9 1G45 9 691 9 268 8 1315 7 1649 7 995 7 678 7 599 7 553 7 454 6 1772 6 1767 5 8 2 10 10 5 10 10 10 10 10 10 Oblong, TTnlcnOT\'n white. Long, red Morgan Seedling Oblong, Cameronian pink. Long flat Everett white. Long, red. Gold Coin Round, Carman white. Round, Monev Maker white. Long, Dalmf^nv Beaut v white. Long, flat Rawlings Kidney (Ashleat Kidney) white. Long, rough, Irish Cobbler white. Round, Emnire State white. Long, white. Agassis. DiriSIOX OF EOr.TICrLTVRE 727 S'ESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 THE COMIMERCIAL APPLE ORCHAED. The last original apple orchard was removed during early , spring. This orchard, although comparatively young, was badly diseased, being affected with the apple tree Anthracnose (Ula'osporium inaiicorticis). During the last two seasons not a single tree produced any No. 1 apples, and many of the trees did not fruit at alL Indeed, since the year 1911 little or no first-grade fruit has been produced. In tliat year the orchard was sprayed and pruned and clean cultivation was practised, la 1913 the clover was cut twice as green feed. There is no record of the treatmcuit previous to 1911. In the table given below will be found a record of the varieties planted and the dates of planting. Some of the trees died at different stages and were replaced by others of the same variety. In each case a record was kept and the results are given in the fourth and fifth columns of the table. Next, the number of trees living in 1914 is given, and their condition when taken out. Finally the last column gives the entire yield of No. 1 fruit from each variety. It should be mentioned here that the total number of trees planted originally in 19('5 was 108. Of these, nineteen died in 1909, the same number in 1910, and in the year 1911 thirty-nine trees died. Thus in six years 71 per cent, or nearly three- quarters of the original number of tree^ died. From time to time the dying trees were replaced by others and, in addition, more varieties were planted. The total number of trees planted from 1905 to 1910, including the original setting, was 209. Of these, only sixty-four were living in 191-t. In other words, during a period of nine years, only 30-6 per cent of all the trees planted survived, and of this number not a single tree was free from disease. Of the varieties tried, the King and the Grimes' Golden gave the best results. Agassiz. 723 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 m TJ Jt3 c t: ^'zi t^ ^ ' ^ o o —< ci oi c -- co' t^' Ct O -- M C -^ ci ot o -- Q; c ^ C ■•— ' N 03 i-i N 03 --H ro o" "-H c^i '-< -(0'-H-MO— <-^'- -< T-H T-H 1— t 1— ) o^'o-.osoototoicjOiOicnrocRCJ 0i0i0505C50i0505O03OCi05OC505020i0505O0505 l-s^ e^ H '^ T- '"""" -( r-l t-i t- -4 »— f 1-S 1- -t T— ) »— ( r-t IT-) " T»r T-< ro o ■* M c-1 c^ r-T rH -^ T-< c- j' ■>j<' ■»}■" '3-" ^ (m" LC u; !C^ CO uf >- ■^cci-H-^'oi'cO'-HTtrccc^icocsi'fM^ o^ kO kO VO kO lO •o kC iO CD «D r^ ^'■;3 o o o o ooiooooco C3 05 Ci C5 c^o^oooc^o^c^ T— 1 r-t ^-1 1-H »-Hi—(0:r-(i— (?-(»— !»—• *-H 111 6-1 C-) C^l ] Cq C^ (M e-i N M ^— 1 1— ( »— 1 i—t .* ^ »— ( •- ■( *- H i-H I-H »H 3 CS l^i'o o. -^ c ." . C (L- c - 3 •a ^ a 3 -♦J c o c CO ■^ w -♦- OD 'fj X c > c3 ^ ^ -5 -a -a T) C x T3 B OJ c c. ca _o 03 oi S V X> Vj OJ 0. 0. G a a > C! X V .2 V u ir •a -€ -5 X ■d IZl, > 3 a s K fe 1 > ■^ :« s L, • t- ca rt _> ^ d > o ) > in ) > a ■c c > c c 1 > u .5 >> « > > > C cyi c5 > Q mber trees vine 1914. eciosus. Do7-onicum plantagineum excclsitm. Campanulas, in variety. Papaver orientale, Salmon Queen, Sirs. Perry. Aster, Michaelmas daisies. Pteony, herbaceous in variety. Achillea, the Pearl. GypsophyUa paniculata, paniculata flore plena. Hollyhocks, single and double varieties. Antirrhinums, in variety. Pudbeckia JVewmanii. HeUantJtHS, Soleil d'or. Spiraas, Arvncus, pahnata, Venusta. Tiitoina uvaria^ grcrddiflora. Trollius eurcpwus.. Orange g-lobe. Anemcne juponica alba, rosea and pleno. Montbretias, in variety. Inula (jlandulosa, and macrocephala. Aquileglris. HemerocalUs flava. Sweet William. Anclnisa italica.. Dropmore variety. Geranium sanguineum. Phlox, early and late varieties. Thalictrum. Veronica spicata. flare FLOWERING AND DECIDUOUS SILRUBS AND TREES. The trees and shrubs about the buildings have been thinned out and pruned considerably, and some varieties are improving greatly after having been given more room. Some labelling has been done, but we still have much to do. The appended list includes many of the species and varieties that appear to gi'ow best under our climatic conditions. Berberis, in variety. Thunbergii, vulgaris, JJarwinii, stenophylln and Aquifolium. Keii'ia; juponica flore pleno. Camus sanguinea elegant issxina. Deutzia crenata, rosea, flore pleno, and also the white variety. Deutzia, crenala rosea flore pleno, and also Pyrus japanica. Ribes sanguineum and album. Forsythia suspensa. Purple-leaved hazel. Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora. Rhododendrons, in variety, hybrids, seed- lings. Azalea mollis, pontica, and Ghent varieties. Kalmia latifolia. Lilac, Chas. X., Pres. Carnot, Persian, and President Grevy. Lilac, Mad. Lemoine and Marie Legraye. Magnolia grandiflora, conspicua, and speci- osa. Philadclphus in variety. Ligmttrum ovalifolium and foHis varie- gatis. Viburnum Opuhis sterile, and plicatwn. Spircra. Anthony Waterer, Van Houttei Colutea arborescens. Acacia in variety. -A^sh, common and mountain. Ueech, common, copper, cut-leaved, and weeping. Pireh, Silver and purple-leaved. Catalpa si^eciosa. Cherry, double-flowering. Crab, ornamental and flowering varieties. Korse chestnut, and scarlet variety Tulip tree. Laburnum. Oriental plane. Lime, or linden. Maple, Norway, Schwedlers, purple-leaved, and Canadian species. Acer Negundo, fol, var. Acer Negundo, fol. aurea. Cedrus, atlantica, atlantica gluca, Deodara. Scarlet oak. and other varieties. Prunus Pissardii. Thorn, white, pink, and scarlet (single and double). Cornus. florida and rosea. Willow, go' den. Ulnnis campestris. Halesia tetraptera. Thuya (Arbor Vitcp), occidentalis, orien- talis elegantissima. Box, Handsworth and golden varieties. ^ Abies Nordmanniana. Abies nobilis. Laurus nobilis (Sweet Bay). Picca pungens Kosteri and glauca, excelsa, Common. Pin us Laricio nigricans (austriaca). Holly. Golden Queen, Silver Queen, camel- liafolia. Cuprc.^su.'^. Lawsoniana, lutea. Triumph of Boskoop. Cup-cNsus. crecta. erecta viri> Average Average Yield Yield of Weight of of Length Length of Grain per , Sowing . Ripen- o c of s^ . of Grain per Acre. measured 0) Name of Variety. ing. feii Straw, €"- Head. per bushel J2 includ- Md e Acre. after 3 ing £§a cleaning. Z '^. Head. m Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Eighty Day* Apr. 22 July 18 80 37 7 6-5 2,820 82 32 28-3 2 Daubeney Selected* . May 2 " 30 87 40 10 7 2,640 77 22 34-9 .S Quebec C* " 12 Aug. 12 " 5 " 12 95 43 10 8 2,520 74 4 311 4 Banner B.* Apr. 24 May 2 " 12 Apr. 18 May 12 97 100 44 48 10 10 9 7 2,160 2,160 63 18 63 18 37-1 ."i Victory. ... 381 fi Quebec B.* " 12 " 3 " 12 95 98 95 43 36 43 10 10 10 8 6-5 8 1,830 1,740 1,710 53 28 51 6 50 10 32-3 7 Gold Rain 370 8 Quebec A.* 33-3 RECOMMENDED VARIETIES OE OATS. Among the most productive varieties of white oats, Banner is especially recom- mended. Ligowo is somewhat earlier in ripening, but does not generally give quite so large a yield as Banner. Gold Rain is a very productive yellow oat. Black oats are not recommended, but Pioneer and Excelsior may be mentioned as \^o of the best varieties. Farmers who require an extremely early-ripening variety should try Eighty Day, Orloff, or Sixty Day. The name Sixty Day is misleading, as this oat is i^ot earlier than the other two. Somewhat less early, but probably more satisfactory, as a rule, are Daubeney and Tartar King. The latter is a very coarse variety. SIX-ROW BARLEY. One hundred and five varieties and selections of six-row barley were grown in the regular test plots last season. The seed was sown from the 2nd to the 8th of May, at the rate of about two bushels per acre. Some varieties gave a good yield, but the plots varied considerably on account of irregularities in the soil. In the following table the yield per acre is expressed in pounds and also in •'bushels" of 48 pounds. Only the named varieties are here reported on. Many new cross-bred beardless and hulless sorts, produced by the Dominion Cerealist, were also tested. Ottawa. 762 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS Six-Eow Barley. — Test of Varieti-es. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 S Name of Variety. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Date of Sowing . Triumph May Black Japan Blue Short Head C* O.A.C. No. 21 Manchurian A.* Nugent G.* Escourgeou Nugent E.* Taganrog A.* Guymalaye Nugent A.* Nugent H.* Yale G.* Stella G.* Nugent B.* Nugent K.* Blue Short Head A.* Odessa F.* YaleF.* Yale D.* YaleC.* Odessa C* Nugent F.* Success B.* Nugent L.* Nugent C.* Nugent D.* Odessa D.* 29:Manchurian G.* 30 Manchurian H. ■ 31, Stella A.* Yale A.* YaleE.* YaleH.* Stella C.* YaleB.* Oderbruch Early Indian* Date of Ripen- ing. " 6 " 6 " 6 6 6 " 6 6 " 8 " 6 " 6 " 6 6 May 6 " 8 " 8 " 8 " 6 " 6 Aug. (( 6 (( 6 a 6 a 6 a 6 a 6 a 6 li 8 n 8 u 8 May 6 (i 8 a 6 ti 6 Aug. 0} >> T3 O c Xi *i 6 Aug. 5 6 " 6 " 17 " 3 July 29 Aug. 5 6 5 4 2 5 5 4 4 5 5 17 4 4 4 4 " 4 " 5 July 23 Aug. 6 5 5 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 " 5 July 23 Average Length erf Straw, includ- ing Head. 91 92 103 89 86 91 92 91 90 88 91 91 89 90 91 91 103 90 89 89 89 90 91 80 92 91 91 90 89 89 90 89 89 89 90 89 91 78 Inches. 42 34 32 42 40 40 42 40 36 32 43 36 32 33 40 36 32 36 32 32 28 36 40 43 36 36 36 36 30 30 33 28 28 28 33 28 30 26 i3 o O c3 _r" " • •^ m m C •- o C O |3 O a m Average Length of Head. 10 10 10 7 10 8 8 8 7 3 10 6 10 8 9 8 10 9 10 10 10 8 10 10 8 10 9 9 10 10 9 10 10 10 8 10 10 Inches. 3 2-2 2 2-5 3 3-2 3 3-2 2-5 3-2 3-2 3-2 2 3-2 2-5 2-5 2-5 3-2 3-2 2-5 3-2 3-2 3-2 3-2 3 3 3-2 2-5 2-5 2-5 3-2 2-5 3 1-7 Yield of Grain per Acre. Yield of Grain per Acre. Lb. 3,030 2-970 2,280 2,220 2,040 2,040 2,010 1 , 980 1,980 1,890 1,890 1,890 1,860 1,800 1,770 1,740 1,680 1,650 1,650 1,590 1,500 1,4701 1,440 1,440 1,410 1,380 1,380 1,380 1,290 1,290 1,290 1,290 1,140 1,050 1,020 990 900 690 Weight per measured bushel after cleaning. Bush. Lb. 63 6 61 42 47 24 46 12 42 24 42 24 41 42! 41 121 41 12 39 18! 39 18 39 18 38 36 37 24 36 42 36 121 35 .. 34 18 34 18 33 6 31 12 30 30 30 .. 30 .. 29 18 28 36 28 36 28 36 26 42 26 42 26 42 26 42 23 36 21 42 21 12 20 30 18 36 14 18 Lb. 470 49-3 45-4 50-8 49-6 50- 52-3 49-5 49-9 630 51 0 51-2 50-1 50-2 49-6 500 46-4 48-3 49-9 50-2 50-0 49'2 510 46-2 50'0 51-0 50-0 48-2 47-0 49-9 49-8 510 49-0 50»6 49-4 510 50- 1 48-3 EECOMMENDED VARIETIES OF SIX-ROW BARLEY. Among the most productive six-row barleys are Manchurian and Odessa. Man- churian is a selection from Mensury. O.A.C. No. 21 is also a very good selection, similar in character to Manchurian. Triumph and Black Japan, which stand at the head of the list in last season's trials, have not yet been under test long enough to determine their exact value. The beardless (or " hooded ") types of barley at present available in commerce are not very satisfactory. Success and Champion are two of the best kinds. They are both early in ripening; but their straw is not very strong, and they generally give rather a small yield. The common sorts of hulless barley are Hulless White (beardless) and Ilulless Black (bearded). These are characterised by weak straw. It is expected tlaat some of the new cross-bred beardless and hulless types will prove more satisfactory than any of the older varieties. 0ttaw.\. DITISIO?,' OF CEREALS 763 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 TWO-EOW BAELEY. The plots of two-row barley were sown from the 2nd to the 5th of May, the seed being used at the rate of about 2 bushels per acre. As in the case of the six- row varieties, the yields were very irregular owing to inequalities in the soil, which the drought of summer served to accentuate. Fifty-four varieties and selections of two-row barley were grown in the regular test plots. Only the named sorts are here reported upon. The yield per acre is expressed in pounds and also in " bushels " of 48 pounds. Two-Eow Barley. — Test of Varieties. 03 Average Date «— M Length ^l^ Average Yield Weight Date of O c of 'S <^ O Length of Yield of per Name of Variety. of Ripen- % = Straw, c o of Grain Grain measured -3 s Sowing . ing. C * includ- i &- Head. per per Acre. bushel 3S ing CO g-3 Acre. after •z ^ Head. Ui cleaning. Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush .Lb. Lb. 1 Black Two- Row May 5. Aug. 16. 103 39 7 3-7 3,000 62 24 52-4 9 French Chevalier " 5. " 6. 93 44 10 3 2,880 60 - 540 .•^ Gordon E* " 5. " 8. 95 40 10 3 2,760 57 24 511 4 Canadian Thorpe E* 5. " 10. 97 34 10 3 2,730 56 42 520 5 Gold " 2. " 5. " 2. " 11. 91 98 30 27 7 10 3 2-7 2,610 2,610 54 54 18 18 540 6 GoldthorpeC* 51-5 7 Goidthorpe B* " 5. " 11. 98 35 9 2-7 2,190 45 30 51-4 S Canadian Thorpe D* " 5. " 10. 97 34 / 10 3 2,040 42 24 520 9 Early Chevalier*. . . . 2. July 29. 87 40 7 3-5 2,010 41 42 51-2 10 Hannchen " 5. " 5. " 5. " 5. Aug. 10. " 11. " 6. " 6. 97 98 93 93 30 28 48 48 8 10 10 10 4 3-2 4-5 4-5 1,950 1,950 1,920 1,860 40 40 40 38 30 30 36 53-1 11 Invincible 530 1'' Rpavpr B*. .... 51-2 13 Beaver E* 51-8 14 Duckbill B* " 5. " 12. 99 33 10 2-5 11860 38 36 540 l.-i Duckbill C* " 5. " 12. 99 33 10 2-5 1,830 38 6 53-3 16 Kutais* . . • . 5. " -5. " 5. " 3. " 6. " 13. 90 93 100 29 38 28 10 10 10 3-7 2-7 4 1,800 1,740 1,710 37 36 35 24 12 30 510 17 Gordon A* 54-1 18 Swedish Chevalier . . 51 6 19 Goidthorpe A* " 5. " 11. 98 35 9 2-7 1,680 35 - 51-6 ?,() Goidthorpe D* " 5. " 11. . 98 35 10 2-7 1,650 34 18 53 0 •^1 Swan's Neck " 5. " 7. ' 94 32 10 3 1,620 33 36 530 00 Gordon D*. . . " 5. 5. " 5. " 5. " 5. " 5. " 8. " 6. " 10. " 6. " 10. " 6. 95 93 97 93 97 , 93 38 44 28 38 35 48 10 10 10 10 10 10 2-7 3-5 3 •2-7 4 4-5 1,590 1,590 1,440 1,410 1,380 1,200 33 33 30 29 28 25 6 6 18 36 54-3 ''S Clifford* 53-8 ?4 Primus 53-5 9'i Gordon B* 52- 1 ''6 Jarvis* 53-2 97 Beaver D*....'. 52-8 ''S Standwell " 5. " 5. " 5. " 5. 92 92 34 32 10 10 3-5 3-5 1,200 1,170 25 24 18 52-4 29 Caucasian HuUess . . . 61-8 EECOMMENDED VAEIETIES OF TWO-EOAV BAELEY. Among the best varieties of two-row barley may be mentioned Duckbill, Goid- thorpe, Canadian Thorpe, and some of the strains of Chevalier, especially Early Chevalier. Hannchen, a comparatively new Swedish variety, is very productive but . its poor straw is a serious dravvback. No satisfactory varieties of beardless or hulless two-row barle^' are yet available. The Dominion Cerealist is experimenting with a number of new cross-bred sorts of his own production. Ottawa. 764 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 RYE. Three varieties of winter rye were sown early in September, 1912. These plots grew fairly well in the autumn and suffered much less from winter killing than those of winter wheat. The yields per acre obtained were as follows : — No. Variety. Yield of grain per acre. Yield of grain per acre. Weight per y measured bushel after cleaning. 1 Mammoth White Lb. 2,460 2,280 1,980 Bush. Lb 43 52 40 40 35 20 Lb. 59 2 Dominion Thousandfold 591 58-9 Owing to the scarcity of land for cereal researches at Ottawa, it has been decided to transfer the experiments with winter rye (as well as with winter wheat) to Sidney, B.C. For the same reason no plots of spring rye could be sown last spring. FIELD PEAS AND BEANS. Owing to shortage of land, no tests of field peas or beans could be made this year at Ottawa. FLAX. Twenty-two varieties and selections of flax were grown in the regular test plots. The seed was sown on May 12 at the rate of 60 pounds per acre. The dry weather of summer interfered very seriously with the yield of the flax, the best plot giving less than 21 bushels per acre. All the flax under test consists of new varieties and selec- tions which have not yet been studied long enough to enable one to pick out, with certainty, the best sorts. No distribution can be undertaken at present. The varieties under the name Foremost are selections from a commercial sample of Premost flax, in which slightly differing types were discovered. Novelty is the name given to the selection hitherto recorded as Novarossick B, and the name Long- stem has been given to the exceptionally tall selection from common flax previously designated Common S. The yield of seed per acre is expressed in pounds and also in "' bushels" of 56 pounds. Ottawa. 16-1 ;)i.: -p. 7«4. DiriSIOX OF CEREALS 765 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Flax. — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. m >> Average " Date o C Length Yield Date of SS of of Seed of Ripen- -g-g Plants. per Sowing. ing. Acre. 1 Z Foremost A Novelty La Plata A " C " B 6 Foremo?'. |3 7, Yellow S-jedB 8! ^ " " C... 9, White Flowering B 10| " " A 11 Yellow Seed A 12 Common D 13 Foremost C 14 Common A 15' " B 16 Riga A 17 Common C 18 Russian B 19 Longstem 20 Russian A 21 22 May 12. Aug. 5.| 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 7. 9.1 ^■i 7.1 6 I 6., 6^; 6. 6.1 6. 5. 6. 5. 5. 9. 5. 9. 9. 9. 9. 9. 85 87 89 84 87 86 66 86 86 86 86 85 86 85 85 89 85 89 89 89 89 89 ■Inches. 24 19 20 18 18 18 26 26 23 23 26 24 18 30 30 25 30 21 32 21 22 22 Yield of Seed per Acra 1,170 1,080 1,0.35 960 855 750 750 750 690 669 C60 600 570 540 420 420 405 405 390 375 330 270 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Lb. I Bush. Lb. 20 50 19 16 18 27 17 8 15 15 13 22 13 12 Ji 13 22 12 18 11 44 11 44 10 40 10 10 9 33 7 28 7 28 7 13 7 13 6 54 6 39 5 50 4 46 Lb. 52-5 53-4 .53 0 54-5 .52-3 54-9 .54-0 55 0 55-1 .=;5-o 540 54-3 54-2 56-0 .55 0 .55-5 55-0 .54-2 53-3 551 55' 1 54-0 IG— 50 Ottawa. 75S EXPERIJIEyTAL FARM!? 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. J. A. CLARK, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. In 1910, the first season that cereals were experimented with at this Station, the best land on the Farm was chosen. In 1911 the area mentioned was required for a part of the rotation exi^erinients in connection with the Field Husbandry work. The cereal plots were then transferred to what was known as the Chandler & Gay properties, where buildings, barnyard, fruit trees, roadway, and hedge rows had to be removed preparatory to fitting the laud for the purpose intended. The swamp area was also cleared and part of it tile-drained. Mention was made of the lack of uniformity and the unsatisfactory condition of this land due to weeds in former reports. The soil is a nice friable sandy loam, and that it has been greatly improved for the purpose of testing cereal plots was shown by the much greater uniformity of duplicate plots this year over last year. The system of duplicate plots for almost all of the cereal work was commenced in 1912 owing to the unfortunate diversified condition of the land mentioned above, and also in order to get reliable data more quickly. We now get the average of two sowings without waiting two years for it. The land available for test plots was limited, and in order to adopt the duplicate system the number of varieties of the different cereals was considerably reduced. Those eliminated had either given inferior yields in previous tests or were considered of inferior quality by the Dominion Cerealist who had made tests at Ottawa. A three-year rotation has been planned for the cereal work as follows : 1st year, roots; 2nd year, grain plots; 3rd year, clover. About 15 tons of barnyard manure are to be ploughed down with the clover sod in the autumn in preparation for roots. In the spring of 1913 the third section was given its cleaning up before seeding to cereals. The roots of the couch grass were so numerous that in order to fit the laud for a seed-bed they had to be hauled into piles. After the grain was sown and covered they were applied to the surface with the manure spreader. The extra work required to rid the land of weeds will account in a large measure for the very heavy yields of grain this present season. CHAKACTER OF SEASON. The winter of 1912-13 was colder than usual here. The ground was exposed to the frost the greater part of the winter. Snow lay on the fields only one month and three days, from February 12 to the middle of March. The first half of February was cold, the thermometer reaching 17-5° below zero for a few hours, and as the ground was bare the frost entered the ground to a great depth. The sudden changes of March which took away almost entirely two feet of snow in a day caused great rushes of water over the fields, cutting great ditches and washouts in places never known to be injured in that way before. April was unusually mild, the temi>erature reaching a maximum of over 78° ; this pushed forward the trees and grass about two weeks ahead of previous years. May was cool and so dull that growth remained almost at a standstill, the crop being sown, even on dry land, a little later than in 1912, which was much later than the average. The weather was ideal for working horses and the ground was well fitted for the crops as soon as it was ready. June was cool throughout, the mean temperature being 3° below normal, which delayed the seeding of heavy or wet land late into the month. The frequent showers and moderate temperatures of July made it a very favourable month for cereal crops. August was also favourable to growth and the maturing of the early grain. This was followed by splendid harvest weather in DITISTOX OF CERE. if. S 767 C'ESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 v''Lptember, and all of the early-sown grain was saved in excellent condition. Tho rainfall of October was excessive and almost continuous. The weather was unseason- ably warm, sprouting' considerable of the late grain, the greater part of which was not saved until the cool w^eather of November came. Taken as a whole, the season was favourable to large yields. The very earliest gr-iin did not do so well as the later varieties. The late-sown grain gave very large yields but was very badly injured by the weather conditions of autumn. ITNIFOKM TEST PLOTS OF CEEEALS. The uniform test plots of cereals were sown as follows: Spring wheat, May 13; oats, May 15; barley, May 22. The grain was sown on duplicate plots of one-sixtieth of an acre each from haud-selected seed obtained from the choice heads of the 1912 cereal plots. The paths between the plots were 4 feet wide; these Avere seeded down to grass with the plots and one scrape of the light harrows used to cover them. Ten pounds of Early Red clover, 3 pounds of alsike, and 1 pound of White Dutch clover were sown per acre. This made a very strong growth and the paths were cut for hay in August. The plots wei'e rogued twice, and every precaution used to maintain the purity of the diri'erent strains of grain. EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRING WHEAT. The grain grew very strong, except one plot of Chels-ea which was weaker owing to an unavoidable dead-f'.a-row. Scarcely any rust occurred, and the percentage of loose smut was much lower than last year; all heads observed were destroyed at once. The seed was treated with foma.aldehyde for stinking or ball smut; the result was most satisfactory. Spring Wheat. — Test of Varieties. > Average Weight Q Length ro ° Yield per "" iS> of V-. '^ Average of Yield of Measured Date Date O fi Straw, -1 o • Length Grain Grain Bushel Oi Name of Variety. of of -ii includ- -gfn " of per per Acre. after s Sowing. Ripen- ing. 11 ing Head. S c o Head. Acre. Cleaning ^ Z w Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Stanley May 13. Aug. 29. 108 44 9-5 3-2 3,023 50 23 611 2 Early Red Fife " 13. " 28. 107 45 10 3-5 2,911 48 31* 60-5 3 Marquis " 13. " 28. 107 46 10 3-2 2,843 47 23 62-2 4 Huron " 13. Sept. 2. 112 '45 10 3-7 2.693 44 53 62-6 1 5 White Russian " 13. Aug. 29. 108 45 9-5 4-2 2,693 44 53* 60-7 r^ White Fife " 13. " 13 . " 13. Sept. 3. " 2. Aug. 26. 113 112 105 44 45 43 10 10 10 3-5 3-5 3-2 2,633 2,348 2.201 43 53* 39 8 36 41 60- 1 7 Red Fife 61 0 s Chelsea 63-3 *Plots injured by sparrows, damage estimated. The yields from Nos. 1. 4, 5, 6, and 8 are the {iverages from duplicate plots. EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. The oats were very slow coming up, being fully two weeks sown before they were well above ground. The seed was all carefully treated with formaldehyde at the rate of 1 pint to 30 gallons of water, and though the seed wa^s quite badly infested with loose smut (Ustilago avenue) yet a careful examination tliroughout the summer showed that the smut had been destroyed and that the grain was free from it. The plots of Daubeney headed out nine days before any of the other varieties and two weeks before the Norway. The weather was such that the Daubeney did not lill nearly so well as those beading out later. IG — 50J Charlottetown. 763 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE V.^A. 1915 Oats. — Test of Varieties. 3 9 10 11 T2 13 U U Name of Variety. Date of Sowing. Date of Ripen- ing. 01 eB Q Gold Rain Lincoln Thousand Dollar Banner Twentieth Century. . Swedish Select Siberian Victory Abundance, Carton's Regenerated Ligowo, Swedish Old Island Black Early Blossom Pioneer (Black) Norway (Black) Daubeney May 15 tl 15 u 15 ii 15 u 15 it 15 *i 15 u 15 it 15 it 15 it 15 it 15 it 15 it 15 ti 15 Aug. 26| " 281 " 26. " 28; " 26 1 " 28 " 28 " 27 26: 28; 25' 28 i 25 25! ^^1 103 105 103 105 103 105 105 104 103 105 102 105 102 102 98 Average Length of Straw, includ- ing Head. Inches. 46 45 43 46 46 44 45 43 45 45 46 45 41 42 39 03 . Average Length of Head. 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 10 8 10 10 Inches. 7.5 8 7-5 7-5 8-2 7-5 7-5 7 10 9 8-5 8 7 Yield of Grain per Acre. Lb. 2,901 2,809 2,785 2,777 2,775 2,773 2,768 2,717 2,700 2,618 2,590 2,487 2,486 2,429 1.823 Yield of Grain per Acre. Bush. Lb. 85 11 82 21 81 31 81 23 81 21 81 19 81 14 79 31 79 14 77 0 76 6 73 5 73 4 71 15 53 *21 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Lb. 37-9 381 38-5 370 390 38 -6 37-4 39-5 38-3 39-0 370 40-2 380 35-6 35-2 ♦Sparrows did considerable damage to Daubeney Oats, as it ripened first: 5 per cent damage allowed. The yields here given are the averages from duplicate plots. experiment:s with barley. The plots of barley, from the standpoint of uniformity of stand, were the very finest we hare grown at tliis station. They were greatly admired by the thousands of visitors who visited the station at the time they were ripening. The tables given below show that their opinion was justified. These plots were all practically ripe at the same time, though there were a few of the two-row varieties three days behind the others. The Old Island two-row is probably English Chevalier that was imported to the province many years ago. One of the very fine features of this barley is the fact that it sheds almost all of its beards in the field, this strain having been selected with reference to that character at this station. Barley — Six-row — ^Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. 1 Nugent 2 Manchurian 3 Stella 410. A. C. No. 21. 5| Albert 6|0dcssa 7.0derbruch gjTrooper Date of Sowing. May 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 Date of Ripen- ing. Q Aug. 23 •' 23 93 93 93 93 " 23 " 23 " 23 93 " 23 1 93 " 231 93 " 23 93 Average Length of Stravr, includ- ing Head. Inches. 40 45 46 43 40 46 42 45 (U ^ o i3 &'-' CO 9-5 10 10 9o 9-5 9-5 9 10 Average Yield Length of of Grain Head. per Acre. Inches. Lb. 3-5 2,700 2-7 2,610 30 2,589 2-7 2,. 549 3-2 2,521 30 2,487 3 0 2,409 2-5 2,250 Yield of G rain per Acre. Bush . Lb. 56 10 54 27 53 45 53 5 52 25 51 39 51 46 21 42 Weight per Measured Bushol after Cleaning. Lb. 480 480 47-2 45-8 48-1 46- 1 48-3 47-9 The yields are the averages from duplicate plots. Charlottetown. DIVISION OF CEREALS 769 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Barley Two-row. — Test of Varieties. 03 Q . Average Length Date of '-Z/J ^ ^ -.-5 Average Yield Weight Date of "5 S- Straw, i « o Length of Yield of per Name of Variety. of Ripen- »S includ- o °o of Grain Grain Measured ,; Sowing. ing. ing i '^^ Head. per per Acre. busViel Z Head. «^s=s Acra. after ^ XI y Cleaning. Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Old Island Two- Row May 22 Aug. 26 06 36 10 3- 3,291 68 27 550 ?, Hannchen " 22 " 22 " 22 " 22 " 25 " 25 " 26 " 26 95 95 96 96 38 31 43 33 9-7 10 10 10 2 2 2 3 5 5 7 0 3,120 3,032 2,818 2,771 65 0 63 8 58 34 57 35 54-4 3 Gold 55 0 4 5 Invincible 53-3 Swedish Chevalier... 536 61 Canadian Thorpe " 22 " 23 93 44 10 2 7 2,708 56 20 530 7 Standwell " 22 " 22 " 22 « 21 " 22 " 23 91 92 93 46 46 48 10 10 10 3 3 2 5 0 7 2,393 2,337 2,325 49 41 48 33 48 21* 54-9 8 Clifford 53- 1 ft Beaver 47-9 *Note. — The plots of Beaver were very badly shelled by birds before cutting. These yields are the averages from duplicate plots. EXPERIMENTS WITH PEAS. Owing to the unusual weather conditions of 1912 the seed for the variety test of peas at this Station was lost, with the exception of Arthur, which is the earliest sort we have been able to secure. The germination of the Arthur pea that was grown at Charlottetown in 1912 was only 12 per cent strong. The seed was sown about twice as thick as usual and a very fair stand obtained showing that a large number of the weak seeds must have grown under soil conditions, which had shown but weak sprouts in the laboratory. The other three sorts were obtained from the Cerealist at Ottawa. Insects did considerable injury, making it difficult to grade out No. 1 seed. Peas. — Test of Varieties. Size Date Date Average Average Yield Yield of Weight of of of Length Length of Grain per , Name of Variety. Pea. Sowing . Ripen- "^1 of of Grain per Acre. Measured <0 ing. c2 Straw. Pod. per buihel JJ •Z Acre. after 3 Z Cleaning. Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Solo 'Medium May 22 Sept. 15 116 62 2-7 2,019 33 9 60-9 2iGoldenVine Small... " 22 " 15 116 61 20 1,691 28 11 63-8 3 Arthur (Ottawa 1912) Large... " 22 1 102 55 2-5 1,519 25 19 63-3 4 Arthur (Ch'town).. 1 " " 22 " 1 102 50 2-5 1,466 24 26 The yields here given are the averages from duplicate plots. Charlottetown. 770 ■EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 FIELD PLOTS OF CEREALS. A number of varieties of cereals that have proved satisfactory for certain pur- jioses ill the test plots were grown in multiplying plots on the regular Farm rota- tions. While a comparative table follows of the spring grains grown, it must be remembered that there were great differences between the soil and location of the different rojtations. A few foot-notes explain some of these differences. The demand for pure seed from the Station is increasing, as a great many of the farmers in the province are looking for the best foundation stock. Fifteen lots of oats, three lots of barley and two lots of wheat were sold at current prices to farmers in different sections of the province. Thirty bushels of seed oats were sent to the Kentville Experimental Station in the spring of 1913. The grain from, the following plots was saved in good condition during the fine weather of August and September, and with the exception of some of the wheal the quality is No. 1. The plots were carefully rogued during the summer. Multiplication Plots of Cereals. SPRING WHEAT. No. Field. 1 Name of Variety. Size Plot. Date of Sowing. Date of Ripen- ing. Weight of Straw. Strength of Straw on a Scale of 10 Points. Yield Grain per Acre. Yield Grain per Acre. D.l Acre. 10 0-88 10 May 15 " 17 " 16 Sept. 6 " 9 " 16 114 115 123 Lb. 2,070 2,090 2,217 5 6 4 Lb. 1,178 1,114 913 Bush. Lb . 19 38 F. 1 Red Fife.... 18 34 B. 1 White Fife 15 13 OATS. G. 2 Gold Rain A. 1 Banner C. 1 Old Island Black. B. 3 Victory G. 7 Daubeney 0-4 May 20 Sept. 6 109 3,007 1-0 " 13|Aug. 29 108 2,333 0-57 " 16 " 27 103 2,538 10 " 20 Sept. 6 109 1,557 0-4 " 20 Aug. 27 95 2,100 8 10 10 10 10 2,168 2,107 1,922 1,898 1,218 63 26 61 33 56 18 55 28 36 28 BARLEY SIX-ROW. A 4 Manchurian 10 May 21- Sept. 2 104 3,878 10 1,857 38 33 BARLEY TWO-ROW. F. 3 Hannchen 0-88 May 28 Sept. 9 104 2,615 7 1,522 31 34 The Marquis wheat v/as rusted badly. The joint-worm did fully 25 per cent injury. This seed will not be sold. The Red Fife was on poor land. F. 1 is being renovated largely by cultivation, 13 tons 1,270 pounds of manure applied in 1912 was all it has received in fifteen years. The White Fife was rusted even worse than the Marquis. The grass in it was very strong, choking the grain out badly. Joint worm did much damage in this field. Hannchen quite badly injured by cut-worms in one corner of field- Charlottetown. DIVISION OF CEREALS 771 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 CO-OPERATIYE TEST OF THKEE VARIETIES OF OATS. The co-cperative test of oats begun in 1912 was continued on three of the farms and at this Station. The same three varieties of oats were tested in duplicate plots of one-sixtieth acre each on the four farms mentioned below, Mr. Garnet LeLacheur, Seed Inspector, and ^.Ir. Richard Creed, Assistant Inspector, gave the work carcfid attention. They furnished the field notes and took supervision of the field work. The grain was forwarded to the Experimental Station where it was threshed, graded and weighed. The information given below was gathered from facts that came under my own observation. I think these tests will be of great value to the farmers of Prince Edward Island when sufficient time has elapsed, so that the aver- ages may extend over a number of years. Co-operative Test Plots of Oats. — Test of Banner, Ligowo and Old Island Black Oats, in Queens and Kings counties, the averages from duplicate plots are here Name of Exprrimenter. Experimental station. Mr. A. M. Stuart.. . Mr. E. G. Giddings. . Air. .James Simpson. . Location. Charlottetown, P.E.I. Belle River, P.E.I... Abney, P.E.I Bay View, P.E.I Average yield per acre, 1013. Grand average yield per acre, 1912-13, from twenty plots of each variety on seven farms Yield per Acre. Banner. Busli 81 78 58 49 Gl Lb. 23 18 I 14 66 31 10 Ligowo. Bush. Lb. 77 62 52 42 17 10 27 58 22 52 24 O.I. Black. Bush. Lb. 76 71 57 47 6 24 22 31 62 12 55 26 From the data gathered to date we note that Banner has produced an average of 5 bushels and 18 pounds more per acre than Old Island Black, and it has pro- duced 8 bushel?; and 20 pounds more than Ligowo. The Old Island Black has pro- d\iced an average of 3 bushels and 2 pounds more than Ligowo. We wish to thank the men mentioned above for their very careful and painstak- ing- assistance which they have given us in connection with this series of experi- ments. Charlottetown. 772 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 6 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, NAPPAN, N.S. W. W. BAIRD, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. CHAEACTEK OF SEASON. During the winter of 1912-13 very little snow fell and no severe frost- was realized during the latter part. Practically no snow fell after the 15th of March. Over two inches of rain fell on the 27th of that month, doing considerable damage by washing the fields, especially those ploughed on the side hills. April was, on the whole, a typical month, much broken weather with alternate rain and snowfall, especially during the early and latter parts. From the 21st to the 26th a very warm spell was experienced, making the land almost workable. The highest temperature v/as on April 25, 71° F., the lowest on the 10th, 14° F., with a total precipitation of 3 -40 inches, and out of a possible of 407 hours sunshine only 132-7 hours were recorded. From the 1st to the 10th of May the weather was dry and warm and seeding started on the Gth, some four days earlier than for the season of 1912, and became quite general by the 10th, but was greatly retarded by several days of wet, cald weather. This kept the ground at a very low temperature. Several degrees of frost were recorded on the nights of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th. Seed sown on the 6th was eleven days in germinating. Vegetation which gave great promise during the first few days in May made very little gain during the remainder of the month. The highest temperature was on the 6th> 67° F., and the lowest on the 9th, 26° F., with a total precipitation of 2-38 inches, and out of a possible of 463 hours sunshine only 169-1 hours were recorded. June was rather cooler than usual, the highest temperature being 10° lower than the highest for June, 1912. The precipitation was also lighter than for the same period in the previous season. On the 13th, 1° of frost was registered. Seeding and planting were fairly well through by the 21st. All vegetation made very slow growth mitil the latter part of the month, at which time the weather conditions became much more favourable for growth. The highest temperature recorded was on June 11, 74° F.. the lowest on the 13th, 31° F., with a precipitation of 1-97 inches, and out of a possible of 470 hours sunshine only 255°5 hours were recorded. July for the most part was dull and wet, rain falling on twelve different ^ays, giving a total precipitation of 4-98 inches. The highest temperature recorded was on July 5, 82° F, ; lowest on the 17th, 41° F. Out of a possible of 474 hours sunshine only 226-5 hours were recorded. Notwithstanding the prevalence of cool and rainy weather, vegetation made a remarkable growth. Grain and roots especially advanced very rapidly. Haying was delayed some few days by the wet weather, but the greater part of the clover was secured in good condition. During August the weather conditions were very much brighter and a great deal of work was ^accomplished. By the end of the month most of the grain on the Farm was ready to cut. All plots of barley were cut during the last week of August. Roots continued to make very rapid growth. The highest temperature recorded during August was on the 3rd, 80° F., the lowest on the 21st, 33° F., and out of a possible of 474 hours sunshine only 238-1 hours were recorded. September was, on the whole, very fine. Though light showers fell on eight different days, the precipitation was not heavy. Very fair harvest weather wa3 DIVISION OF CEREALS 773 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 experienced. The major part of the early-sown grain was harvested in good condition, biit as the wet, cold spell in the spring delayed seeding, a very large acreage was still unfit to cut to this date. The highest temperature recorded for September was on the 2nd, 78° F., and the lowest on the 16th, 31° F. Slight frosts were recorded on two days, the 6th and 16th. The total precipitation for the month was 2-70 inches. Out of a possible of 376 hoiirs sunshine only 165 '95 hours were recorded. October for the greater part was a very unseasonable month. Rain fell on thir- teen different daj^s during the month, giving a total precipitation of 7-83 inches, which was the heaviest by far recorded at this Farm since October, 1907, during which month 8-42 inches were recorded. Owing to the lateness of the season, much grain was still unharvested, consequently inestimable damage resulted, as it was ruined for seed, and hardly^fit for feed. While the records for the month of November show quite a variation of tempera- ture at times, on the whole it may be called rather a seasonable month. The roots were harvested during the first part of the month, and the great damage caused by the enormous rains of the previous months was then realized. These rains did not alfect the crops only, but also the land, putting it in such a condition as to render autumn ploughing impossible. The first half of the month was unusually fine for November. The highest temperature, 65° F., was recorded on the 10th. The latter part of the month was somewhat colder, and on the 29th the temperature dropped to 10°, which was the lowest for the month. Snow fell on the 26th and 27th, and this together with the rain which fell on five other -different days, viz., 4th, 10th 15th, 20th, and 23rd, made the total precipitation 2-03 inches. November was rather dull throughout, and only 115-45 hours of sunshine were recorded. December, though rather mild for that month, nevertheless displayed some of its natural characteristics, in that it brought the first appearances of winter. Until the 13th the weather was somewhat broken, with alternate rain and snowfall. Following this from the 14th to the 20th some 4 inches of very light snow fell. On the 24th snow again fell, this time to a depth of 7 inches, and on the 26th a very heavy cold rain fell. The weather turned very cold and clear on the 27th, which weather con- tinued throughout the remainder of the month. The snowfall of the month gave us a precipitation of 1-60 inches and the rain a precipitation of 2-65, making a total of 4-25 inches. EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRING WHEAT. Eleven varieties of spring wheat were sown in uniform test plots of one-fortieth of an acre. The land was a medium heavy clay loam, with a sandy loam subsoil to a depth of 9 inches, which had been ploughed in the fall of 1912 and well cultivated in the spring of 1913 to get a good seed-bed. Seed was, sown at the rate of 1 bushel 3 pecks per acre. Owing to the low temperature of the ground the seed w.as from eleven to sixteen days germinating, and did not show above the ground until the eighteenth or twentieth day. Considerable weeding had to be done in order to keep the plots clean. After the middle of June the grain made very rapid growth, and at the end of the season an excellent stand was realizerl. All plots were free from lodging and rust, but a few of the plots had a.s high as from 2 to 3 per cent smut. This was all hand-picked out as soon as it appeared. Nappax. 774 EXPETflMEYTlL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 The following table gives the results from the named varieties under test: — Spring Wheat. — Test of Varieties. o 6 s Name of Variety. Red Fife * Marquis Early Red Fife Stanley White'Fife .... Bishop, .... . . Bobs Huron Average. be •" S Q May be C Sept. 13 6 .. 13 8 .. 15 6 6 4 O 03 +5 S -^ bo--" eS C O t) 1.30 123 130 125 132 123 123 121 Inches. 50 50 50 53 52 60 48 4G o ^§ be ^ o " ►= "'3 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 be (3 > o Inches. 3-0 ■0 2 0 •7 •2 0 c3 .2 a >< Lb. 2,440 2,383 2,280 2,200 2,200 2,120 2,0 }0 1,880 2,193 c CI . s Bush. Lb. 40 40 39 43 38 .. 36 40 3n 40 35 20 34 .. 31 20 30 33 S 69 ?S 3 a I— ( w Lb. GO 61 60 CO 58 00-5 60 61 * Average of two plots. In comparing the above table with those of previous years, it will be noted that all varieties were from eight to twelve days longer maturing. The " Early Eed Fife " does not appear to ripen any earlier than the ordinary Red Fife in this climate. The four following varieties can be recommended to be the most profitable ones to grow in this section: Mai-quis, Red Fife, Stanley, and Huron (bearded). EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. Twelve varieties of oats were sown in uniform test plots of one-fortieth of an acre. The land was from medium to heavy clay loam, with a sandy loam subsoil to a depth of 9 inches. Same method of preparation as for wheat. All seed was sown on May 7 at the rate of three bushels per acre, which had been selected from best heads in the plots of the previous year. All plots were uniform in growth and stand and were free from lodging. As the grain had not been treated for smut, a number of affected heads were found throughout the plots and were hand-picked as soon as they appeared. It will bo necessary to treat all grain next year for smut. Some of the varieties were badly attacked with rust, but it came too late to cause any appreciable damage in the yield. The following table gives comparative results: — Oats. — Test of Varieties. ^ ® Name of Variety. 5P bc G it SI O c3 verage Length of Shraw in- cluding Head. ay o to fcJD Weight ])er easured Bushel 'ter Cleaning. X Q Q l^; < ^/■'> < Inches. kH >< G.jld Rain It 7 .1 27 112 50 10 7 ],!)(;o 57 22 33 6 Thousand Dollar. .. 7 ,. 30 115 46 10 8 1,9-X) 50 16 34-5 1 Lincoln .. 7 .. 30 115 49 10 7 l,«iO 54 24 34 8 Swedish Select. . . .. 7 „ 30 115 45 10 7 1,8 JO 54 4 34 '.) Danish Island. . . .. 7 Sept. 2 118 46 10 ( ■;> 1,82^) 53 18 33 ID IjinjOWO .. 7 Aug 30 115 48 0 l,8iiO l,(iSO 52 32 35 34 11 l^ioneer « 1 .. 25 110 45 9 7 49 14 12 Siberian Average . . . „ 7 Sept. 2 lis H 10 7 1,640 48 8 34 1,893 55 23 Nappan. DIVISION OF CEREALS 775 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 From the above table it will be noted that Abundance, Twentieth Century, and Banner gave the heaviest yields; also that they have a good length and strougtii of straw. Ligowo gave tlie heaviest weight per n^easured bushel, and hence can be cla^ssed among the heaviest producers. These four varieties can be recommended for use in this district. Gold Rain, while a heavy yielder, is more subject to rust. Pioneer is the only black variety in the above table, and is a fair yielder. Pioneer and CI old E,ain were the earliest in ripening. EXPERIMENTS WITH BARLEY. Twelve varieties of barley were sown in uniform test plots of one-fortieth of an acre, six of six-row and six of two-row. The land was medium heavy clay, sandy loam subsoil. It was phuited to roots the previous year and manured at the rate of 20 tons per acre of barnyard manure, and ploughed in the fall of 1912". In the spring of 1913 it was well cultivated, but did not receive any manure or fertilizer. Grain was sown on May 7 at the rate of two bushels per acre. Three of the varie- ties were attacked by sparrows, viz., Hannchen, Manchurian and Invincible. In the cr^e of Hannchen there was an es-timated loss of at least 30 per cent, and in the latter two not more than 10 per cent. The yields given in the tables are those actually obtained. The following tables give the comparative results of the two-row and six-row varieties : — Barley. — Six-row. — Test of Varieties. - — ■5flT3 ^ g c ■1-4 i> ti 1 j3 Name of Variety. tab •" S be a O jJ O o3 verage Leng of Straw 1 eluding Hea rength of traw on a scfl f 10 points. he c O 1^ e8 Weight per Measured Bush after Cleanin ^ P P 12; < ^="° < >^ >^ Inches. Inches. Lb. Bn&h. Lb. Lb. 1 Nugent May 7 Aug. 26 1, 20 111 105 46 47 10 10 3 2.5 2200 2000 45 40 41 32 48 y. Odessa 51 3 O.ierbruch n 7 1, 20 lor. 43 0 2 5 18S0 39 8 51 4 Stella .. 7 1. 29 114 44 9 ■2.7 172!) 35 40 .50 5 lO.A.C. No. 21.... .. 7 .1 28 113 45 10 2.7 1640 34 8 47 6 Manchurian Averafire .... .. 7 1. 23 108 48 8 3,5 1400 29 8 46 1806 37 30, . ^ Nappan. 776 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS Barley Two-row. — Test of Varieties. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 -c A • c j= c a Name of Variety. 5 o 1^ > O 0 tx c > 0 S3 ^ a Q ^ < -^M° ^ ^^ >^ !«!; Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Swedish Chevalier May 7 Aug. 2.S 113 42 8 4 2400 50 51.5 2 Fiench Chevalier .. 7- „ 28 113 42 9.5 4 2200 45 40 50 3 Canadian Thorpe M 7 „ 25 110 45 10 3 1920 40 60 4 Invincible.. 1. 7 „ 2h 110 50 10 3.2 1840 38 16 50 5 Hannchen .. 7 „ 23 103 45 10 3.2 17«0 30 32 51 6 Beaver 11 7 - - 23 108 48 10 3.7 ICOO 33 16 52 Average 1953 40 33 In the six-row varieties it will be noted that the Manchurian and Odessa are two of tlie earliest maturing varieties and have, in the case of Manchurian, g-ood length of head, but slight weakness in the straw; whereas Odessa is strong in the straw but short in the head. Yet these are two varieties that can best be recommended from the above table. Manchurian is a selected strain of Mensury. This selection has sur- passed in yield, both the original Mensuiy from which it was derived and also the closelj'' related Mandscheuri. O.A. C. No. 21 has only been grown here, for a short time, but it is a promising barley. Recommended varieties from the two-row barleys are Swedish Chevalier, French Chevalier, and Invincible. The former two are late in maturing, but give a good yield of nice grain. Invincible ripens somewhat earlier and yields grain of fair quality. EXPERIMENTS WITH BUCKWHEAT. Five varieties of buckwheat were sown in uniform test plots of one-fortieth of an acre. The land was medium clay loam, ploughed from clover the previous year. It was harrowed twice with a cutaway harrow and once with a smoothing harrow. All seed sown was on June 11 at the rate of 3 pecks per acre. Due to this piece of land being very bad in couch grass, the results and yields are not quite as good as we should have liked to see. Nappan. DiriSIOX OF CEREALS 777 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The following table gives the comparative results: — Buckwheat. — Test of Varieties. 1 2 3 4 5 Name of Variety. Tartarian. . Rye J apanese . . . Silver Hull. Grey Average . Date of Sowing. Date of Ripen- ing. of Straw ^.iS ' includ- § i3 S'o ^.S inghead iS'^^MfM June 111 Sept. 5 II 11] II 5 II 11 II 5 II 11 •■ 5 >. 11 Average es o Length "o c^ ■st ° » C h ^ ■? 86 86 86 86 86 Inches. 33 36 33 34 34 Yield of Grain per Acre. Yield of Grain per Acre. 9 10 9 8 8 Lb. 2,120 2,080 1,760 l,6bi) 1,500 JBush. Lb. 1,836 44 43 36 34 32 8 16 32 28 24 38 12 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Lb. 51 50 46 48 49 From the above table it is to be noted that Tartarian and Eye give the "test yields, which are 44 bushels 8 pounds of Tartarian and 43 bushels 16 pounds in case of Eye, and further, that they give the heaviest weight per measured bushel. Hence we would conclude tliat these two varieties are the most profitable to grow for feed purposes. Silver Hull yields flour of excellent quality. FIELD CEOPS OF 'SEED GEAIN. Some seven acres were sown to wheat, oats, and barley, in acre lots. The land was from a medium to a heavy clay loam. The two acres on which the wheat was sown had received 20 tons of barnyard manure and produced roots the previous year. This was ploughed in the fall of 1912 and well cultivated in the spring of 1913 to ensure a perfect seed-bed. That on which the oats and barley were sown had received 25 tons of barnyard manure and produced a crop of roots the previous year. It was likewise ploughed in the fall of 1912 and a good seed-bed prepared in the spring of 1913. Neither of those fields received fertilizer of any kind this season. The following table gives the yields : — Wheat— 1 acre Huron 1 acre Red Fife Oats— 1 acre Abundance 1 acre Banner 1 acre Ligowo Barley— 1 acre French Chevalier. 1 acre jVlanchurian Date of Seeding. Date of Ripening. Yield. Bush. Lb. May 27 .. 7 Septemlfcr 5 .. 15 28 25 30 May 10 ., 10 .. 10 August 30 ,, 30 30 61 5 58 28 50 9 May 17 .. 17 August 30 30 36 40 31 All grain thus produced, after it has been thoroughly cleaned, will be for sale during the spring of 1914 at a reasonable price. This grain is the production of hand-selected heads from plots of previous years and sown in small plots to ensure good seed of high quality and true to type. Nappan. 778 EXPEl^IMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, STE. ANNE DE LA POCATIERE, QUEBEC. JOS. BEGIN, SUPEEINTENBENT. Regular experimental work in the testing of varieties of grain has not yet been commenced on this Station; but preparations for such tests are being made. This season, Banner oats only were sown. The yield varied on different fields, according to the condition of the soil and the date of sowing, from 25 to 65 bushels per acre. The best yield was from the field sown earliest (May 6). DITISIOy OF CEREALS 779 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, CAP ROUGE, QUEBEC. GUS. A. LANGELIER, SUPERINTENDENT. CIIAEACTER OF SEASON. The p^ason of 1913 was one of the best for cereals, in this district, that we have Iiad for many years. The spring was very early and all trial plots were sown during the last two days of April, whilst the main crop was put in before the middle of May. This is about ten days sooner than seeding can be done in an average season. The grain which was sown from the 7th to the 15th of May made a splendid growth, as there was plenty of heat and enough precipitation to hasten germination and force all vegetation. FariTters who delayed seeding operations until the end of May saw their grain at a standstill during the drought which lasted all through August, and thereby no doubt lost at lea.=;t 25 per cent of their crop. The early-sown grain was too far advanced to suifer and the yield was heavy throughout the district. VAEIETY TESTS. The trial plots are now permanently located on a piece of ground where a three- year rotation is used. The first year, roots and Indian corn plots are grown; the second, the plots of cereals come; and the third, we have plots of clover to find with what kind of cereal it grows best. Fourteen varieties of spring wheat, four of two-row barley, seven of six-row barley, ten of oats, and six of peas, were sown on one^sixtieth acre plots. ■ ■ »- ^ SPRING WHEAT. Fourteen varieties of spring wheat were tried on a uniform piece of sandy loam, naturally drained, where Indian corn was grown last year. The subsoil is shale, at from 15 to 24 inches from the surface. The land was ploughed during October, 1912 ; it was well disced, harrowed, rolled, and sown with the drill on the 29th and 30th of April, at the rate of IJ bushels per acre. The high temperature of the beginning of May, 79° F., on the 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 85° on the 7th, with a total precipitation of 0-26 inches on the 3rd, 9th, and 10th hastened germination, and the grain was up when on the 15th the thermometer went down to 25-2°, and to 27-2° on the 16th. This, in my opinion, was the cause of the failure to grow of Alpha Selected, Bishop, Bobs, Marquis, Red Fife and White Fife wheat. Even if this was not the ca.use, it is nevertheless true that the varieties which gave no crop are not so resistant to adverse conditions as those which yielded even a light one. The most promising wheats for this district, according to our experiments, seem to be Preston and Huron. The latter always looks so well that I am inclined to favour it. 780 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS ■ ' 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 The following tables will give some information as to the plots grown in 1913, and also a summary of everything done since the establishment of this Station: — SPRING WHEAT. Ne of Variety. "-A 1 i o 4i f) G 7 8 9 10 Preston. ...... I I lU'Oll J^.irly Red Fife Yellow Cros.s . Alpha Selected Bishop Bobs Marquis Red Fif^ White Fife.... Date of Sowing Date of ■ Ripen- ing. April 20:Aug. 19 M 29 „ 19 M 29! „ 25 M 29! „ 19 II 29 1 Failure. II Zo\ It I, 29' If 30 ., 29 I. 29 t£ Q OS o d :5 113 113 119 113 Average Length of Straw includ- ing Head. Inches. 27 32 26 25 O eS .^ TO ^ C ^~ Average Length of Head. 10 10 10 10 Inches. 3 3 5 2-5 o Yield of Grain per Acre. Lb. 1.380 ],0i'0 720 300 Yield of Grain per Acre. Bush. Lb. 23 17 12 15 Weight per Measured Bu.sliel after Cleaning. Lb. (0 58- 62- Gl Spring Wheat. — Eesnlts for three years. c 1 3 Name of Variety. No. of Days Maturing. Yield of Grain per Acre. la "^ > ■- ^ o r-, <"3S <>^'J>< 1911 1912 1913 1911 bush lb 1912 bush lb 1913 bush lb bush lb 1 Preston 85 106 113 10] 3 30 45 12 23 21 55 ?. Huron 87 112 113 104 0 39 9 17 21 40 3 Bobs 87 lOG 96 5 35 30 6 Failure 20 45 4 Bishop 87 106 96 5 30 30 10 Failure 20 15 5 Marquis 87 112 99 5 28 45 11 Failure 19 52 fi Red Fife 85 87 87 120 97 120 iis 102 99 103 5 0 5 21 30 27 15 14 45 7 8 11 Failure 6 Failure 14 15 Yellow Cross 13 45 K White Fife 12 52 9 Early Red Fife 85 112 119 105-3 12 45 6 12 10 15 OATS. Ten varieties of oats were tried on a uniform piece of sandy loan> with subsoil of shale at from 15 to 24 inches from surface. This land is naturally drained. In 1912, Indian corn was grown there and the area was ploughed in October. In the spring of 1913, it was well disced with the big " cutaway,'' harrowed, rolled, and sown with the drill on April 29. The rate of seeding was from 2A to 3:} bushels per acre, according to germination test of seed. As the temperature was favourable, the grain came up quickly. Every farmer in this district grows oats, and it is by far the most important cereal. Thousand Dollar and Twentieth Century have not shown anything which could recommend them, from the standpoint of earliness or yield, in three years. Banner is the most popular here, but Daubeney seems to be liked by many farmers who see the plots. There is not much diiferettee in earliness between Daubeney and Eighty Day, and tiie gi'ain of the former is much larger. However tliese two are in a class by them- selves for colder regions. The Swedish varieties are all promising, and we may yet find / Cap Eouge. DIVISION OF CEBEALS 781 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 one amongst them which will supplant Banner, though it is not veiy probable. Up to the present, Banner is the variety which I recommend to the farmers of this district. The following tables give information as to the varieties tested in 1913, and also a summary of work done since 1911 with oats : — Oats. Si E 3 Name of Variety. 1 2 ,3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Victory Gold Kain Siberian Abundance (Gar- ton's) Banner Ligowo(Swedish). . . Twentieth Century. Eighty Day Thousand Dollai . , Daubeney bb 0 be tc^ . jngth of on a sea 0 points Date of (D'S 01 ■i; G c3 bod to A verage Length showing p? £ -?-S 1< > t-H of Head. u^ >, dj ■■'-'O rr « 't- o ^ > *+-! "^^ t- O •c <° (£ Inches. Inches. April 20 Aug. 19 112 36 10 6.5 II M M 112 3-J 10 7 11 ., 28 121 SO 10 6 •t ., 1!) 112 37 10 7 M M II 112 40 10 6.5 It „ 2S 121 38 10 6 5 II .. 19 112 40 10 7 If II 7 100 34 10 6 II 1, 19 112 34 10 7.5 II 1. 8 101 28 10 8 Yield of Grain per acre. Lb. 27G0 2580 2460 2400 2310 2100 2040 1.500 1500 1440 Yield of Grain per acre. Bush. Lb. 81 6 75 30 72 12 70 20 68 28 61 26 GO — 44 4 44 4 42 12 tc a tc ju o Lb. 3S.2 38.2 37.2 .38.2 34.0 37.2 34.0 34.0 35.6 34.0 Oats. — Results for Three Years. 3 Name of Variety. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Victory Banner Gold Rain Abundance (Gar ton's) Siberian Ligowo (Swedish) Twentieth Century... Daubeney Eighty Day Thousand Dollar No. of Days Maturing. 191L 1912. 87 87 87 87 87 87 87 76 74 87 120 120 120 120 120 106 100 120 1913. 112 112 112 112 121 121 112 101 100 112 99 99 106 106 106 106 106 94 91 106 Yield of Grain per Acre. 1911. Bush LU. 72 12 82 32 83 28 62 7 74 4 82 17 76 26 84 24 71 16 62 22 1912. Bush. Lb. 47 22 49 14 28 8 50 .. .% .. 24 24 28 8 30 .. Bu.sh. Lb. Bush, Lb. 191c 0, g 03 >^ 81 6 68 28 75 30 70 20 72 12 61 26 60 . 42 12 44 4 44 4 76 26 75 30 69 4 60 25 58 8 58 8 55 20 50 20 47 32 45 20 PEAS. Six varieties of peas were tried in 1913 on a uniform piece of sandy loam with a shaly subsoil at from 15 to 24 inches from the top. The plots were all one-sixtieth of an acre. The ground was in Indian corn during 1912 and was ploughed in the fall of that year. In the spring of 1913, it was passed over witli the big disc, harrowed, rolled, and seeded with the drill. The weather was just right for quick germination, and the peas were soon up. The thermometer went down to 25-2° and 27° F. after 16 — 51 Cap Eouge. 782 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 they were above ground, but peas have the advantage of resisting slight frost. Arthur Selected has been at the head both in 1911 and in 1913, and up to the present, it seems the best variety to recommend to farmers. The following tables give information as to the varieties tested in 1913, and also a summary for the years 1911 and 1913. The pea crop was a failure in 1912: — PE.\S. o; j= ^ r. c 0' Name of Variety. Size of Date of Date of Ripen- ing. bD t>0 s . 03 PM Weight per meas- ured Pea. Sowing. > 2 o > OJ 3 0) bushel after ^ ^ < < >H >^ cleaning In. In. Lb. Bus. Lb. Lb. 1 Arthur Selected . . . Medium April 30 Sept. 3 126 42 27 2,820 47 .. 61 6 2 English (irey M . . „ 30 M 3 126 37 2 2.580 43 .. 62-7 3 Golden Vine Small . . „ 30 M 3 126 2S 2 2,2^0 37 .. 63 7 4 Prussian Blue Medium ,. 30 ,. 3 126 38 2-5 2,010 34 .. 63-7 5 White Marrowfat. . Large . . „ 30 „ 3 126 41 2-2 2,010 33 30 63-7 6 Wisconsin Blue Medium M 30 .. 3 126 36 2 1,G20 27 .. 65-9 Peas. — Results for Two Years. h Name of Variety. No. of Days Maturing. c ■ • 'ire Yield of Grain per Acre. Average Yield of Grain per Acre. Size of Pea. 191 L i9ia < 1911. 1913. 1 Arthur Selected 87 87 87 87 87 82 82 87 82 82 126 126 126 126 126 126 126 126 126 126 106 5 DQ 3 pq 38 S3 32 29 32 29 27 20 26 17 ;3 30 15 .30 15 45 45 P2 1-^ 47 .. 43 .. 37 .. 33 .. 27 .. 34 " 3 Xi pa >A 42 30 38 15 34 37 31 .. 29 45 29 15 27 45 27 22 26 .. 17 .. Medium. ? English Grey 106 10? 106 106 104 104 106 104 104 5 5 5 6 0 0 5 0 0 3 Golden Vine Small. 4 u 6 7 8 White Marrowfat Wisconsin Blue Mackay Black-eye Marrowfat .... Prussian Blue Large. Medium. ti Large. Medium. 9 10 Chancellor Small. Paragon Medium. BARLEY Seven varieties of six-row and four of two-row barley were tried in 1013. The land grew Indian corn in 1912 and was ploughed during October of that year; it was disced, harrowed, rolled, and sown with the drill the last day of April, 1913. The soil is a sandy loam, uniform for all plots, with a shaly sub-soil at from 15 to 24 inches from the surface, and is naturally drained. The fine weather of the beginning of May hastened germination and the grain was up when the frost of the 15th and 16th came, 25-2° and 27'2° P., respectively. In my opinion this was what killed most of the barlej^ though according to a very thorough analysis of the soil, it has been found by the Dominion Chemist, Mr. Frank T. Shutt, that the supply of lime is deficient. Cap Rougb. DITIfflOX OF CEREALS 783 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Few farmers of the region are interested in barley, which does not seem to do well around here. When the fact is taken into consideration that a large proportion of the soil is light, it must be acknowledged that barley is not the most suitable cereal to grow. It should, however, receive more consideration for two main reasons: because it can be sown much later than oats without ill effects on its yield, and also because it is probably much better than oats as a nurse crop for clover and grass seed. The first reason is a very good one as, with our very short season and scarcity of help, a farmer is greatly handicapped when the sirring is late and wet. It would be much better, then, to sow a barley like Success, which matured at the Station in an average of 79-5 days, than an oat like Banner, which took exactly 20 days longer to ripen. The second question is a most important one, especially in this district where most, of the land is left in hay and pasture for periods of from four to ten years. If a cereal is found with which clover and grass seed will grow better and yield more hay and pasture, it will be of great benefit to the farmers. My impression is that barley will be much better than oats in this respect. No tables are given for barley, because they would not furnish reliable informa- tion, as there was not a normal crop since 1911. MISCELLANEOUS. EXPERIMEXTS WITH OATS. Though coming under the Division of Field Husbandry, experiments which are being made with different rates of seeding may be mentioned here. Different quan- tities of grass and clover seed are being sown in the plots used for above experiment to see if it pays to be liberal with the seed, and also to find out with what quantity of oats as a nurse crop the best yield of hay can be had. BARLEY AS A NURSE CROP. In 1912, all test plots of cereals were sown to an ordinary clover and timothy mixture. The plots, in 1913, gave an average per acre of 4,759 pounds of hay where the barley had been used as a nurse crop, and only 3,635 pounds where oats were sown. This is a difference of 24 per cent, and it shows the importance of barley for this purpose in a district where, quite often, four or five consecutive crops of hay and two or three years of pasture are taken before the land is ploughed. PEAS. THEIR HIGH PROTEIN CONTENT. Peas are very little grown in' the district, though for stock feeding they would be ver;s' advantageous on account of the high protein content, ^^'ith the price of mill by-products constantly soaring higher, it will soon be advisable to grow at least a portion of the concentrates to be fed to live- stock. And as most of the roughages have too large a proportion of carbohydrates and fat, it behooves the wideawake farmer to grow crops of grain with a good percentage of protein. It is interesting to see the total digestible protein per acre on all plots of cerea.ls grown at this station since 1911: Peas, 359 pounds; oats, 223 pounds; two-row barley, 108 pounds; six-row barley, 89 pounds; wheat. 84 pounds. Next to oats, I should consider peas to be the cereal which should receive the most attention here. It may be added that the pea, as a nitrogen gatherer from the air, would come in very well in rotations where it is impossible to have a large enough proportion of land under hoed croi)s. l(3_51i Cap Eouge. 784 EXPEBIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EFFECT ON CROP OF VITALITY OF SEED. "When oats from the 1912 crop were tested, it was found that, owing to that very unfavourahie season, the vitality was low. Though more seed was used to compensate for this, it was thought that the causes which had decreased the per- centage of g'ermination of the grain might have had an adverse influence on the rest which did germinate. But the results of 1913 show that we were wrong as far as this year is concerned anyhow. The following table explains the matter : — Name of Variety. Germination Test. Seeds used per Acre. 1913. 1911-12-13. Yield. Position. Yinld. Position. Gold Rain , Siberian Ligowo (Swedish) Twentieth Century Thousand Dolhir Aliundance (Garton's) Daubenej' % 68 77 77 79 80 88 86 Bush. H 3 3 3 2? 2? 2i Bush. Lb. 75 30 72 12 61 26 60 — 44 4 44 4 42 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bush. Lb. 69 4 58 8 58 3 55 20 45- 20 GO 25 50 20 1 3 4 5 6 2 7 GRAIN GROWN FOR SEED. Besides the trial plots, the following grain was grown to be sold or distributed as seed : — Huron wheat, 1-81 acre; total yield, 3,150 lbs. or 1,740 lbs. = 29 bush. 0 lb. per acre. Arthur Selected peas, 1-71 acre; total yield 2,778 lbs. or 1,625 lbs. = 27 bush. 5 lbs. per acre. Barley, Manchurian 1.62 acre; total yield 3,365 lbs. or 2,077 lbs. = 43 bush. 13 lbs. per acre. Banner oats 10-89 acres; total yield 28,955 lbs. or 2,659 lbs. = 78 bush. 7 lbs. per acre. The wheat and peas were sent to the Dominion Cerealist for the usual yearly distribution. Cap Eouge. DIVISION OF CEREALS 785 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, BRANDON, MAN. W. C. McKILLICAN, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. The season of 1913 was a favourable one for the testing of cereal crops. That does not mean that it was a particularly good year for the production of hea^'y crops, but rather that it was nearly a normal Manitoba season, so that results obtained should be more valuable than those obtained in unusual or freakish seasons. The season opened with fine bright weather in the month of April, which gave an opportunity to get grain sown in good condition. Cool weather in May made rather slow germination. June and July were very dry, with a total rainfall for the season up to July 31 of only .5-33 inches. August brought some heavy rainstorms which lodged the oats. The latter part of August and all September were excellent harvest weather. TEST OF VAEIETIES. The usual tests of varieties of cereal crops were conducted again this season. In order to lessen the danger of error, due to variation in the S'oil and other local causes, two plots were sown of each variety. The order of the plots was arranged so as to have each variety affected equally by any difference in soil between one side of the field and the other. The average yield of tlie two plots was used in computing the yield per acre. All plots were one-fortieth of an acre in area. SPEING WHEAT. Four named varieties of spring wheat were tested. They were sown on April 22, at the rate of 1^- bushels per acre. The land was sandy loam, and was summer-fallowed the previous year. The season was favourable for a really fair test of the varieties ; it was nearly normal, but rather dry in the earlier months. The following results were obtained : — Spring Wheat — Test of Varieties. — to be |3 ■*^ 3 a c -S'o be Weight Name of Variety. a 4.^ ^5 •-1 c3 to ^2, Rust. i-(t3 gOH CO B "5 5; per measured bushel after 7^ o S5 > O O < > o >^~ i^ cleaning. ^ Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Marquis (Bald) Aug. 12 112 44 10 Almost none 3 3,860 50 30 62 2 Garten's No. 46 (Beai-ded) M 17 117 40 9 ^ledium 4 4,420 50 .. 61 ?. R.<1 Fife (Bald).... ■■ I'J iiy 4(3 10 Ahnost none .S-5 4,520 45 .. 61 4 Prelude (Bearded). . 3 lu3 35 8 Almost none 17 1,820 26 53 63 Marquis has again proved its superiority in earliness and productiveness. Garton's No. 46, while a heavy yielding sort, i? no better than Marquis in that regard, and is distinctly inferior to it in milling quality, in strength of straw, and in being bearded 786 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 and of mixed type. Prelude is not recommended for Manitoba, except in the extreme north. It is very eai'ly, but is a light yielder, very short in the straw and bearded. Red Fife and Marquis are recommended for general use in Manitoba. FIVE-YEAR AVERAGES. The following are the average results obtained with Marquis and Red Fife during the past five years, and of the other two varieties during the years they have been under test : — Variety. Average No. of daj-3 maturing. Marquis Red Fife C4arton's No. 46 (average 2 years). Prelude (average .3 years) 105-6 111-2 Average yield per acre. Bush. Lb. 43 40 41 23 58 54 40 21 In addition to the four varieties reported upon, ten new varieties recently pro- duced by the Dominion Cerealist were tested under numbers. No public report will be made on these until they are more thoroughly tested; and probably most of them will be discarded, as soon as it is found out definitely which are the best. This year's test does not indicate that any of them would equal Marquis for this section of Manitoba. STRAINS OF RED FIFE. A comparison of various strains of Red Fife obtainable in the province was made this year. Seed was obtained from seed houses, and also from farmers who are well known as seed growers and winners of prizes on Red Fife, in important contests. These strains were sown under the same conditions as the varieties already des'- cribed. The resnlts showed only a slight difference in productiveness, but considerable variation in earliness, and a most decided difference in purity. The following table shows the results : — Strain. Dow Bros. " Registered " E.Kperimental Earm Stede Briggs " Early Red Fif^ ". Thos. Thomjison's "Registered". W. H. English's " Registered ". . McKenzie's " Gold Standard". . . W. A. A. Rowe's "Registered'.. W. Laughland's "Prizewinning"' J. T. Maynard's "Prizewinning" No. of days maturing. 114 112 111 115 114 115 114 115 113 Rust). Almost none n Medium .... Almost none II A little Almost none Yield per acre. 40 4<, 44 40 41 39 42 40 40 I- .a S o * « Bush. Lb. 10 40 10 50 30 3i. 10 50 40 O o >- o a > o .S S- Ol. K. «= =* 12; Q Q ^ < m -i1 >- tH :? Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush Lb. Lb. 1 Ligowo May 9.. Aug. 18. 101 50 3 8 5,380 121 1 40 2 Daubeney „ 9.. M 3. 86 52 6 7 4,100 120 6 36 3 Twentieth Century. » 9.. .. 18. 101 40 4 8 5,140 117 17 39 4 Orloff, selected yel- low .- 9.. .. 9.. „ 01. ,. 19. 84 102 40 53 8 4 6 8 4,440 5.500 115 112 25 2 32 5 Improved American 38 0 Siberian n 9.. M 9.. „ 18. „ IS. 101 101 50 50 4 4 8 8 5,320 4,o20 110 110 20 15 38 7 Newmarket 39 8 Gold Rain (Yellow) .. 9. . „ 16. 99 53 6 8 5,240 109 19 42 9 Banner M 9.. .> 9.. .. 19. ,. i8. 102 101 52 52 8 8 5,220 4,940 109 109 14 9 40 10 Irish Victor 39 11 Victory .. 9.. M 9.. „ 19. „ 18 102 101 55 50 7 8 5,560 5,080 1C8 108 33 8 42 12 Thousand Dollar. . . 39 13 Swedish Select „ 9.. .. 18. 101 50 8 4,180 103 3 38 14 Garton'sNo. 22 „ 9.. ,. 18. 101 60 8 5,060 99 14 38 15 0. A. C. No. 72.... „ 9.. „ 22. 105 64 6 9 4,800 94 14 39 16 Abundance Gartons Re<,'enerated ., 9.. ., 17. 100 52 4 8 4,480 91 31 38 17 Victor (Black). .. „ 9. „ 19. 102 62 5 12 5,200 87 3:', 36 These results are somewhat unusual in several particulars. Daubeney and Orloff, two early varieties that usually yield about the least, are this year among the best. This is probably due to the fact that they were cut before a bad storm which knocked down the later varieties, preventing them from filling to the best advantage and making considerable shelling unavoidable at harvest time. Improved American and Banner, which are probably the same variety, do not hold their usual place at the top this season, but have nevertheless given large yields, and on account of their thin hulls and high average yields, are recommended as the best for general use. O. A. 0. No. 72 is the only new variety added to the test this year. It was obtained from Professor Zavitz of the Ontario Agricultural College. The plot gave great promise of a heavy yield, but on account of being rather late, suffered about the worst from the effects of the storm, so that while the yield obtained is good, it is comparatively low in the list. Eleven of these varieties have been under test for five years or more, two others have been tested four years, and three for two years. The average results for these periods are as follows : — Brandom. 783 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS Pive-Year Averages. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Variety. Improved American . Twentieth Century . . Banner .... Swedish Select Siberian 'J'housand Dollar ... Irish Victor Li"-owo Orlotf Kegenerated Abundance Daul ehey Victory (average of 4 years) Gold Rain (average of 4 years) Newmarket (average of 2 years) Victor (average of 2 j'ears) Garton's No. 22 (average of 2 years). Average number of days Maturing:. 101-2 101 4 100 0 100-8 100 4 101 100-8 101 91 101 92 2 Average strength of straw. Fairly stiff. Medium. . . Fairly stiff. Medium . . . Fairly stiff. Mediiuu. . . Fairly stiff. Rather weak Stiff Fairly .«titf . Stiff Fairly stiff. Fairly stiff. Fairly stiff. Fairly stiff. Fairly stiff. Average Yield per acre. bu.^h. lb. 102 101 100 97 06 96 95 92 88 88 81 98 96 105 94 85 32 15 30 19 22 14 29 5 29 17 31 12 15 7 9 20 IXFLIEXCE OF LOCATION ON SEED OATS. In co-operation with two of the American Experiment Stations, an experiment is being tried to compare the i-esults obtained in changing seed from one part of the continent to another. The seed all came originally from the same source. One lot ■was grown in Wisconsin, one in Ohio, and one in Brandon, in 1912. When sown sid^ by side in 1913, the following results were obtained: — . Variety. Date of Sowing Date of Rijjen- iug. Number of days Maturing. tr' Average length "o o o 3- "^ Straw 2 including Head. Strength of Straw on a Scale of 10 pjints. b£ J1 > < Inches. 8 8 8 u. . CO g S 3 Lb. 41S0 4040 3810 it Weight per measured Bushel after cleaning. Swedish Select (Brandon). . . Swedish Select (Ohio) Swedish Select (Wisconsin). . May 9.. „ 9.. „ 9.. Aug. 18. „ 18. H IS. 101 101 ' 101 4 6 6 Bush. Lb. 103 3 SO 30 76 26 LV> 38 38 38 Brandom. DIYISIOy OF CEREALS 7L9 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SIX-EOW BAELEY. Ten varieties of six-row barley were tested in uniform duplicate test plots. They were sown on May 14 at the rate of 2 bushels per acre. The land is black loam, and grew potatoes the previous year. Six-row Barlky. — Test of Varieties. ^ Name of Variety. 1 Mensiiry 2 Garton's No. 68 3 Silver King 4 Manehurian 5 0.A.C. No. 21. 0, Odessa. TjYale 8; Mansfield .'. yjGuyiTwJaye ( Hnll- { less) lO'Success (Beardless). Date of Sowing . May 14. ,. 14. M 14. M 14. .> 14. „ 14. „ 14. >, 14. „ 14. „ 14. Date of Ripening. Auc 8. 7. G. 11. 7. 9. 9. 9. 8. 4. so 2- ! 1 ^ c g*^ Daj's Maturi is o 1 Average Length -1j s- — c i ■■■'■ • ;; --2 5 0. of 3 c'o of Head. ""■ 1. "^ 1? 3 S ^ < 72 S^ >* •^.^ Inches. Inches. Lbs. Bu.sh Lb. Lb. S6 35 G 2-7 4,110 81 42 47 85 3(! 6 2 7 4,120 79 38 49 81 30 7 2 7 3,880 72 24 52 8'J 41 8 3 5 3,890 70 30 49 85 38 9 3-5 3,8:,0 G8 31 50 87 33 9 2-5 3,G60 60 5 50 87 3!) G 2-5 3,820 55 20 50 87 36 10 2 5 3,660 54 28 51 86 32 7 2-7 2,480 47 14 62 82 35 9 1 2-7 2,440 46 37 47 Mensury is the old standby in Manitoba and is hard to crowd out of first place. Garton's No. 6S and Silver King are new varieties that seem to possess dec'ded merit. Manehurian is Dr. C. E. Saunders' selection of Mensury; it has usually surpassed the original strain, but falls below it this year. It is nevertheless recommended on account of greater luiiformity and better straw. O.A.C. Xo. 21, while down to fifth place this year, is still at the head on the five-year average. It is earlier than any other of the heavy yielding varieties, and has spendid stiff straw. Five of these varieties have been grown for five years or more, one other has been grown three years, and the remainder- two years. The average results for these periods are as follows : — Variety. O. A. C. No. 21 Mensury Odessa Yale Mansfield McUielnirian (average of 3 years). . . Garton's No. f'8 (avijrage of 2 years Silver King (average of 2 years). . . G\iymalaye (average of 2 years). . . Success (average of 2 years) Average No. of I)ays Maturing. 85 86 88 87 87 •8 •8 •6 •4 •4 Average Strength of Straw. Stiff Faiily stiff It It Medium. . . Fairly stiff tt It . Medium. . . rr . . . Fairly stiff Average Yield per Acre. Bush. Lb. 68 67 63 61. 59 75 S3 73 57 56 42 02 47 22 44 47 11 16 19 12 Brandon. 790 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 TWO-KOW BARLEY. Seven varieties of two-row barley were tested this year in uniform duplicate plots. They were sown on May 14, at the rate of 2 bushels per acre. The land is black loam, and grew fodder corn the previous year. Two-row Barley — Test of Varieties. a Name of Variety. Gold jHannchpn , jSwedish Chevalier. Canadian Thorpe... Brewer Clifford Beaver to ^ i i> A be a •<-t o (72 o s '5 o O cS erage Leiigt f Straw ii hiding head. ength of trawonasca! f 10 points. +3 to c 1. '1 S a CS Q o o U ry, O > c .2 ft 0 /5 < in. < >*■ Inches. Inches. Lb. May 14 Aug. 13 91 [ 30 5 3.2 3, .370 12 90 32 5 3.0 3,480 18 96 39 1 3.2 4,(i20 15 93 36 8 3 2 3,315 17 95 37 2 3.0 3,970 8 86 38 9 3.5 3,600 1) 87 45 10 4.5 3,350 c c Bush Lb. 80 45 '80 25 67 44 66 40 66 22 59 38 48 31 ^ S be 3 5 -ass Lb. 53 53 47 51 49 48 46 The two-row barleys as a class compare more favourably than usual with the six- row. They are usually later, lighter yielding, and more inclined to lodge. Two Swedish varieties, Gold and Hannchen- have given much the best results this year. Four of these varieties have been grown for five years or more, one for four years, and the other two for two years. The average results for these periods are as follows : — Variety. Canadian Thorpe Swedish Che\ alier Clifford Beaver Hannchen (average of 4 years). Gold (average of 2 years) Brewer (average of 2 years) Average No. of Days Maturing. 93 95.6 88.6 91 2 Average strength of Straw. Fairly stiff.. Very weak. . Fairly stiff. . Fairly stiff. . Rather weak R;ither weak Weak Average Yield per acre. Bush. Lb. G4 59 55 51 70 72 69 5 14 38 31 26 46 43 Brandon. DIVISION OF CEREALS 791 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 1S FIELD PEAS. Nine varieties of field peas were tested this season. They were sown on April 22, in sandy loam, summer-fallowed the. previous year. The following result^i were obtained: — Field Peas. — Test of Varieties. Name of variety. 1 Mackay . . . , 2iPi'ussican Blue. 3| Prince ... .. 4 I'aragon 5 Solo 6 7 8 <) 10 Arthur (Selected) . Arthur English Grey Chancellor Golden Vine Size of Pea. Medium Large (I Medium Small Small Date of Sowing April 22 ti a c« a '^ to o. ^P^ u S 0) -t^ ^^ CJ s^ e3 ? ft t^ Aug. 26 126 >, 25 125 » 27 127 « 27 127 .. 24 124 n 22 122 „ 24 124 ., 27 127 n 24 124 „ 24 124 be B . 1-1 c« C2 CM > Inches. 52 54 48 52 50 36 40 53 48 54 to g o 0) Inches. a Lbs. 3, .300 3,275 3, --'55 3, '100 3,020 2,!I15 2,8«5 2,710 2,625 2,510 Yit ■Id of G "am per Acre. Bush. Lb. 55 1 54 35 54 15 53 20 50 20 48 33 48 5 45 10 43 45 41 50 c ,— , be Ml Lb. G3 62 62 63 61 (i3 62 61 62 63 For a heavy yielding variety, Mackay is recommended. For an early short- Btrawed variety, Arthur, especially the selected type, is recommended. FIVE-YEAR AVERAGES. Eight of these varieties have been grown for five or' more years, the other two have been under test three years. The following are average results for these periods : — Variety. Mackay Prince Parngon Arthur Golden Vine English Grcj' Prussian Blue Chancellor . . - Solo (average of 3 years) Arthur Selected (average of 3 years). Average No. of Days Maturing. 1210 122-2 122 0 120-4 124-G 12.3-2 120-0 119-8 Average Yield per Acre. Bush. Lb. 43 42 40 39 38 38 38 3(5 48 40 41 46 29 18 41 25 4 12 3 12 FIELDS OF SEED GRAIN. Fields of several varieties of pure seed grain were grown for the purpose of supplying the Dominion Cerealist with seed for free distribution, and to have a supply for use on the Farm, and to sell small quantities to Manitoba farmers. The following were the lots grown : — Brandon. 792 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 WHEAT. Variety. Preparation of Land. Area. Yield per Acre. Total Yield. Marquis . Marquis Suinmer-fallovv II It . * ■ . • II II W It ... . ■ It H It Acres. 5 A 1 Bu.sh. Lb. 39 40 27 19 4 28 48 ?1 52 25 41 Bush. Lb. 145 91 Prelude No. 52-2B 12 33 21 36 N0.523D 23 54 No. 195F 25 41 OATS. Variety, Preparation of Land. Area. Acres. 6 2 2 Yield per Acre. Total Yield. Banner Summer-fallow It •: H M Bush. Lb. ICO 30 73 75 Bush. Lb. 603 00 Regenerated Abundance Daubeney 146 150 BARLEY. Variety. Preparation of Land. Area. Yield per Acre. Total Yield. Manchurian Flax land Suinmer-fjillow II II It 11 11 II . . . ti II II II Acres. 4 1/5 1/11 1/11 1/11 1/8 3/4 Bush. Lb. 56 67 19 57 3 62 41 33 44 26 24 28 Bush. Lb. 230 4r5A 461A 13 23 5 9 46.'iB 5 27 4()5C 3 4 471D3 3 12 Success 18 21 In addition to this a number of fields of Red Fife wheat and O. A. C No. 21 barley sxiitable for seed purposes are grown on the land devoted to the rotation experiments. These are reported under the Division of Field Husbandry. SEED GRAIN SOLD. The following quantities of seed grain were sold to farmers, chiefly in Manitoba : — Number of Bushels Numlier of Farmers Sold. who Purchased. 3061 37 31)4 17 39i 6 5 1 m 6 112 24 21. 4 Variety. Marquis NVhoat Red Fife Wheat Banner O.'its Abundance Oats Daubeney Oats O. A. C. No. 21 Barley. Manchurian Barky . . . . In addition, a carload was ecnt to Ottawa to be used for the free distribution. Brandon. DIVISION OF CEREALS 793 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, INDIAN HEAD, SASK. T. J. HARRISON, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. THE SEASON. The season of 1913 was, on the whole, favourable for the production of good cereal crops in southern Saskatchewan. The spring opened up with the land in a fine state of tilth, and seeding commenced about April 14. There were a few light showers during May, and in June 4-3"7 inches of rain fell. This, with 4-13 inches in July, gave the grain plenty of moisture during the grow- ing period, and a fairly rank growth was the result. With the exception of a bad electrical and wind storm on August 15, which lodged the heavy grain, tlie weather was ideal for ripening the crop. The most of it was harvested before September 3. The month of September was fine and dry, and a large percentage of the crop was threshed before the rain and snow came in October. During the past season, tests were made of the following field crops: Thirteen varieties of spring wheat, twelve varieties of oats, nineteen varieties of barley, tea varieties of field peas, eight varieties of flax, and twenty-six varieties of potatoes. SPEING WHEAT. A variety test of spring wheat was conducted on" one- fortieth acre plots located on a uniform soil which was summer-fallowed the previous year. These plots were sown on April 21, and cut between Augxist 10 and September 2. Eour named varieties and nine of Dr. Saimders' numbered cross-breds were under test. Only the named sorts are mentioned here. Spring Wheat. — Test of Varieties. -C A ■ c o > o 3^ :5 s. 'S is G o r. < c» < ^H ^ . ? C cS Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. ^larrjuis April 21 „ 21 Aug. 26 „ 25 127 44 -^ 10 3 3,400 1,840 56 40 64 Pioneer (195 F) 126 42 8 3 30 40 63-5 „ 21 M 10 111 134 35 49 9 10 2 3-2 1,600 2,360 26 40 39 20 64 Red Fife M 21 Sept. 2 63 794 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 WHEAT— IN FIELD LOTS. Eicld tests of the named varieties were made on both summer-fallow and stubble land. The llegistered Marquis is the product of a plot sown with Special Registered Marquis supplied by Dr. Saunders in 1912. The Marquis is the progeny of seed sup- plied to the Farm in 1907. The Prelude in these tests had a tendency to shell badb if allowed to become perfectly ripe. It would seem necessary to cut slightly on thi green side to overcome this. Spring Wheat. — Field Lots. "? S"c -a c ^ 1' fee rt tc C i- a a g £ bo Name of Variety. Acres. do ^1 1 Q. ^«-< I — 1 > G O J,- 0; a o O y- < < >^ >■ Inches. Inches. I.b. Bush. Lb. Lb. Prelude 10 1 April "^r, May Iti Aug. 5 ., 18 101 94 34 39 2-2 2-2 1,.521 l,(i00 25 21 26 40 63 11 64 Reg. Marquis (Fallow). 11 April 17 „ 25 130 43 2-7 2,085 44 45 03 Keg. Marquis (Fallow). 5 ,- 15 „ 29 136 44 2-7 2,840 47 20 02-5 Marquis (Stnliltle). .... 5 M 23 „ 28 127 41 3 2,446 40 46 02-5 Reg. Marquis (Fallow), 3 n IS „ 25 129 44 2-7 3,103 52 43 ?2 49 63 Marquis (Stubhle) 10 ., 25 „ 25 122 38 3 1,909 62 Keg. Marquis (Fallow). nh „ 18 „ 12 116 41 3 2, (-,86 44 46 62-5 Keg. Marcpiis (Fallow). bh >, 18 M 12 116 37 2 5 2,.5-J8 42 8 •62-5 Red Fife (Stubble) .... 6 „ 21 „ 22 123 40 3 2,337 38 57 02-5 (Fallow) () M 16'Sept. 2 139 45 3 2,600 43 40 02 II " H „ 19 ! Aug. 27 130 42 2.5 2,228 37 8 62 (Stubble).... Gk 22 „ 27 127 40 2.5 1,680 28 .. 61 SPRING WHE.VT — FIVE YEARS COMPARISON OF FIELD LOTS. The average yield per acre and the time taken to mature of two varieties of wheat grown in field lots under similar conditions for the past five years, are given below : — Variety. Average Days to mature. Days earlier than Red Fife. Average Yield per acre. Red Fife 135-6 126-8 102-5 15ush. Lb. 39 17 Mar(| uis S-8 23 44 51 Prelude (2 years) 34 29 OATS. Ten varieties of oats were tested in the regular one-fortieth acre plots this season. The seed was sown on May 5 and 6 at the rate of 2 bushels of seed per acre, and tlie crop was harvested from August 10 to September 3. The land was summer-fallowed the previous year and produced a rank growth of straw, so rank that the oats all lodged, making them very difficult to harvest, and greatly a.ffectii)g the yield. One reason why Eighty Day yielded so high was due to its early maturing habit. It was ripe before the storms lodged the other varieties. Indian Head. DIVISION OF CEREALS 795 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Oats. — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. Abundance Banner Danish Island Daubeney Eight}- Day <4old Rain Ligowo, Swedisli Siberian Swedish Select Thousand Dollar . . . Twentieth Century.. Victory bo a '$ c 02 May 5 M 5 ,. ;. „ 5 ,t 6 ., 6 n 6 H 6 ., 6 „ 6 „ 6 M 6 o C Pi eS bo fi.2 o « ■X} j3' bo n % ^-^ bf02.S §3 ° = > o < a Aug. 31 118 „ 31 118 „ 30 117 >. 24 111 V, 10 96 ,. 25 111 „ 31 117 Sept. 3 120 Aug. 30 116 ., 28 114 „ 28 114 .. 28 114 Indies. .oO 50 50 43 42 52 52 53 45 51 49 49 ^ C3.5 bo S ;i t. >■ '— I — 1> CO 02 6 8 9 6 7 9 8 9 8 9 8 9 bo c . 1) T3 bo*^ t« O > Inches. 9 8-5 8 7 6 8-5 8-5 9 8 8 6-5 7 Lb. .3,040 3.520 4,680 3,720 4,360 4,280 3,720 3,720 3,G80 3,440 3,680 3.760 Bush. Lb. 89 103 137 109 128 125 109 109 108 101 108 110 14 18 22 14 8 30 14 14 8 6 8 20 t,-c be 71 tn c « ca fcp ?- o 1* 5 1- & Si Lb. 36 37 39 38 38 42-5 40-5 40 41 41-5 41-5 40 OATS- — FIELD TESTS. Three varieties of oats were grown in the field. These were sown between 4 and 7 and were ripe between August the 15th and 25th. Oats.— Field Tests. Variety. Size of Field. Preparation of Soil. Days to mature. Yield per Acre. Weight per Bushel Banner Acres. 5 8 5 Summer fallow. M tl 110 102 109 Bush. Lb. 81 13 49 19 62 13 Lb. 40 5 Abundance Ligowo, Swedish 42-5 420 BAELEY— SIX EOW. In the uniform plots, seven named varieties and three of the Dominion Cerealist's numbered sorts were tested. The plots were one-fortieth of an acre in size. The land had been summer-fallowed the previous year. This made the growth of straw very rank, and many of the varieties lodged. The seed was sown on May 2 and 3 at the rate of 2 bushels per acre and was harvested between August the 8th and IStli, The named varieties are reported on in the following table: — . ' Si ■ ( 0) ^ , — , be c S a. engt w, head lof seal nts. 4.3 fac '^.-• a 'I . t, J3 be a' 5 c o Xfl rt o.s h^ 2 bo tfr^'.'o ^-d O t 02i ■"-^ S Name of Variety . o ca.-. Average of St includin Stren raw on of 10 p > o 13 % VVeigl easurec fter clt O Q ^ < >< >^ gCS • Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. Mansfield May 2 Aug. 6 96 40 8 3i 3,240 67 24 51 IVIiinchurijin . .« . . , '^ 7 97 45 9 3^ 3,520 4,480 73 16 93 16 48 48 O.A.C. No. 21 II 2 7 97 43 8 1h Odtrbruch 9! 6 96 36 { 21 3,560 3,840 74 8 51 Stella II 2 6 96 41 7 2i 80 — 49^ Trooper '}, ri f; 96 4;i 9 2' 3 3,880 2,732 80 40 48 *Succe.ss (beardless) . . It 3 July 30 86 41 10 56 44 * I of an acre. Indun Head. 796 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 BAKLEY— TWO-ROW. In the variety te§ts of this type there were nine sorts. The plots were one- fortieth of an acre in size and the hand had been summer-fallowed the previous year. These had a tendency to produce a long weak straw which lodged badly with the wind. The seed was sown at the rate of 2 bushels per acre on May 2, and the crop was harvested between August tlie 5th and 13th. Two-row B.vrley. — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. P b O C4 Average Length of straw including head. Strength of straw on a scale of 10 points. Average Length of Head. Yield of Grain per Acre. a 0 t Bu. Lb. 08 16 67 24 71 32 76 32 78 16 56 32 55 40 79 8 76 32 Weight per measured bushel after cleaning. Canadian Thorpe Clifford May 2 2 2 2 2 2 " 2 2 2 Aug. 8 8 » 0 5 7 H 13 » 13 " 13 " 13 m 98 99 95 97 103 103 103 103 Inches. 41 44 30 41 36 44 42 36 37 9 6 6 7 7 6 9 9 7 Inches. 2-7 3-5 4 3.5 3 3 2 2-7 3-5 3 7 Lb. 3,280 3,240 3,440 3,680 3,760 2,720 2,080 3,800 3,680 Lb. 50 50-5 Danish Chevalier Early Chevalier Ilaiinchen . 49 5 53 5 51 5 Invincible Standwell 51 52 Gold 50 Swedish Chevalier 52 BARLEY— FIELD LOTS— TEST OF VARIETIES. Field tests were made of two six-row and one two-row varieties. The seed was sown on April 30 and May 1, and the crop was harvested on August 13 and 14. Manchurian is a very promising barley, but shelled badly with the wind storms. BARLEY — FIELD LOTS. ■^ bo 'd la C3 Ea a ID (B 5 hfi Average Length 6t 02 a; ^ aj a bo Name of Variety. £ 0 0 « 1e« 1-1 3 0 CS verage of stra cludin of Head. 3^ 'eight nieasu bushel clt anil fi Q ;^ ^ - Inches. Inches. Bu. Lb. Lb. Manchurian (six-row) May 1 Aug. 5 96 48 2-7 2,903 01 35 48 iManchurian " 1 April 29 5 M 12 96 105 50 50 2-5 3 2,672 2,644 55 32 .->,-) 4 48 Manchurian " 50 Manchurian 11 „ 29 „ 30 May 1 H 9 M 1 N 10 102 i)9 101 47 45 45 3-2 2 5 3 2,i>72 2,512 2,378 43 8 52 46 19 20 49 0 A.C. No. 21 11 51 Canadian Thorpe (2 row) 52 WINTER WHEAT. A small field of winter wheat was sown on September 10, 1912. The exposed por- tion of the field winter-killed completely. A small part that was sheltered by the trees came through in good condition and was harvested August 13, 1913, 'yielding at tlie rate of 32 bushels per acre. Ijjdun Head. '\ V ''.'■' '--''^y-i- ''■ ' XI < - -^.^-^-- ■ '-.'K \ ^r'?« \ — _ *.• \ ■ JSif 'B^ '- '/'^ '>'^'-.?.' ^*^- \~- •- ail ;r/- "^&iii^ .>~^- ^.// fjj^^^'r^ 16— 1015-p. 7 nniSWN OF CEREALS 797 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 WINTER RYE. A field of If iicre.-^ was sown to winter rye on September 12, 1912. This came tJirough the winter in excellent condition, and produced a good growth of straw. It was ripe and harvested on July 31, 1913. The yield per acre was 37 bushels and 40 pounds. FLAX. Eight varieties of flax were under test on the regular plots. The North Dakota varieties are supposed to be Avilt resistant. The plots were sown on May 8. and har- vested between August 28 and September -1. Flax. — Test of Varieties. N.\jiE OF Variety. Premost North Dak,. ta. "R"" 114. North Dakota, "R" 73. . North iJakota, "R'^ 52. . Nova Rofsick "White Flowering La Plata Ru.ssian Date Date of Number of days Maturing of Sowing. ! Ripening. 1 1 May 8 August 28 112 tl 8 ., 30 114 II 8 Sept. 1 116 11 8 1 116 tf 8 4 119 11 8 ] 116 II 8 1 116 It 8 August 30 114 Average 1 Length of PLants. Inches, 30 3a 30 29 26 20 IS 35 Yield of Yield of Seed I Seed per Acre, per 'Acre. 1,800 1,640 1.720 1,760 1,6^0 1,800 i,r.oo 1,24C Lh. r.us 32 29 30 31 30 32 2S 22 Lb. 8 10 40 24 '8 32 O. '-7— U ►? S go Lb. 55 55 54-0 54-5 53 55 55 55 FLAX — FfKLD LOTS. As Premost flax had done so well previously, only this variety was sown in the field. Name of VAKiRxy. Date Date of 1 ^f^^^^ | Average of Sowing.: Ripening, ,/^f/'^^^ i^^^^f I' '' ° , ' ° Maturing. I Plants. Piemo.st Premost. May 8 Sept. lO! M 118 1!3 Inches. 29 29 Yield of Seed per Acre Lb. 1,341 1,341 1- ^ c Yield of Seed I^Ui per Acre. ' '^ B 'So Bush. 24 24 Lb. 54 54-5 IB— 52 IiVDLW Head. 793 EXPERIM EX TAL FIL'MS FIELD PEAS. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Ten varieties of peas were grown on the one-fortietli acre plots. These were sown on April 22, and harvested between August 26 and September 9. Peas. — Test of Varieties. 1 Weight Name of Variety Size of Pea. Date Date of of Eipen- ISowing ing Nuiiiber of days Malur- in?. Average Length Straw. A verag? Length of Pod. Yield of Grain per .Acre. Yield of Grain per Acre. per measured bushel after cleaning. Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. Arthur Large April 22 August 26 126 52 2-5 2,200 30 40 65-5 Chancellor Small . . . . .. 22 Sept. 1 132 SO 2-7 2,320 38 40 65 English Grey.. . Large „ 22 9 140 5(; 2-2 2,5(^0 42 40 63 Golden Vine. . Small.. . . ., 22 1 132 G5 2 2,2S0 38 . 65 Gregory Me^lium. . .. 22 9 140 65 3 2,240 37 20 G5'5 MacKav. . Large „ 22 „ 2 133 5S 2-7 2,720 45 20 65 Paragon Mediiun. . „ 22 ,, fl 140 70 2-5 2,840 47 20 65 Prince Small.. .. M 221 „ 9 140 78 2-5 2,800 46 40 65 Prussian Blue . . Medium. , „ 22 „ 3 134 71 2-5 1,GS0 28 .. 64-5 Solo .. i> „ 22 August 29 129 ()5 2-5 2,000 4i 20 63-5 FIELD LOTS OF PEAS. Since early maturity is the important point in raising the Arthur variety is grown in the fields. peas in this district, only Name of Variety Size of Pea. Arthur (back- .^ftting) Arthur (sinnmer fallow) Large Date of Sowing. April 23 „ 24 ] )ate of Ripen- ing. August 27 Sept. 10 Number of days Matur- ing. 126 139 A \erage length of Straw. Inches. 59 78 Average Length of Pod. Inches. 2 2 Yield Yield of Grain of Grain per Acre. Lb. 2,260 1,912 per Acre. Bush. Lb. 37 40 31 52 Weight per measiu'ed bu.shel after cleaning. Lb, 64 64 Indian- ITkad. DiriSIOX OF CEREALS 799 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ^ SEED GRAiy. A largo portion of tlie Farm is devoted to the production of seed. Below is a summary of the amount produced tliis season : — Su:M:y[Ai!Y OF Cue? Production*^ 1913. Spring wheat — Bush. Lbs. Registered Marquis 1,348 35 Marciuis '. 54S 40 Red Fife 904 10 rrelude 273 35 I'ioneer 4 i Numlieied sorts 1^'^ Oats- Banner 2,205 14 Ligowo, Swedish 31 i.' Abundance 396 21 Barley — Manchurian 1,671 34 O. A. C. No. 21 1''2 1!> Canadian Thorpe. 247 34 Flax— Pi.emost '^9 46 ^""^A^'thur 350 40 Winter wheat ^ Wintfr Ryfc 66 SITII'MKNT TO OTTAW.V. Seed of all the ahove crop.-; is distributed in free samples by the Dominion Cereal- ist at Ottawa. To augment this supply a carload of seed is, shipped to him from this farm, 'i'his season it consisted of: Wheat, 415 bushels; oats, 483 bushels; barley. Ifi2 bushels; poa.>, l^A bushels. SEED SOLD. If a larger qu.antity of seed is required than that supplied from Ottawa it may be purchased from the Indian Head Farm, by farmers residing in southern Sashatche- wan, in lots of 1 to 4 bushels. Last season the following quantities of grain were sold: Fall rye, 35 bushels; peas, 30 bushels; flax, 14 bushels; oats, 47 bushels; Prelude wheat, 24 bushels; Eegistered Marquis wheat, 111^ bushels; Pted Fife wheat, 103 bushels; barley, 96 bushels. In all 141 farmers Avere supplied with seed grain of the above crops. FREE DISTIJIBUTIOX. Potatoes are distributed free from the Indian Head Farm in lots of three pounds to each applicant. Each recipient of a sample undertakes to test the potatoes on his farm, with a variety already grown, and report to tlie Superintendent in the fall. A large number of farmers take advantage of this offer. Last year 3,798 pounds of potatoes, including nineteen varieties, were sent out. This means that 1,260 fai-mers were supplied with new varieties of potatoes. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I desire to express my appreciation and thanks to Angus MacKay, my predecessor; K. McBean, my assistant ; John Waddell, my foreman ; and Geo. Lang, my book-keeper, for their assistance in collecting and compiling the above data. 16—52^ Indlvn Head. 830 EXPEJilMENTAL FAJRMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, ROSTHERN, SASK. WM. A. MUNEO, B.A., B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. THE SEASON. The season of 1913 was not so \.et as either 1911 or 1912. Following is a table indicating the precipitation for each of the three seasons for the months of March to Augu.st : — 1911. 1912. 1913 March Inches. 1-50 0-86 2-38 3-55 2-89 1 79 Inches. 0 60 0.67 215 2-81 5-25 215 Inches. 0-35 April 0 26 May June 1-26 1-87 July August 1 51 2-12 Total for season 12-97 13 63 7-37 CEREALS. A number of varieties of cereals and peas were discarded in 1912, and a few new ones added. A study of the variety tests should be supplemented with a study of the precipitation during -the seasons of 1912-13. Although there was 3 inches more rain- fall in 1912 than in 1913, the crops in 1912 suffered severely from drought during the Jatter part of May and June, and then suffered from too much moisture during July and August. The crops of 1913. with less precipitation but with moisture more evenly distributed, did not suffer either from drought or excess of moisture. As a conse- quence, the crop of 1913 all over the west was of superior qviality. The following yields are for the named varieties of wheat grown on one-fortieth- acre plots under similar conditions. Despite our best efforts there are sure to be irregularities creep in. It is therefore better to judge the variety from a three-year average yield than from the yield of any one year. Such being the case we would judge Marquis quite superior to the others in point of yield. Added to this is the fact that it is earlier than most of th^ others and superior in milling qualities to some of them. Diri.^IOX OF CEREALS 801 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SPRING WHEAT. Variety. Number of days matur- ing'. 124 12G 125 128 127 138 138 1.32 123 117 132, 1)8 ' 138 Average length of s'raw. Strength of straw on scale (.f iO points. A verage length of -head. YiEi.li PER Acre. 3-Year Average 0. 1911. 1912. 19 L3. 1 Bobs.. Marquis Inches. 36 42 '■ 38 4ii 40 Ai 48 43 40 36 41 33 50 Inches. 10 10 10 10 6 10 5 10 10 10 8 10 4 Inches. 3-5 4 3 3-5 2-5 3-5 2 5 • 3-5 3. 3 4-5 2 2-5 Bu. 62 70 60 73 58 Lb. 20 40 Bu. 36 43 32 40 34 16 Lb. 20 40 40 40 Bu. 57 54 48 45 42 37 36 36 36 28 26 24 16 Lb. 20 Bu. Lb. 51 46 55 46 3 4 5 Red Fife (G. L. Smiths Huron Bishop ..46 53 20 53 6 40 45 6 () Red Fife (Ottawa) 20 7 Kulxiiika (0 2) . .. T 8 Karly Ked Fife Pioiippr (11)5 1^^\ 60 27 28 16 34 29 20 40 20 , . 41 6 10 Yellow Cross 11 1'' Prelude ; Kubanka (O. 1) .. . 40 13 Beside the uniform trial plots there were eight 2-acre plots of Marquis wheat grown under different conditions. The following table indicates the yield per acre from each of these plots : — Rotation. Fallow. Stubble. Average. 1912 1913 1912 1913 1912 1913 C Bush. Lb. 22 44 24 30 31 47 24 29 Bush. Lb. 42 20 37 14 35 40 40 41 Bush. Lb. 15 06 1.^ 05 16 00 23 OO Bush. Lb. 20 15 25 15 21 51 52 11 Bush. Lb. 18 55 19 47 25 23 28 45 Bush. Lb. 31 17 J P R 31 14 28 45 46 26 The average yield on 8 acres of fallow in 1912 was 26 bushels 40 pounds, and in 1013 was 38 bushels 59 pounds. The average on 6 acres of stubble in 1912 was 15 bushels 24 pounds and in 1913 was 22 bushels 27 pounds. This stubble had been fall ploughed. The yield per acre on 2 acres of corn ground in 1912 was 33 bushels and in 1913 was 52 bushels 11 pounds. Tlie average under all conditions on 1(3 acres in 191 j! was 23 bushels 12 pounds, and in 1913 was 34 bushels 25 pounds. It is rather significant that the average yield on corn stubble is higher than the average yield for the same years on summer-fallow. The order of the rotation is : Summer-fallow manured in the fall ; corn well worked throughout the season; and corn stubble spring ploughed and sown to wheat. KOSTIIEHN. 802 EXPERTMEXTA L FAI?MS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 OATS. Six acres of Banner oats on fall-plouglied wheat stubble yielded an average of 69 bushels and 26 pounds per acre in 1912, and 4 acres in 1913 yielded an average of 74 bushels and 19 pounds. Ten varieties of oats were tested in plots. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Variety. Improved American Banner ......... Victory Abunciance Twentieth Century . Gold Rain '. . . Thousand Dolhir. . . . Ligowo. Eighty Day Daubeney No. of day.s matur- ing. 119 120 121 119 121 lUt 120 119 105 105 Average Strength length ] of straw on a scale of 10 'of straw in I inches. 47 49 4« 42 42 51 50 45 .37 33 points. 10 7 10 8 fi 8 9 8 10 10 Average length of head in inches. Yield per Acre. 7.5 8 6 7 6.5 7 n I G 4.7 5 1911 Bush. Lb. 127 2 131 26 109 14 12o 30 128 8 127 2 116 6 121 C 101 6 191 2 Bush. Lb. 74 4 70 20 S3 18 94 4 r.8 8 61 6 80 69 14 63 18 68 8 1913 147 115 113 132 1.32 131 115 10-^ 102 98 3-Year average. Bush. Lb. Bush. Lb, 20 30 18 32 32 2!) 10 8 12 28 116 116 112 117 109 106 103 99 9 2 5 22 27 23 31 20 89 14 BARLEY. ]\|^ancliurian yielded at the rate of 90 bushels o2 pounds per acre in 1911, and 55 bushels 40 povmds in 1912, but owing to a mishap at threshing tlie yield for 1913 could not be measured. It is similar in appearaiice and yield to O.A.C 21. Two acres of O.A.C 21 on root ground yielded in 1912 at the rate of 45 bushels 27 pounds per acre, and in 1913 at the rate of 53 bushels 41 pounds. Plot Tests of B.\hlev. ^H 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Varit'ty. No. of days matur- ing. Swan's Neck . . . O. A. C. 21 Duckbill Early Chevalier . . yiaek .Japan Sedish Chevalier.. Taganrog S leiia Odcss.T 15eavcr Siic^cess . . Early Indian. . . . 105 106 108 104 108 108 108 106 105 107 96 91 [Average Strength length j of straw of straw cm a scale ni inches. 41 42 41 42 32 37 38 44 41 46 38 21 of 10 points. 5 7 10 8 10 2 4 8 9 10 10^ 10 A ve'-age length of head in inches. 3 3 3 2.5 2 4.5 2.7 3.5 3 5 5 3 1.2 Yield per Acre 1912 191 1 Bush. Lb. 78 16 94 8 85 16 79 8 93 16 71 32 81 32 83 10 100 40 70 40 Bush. Lb. 66 57 61 54 70 55 59 49 44 38 49 4 31 28 40 40 8 S 8 16 8 !E. 1913 Bu.'^h. Lb. 74 8 73 16 67 24 05 5S 16 56 32 53 16 50 40 46 32 46 32 31 32 11 32 3-year average. Bush. Lb. 75 78 71 66 70 61 64 61 63 51 3 9 24 12 40 18 34 5 41 45 ROSTHERN. DrnSIOX OF CERRALS 803 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PEAS. Owing to tlie difficulty in tlireshing the peas with our maehine, the table does not show the actual yield. The comparison, however, is approximately correct. In 1912, when crops were so affected by early frost, the Arthur pea was the only one of the varieties that came to maturity sufficiently to be fit for seed the following spring. Besides being early it is ojie of the highest yieldors. Varikty Tests op Peas. l;Ooldeii Vine 2'Gr<:'g<))y. o WiscOiisin Blue 4 Chancellor 5 Arthur Selected . 6 Prussian Blue ... TJBlack J'^ye Marrowfat. SjMa- kay 9jEnj:rlish Grey 10 Parap;un 11 ; White Marrowfat YuiLi) PER Acre. 1911. 1912. 1913. Bush. Lb. 24 40 31 20 37 20 51 20 46 40 26 2u 48 .. 3.S . . 48 .. 4S .. Bush. Lb. 31 20 33 20 32 .. 36 40 29 20 39 20 24 20 37 20 25 20 43 20 43 20 Bush. Lb. 23 20 21 20 21 20 19 20 18 40 18 .. lb 40 16 40 14 40 13 20 11 20 Three Year Average. Bush. Lb, 20 26 28 13 31 6 33 6 34 40 24 6 34 .. 26 .. 34 53 34 13 EOSTHERN. 804 EXPERIMEyTAL FAR}fS 5 GEORGE V, A. 1915 EXPERBIENTAL FARM, SCOTT, SASK. R. E. EVEREST, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. THE SEASON. The nature of the season this year (as always) ^was a deciding factor in the quaj.t^y and quality of cereal crops produced. Seeding was possible early in April and, with moisture in the soil and warmth from above, germination was timely and uniform. Following this condition, the weather was cool and the rainfall meagre. The small amount of precipitation at this time resulted in checking the growth of grain upon poorly cultivated land to such an extent that it never fully recovered, and gave in consequence a low yield, while laud that had been handled carefully was able to support its growing crop over this period, and with the later sunshine and showers went on to a harvest of fair yield and ex- cellent quality of grain. SPRING WHEAT. Six named varieties of spring wheat were sown on the 1 1th of April at the rate of If bushel of seed per acre on land which had been summer-fallowed in 1912. The seed went into a good seed bed and made a uniform start. Owing to ram being scant in the first part of season, and that warm weather with showers continued well into harvest, early-maturing varieties appear to a disadvantage with those that ripened at a later date. Spring "Wheat. — Test of Varieties. '£ . Name of Varie' y. (3 •^ 1 Manpiis^ ; 2 Red Fife .3 Huron Selected. 4 Alpha Selected 5 Pioneer (11)5 F). 6 Prelude Date 93 5^ Average length « o Date of sowing. of ripen- ing. of straw, includ- ing head. Strength 0 t)n a seal points. Inches. 1 April 11 Aug. 20l 131 „ 26 1S7 3.V5 39 10 10 ! 11 M „ 21 l.'^2 32 10 11 M M 20 131 3.5 10 II II „ 14 125 34 10 i 11 II 7 118 29 10 ' 1 Average It^igth of Head. Yield of Grain per Acre. I Inches Lb. 3 ;: 2,080 2-7 1,720 2-7 l,.iUO 2 1,400 2 5 1,200 2 nfio Yiehl of Grain per .A.cre. Bush. Lb. 34 40 28 20 2(i . . 24 20 20 .. 10 .. Weight \xr measured bushel after cleaning. Lb. 640 03-4 03 T) 62 5 63 1 61-2 DiriSIOX OF CEREALS 805 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 OATS— TEST OF VARIETIES. Ten varieties of oats were sowu on the 29tli of April upon land which had been suunner-falloMa^d the previous year. Seed was used at the rate of 21 bushels per acre. The seed germinated well and the crop maintained a consistent growth throughout the season. The variety Victory again has a deeidex^l advantage in yield and is v.-orthy (.f special attention in this part of Saskatchewan. Name of Variety. li Victory 2 Twentieth Centurv. (iold Rain Thousand Dollar. . . Ligowo, Swedish. . . Tartar King 7 Banner 8 Abundance, G a r - i ton's Regenerated 9 Eighty Day 10 Daubeney a: >i cS . Date of Sowing. Date of Ripen- ing. '^ i April 29 4ng. 22 115 M 29 „ 21 114 M 29 „ 23 11(5 .1 29 M 21 114 >, 29 M 21 114 „ 29 .,. 22 115 ,. 29 .. 25 US ,- 29 „ 25 118 ., 29 ., 13 106 „ 29 11 1.*^ 106 •5 c-c m > z o Inches. 42 43 47 . 43 44 43 44 41 as 37 ^ « o ■0 X o Z s Average — o'c Length be ? ~ of Head. ;- -^ t^ ■^X c m Inches. \ 10 6-7 ' 10 1 10 7-2 10 7 10 6-5 10 t 1 10 7 10 G 9 5 7 9 6 5 Yield of Grain per Acre. 3,640 8, 300 3,240 3,000 2.840 2.600 2,440 2,400 2,]6U 1,840 Yield of Grain per Acre. Lb. iBush. Lb 107 2 98 28 95 10 88 8 83 18 76 16 71 26 70 20 63 18 54 4 Weight l)er measured bushel after cleaning. Lb. 42-9 41-2 41-2 43 0 42 0 36-8 40 0 40 5 33 '8 35 0 BARLEY— TEST OF VARIETIES. Four varieties of six-row and two varieties of two-row barley were sown on April 29 at the rate of 2 bushels per acre on land which had been in summer-fallow in 1912. The yield of these varieties is very moderate, the ret\irn being much below what the r.ppearanee of the crop would indicate. This light har\-est may be attributed to a want of appropriate rains at a critical time in the crops' development. to >> fcc-^ % scale s. Weight Name of Variety. Date of Sowing. Date of Ripen- ing. o " c Average Length of Head. Yield of Grain per Acre. Yield of Grain per Acre. per mea.sured bushel a! ter j3 > o o < cleaning. Hix-row. Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Black Japan April 2!t Aug. 20 113 36 10 22 1,800 37 24 43-8 2 (). A. C. No. 21.... 1. 2il M 19 112 42 9-5 3-5 1,720 35 40 450 3;M:inchurian .. 29 „ 19 112 43 10 3 5 1.240 25 40 ■ 45 2 4 Success ,. 29 7 ICO ■ 31 10 2 7 780 16 12 47 3 Two-roic. 1 Duckbill „ 29 „ 22 115 36 9-5 3-5 1,900 39 23 51 0 2 Early Chevalier 1 „ 29 M 12 105 43 9 4 1,780 37 4 51-5 ScOTT. 806 EXPEJUMKXTAL FARMS PEAS— TEST OE VARIETIES. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Eour varieties of peas were sown April 18, upon fallow land. Seed was lused at the rate of 2^ biishek per acre. Two varieties, Piiissian Blue and Englisli Grey failed to fully mature and hardly merit, in consecpience, the first and second place on the list in wliich their yield of ftrain places them. The crop from these two plots was only fit for feed. The noticeahle feature of the pea crop was the hea^'Tv' Inad oi pods carried by a moderate amount of vine. ,__ a r^ .55P , ■^ ^ r: ( a cj 1)^1^ S 3 Name of Variety . bo o S bo c 1^1- P- O ^ Size of Pod. .'2S. Weight p ensured i. after cleai 55 « fi J? ;>i ^ s Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Prussian Blue Apr. 18 is Sept. 5 140 140 Small Large S.nall. . . Large 8,280 2,020 54 40 33 40 52 (i 9, English Grey 56-0 3 Golden Vuie „ is „ 18 11 II 4 4 1.39 139 l,fiOO 1,5G0 26 40 2« . 65 1 4 Arthur 65 1 EYE.. A plot of fall rye was sown in September, 1912. This plot made a favourable start and went into the winter with a fair amount of top. The plants revived in a uniform manner on the opening of spring, and made a strong growth during the season. A plot of spring rye was sown on April 11. In strength of growth and yield of grain this plot did not do so well as the fall sown variety. i Name of Variety. he 1^ P 5 verage Length of Straw in- eluding Head. Strength of raw on a scale of 10 points. J3 to c a, t*- > o "i . .S ft 1 • Weight per easured bushel after cleaning. j^ O ^ < Inches. cc Inches. >H ^ a Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. ■ 1 Spring rye, Ottawa Select.. Apr. 11 Aug. 19 130 44 10 s.[ 1,000 16 40 591 1912. 2 Fall rye, Common Sept. 3 M 13 344 49 10 5 1,440 24. . COO FLAX. A plot of common flax was sown on May 16 at the rate of 30 pounds iier acre on land wliich had been in .sunnn-cr-f allow the jirevious season. Tlie growth of plants was somewhat light and the yield of seed low. The flax was ripe on September 17, the aver- age length of the plants wa* 27 inches, the yield per acre was 17 bushels 8 pounds, and the weight per measured bushel was 51-2 pounds. Scott. nr^JsIOX OF CERKALS SESSIONAL PAPER No. 15 SUMMARY OF GRAIX SUITABLE FOR USE AS SEED TX lOU. Marquis wlieat 874 buslu'ls. Lig'owo oats 3"2!i « Maiichuri1i. - - . Number of I'ariiiei's Oats— I,igo\\'o Baiiiicr ~ L'O 0 10 0 10 0 21 L 3 1 Bavley - i\riui'liurian Peas — Artluir 1 • Scon 803 EXrEUlMEKTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. W. H. FAIRFIELD, M.S., SUPERINTENDENT. SEASONAL CONDITIOXS. The season of 1913 opened at about the usual time for the district. Winter praiii, however, suffered, many areas in the winter wheat fiekls being badly injured owing to the high dry winds that prevailed. Spring seeding commenced early in April, germination was rapid, and a good stand was obtained in all cases. The rainfall during the spring was scant, especially during late May and early June. Crops of all kinds suffered acutely, particularly early-sown grain. The rainfall for the growing season was as follows : — Inches April .. {)-'r2 May 1-70 June 4-70 July 1-29 August 1 to 15 1-22 Total 9-43 . Although the precipitation for June was reasonably satisfactory, generous rains were not received till the 16th ; from then to the end of the nidnth moisture was abundant, 4-3 inches out of 4-7 inches for the month falling during this period. The late rain, however, stimulated a second growth which caused uneven ripening and thus materially reduced the yield and quality of both Avheat and barley. The result with oats was better, the second groAvth being so strong and vigorous that it reached maturity before any serious loss was suffered from the shelling of the first growth. The rainfall over the southern part of the province was quite uneven, some localities being more favoured than others. One of the districts where the grain crops were the best was along the Aldcr'^yde branch of the C.P.R. from Monarch and Carniangay. As in past seasons, the varietal tests M-ith the different grains have been carried on both with and without irrigation, and to avoid confusion the report is divided into two parts. The first deals with the part of the farm on which no irrigation is applied. DlVISlOX or CEliEALS £09 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 PART I.— KON-IRRIGATEB. OR ' DRY " FARM. EXPERIMENTS WITH WINTER WHEATS. Winter Inllinji was (iiiite general with the winter wheats. In addition to the ■unfavourable climatic conditions during the winter, the plants were seriously affected with the disease quite generally prevalent in the winter wheat fields in the southern part of the province, the exact luiture of Avhich has not yet been definitely discovered. As in the past, th- varieties .if tlie Turkey Red type survived the unfavourable condi- tions best, althoufih the yield was light. Eleven varieties of winter wheat were sown on summer-fallowed land on September 1, 1912. (NoK -Irrigated) Wi.\ti:i; Wheat. — Test of Varieties. g 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Name of V^ariety. Minnesota No. .561 Azinia Oliirka Kan^ias Red Buflfxim No. 17 Dawson's Golden Chaff. . Minnesota No. 520 Kharkov Tai^ninnia Red (C.E.F.). Egyptian Amber (C.E.F) Winter Eminer Date of Sowing. 1912. Sept. Date of Ripen- ing. Number I ,of Matur- ing. 1913. l;Au£ l! „■ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3i 3i II 31 i; 7 4 3 13 13 Winter killed. 3.30 33G 334 336 334 340 337 336 34(} 346 Average Yield length Average of Grain of Straw includ- length of ing Head. per Acre. 1 Head. Inches. Inches. ! Lb. 37 3 5 2,220 29 3 1,.560 34 3 1,440 31 3 1,380 37 3-5 1,3^0 32 3 5 1,320 29 2 1,140 30 2 9G0 33 H (iOO 36 3 5 810 Yield of (Jrain per .\cre. Bush. Lb. 37 20 24 23 23 22 11) 16 15 13 30 Weight per measiu-ed bushel after cleaning. Lb. 62 62 5 63 02 61 59- 5 61-7 62-5 58 58 '5 Lethbridge. SiQ EXl'ERJ MENTAL FA I! MS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERBfENTS WITH SPEING WHEAT. (No.X-IlUUGATEU.) Sixteen varieties of spring wheat were tested. They were sown on backsetting. The yields in all cases were atTected by tlie drought in late May and early June. The crop ripened unevenly on account of the second grov.'th, and the quality of the grain produced was injvired more or less liy the presence of immature green kernels. Only the named varieties are reported upon. Sprino Wjiea'i- (jSTox-Irhigateu). — Tost of Varieties. Name of Variety. 1 2 o «) 4 5 G 7 8 <) 10' 11 12 13 Date of Sowing. Pioneer ( 195 F).. . Hobs Huron Red Fife . . Early Red Fife . . Early Russian.. . . Preston Stanley M^i-quis . Marquis (Chemist Kubanka Yellow Cross . . . Prelude o c3 -^ J- ■t.3 •;; -1 K^ t! hr ^ -^ a u (an s~ r- '-■ •J. -f-i Average Length of Head. Yield of Orain per acre. Ap. il 3 .Vug. 1 120 i , 3 M 1 -1 12;5 1 , i> 124 1 1 ?> ti ('> 12.5 ' , 3 i( a 121 , 3 ,, 2 121 , 3 n 4 123 1 3 ti ■~> 121 , 3 ,, 4 123 , 11 M 5 IIG , 3 7 126 . 3 .luly 31 119 , 3 31 119 Inches. 29 3u.r> 3(; 37 3(5 38 3(> • >-T Ol 30 37 33 27 22 Inches. 3 3.5 .->.o 3.5 4 3.5 o O 3 3 3 o Lb. i,a.w 2,025 2,4.53 i,8r.o 1,001 1,050 1,800 1, a- Bush. Lb- 28 28 28 27 27 27 27 26 25 20 15 30J 23' 11 5!> 19» 11 4 20 2 25' 81 1 Average for two years only. Ijjthbridgk. DITTSIOX OF CEREALS 811 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS (Xon-Irrigaled). Eleven varieties of oats were tested. They were sown on back-setting. The rehitively liig-h. yields of oats as compared with wheat and barley grown under pimilai: conditions is interesting. The reason for the larger yield is due to the fact that after the period of drought in the early part of the season the oats made a vigorous second growth, tho result being a crop almost as hea->y as if no setback had occurred. The date of riiiening, however, was much later than it otherwise would have been. In the case of barley and wheat, this second growtli was a detriment rather than a. benefit to the crop. Oats (Xox-Irrigated). — ^Test of Varieties. (^ Date 5P c Length ', inchid- ead. Average Yield of Yie Id of j3 "C ^ e Yield e for 5 rs. a; Name of Variety. of 1 = ^%'^ Len-'th Giain (irain bp ?- "o ^p2 £ Sowing. pi of Head. per acre. per acre. ^ > t ^ < o Lb. < - Inches. Inches. Lb. Bus] . Lb. Bush. Lb. 1 Victory April 10 A US, 4 UG 44 6 2,640 77 22 41 02 1 2 Improved American „ 10 n 4 IIG 41 6 2,820 82 32 37 72 G •S Swedish Ligowo., . . >. 10 ri 6 118 39 6 2,380 67 2 38.2 68 221 4 Irish Victor „ 10 M 4 IIG 42 6.5 2,850 83 28 38 61 2 f) Lincoln „ 10 M 10 ir M 6 4 118 116 4G 30 7 6.5 2,2f)l 2.400 67 73 13 8 38 7 36.7 6i 25 0 Danish Island 63 6 Banner M 10 M 10 It M 5 4 117 IIG ."7 46 5.5 5.5 2,490 2,058 73 75 8 8 36.5 41 61 £6 s Gold Rain .59 27^ 0 Thousand Dollar. . . .. 10 tl 8 120 40.5 7 2,276 66 32 30.7 51 - 10 Uanbenej' „ 10 Jnlv 30 111 36 5.5 2,160 63 18 31.7 50^ 2r>i n Garten's Reg. A- bundance M 10 Aug. 5 117 39 6.5 1,860 54 24 38.7' 50 113 1 Average for two years only . - Average for three years. EXPERIMENTS WITII BARLEY (NON-IRRIGATED). Seven varieties of six-row and four varities of two-row barley were tested. They were sown on back-setting. The j*Ields were seriously affected by drought. Six-Row Barley (Nox-Irrigated). — Te.-;t of Varieties. -S !- Average Yield Yield t- S ct -£ Date Date Length Avernge of of i -" a; >^'e^ S-t Name of Variety. of of ^5 of .Straw, Length of Grain Grain -TT L, S 1 Sowing. Ripening. ^.^ including Head. l>er per S '-tH 0 Head. Acre. Acre. > i^ > CO ^ Zi ^ < • Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 3 S> M ^ 1 Claude Apiil 15 . . ., 15.. „ 15.. Aug. 5 . . 4.. 4.. 111 110 110 26 28 29 2 2 3 1,020 1,020 1,020 40 40 .. 40 45 5 41-2 48 35 22 9 Cole 35 15t 3 Odessa 33 10 4 1 Mansfield M 15.. 4.. 110 29 2-5 1,680 35 47 32 20 5.(Jnymalaye „ 15.. July 30.. 105 29 2 1,3nO 28 36 (;i-5 28 21 1 GiMiinchurian „ 15.. Aug. 1 . . 107 29 3 l.fiGO 32 24 41 2 27 30t 70. A. C, No. 21... ,. 15.. July 2S.. 103 29 2-5 1,680 35 46 46 25* t Average for two years only. Average for three years. LetH BRIDGE. 812 EXl'Ki: I MENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Two-Row Bakley (Xun-Ikuigated). — Test of Varieties. -^ ^ . ,a c _ 1 ■-t .ii %/-■% bti 3. x be ^S Date Date No. of Days IVFatiir- ijx' a; Yield of '^l'^ — oi 'i Name of Variety of of o S Grain tcS^ •^ Sowing. Ripening. ing. A vera of S cludi per Acre. Wei .vleasi after .A vera per Year In. In. Lb. Busli. Lb. Lb. ■Z -3 :a ^-3 1 Swedish Chevalier April 15.. Aug. 4... no 27 . 3 5 2.400 50 51 10 22 2, Invincible „ 15.. ,. 5... 111 33 3 1 2,280 47 24 40 ; :!8 -3 ?, Early Chevalier. . „ 1.5. . „ 1... 107 42 3 j 1,81)0 39 18 51 bl 2; + 4 Clifford M 15.. M 4.. no 33 3 1,080 35 50 .0 3l X Average for two years onlj'. EXPERIMEXTS WITH PEAS (XOX-IRRIGATED). Nine varieties were tested. They were sown on backsetting. Altliough all of them suffered quite materially during the drought in the early part of the season they ai)i>eared to recover with the late rains so that the yields, considering the season as a whctle, were good. Peas (No-\ -irrigated) — Test op Varieties. g Name of V^ariety. Pnissian Blue. . Prince ...... Picton Paragon ..... English Grey. . Mackay Arthur Selected Golden Vme. . . Chancellor Date of Sowing. 1 Date of Ripen- ing. April 8 Aug. 9 8 M 11 8 8 rj II 8 H / 8 7 8 „ 11 8 G 8 6 8 7 Number of days Matur- ing. Yield Yield of (Jrain of (Jrain per Acre! per Acre 123 125 122 121 121 125 120 120 12 L Lb. 1,920 1,800 1,740 2,100 i,8<;o 2,040 i,;iso 1,380 1,920 ;:: 'c 2 " 2 a J5 .-j Average yield per acre for 5 years. Busli 32 30 29 .30 31 34 28 23 32 Lb. ^Bush Lb. 07.2 ()7.2 07 00.2 Gli 00.5 67 07 67 28 28 27 27 26 26 25 24 24 28 10 45* 8 t 55 30t 3 30 22 * Average for four years only. t Average for si.x years. Letiibridge. DirisIOX OF CE HEALS 8ia SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPEEIMEXTS WITH RYE (NOX -IRRIGATED). One variety of spring rye and one variety of winter rye were tested. Tlie former was sown on backsetting' and the latter on summer-fallow. EXPEKI-MKXTS WITH RvK (Nox-IRRIGATED.) Variety. Spring rye.. Winter rye. Dale Sown. Date Ripe. April 12, 1913 September 1, 1912. Aug. 23. July 2 . . Yield jAverage Yi.ld per \cre ^^^^ '^f re ' * ■ for Two Years. Bush 20 30 Lb. ;BuKh. 20 9 1!) 31 Lb. 4G 31 FLAX. Two varieties of flax were tested. They were both sown on backsetting. The size of the plots in each case was one-sixtietli of an acre. Fl.^x (Xcix-]rrigated). Variety. Date Sown. Date Kij.e. Number of Days Maturing. Length of Plants. Yield Per Acre. Yield Per Acre. Golden May 12 MaylG Aug. 2R Aug. IG 1(»8 92 Inches. 18 26^ Lb. l,-485 1,170 Bush. Lb. 26 29 Common 20 50 BUCKWaiEAT (XOX-IRRIGATED). Two varieties were sown on backsetting on June 2. They w?ere both slightly frosted before ripening, but in 1912 very good results were obtained. BlCKWHEAT (X(JX-JRRIGATED) — TeST OF VARIETIES. 1 c c i £ Name of Variety. Date of Kipening. Yield of Grai per Acre. Yield of Grai per Acre. Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Average yield per Acre for 2 Years. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. Bush. Lb. 1 •fapanese . . June 2 Sept. 15 1(5 840 17 24 47-7 21 42 2 Silver Hull June 2 Sept. 15 105 600 12 24 49 17 39 16—53 Lethbridge. EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 PART II— THE IRRIGATED FARM EXPE[UMK>iTS WITH SPKING WHEAT. Seven varieties were tested. They were all sown April 4 on land on Avliicli rooKs had been grown tlie previons season. They were irrigated on July 25. Spring Wi.'Ivvt (Iuiugated) — Test of Varieties. s i5 Name of Variety. c o ^ ol dS 121 122 123 122 122 Hi) IK) Average Length of Straw including Head. bo a > O Yield of Grain per Acre. 11 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Average Yield per Acre fur (i Years. 1 Pioneer (115 F) Aug. Jiiiy 1 5 I) o 2 30 Inches. 39 43 48 43 4r> 48 38 Inches. 2 3 3 3 4 4 2 Lb. 3,240 3,131 2,719 3,052 3,220 2,874 1,380 Bush. Lb. 54 52 11 45 1!» 50 52 47 44 34 30 11 Lb. G4-5 03.7 59.7 61.2 G2 59-7 03-5 Bush. Lb. ?, Marquis 44 37 3 Red Fife 43 56 4 5 Huron Preston ... Stanley 43 49 43 13 35 3G 7 Prelude (13.5 B) EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. Six varieties were sown on April 10 on land on which roots had been grown the previous season. They were irrigated on July 25. Oats (InniGATEo) — Test of Varieties. Nanie of \ aricty. liGartoii's Reg. Abuudancc 2|Tni|iro. American 3 iiish Victor Banner . . Danish Isian Daubeney land . Date of Sowing. April 10 Date of Ril)ening. Aug. July 4. 4. 4. 4. 5. 23. J2 . 5fS No. of Average Yield of Grain Days Matur- ?^1 Lengtii ing. Aven of Str ing H I-Iead. per Acre. a: m J2 m ^ Lb. o o a s l-r( 1— ( 115 48 6 .3,930 115 48 G 4,11)3 115 37 6 4,J(J5 115 47 5 3.911 118 47 (i 4.170 109 32 5 3,480 Yield of Grain per Acre. Ibish. Lb. 115 132 131 115 123 102 20 5 1 1 O O 12 u 01 nj fc' e. ti/ -1 ^ c 43 l^ S or aj ^ tu 'i S«6I > >■ Lb. 41 40 40. 5 41 40 oO. J 2 u Oj O 9j 3 ^ 110 25* 101 32 97 21 9<) 23 95 23 *Average for two'years only. LbTHBRlUGK. DIVISTOX OF CEREALS 815 SESSIONAL PAPER Mo. 16 EXPERIMENTS WITH BARLEY. Thei'e were seven varieties of six-row and fuiir varieties of two-row barley tested. Tlic-y were sown April 15 on land on wliirli roots had been sown the previous season and were irrigated once on .Inly 2."). Six-row Baulev (Ip.ri(;ati:d) — Test of Varieties. 0; J2 Name of Variety. 1 Cole. O.A.C. No. 21. SiClande Manchurian. f ♦des.sa 6|Ma.n.stield... 7!Guymalaye . Date of :^i|)eniiig. A US'. i.Tidy I 11., 2 I. 1. 2. 2 30 ! No. of Days Matm- ing. ll.s lO'i 111 10^ 109 100 bo c ? a; ,i| , 3 be ^ il ^ tcS-- > c o Inches. sr, 37 35 41 34 37 2(5 Yield Average Length of of ( Train Head. per Acre. Inches. ! i 2 4,8.30 2 4,200 1 ' 2 4,500 3 3,54S 2 4,3(i'J 2 4,035 2 3,270 Yield of tlrain per Acre. Busli 10(1 it;; 73 91 84 (■.8 Lb. 30 30 3(5 44 3 G 13 2 "a; Lbs. 4S 51 49.5 51 51.5 53 04.7 79 3S* 70 21 04 27* 02 1 58 41 * Average for tliree year.s only. Twu-Kow Barlkv (Iurigated) — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. Date of Ripen- ing. liSwedish Che 2 Invincible .... Early Chevalier Clifford , alier Aug. 10 5 21 1 3! be 0/ -t^ I Average! I Lenq-tli ' Straw, I includ- ing i Head. Inc-he8 A verage Length of i Head. I 117 112 128 108 30 35 41 41 Inches. 2 2 3 2 Y'ield of Grain [ler Acre. Lb. 4,470 4,530 3,293 3,120 Yield of Grain per Acre. Bnsh. Lb. 93 94 08 65 0 18 29 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Average Yield per Acre fcjr Five Years. Lb. Bush. Lb 53-2 70 35(1) 54 00 40 53 00 34(2) 53-7 45 6 (1) Average yield for six years. (2) Average yield for two years only. iG—r^Si LlCTIIBRInOE. 815 EXVERIM l::\ TA L FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMEXTS WITH PEAS. Ten varieties were sown April 8 on Innd on wliicli hoed crops had been grown the previous year. They were irrigated once on Jnlj' 25. Peas (Ii{rigated) — Test of Varieties. c 3 1' 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Name ol Variety. Paragon Aithur Mackay Prince English Grey Picton Golden Viin^ Prussian Blue . . . Chancellor White Marrowfat cS Q bb Dat 6 ■s-s of ^1 Ripening:. x^ S«^ ^ Aug. 11 1 125 6 120 ]9 133 11 125 9 12;3 11 125 11 125 11 125 9 123 11 125 Yield of Grain per Acre. Lb. 2,940 2,220 2,782 2,220 2,1)40 2,430 2,-40 2,520 2,h20 1,650 Yield of Grain per Acre. Busli. Lb. 22 49 37 4« 37 .. 44 .. 40 30 49 .. 42 .. 47 .. 27 30 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaiaing. Lb. 66-2 68 60 2 67-2 66 67-7 67 o 67-5 67-2 672 Average Yield per Acre for Six Yeais. Bush. Lb. 44 .. 43 ..(1) 41 11 38 15 37 17 36 38 34 13 33 15 32 23 26 4 (2) (1) Average for two years only. (2) Average for five years. ->. Peas are a crop that should be grown more extensively on irrigated land and, for that matter, they are an excellent crop for the dry farm. We are free so far from the weevil, and there is a brisk demand for seed each spring at good prices. It is quite jn'obable that on land on which they have never been grown that the yield can be mate- rially increased by inoculation. BUCKWHEAT. Two varieties of buckwheat have been tested for two years. Both varieties were frosted this year before they ripened, and the yield was light, although in 1912, good results were obtained on both the irrigated and the dry land. They were both sown June 2. on land on which hoed crops had been grown the pi*evious season, irrigated once on July 25. They were Buckwheat (Irrigated). — Test of Varieties. Weight per Average Date of No. of Yield of Yield of Measured Yield u Name of Variety. Ri] ening. Days (irain Grain Busliel:ifter per Acre XI . Maturing. per Acre. per Acre Cleaning. for C 2 Years. '^ Lb. Bush. Lb Lb. Bush. Lb. 1 Japanese Sept. 15.... 105 720 15 49 30 2 Silver Hull Sept. 15.... 105 540 1 ». 11 12 51 27 24 LetH BRIDGE. Dirisioy: of cereals 817 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARAI, LACOMBE, ALTA. G. H. HUTTON, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. The seeding season of 1913 opened at tlie Lacombe Station on April 10 when the first wheat plots were sown. The weather during April, and for the first ten days of May, was both cool and dry, keeping growth in cheek, but after May 10 conditions Avere so favourable for growth that by June 1.5 all crops on well-prepai-ed land were as far forward as on any previous season since this Station was established. Favour- able weather continued throughout the summer and mitil harvest and threshing were concluded. The precipitation for May, June, and July was 6-89 inches, and while the mean temperature varied little from that of previous years, no low temperatures were experienced. Taken altogether, therefore, the season of 1913 in Central Alberta was quite favourable for the production of fair yields ox grain of more than average quality. EXPEEIMENTS WITH WIXTER WHEAT. For the second successive season all varieties of w'inter wheat sown on summer- fallow were spring-killed. As was pointed out in the report of this Station for the year ending March 31, 1912, winter wheat sown on summer-fallow suffers more from '^'pring-killing than when sown on breaking — either new land or land ploughed out of cultivated grasses. A small field of winter wheat was seeded on rotation " L." This land was ploughed out of timothy, alsike, and clover sod in July of 1912, and seeded to Kharkof winter wheat in August. This field yielded at the rate of 20 bushels 20 pounds of wheat and 30 pounds of timothy seed per acre, both of which were of good quality. EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRIXG WHEAT. Sixteen varieties of spring wheat were sown on April 10 on land which was sum- mer-fallowed in 1912. Exijeriments conducted in previous years in which varying quantities of seed were sown per acre have indicated that heavy seeding for black clay loam soil 'will hasten maturity and increase yields. In sowing these varieties, there- fore, seed was used at the rate of from 2| bushel^ to 3^ bushels per acre, depending on the size of the berry and the vitality test previously made. Seeding at the rate of from 24 to 3 bushels per acre is recommended for heavy, black loam soil when the seed-bed is in good condition and the moisture supply at seed time plentiful, particularly in those districts where early maturity is an important factor. The season and location of plots this year conduced to the high standing of Red Fife, which is quite unusual for this variety at this Station, and this result should not be taken to indicate the general suitability of this variety for this district. Only the named varieties arc- mentioned in the following table. 818 EXPERIMENTAL ZV. /.M/.9 Si'RiXG Whe.vt. — Test of Varieties. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Name of V^ariety. f. Red Fife Bi.ahop Marquis Yellow C'ros.s . . . Early Russian.. . Bc>bs Huron Prelude Pioneer (195 F.). « >, ce Date C til Date of of Ripen- 1 -^ Sowing. ing- 11 ' j2 ^ « Apr. 10. Sept. 13. 15G „ 10. „ 4. H7 „ 10. Aug. 30. 142 „ 10. Sept. 4. 147 .. 10. H 6. 149 ,. 10. „ 2. 145 .■ 10. „ 2. 145 M 10. Aug. 20. 132 >, 10. Sept. 5. 148 Average Length ' of I Str.uv, 1 inejud- I ing Head. ^2 m is c^ m lies. 42 10 39 9 5 36 10 37-7 »-5 36 7 1 35-5 10 37-5 10 36-5 9 5 37-5 10 1 \verage Yield of Grain Length of Head. per Acre. luelies. Lb. ! 3-7 3,840 ! 3 5 3,240 ; 3 2 2,830 i 2 7 2,730 ' 3-5 2,?)(-0 i 3 7 2,490. 1 3 5 2,3f)0 ; 2 5 2,170 3- 1,120 Yield of Grain [ler Acre. 64 51 47 45 42 41 39 36 18 !Bush. Lb. 10 30 40 30 20 10 40 Weight per Measured Bushel after Cleaning. Lb. 60 59 63 63 61 59 62 63 59 Sr'Ri.xc Wheat. — Field Lot> Suitable for Seed. 0 Variety. .Area. Total Yield. Yield jjer Acre. Marquis Acres. 11 101 110 •5305 Bush. Lb. 517 30 107 . . 11 23 Bush. Lb. 44 57 Prelude 15 11 524B 21 31 EXPERIMENTS WITH RYE. One plot of fall rye was sown on August 10, 1912, on sunnner-f allow, and on the same kind of soil, similarly prepared, one plot of spring rye was sown on April 19, 1913. Variety. Date Ripened, Nuirilier of Days Maturing. Lf^ngtli of St raw- in inches. 'haracter of Straw. Length of Head. Weight of Straw. Yield per .Acre. Fall I ye Aug. 20.. Sept. 5.. 139 48 55 10 10 Inches. 3-5 4 Lb. 5,9ij0 7,8U0 Busli. Lb. 41 44 Spring rye 46 24 L.VCOMBE. DiriSIOX OF VERBALS 619 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 15 EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. Thirteen varieties of oats were sown April 18, on land wliich was summer- fallowed in 1912. Seed was used at about 3^ bushels per acre. Oats. — Tests of Varieties. Name of Variety. 8 0 10 11 12 13 Daubeney Regenerated AVmnd- ancb Eighty Day Banner Danish Island McDou'-'al Scotli-h Prolific Tartar King Ligowo, Swedish. ... Gold Rain Irish Victor Victory .Siberian Swedish Select Q Apr. 18. ., IS ., 18 M 18 M 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 bb c: o M c ■ ^* ^^ 1 o Aug 5.0. Sept . 4 Aug .20. Sept . 5. II 3. H 6. ,, 2. II 2. M 2. It 4. It 8. M 4. II 2. c5 tD > ^^ < .a Inches. 130 I 39-5 139' 124 140 138 141 137 137 137 139 143 139 138 47-2 36 51-5 48 48-5 41 475 48- 5 54-7 47 51-2 50-5 IS c ? 8 10 8 9-5 10 10 10 9-5 9 10 10 10 9 -*J hs^ S y^ ^ &s OS-M ^ u-i > o < Indies. 7-5 7-5 7 i*-7 8 8 10-2 7 7 (i-5 9-5 85 9 7-2 c 'S T3 u .i. a Lb. 4,320 3, .550 3 U70 2,800 2,710 2,r50 2,.5.-.0 2,550 2,. 520 2,440 2,410 2,250 1,920 s ci d' be 't 4^ t:0 •V i. &L -.a .2 %. i) --^ i^ ^ Bush. Lb. Lb. 127 2 39 104 14 41 90 10 37 82 12 42 79 24 41 75 75 74 71 70 G6 56 32 4 26 30 6 16 44 40 45 45 44 38 42 42 EXPERIMENTS WITH BARLEY. Ten varieties of six-row and five varieties of two-row barley were tested in 1913, being seeded on April 19, on black clay loam soil, v.-hich had been summer-fallowed in 1912. Seed was sown at the I'ate of 2.1 bushels per acre. Si.\-Row Barley. — Test of Varieties. 3 Name of Variety. Mansf.ehl. . Stella O. A. C. No. 21 Odessa Manehurian.. . . (juynial»ye, . . . Success c '$ o (4-1 o 6b 'S 01 a. to-- g 1.,- to S S s o S s d'^^ cS cj c > o o > C Q p. >-. < Indies. ■r/^ ° Inches. Lp. Apr. 19 Aug. 18 121 45 9-5 3-5 3,280 . 19 .. 17 114 .34,5 9-5 2.5 2,900 , 19 .. 17 120 44 9-5 2-7 2, Si SO , 19 " 17 120 34 70 2 5 2,040 - 19 -. 19 122 45 10 0 3 0 2,010 . 19 „ 11 114 32 100 2 7 1,970 , 19 7 110 34 10 0 20 1,290 c Bush. Lb. 08 60 58 55 54 41 26 16 20 16 is 2 42 t to 4- f-l 01 1> rt. 5 =8 Lb. 52 49 50 50 49 61 48 L.4^C0MBE. 820 EXPEIilMEXTAL FARMS Two-row Bakley. — Test of \'arieties. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 1 he be ■5 ho a s S bb Name of Variety. s 1 ■5 ai - '^ !« be -co ■t OfL, b 0 51 ° ^ n d 1- 3 eS ce ■"* > c 0 1- .3 **- > ^^ '^ P a ^ Inches. 55«^° '< i^ >< 53" Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Hannchen Ap-. 19 Aug. 19 122 36 9-5 3 2 3,.300 68 36 55 2 Swim's Neck „ 19 „ 18 121 37 9 2-7 3,220 67 4 52 3 Swedi.sh Chevalier M 19 „ 20 123 35 7 3 3,070 63 46 53 4 Invincible „ 19 „ 20 12.3 43 5 9-5 3 2,!)40 61 12 53 5 Early Chevalier. . ,. 19 , 11 114 44 9 5 3 2,420 50 20 53 Barley. — Field Lots Suitable for Seed. Vaiietv. Area. Acres. Mensury .... O.A.C. No. 21 461 A 465 B 475 A Success 26 6 •0 •0 ■171 •2038 ■308 •220 Yield. Bush. Lb. !'02 150 3 25 3 31 7 - 39 ' 28 • Yield per Acre. Bush. 37 25 20 17 25 7 Lb. 28 43 18 9 EXPERIMENTS WITH FIELD PEAS. Six varieties of peas were sown on April 19 on summer-falloAved land, the seed being used at the rate of 2J bushels per acre. Peas. — Test of Varieties. , Number Average A verage Yield of Weight per Dat e of Date of of Length Length Grain Yield of Measui- ^ Name of Variety. Sow ng- Ripening. Days of of per Grain ed _^. Matur- Straw. Pod. Acre. per Acre. Bu.^hel c ing. alter y. cleaning Inches. Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Golden Vine Apr il 19 Sept. 2 136 50 2-5 1,840 30 40 64 M Avthur 19 19 Aug. 26 M 29 129 1.32 41 4;i 2 2 2 1,080 1,62-) 28 27 65 3 Chancelhjr 65 4 Prussian Blue . . ... 19 Sei)t. 5 139 52^ 2-5 1,600 26 40 63 5 Knglish Grev 19 Aug. 28 131 41 2-2 1,580 26 20 63 6 Paragon ; . . 19 Sept. 5 139 — i 58 25 l,4i0 24 63 DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF SEED. Five-pound samples of Kharkof winter wheat have been distributed to all appli- cants. The number of applications has been limited, and has come principally^ from the north and west. There has been a steady demand for Prelude wheat, which was sold in 2-bushel lots at $5 per bushel. The inquiry for seed barley has also been kceii, and the supply has not been sufficient to meet the demand Lacombe. DIVLSION OF CEREALS £21 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SUB-STATIONS IN ALBERTA. ST. BERNARD MISSION, GROUARD, ALTA. EEV. BKO. LAUEEXT, Experimentalist. The fields of grain were sown during the first and second weeks in May. After seeding was finished there were violent winds until the 6th of June, making the con- ditions very unfavourable. From June 7., wet weaiher prevailed throughout most of the summer. The temiieratures Avere rather low as a rule, especially at night. Only three hot days oecuiTed, the highest temperature being- 94° F, In spite of the adverse weather, the grain grew well, but there was a good deal of lodging, especially in oats and barley. Barley was ripe on August 10, but could not be cut until considerably later, on account of the wet condition of the ground. On September 1, Early Eed Fife wheat and Banner oats were ready to cut. Mar- quis and Preston wheats and Ligowo oats were cut ten days later, though they were not fully ripe by that time. All the threshing was completed on October 9, with the following results : Early Eed Fife wheat, 23 bushels per acre; Preston, 22 bushels; Marquis, 18 bushels. The Preston and Marquis sufi^ered from being on heavy clay soil. Ligowo oats, 45 bushels per acre; Banner, 40 bushels. Odessa barley, 35 bushels per acre; Manchurian, 34 bushels. Some of the varieties were grovni in large fields. In no case was less than an acre sown. • GRAND PRAIRIE, ALBERTA. S. J. WEBB, ExPERniEXTALIST. The spring of 1913 opened early, and seeding started on April 12. On the 20th there was a fall of snow which delayed seeding somewhat; but, taken all through, we had a very favourable spring, with plenty of moisture for germination. The season as a whole was very wet, so that haying and harvesting, were difficult, and the quality of the crops Avas not what it would otherwise have been. The followiiTg- table gives the results of the variety tests of cereals: — •S CTT = sTJ to ti ^"' g c be Ti kr-^ e Name of Variety. Date of Date of ^ 6 ■^1 • Sowing. * Ripening. ^0^ > 0 O > Q -C 1; . ^ < a: < > >H In. In. Lli. Bush. Lb. Spring Wheat — - Mnrfir.is April 23.. Aug. 25 . 124 .^4 6 3-5 2,400 40 CO Preston „ 23.. „ 28,. 126 50 10 3 2,100 35 Oats— l>anner May 2.. Aug. G.. 9G 50 10 9 2.380 70 40 Thousand Dollar. . 2.. 4.. 94 40 6 8 2,103 02 41 Peas — Arinvn- May 2 . Aug. 2fj . . no 52 2,700 45 (-.2 822 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS FORT VERMILION. ALBERTA. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EGBERT JONEvS, Experimentalist. EXPERIMENTS WITH SPRING WHEAT. Nine varieties of spring v/lieat were sown in uniform test plots of one-sixtietli of •All acre each. Prelude, Marquis and Bishop were sown on land that was fallowed in 1912. The other six varieties were sown on land on which corn had been grown the previous year. Manure was applied for that crop. The land had been ploughed in the early part of June, 1912, and was kept well harrowed after every rain. The wheat was sown on April 21 to April 28, at the rate of 1^ bushels per acre. The following' were the yields obtained : — SPRING WHEAT. — TJCST Of VAUIETIE.S. ii •5 C-D be— ^ bo |f t Date Date bt ^ ® -/ J-6 Weight Yield r.f r^ r.- Name of Variety. of Sowing. ..f Ripening. g^ 5 ^ t. cS i3 ^l 2 = of Straw . Grain l)er bt X S 6 d a. S4- . — . > 0 o icn:^P-i ^-Z Acre. ss| ^ ;?'. < m < ^a. ct 1 X. In. In. In. Lb. Lb. 1 Bishoj3 April 21.. „ 21.. n 21.. „ 25.. „ 28.. 'Aug. la.. .. 11.. i „ 2.. 9.. i M 6.. 115 113 104 107 101 35 37 35 38 34 5 5 10 10 10 30 3 5 2-2 3 5 2-7 5,080 4,080 4,380 4,320 4,440 59 30 49 .. 48 .. 45 30 13 .. 64 1 f Marquis G4-5 8 Prelude 6 1' 2 4 Stanley 62 0 r> Early liiga 5>.r5 6 Red File M 21.. „ 15.. 117 30 1 3 0 4,080 42 .. 62-8 7 Ladoga ., 2.5.. 4 . J02 30 1 30 3,900 42 .. 60-8 8 .. 28.. „ 25 . ! „ 25.. 8.. 119 IOC 36 36 1 1 3 0 3 0 3,;sGU 4,020 41 30 39 30 644 q Preston 62-3 EXPERIMENTS WITH OATS. Five varieties of oats were sown in uniform test plots of one-sixtietli of an acre each on land on which roots had been grown the previous year and manure was applied for that crop at the rate of about 20 tons per acre. This was ploughed in the fall of 1912 and worked up in the spring, and sown April 30 to May 2, at the rate of 2i bushels per acre^ The yields are somewhat low on account of the very dry weather wo experienced during almost all obi Alined: — OT the past summer. The following are the yields OATS. — TEST OF VARIETIES. K ■5'C .2 >> be = 5 ^bc 5s "- V Weight 1^ Naii.e of Variety. Date of Sowing Date of • Ripen- ing. c 5 A > ^ ffi < c5 teg 2 g :: — t'-f^ bo 0^ t- Average Length of Head. Weight of Straw. Yield of ' (jrain per Acre. per Measured Bushel after 1 ;?. ^^.s W^'^ Cleaning. Inches, Inches. Lb. Bush. Lb. Lb. 1 Banner Apr. 30 Aug. 5 .. 9 6 98 99 96 36 39 39 10 10 10 7 5 8 0 7 0 5,760 4,800 4,200 84 24 77 22 60 . . 40 5 9 Li go wo May 2 „■ 2 38 1 3 Tartar King. . . . 39-2 4 Black Mesdag. . . . Apr. 30|,Iulv 24 86 34 10 7 0 3,000 45 30 35-3 5 E.xcelsior (black). . . May 21 Aug. 16 107 34 5 80 3,120 42 12 39-8 D/r/.S/OA or CEREALS 823 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTS WITH BARLEY. Six varieties, two of two-row and four of six-row were sown in uniform test plots of one-sixtietli of an acre on land on which roots had been grown the previous year "with the same treatment as for the oats. The bai'ley was sown May 2 and 3 at the rate of 2 bushels per acre. The yield of Sidney and Canadian Thorpe are ver.y low. These two plots were somewhat higher than the rest of the plots and, in consequence, did not yield as well as the others. The following are the yields obtained': — BAliLEY. T!:ST OP \ AHIKTIES. u c Name of Variety. Tv:o-roir. 1 Canadian Thorpe. 2 Sidney Date of Sowing . Six- ran-. May Champion May Men^uly " Success j 11 Claude ; h Date of Rijien- in^. 6f ~ be 1 S Aug. 3iJuly 3|Aug. SlJuly 2|Aug. 11 8 311 ?5 102 99 GO 91 85 93 c, r. < -■ O be c Inches. 28 30 35 28 36 30 /•■, 1 tS o , cci -o^^ A \orage ■^o° Length "^-^^ of ggs Head. *--"<*.. ,y/J. o Inches. 10 2-5 10 2-7 1 3 5 10 2 0 5 2-5 10 30 Yield of Grain i:er Acre. Weight jier Measured per Acre. ^j^^^. I Cleaninpr. Yield/of Grain Lb. 3.360 3,300 4,080 5,220 4.320 4, ICO Bush. Lb. 48 36 30 20 65 .. 61 12 60 .. 60 .. Lb. 53-3 53 0 45 0 51 3 47 0 50-8 EXPERIMENT WITH FIELD PEAS. One variety. Arthur, was tested on a one-thirtieth acre plot. It had been manured and a crop of potatoes had been grown on the land in 1912. After being- well worke I with a disc harrow and then with a smoothing- harrow, the plot was sown on ^lay 1 at the rate of tv\'o bushels per acre. The vines made a very strong growtli in the early season, but wet weather in the early i^art of August prol-nged the ripening- period. The yield was very good. This variety ripened August 16 (108 days) ; average length of straw 42 inches; average length of \hu\, 2-7 inches; yield per acre, 42 bushels (2,520 pounds) ; weight per bushel, (^5A pounds. EXPEEIMENTS AT FORT RESOLUTION, MACKENZIE DISTRICT. Seeding began about the middle of May, under rather favourable conditions, the soil being moist. But as it is a muck soil and drought set in at once, some of tht; grain did not come up. The latter part of May and June were exceptionally cold. There was a sharp frost on June 25, and the grain suffered somewhat. Towards the end of July and the beginning of August there was abundant rainfall, but it came rather late to benefit the crops. The following varieties of grain were sown with seed ripened at this station in 1912. Owing to the depredations of birds, all the grain was destroyed towards the beginning of September: — .824 EXPERIMEX TA L FA RM S 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Wheat— Early Red Eif^ Bishop, Yellow Cross. Oats. — Pioneer, Gold Rain. Spring Bye. Tovrards the middle of June there were received from tlie Central Farm two samides of Eighty Day oats, two of Marqius wheat, two of Manehurian barley, but the season was so far advanced that it seemed best to reserve the seed for next year. EXPERIMENTS AT FORT PROVIDENCE, MACKENZIE DISTRICT. The season of 1913 was unfavourable in this district, owing to the drought which prevailed throughout the whole season. Rain fell only once, on June 10. On July 8 there was a sharp frost which injured the grain a good deal. Unfortunately the crows invaded the fields towards the beginning of August and left only one variety of barley,- Manehurian. Chevalier, Hannchen, and Success were entirely destroyed, also Yellow Cross wheat. The other varieties of grain and especially the peas suffered from their ravages also. All the plots were sown with seed ripened here in 1912. Variety. Whtut— Bishop, i Red Fife Marquis Preston Barley— Manehurian Oats- Banner Gold Ilain Pioneer Sixty Day. Thousand Dollar . . Rye- Spring Peits — Arthur Selected . . . Golden Vine Prussian Blue White Marrowfat. Date of Sowing. May 1.5. M 15. M 15. II 15. , 15. „ 15. „ 15. ,. 15. ,1 15. „ 15 I, 15. M 15. ,- 15. „ 15. M 15. Date of Ripening. Aug. 2.3. . . . „ 23.... „ 23.... M 23... ., 19.... M 19.... .1 la.... I. 19.... i, 19.... M 23.... Sept. 4.... .1 4... .1 4.... ,. 4,... V 4.... No. of Days Maturing. 100 100 100 100 96 96 96 96 96 100 112 112 112 112 112 DITISIOX OF CEREALS 825 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, AGASSIZ, B.C. P. H MOORE, B.S.A., SUPERINTENDENT. VARIETY TESTS OF GRAIN. Tlie plots for tlie variety tests of grain this season were on a piece of fall-plouglied gras.s land, this being the most uniform piece of land obtainable. Although special care was taken to have the land as uniform as possible, some of the results Avere very uneven and, consequently, were not as comparable as they would have been if the plots has been sown on manured and well-cultivated land. Taking the season as a whole, it was wet and cool and not at all favourable for grain growing. In April there were 4-72 inches of rain; in May, 6-08 inches, whit-h was very hard on the young grain; in June there were 7-33 inches, and in July (our Itarvesting month) there were 3 -71 inches. In August, in the early part of Avhich month the threshing was done, there were 2-71 inches, this being about the finest month of l];C season, and it allowed us to get the grain threshed in probably a little better shape than usual. All grain sown was treated wath formalin as a prevention against smut, but, in spite of this, considerable smut appeared in the plots. N SPRING WHEAT. Twelve varieties of wheat were sown, but this year they were attacked worse than ever by what appears to be ''wheat midge" (Diplosis frifki). Mr. R. C. Treherne, of the Division of Entomology station here, made the following report from a thorough examination of the plots : — Infestation op Wheat by AVheat Midge. Vaiiety. Per cent infe.station Largest rmmber of larvae per seed. 128 B 81.37 78 50 70.85 74.42 71.43 70.45 70 . 43 08.88 04.15 01.54 61.11 40.06 17. Stanley 15. T^r*Jst,on . 15 jNTarouis . . 16. Ke'l Fife 10. 14. 378 A 16. Ali)}in. Sf-leotttd 9. Bobs 13. 1 jjshon - 13 F o < &0 o §- C s- c5 -^ nches. 37 38 38 52 40 40 50 37 41 32 36- 30 ■ 31 > 30 32 t 9 7 10 8 1) 0 10 9 7 10 9 9 9 8 be ai > O Inches. 3-5 3-2 3-2 3-5 4 3 3-2 2-.5 3-2 2 3 2-5 2-2 3 2 2-2 u .i& Lb. l,SO0 1,640 l,(i40 1,<)00 1,000 l,.5t>0 1,520 1,440 1,400 1,3(;0 1,320 1,280 1,280 1,240 1,000 Bush. Lb. 37 34 34 24 8 8 33 IG 33 16 32 24 31 32 30 .. 29 8 28 10 27 24 20 32 2(> 32 25 40 30 40 AoASStZ. 828 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, SIDNEY, B.C. SAMUEL SPENCER. FOREMAN MANAGER. A« this Station has only bet-n recently acquired it was not practicable to commence variety tests of cereals last spring. During the summer a suitable piece of land on the lower part of the Farm was prepared. Five varieties of winter .wheat and three of winter rye Avere sown in October in plots of one-lifth acre each. It is proposed to sow additional varieties of grain in the sirring. Sidney. 5 george v. sessional paper no. 16 ' a. 1915 Dominion of Canada DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE Dominion Experimental Farm REPORT FROM THE DIVISION OF BOTANY FOR THE Fiscal Year Ending March, 31, 1914 PREPARED BY The Dominion Botanist. ------- H.T. Gussow. 16—54 829 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF BOTANY. (H. T. GTJSSOW, DOMINION BOTANIST.) Ottawa, March 31. 1914. J. H. Grisdale, Esq., B. Agr., Director, Experimental Farms, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. Sir,. — I have the honour to submit herewith my fifth annual r(>port of the work carried on in the Division under my charge. Attached to this main report is a report from the Plant Pathological Branch Laboratory in St. Catharines in charge of Mr. W. A. McCubbin, M.A. The work of the Division, particularly that of advising farmers, fruit-growers, and others is increasing considerably, and much of the time of my stafi is occupied by attention to these requests for information. However, some original investigations have been carried out, but it is realized that there are a considerable number of specific diseases and investigations along other botanical lines which will make an increase of the staff and laboratory accommodation most necessary in the near future. Another feature of the work is the administration of the Destructive Insect and Pest Act, as far as plant diseases are concerned; owing to the prominence which the potato has received in this respect during the year my own time and that of several members of my staff has been occupied thereby to a great extent, and in consequence many important lines of research work had necessarily to be curtailed. For conveni- ence sake the report is divided into the following sections, in which, the more important work done by this Division is referred to in detail: — I. Plant Pathology. (a) Destructive Insect and Pest Act. (h) Investigation of specific diseases II. Experimental work. III. Economic Botany. IV. Miscellaneous. , V. Report of St. Catharines Laboratory. L PLAXT PATHOLOGY. (a) Administration of Destructive Insect and Pest A( t. Diseases of plants may cause consideraVfle economic losses by direct destruci"ion of cultivated plants, but may also, if prevailing in one country or continent, result in the exclusion of a particular kind of vegetation from export into another country that may be found free from any such disease. Losses from diseases likely to be imported from other countries are guarded against by certain measures restricting importation or prohibiting it altogether from countries in which such diseases may prevail. This attitude is most correct, and different nations as well as parts of the British Empire are more generally adopting legislative measures for the control ol 16— 54J 8.31 Ottawa. 832 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 plant diseases. When, however, by reason of a disease a country is barred from fur- ther export of the vegetation eojicorned, this is another serious aspect of the "losses" caused by diseases of plants. These measures should have a decided beneficial result inasmuch as they would compel or encourage a country under embargo to fight the disease in the most effective way in order to regain the market in the country that has placed such an embargo. The Dominion of Canada felt it advisable to enforce such an embargo on potatoes grown in countries in which Potato Canker prevails. As soon as the countries affected by this measure are in a position to prove that they have successfully com- batted Potato Canker, or are in a position to guarantee that no potatoes affected by such disease will be exported, this eiabargo will be removed, as it is not the intention of such protective measures to interfere with the commercial relations of two countries. However, the Dominion of Canada during the time which is covered by thie report experienced the effects of such embargo, which was placed upon Canadian potatoes by the United States for reason of a disease now well known to the farmer by the name of Powdery Scab. A public meeting was held in Washington on December 18, before the United States Federal Board of Horticulture to hear from interested parties why an embargo should not be laid. The Dominion Botanist was instructed to represent the department as technical expert. The United States authorities, how- ever, decided to place an embargo imtil such times as would assure freedom from disease in imported potatoes. The presence of Powdery Scab in Canada resulted in the loss of the American market, which was greatly lamented by growers in the eastern provinces. This disease has only been discovered in Canada in the fall of 1912 ; whether this disease has been long in this covintry or whether it is a serious disease does not con- cern us here, but owing to its presence in Canada farmers were not permitted to sell their potatoes in the States. To eastern farmers, particularly those in New Brunswick, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, this embargo is a very unwelcome measure, rnore so appar- ently than the disease itself. This is the wrong attitude to take, seeing that the dis- ea,se causes as much damage to our own potato industry a^ it is thought it will do in the United States, but one fact is absolutely clear — the Uni'ted States will be ready to admit the Canadian crop as sonn a= ■^'e have cleared our fields of this disease. The Division caused detailed information on the appearance of this disease to be widely distributed, and every farmer who has seen a copy of the publication will find that the prevention and extermination of this disease — like any other disease — rests exclusively with himself. The directions are briefly these: — First. — Use clean seed that is absolutely free from powdery scab, and pre- ferably free from any kind of tuber disease. Second. — Plant clean seed on land that* has never borne a crop of potatoes before, or at any rate not a crop that has been diseased. Third. — Avoid all contact with diseased potatoes, infected implements, bags, cellars, etc. A crop grown from pure and sound : < be c o 2 >> 3 IG— lido— |). 830. DIVISION OF BOTANY 837 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 orchards it seemed likely that a goodlj- number of trees would be girdled and killed, but in most cases it seemed as though a branch might continue to fruit for many years after being invaded, cankers being found with successive annual growths of ten years or more. In these neighbourhoods also, where orchards were well cared for, especially in the matter of spraying, the disease did not appear to be destruoi{TA\T Diseases in 191.3. APPLJ':. Scab (Vrninria iiitrquaiis Aderh.) is the worst fungous disease met with on this fruit. During the early part of the season conditions were not very favourable for its development, and where trees were well cared for and properly sprayed, the fruit was clean. Later on in the season, however, a few orchards developed scab in the 16—55 Ottawa. 846 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 warm moist weather following the midsummer drought and the occurrence of this Jate infection in orchards that had been well sprayed raises the question as to whether an additional summer spraying will not be necessary in seasons like the recent one. According to the best orchard practice at present, three sprayings are given with com- mercial or home-boiled lime-sulphur, the first being applied just before the blossoms burst, and should test with the hydrometer 1-030 specific gravity; the second (testing 1-009) is applied just before the blossoms open; the third (testing 1-008) is put on just after the blossoms fall, but while the calyces still remain open. The fourth application which may he necessary in damp summers should be given as soon as indications of the scab appear on leaves, where it usually first shows itself. Black Rot (Sphceropsis malorum Pk.). — This fungus is responsible for the greater part of our apple rot, especially on fallen fruit. In our climate it is most seriously prevalent in the fruit on the tree, but it attacks windfalls and apples in storage. It is far less prevalent in well pruned and sprayed orchards, and a great deal can be done to lessen the infection of the fruit by keeping the trees free from fungus. Infec- tion takes place from spores derived from old rotten fruit and also from spores formed in cankers, sun scald areas, and dead twigs. If care is taken in priming to remove these sources of infection as far as possible, and to destroy fallen fruit, the effects of Black Rot on the fruit will be materially lessened. Sun Scald. — Frequent cases of this form of injury are met with. It is sometimes seen on apple trunks, but may also be found on the larger limbs. Sun scald often follows an attempt to put an old neglected orchard into bearing condition. The trees are cut off so as to take away all the limbs above convenient spraying and picking height, and if this pruning is injudiciously done many of the large limbs are left exposed. In early spring the upper sides of these limbs are heated by the hot midday sun, and eitlier because of frost which follows at night or because of inability to ob- tain water from the still frozen soil theses- exposed areas are killed. The liability to scald may be greatly lessened by a coat of whitewash applied to the trunk and limbs. This reflects the heat from the surface and thus avoids exposure to extremes of temperature. Collar Rot is another form of injury to apt)le, pear, plum- and peach tree, brought about by winter conditions. The loss due to it from year to year is far more than is generally recognized, and it is apt to occur on trees just when they should have a long bearing period before them. Late cultivation which retards ripening of the tissues is conducive to the trouble, and it is worst in wet undrained soils, soils lacking in humus, and those which are hard and earthy. Mulches of straw and ma- nure or even soil give a protection against collar rot. Whiile numerous cases of collar rot have been met with in apples, pears also suffer considerably, and Japanese plums are quite susceptible to it under the conditions mentioned. PEAR. Pear Blight {Bacillus amylovoru^ De Toni). — 'This disease has made such serious inroads to the pear orchards of the Niagara peninsula that many of thei. more susceptible varieties have been given up as a profitable crop, and the entire acreage of pears has been greatly reduced in spite of the uniformly good prices that this fruit brings. The disease varies in virulence from year to year ac- cording to weather conditions which greatly affect its spread, and it is also worse in some districts than in others. In the recent summer the St. Catharines region had little or none, while quite a few orchards at Beamsville, Grimsby, and Stoney Creek were badly attacked. Control measures involve rigorously cutting out all parts af- fected by blight as soon as it appears, and it is especially advisable to go over the trees Ottawa. DIVISION OF BOTANY 847 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 carefully iu the winter and cut out everj^ speck of blighted wood so that the chances of spring infection may be lessened as much as possible. During the summer all blight prunings should be made by a knife dipped after each cut in corrosive sublimate (1-1000) so as to preclude carrying infection from tree to tree. In orchards where blight is bad, as a preventive measure it is generally found that it is better to do as little cultivation as will ensure the proper development of the fruit and to avoid all means which tend to produce soft sappy growth. Pf:AR Leaf Spot (Septoria piricola Desm.) occurs all over the peninsula, but ordinarily when the dormant spray of lime-sulphur as described under the apple has been thoroughly applied there is little or no trouble from this cause. Scab (Ventura pirina Aderh.) is found to be hard to control on several suscept- ible varieties such as Flemish Beauty, Duchess, Sheldon, Seckel, and Anjou. It has been found, however, that the treatment given for Apple Scab is effective in eon- trolling Pear Scab as well. Collar Rot. — As noted under the apple, the pear is often killed by collar rot, especially where the soil is wet, and lacking in humus. QUINCE. Rust {Gymnosporangium L. globosum Farl.). — Quinces are not grown very extensively in the Niagara peninsula, but among the numerous small orchards found throughout the district the chief disease which affects this fruit is the .Rust. The prevalence of this disease is directly attri- butable to the occurrence everywhere of. the red cedar on which a part O'f the life cycle of the Rust is passed. The most obvious method of con- trol would be to destroy all the cedar trees within the possible limits of infection. It has been stated on good authority that the spores may travel a mile or more, so that the destruction of this soui-ce of infection could only be carried out by concerted action of neighbouring owners or else by municipal regulation. It is doubtful if under existing circumstances this method of dealing with the disease would be feasible. It has been claimed that Bordeaux mixture applied at the infection period which is abtput the last of April or the first of May will give satisfactory control of the disease. Black Rot of Fruit and Leaf Spot (F/xhrwa maculata Atk.) (=Entomosporium maculatum Rev.).— These are due to the same fungus. Neither is at all prevalent where the dormant spray of lime-sulphur is used. V cherry. Black Knot (Plowiiglitia morhosa Sacc). — A good deal of Black Knot still exists throughout the peninsula, principally in small gardens, waste places, and neglected farms. In the large commercial orchards it is practically non-existent, and no trouble is experienced in keeping them free from it by the simple expedient of cutting .out all knots as soon as they appear. The winter pruning is usually sufficient, but as spores are formed twice in the season, once in early spring and again in late fall, greater security from infection is obtained by an additional summer inspection and removal of the knots. Brown Rot (Sclerotinia fructigena Schr.). — Little attempt has been made to .keep this disease in check, and yearly there is a considerable loss from it, mainly among sweet cherries. In 1913 a few days of moist warm weather just at the end of the sweet cherry season resulted in a large amount of rot. Shot Hole (Cylindrosporium padi Karst). — This leaf affection is more or less universal on the cherry, and while it is usually not sufficiently severe to warrant the ] ('•> — 55i Ottawa 848 EXPERIMENTAL I'AUUS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 expense of spraying, yet in certain cases trees are almost completely defoliated by it. When infection occurs at the time when the leaf is expanding the afiected portion dries up and falls out, producing tlie true ' shot hole,' but infection later on in the season may only result in the formation of leaf spots. Control should include the dormant spray of lime-sulphur in the spring and the destruction of affected leaves. Where further measures are needed, half-strength Bordeaux made alkaline by excess of lime may be used, but there is danger of burning the leaves, especially in hot dry weather, if the ordinary mixture is applied. PEACH. Leaf Cuhl (xcavasus deformans Fuckel). — A few bad cases of Leaf Curl were noted in 1918, and in every case where the disease was met with, the controlling spray of lime-sulphur had either been carelessly apiilied or had not been applied soon enough in the spring. CanJcer. — The Gummosis cankers of the peach are quite prevalent thrQughout the peninsula, and while no, notable increase in their number took place during the yeasj those already formed made their usual yearly increase in size. On account of the prevalence of cankers at the bases of twigs killed by Brown Rot and other fungi, it ia advised that care be taken to carefully remove these every summer so that conditions may not be left which are favourable to canker formation the following spring. Treat- ment of cankers which infest the main trunks or limbs of tr'ees is well worth while. These should be carefully cleaned out, washed with corrosive sublimate (1 — 100) and when dry i^ainted with ordinary lead paint. Mildew {Spluviotheca pannosa Lev.). — The ordinary commercial varieties are very little troubled with this disease, but a few varieties are very susceptible to it. The Toronto and Breeken are badly attacked and often serve as sources of infection to other nearby trees which would of themselves be immune. The disease is readily controlled by dusting with flowers of sulphur or by the use of self-boiled lime-sulphur applied when the first signs of the disease appear. It is found that none of the suscep- tible varieties possess sufficient advantages over the immune varieties to warrant their retention under conditions that necessitated yearly spraying, so that they are being quickly discarded by all practical growers. Yellows and Little PEAfiii:s. — Under the efficient system of inspection now employed by the Provincial Government, these diseases have during the last three years undergone a remarkable and encouraging decrease, and it is hoped that in ensu- ing years the percentage of trees destroyed from this cause will become very small. PLUM. Rrowx Rot {Sderotinla fruciigena Schr.). — Still continues to take its toll of t]ie plum crop, and was sufficiently serious during 1913 to warrant attention. An attempt to deal with this disease requires: (1) the destruction of rotten fruit by ploughing deeply under, in fall or early spring; (2) the removal and destruction of the mummies from the trees; (") a cleansing spray of lime-sulphur (1.303 sp. gr.) before growth starts, to kill all 'spores adhering to the bark and limbs; (4) summer spray to prevent infection from spores which have escaped (1), (2) and (3), or others which may be brought in from elsewhere. For this spray self -boiled lime-suli^hur is recommended. According to 8cott, the iirst spraying should be given about three weeks after the petals fall, the third a month before the fruit ripens, and. the second midway between the first and third. Shot Hole (Cylindrosporium padi, Karst.). — With the exception of Japanese varieties, plums are not usually seriously affected by shot hole. In the Japanese var- Ottawa. DIVISION OF BOTANY 849 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ieties there is a good deal of the shot hole etiect on weak or unhealthy trees, but on ordinary plums the fungus only attacks the leaves late in the season when they are declining in vigour. Under these conditions leaf spot is only produced as a rule. Sl'x Scald. — An injury similar to that discussed under the apple is very common on plums throughout the Niagara district. The part usually affected in this case is the trunk, and whole orehards may be found in which the trunks of all the trees have dead strips on the south or southwest sides. The injury is caused by winter conditions and, as in the case of apples, whitewash applied to the trunks in fall or early winter helps to prevent it. Trees already injured should have the dead areas cut out and. painted. W. A. McCUBBIN. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. In concluding this report I desire tO' express my indebtedness to the members of my staff who have, through their industry and close attention to their duties, consider- ably aided me in the carrying out of various phases of research and other work of the Division. H. T. GUSSOW, Dominion Botanist. March 31, 1914. Ottawa. 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 Dominion of Canada DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE Dominion Experimental Farms REPORT FIIOM TH& DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY FOR THE Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 1914 PREPARED BY The Dominion Entonnologist. C. Gordon Hewitt, D.Sc. 851 Ottawa. 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 15 A. 191E REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF ENTCMOLOGY. BY C. GORDON HEWITT, D.Sc, DOMINION ENTOMOLOGIST. Ottawa, March 31, 1914. J. H. Grisdale^ Esq., B.Agr., Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, ' Department of Agriculture, Ottawa. SiR^ — I have the honour to submit herewith my fifth annual report of the work of the Division of Entomology covering the work beginning April 1, 1913, and ending March 31, 1914. In addition to a brief account of the progress and results of the investigations which have engaged the attention of the staff of the Division, both at headquarters and in the field, reference is also made, for the purposes of record and for the use of other workers, to the depredations of those insects which were unusu- ally abundant and injurious during the year 1913. The greater part of the investigation work is now carried out at the various field o.r regional laboratories located in different regions of Canada. Naturally, they are situated in the districts where the insects under investigation occur most abundantly. During the year, laboratories were established in three new regions, namely: Strathroy, Ont. : Treesbank, Man.; and Lethbridge, Alta. The following- is a list of the field laboratories now established, together with the investigations which are being carried out at each station: — BRIDGETOWN", N.S.— Mr. G. E. Sanders in charge. Investigations on the bionomics of the Brown-tail Moth and its control; introduction of parasites of the Brown-tail and Gipsy Moths; the Bud Moths and Green Fruit Worms of the apple. FREDEEICTON, N.B.— Mr. J. D. Tothill in charge. Control work and investigations on the Brown-tail Moth and the introduction and establishment of its parasites and predaceous beetles; investigation of the natural control by parasitic and predaceous insects of the Tent Caterpillar, the Fall Web-worm and Spruce Budworm. COVEY HILL, QUE.— Mr. C. E. Fetch in charge. Apple insects, especi- ally the Apple Curculio (AntJwnomus quadrigibhus) ; Grasshopper control by bacterial disease (Coccohacillus- acrid ioruni d'llerelle). JORDAN HARBOUR, ONT.— W. A. Ross in charge. Apple Maggot {Rliagole{v> pomcnfJla) ; Apple and other aphids; control of greenhouse pests; control of mill-infesting insects. STRATHROY, ONT.— Mr. H. F. Hudson in charge. Investigation of White Grubs (Lachnosterna spp.) ; Wireworms and insects affecting field crops. TREESBANK, MAN.— Mr. N. Griddle in charge. Investigation of White Grubs (Lachnosterna spp.); and chief insects affecting cereals; Hessian Fly, Wheat Stem Maggots (Oscinis spp.), Wheat Stem Sawfly (Cephvs occidentalis) and Grasshoppers. 8.53 Ottawa. 854 . . EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.— Mr. E. II. Stricidand in charge. Cutworms affecting cereals and field crops; injury to winter wheat involving a study of Eelworms. AGASSIZ, B.C. — Mr. R. C. Treherne in charge. Completion of investiga- tion of Strawberry Root Weevil {Otiorhynchus ovatus) ; investigations on Lesser Apple Worm; Budmoths and other insects affecting apple; Wheat Midge (Diplosis triticif) and Root Maggots. .Mr. L. S. McLainc, through the cordial co-operation of Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture, and of Mr. A. F. Burgess, in charge of the Gii)sy and Brown-tail Moth work, was located at the Gipsy Moth Parasite Laboratory, Melrose Highlands, Mass., during the summer, for the purpose of collecting caterpillars and breeding out the parasites which were shipped to Eredericton, N.B., as will be described later. Apart from the importance of the numerous lines of inquiry which are being fol- lowed at the various field stations, the value of this progressive policy. has been experi- enced and appreciated in other directions. The officere in charge are able personally to visit and advise local agriculturists, to attend and address meetings and, not infre- quently when an ooitbreak of an insect is reported to us, we are able to have the matter immediately investigated to the greater satisfaction of all concerned. A personal visit from an officer of the department gives far more satisfaction than the receipt of a letter »f advice. In many cases the officer can give advice when the same could not be sent from this office owing to lack of definite infomiation. A visit from a medical man. is more valuable than a diagnosis and prescription obtained by the use of the mails. As in previous reports, the work of ^ the Division will be considered tinder the following sections : — I. The administration of the Destructive Insect and Pest Act, including : — (a) Inspection and fumigation of imported nursery stock, etc. {h) Field work against the Brown-tail Moth and parasite work. II. Insects affecting cereals and field crops. III. Insects affecting fruit crops. IV. Insects affecting forest and shade trees. V. Insects affecting domestic animals and man. VI. Insects affecting garden and greenhouse. VII. Apiculture. VIII. Miscellaneous. L THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE DESTRUCTIVE INSECT AND PEST ACT. Amendments to Regulations. The following amendments to the regulations under the Act have been made by Order in Council during the past year: — October 8, 1913. — North Portal, Sask. was declared a port of entry for imported nursery stock, the importation season being March 15 to May 15 and October 7 to December 7. December 4, 1913. — The following new regulation prohibiting the importation of nursery stock through the mails was passed, to take effect on and after March 1, 1914. This was necessitated by the impracticability of intercepting mail shipments for the purposes of inspection and fumigation: — Ottawa. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY 855 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 18. '' The importation of all nursery stock, including trees, shrubs, plants, vines, grapes, scions, cuttings, or buds, through the mail is prohibrted, except- ing greenhouse-grown florists' stock, cut flowers, herbaceous perennials, and bedding plants, which will be admitted provided that a detailed statement of the contents is attached to such parcels." This regulation is to take effect on and after the 1st day of March, 1914. The words " Importations by mail shall be subject to the same regulations " in regulation 3, line 14, are struck out. February 14, 1914. — In order to permit the entry of European nursery stock through the port of St. John, N.B., during the whole of the winter, as the regula- tions did not permit such entry during the period December 8 to March 14, section 6 was amended to read as follows — 6. " Nurserj^ stock, not including such stock as is exempt under section 8 of these regulations, originating in Europe, shall be imported only through the ports and with the exception of St. John, N.B., during the periods specified under section 3 for stock requiring fumigation, with the addition of the ports of Halifax, N.S., Sherbrooke, Que., and Montreal, Que., through which ports and also the port of St. John, N.B., such European stock may enter from Sep- tember 15 to May 15. Such European nursery stock, and such other impoxted vegetation as the minister may determine, entering Canada, shall "bo exempt from fumigation, but shall be inspected either at the port of entry or at its destination to which it may be allowed to proceed, but in the latter case it must not be unpacked except in the presence of an inspector." March 7, 1914. — Owing to the repeated discovery of potatoes imported from Cali- fornia into British Columbia which were infested with the Potato Tuber Moth (Phthoriniaea operculeUa Zett.), to which reference is made later in this report, this insect was scheduled under section 12 of the regulations, and section 13 was amended to include the state of California among those states and countries from which the importation of potatoes is prohibited. New Plant Quarantine or Fumigation Stations. The natural growth of the country results in an increase in the quantity of fruit and shade trees, ornamental and other shrubs and plants imported into Canada. To mot this increase and to facilitate the importation of such natural products, increased accommodation is being provided for the fumigation and inspection of imported nursery stock. St. John, N.B. — At St. Jolm, N.B., a new fumigation and inspection station has been constructed adjoining the Eastern Steamship Company's wharf. It consists of a large fumigation chamber measuring 25 feet long, 10 feet wide and 8 feet high, an inspection and packing room, a small fumigation chamber of 100 cuibic feet capacity, and an office. Niagara Falls, Ont. — In order to provide increased accommodation at Niagara Falls, Ont., through which port most of the nursery stock for Ontario enters, an addi- tional station has recently been erected at Montrose, on the Michigan Central Railroad. This building, which measures about 45 feet square, contains two large fumigation chambers, each 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 8 feet high, a small fumigation chamber of 100 cubic feet capacity, and an offico. In addition, provision is made to permit the inspection of plants. North Portal, Sash. — Previous to 1913, all shipments of nursery stock destined to points in the prairie provinces entered via Winnipeg, which was the port of entry, and were fumigated there. The increase in the amount of nursery stock imported into the Ol'IAUV. 856 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the delay necessitated by the routing of shipments of stock from certain of the states exporting trees to Canada, made it desir- able to establish an additional port of entry and plant quarantine station in the West. Accordingly, a new station has been erected at North Portal, Sask., on the Canadian Pacific railroad. This station consists of two fumigation houses, each measuring 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 8 feet high, a small fumigation chamber of 100 cubic foot capacity, and an office. The additional facilities so provided will prove a great advant- age to importers of trees residing in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, by reducing the time taken in transit by shipments of nursery stock. It is hoped that it will encourage further tree planting in these western provinces. Inspection and Fumigation of Imported Nursery Stock. The inspection of all nursery stock from Europe, Japan, and the New England States has been continued, and during the importation season of 1912-13, which closed in May, 1913, over four million trees and plants were inspected. Tb.e adjoining table shows the nature of the stock inspected and its destination, according to provinces. The figures given are taken from the reports of the inspectors. Nru-^KRY Stock Inspected during the importatibn se,ason 1912-13. T 1— t .5 8 m > o u to % Ontario. o "a Alberta. x-2 Ornamentals Fruit trBGH.. ... 14,(»72 9.(i 3,9lD S3K 3S.S 194,162 2,720 2,475 6,600 2,731 900 12 616 106,374 373 .^,660 9,613 5,816 33,700 2,835 601,170 51,975 82,099 78,408 2,151 1,776,164 421,222 5,253 12 252,767 1,081 Small fruits 100 33^550 5,477 Shade trees Unclassified shrubs.-. . Seedlinas 25' ■' 1^975 59,322 1,093 9,031 87,100 Oonifers . .... 200 552 Forest stock Grafting stock 1,225 189,100 12,000 Totals 25 220,145 4,259 163,596 3,202,289 7,428 59,322 33,662 369,101 The recent institution of inspection services by the respective Governments in various European countries, including Great Britain and Ireland, exporting nursery stock to Canada, and in the New England States and Japan, has resulted in our re- ceiving a much better class of nursery stock, and a marked freedom from insect pests. The discovery of evidences of Brown-tail Moth infestation and the presence of Woolly Aphis and scale insects on imported stock necessitate a constant vigilance on the part of our inspectors. However carefully the inspection of foreign nurseries, or of exported shipments is carried on, those who have had any practical experience in the inspection of nurseries and trees will realize the importance of a careful second inspection of the plants on arrival. The inspection of imported plants is carried on either at the port of entry, usually in the case of small shipments for distant points, or at the destination. During the past year Mr. J. Perrin was appointed an inspector to inspect shipments arriving at Halifax. An approximate record only is kept of the amount of nursery stock fumigated. This exceeds very considerably the amount inspected, as it includes all the nursery stock imported from the United States, wiiicli constitutes our chief source of supply. Ottawa. DlVrsiOX OF ENTOMOLOOY 857 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 It is most gratifying- to observe the increasing quantity of nursery stock imported into the prairie provinces. The number of trees inspected has been given in the pre- vious table. The following figures indicate the amount of nursery stock subject to fumigation that was imported into the prairie provinces alone; practically all of this stock originated in the United States : — Manitoba. Saskatchfcwan. A'' ■■ Ornamental shrubs Small fruits Shade trees Fruit trees Cuttings ". Conilera 60,684 13.618 98,693 8.417 25,195 8,549 29,506 7,840 116,73li 4,360 127,840 3,339 14,462 1,657 14,285 1,882 22,500 5,865 215,i:)6 289,617 ro,65i These figures not only indicate the proportion of nursery stock fumigated as compared with the quantity inspected (see previous table), but afford strong evidence o£ the efforts which are being made to make the prairie farjus lesb treeless. Field Work against the Brown-tail Moth, 1912-13. NEW BRUNSWICK. During the winter of 1911-12 seven counties were fouiad to be lightly infested with the Brown-tail Moth. Owing to the unfavourable weather con- ditions prevailing in July, 1912, when the moths were flying in the adjoining states, which prevented any invasion of the female moths, and to the careful scouting work during the previous season, an unusally small number of winter webs was collected. The scouting work commenced on November 22, 1912, and terminated on Febru- ary 3, 1913. The field force consisted of eight men, the Dominion and Provincial Governments each employing four men. Mr. J. D. Tothill had charge of the work, assisted by Mr. A. B. Baird. The whole of the area infested in the previous year was scouted, but only eighty-one new winter webs were found and the remains of twenty-seven webs of 1911. Eighty of the new winter webs were found in C^harlotte county, and a single nest occurred in Queens county. The distribution of the Brown-tail Moth on the food plants in New Brunswick durin,^ the season 1912 was as follows : — Apple r . .. tiV Amelanchier 6 Thorn C> Choke Cherry 4 Elm . . Plum. Oak. . Maple. The fact that in Charlotte county 1,812 winter we»bs were collected in 1911. and only 80 were found in 1912 indicates the value of the thorough scouting work which was carried out, and that were countie.-; in New Brunswick not subject to an annual invasion of moths from the adjoining states during the flying season any unusual increase in the infestation could be checked. In 1913, however, an immense flight of moths took place in July, and the inspection work of the present season (1913-14), of which Mr. L. S. McLaine, with the assistance of Mr. A. B. Baird, has charge, has disclosed a very heavy infestation and a great increase of the infested area. The results of the inspection work of the past winter 1913-14 now being brought to a close will be given in my next annual report. Ottawa. 858 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 NOVA SCOTIA. Mr. G. E. Sanders had charge of the scouting work in this province during the winter of 1912-13. It was found that the infestation had spread in an easterly direction, single winter webs being found at ShefRelds Mills, Kings county, and Falmouth, Hants county. The number of new infestations, however, was less than the previous season. There was an increase in the number of winter webs collected, 11,054 webs being found in an area which included portions of the five counties from Yarmouth to Hants. The distribution of the winter webs according to food plants in Nova Scotia was as follows : — Apple 9,755 White Birch 9 Pear 359 Beech 4 Thorn • 338 Wild Cherrv 2 Plum 327 Elder 1 Wild Pear 122 Poplar 1 Oak SO Prune 1 Maple IG RasplDcrry . ..." 1 Wild Rose 14 Alder • 1 Elm 11 Quince 1 Sweet Cherry 11 Mr. Sanders continued his investigations on the bionomics of the Brown-tail Moth under I^ova Scotia conditions. One of the most serious problems is the drop- ping of the winter webs on to the ground, thus they escape collection. This " winter- drop " is being carefully studied in all its aspects. Winter webs were placed on the ground in different localities and left from December, 1912 to April, 1913. The greatest winter-kill in any of the lots of 25 webs was 7-57 per cent, practically a negligible quantity. Having demonstrated the ability of larva? in dropped nests to survive the winter on the ground practically unharmed, experiments were carried out with a view to ascertaining! whether such larvse could find food on the ground, and whether or not they could successfully reach suitable trees. It was found that they would thrive on the ordinary lierl^age such as clover, timothy, dandelion, wild straw- berry, etc., for forty-four days, which was a sufficient length of time to enable them to travel 300 feet or more on the ground and reach suitable trees. Altogether, 3,529 young caterpillars out of 5,365 used in the experiments, or 65-7 per cent., found the trees under conditions which unusually occur in the field. This ability to survive in winter webs which drop to the ground before winter explains many cases of re-infection that are otherwise inexplicable. Field observations showed that the percentage of nests hanging by a single thread and readv to drop would sometimes be as high as 20 per cent. The results of our scouting work from year to year indicate that the successful control of the Brown-tail Moth is possible by our present methods of thorough scouting were it not for the re-infestations which take place by moths being carried over by the wind from the New England States, and our present inability to deal with the problem of the dropped nests to which we are giving our attention. It is satisfactory to find from our scouting work that the infestation of the Brown- tail ]\roth in the orchards is leas't in those orchards v.'here spraying is regularly prac- tised. The occurrence of unsprayed orf^hard", thorn thickets and wild apple, etc., in various infested localities serves to supply a nermanent breedings place where artificial control is difficult. Importatiox of Parasites of the Bhown-tail and Gipsy Moths. The ultimate control of the Brown-tail Moth must necessarily be a natural one, and while we have, so far, successfully held the insect in check by thorough scouting work and the collection of the winter web?, the natiiviil spread of the moth from the Ottawa. DiriSIOK OF ENTOMOLOGY 869 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 infected area in the New Eni?land States will render such methods less potent in deal- ing with the insect outside the orchard and cultivated areas. Our efforts are directed ^vit•h a view to keeping the insect in cheek, so far as is practicable. In my last annual report the preliminary efforts to introduce the native parasites of the Brown-tail and Gipsy Moths into Canada were described. - Through the continued courtesy and most, welcome co-operation of Ur. L. O. Howard, Chief of the United States Bureau of Ento- mology, and of his assistant, Mr. A. F. Burgess, in charge of the Gipsy Moth Work, we were able to make more extensive importations of parasites during the summer of 1913. This was made possible by the veiy kind provision of accommodation at the Gipsy Moth Parasite Laboratory, Melrose Highlands, Mass., for our officer, Mr. L. S. !McLaine, who had charge of the work of obtaining the parasitized material. COLLECTION OF PARASITES. The parasites which we were desirous of obtaining were: Apanteles lacteicolor Vier., which iiife&ts the hibernating cateriDillars of the Brown-tail Moth; and the Taoh- inid parasite Compsilura concinnata Meig., which we had successfully introduced into New Brunswick in 1912. These parasites will attack both the Gipsy and Brown-tail caterpillars, and the caterpillars of several of our native lepidoptera upon which fact the success of work in introducing and establishing them depended. We also desired to obtain further supplies of the predaceous beetle Calosoma sycophania, which suc- cessfully withstood the winter of 1912-13 at Fredericton. During the winter of 1912-13, 6,500 parasitized winter webs of the Brown-tail Moth were collected from six localities in Massachussetts, and placed in cold storage. On May 6, they were removed and the young larvas were fed in Fiske trays. The first Apan- teles cocoon appeared on June 1. The work of feeding and picking over the trays was an almost intolerable operation on account of the poisonous hairs and great heat. Mr. McLaine and his helpei-s deserve great credit for the admirable way in which this work was carried on under most trying circumstances. As the cocoons of Apanteles were col- lected they were put into an ice-box until a sufficient number had been obtained to ship to our laboratory at Fredericton, N.B. It was found that the best niethod of shipping the cocoons was in iced refrigerator boxes by express. The Tachinid parasite C. con- cinnata was reared from Gipsy Moth caterpillars in preference to Brown-tail Moth cat- erpillars to avoid the hairs of the latter. The caterpillars were collected as near the fifth stage as possible to reduce the labour of feeding. The first collection was made on June 25. In order to facilitate the collection of the caterpillars, trees were burlapped in four localities. The caterpillars were fed in Fiske trays and the first Compsilura puparium was noted on July 2. The following; is a summary of the results : — Caterpillars from 6,500 Brown-tail Moth winter webs reared, from which 46,548 cocoons of Apanteles lacteicolor were obtained and forwarded to Frederic- ton, N.B.; a total of 49,119 Gipsy Moth caterpillars from ten localities were fed, from them 5,Y38 puparia of Compsilura concinnata were obtained and shipped to New Brunswick. Early in June 200 adults of the predaceous beetle Calosoma sycopJianta were collected and shipped to New Brunswick. In addition, 975 larvae of Calosoma in all stages were collected in various localities and fed in the laboratory until they entered the ground for pupation; they will hibernate at Melrose Highlands and be shipped later to Fredericton, N.B. There were also sihipped to New Brunswick 475 cocoons of the parasite Meteorus versicolor Wesm., which is an imported parasite of the Brown-tail Moth, and also parasitizes the catei-pillars of the White-marked Tussock Moth and the Fall Webworm. Ottawa. 860 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE V..,A. 1915 COLONIZATION OF PARASITES. The parasites and predaceous beetles were received and distributed in colonies in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by Mr. J. D. Tothill. The following table gives the location and strength of each of the colonies distributed. All the colonies are strong ones with the exception of the single colony of Meteorus. DISTRIBUTION OF IMPORTED PARASITES AND BEETLES IN 1913. Species. t'mnpsilura conciimala . Apanteleb lacteicolor . Calosama sycophantn . Meteorus versicolor . Location of Colony. Fredericton, N. P> N-repis N. B St. Stephen, N. B Bear River, N. S Whittier Ridge, N. B.. IJasswood Ridgfe, N. B. St. Stephen, N. B Nerepis, N. B Bear River, N. S St. Stephen, N. B Whittier Ridge, N. B.. . Whittier Ridge, N. B.._ Size of Colony . 2-!.S puparia. 500 .^00 500 4"J& adults. 000 cocoons, 000 391 000 11 100 adults. 100 475 cocoona. It is gratifying to note that the larvae of the beetle Calosoma, which were reared by Mr. Tothill in 1912 and allowed to go into hibernation at Fredericton, N.B., successfully withstood the winter of 1912-13, which was severe owing to the snowfall beirig less than usual and the occurrence of very low temperatures. APANTELES IN NOVA SCOTIA. Winter webs of the Brown-tail Moth collected in Nova Scotia during the season 1912-13 were kept and the larvae emerging from them were fed in Fiske trays at the laboratory at Bridgetown, N.S., with a view to ascertaining whether any native parasitic insects were attacking tlie Brown-tail Moth caterpillars. Caterpillars from winter Avebs collected at Bear Tiiver, N.S., were found to be parasitized with a species of Apanteles. Specimens of the Ainu teles were submitted to Mr. A. F. Burgess of the Gipsy Moth Parasite Laboratory, Melrose Highlands, Mass., for determination, who reported on July 9, as follows: "The specimens of Apanteles have been examined by Mr. Summers aiid checked up with specimens which we have here and the description which was drawn up by Mr. Viereck for Apanteles lactei- color. The description is somewhat vague, but the specimens tally very well with other specimens of lacteicolor which we have here at the laboratory, and we there- fore believe it to be that species." The pleasure the discovery of the occurrence of this species of parasite in Nova Scotia created was only a little greater than th(^. mystery surrounding the reason for such occurrence. It cannot have reached Nova Scotia by natural spread. Either it was introduced with winter webs of the Brown-tail Motb on plants carried from j\[assachusetts prior to 1910, after which dates such plants have been inspected, or A. lacteicolor, or a species of Apanteles most closely resembling lacteicolor, is native to Nova Scotia. In any case it augurs well for the future of the colonies of A. lacteicolor which we are introducing into the pro- vince. Parasites of Native Insects. In addition to the work connected with the importation and colonization of the parasites of the Brown-tail and Gipsy Moths, Mr. J. D. Tothill continued at the Ottawa. DIVISIOX OF ENTOMOLOGY 861 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Entomological Field Laboratory at Fredericton, N.B., the detailed study which he is making on the natural control of the Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) and the Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea). Observations were also made on the parasites of the Spruce Budworm {Harmologa fumiferana) in Xew Brunswick. Such an intensive study as is being undertaken is necessary- in order to ascertain the manner in which the natural control of certain of our more common insect pests is brought about and mr.intained, and the conditions governing the same. Until we have such information our attempts to imitate or assist the natural control of insect pests cannot be undertaken on the sound scientific basis which success demands. No one can foretell to what practical uses it may not be possible to pvit the results of knowledge so gained. Among the important questions involved is whether in all cases a complete sequence of parasites is required. !No one species of parasite can secure the natural control of the insect. Natural control involves the destruction of a greater number of individuals of the species than are produced by unrestricted incrtase. This destruction is brought about by numerous causes, the chief of which are parasitic and predaeeous insects. Other causes are diseases caused by micro-organisms of a bacterial and protozoal nature, fungi, or physio- logical troubles. Usually, the parasitic insects form a sequence, ditferent species of parasites attacking the insects in the different stages of its development. Some attack the egg, others the young larvae or older larvae, and other species attack the pupating larvae or pupae. These facts will indicate, perhaps, the complexity of the problem and the nature of the information necessary for its solution or understand- ing. Egg masses of Malacosoma dissiria were collected in different localities in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, and four species of egg. parasites were reared and studied. One of these species, known as No. 4, is evidently an important factor in the natural control of the insect. It is an obligate parasite; the highest percentage of parasitism for a locality was 9-85 per cent., but individual e^S masses were parasitized sometimes to the extent of 50 per cent. In the study of the parasitism of Hyphantria, many thousands of caterpillars col- lected from different localities were fed and dissected for larval parasites, and the percentages of parasites from different localities were obtained by dissection, and rear- ing. These parasites were mainly Apanteles, Meteorus, Limnerium validum, L. pilo- sulnm, Varichoeia aldrichi Towns., and Exochilmn mundum Say. Mr. Tothill also studied the habits of the native ant Formica ulkei Emery, which, together with other ants, may exercise an apprecia.ble influence in the natural control of certain species of lepidoptera upon which they prey. II. INSECTS AFFECTING CEREALS AND FIELD CROP>. Cutworms. In view of the remarkable abundance of these caterpillars in southern Alberta, a brief account of which I included in my last report, much information has since been gathered on the life-history, habits, etc., of the species mainly responsible for the dam.age, viz., Porosagrotis orthogonia Morr. (referred to in previous publications of the Division as Porosagrotis delorata Sm.). In April last (1913) Mr. Arthur Gifcson visited Alberta and made a thorough investigation of the infested districts. In com- pany with Mr. E. H. Strickland, the resident Field Officer of the Division, he found the cutworms fairly numerous throughout the Lethbridge district. They were particu- larly present in fields of spring wheat, fall wheat, and oats. In some places, as for instance at Iron Springs, Alta., they were present in certain fields in numbers varying from three to eleven to the square foot. A series of control experiments was started early in May. Infested fields were divided into various sized plots (none smaller 16—56 Ottawa. 862 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 tliiin one-teiitli of an acre). Upon such laud moistened bran poisoned with various strengths of Paris g-reen, London purple, and arsenate of lead, was broad-casted. Owing to the dull, cool, backward spring, however, the cutworms were not feeding ravenously and in many of the experimental plots not more than 2-0 per cent of the cirtworms were killed. From observations made by Mr. Strickland, too, it would appear that the Porosagrotis cutworm feeds just below the surface of the soil. If this underground feeding habit should prove constant, we cannot, of course, expect applications of pois- oned bran, shorts, etc., to prove a perfect remedy. Further experiments in control will be made whenever the cutworms again become active. The actual damage effected by the cutworms in southern Alberta during 1913 was not nearly so great as that of the preceding year. One correspondent living at Magrath estimated that he lost 50 per cent of his crop in 1912. In Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, the Red-backed Cutworm (Euxoa ocJirogaster) was reported to have been particularly abundant in fields of cabbage, etc. From New Brunswick reports were received of injury by the Greasy Cutworm (Agrotis ypsilon), especially in fields of potatoes, many of which were seriously injured. The Army Worm (Leucania unipuncta). It is important to record the reappearance of the true Army-worm during 191-3. In early August, Mr. Xorman Criddle reported that the larvae were in great abundance in a large field of oats near Treesbank, Man. An interesting observation was that the caterpillars were also readily devouring the Green Foxtail (Setaria viridis). Reporting later on the outbreak, Mr. Criddle estimated the greatest amount of damage would reach .50 per cent, and the average on infested fields about 20 per cent. Farmers in Manitoba should watch for the appearance of the Army-worm in 1914 and report occurrences at once to the Division. There are two annual broods of the Army-worm, the moths appearing in June and again in August and September. The moths which appear in June lay their eggs, and it is the caterpillars from this brood which appear in July and August which are the most destructive. Locusts. In eastern Ontario, Quebec, and southern Manitoba, considerable loss was occasioned from the ravages of locusts, particularly in light, sandy areas. At Bowes- ville, near Ottawa, a serious outbreak occurred, which we investigated in July. Two species of destructive locusts were present, namely, the Lesser Migratory Locust (MelanopJus atlanis Riley) and the Pellucid Locust (Camnula pellucida Scudd.), the former particularly being present in very large numbers. Fields of oats, barley, timothy, rye, and corn were being devastated, large areas being entirely eaten; beans, potatoes, and carrots were also attacked. At our Entomological Field Station at Covey Hill, Que., a series of experiments was begun by our Field Officer, Mr. C. E. Petch, on the destruction of locusts with the Grasshopper Coccobacillus (Coccohacillus acridiorum d'Herelle), the original cul- ture of which was received through the kindness of the Director of the Pasteur Insti- tute, Paris, France. Successful inoculations were made at Covey Hill and later a supply of infected bouillon was received at Ottawa, and this was sprayed directly over the grasshoppers at Bowesville, Ont. Unfortunately, however, owing to a delay of some hours in the arrival of the bouillon at Ottawa, together with unfavourable weather conditions, it was not expected that infection would take place in the field. We hope to receive further cultures from France and to continue the experiments during the spring and summer of 1914. At the Covey Hill Field Station over 400 locusts were inoculated in the laboratory, five of which died within three hours, indi- cating that tlie Coccohacillus was pathogenic in the case of our native species of locusts. Ottawa. DirrSIOX OF entomology 863. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 In Manitoba, wherever applications of the Griddle Mixture were made, littla^ damage was caused by the locusts. White Grubs (Lachnosterna spp.). An extended investigation into life-history, control, etc of these insect* is now- being undertaken by the Division in co-operation with the United States Bureau of Entomology. At several of the field stations, important studies have been made of the various species of White Grubs destructive to field and garden crops. Large collections of the - adults have been made from various plants in Ontario and Manitoba, and the life- histories of the different species are being investigated. Mr. Norman Griddle,- off Aweme, Man., was appointed a Field Officer of the Division to study particularly the- Manitoba species of White Grubs. Six species were under observation at this sta- tion, and much data were obtained as to their habits, food plants, etc. Mr. H. F. Hudson, Field Officer at Strathroy, Ont., has found three species of common occur- rence and at Vineland, Ont., Mr. W. A. Eoss has noted two species. As these insects require from two to four years to complete their life-cycle, the investigations now under way will not be completed until 1917 or 1918. During 1913 many reports were received of injury by White Grubs. These were chiefly from British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and in mostly all instances the destruction was to potatoes. Miscellaneous. WiREwoRMs. — Those insects were reported as injurious from various part^ of the Domanion. At Ottawa, in the comparative tests of Indian Corn on the Central Experimental Farm, the injuries of the larva? of the Elaterid, Cryptohypnus aihrevi- atus Say, were discovered. The Hessiax Fly {Mayetiola destructor Say.). — A few complaints of damage by this insect were received from Manitoba, and a thorough study was begun of the life-history in that province. It was found to be plentiful at Reston, Man. The Lesser Wheat-stem Maggot (Oscinis carlonaria Loew.). — This insect, which-, in Manitoba ranks in importance next to the Hessian Fly in injury to spring wheat,, was also fairly abundant in some districts. At Treesbank, ^fan., Mr. Griddle esti- mated that the injury to spring wheat in June by this insect and the Hessian Fly. averaged 5 per cent. ; in some fields the damage was as high as 15 pel" cent. The Pea Weevil (Brnclnis pisorum L.). — From reports received, this insect is- undoubtedly on the increase again. Samples of infested seed peas have been forwarded to the Division from localities in Ontario. Xo such infested seed, of course, should be used, either -for food or planting, unless the same is fumigated with bisulphide of carbon to kill the beetles, many of which remain in the seed during the winter. If peas which have been injured by the Pea Weevil are used in spring for seed pur- poses, a very much larger amount per acre will be required. It is, of course, inad- visable to use injured peas for seed; such should be fed to stock. The Clover-seed Ghalcid (Bruchophagus fanchris Howard). — During the winter of 1912-13 and that of 1913-14, seeds of Bed Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and" strains from this and Mammoth Bed, were found to be heavily infested with the- larvae and pupae of the Clover-seed Chalcid. Fourteen samples of seed, each sample containing 500 seearasitic, which enter and feed upon the tissiie of the living plant, makes the deter- mination of the relationships of the various forms found a matter of unusual diffi- culty. In addition, a fungus (Fitsarium sp.) has been found which may have some relation to the trouble. It is not unlikely that climatic conditions are also concerned in the production of the injuries. These factors may also affect the .young wheat plants con- jointly. Whether the injury is caused by one factor or several factors working together can only be discovered by further study, and we shall continue our investigations during the coming season on the relations of the various species of Nematode worms to the injured plants. III.— INSECTS AFFECTING FEUIT CROPS. Considerable progress was made in the investigation? which are being carried on at the Entomological Field Stations. I have indicated earlier in this report (pp. 2-3) at what stations the different insects are being studied, and a brief statement of the pro- press of our studies will now be given. BUDMOTHS OF ApPLE IN NoVA SCOTJA. In the spring of 1913 a large amount of the damage t-o young fruit attributed to frost was due to Budmoth. In the Annapolis valley, Mr. Sanders has found two species of true Budmoths, the common Eye-spotted Budmoth {Spilonola ocellana), and a laiige species, Olethreutes consangxdnana, was recorded for the first time feeding in apple. The life-histories of botli these species have been studied, and the spraying experiments in the orchard of Mr. R. S. Eaton at Kentville, N.S., have been continued. The results of last years (1913) spraying exi>eriments cannot be obtained until May (1914), but the 1912 experiments indicated that the spray applied before the blossoms opened gave the greatest benefit of any single spray, killing from 50 to 60 per cent of the Bud- motlis. This spray, together with the spray applied after the falling of the blossoms,, gave the best results ; an increased set of 20 per cent more fruit was secured over that in the check plots. Ottawa. 866 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Fruit-wohms IX Nova Scotia. For a number of years fruit-growers have complained of the damage caused by Fruit-worms and their inability to control them owing largely to ignorance of their Uabits. During 1913, Mr. Sanders continued his studies which were commenced in 1 912, and found that instead of one species there were probably about twelve injurious species belonging to the genera Xylina, Calocampa, and Scopelosoma. By far the com- monest species is Xylina heihunei. Their injury to the fruit is responsible for con- %'erting a large proportion of apples of grades Nos. 1 and 2 to grade No. 3. The winter is passed in the adult state, the moths hibernating under rubbish, grass, etc. In the early spring the adults emerge and deposit their ^gs on the apple twigs. The eggs hatch in about a fortnight and the caterpillars feed on the leaves and fruit until about midsummer when they drop to the ground and pupate in the soil. About two months later the moths emerge. In the spraying experiments the most valuable •spray for Green Fruit-worm appeared to be that applied after the falling of the •blossoms, the usual codling moth spray. Clean cultivation and destruction of rubbish •is also an important factor in controlling this pest. The spraying experiments and observations are being continued during the coming season. There is no doubt that when it is realized how the production and the proportion of high grade fruit may be increased, that systematic spraying along the lines of Mr. fiander's results will be more generally carried out, and for this reason the demonstra- tion work he is doing will prove of inestimable value to the fruit-growers of the prov- ince. Already there are signs of a greater inclination and desire not only to spray but to spray systematically and with knowledge of the objects of spraying. The Curculios of Plum and Apple in Quebec. At Covey Hill,, Que., Mr. C. E. Fetch continued his studies of the Plum Curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) and the Apple Curculio (Anthonomus qiiadrigihbus) which were commended in 1912. The complete failure of the fruit crop in the district severely handicapped the work. In the orchards in which the work was being carried on, 1,800 trees produced only a peck of apples, and very few plums were gathered from 200 trees. Nevertheless, progress was made in a study of the life-histories of these species, suscep- tibilities of varieties to attack and control measures. Apple Maggot in Ontario. A third season's work on the Apple Mag-got (Rhagoletis pomonella) was carried on loy Mr. W. A. Ross. The insect was remarkably scarce, however, and in orchards which had been previously badly infested, considerable difficulty was experienced in securing adults. Most of the work was carried on at Bowmanville, Ont. In addition to further studies on tlie life-history and habits of the insect the experiments on control measures were continued. These included the testing of a number of soil insecticides, cultivation, the use of poultrj^ and spraying with sweetened arsenicals. It was found that the in&ect may remain in the soil in the pupal stage for two years. In July, 1913, flies emerged from 1911 pupae. Healthy 1912 pupae were found which will no doubt emerge in the coming season (1914). Mr. Ross commenced a study of the Aphides affecting fruit in western Ontario where the aphids on apple are particularly injurious to the foilage of young nursery stock and to young apples. The four commonest species on apple are the Apple Aphis (A. pomi); the Grain Aphis [Hydaphis (Siphocoryne) avenc^l; the Rosy Apple Aphis (A. sorbi); and the Woolly Apple Aphis {Scliizonenra lanigera'). The Green Peach Aphis (Myzus persicae) was particularly abundant in the fall of 1913. OWAWA. DiriSIOy OF ENTOMOLOGY 867 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Fruit Insect Ixvestigations in Buitish CoLUiiBU. Mr. R. C. Treherne concluded his study on the Strawberry Root Weevil (Otior- hynchus ovatus) commenced in 1912, and a bulletin on the subject is now in the press. Mr. Treherne's investigations have shown that the control of the Weevil is dependent upon cultural methods and the system of cropping. In addition to making observations on miscellaneous insects affecting fruit, Mr. Treherne commenced a study of the Bmlmoth (probably Tmetocera ocelJana), in the Lower Fraser valley, where this species affects both nursery stock and the flower-buds of older apple trees. IV. INSECTS AFFECTING FOREST AND SHADE TREES. Forest Insect Investigations in British Coluaibia. As frequent reports of serious forest insect depredations in British Columbia had been received during the last few years, and in view of the high commercial value of the merchantable timber in the province, it had been decided that Mr. J. M. Swaine, Assistant Entomologist in charge of Forest Insect Investigations, should make a pre- liminary survey of the forest insect conditions in 1913. A request from the Minister of Lands of British Columbia that such an investigation should take place was received and coincided with our own wishes. Accordingly, we were able to arrange for the work to be carried out in co-operation with the Provincial Forestry Branch, which contri- buted to the investigation by defraying Mr. Swaine's expenses while in the province. The investigation was confined to regions in the southern portion of the province and Vancouver Island. It was found that an immense amount of valuable timber is being destroyed by various injurious insects. Several outbreaks of Bark-beetles were located and studied, and reports were received of extensive Bark-beetle ovitbreaks in spruce and pine in regions which could not then be visited. The most extensive injury examined during this summer's work was to bull pine by the Western Pine Bark-beetle (Dendroctomis brevicomis) and the Western White Pine Bark-beetle (D. monticolce) ; and to Western White pine by the Western White Pine Bark-beetle. Many hundreds of trees have been killed by these beetles, and the infestations are still spreading. The Douglas Fir Bark-beetle (D. pseudotsugce) was found killing Douglas fir both in the interior and on Vancouver island. The Sitka Spruce Bark-beetle {Dendroctonus ohesus) was found killing the Sitka spruce, on Vancouver Island. The Engelmann's spruce and lodgepole pine were also suffer- ing severely in the Kootenays from Bark-beetle attack. The practical results of this preliminary survey and suggested control measures are embodied in a bulletin now in the press. The destructive bark-beetles are the most serious enemies of British Columbia forests. They can be controlled, fortunately, by modification of lumbering methods, which often involve little expense if applied during the earlier stages of the infesta- tion. In addition to the foregoing work, Mr. Swaine investigated the cause of the dying timljer in Stanley Park, Vancouver, B.C., with a view to advising the Parks Board who are naturally alarmed at the destruction of the trees in this fine park of virgin forest. It was found that the Sitka Spruce Gall Aphis (Chermes sp.) and the West- ern Hemlock Looper (Therina sp.) have caused the death of a number of large trees in the park and in the environs of Vancouver. It is hoped that the investigations which we have commenced on these insects will result in checking this most unfor- tunate destruction. It is proposed to have a field officer stationed in Stanley park (luring the coming season to make a complete study of the insects responsible for the damage. Ottawa. 863 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 MiSCELLAXEOUS FoREST AND SlIADE TrEE IkSECTS. The Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) again defoliated large areas of poplar, birch, maple, and other deciduous trees, in parts of Eastern Canada, particularly in Quebec and [New Brunswick, and in the Fraser River valley of British Columbia. A bacterial disease destroyed large numbers of the caterpillars in easitern Ontario last summer, and is expected to play an important part in their control, which is being studied by Mr. Tothill in Xew Brunswick. A circular on the Tent Caterpillars was published. The Larch Sawfly (Nematus erichsonii) is travelling steadilj' westward across Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan. It has already killed large numbers of larches in Manitoba forests. A further importation of parasitized cocoons of this sawfly was made from Great Britain, the cocoons, having been collected at Ambleside, in the English Lake district. The cocoons were all placed in a tamarack swamp near Aweme, in southern Manitoba. In a check lot of the cocoons retained at Ottawa, it was found that ^'i per cent were parasitized with Mesoleius tenihredinis, TJypamhhjs alhopictus, Microcryptus lahraJis, and certain Tachinid parasites. The Spruce Bud-worm (Hartnologa fumiferana) has been reported from Ontario and Quebec woods less frequently than in the previous three years. It is apparent that its parasites have obtained control in many places and have saved the trees from further injuiy. An extensive outbreak appears to be s])reading in the Xew Brunswick forests. For several years the Eastern Fir Bark-beetle {Ips halsameus) has killed a large number of isolated balsam firs in Ontario, Quebec, and iSTew Brunswick forests. The Elm Bark-louse (Gossypcria spuria) is still a serious enemy to elms in Quebec and Ontario. Badly infested trees become unthrifty and gradually die. The 'Locust Borer (Cyllene rohiniae) is killing locust and acacia trees in parts of Ontario. The larvae excavate tunnels through the wood of living trees and prove a most destruc- tive enemy. The' Oak-twig Pruner (Elaphidion villosum) has been reported in injurious numbers in southern Quebec. The infested twigs die and fall to the ground; and when 1 • insects are very numerous the appearance of the trees is considerably affected. The Bronze Birch-borer (Agrilus anxiiis) continues to be the most serious enemy of ornamental birches in eastern Ontario. The Poplar Borer (Saperda cal- carata) has been very injurious to poplar shade trees. v.— INSECTS AFFECTING DO^IESTIC ANIMALS AND MAN. THE CONTROL OF HOUSE FLIES. The campaign against the house fly has been continued with unremitting zeal, and throughout Canada health authorities are convinced of the danger to health involved in the presence of flies. The requests for our circular on '' IIoav to deal with the Fly Nuisance "' from medical officers of health and teachers are numerous and encouraging. While the control of flies under city conditions is important and necessary in the interests of health, the control of flies under rural conditions is also very important, especially on account of its intimate connection with the problem of pure milk. The treatment of stable manure which constitutes the chief breeding place of the house fly is a serious question from the point of view of the farmer. Accordingly, a series of experiments vcere carried out in August and September. 1913, with a view to discovering an insecticide which is not only cheap and efficient, but does not decrease the fertilizing properties of the manure. A cubic yard of manure was used as a standard Ottawa. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY 869 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 and the number of flies emerging from each heap of manure treated or untreated was counted. A full description of the experiments has been published (Joiirn. Economic Entomloogy, vol. 7, -pp. 281-289). The results were as follows: — Number of flies Treatment. emerged from manure. Untreated 13,332 Zenoleum S,042 Iron sulphate 7,850 Chloride of lime (surface application) 5,943 Chloride of lime (mixed) 4,627 Kerosene emulsion 3,481 While kerosene emulsion appeared to give the best results, this may have been due to the greater amount of straw in the experiment and I should prefer the chloride of lime. The treated manure will be tested during the coming season in regard to its fertilizing properties. It may be added that a similar series of experiments was .carried out by the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture. Their experiments conclusively demonstrated the superiority of borax (crude sodium borate) or colemanite (calcium borate) over all other larvicides. This chemical was not tried in our experiments at Ottawa. It was found that 0-G2 pound of borax was sufiicient to kill all the larvse in 10 cubic feet (8 bushels of manure) ; the dry borax is sprinkled on the manure and washed in with 2 or 3 gallons of water. Treatment of Ixsect-ixfested Flour Mills. In many parts of Ontario the Mediterranean Flour Moth (Ephesiia huehniella) is responsible for heavy losses in flour and feed mills. Mr. Ross carried on experi- ments on superheating as a method of ridding mills or stores of these insects in preference to fumigation. A mill in Dundas, Out., in which the meal and flour was found to be alive with the caterpillars, and the moths were flying around in the bins, was selected. It was found that a temperature of 120° F., maintained for at least, ten hours, would prove fatal to all eggs, caterpillars, and adults of Ephestia. Miscellaneous. Our inquiries in regard to the distribution of ticks in British Columbia, and especially of Dermacentor venustus on account of its relation to the obscure disease termed " tick paralysis " in children, have been continued, and additional data have been secured. Following the discovery by Dr. S. Hadwen of the occurrence of the Warble Fly, Hypodenna hovis, in Canada iu addition to //. lineata, which had always been regarded as the common North American species, our studies of the Canadian warble flies have been continued, and it has been found that Hypodenna hovis is commonly distributed throughout Canada, in some parts of Avhich warble flies appear to be increasing in number; their control, therefore, demands careful attention, and especially is it necessary to secure co-operative effort among farmers in destroying the warbles in the spring. VL— INSECTS AFFECTING GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE-. As opportunities occurred, investigations on greenhouse insects have been carried on by Mr. Gibson at Otta.wa, and by Mr. W. A. Ross in Toronto and other places in Ontario. Reference was made in my last report to the injuries of sowbugs. In greenhouses in London, Ont., they attacked the seedlings of sweet peas, Asparagus Ottawa. 870 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A.-1915 plumosuSj Primulas, petunias, and other jjlants; tender cuttings such as Begonia and Coleus were injured. Three species of these Isopods were found, namely, Oniscus asellus, Armadillidum vulgare and ^-1. qiiadrifrons. Mr. Ross has discovered an effective poisoned bait, and finds that one of the most important preventive measures is cleanliness and the cleaning away of rubbish around the greenhouses. The Bulb Mite (Rhizoghjphas hyacinilii) was found seriously damaging the bulbs of Easter lilies in London, Ont. At Eglinton the Cattleya Fly (Isosoma orchidearum) was lound injuring orchids. In greenhouses, and especially in gardens, the Tarnished Plant-bug {Lyons fratensis) continues to be injurious in Ontario. It is notably destructive to asters and chrysanthemums; one Ontario florist estimated the season's loss on chrysanthemums at $2,000, and on asters at $500. The Chrysan- themum Fly (Phytomyza chrysandliemi) was injurious in Toronto green- houses. Mr. Gibson discovered an interesting case of the Variegated Cutworm (Peridroma saucia) destroying carnations by eating out the interiors of the buds. Garden asters in different localities, including Ottawa, have been attacked and in many cases destroyed by root aphids (Aphis maidi-radicis), which are culti- vated by ants. The occurrence of root-maggots has been mentioned in a previous section. VII.— APICULTURE. Apicultural Work at Ottawa. On November 8, 1912, thirty-five colonics in the apiary were weighed and put into the bee cellar under the farm foreman's house. Their weights varied from 37 pounds to 66 pounds, average 52^ pounds. Average temperature of the cellar, in November 49° F.; in December, 45° F.; in January, 42i° F.; in February, 43^° F.; in March, 47^° F.; in April, 48^° F. The bees were brought out of the cellar and weighed on April 9. The loss in weight during the winter varied from 7 to 29 pounds per colony, average 15^ pounds. Four colonies died in the cellar, one " shortly before March 15, the others shortly before April 5. All were foodless, and starva- tion was the immediate cause of death. Their weights Avere as follows: — Size of Hive. Weight Nov. 8. Wfiyflit aftpr death April 5. Loss. 8-f rame '; Lb. 37 . 47 5G 58 Lb. 24 28 27 . 29 Lb. 13 19 29 29 8-f rame lOframe 10-f rame Twelve colonies were wintered out of doors in special wintering cases. These cases were each made to hold four hives, with a space of 2 inches to 3 inches of pack- ing material around the sides and underneath, and 10 inches on top, with a 2 inch air space above, ventilated by holes under the cover. The entrances were 9 inches long and Ij inches deep, the lengths being reduced during winter by means of a strip of wood revolving on a screw. One of these cases was packed with clover chaff, another with cut straw and the third with shavings. As colonies wintered out-of-doors con- sume more food than those wintered indoors, extra heavy colonies were selected to place in these cases. All survived the winter which, however, was unusually mild. Loss due to bees dying in the snow was not serious. The colonies in the case packed Ottawa. DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY 871 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 •with shavings came out stronger than those in other cases. The case containing shavings was, however, slightly better protected from wind. In April, each of the twelve colonies had an average of about 10 pounds of stores. In the middle of April breeding was in a more advanced stage than in the colonies wintered in the cellar, and two of the colonies in the case packed with shavings were the strongest in the apiary. The bees were left in the wintering cases until the beginning of June, and during April and early May increased faster than the unprotected colonies that had been taken from the cellar. One of the colonies in the case packed with shavings swarmed on May 26. Several weak colonies that were found to be queenless or to contain unsatisfactory queens were united to others, the total number being thus reduced from 43 to 39. The bees made a good start during April and the first six days of May, collecting nectar from willows and maples. From May 7 till May 30 the weather was cool and often cloudy and dry. Dandelion and fruit bloom yielded very little food, and breed- ing received a check from the 13th to the 20th. Towards the end of May, widespread preparations for swarming, which could ■only be attributed to the abundance of the melliferous shrubs and trees in bloom on the farm, combined with uncertain weather for gathering, were made, and on May 27 about 80 per cent of the colonies were found to have queen-cells containing eggs and larvae. The swarming fever was checked when, the weather improving, the bees dis- covered that little nectar could be got. June was a warm and fine month. The first flowers of alsike and white clover were seen on June 6. Unfortunately, a severe drought dried up these plants which are the chief source of honey in this region, and reduced their yield to a fraction of the usual quantity. A serious deficiency of rain continued until August 22. However, the weather for gathering was, on the whole, excellent, and for a period of seventy-six days, from the opening of the clover flow on June 24 until frost cut off the supply from aster and golden rod on September 8, the liives on scales gained steadily in weight. Summary of gain in weight of a moderately strong colony, compiled from daily readings obtained from hives on scales: — Period. Gain during period Average gain per day. Source. Juno 25-30 Julv 1-31 14 pounds. 32 pound. 17 7 About 3 pounds. " 1 pound. " 1 Mainly alsike and white clover. " " white clover and sweet clover. Aug. 1-30 Sept. 1-8 " buckwheat and .sweet clover. Aster and golden rod. 70 The above figures are necessarily only approximate, for the records were influenced by several varying factors which it was impossible to control. The total honey crop for 1913 was 1,965 pounds of extracted honey, of which 695 pounds were graded white honey and 1,270 pounds amber or dark honey, arrd 533 sec- tions, of which 233 were white and 300 amber or dark honey. The average yield per hive from 43 colonies spring count, wns therefore 70i pounds, reckoning, as is usually done, a section as equivalent to two pounds of extracted honey. The largest amount of honey taken from a single colony was 163 pounds of extracted honey". This colony consisted of ovenly-marked threc-banded bees, too excitable to be regarded as pure Italians in the strict sense. The numlier of colonies v;as increased during the year from thirty-nine to fifty- three. The bees in the apiary, with the exception of four colonies of Pure Italians, Ottawa. 872 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 containing queens obtained last year from Bologna, Italy, were three-banded and Golden Italians, crossed more or less with Blacks. Eight of the queens produced, small proportions of black bees. The queens imported from Italy gave somewhat dis- appointing results, which may have been due in some measure to injury caused by the long journey. European Foul Brood reappeared in several colonics on May 23. Between that date and the end of July diseased larvae were observed in sixteen out of the original thirty-nine colonies. The six worst cases, in which more than about 100 larva; were seen to be affected, were treated by the well-known method of shaking the bees into a clean hive, the combs being boiled down. Every colony that manifested definite disease was re-queened with a selected Italian. July brought a reduction in the- number of affected larva^. and in August only very few could be found. European Foul Brood Summary. iKxlensively. Slightly diseased. diseased. Colonies consisting entirely of bees showing .yellow banris ofteii of( varying widths, not inclu ling Italians fioin Italy or jmre (roiilent- Colonies in whicli bees showing yellow bands weie mixed with black bees Italians (from Italy). . I'ure Goldens (queen obtained from Texas) Remained Healthy. 17 4 2 The testing of different strains of Italians and hybrids for resistance to European Foul Brood was begun by Mr. Sladen, Assistant Entomologist in charge of Apicul- ture, and many queens of selected parentage were reared. A temporary bee-mating: station was established on the Kazabazua plains, about 50 miles north of Ottawa. Although no colonies of bees could be discovered within .3 miles of this station, the Italian queens brought there were mated by local black drones, and the colour of the resulting hybrids was found to be, as expected, darker than that of pure Italians. Queens of several varieties and strains of Italians and two pure CarnioUn queens were obtained from Europe and introduced. In September, all weak colonies were united, only i^elected queens of choice parentage being saved, and the bees were fed with sugar syrup to bring up the- weight of the eight-frame colonies to about 60 pounds and the ten-frame colonies to about 70 pounds. The work of uniting and feeding was begun on September 18. and completed, with the exception of a few details, by October 1. On October 29, 30, and 31, sixteen colonies were weighed and packed in shavings in wintering cases for out-door wintering.. Three of these cases were situated in a portion of the apiary that has been surrounded with a board fence 6 to 7 feet high to protect them from wind. On November 10 the remaining thirty-seven colonies were weighed and placed in the bee cellar. At the time of writing, March 28, all the colonies out-of-doors and indoors, seem to be wintering satisfactorily. Mr. J. I. Beaulne rendered valuable assistance in the Apiary. Apicultural Work on the Braxcii Farms. During the past year steps were taken to organize the apicultural work on the Experimental Farms. In some cases apiaries already existed, in others bees were purchased and apiaries were started. The following is a summary of reports of apicultural worli that have been received from the branch Farms. Ottawa. DIVISION OF ESmSlOLOGY 873 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 15 Charlottetoxrn, P.E.I. — Two colonies of Italians and three colonies of Black tees were purchased early in the season, and produced 75 pounds, of surplus honey. The bees were placed in a room in the cellar of the Superintendent's residence on December 18. The temperature of the bee cellar was kept as near to 45° F. as possible. All the colonies came out in good condition in the spring of 1914. Kentville, N.S. — Five colonies of Black bees were purchased locally early in July. Thej' were so badly damaged in transit that only four weak colonies resulted. About 30 pounds of honey was extracted. A wintering case was made for each colony and the colonies were placed in these, packed in planer shavings on Decem- ber 13. Nappan, N.S. — From ten colonies, spring- count, were obtained 1,170 pounds of extracted honey, valued at $140.40, SO pounds of comb honey, valued at $20, and nine swarms, valued at $72. The greatest yield of extracted honey from a single colony was 206 pounds. White clover and Alsike clover are the principle nectar- yielding plants. Unfortunately, the bees went into the cellar a little short of stores and mice got into the hives, with the result that several colonies were found to be dead in the spring. Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, Que. — Six colonies were purchased and arrived on June 28. They produced 208 pounds of honey and eight swarms. Cap Rouge, Que.- — The apiarv- was established on June 20 with ten colonies of Black bees. The yield of honey amounted to 267 pounds of extracted honey and 52 sections. The honey flow from White clover, the chief lioney plant, was of short duration, and interrupted by frequent rainy days. Eleven colonies ^vere wintered in the cellar under the superintendent's house, and seem to be in, good condition. Brandon, Man. — :Eight colonies gathered an average of 30^ pounds of honey each and gave twelve swarms. The best colony- gathered 68 pounds of honey and threw two swarms on July 4 and 14. Twenty colonies were placed in the basement of the Superintendent's residence on November 10. Indian Head, Sash. — A fresh start with bees was made in June with two small swarms. These were shipped from Ottawa, a distance of over 1,600 miles, in " combless " wire cages, provided with water and candy. Both colonies swarmed, and an attempt made to winter the four weak and poorly provisioned colonies ended in the lo>5 of two, and the reduction of the others to extreme weakness. Lacomhe, Alta. — -Two colonies came through the winter satisfactorily and swarmed during the summer of 1913, but the swarms were lost. These colonies were wintered in a root cellar which proved too damp, causing death of both colonies. Invermere, B.C. — Six colonies obtained from Salmon Arm in June produced an average of about 40 pounds each of excellent honey, for which there was a ready local demand. Agassiz, B.C. — In the autumn of 1913, 13 pounds of mixed honey were extracted. In ihe spring of 1914 there were eight colonies in good condition. Two died, probably from starvation, during the winter, which, though cowiparatively mild, was very wet. The hives in use are of the Langstroth ten-frame pattern. • Sidniy, B.C. — Ten colonies of bees were purchased from a neighbouring bee- keeper in the autumn of 1913, and were removed to the Farm in the early spring. This is a good region for honey production and good results are hoped for. Ottawa. 874 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS VIII.— MISCELLANEOUS. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 COLLECTIOXS. The collection of insects which now constitutes the National Collection has- increased materially during the past year owing to the increase in the staff of the Division, and the greater opportunities which are now afforded to secure insects of all orders by the presence of field officers in the various provinces. Mr. Germain Beaulieu has worked most zealously in dealing with new material and in arranging the collections generally, excellent progress having been made in the arrangement of the Coleoptera. We have continued to name collections of insects for individuals and teaching institutions. In the determination of new material we iiave again enjoyed the assistance of Dr. L. O. Howard, Chief of the United States Bureau ©f Entomology, and his scien- tific assistants in the Bureau and in the National Museum at Washington, for which assistance we are most grateful, and we would also express our gratitude and indebt- edness to other specialists who have assisted us during the year. An exhibition of injurious and useful insects was made at the Central Canada Exhibition held at Ottawa in September last. Protection of Buios. As the protection of insectivorous birds has a very direct bearing on the natural control of insect pests, and as such birds are both thoughtlessly and wantonly destroyed in Canada, thereby reducing the numbers of our allies in the control of insect pests,, every effort is being made to impress upon farmers, teachers, and others, the import- ance of protecting our native birds. A proposal which I made to the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club for the institution of a practical example of bird protection in Ottawa has been adopted and will be put into effect during the coming spring. The Ottawa Improvement Commission have agreed to constitute Rocklifie Park a bird' sanctuary and to mate and distribute 250 nesting boxes of the Berlepsch pattern in the park. On our part, you have kindly agreed to have IGO Berlepsch nesting boxes distributed on the grounds and in the Botanical Gardens of the Central Experimental Farm. We hope that this will prove a valuable example of the methods to be taken to attract birds to the farm. Correspondence. The growth of the work has naturally res\dted in an increase in the correspond- ence. The number of letters received from April 1, 1913. to March 31, 1914, was 6,384, and the number of letters_sent out during the same period was 7,814, compared with 5,105 letters received and G,938 letters sent out during the previous fiscal year. Travelling. The direction and supervision of the work has necessitated, as usual, visits to the different provinces during the year. All the fumigation stations have been visited. In June and July a visit was made to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Massachu- .setts. The Fiftieth Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Ontario was held at Guelph, Ont., in August, and was attended by all the members of the scientific staff who were able to be present. On September 8. I left Ottawa to visit the field labora- tories in Ontario and Western Canada. In British Columbia I also visited a number of the Indian reserves in order to inspect the progress of our work in the orchards of the Indians which is being carried on by Mr. Tom Wilson. I left Victoria, B.C., on October 11 for the United States; the Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallis, Ore. was visited on the way to California, where I wished to examine their quarantine Ottawa. DITISIOX OF ENTOMOLOGY 875 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 methods, etc., and to inquire into the occurrence of the Potato Tuber Moth {Pldhori- moea operculella Zett.). The Universities of California and Leland Stanford were also visited. On the return journey two days were spent at Salt Lake City, Utah, for the purpose of looking into the question of the Alfalfa Weevil (Phytonomus murinus Uab.). From December 30 to January 2 the meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Entomological Society of America and the Asso- ciation of Economic Entomologists were attended at Atlanta, Ga. The various otHcers of the Division have attended meetings throughout the year for the purpose of giving addresses and demonstrations. Publications. During the year the officers of the Division, both at headquarters and in the field, have contributed scientiiic papers to entomological and other journals, embody- ing results of too technical character for publication in bulletin form. More popular articles on the control of various insect pests have been contributed from time to time to agricultural journals and papers. In addition to two bulletins which have been prepared and are now in the press, the following circulars have been published during the year: — "Tent Caterpillars," by J. M. Swaine, 1-i pp., 8 figs. (Entomological Cirntlar No. 1.) "Flea-beetles and their Control," by Arthur Gibson, 12 pp., 14 figs. (Entomologi- cal Circular No. 2.) " The Chinch Bug in Ontario," by H. F. Hudson, 13 pp., 3 figs. (Entomological Circular No. S.) Staff. With the increase in our work, and its expansion in various directions, an increase in the staff of the Division has been necessary, and the following officers have been appointed during the past year : — Mr. L. S. McLaine, M. Sc, was appointed a field officer in April, 1913. He grad- uated at the Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass., in 1910, and received his master's degree in 1912 for research in entomology. Prior to his appointment Mr. McLaine was acting as Deputy State Nursery Inspector of Massachusetts, and he has therefore had excellent experience in field work in addition to a thorough labora- torj^ training. During the summer of 1913 he was responsible foi the work of secur- ing parasites of the Brown-tail and Gipsy Moths in Massachusetts, and throughout the past winter he has had charge of the field work against the Brown-tail Moth in New Brunswick. Mr. A. E. Kellett was appointed an Artist Assistant in August, 1913. Mr. Kellett studied art for three years in the Armstrong Academy of Arts, Xewcastle-on- Tyne, England, and subsequently he served five years' apprenticeship to process engraving and illustrating. He has, therefore, had an excellent training both in the artistic and technical aspects of illustrating work. After coming to Canada in 1910 Mr. Kellett was employed in Winnipeg as artist and designer. Mr. Joseph Perrin was appointed inspector of imported nursery stock at Hali- fax, N.S. Mr. Perrin has always been a keen entomologist, and has added materially to the knowledge of the lepidoptera of Nova Scotia. The progress and success of our work has been due to the zealous and enthusi^ astic manner in which all the •officers of the Division, both at headquarters and in the field, have carried on their work, of which I cannot sufficiently express my apprecia- tion. My especial thanks and acknowledgments are due to my Chief Assistant, 'Slv. Ottawa. 876 EXPEIUMEyrAL FARilS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Arthur Gibson, who has had charge of the work during my absence. Grrateful acknowledgment is also due to the conscientious and satisfactory manner in which the clerical duties have been carried on by Miss J. Mclnnes, Messrs. J. A. Letour- neau and M. J. Moloughney, with temporary assistance. It is now felt that we are in a better position to render the assistance which is desired by the agriculturists, foresters, and others who suffer from the depredations of insect pests, and that the lines upon which the work is being developed are such as to bring us more directly and readily iiito contact with those whom it is our privilege to assist in developing the resources of the country. I have the honour to be, sir, Your obedient servant, C. GORDON HEWITT, Dominion Entomologist. OlTAWA. 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Dominion of Canada DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Dominion Experimental Farms A. 1915 REPORT FROM THE DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS For the Year ending March 31, 1914 PREPARED BY The Dominion Agrostologist, Central Farm, Ottawa. Superintendent — Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Experimenta Station, Charlottetown, P.E.I. - - . Farm, Nappan, N.S. Station, Kentville, N.S. Station, Fredericton, N.B. Station, Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, Que. Station, Cap Rouge, Que. Farm, Brandon, Man. Farm, Indian Head, Sask. Station, Rosthern, Sask. Station, Scott, Sask. Station, Lethbridge, Alta. Station, Lacombe, Alta. Farm, Agassiz, Alta. Experimentalist, Substation at Fort Vermilion, Alta. M.O. Malte, Ph.D. J.A.Clark, B.S.A. W. W. Baird, B.S.A. W. Saxby Blair. W. W. Hubbard. Joseph Begin. G. A. Langelier. W. C. McKillican, B.S.A. T. J. Harrison, B.S.A. Wm. A. Munro, B.A., B.S.A. R. E. Everest, B.S.A. W. H. Fairfield, M.S. G. H. Hutton, B.S.A. P. H. Moore, B.S.A. Robert Jones. 16—57 877 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 REPORT FROM THE DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS. Ottawa, March 31, 1914. J. H. Grisdale, B. Agr., Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, Ottawa. SiR^ — I have the honour to submit herewith the second annual report of the Divi- sion of Forage Plants for the year ending March 31. 1914. The work of this Division is now well under way, and in this and succeeding reports I trust that the information contained will prove of considerable value to farmers and agriculturists throughout the Dominion. In addition to the breeding work started in 1912, with clovers, alfalfa, and grasses at the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, a mass selection system for the production of hardy strains of clover has been started both at the Central Experimental Farm and at several of the branch Farms. A start has also been made in systematic root breeding, by the selection of a large number of seed roots from the highest yielding varieties of mangels, turnips, and field carrots. During the year, Mr. F. S. Browne, B.S.A., who in 1912 acted as foreman of this Division, has been promoted to the position of assistant, and the position of foreman vacated by him has been taken by Mr. George Goodfellow. a position he has filled in the past year in a faithful and competent mamier. I have the honour to be, sir. Your obedient servant. M. O. MALTE, Dominion Ayrostologist. 16— 57i 879 y 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA, ONT. REPORT OF THE DOMINION AGROSTOLOGIST— M. 0. MALTE, Ph.D. VARIETY TESTS.— INDIAN CORN AND FIELD ROOTS. PREPARATION OF SOIL. In the fall of 1912 the land for roots and com was manured at the rate of about 15^ tons to the acre, and ploughed. After ploughing- it received a top dressing of lime at the rate of about 1 ton to the acre. During the first week in May, 1913, the field was double disced, drag-harrowed, and rolled. The land for mangels, carrots, and sugar beets was then drilled and the drills raked down with a hand rake, after which the seed was sown with a Planet Jr. seeder on May 5. The land for turnips was drilled and raked on May IS. The corn was sown on the flat, the hills being spaced 3 feet each way. THK DOUBLE PLOT SYSTEM. Up to the year of 1913, each variety of Indian corn and field roots has been grown in a single plot and the comparative yielding power consequently calculated from the return from one plot only. By growing the same varieties during a long period of years, valuable conclusions have been arrived at regarding the relative value of certain varieties for certain districts. This is especially tiiie as regards the suitability of the varieties to the climatic conditions in a district. By studying the comparative yield of the different varieties during different seasons, characterized by varj'ing amounts of rainfall, conclusions of value can be drawn as to the general suitability of diflferent varieties to a certain district. On the other hand, the experiments carried out so far have revealed the fact that the results obtained from them do not seem to be as conclusive as could be wished. In fact, certain inconsi'stencics in the results occur which often seem rather puzzling. Thus, a variety for instance which generally is high yielding may, one year, drop almost to the bottom of the list, while another which is notoriously low yielding may occupy first place on the comparative list. Incidents of this kind might be due to the fact that the quality of the seed of the different varieties is widely different or the fact that the weather of the given season is decidedly more favourable to certain varieties. In the majority of cases, however, irregularities of the kind referred to may be traced back to the unevenness of the soil in the experimental field. That the character of the soil must necessarily influence the yield needs no explanation. Now, if a number of varieties of, say, turnips are tested in single plots spread over a field uneven in char- acter, it is evident that plots, i.e., certain varieties, may be grown under more favour- able soil conditions than others and consequently must give a higher yield. It is also evident that a comparison of varieties according to yields when grown under such conditions can hnrdly be relied upon. In order then to eliminate, as far as possible, the disturbing influence of diverse soil conditions on the comparative yields of the varieties, each variety was this year 881 882 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 ;grown in two plots situated in different parts of the experimental field, and the yield- ing power of each variety calculated from the average yield of the two plots. This method of duplicating the experiments has been introduced at the Central Experimental Farm as well as at those branch Farms and Stations where comparative tests are carried out. Although, of course, it is not possible to ascertain the value of the double-plot system after only one year's' experience, the indications are that the duplicating of the experiments gives much more satisfactory results than the single-plot system previously followed. Indian Corn for Ensilage. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 10 11 Name of Variety. Date of Sowing . i)0 Days Eaily Longfellow Siiltzei'.s North Dakota. . . Wliite Cap Yellow Dent. Canada Yellow Comi)ton'« Early Windus YhUow Dent . . . Thayer White Dent Wisconsin No. 7 Bailey Golden (How , May Date of Cutting. Average. June 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 15 15 15 Sept. Aver- age Height. 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 Inches . 74 86 90 97 60 100 90 90 98 110 96 Condition when Cut. Early dough Glazeing . . . fi ... Hard dough Glazed (hard) Hard dough Glazed Early dough Weight per Acre Grown in Hills. Tons. Lb. 15 14 14 15 9 17 10 I'l 16 16 17 800 300 200 200 850 400 1,800 1,750 700 1,400 1,600 14 727 Turnips. — Test of Varieties.— Yield per Acre. d Variety. 1st Plot. 2nd Plot. Average. Tors Lb. Bush . Lb. Tons Lb. Bush . Lb. Tons Lb. Bush. Lb. 1 Hall's Westbury 29 1,0(,0 983 20 23 400 773 20 26 700 878 20 2 Magnum Bonum 26 800 880 24 1,500 825 . . 25 1,150 852 30 8 Hartley's Bronze Top. . 26 1,.5U0 891 40 29 400 973 20 27 ],9.50 932 30 4 Halewood's Bronze Top 24 1,300 821 40 26 1,700 895 25 1,500 858 20 5 Pel f ection. 25 1,800 803 20 24 .... 800 . . 24 1,900 831 40 f, Good Luck , . 26 1,000 883 20 29 300 971 40 27 1,050 927 30 7 Jnnibo 24 400 806 40 26 200 870 25 300 838 20 8^ Mammoth Clyde 22 100 735 20 300 671 40 21 200 703 20 O.Bangholm 23 800 780 22 200 736 40 22 1,500 758 20 10 Lapland 24 900 815 26 1,700 895 , . 25 1,300 855 1 ij K:i.iieraroo 23 1,000 783 20 25 1,700 861 40 21 1,350 822 30 1^ 13 Skirviiio's 22 1,100 27 .... 751 900 40 22 800 24 900 746 815 40 22 950 25 1,450 749 857 10 Best of all 30 14^ Elephant 18 100 601 40 15 1,000 516 40 16 1.5.50 559 10 1.5^ New Century . . 24 1,300 821 40 23 1,300 788 20 24 300 805 , , ICj Hazard's Improved 24 1,300 821 40 24 1,000 816 40 24 1,150 819 10 l7iOanadian Gem 24 1,400 82.i 20 26 400 S73 20 25 900 848 20 18 .Osteisundom 2.^ 1,900 19 1,900 965 665 28 100 23 800 935 780 28 1,000 21 1,350 950 722 19 Stubb 30 24 1,243 820 43 24 1,089 818 9 24 1,166 819 26 Ottawa. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 883 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Seed sown May 18. Thinned to bunches of four or five on June 10. Singled out by hand to 9 inches apart June 18. Wheel hoed June 2, 24, and July 3. Horse cultivated June 16, July 10, August 1. Pulled October 30. The crop was severely ravaged by the cabbage root maggot, making the crop some- what uneven. In spite of the dry weather the crop made a good steady growth thromgh- out the entire season. Owing to the previous application of lime to soil, no ehrfe-root was noticed. Mangels — Test of Varieties. — Yield per Acre. c Variety. 1st Plot. 2nd Plot. Average. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. 1 Giant Yellow Globe. . . . 26 1,740 895 40 27 1,360 922 40 27 550 909 10 2 Selected Yellow Globe 20 1,250 G87 30 24 250 804 10 22 750 745 50 3 (iolden Tankard 17 1,800 596 40 18 1,100 618 20 18 450 607 30 4 Gate Post 22 900 748 20 22 600 743 20 22 750 745 50 5 Kckendorfer Red 18 1,200 620 19 100 635 , , 18 1,650 627 30 6 Mammoth Long Red. . . 19 900 648 20 24 300 805 21 1,600 ?26 40 7 Perfection Mammoth Red 20 1,300 688 20 20 1,900 698 20 20 1,600 693 20 8 Giant Yellow Interme- diate.... . .. . 24 150 802 30 28 350 939 10 26 250 870 50 9 Mammoth Yellow In- termpdiate 20 26 1,900 1.700 698 895 20 23 24 1,900 1,900 798 831 20 40 22 25 900 1,800 748 863 20 10 Yellow LeAiathan 20 11 Giant Half Suear White 22 300 738 20 22 1,500 758 20 22 900 748 20 12lPrize Mammoth Long: 13 Red 20 22 1,700 100 695 735 21 24 1.600 1,400 726 823 40 20 21 23 C50 750 710 779 50 Danish Sludstrup 10 Average 21 1,611 726 51 23 635 777 15 22 1,123 752 3 Seed sown May 5. Thinned to bunches of four or five, June 8. Singled by hand to 9 inches apart June 16. Wheel hoed May 30, and at the same dates as the tnnaips. Horse cultivated at the same dates as the turnips. Pulled October 15. The crop made an excellent start, but owing to dry weather duriag July and August it was lighter than in previous years. Carrots. — Test of Varieties — Yield per acre. d Variety. 1st Plot. 2nd Plot. Average. 1 2 3 Ontario Champion Half Long Chantenay . . Mammoth White Inter- mediate Tons Lb. 29 20 1,200 27 .... 23 1,700 27 .... 27 .... Bush. 966 686 900 795 900 900 Lb. 40 40 Tons Lb. 26 700 16 1,000 25 .... 20 .... 25 600 27 23 717 ' Bush 878 550 833 666 843 900 Lb. 20 20 40 20 Tons Lb. 27 1,350 18 1,100 25 .... 21 1,850 26 300 27 .... Bush. 922 618 86b 730 871 900 Lb. 30 20 40 4 5 Giant White Vosges White Beleian 59 '0 6 Improved Short White. Avera5:e 25 1,483 858 3 778 37 24 1,100 818 2e ■ Seed sownMay 5. Thinned to bunches of four or five, June 10. Singled by band to plants 4 inches apart, June 17. Cultivated and wheel hoed same dates as raangels. Pulled October 23. Ottawa. 884 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Sugar Bekts. — Test of Varieties. — Yield per Acre. d Variety. 1st Plot. 2nd Plot. Average. 1 2 3 Vilmorin Improved 'B'. Klein Wanzleben VUuiorin Improved 'A'. Average Tons Lb. 14 900 14 200 12 1,800 Bush. Lb. 481 40 470 .. 430 .. Tons Lb. 17 600 17 300 15 1,900 Bush. Lb. 576 40 571 40 531 40 Ton.s Lb. 15 1,750 15 1.250 14 850 I'.n.sh. Lb. 529 10 520 50 480 no 13 1,633 460 33 16 1,600 560 . . ■ 15 617 510 17 Same treatment as mangels, excepting that they were thinned to 7 inches apart and pulled October, 17. Both sugar beets and carrots withstood the dry summer fairly well. BREEDING WORK. FIELD ROOTS. As farmcr-s realize that the introduction of mixed farming will materially add to the agricultural prosperity of the coimtry, the problem of growing field roots as food for stock will be paid more attention to than at present. With a larger demand for field roots a higher standard will be demanded. Realizing this, the Division of Forage Plants this year took preliminary steps toward the production of new varieties better adapted to Canadian conditions than those grown at present. The apparent unevenness of many of the varieties now regarded as among the best in Canada, seems to indicate that by proper selection of types, new and more fixed varieties can be produced. There is also every indication that by such jnethods new varieties can be raised which, in addition to being more uniform as to type, also will prove superior to the variety from which they have been developed, as regards yielding power and feeding value. With the view of producing new varieties having the characteristics just men- tioned, a number of seed roots were selected from different varieties of turnips, mangels, and carrots as follows : — Turnips- Mangels- Carrots— -189 roots out of 10 varieties. - 32 " " 4 " 32 " " 4 " ALF.VLFA. Value and draichacks of Variegated Alfalfa. — For large areas of Canada where the winter and early spring conditions are unfavourable to growing of alfalfa the necessity of having particularly hardy varieties is evident. At present, so called '"variegated" alfalfas have proven to meet, successfully, the demand for hardiness. .\mong the best known varieties of variegated alfalfas are Grimm's alfalfa and Ontario Variegated. These varieties are especially suited to severe winter conditions for the reason that they originated as crossings between the ordinary alfalfa and the yellow lucernes ( Medicago falcata). The latter species which, among other things, differs from ordinary alfalfa in having yellow flowers, is a northern species which occurs naturally in north- Ottawa. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 885 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 em Europe and northern Asia. Consequently it is naturally adapted to severe winters and is able to withstand, successfully, most adverse conditions. Now, the variegated alfalfas having inherited the cold resistant powers of yellow lucerne they are much hardier than ordinary alfalfa, and consequently better adapted to those parts of Can- aria where hardiness is essential. On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that variegated alfalfas are somewhat inferior to ordinary alfalfa as regards yielding capacity and feeding value. This inferiority is due to the infusion of yellow lucerne which, is inferior to ordinary alfalfa in the respects just mentioned. Yellow lucerne is generally rather prostrate in habit, often trailing flat on the ground. Its stems are more wiry in character and show a tendency to become rather woody. These characteristics which make the hay of the yellow lucerne coarse and unpalatable to stock, have been partially inherited by the variegated alfalfas. Conse- quently the latter varieties, including Grimm's alfalfa and Ontario variegated, are inferior in feeding value to ordinary alfalfa. Breeding New Varieties. — Realizing this, the Division of Forage Plants has taken steps toward the production of new varieties, possessing the hardiness of variegated alfalfa and the feeding value of ordinary alfalfa. There are two main roads leading to the production of new varieties, combining the above characters, viz. ; breeding from variegated alfalfa and breeding from ordinary alfalfa. Breeding from variegated alfalfa. — Being a cross between two species, variegated alfalfa is naturally not a uniform " variety," but consists of a mixture of a very great number of different forms in which the characters of ordinary alfalfa and yellow lucerne are combined in thousands of different ways. The practically unlimited number of forms which thus result from the crossing are all more or less diiferent. Most of them, however, possess the hardiness of the yellow lucerne. But, on the other hand, they have also inherited, more or less markedly, such characters from the yellow lucerne as make the latter inferior to the ordinary alfalfa. A few forms, however, can be singled out which have inherited the best characters from both of the parents, i.e., hardiness from yellow lucerne and high yielding power and feeding value from ordinaiy alfalfa. From such forms the Division of Forage Plants is endeavouring 1k) raise new varieties. In order to secure such varieties of a known pedigree over one hundred crosses were made between flowers or ordinary alfalfa and yellow lucerne. The seed pro-duced from those crossings will be used for the raising of new uniform varieties. Breeding from ordinary alfalfa. — At present, there do not exist any pure uniform strains or varieties of alfalfa. Even such fields of ordinaiy alfalfa as seem to be fairly uniform as to general appearance, prove, upon closer examination, to be composed of a great number of different types. All so-called "varieties" are in reality mixtures of hundreds or even thousands of different types having more or less striking differenti- ating characters. These types differ not only in external characters, such as height, branching, number of stalks to the root, leafiness, colour of flower, etc., but also as to biological properties, such as hardiness, earliness, etc. All these characters are hereditary, i.e., they can be transmitted from a mother plant to its progeny. The mere fact that, in ordinary- alfalfa, there exist types having difterent ability to withstand severe winter conditions and that the different degrees of hardiness arc hereditarily transmissible, makes it evident that, out of ordinary alfalfa, varieties possessing different degrees of hardiness can be produced. Taken in bulk, ordinary alfalfa in many cases proves insufficiently hardy, which quality manifests itself in total or partial winter-killing of the same. Its hardiness Ottawa. 886 , EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 can, however, be greatly improved througli a process of elimination of all non-hardy tyi>es and by using hardy types only for the production of seed. The elimination of tender types takes place naturally eveiy year in any field ex- posed to a severe winter. During this year, it was very marked in the alfalfa plots of the Division of Forage Plants, the percentage of the plants killed being in many cases very high. The plants in the plots referred to which withstood the winter successfully may, however, be expected to represent hardy types and^ the hardiness being an hereditary character, should prove most valuable. They can be expected to produce a progeny the average hardiness of which ought to be superior to that of the plots before the winter- killing took place. Basing the work of breeding alfalfa for hardiness on this very reasonable supposi- tion, all the plots except a few set aside for other purposes, were allowed to go to seed. In all, twenty-one lots of alfalfa seed were secured. This seed will be used for new plots, which, it may be safely predicted, will represent " varieties " of a much hardier nature than were the plots from which the seed was secured. Thus, having secured an alfalfa stock, characterized by hardiness, the Division of Forage Plants can continue its efforts to improve the alfalfa by concentrating its breeding work on the production of heavy-yielding varieties from a hardy stock. Having this, the second stage of the alfalfa breeding work, in mind, the Division has this year paid considerable attention to preliminary work aiming at the perfection of working methods to be employed in the final breeding of new hardy varieties of out- standing yielding capacity from individual plants. Thus, during the year, extensive experiments have been carried out with a view of finding the best methods whereby seed of known and controlled pedigree can be most satisfactorily produced from individual plants of outstanding merits. These experi- ments, M'hich consisted of a series of artificial fertilizations, both self-fertilization and cross-fertilization between flowers belonging to different plants, varied in many difi^erent ways, were most satisfactorily conducted by Mr. F. S. Browne, B.S.A., Assistant to the Dominion Agrostologist, and promise to be of great value for the breeding work which the Division is planning for coming years. In order, also, to secure a stock of individual plants from which to select promis- ing types as -mother plants for new varieties, twenty-five lots of forty plants each, making a total of one thousand plants, were transplanted in the breeding field during July and August. In order to facilitate the study of the peculiar characteristics of each individual plant, the plants were arranged 3 feet apart each way. The land used is heavy clay. On account of the very dry weather during August and September, the plants made a far from satisfactory growth. They therefore entered the winter in a rather poor condition. CLOVER. "What has been said about the non-uniformity of alfalfa also applies to clover. There docs not exist, in fact, any uniform variety of clover. All so-called " varieties " consist of a very great number of forms, differentiated not only as regards character- istics easily discernible to the eye, such as mode of growth, colouring and shape of leaves, etc., but also as regards properties which only by closer study can be revealed, such as hardiness and duration. This ascertained, it is evident that the breeding principles, applied to alfalfa, also can be used to advantage witli clover. In other words, clover can be improved both by mass-elimination of undesirable forms, particularly those that are lacking in hardi- ness, and by breeding from distinct individual plant? having most desirable characters. Breeding for increased hardiness. — In order to obtain, by natural selection of the. hardiest types of clover, materially superior varieties, i.e., varieties more able to with- Ottawa. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 887 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 stand the hardships of the Canadian winters, experiments were started with nine lots of red clover and three lots of Alsike clover, obtained partly from seedsmen and partly from private growers. Each lot of seed has been used for three plots, the object being to endeavour to prove by actual figures that by taking seed during a number of years from plots gradually freed, through a process of mass-elimination, from the least resistant types, ■clover varieties may be obtained characterized by greater hardiness and consequently having greater value. One of the plots of each lot is set aside for hay production, and, from the figures obtained the comparative hay-yielding capacity of each lot will be calculated. The second plot of each lot is intended for seed production, the seed to be used 'it further experiments, similar to those now started, during 101.5. The third plot of each variety consists of rows in which the plants were carefully eounted during the fall of 1913. By recounting, in the spring of 1914, of the plants of each lot, the percentage of the killed-out plants of the lot can be accurately determined, and consequently accurate figures bearing upon the winter hardiness of each lot be obtained. -- The experiment outlined above was started primarily with a view of demonstrat- ing the possibility of securing, by natural mass-selection, varieties of clovers possess- ing greater hardiness than have the average clovers now available to Canadian farmers through seedsmen. Its planning was based upon the fact that, in many countries of Europe, and in a few districts of Canada, local strains of clover have been produced which prove far superior to- any introduced variety. Actual proofs to the effect that seed of clover, grown in certain districts, generally gives far better crops than seed imported from somewhere else, have so far not been available to the Department of Agriculture. The experiments now started by the Division of Forage Plants will provide, it is hoped, the proofs required. They will endeavour to prove, not only that the hardiness of clover can be generally improved upon, but also that, for a certain district, home-grown seed is preferable to seed grown in any other district. With the latter object in view the experiments referred to have been started not only at the Central Experimental Farm, but also on most of the branch Farms and Stations throughout the Dominion. Breeding for increased yield. — In breeding new varieties of clover the same policy has been pursued as indicated above for alfalfa, namely: — 1st. To secure a perfectly hardy stock. 2nd. To breed for increased yield from such a stock. In order to obtain a larger and therefore more varied starting material of Red clover, individuals were planted this year to a number of about nine hundred. The seed had been secured from plants growing in the experimental field andl on the Farm in 1912, and can therefore be expected to prove fairly hardy. GRASSES. Timothy. — During 1912, about twelve hundred ii dividual plants, selected from wild Canadian material, were transplanted in the field for further observations. These plants made a very fine growth last year, amply illustrating the fact that timothy is a very complex species, composed of hundreds of different types of a very different agricultural value. The fact that, in many cases, plants originating from the same mother plant showed a remarkable uniformity as to general appearance, Ottaw.\. 888 EXrERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 served furthermore to strengtlien the opinion, expressed in previous reports, that it will be possible to obtainv within a comparatively short time, new, fairly uniform strains of this very prominent fodder grass. Judging from this year's experience it seems very likely to be possible to produce strains having a yielding capacity at least 25 per cent greater than the best timothy now obtainable commercially. From the plants sown 1912, seventeen individuals showing desirable characters were selected, isolated and self-fertilized. They all produced a fair quantity of seed. This will be sown next year, and the plants originating therefrom tested for uniformity^ and other characters which may make them worthy of further investigations. In order to obtain still more material for breeding work, about twenty-four hundred individuals raised from seed secured chiefly from Western Canada, were transplanted during' the summer. In spite of the d'rought, they made a very satisfar-- tory growth and entered the winter in a splendid condition. Orchard Grass. — Breeding work, similar to that with timothy, was also started with Orchard grass, although on a much smaller scale. A total of a little more than two hundred individuals were planted in the field during 1912. These plants, which this year made a surprisingly fine growth, demonstrated' in a still higher degree than did timothy, that the, morphological characters of the dilTerent types existing within Orchard grass are hereditarilj^ transmissible, and that the production of uniform new- strains of high quality will be a comparatively easj^ task. From among the two hundred plants, ten of the most outstanding were selected, isolated and self-fertilized. They all produced a fair quantity of excellent seed. In addition to the material, soA\ni in 1912, about one hundred individuals were secured this year from seed raised at the Central Experimental Farm and in Siberia. Although the growth of these plants Avas very slight, they all appeared to be healthy and strong. Western Rye G7'ass. — Observations to the effect that Western Rye grass also is a very polymorphous plant, from which uniform strains may easily be isolated, were made on specimens shipped from Saskatchewan during the siimmer of 1912, and transplanted at the Central Experimental Farm. .Seed was secured for further study from two of the most promising of these plants. Wild Grasses. — With a view of securing, gradually, a fairly complete collection of Canadian wild grasses and sedges, growing at the Central Experimental Farm and illustrating, in a popular way, the properties and relative values of the native fodder and pasture plants, seed was collected from a fairly representative number of species during 1912-. Part of this seed was sown this year in pots, and the plants thusv obtained transplanted in small squares. An additional number of grasses and sedges, collected in the vicinity osf Ottawa chiefly during the spring of 1913, were also trans- planted in the same way. Owing, however, to the severe drought, some of the specie.s succumbed or entered the winter in a rather weak condition. HERBARIUM. During the past year, several hundred specimens of Canadian grasses and sedges- were added to the collections started in 1912. Among these are quite a few system- atically critical species, for the clear imderstanding of which special research work ia needed. The similarity existing between the Canadian grass flora and the gi-ass flora of northern Europe, and furthermore the fact that every year European grass is introduced into Canada, makes a comparative study of the grass flora mentioned an urgent necessity. In other words, for the proper understanding of a great number of Canadian grasses and sedges, European material for comparison is necessary. Ott.\wa. DIVISIOX OF FORAGE PLANTS 889 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 In order to obtain such material at the least expense, arrangements have been made with the Botanic Garden, Lund, Sweden, to secure, through exchange, a repre- Hentative and complete collection of grasses and sedges from Sweden, Norway, Finland. and Denmark.. In accordance with this arrangement, a collection of duplicate plants, ji umbering about one thousand sheets and representing over three hundred Canadian species have been sent for exchange, and the receipt duly acknowledged. BROOM CORN. Three varieties of Broom corn were u-ed for experiments endeavouring to prove the influence of early and of late sowing on the yield and the quality of the brush. The results of this experiment indicate that early seeding is distinctly preferable to late, and that even a week's difference in seeding will affect the yields considerably. As far as our experience goes. Broom corn should be sown about the same time as Indian corn. Ottawa. 890 EJPEBIMEN'TAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, CHARLOTTETOWN. P.E.I. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, J. A. CLARKE, B.S.A. CHARACTER OF SEASON. Frost entered the ground to a great depth during the winter of 1912-13 owing to the severe cold while the ground was bare of snow. The snow lay on the ground very- little more than one month dxiring the year, from the middle of February to the middle of March. The month of March was noted for its sudden changes, which caused great freshets. These caused a considerable washing of the land and in many places much injury was done to even the level fields by the water cutting great trenches in unlooked-for places. The warm weather of April brought the grass and trees forward nearly two weeks ahead of the season of 1912. May and June were dull and cool. The grasses, clovers, and roots came on slowly, yet they made good growth. Corn came up, then remained almost stationary until the end of June. The fre- quent showers and the moderate temperatures of July were very favourable to the root crop. The hay crop thickened up wonderfully, though very little was saved during the month. August was favourable for haymaking, and a good crop of hay was saved in splendid condition. August and September were quite favourable to the root crops. October was very wet, the weather was warm and the roots grew to a great size. Some rot was reported. November came in cold, and it was not until the second week that the bulk of the turnips was saved. INDIAN CORN. The corn was planted in hills on the 5th of June. Fourteen tons of barnyard manure had been applied and well worked into the land two weeks before planting. The corn came up slowly and then remained almost stationary until the end of June. On the whole, the season was very unfavourable for the corn crop. On rotation " G " where the Longfellow corn was grown, it gave a yield of 4 tons and 80 pounds of dry stover per acre. The corn was in silk when han'ested on October 9. The blackbirds injured this field about 30 per cent. In the variety test plots, the damage inflicted by various birds was still greater, and, as a matter of fact, the data for the season's tests were rendered practically use- less. The pigeons and blackbirds had destroyed the test plots of varieties before it was realized what they were doing. Provision was made to prevent the crows from taking the corn, but ordinary devices were of no use against these other marauders. They were shot and poisoned ; but the data from the season's crop were destroyed by them. FIELD ROOTS. The variety tests of field roots were sown in the new orchard on the following dates: Mangels, May 12; sugar beets and carrots. May 26; and turnips. May 31. During the month of June the growth was rather slow, the weather being dull and cool. The frequent showers and the moderate temperatures of July were very favourable to the root crop, as were also August and September. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLAN'^S 891 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 On account of the growing season being' ideal for roots, large crops have been harvested, except of carrots, which were destroyed by the Carrot Rust Fly immediately after they were thinned. A check row was left on either side of each row of fruit trees. The cut-worms were plentiful, but the poisoned bran proved satisfactory in destroying these pests. The cut-worms, however, caused a few misses among all of the roots. The percentage being about eqvial in all varieties the loss was not considered. TURNIPS. Twelve varieties of swede turnips were sown on May 31, and pulled ISTovember 13, 1912. The soil was fairly light in character. Twelve tons of manure were disced into the land. The turnips were sown in drills 30 inches apart and the young plants thinned to about 14 inches in the rows. The yields were computed from one-hundredth acre plots. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 , 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Name of Variety. .Tumbo Hazard's Improved Mammoth Clyde Hall's Westbury Good Luck Hartley's Bronze Top. . Bangholm Perfection Magnum Bonum . . , . . . New Century Lapland Halewood's Bronze Top Average . . . Yield per acre. Tons Lb. 36 35 34 33 32 31 31 31 31 30 28 26 3L 1,800 500 1,500 500 1,500 1,500 .500 500 500 1.000 1,.500 1,941 Yield per acre. Bush. Lb. 1,200 1,196 1,141 1,125 1,075 1,058 1,058 1,041 1,041 1,008 950 891 40 40 20 VO 40 40 20 •io 1,065 41 MANGELS. Twelve varieties of mangels were sown on May 17, in drills 30 inches apart. The- young plants were thinned to about 12 inches apart in the rows. The roots were pulled October 21. Mangels — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Nau>e of Variety. Giant Yellow Globe Charlottetown Exp. Sta. .seed Selected Yellow Globe Danish Sliidstrup . . Gate Post Prize Mammoth Long Red. . Yellow Leviathan Giant Yellow Intermediate . . Mammoth Long Red Giant Half Sugar White Perfection Mammoth Red. . . . Golden Tankard Average. Description of Variety. Globe Long Red. . . . Globe Intermediate. Long Red . . . Lon^? Red . . Intermediate. Intermediate. Long Red . . . Long White . Long Red Globe 30 1,879 Yield per acre. Yield pel iiere. Tons Lb. Bu.«h. Lb. 36 1,260 1,221 34 508 1,141 48 33 .S96 1,106 36 32 1 ,802 1.097 42 32 20 1,067 31 1,624 1,060 24 30 588 1,-009 48 30 192 1,003 12 29 1,196 986 36 29 872 981 12 20 1,856 897 36 24 180 803 1,031 19 Charlottetown, 892 EXPERIMEXTAL FA RM S 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 SUGAR BEETS, Three plots of sugar beets were sown on May 28 ami harvested November 1, 1913. The soil was a friable sandy loam. Sugar Bekts. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Varir-ty. Yield per Acre. Yield per A era. 1 •> Improved Vilmorin B .- .. • Klein Wanzleben Ton.s. Lb. 15 1,122 15 1,020 14 1,43() Bush. 519 517 490 Lb. 12 3 Tmnrov'cfl VilTnoriii \ 36 Average 15 5.SG 508 56 ALFALFA, CLOVER, AND GRASSES. The grasses, alfalfa, and clovers came through the hard winter fairly well. The warm weather brought them nearly two weeks ahead of the season of 1912. During May and June they came on slowly, yet made satisfactory growth. During July the crops thickened up wonderfully and as August was very favourable for haymaking, a good crop of hay was saved in splendid condition. The Red Top grass led with a yield at the rate of 3 tons per acre. Kentucky Blue grass was next with 2 tons 1,220 pounds, then Late Swedish Red clover, 2 tons 32« pounds. The JMammoth Red gave 1 ton 1,181 pounds. Common Red 1 ton 580 pounds, and Alsike 1 ton 820 pounds. ALFALFA. The experiments with alfalfa would indicate that the Grimm is superior in hardi- ness to the other sorts tested. The test with different rates of barley sown as a nurse crop with alfalfa would indicate that under favourable conditions the alfalfa does much better without a nurse crop. The first cutting of the crops, on July 16, gave an average yield per acre of 1 toH 1,360 pounds, for Grimm. Other varieties gave an average yield of 1 ton 320 pounds per acre. Those sown with nurse crops gave only an average yield of 1, 616 pounds fyer acre. The land on which the alfalfa grew was tile-drained in midsummer, which destroyed the records of the second cutting. RED CLOVER. On the rotations, tlie Common Red clover was a good, strong crop. On a few areas. Mammoth Red clover was about equal to the Common Red. The average yield -on 15-5 acres of the land owned by the Station, previous to 1913, was 2 tons 260 pounds per acre. On the new area acquired in 1913, a total of 9 acres was allowed to remain for hay. This land had been cut for hay several times, apparently under no rotation system, and most of it was in need of tile drainage. The average yield from these areas was 1,622 pounds per acre. The difference in the quality of the hay was «ven greater than the difference in the weights. That grown on the farm rotations was largely clover, while that grown on the other areas was largely natural grass. The above would indicate that the shortening of the period that land is left in hay and the use of systematic farm rotation would, in a few years, not only greatly increase the yield of hay but would add materially to the percentage of clover that may be grown on the same land by good cultural methods. KEW EXPERIMENTS. A further series of exijeriments was laid out ahd the plots sown on June 30. This series include 31 31 31 31 .... 31 31 31 31 31 31 M 31. Pulled. Oct. 1 24 24 24 24 24... . 24 24 24 24 24 24 Yield per Acre. Tons. Lb. 26 25 22 22 23 23 23 28 26 31 30 750 1,000 1,900 1,350 1,100 1,550 850 1,500 25 1,636 Yie d per Acre. Bush. Lb. 879 850 733 733 766 798 789 951 892 1,047 1,025 10 20 20 40 20 10 40 30 30 860 .36 From the above table it will be noted that Yellow Leviathan, Giant Half Sugar White, and Danish Sludstrup are the heaviest yielders, yielding 31 tons 850 pounds; 30 tons l.iiOO ponnd.s : and 28 tons 1.100 pounds, respectively. Field Crop of Mangels. --- Three varieties of mangels were sown on one-third of an acre each. The land was clay Idam and treated in the same way as for turnips. It also received the same cultivation. The following table gives the comparative results: — Field Crop of Mangels. — Sowai, June 23; pulled>, October 29. Yield jier Acre. Yield per Acre. , acre Long Red .. Yellow Intermediate i ., Yellow Globe Ton.s 18 20 19 Lb. 120 140 1,795 Bush. Lb. 602 669 063 15 Average 19 685 644 45 From the above table it will be noted that Yellow Intermediate gave the heaviest yield, Yellow Globe came second, and Long Red third. Any one of these three varieties is to be recommended for this district. 16— 58i Nappan. 89S EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE V.^ A. 1915 CARROTS. Six varieties of carrots were sown in uniform test plots, in duplicate sets of one- hundredth of an acre each. The land was clay loam, prepared in the same way as that allotted to turnips. The seed was sown on May 22 with a Planet Jr. hand drill. The carrots were thimied twice and left the last time about 4 to 5 inches apart in the rows, which were 28 inches apart. The land was hor.-e cultivated live times during the season. A much better yield would have been realized had not the ground been very badly infested with couch grass. The following table gives the comparative results: — Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. Name uf Variety. Sown. Pulled. Yield jier acre. Y per eld acre. 1 Ontari o Cbaiii]jion Hair Lmpf Ouuitenay May 22... M 22 . . .. 22.... ., 22.... M 22.... -, 22.... Nov. 4 4.... 4.... 4 ... 4.... 4.... Tons. Lb. 21 500 ^ 20 21 250 17 18 1,000 21 250 Busli. 70S 6(56 704 566 616 704 661 Lb. 20 40 3 MainiU'ith White Intermediate. 10 4 5 (riant White Vosges White Bei^ian 40 40 6 Improved Short White. 10 Average. . 19 1,GGG (i The results of the above variety tests show that Ontario Champion, Mammoth White Intermediate, and Improved Short White gave 21 tons 500 pounds, 21 tons 250 pounds, and 21 tons 250 pounds, respectively, all of v.'Iiich are fairly good yields. Any one of these varieties can be recommended for use in this district. Half Long Chantenay is a fair yielder, as well as being an excellent table carrot. SUGAR BEETS. Three varieties of sugar beets were sown in uniform test plots of one-hundredth of an acre. The land was a clay loam, treated in the same way as for turnips. The sugar beets were hoed twice, the last hoeing leaving them about 12 inches apart in the rows, with the ro'wis 28 inches apart. They were cultivated five times during the season. Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. Sown. Pulled. Yield per acre. Yield per acre. 1 • > Viltnorin's Improved "A" Vdmoiiu's Improved " E " May 22.... „ 22.... , 22.... Oct. SO.... H 30 ... . M 30.... Tons. Lb. 15 1,100 14 300 11 350 Bush. L).. 518 20 471 4'i • I Klein Wanzleben 372 30 Average 13 1,250 4.-)3 70 Nappan. DiriSIOX OF FORAGE PLANTS 897 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ^ EXPERIMENTS WITH CLOVER AND GRASSES. Some five pounds of Red clover seed were sown in uniform test plots of one- hundredth of an acre each, in duplicate sets. The previous crop w^as grain. The land w^as of clay loam and was ploughed in the spring of 1913, also well cultivat- ed. A light dressing of commercial fertilizer was sown (200 pounds per acre) and harrowed in with a smoothing harrow. Seed was sown on June 10 at the rate of 25 pounds per acre. The object of these experiments with Red clover is to try to produce, by means of natural selection, varieties of Red clover which will prove perfectly hardy in this climate and at the same time to demonstrate, if possible?, the value of home-grown seed. It is the general belief that the partial killing of Red clover is due, to a very great extent at least, to the fact that an ordinary clover field is composed of a mixture of diifereut types, some of w'hieh are hardy and therefore persist, Avhile others are not so hardy and therefore perish. Hence by selecting seed year after year from those plants which prove to be hardy, it is hoped to obtain a type of Red clover which will not only increase in hardi- ness but likewise give an increase in yield. In order then to arrive at a definite conclusion on this double question, the plots Avere sown in duplicate sets, one of which will be used for hay production the otlier for seed production. A similar experiment is being carried out with grasses. Five lots were sown in uniform test plots of one-hundredth of an acre. The land was of clay loam, treated identically the same as for clover, and one set of plots will be used for hay produc- tion and the other for seed production. This experiment in seed selection and improvement should em])hatieally appeal to every farmer as a proposition worthy of note in the development of agriculture. It cannot be emphasized too strongly, as there is.no other way whereby so much can be gained as by careful seed selection. ALFALFA. Up to this date alfalfa has not proven to be a very profitable crop in Nova Scotia. While at the Experimental Farm very good catches have been procured during the first season's growth, it has invariably been winter-killed, partially so at least. In the plots where it has been sown in previous years, during this season a very credit- able stand was realized, but only in patches. Nappan. 898 EXPniUMEXTAL F.l /M/.Sf 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, KENTVILLE, N. S. REPOPvT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. SAXBY BLAIP.. CHARACTER OF SEASON. The season was not entirely favourable for forage crops owing- to a continued dry- period during June. The early and late part of the season was favourable for all root crops. Owing to the early spring being cool, followed by little rain, the corn did not make satisfactory growth. The mean average temperature, rainfall, and sunshine for the summer season was as follows : — Month. Mean Average teniperatui-e. Rainfall. Sunshine. April o 41-9 46-2 567 G5-4 63-3 54-3 56-5 Inches. 4 29 3 17 1-23 3-72 1-70 2-55 9-60 Hours. 137-1 Mav 178-2 June 270 1 July Aupfust 252 1 23-! -4 September 15G 6 October 57-8 INDIAN CORN. Five varieties of Indian corn were sown, but owing to the poor soil on which they were planted and the cool weather following they made a very unsatisfactory growth. The resulting crop was so uneven that the test was considered unreliable, consequently no weights were taken. FIELD ROOTS. The ground on Avhich these were grown was a i)oor sandy loam. Thirty tons of stable manure were applied per acre the previous fall and ploughed under. The ground was ploughed this spring and well worked up. Commercial fertilizers were then sown broadcast at the rate of 500 pounds to the acre, and liarrowed in before planting. This fertilizer was made up of 150 pounds nitrate of soda, 150 pounds sulphate of ammonia, 600 i)ounds acid phosphate (15 per cent), and 300 pounds muriate of potash, which were well mixed together. The resulting mixture contained approximately 4^ per cent nitrogen, Ti per cent phosphoric acid, and 12A per cent potash. TL'RXIPS. Twelve varieties of turnips were tested in duplicate plots. The plots were each Vi32 of an acre, or two rows OtJ feet long and 30 inches apart. The seed was sown D/r/N/OV or FORAflF PLANTS 899 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 May, IT, and the plants later thinned to 1 foot apart. The crop was harvested on October 24. The yield per acre is an average from the yield of the two plots of each variety. TruNU's. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Name of Variety. Hair.s Westbiiry New Century Hartley's Bronze Top. . . Good Luck Jumbo . .. . Perfection Mammoth Clyde Hangcholm Hazard's Improved Lapland Halewood's Bronze Top. Magnum Bonum A veraofe . 32 200 Yield per acre. Yield per acre. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb.' 38 1,220 1,287 38 1,220 1,287 38 560 1,276 34 1,900 1,166 33 1,980 ],133 33 1,320 1,122 30 ],.S80 1,023 30 1,8S0 1,023 30 CO 1.001 28 760 946 ^7 1,440 924 - 23 1,520 7!t2 1,081 40 MANGKLS. Eleven varieties of mangels were planted in duplicate plots of two rows, each GO' feet long and 30 inches ajiart, or yi.';2 of an acre. The seed was sown on May 21, the plants thinned to 1 foot apart, and the crop harvested on October 23. The yield iicr acre is an average from the yield of the two plots of each variety. Mangkls. — Test of Varieties. No. Name ot Variety. Yield per acre. Yield per acre. 1 (iiaiit Yellow Intermediate Tons. 20 26 22 21 21 20 20 17 13 Lb. 120 800 800 800 880 1,500 240 92) 392 320 1,720 Bush. 902 880 880 880 748 720 704 082 073 572 462 Lb. 2 3 4 Prize Manimoth Long Red Danish Sludstrup r . . . Alaiiunoth Loiio' Red 5 G (iiant Yellow Globe . .... Gate Post . 7 8 Yellow Leviathan Selected Yellow Globe 9 Giant Half Sugar White 12 10 n Perfection Mammoth Red Golden Tankard Average 22 232 737 12 Kentville. 900 experime:^tal farms 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 CARROTS, Six varieties of carrots were planted in duplicate plots of two rows, each 66 feet long and 30 inches apart, or M32 of an acre. The seed was sown May 17, and the plants thinned to 4 inches apart. The crop Avas harvested October 24. The yield per acre is an avi»rage from the yield of the two plots of each variety. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Name of Variety. Improved Short White. . . . . . White Belgian Giant White Vosges Ontario Champion Half Long Chantehay Mammoth White Intermediate Average iety. Yield per acre. Yield per acre. Tons. 15 15 13 11 11 11 Lb. 1,020 1,020 400 1,000 1,000 410 Bush. 517 517 440 383 3S3 374 Lb. 20 20 ■" 13 147 435 47 SUGAR BEETS. Three varieties of sugar beets were planted in duplicate plots of two rows, each 66 feet long and 30 inches apart, or Vi:j2 of an acre. The seed was sown May 17, the plants were thinned to 8 inches apart, and the crop harvested October 23. Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 Name of Variety. Vilmorin Improved (A) (B) Klein Wanzleben Average , . . Yield per acre. Yield per acre. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. 14 .512 475 12 12 1,872 431 12 11 170 3G9 36 12 1,520 425 20 Kentville. D/17.S/0.Y OF rOHAGE I'LAXTS 901 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, FREDERICTON, N.B. REPOUT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. W. HUBBARD. INDIAN CORN. Four varieties of Indian corn were grown for ensilage. Planting was ^ done on the 5tli and 6th of June. The ground was a naturally well-drained sandy loam that had been cutting good crops of hay for several years. A portion had a heavy crop of clover last year. It was ploughed in October, 1912, and worked up with a disc harrow in the spring. On account of the cold wet weather during May, and the fact that the land was badly infested with couch and mustard, planting was not done till date above mentioned. Horse stable manure was apjilied at the rate of eighteen 3.5-bushel loads per acre, and on the 12-J acres there was applied at the time of planting a mixture of 975 pounds nitrate of soda, 325 pounds sulphate of ammonia, 3,900 pounds acid phosphate, and 050 pounds muriate of potash, equal to 468 pounds high-grade mixed fertilizer per acre, analysing 3-G per cent nitrogen, 10 per cent phosphoric acid, and 5-5 per cent potash, or equal to 936 pounds low-grade mixture, with 1-8 per cent nitrogen, 5 per cent phosphoric acid, and 2-7 per cent potash. On account of the cold weather the seed germinated very slowly, no plants appearing until the 21st of June, and then coming up very irregularly. There was no stand of plants until the 1st of July. Before the corn plants appeared a spike-tooth harrow was run cross wise of the rows and as soon as the rows could be followed a one-horse scuffler was run between the rows. The scuffler was put through the field onee a week until the corn got too high. On account of the couch grass and mustard in the ground, two thorough hand hoeings were found necessary. The hand labour made the cultivation pretty costly, and would be quite unnecessary on reasonably clean ground. The varieties grown, height of stalk, degree of maturity, and acreage of each were as follows : — Variety. Longfellow Lpaniinf? White Cap Yellow Dent Compton's Early Acreage. Length of Stalk . Degree of Maturity. Acres. 3 3 5 1 Inches. 82 94 84 80 Ears formed ; thin milky stage. Ears formed ; watery stage. Ears foinif-d ; white milky stage. Ears formed ; thin milky stage. No facilities were available for weighing the crop. It was cut and bound from the 25th September to 1st October, cut into |-inch lengths, and put in the silo. The resulting ensilage had a clean aroma, with but slight acidity. The yield from the 12i acres, according to the cubic contents of the silo, was between 110 and 115 tons. 902 EXPERIMEN'TAL r.l7?.l/S 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 TURNIPS. Five acres of land, a sandy loam with clay subsoil lately broken from the forest and in oats last year, with a good catch o.f clover, was sown to turnips. The land had many stumps, large boulders, and much surface stone. The stumps and large boulders were blown out and broken up with dynamite, and 500 loads of stone removed. The time taken in clearing and preparing the land delayed seeding. Horse-stable manure was applied at the rate of twenty 35-bushel loads per acre, and worked in with a disc harrow. In addition to the stable manure, chemical fertilizer was applied in the following quantities per acre: TO pounds nitrate of soda, 70 pounds sulphate of ammoriia, 100 pounds acid phosphate, 100 pounds basic slag, equal to an application of 860 pounds mixed fertilizer per acre, analyzing 3-14 per cent nitrogen, 10-23 per cent phosphoric acid, and 6-97 per cent potash. The- basic slag was applied by itself with the fertilizer attachment on a grain drill and the other chemicals were mixed together and sown with tlie fertilizer attachment on a two-row potato planter. The slight ridges left by the planter were added to by going over with a horse hoe. Where there were many small roots or straw from the manure the rows were dressed off with a dung fork and a roller was put on to consoli- date them. The seed was sown with a hand wheel seeder at the rate of 2 pounds to the acre. The stand was rather thin and the crop was some time in getting away, as the weather was pretty dry. The seed was sown on the 4th and 5th of July. The crop was harvested on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of November. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. Variety. Description. Yield per Acre. Yield pe'' Acre. 1 o Purple-top swede, sniootli and even Tons. Lb. 15 1,500 14 35 19 400 16 175 14 800 18 1,350 17 80 26 800 21 .... 20 800 27 360 Bush. Lb. 525 Green-top swede, rooty and uneven 467 15 '^ Grood Luck Purple-top swede, smooth and fairly even 610 4 5 6 7 R Halevvood's Bronze Top. , Hall's Westbuiy Hartley's Bronze Top Jumbo Perfpciion. Bronze-top swede, smooth and even Purple-top swede, smooth, even and very shajiely. Bronze-top swede, faitly smooth and even. Purple-top swede, rather rough " Purple-top swede, large, even, fairly smooth Purple-top swede, smooth and even Purple-top swede, smooth and even Purple-top swede, large, fairly smooth, uneven . . . Average 536 15 4S0 622 30 568 880 9 10 11 Bangholni Hazard's Improved New Century 700 680 906 19 209 636 49 FrEDERK'TON. s Z)/T7.S70:V OF FORAGE PLANTS 503 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, STE. ANNE DE LA POCATIERE, QUE. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTEKBENT, JOSEPH BEGIN. CHAKACTER OF SEASON. Rains and thaws of last winter were responsible for entirely killing clover, and g'enerally for heavy damage to the meadows. Snow all disappeared, in March, and the spring Avas very cold and dry up to May 13. From this last date to June 6, rain prevailed and the weather was rather cold. The average temperature from the 1st of May to the 31st of October, 1913, was 55-2°. For the three months, July, August, and September, the average registered was G0-1°. From this it would appear that the temperature is as high, if not higher, than the temperature registered in the inland part of the country at the same latitude; it would also appear to be 2-02° lower than the average temperature registered at Ottawa during ten years. It might be well to note here that the temperature registered at the Station once a day does not represent the exact temperature of the district, as it is well known that the duration of heat during the day is shortened by what is called '' maritime streams " or fresh and cool breezes, blowing at certain hours from the St. Lawrence river. These lower the temperature many degrees and check the growing of certain plants, such as corn. In future, therefore, it is intended to note the temperature three times a day, at () a.m., at 12 noon, and at 6 p.m., to compare the average temperature given by these observations with the average temperature registered once a day at 7 a.m. INDIAN CORN. Eight acres of Longfellow corn were sown from the 10th to the 13th of June, and cut between the 25th and 29th of September. The average height of this corn was 5 feet only, the germination being very slow on account of lack of rain. The cobs were abundant but short, and the desirable dough stage was not reached. The yield of corn was estimated at 4 tons per acre. It is to be noted that on account of the very small quantity of barnyard manure at hand, the land received but a light coat of manure. Weeds of all sorts also infested the land where corn w^as sown. Also, on account of the new division of the field and the levelling of the land, the soil was not in the very best condition for a good crop. However, the land having been worked all through the summer, it is now well prepared lor good crops, and weeds are fairly well eradicated. ROOTS. The crop of IJ acres sown in roots, viz., Magnum Bonum from Sutton, yielded G2,000 pounds or 27 fons per acre. This field was drained in the autumn of 1912, well prepared and manured in the spring. Sown on the ISth of June, the seed did not germinate until the middle of July, but the growth was splendid in September and October. The crop was stored in good condition. HAY CROPS. About 12 per cent less than the common average, the hay was also rather inferior in quality. One acre and a half sown with peas and oats gave a splendid crop, calculated at 21 tons per acre. Sown on the 10th of May, cut on the 15th of August, and stored on the 20'ch of the same month, this mixture of peas and oats made a hay of good quality. 904 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, CAP ROUGE, QUE. REPOKT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, G. A." LANGELIER. CHAKACTEE OF SEASON. The past year was not very favourable for forage crops. The mild weather, during winter, left many pastures and meadows bare, and most of the clover was killed. The temperature was rather cool during May and the earlier part of June, 36-2° F. being registered as late as the 27th of the first-mentioned month and on the 10th of the latter. But there was a marked improvement afterwards, and though hay was ready to cut later than usual, it gave a much better crop than had been expected. August and the three first weeks of September were very dry, and this cheeked Indian com and. roots. The first did not recover, though farmers who cultivated often to conserve moisture fared much better than the others who did not. However, with tlie frost Avhich nipped it on the night of September 14, corn gave a yield which may be put down as 25 per cent lower than the average. This, after the very unfavourable season of 1912, no doubt discouraged quite a number of farmers who would have built silos later on. The cool nights of September and October helped out the roots which gave an average crop ; it would have been a heavy one only for the drought of the latter end of the summer. The early part of the season was very favourable to the germination and growth of clover and grass seed, and as the young grass was still shaded by the nurse crop of grain during the worst part of the drought, there was a very good catch. With snow before the ground froze too hard, and average weather next spring, it may be expected that the 1914 crop of hay will be a good and even a very good one. EXPERIMENTS WITH INDIAN CORN AND FIELD ROOTS. Fourteen varieties of turnips, eleven of mangels, tliree of sugar beets, six of carrots, and eleven of Indian corn were tried on duplicate plots of Vno acre each for the roots, and ^/ioo acre for the corn. There were two check rows at the ends of the experimental field, and also between each kind of forage crop, so that no variety had more room or light than any other one. ZNDIAN CORN. Seven varieties were tested in 1913 on a piece of uniform sandy loam, with shaly subsoil at from 15 to 24 inches. This piece of land was also in corn in 1912, but as that season was so unfavourable, the yield was very low and it practically could not be of much detriment-to the crop of 1913. As manure was used both seasons, it seems that the yield should have been higher. Corn was badly frosted on September 14, and only cut on the 29th, so that it must have lost at least 25 per cent of its weight. Even then, it was quite below expectations. s The land was ploughed in October, 1912, and during the first half of May, 1913, it was disced twice with a big cutaway, harrowed twice with the spike-tooth, rolled and sown with the hand Planet Jr. in rows 36 inches apart. A few days afterwards the smoothing harrows were passed over the ground, and later tlie corn was thinned to about 8 inches between plants. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLAyTS 905 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The following table gives information as to the varieties tested in 1913: — Indian Corn. — Test of Varieties. o Name of variety. Date of Sowing. Ninety Days Salzer's North Dakota . . . White Cap Yellow Dent.. hjarJy Longfellow Jompton's Early l^anuda Yellow . , Longfellow May 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 Date of Cutting. Sept. 29 ., 29 ,. 29 „ 29 .. 29 M 29 „ 29 Average Height. Inches . 92 84 89 78 83 63 56 Condition when cut. Full ilk Half ripe' half glazed. Half full milk Average. . . Weight per acre. Tons lb. 9 1,600 9 8 ■7 6 5 5 1,600 1,600 1,800 943 TURNIPS. Fourteen varieties were tested in 1913 on a piece of uniform sandy loam with a shaly subsoil at from 15 to 24 inches. The land was in Indian corn the previous year ind was ploughed in October. In the latter part of April, 1913, it received an appli- cation of 25 tons of cow manure per acre, was disced twice with a double cutaway, •oassed over twice with the smoothing harrows, rolled, ridged, and sown with the hand ?*lanet Jr. machine. About 5 pounds of seed were xised per acre. The drills were 28 inches apart and the turnips were singled to about 8 inches in the row. Notes are given here concerning the varieties tested in 1913 also regarding all varieties tested Juriiig the last* three years. A few typical roots were saved to grow seed in 1914. There is no reason why turnip seed should not be produced in this district as seems to be done with success in the Maritime provinces. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. c 1 Name of variety. Date of sowing. Date of pulling. Hall's Westbury 2 Magnum Bonum. . . . 3! Hazard's Improved Hartley's Bronze Top Good Luck Junibo . New Century . . . . Mammoth Clyde. Ostersundom 10 Lapland 11 Perfection 12 Stubb 13 Hale wood's Bronze Top 14 Bangholm Selected.. May 13.;0ct. 22 .and 24 Description of variety. Size. Large 13. 13. 13. 13. 13 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. 13. 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 24 24 24 24 24 2{ 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 Medium Large, round . Medium, oval.. . . Medium, round. . Medium, too long Medium, round . . Large, round .... Medium, too long Medium, round . . Medium, round . . White, large, oval Medium, oval.. . Medium, round . . Leaves. Too big; too nu- merous Small; few small : too nu- merous Too big ; too nu- merous Small; few Small ; few Small ; few Too big; too nu- merous Big; too numer- ous Small; few Small; few Too big; few Too big; too nu- mer-us . Too big; few.... Average Yield per Tons. Lb. Yield per acre. Bu.sh. Lb. 23 500 775 23 400 773 20 22 1,450 21 1,700 757 30 728 20 21 1,600 726 40 21 1,400; 723 20 21 1,300 721 40 20 900 681 40 20 20 900 750 18 1,900 18 1,900 18 .. 16 1,750 20 1,461 681 40 679 10 631 40 631 40 600 562 .30 691 1 Cap Eouge. 90S i: TPERIMFNT. 1 L FA RMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 TuRKiPS. — Average Yields. Name of Variety. 1911 Yield. 1912 Yield. 1913 Yield. Average Yield. Gord Lnck Tons. Lb. 26 1,122 22 718 23 105 24 1,344 19 1,321 20 1.865 22 949 21 1,639 22 1,874 Tons. Lb. 11 1,265 15 8.55 14 875 9 1,965 14 1,040 14 1,700 11 440 12 585 6 1,612 Tons. Lb. 21 1,600 21 1,700 21 1,400 23 • 400 23 500 18 1,900 20 900 16 1,750 18 Tons. Lb. 19 1,993 Hartley's Bronze Top flninbo . 19 1,758 19 1,460 Ma'^num Bonum . . 19 570 Hall's Westbury 19 287 Perfection . . Mammoth Clyde BanKliolui Selected 18 488 18 96 16 1,991 Halewood's Bronze Top 15 1,829 MAXGELS. Eleven varieties were tested in 1913 on a niiiforni pie^-e of sandy loam with shale as a subsoil at from 15 to 24 inches. The ground wa.s in Indian corn the previous year and was ploughed in October. In the latter part of April, 191-0, it received 25 tons of manure per acre, was disced twice with a big cutaway, harrowed twice with the spike-tooth, rolled, ridged, and sown with the Phmet Jr. hand machine. Eight pounds of seed were used per acre. The drills were 28 inches apart and the plants were thinned to 8 inches in the row. Xotes are given here concerning the varieties tested in 1913, also regarding all varieties tested since 1911, inclusively. Maxgels — Test of Varieties. No. Name of 'Variety. ■ Sown. Pulled. Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. 1 9 Prize Mammoth Long Red (iriant Half Sug'ar White Moy 13 ... n' 13 ... ,. 13... M 13.... n 13 ... .. 13.. . M 13 ... „ 13 „ 13.... „ 13 ... „ 13... Oct. 23 and 30 „ 23 and 30 M 23 and 30 M 2:^ and 30 M 23 and 30 M 23 anrl 30 >, 23 and 30 ., 23 and 20 M 23 and .30 M 23 and 30 „ 23 and 30 Tons. 3 2 2 2 2 2 Lb. 1,200 1,899 8!)0 860 770 HO 1,660 1.630 1,430 1,030 700 Bush. 120 98 81 81 79 69 61 60 57 50 45 Lb. 10 3 Giant Yelluvv Intermediate 30 4 (iate Post 5 6 Selected Yellow Globe Giant Yellow (itlobe 30 7 8 9 Yellow Le\iathaii Perfection Mammoth Red Mammoth Lonfi; Red .30 10 10 Danish Sludstrtin 30 11 Golden Tankard Average. . 2 382 " 73 2 Mangels. — Average Yields. Name of Variety. 1911 Yield. 1912 Yield 1913 Yield. Average, Yield. Giant Yellow Intermediate Tons. Lb. 9 1,429 7 2f)3 4 1,021 3 553 4 18 Tons. LI). 2 1.2S0 1.4S5 1 i;i35 1 1,:!60 1,815 Tons. Lb. 2 890 2 8(;o 3 1,200 2 770 2 140 Ton.s Lb. 4 1,866 3 869 Gate Post Prize MamiTioth Long Red 3 452 S.lected Yellow Globe (4i:int Yellow Globe .... 2 1 ,0l)4 2 658 Cap Rouge. Dirisiox OF FORAdE J'LAyrs 907 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Turnips always give a surer crop than mangels in thi-^ district, so mucli So that hardly any mangels are grown. During 1911, 1912, and 1913, fifteen varieties of turnips were used which gave an average of 37,763 pounds per acre, whilst twelve varieties of mangels produced an average of 6,251 pounds. There was one very good season, one very bad one, and one medium. Two different kinds of soils were tried and the result was always the same. It may be here said that excepting on the low moist lands of the valleys of rivers, everybody has experienced the same trouble in growing mangels, in this district. CARROTS. Six varieties were tried on a uniform piece of sandy loam with a shaly subsoil at from 15 to 24 inches. It was in Indian corn in 1912 and was ploughed in October. During the latter part of April, 1913, the land was disced twice with the big cutaway, harrowed twice with the spike-tooth, rolled, ribbed, and sown at the rate of 5 pounds per acre with the hand Planet Jr. machine. The drills were 28 inches apart and the plants were thinned to 6 inches in the row. Following are notes about yield in 10 J 3, also about all varieties tested during the last three years. Carrots no doubt are the best roots to grow for adding succulence to the ration of horses during winter. Tlie Improved Short White seems to be one which succeeds best here. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. i Name of Variety. Date of Sowing. Date of Pulling. Description of Variety. Yield per Acre. Yi. per A Bush. 361 340 322 288 225 138 sld ere. 1 2 3 Ontario Champion Mammoth White Intermediate Improved Short White White Belgiiin May 13. „ 13. ., 13. ,. 13. M 13. u 13. Oct. 23 and „ 23 H M 23 ,. M 23 M „ 23 „ „ 23 „ 31 31 31 31 31 31 Very long at neck, half long, pointed i-oot Medium size, very well made, pointed root Very large at neck, very well made, half long, pointed root Tons. Lb. 10 1,700 10 400 9 1,350 8 1,300 6 1,500 4 300 Lb. 40 30 4 Medium length, long root ... Very well madp, half long with rounded root Medium size, half long, pointed root 5 Half Long Chantenay 20 6 Giant White Vosges 90 Average 8 758 279 18 Carrots. — Average Yields. Name of Variety. Impioved Short White Maniinoth White Intermediate. Ontario Champion White Belgian ... Half Long Chantenay 1011 Yield. Tons. 10 9 7 9 Lb. 1,202 118 1,429 1,497 1912 Yield. Tons. 2 1 1 1 1 Lb. 1.197 1,547 1,300 837 1,052 1913 Yield. Tons. 9 10 10 8 6 Lb. 1,,350 400 1,700 1.300 1,.500 Average Yield. Tons. 7 7 6 6 5 Lb. 1,2.50 22 1,315 1,205 683 Cap Rouge. 908 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 SUGAR BEETS. Tliree varieties were grown on the same piece of land as the carrots, and they were practically a failure just as in 1911 and 1912. DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS IN DIFFERENT CROPS. It may be interesting to see how the digestible nutrients compare in the different classes of forage crops at this Station in 1913, and the following tables give the information : — Kind of Forage Crop. Tm-!iips. Cf)rn Carrots. Mangels Number of Varieties tried in 1913. 14 7 6 11 Pounds of Digestible Nutrients per Acre. Protein. Lb. 415 14y 134 44 Carbohydrates. Lb. 3,3r.2 83 1,773 60 1,294 50 242 9 Fat. Lb. The varieties which yielded the most in 1913 show the following figures :- Kind of Forage Crop. Variety. Pounds of Digestible Nutrients per Acre. Protein. Carbohydrates. Fat. Turnii)s Hall's Westbury Lb. 465 l'J6 174 72 Lb. 3,767 2,332 1,670 3i)6 Lb. 93 Corn Ninety Days 78 CariDts Ontario Champion Prize Mannnoth Long Red 65 Mangel.s 14 EXPERIMENTS WITH RED CLOVER AXD TI^IOTIIY. Two plots of Viso of an acre each of five lots of red clover and four of timothy were sown with the intention of producing strains by natural selection, especially adapted to the province of Quebec. It is hoped that the experiments with red clover also will prove the superiority of home-grown seed in so far that hardier clover strains may be obtained from seed raised in the province than from seed secured from the outside, particularly from more soutliern localities. Cap Rornr. DIVISIO^^ OF FORAGE PLANTS SC9 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, BRANDON, MAN. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. C. McKILLICAN, B.S.A. The season of 1913 was not especially favourable for the growing of forage crops. These crops do best in a moist season, when the rainfall is abundant. A season that is tot) wet for grain crops, very ofteli suits them admirably. The summer of 1913 was rather dry for the best results even in wheat growing, and consequently crops demand-" ing abundance of moisture were somewhat at a disadvantage. Field lots of alfalfa gave a very good crop in the first cutting, which was taken off about June 20 to 30. The second cutting, taken off about August 1, suffered much more from drought, and was only a fair crop. Quite a good third crop could have been cut, but it was left for winter protection. A field sown to alfalfa in May produced an excellent catch. This field was in corn in 1912; it was well cultivated that season and the alfalfa was sown on it at the rate of 20 pounds per acre. Fields of red clover, sown in 1912, wintered in perfect condition and grew thickly. The dry weather made the growth remain short, so that the crop harvested was only fairly good. The same applies to grass crops, and mixtures of grasses and clover. Good results were obtained with fodder corn this year. The germination was good, and although the seeding was late, as most of the crop was on land that was flooded in May, the growth was rapid and soon made up for the delayed start. A good crop of first-class fodder was harvested. ±iK)Ot crops were most seriously affected by the shortage of rainfall and were below average in yield. Nevertheless, even in this rather dry season the crop harvested was well worth the labour expended on it» INDIAN COEN. Thirteen varieties of fodder corn were grown in uniform test rows. Four rows of each variety were grown, two rows together in one place and two rows in another place, "in order to have a duplicate test. The land was sandy loam, summer fallowed in 1912. The corn was planted on May 27, and harvested on Sei)tember 20. It was quite uninjured by frost when cut. The young plants were considerably injured by soil blowing during a severe windstorm early in June. This delayed them and reduced the yields to quite a degree. One variety of Kaffir corn and one variety of Sugar cane were grown alongside the ordinary corn under the same conditions. The yields are cal- culated from four rows G814 feet long and 3-^ feet apart. 16—59 910 EXPi: i!iMi:y r. i l fa nMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Indian Corn I'OR Ensilage. — Test of Varieties. o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Naiiie of Variety. North Dakota White Compton's Early Northwestern Dent Early Longfellow , Minnesota No. 13 Salzer's North Dakota . . , Gehu White Cap Yellow Dent Ninety Days Minnesota King . ... Windns White Dent Thayer Yellow Dent Canada Yellow Kaffir Corn. Sugar Cane. Date of Sowing. Mav 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. 27. Date of Cutting. Sept. 20. M 20. „ 20. „ 20. ,. 20. „ 20. ,- 20. M 20. M 20. „ 20. -, 20. M 20. „ 20. 20. 20 Average Height. Ft. 6 7 6 6 0 G 4 7 7 5 5 5 4 In. 2 4 6 1 9 ^ 11 3 11 9 8 (> 11 8 Condition when cut. Early dough ti Late milk, early dough, Early firm dough Early milk Late niilk, early dough, Firm dough, ripe Late milk Early dough Late milk, early dough Firm dough, ripe Firm dough Firm dough, ripe , Average .... Leaves only Headed out Weight per acre grown in rows. Tons. Lb. 18 17 17 15 14 14 12 12 12 11 10 9 8 1,225 900 300 52 1,700 350 1,775 1,500 1,150 1,300 1,569 295 1,S50 13 !,074 13 12 G50 1,450 Northwestern Dent has hecome the most generally adopted fodder variety for Manitoba. It usually combines a good yield with earliness. This year, it was not so early as some varieties that are usually considered later. Compton's Early and North Dakota White, this year, proved superior not only as to yield as they usually do, but also as to earliness. Some of the early firm dough varieties, Gehu, Canada Yellow, and Windus "White Dent, in particular, produced quite a proportion of ripe ears. The seed of the usvxal commercial strain of Longfellow failed to germinate, and consequently no test of that variety is reported. Quebec Yellow, which was reported on so favourably last year and the previous year, had to be omitted from the test this year owing to our failure to obtain seed. Free Press, one of the most promising varieties for grain production, also had to be omitted for the same reason. Five-Year Averages. Only three of these varieties have been grown for five years continuously. Two others have been tested three years, and one for two years. The average results for these periods are as follows : — Variety. Conipton'.s Early Longfellow , North we.^tern Dent . . . . North Dakota White (average of 3 years). Gehu (average of 3 years) Minnesota King (average of 2 years) Average Condition when cut. Early milk Silk, early milk Late iriilk Late milk Firm dough Early milk Average Yield per Acre. Tons Lb 20 387 18 781 16 1,354 19 174 15 500 14 1,250 Br^ k.NDON, DITISIOX OF FORAGE PLANTS 911 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 TURNIPS. Twenty-two varieties of turnips were tested this year. Four rows of each variety were thrown. Each row was 100 feet in length; the distance between rows was 2^ feet. The hnnd was clay loam, and was summer-fallowed the previous year. The season was too dry for the best results. The germination of the seed was not very good and, as a result, the comparison of the varieties is not in all cases as fair as might be desired. The seed was sown May 14, and the crop harvested October 9. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. IS'aiiie of Variety. Perfection Piiri)k' Toj) New Centiuy Canadian (xem. . . 4j.Jumbo 5!Invicta C Hartley's Bronze Top. . . i 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Lapland Carter's Imperial Hazard's Improved. . (iood Luck Mammoth Clyde Bangholn\ Magnum Bonum Mammoth Greystone. Hall'.s Westbm-v.. . White Globe Ele])hant Halevvond's Bron/.e Top . Yellow Aberdeen (Green top). . . Yellow Aberdeen (Purple top). . Stubb Ostersundom Des.ription of Variety. Purple-top swede, rather flat fairly smooth Purple-top swede, medium smooth Purple-top swede, smooth Purple'-top swede, rather long. . Purple-top swede, fairly Suiooth Bronze-top swede, rather rough Bronze-top swede, fairlj' smooth Purple- top swede, rough Mixed-swedes, rough Purple-top swede, rather rough Purple-top swede, rather rough Purple-lop swede, fairly smooth Purple-top swede, rather rough Purple-toi), white flesh (not a swede), fairly smooth Purple-top swede, fairly smooth White, round (not a .swede), fairly smooth Purple-top swede, verj' rough. . Bronze-top swede, rough Yellow (not a swede), fairly smooth ■ Yellow (not a swede), fairly smooth White, smalt, round, (not a swede) White flesh, purple-top (not a swede) . Average Yield per Acre. Tons. l!l 10 19 18 17 17 16 Ifi 15 15 In 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 12 Lb. 1,237 1,193 271 1,350 887 257 1,582 259 1,668 972 755 701 1,885 1.27() 580 1,362 461 449 56 10 1,272 9 1,324 8 1,400 15 145 Yield per Acre. Bush. 653 6.53 T637 622 587 570 559 537 527 516 512 511 498 487 476 456 441 440 400 354 322 290 Lb. 13 51 30 27 57 42 39 48 12 35 41 5 56 20 2 1 49 5f) 32 502 The swede turnips are the best suited to Manitoba conditions. The other types do not yield so well and are not as good keepers. Hall's Westbury and Bangholm which are usually among the be»t yielder.s, are rather low this year, probably due to faulty germination. Perfection Purple Top is a good reliable variety which again shows up well. Canadian Gem is one of the best of the newer varieties. 16— 59i Br.\ndon 912 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Averages. Six varieties liave been jjrown for five consecutive years. Several others have been grown from two to four years. The average yields obtained for these periods are as follows : — Variety. Hall's Westbury (average of 5 years) Halewood's Bronze Top « Perfection Purple Top n Magnmn Bonum n Good Luck >i Hartley's Bronze Top n Bangholm (average of 4 years) Mammoth Clyde .i Jumbo II Elephant m Canadian Gem (average of 2 years) Carter's Imperial n Hazard's Improved « Average Yield per A( ;re. Tons. Lb. 23 22 1,331 608 22 565 21 21 1,896 653 19 26 19 1,999 1,534 1,127 18 880 18 733 29 185 23 599 22 1,204 MANGELS. Eleven varieties of mangels were tested in uniform test rows in the same manner as described for turnips. The land was summer-fallowed the previous year, but had some grassy spots that made the test non-uniform. The germination of seed was poor and uneven. As a result of these causes, it was necessary to calculate the yield from parts of rows in many instances. In this way an effort was made to make the test as fair as possible under the circumstances but, even with this precaution, it cannot be considered fully reliable. The seed was sown May 13, and the crop harvested October 4. Mangels. — Test of Varieties. No. 10 11 Name of Variety. Description of Variety. Yield per Acre. Prize Mammoth L(mg Red Giant Yellow Intermediate Giant Yellow Globe Gate Post Danish Sludstrup , (mi.xed) Yellow Leviathan Perfection Mannnoth Red Selected Yellow Globe Giant Half Sugar White Mammoth Long Red Golden Tankard .^. (mixed) Red, long, fairly smooth Medium long, dark yellow, clean Yellow, globe,' clean, easily pulled Red, long, rooty, hard to pull. Medium long, dark yellow, clean . ._. Medium long, dark yellow, fairly clean Red, long, fairly smooth. . . Yt^llow, globe, clean, easily pulled Medium long, white, fairly clean Red, long, rooty, hard tojnill. Medium long, reddish yellow. Average . 25 1,211 Yield per Acre. Tons Lb. Bush. Lb. 29 1,812 996 53 28 115 935 15 27 27 514 505 90S 908 34 25 27 70 901 10 26 26 678 95 877 868 58 15 25 443 840 43 25 19 19 242 1,498 1,346 837 658 655 22 18 46 853 31 Prize Mammoth Long Red gives the highest yield both this season and in the five- year average. It is about the smoothest of the long red mangels. This type of mangel is much more difficult to pull than the shorter varieties, are much the easiest type to lift, and are free from roots. The yellow globe varieties Br.\ndon. DlVIsIO^' OF FORAGE PLANTS 913 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Averages. Six varioties have been grown for five consecutive years, one other for four years, and one for two years. The following are the average yields for these periods : — Variety. Average Yield per Acre. Prize Mammoth Long Red Perfection Mainmoth Long Red Giant Half Sugar White Giant Yellow Globe (average ol 5y 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 ears) Tons. 29 27 27 26 26 22 27 28 Lb. 1,209 1,756 1,164 1,275 Selected Yellow Globe 902 601 Gate Post 1,624 Groldeii Tankard 193 CARROTS. Six varieties of field carrots were tested in duplicate pairs of rows in the same manner as described for turnips and mangels. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. 5 Name of Variety. Description of Variety. Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. I Cooper's Yellow Intermediate. . . Long Orange. . . , , Yellow, half long, smooth Red, long, smooth Tons. Lb. 12 1,839 12 969 11 i,4yo 11 98 6 1,937 6 1,485 Bush. Lb. 430 39 416 9 3 Lni)r. ved Short White White, medium long, smooth White, long, coarse Red, long, smooth White, long, very coarse 391 30 4 White Belgian Long Red Surrey 368 IK 232 17 r, Giant White Vossres 224 45 Average ..... 10 636 343 56 SUGAR BEETS. Three varieties of sugar beets were sown on uniform test plots of 500 square feet. The preparation of the soil and subsequent cultivation was similar to that for mangels. Name of Variety. Yield per Acre. Vihnorin's Im])roved "A" Tons. Lb. 12 965 Klein Wanzleben . . . 12 -30 Vilmorin's Improved "B" 10 70 Brandon. 914 EXPEUniEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTS WITH GRASSES, CLOVERS, AXD ALFALFA. A series of experimental plots of grasses, clovers, alfalfa, and mixtures was sown in 1911. These plots produced crops in 1912 and have again produced in 1913. Name of Variety. Alfalfa (common) Alfalfa (Grimm's) Alfalfa (Montana) Alfalfa (Turkestan) Common Red Clover Mammoth Red Clover. . . . Alsike White Dutch Clover Brome Grass Timothy . .. Western Rye Grass Kentucky Blue Grass. . . Red Top (mixed with timothy) Orchard Grass Timothy and Red Clover. Timothy ami Alsike Timothy and Alfalfa Proportion of Parts of Mixture after 2 years from seeding. Western Rye Ked Clover. Western Rye Alsike Western Rye Alfalfa. (irass and Grass and Grass and Timothy, Western Rye (irass and Red Clover. Timothy, Western Rye Grass and Alsike . Timothy, Red Clover and Alsike. Western Rye Gra.^s. Red Clover and Alsike. Timothy, Red Top and Alsike. Timothy, Western Rye Grass, Red Clover and Alsike. Timothy, Western Rye Grass, Red Clover and Alfalfa. Timothy, !)S% Red clover2% Timothy 8:,%, Alsike 15% First crop, Timothy 30%, Alfalfa TO'^'c. (2nd crop, practically pure Alfalfa).. Western Rye Grass 98%, Red Clover 2% Western Rye Grass 95%, Alsike 5% Western Rye Grass 50%, Alfalfa 50%. (2iid crof) l)ra' tically pure Alfalfa ) Timothy 39%, Western Rye Grass (iO%, Red Clover 1% Timothy 3G%, Western Rye Grass (J0%, Alsike 4%. . Timothy W%, Red Clover V'/, Alsike 2% Western Rye Grass 100%. . Timothy 75%, Red Top 1% Alsike 24%, Timothy 3S%, Western Rye Grass b0%. Red Clover 1%, Alsike 1% Timothy 2!i%, Western Rye (Jrass 35%, Red Clover 1%, Alfalfa 35%. (2nd croD practically jnire Al- falfa.) Date of first cutting. Tune 27 Tuly 8 Aug. July 22 Yield per acre, first cutting. Date of ' Yield per second cutting. Pons. Lb. 2 2 3 3 2 2 1 3 1 2 1,520 Aug. 11 1,800 360 300 80 840 7G0 40 1,320 1,120 1,120 1 1,000 920 1 1,160 1 1,000 2 360 2 120 2 560 Auf'. 22 2 1,480 „ „ 2 200 1 1,880 1 1,720 1 1,800 1 1,520 1 1,800 M II acre, second cutting. Tons. Lb. 520 1,200 1,420 Total Yield i)er acre. Tons. Lb. 1 1,480 40 1,480 40 1,000 1,780 1,810 80 840 760 3 40 1 1,320 2 1,120 . 1,120 1 1,000 920 } 1,160 1 1,000 3 400 2 120 2 560 1,760 3 1,240 2 200 1 1,880 1 1,720 1 1,800 1 1,520 1 1,800 2 1,480 The most striking feature of the above table is the outstanding superiority of alfalfa over other hay crops, in regard to the quantity of hay produced. Only tlio plots that had alfalfa, either alone or in a mixture, had any second growth worth cutting. Some of the others made some growth after the showers in September, but that was too late for practical haymaking. The clovers, being biennial, liad largely died out at the end of 1912. Most of the plants of clover in this year's crop wouUl be from what seed had ripened and shelled out in one of the previous seasons. BftANDON. DiriSIOX OF FORAGE PLAXTS 915 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 • , The greater yielding power of Western Rye grass and Brome grass as compared with the other grasses is quite evident. Western Eye grass is an excellent grass for mixtures. Brome grass is recommended only for light land, as it is too persistent and becomes a weed in rich land. The notes on the percentage of the different sorts remaining in the mixtures are an interesting record of their relative hardiness and strength. Alfalfa and Western Kye grass stand out easily as the dominant crops. The plots referred to above have now produced crops in two seasons. In the follow- ing table the total yield per acre for the two years is given: — Common Alfalfa. . Grimm's Alfalfa. Montana Alfalfa. . Turkestan Alfalfa. Common Red Clover. . . Mammoth Red Clover. . Alsike White or Dutch Clover . Timothy Brome Gra.ss We.stern Rye Grass . . . Kentucky Blue Grass Red Top Orchard Grass Timothy Timothy Timothy Western Western Western Timothy, Timothy, Timothy, Western Timothy, Timothy, Timothy, Variety. and Red Clover . and Alsike and Alfalfa Rye Grass and Red Clover Rj'e Grass and Alsike Rye Grass and Alfalfa Western Rye Grass and Red Clover Western Rye Grass and Alsike Red Clover and Alsike Rye Grass, Red Clover, and Alsike Red Top and Alsike Western Rye Grass, Red Clover and Alsike. . Western Rye Grass, Red Clover and Alfalfa. Total Yield per acre 1912 and 1913. Tons. 9 9 10 10 3 7 6 1 3 I Lb. 540 840 680 1,060 1,320 1,120 620 320 1,880 1,900 1,520 1,280 960 1,920 5 900 4 1,920 6 1,200 6 ],3(;o 6 1,220 8 720 6 640 6 520 5 1,000 6 80 5 300 5 280 7 40 Brandon. 916 EXPERIMEyiAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 ANNUAL HAY CROPS. A series of plots of crops suitable for the production of a hay crop the same sea- son as sown, were put in this year. They were sown on May 2G on root land. The results obtained are as follows; the yields are of dry hay in each case: — Name of Crop. Oats Good . Peas and oats ... Spring rye Millet " Karly Fortune ". Millet "Siberian" Millet " Japanese " Millet " Hungarian ". . . . Millet "German" Millet " Common" Character of Hay. Good ■ Tlather coarse Very coarse, early. Medium Very coarse, late. . Medium Coarse, late Fairly good Date cut. Aug. 4 ., 4 July 18 Aug. 4 12 12 12 12 12 Yield per acre. Tons Lb. 6 5 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 800 1,200 400 200 160 1,200 1,840 These results would indicate that the common Manitoba practice of using sheaf oats for hay, -when regular hay crops are insufficient is probably the best that could be adopted. Br.^ndon. l!j-191.j-j). DIG. DIVIi, 26... >, 26.... M 26.... M 26.... „ 2() .... ,. 26.... ,. 26 ... . H 26.... Sept. 15.... ., 15.... M 15.... .1 15.... n 15.... • • ^15 ... „ 15 ... M 15.... .1 15... „ 15.... Inches. 70 84 82 78 86 36 72 bO 82 72 Early milk Late milk Ton.s Lb. 18 1,200 16 100 3 4 5 Early milk Late milk 21 1,800 9 1,200 19 200 C 7 8 9 10 •1 Early milk •. 11 n Average 14 800 26 1,41.0 18 600 22 400 20 200 18 1,420 FIELD ROOTS. If good results are to be obtained in raising live-stock some succulent food has to be provided for the winter. There is none better than field roots. This season extensive variety tests were carried on with turnips, mangels, sugar-beets, and carrots. Each variety was sown in duplicate test plots of Vioo acre each. TURNIPS. In this test there were twenty-three varieties. They were sown on summer- fallow on May 23, and were pulled on October 8. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Name of Variety. Hall's Westbury Magnum Bonum Hartley 's Bronze Top v. Halewood's Bronze Top Perfection Swede Good Luck Jumbo Mammoth Clyde Bangholm LapLi nd .... Elephant Hazard's Improved New Cen tury Canadian Oem Carter's Imperial Prize Purple Top In victa Yellow Aberdeen, Green Top Yellow Aberdeen, Purple Top Mammoth Greystone '. White Globe Ostersundoin Stubb Average. Yield per Acre. Tons. 28 31 33 27 36 SI 33 35 32 36 20 29 27 27 31 29 25 22 29 32 36 29 33 Lb. 600 900 200 1,000 1,.500 ],5t)0 9C0 200 1,6(10 800 1,000 100 1,400 200 1,900 800 1,700 500 1,200 1,400 1,000 1,400 1,100 30 1,083 Yield per Acre. Bush. 943 1,048 1,103 916 1,225 1,0.58 1,115 1,170 1,093 1,213 683 968 923 903 1 , 065 980 861 741 986 1 , 090 1,216 990 1,118 1.018 Lb. 20 20 20 40 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 40 40 40 40 20 Indian Head. DITISIOX OF FOUAGE PLAXT& 919 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 MAiXGELS. Eleven varieties of iiiaugeLs were tested in Vmh) acre plots. The rows were 2S inches apart and the roots were thinned out to 8 inches apart in the row. They were planted on May 23, and pulled on October 22. Mangels. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Narae of Variety. Yield pi 'r Acrn. Yield per Acre. (4iant Yellow (41obe Tons 18 13 10 28 19 22 19 22 22 20 21 Lb. 1,400 GOO 400 000 400 1,800 1,200 1,000 l,(iOO 400 800 Bush. 023 443 340 f;43 640 76S 053 750 700 (573 713 Lb. 20 Selected Yellow Globe , 20 Golden Tankard Gate i 'ost 20 Mammoth Long- Red ... Perfe tion Mimmoth Red 20 Prize Mammoth Long Red 20 (4iant Yellow Intermediate 20 Giant Halt Sutrar White 20 Average 19 l,83fi 663 56 Caurots. Xiue varieties of ^ield carrots were under test in Vim acre plots. These were planted on May 7, and pulled on October 24. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. ^ame of Variety. Ontario Chamrjion Half Lonp: Chantenay , . . . Mammoth White Intermediate. Giant White Vo.sge.s W hite Belgian Improved Short White Coopers' Yellow Intermediate. . Long Orange Long Red Surrey Average Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. Tons Lb. Bush Lb. 25 1,800 803 20 20 (JOO (;76 40 24 1,000 810 40 18 l,fi00 010 40 20 1,000 883 20 21 1,400 72:: 20 18 1 000 (;2i; 40 18 1,000 020 40 i<; 1,000 550 21 551 709 15 Sugar Beets. Three varieties of sugar beets were planted on INTay 23, and pulled on October 23. Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of V^ariety. Description of Variety. Y'ield per Acre. Tons Lb. 14 1.8^0 12 1,200 12 1,200 13 733 Yield per Acre, 1 Vilmorin's Improved " A " Fairly smooth Rooty .... Rooty Bush. Lb. 490 4(t 2 3 Vilmorins [mjiroved "B" Klein Wanx.leben Average 420 420 445 33 Indian Head., 920 EXPEIUMESTAL FA RMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTS WITH GRASSES, CLOVERS, AND' ALFALEA. More interest is being taken each year in grasses and clovers. This is hirgely due, first, to the increased price of live stock enticing more people into this line of farming, and therefore the problem of producing fodder becomes important. Second, in the districts that have been producing wheat year after year, the fields are becoming infested with weeds and the soil depleted in fibre and plant food. As grasses and clovo'.'s will help jemedy this condition, more of them are being sown each year. The question is often asked, which is the best to sow? Experiments with the different grasses and clovers has been under way on this Farm for a number of j'ears with the following results:— Grasses and Red Cloveu. Variety. "WebttTii Rye Gr.iss, Red Clover anil Timotliy ] 'ronie (iiass ^ * Western Rve (irass and Red Clover Red Top '. luiirlisli Blue (irass Red Clover Year Sown. 1!)07 IS!)!) 11)0 t 1!)('8 liHlS 1910 Yield in 1111.3. Tons. lb. 10 340 710 220 1,7150 1.5S0 A verage Yield for Four Years. Tons. lb. 785 no2 1)2!) 220 1,010 Timotliy and clover li.'ive jiractically all killed out in the above plot.s. Cloveks. As the clovers and alfalfa are the only protein or muscle-building forage crops that can be grown to any extent in the West, and as their renovating effect on the soil becomes better known each year, there are larger numbers inquiring as to which is the l)est variety to grow. While there is no doubt that alfalfa is best adapted to our conditions, it does not lend itself so readily to a short rotation as do the true clovers. The question then arises, which of the clovers will thrive the best in our climate. The following gives the result of those most promising: — Variety. T^ate Red Clover (from Sweden). . . . Coninujii Red Clover (from Sweden) Alsike (from Sweden) Yield per Acre. Tons lb. 1 1,480 1 7G0 1 610 Alfalfa. Alfalfa is recognized the world over as a dry-land plant, but it is only within recent years that it has received much recognition in Western Canada. It was thought for a long time that it was iiot hardy enougli to thrive in the severe climate of the West. Tests that were started some years ago disprove this. The question now Indian Head. DiriSIOy OF FORAGE PLANTS 921 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ib Avhicli variety will give the be:?t results. In the following tables the results are given of exi^eriments with a number of varieties : — Alfalfa. — Variety test, sown in 1908. Variety. 1913. Yield per Acre. First Cutting. 1913. Yield per Acre. Second Cutting. Average YiiM Five Years. Cirimni ... Tons. Lb. 1 1,GOO 1 1,500 2 500 2 300 1 1,000 1 790 Tons. Lb. 1,700 1 200 1 050 1 1,050 1 600 . . 1,950 Tons. Lb. 2 1,062 2 1,127 Idaho Montana 2 1 917 Dryland Frencl. Alfalfa Turkestan 3 026 2 1,7.^0 2 1,573 Alfalfa. — Test of Varieties, sown in 1909. Variety. Condition of Giowth. Yield 19i:i. First Cut. Yield 1913. Second Cut. Total Yield 1913. Average for Four Years. Canadian i Vihaorin's Sand Lucerne Poor Killed out Tons. Lb. 579 Tons. Lb. . . 1,737 Tons. Lb.' 1 316 Tons. Lb. 3 262 Lecoq's Mongolian Nephi Utah ;dry land) Sextorp, Neb Alt- Deutsche Frankische Provence Aubignan Wessel, Duval Peruvian Baltic Wernyj, Turkestan Partly killed. . Killed out .. ],544 . . 1,737 1 1,281 2 1,875 Strong 1? Medium Strong ■I ....... M Killed out 1 1,088 1 123 . . 1,737 1 509 2 53 1 1,274 1 1,474 1 1,GG7 1 1,088 1 123 1 1,GG7 2 53 1 1,9:>G 1 123 3 755 2 1,211 1 1,860 3 17G 4 lOG 3 1,230 2 1,597 3 431 2 1,292 1 1,471 3 884 3 1,601 3 1,780 3 1,351 Sand Lucerne (Dannstadt). . . . Chinook, Montana . . Liefnian's Sand Lucerne Arabian „ Mcdicdijo Ruthenica.. . Mtdtcayo Fdrata Sand Lucerne, Bromberg Thuringian, Kifurt — Strong Medium 'I ..... Strong Killed 1 1,088 . . 1,544 .. 1,447 1 1,351 1 G62 1 702 1 1,8G0 2 53 2 1,750 2 446 2 1,307 3 1,404 2 1,880 3 7G0 2 1,320 3 890 Sand Lucerne, Wi.'-senger Hungarian, Boschan Pfalzer (Bavarian) F''a«inet (Roumanian) Vasluiu u Strong Bt'lfuiitaine (Ohio) 1 702 2 825 2 i,404 2 1,184 2 560 2 GSO 2 140 2 620 2 548 1 1,720 1 1,600 1 1,840 2 8'> 2 140 2 440 3 1,527 4 492 4 73(! 4 1,000 4 760 3 1,740 3 1,500 3 1,968 3 600 2 1,700 2 1,700 3 360 4 120 3 600 2 1,280 3 1,730 2 440 3 1.920 3 1 754 Mixed .seed Old ]''raakish Lucerne W. A. Wheeler, No. 102 No. 240 It 11 n It .... 11 11 M II Medium Strong H tl 1 1,088 1 1,552 2 44- » 2 80 1 1,600 1 880 1 1,420 1 880 1 1(10 1,800 1 280 1 1,980 1 160 No. 104 No. 1(;7 (Jrinun IVlontaTia (23,454) No. 25,102 Sand Lucerne (2.'J,39 1) 3 (i30 2 1,170 3 1,840 2 1,880 2 1,780 2 ' ?>'M} Canaduin (variegated)., 3 1 2(i0 Canadian (puri)le flower.s). . . . Turkestan 3 l,5.i0 3 1 730 The dry weather during the first of the season which was followed later by wet weather will account for the second cutting being the heavier crop. Indian Head. 922 EXPERIMENTA L F. \RMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Alfalfa^ sown 1010. Variety. Remarks. Yield per Acre. First Cutting. Yield per Acre. Second Cutting. Total Yield. Strong Tons. Lb. 1 280 1 160 Tons. Lb. 1 736 2 440 Tons. Lb. 2 ],ot(; T^iirlw Dent Thayer White Dent . Average . Average Height. Inches. 84 75 7S 70 48 74 7t 84 G3 CO Weight per acre grown in rows. Tons 2G 20 20 13 18 18 18 18 15 15 9 18 Lb. 600 110 fi40 1,.300 i,4(;o 840 810 840 1,820 1,240 1,420 ♦ 646 924 EXPERIMENTAL FA RM.'? Turnips. — Test of Varieties. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 No. 1 2 3 4 5 0 V 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Name of Variety. Perfection Hazward's Improved Hall's Westbury Invicta Prize Purple Top Mammoth Clyde Canadian (Jem Good L\ick Hall's Westbury Hallwood's Bronze Top Lai)land Magnum Bonm Bangholum Carter's Imperial Hartley's Bronze Top Green Top New Century Jumbo Mammoth Grey Stone Yellow Aberdeen (Green Top). White Globe White Swede . . . Cow Horn Yellow Aberdeen (Purple Tup) . Stubb Elephant Ostersundom Average. Yield per Acre. Tons. Lb. 46 45 45 48 42 42 41 41 41 40 40 39 39 39 38 38 38 38 3r. 36 36 34 33 82 26 24 16 1,800 1,800 920 1.320 1,700 1,540 200 200 200 1,7-10 1,300 840 840 180 1,72<» 1,720 1,280 1,060 1,700 820 140 1,240 560 540 1,400 ISO 1,720 37 1,730 Yield per Acre. Bush. 1,563 1,530 1,515 1,455 1,429 1,425 1,370 1,370 1,370 1,362 1,355 1,314 1,314 1,303 1,295 1,295 1,288 1,284 1,228 1,213 1,202 1,154 1,109 1,075 890 803 562 Lb. 20 20 20 20 40 20 20 20 20 20 40 20 20 40 1,202 10 Mangels. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Name of Variety. Selected Yellow Globe Giant Half Sugar White . . Giant Yellow Intermediate. Giant Yellow Globe , Danish Skidstrup . . , Prize Mammoth Long Red. Gate Post Pf-rfection Mammoth Red . . Yellow Leviathan Golden Tankard Yellow Globe Average. Yield per Acre. Tons. 38 35 35 31 34 33 32 20 21) 2.-) 16 31 Lb. 1,720 1,210 1,240 800 800 1,220 100 1,860 1,610 920 280 8!)3 Yield per A( re. Bush. 1,2: 15 1,187 1,187 1,146 1,146 120 068 997 994 848 •533 Lb. 20 20 20 40 40 20 20 40 40 1,048 13 EOSTIIKUX. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 925 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Name of Variety Improved Short White Ontario Champion . , Long Red Surrey . . . Coo)ier's Yellow Intermediate . Long White Belgian Mammoth White Intermediate. Half Long Chantenay Long Orange Long Red Surrey Giant White Vosges Average . Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. 14 280 471 20 12 1,280 421 20 12 660 411 20 11 180 369 40 10 1,180 353 9 200 303 20 8 520 275 20 8 500 275 6 460 207 40 6 IGO 169 20 9 1,544 325 44 Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. 1 Improved Vilmorin A. 2 Improved Vilmorin B. 3 Klein Wanzleben . Average . Yield per Acre. Tons. 16 12 12 13 Lb. 1,060 1,000 340 1,407 Yield per Acre. Bush. 551 416 405 457 Lb. 40 40 47 SEEDING TO GRASSES AND CLOVERS. An experiment has been under way for three years on methods of seeding to grasses and clovers. In each case the quantities of seed sown per acre are the same, viz., 10 pounds Rye grass seed, 3 pounds Alfalfa, and 3 pounds Red Clover. The differ- ence in the various methods was the kind of crop preceding the sowing of the grass seed, and the kind of crop the grass seed was sown with as a nurse crop, if any was used. The first table shows the yields from seeding in 1911 on land that had been cropped to peas in 1910, and the hay in 1912 and 1913. The second table gives a duplicate of these experiments begun in 1911 with the seeding down in 1912 and the first hay crop in 1913. It also shows the various treatment of the land before seeding : — 1911. Seeded with wheat alone with wheat. alone with wheat. alone with oats. . . alone, with wheat. alone with wheat. Tons Lb. 200 1,080 160 1,040 400 680 .1,400 1,080 1,920 1,800 1,640 1913. Tons Lb. 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1,320 440 1,320 440 840 640 480 1,7G0 ploughed up 1 l','535 16—60 ROSTHERN. 925 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 SEEDING TO GRASSES AND CLOYEBS~C on eluded. 1011. 1012. 1913. Summer-fallow Seeded with wheat u alone M with wheat ti alone Tons Lb. 3 1,560 4 1,520 4 120 3 1,840 2 400 Hoed crop Wheat . II witli wheat 11 alone II with oats 3 40 1 1,960 M alone 11 with wheat ." 400 2 360 Oats Wheat II alone II with wheat 3 40 2 250 An experiment cannot be considered as conclusive until it has been carried on successively for a number of years, but at the present it seems fairly safe to conclude that better results are obtained by seeding alone than by seeding with a nurse crop. On the other hand it must be pointed out that by sowing with a nurse crop an extra grain crop is obtained, which would be lost by seeding down to hay without it. In both experiments recorded above the hay crop was rather light when oats were used as a nurse crop. Similar results have been obtained from large areas. The experience gained so far at the Station tends, however, to prove that it is not the nature of the nurse crop, but the absence or presence of the same that influences the hay crop. A nurse crop, whether it be oats, barley, or wheat, is apt to be so heavy as to lodge and thus smother the young grass. For example, very poor success had been recorded at the Station by sowing to hay with barley on summer-fallow. The barley grows so rank that it lodges and smothers the young grass. On stubble land, however, barley will no doubt prove to be the most satisfactory nurse crop. Besides the regular experimental work in seeding to grasses and clovers, the following are the results obtained on larger areas: One 2-acre plot sown to wheat in 1911 and seeded down with oats in 1912 yielded at the rate of 1 ton and 671 pounds per acre in 1913, and a plot sown alone in 1911 yielded 2 tons 768 pounds per acre in 1912 and 1 ton 1,950 pounds per acre in 1913. Another 2-acre plot sown to wheat in 1911 and seeded down with oats in 1912 yielded 1 ton 285 pounds per acre in 1913, and another plot seeded alone in 1911 yielded 2 tons 1,984 pounds in 1912, and 1 ton 335 pounds per acre in 1913. A 2-acre plot seeded alone in 1912 yielded at the rate of 1 ton 1,921 pounds in 1913. In 1912 the Eye grass from 2 acres was allowed to ripen, and after threshing it and fanning the seed 1,030 pounds of clean good Rye grass seed was obtained from the 2 acres. This was worth 15 cents per pound locally. The question is frequently asked what kind of grass gives the best crop. So far, Timothy, Western Rye grass and English Rye grass have been tested at the Station. The results of the experiments show that ^English Rye grass does not stand the winter and that the Western Rye grass is superior to timothy as far as yield is con- cerned and of about the same quality. About 15 pounds of good Rye Grass seed to the acre gives the best yield. Summarizing the above, the Station holds that Western Rye grass is the most satisfactory hay crop. The extra yield obtained by seeding alone does not make up for the loss of a grain crop by seeding with a nurse crop, providing the nurse crop is of such a nature as not to smother the young grass plants. ROSTHERN. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 927 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, SCOTT, SASK. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT. R. E. EVEREST, B.S.A. The season was not favourable for large yields. During- the early period of growth the weather was somewhat cool and the rainfall light. The intermediate period had a moderate precipitation with fairly high temperatures, and the closing time of growth was light in rainfall and moderate in warmth for the time of year. Records for Periods. Period. 1 May and .Tune 2 July and August 3 September and October. Maximum temperature 87-5 86-7 790 Minimum temperature 234 34 7 7-3 Mean temperature 51-2 .^n-9 421 Precipita- tion. Inches. 1-2 2-8 •8 Sunshine. He 233 4 260 5 185-7 INDIAN CORN. Eight varieties of corn were planted on May 21 in hills 36 inches apart each way on land which had been summer-fallowed the previous year. The seed germinated and made a slow growth for a time. At the cutting time the crop had failed to reach a stage where it was of value for fodder purposes. The character of the season (par- ticularly the cool nights) generally militates against the success of Indian corn here. With the breal>ing-up of more prairie land and with more thorough cultivation generally, there is no doubt, however, that the conditions will be improved so as to better answer the requirements of Indian corn. Even so, only early varieties can be thought of for reliable crops. FIELD ROOTS. Three main groups of field roots were grown this year, viz., turnips, mangels, and carrots. As well as to demonstrate the possibility of growing these erop.s success- fully, a number of varieties in each class were grown to determine the relative merits of the diflferont varieties commonly used. The seed was sown on the flat with a hand drill, the rows at a di>tance of 28 inches and a length of 92| feet. Four rows were used for each variety, from which the weight of crop was taken and the acre-yield computed. The area of each plot was V^,'.^ of an acre. The soil on which the work was conducted v:a> a chocolate loam, fairly uniform throughout the field. The land had been summer-fallowed the previous year and before sowing was double disced, drag harrowed, and packed. Thus the bed was firm and in good tilth for the reception of seed. 16— 60i 928 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS TURNIPS. Twenty-one varieties of turnips were sown on May 21. well and produced a uniform stand of plants. The rows were and 28, leaving the plants 12 inches apart. Throughout the hoe and scuffler was given to keep the crop clean and tlie soil The resulting crop as harvested on the IGth to 18th of size, roots good in quality and of a moderate total yield, seriously attacked by any pest or disease, and throughout thei tained a healthy thriving condition. 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 The seed germinated thinned out on June 27 season, cultivation with in good tilth. October was of average The turnips were not r time of growth main- TuRNips. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Name of Variety. iManimoth Grej'stoiie iWhite Swede Magnum Bor^um Invicta Hale wood's Bronze Top Hartley's Bronze Top ....:'.... Yellow Aberdeen (Green Top). Cow Horn Carter's Iini)erial Perfection Canadian Gem Good Luck Hazard 's Improved , Prize Purple Top Yellow Aberdeen (Purple Top). Green Top Jumbo Mammoth Clyde New Century Halls Westbury Bangholm La] )land Elephant White Globe . Average. 19 1,5S6 Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. 27 250 904 10 26 500 875 22 750 745 50 21 1,000 716 40 21 800 713 20 21 700 19 1,200 653 20 19 1,000 650 18 1,000 616 40 17 1,250 587 30 17 1,000 5K3 20 17 1,000 583 20 17 1,000 583 20 17 1,000 583 20 17 566 40 15 1,800 530 14 406 40 13 1,500 4.58 20 13 1,000 450 13 750 445 50 13 500 441 40 12 400 11 1,000 383 20 6 1,000 216 40 659 46 Scott. DiriSIOy OF FORAGE PLANTS 929 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 MANGELS. Ten varieties of mangels were sown May 22 on fallowed land. The seed was sown in drills 30 inches apart, and on June 28 the young plants were thinned to 12-inch spaces in the row. ISFecessary cultivation was given, and from the 13th to the 15th of October, a crop of good quality though somewhat below a fair average as to yield, was harvested. The mangels were not seriously molested hj pests nor were they affected by disease. Mangels. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Name of Variety. Selected Yellow Globe Giant Yellow Globe Prize Mammoth Long Red Giant Yellow Intermediate Dani.sh Sludstrnp , Yellow Leviathan Gate Post Mammoth Long Red Golden Tankard Perfection Mamiroth Rod. Avernge Yield per Acre. Tons. l(j 1.3 13 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 12 lb. 750 1,250 1,250 1,000 1,750 1,750 1,2.50 900 Yield per Acre. Bush. 545 454 433 420 416 400 395 366 362 354 415 lb. 50 10 20 50 40 50 40 30 10 CARROTS, I Eight varieties of carrots were sown on May 22. The plants were thinned to 6-inch spaces in the row. The land was cultivated from time to time to keep down weeds, and maintain a favourable condition of soil. The crop was harvested from the 11th to the 14th of October. The low yield is due to the work of gophers and rabbits, which did great damage, especially to the young plants, preventing them from developing properly. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Name of Variety. White Belgian Ontario Ch.impion Giant Wliitn Vosgt'S Half Long Chantenay Improved .Short White Mammoth White Interrfiediate Coopers Yellow Intermediate Long Re4 Surrey Long Orange Average Yield ])er Acre. Ton.s. 2 o 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 11). 1,250 SoO (■)!!0 550 500 .^00 1,950 1,400 1,250 869 Yield per Acre. Bush. 87 82 76 75 75 75 65 56 54 lb. 30 30 40 50 50 40 10 81 Scott. 930 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EED CLOVER. This spring an experiment with Red Clover was laid out in order to try to secure a type suitable to northwestern Saskatchewan. Ten different lots of Red clover seed obtained through the Central ExperimentaL Farm from seedsmen and private growers in Eastern Canada were sown in twenty small plots. Each sample of seed sowed two plots. The plots in one range were sown for the purpose of hay production. The plots in the second range were sown for the purpose of seed production. The experi- ment has a twofold object in view, first, to produce a suitable hardy variety of Red clover, and second, to prove the value of home grown seed. ALFALFA. An effort is being made to get an area 1 acre in extent established for the pro- duction of alfalfa as a hay crop. Deep cultivation was given by using a subsoil hook on the plough. After further preparation for a good seed-bed, two varieties of alfalfa were sown, viz., Grimm and Turkestan, the date of seeding being May 26. With the Grimm alfalfa a test of inoculation treatment was also undertaken, the land seeded with this variety was divided into three parts. On one division seed treated with nitro-culture obtained from the Ontario Agricultural College was used, on a second division no treatment of seed or soil was given, and on the third division inoculated soil obtained from the Experimental Farm, Indian Head, was sown. At the conclu- sion of the growing season the top growth of the crop was of average appearance, and from the foliage no marked difference between the areas seeded to Grimm alfalfa could be seen. Scott. DIVISIOX OF FORAGE PLANTS 931 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, W. H. FAIRFIELD, M.S. The rainfall during the spring of 1913 being light, in fact extremely scant during the latter part of May and the first half or more of June, the yield of most forage crops on the dry land was correspondingly light. The dry weather naturally did not affect tlie crops materially on the irrigated part of the Station. The investigations with forage plants were carried on as usual both on dry land and on irrigated land. The experiments on the dry, or non-irrigated land, are located a good distance away from, and above, the main canal to avoid possibility of seep- age. The crops experimented with on the irrigated land are irrigated in such a manner and at such time as to get the best results possible. To avoid any confusion the report is divided into two parts. The first deals yith experiments conducted on the part of the farm on which no irrigation is applied. The second part deals with experiments carried out imder irrigation. 932 EXPmUMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 PART I.— HON-IRRIGATED OR "DRY FARM." INDIAN CORN. Corn has done better than usual this season. Some varieties, such as North- western Dent, Canada Yellow, and Long-fellow ripened a few ears. Nine varieties were tested. They were planted May 15 on summer-fallow in rows 3 feet apart. Each variety was grown in a plot of Ms of an acre. They were all cut September 8. The character of the soil was a chocolate sandy loam. Indian Corn. — Test of Varieties. o Name of Variety. Character of Growth. Ninety Days jErect. Coiiipton's Early iTillers freely. Longfellow ~ Early Longfellow Canada Yellow Salzer's North Dakota Windus Yellow Dent Thayer White Dent Squaw Tillers freely Tillers freely Low and branchinp^ Tillers freely Erect Erect Low and branching Height. Inches 66 63 60 56 42 63 63 60 32 Leafiness. 4 10 10 10 9 10 4 4 8 Condition When Cut. Late milk . Early milk. . Early milk . Silk Late milk . . Early milk. . Late milk . . Late milk . . Almost ripe. Average Weight per acre grown in rows. Tons. Lb. 11 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 1,064 178 520 1,248 176 1,264 72 656 1,024 8 467 TURNIPS. Twelve varieties of turnips were sown on summer-fallowed land on May 20, and pulled October 6. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and thinned to about 10 or 12 inches apart in the rows. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Variety. Good Luck Perfection Hartley's" Bronze Top . . Hall's Westbury Magnum Bonum Lapland Bangholm Prize Purple Top . Jumbo Mammoth Clyde . . . . Mammoth Greystone. . . Halewood's Bronze Top. Average 16 Yield per acre. Tons. 20 19 18 17 17 17 16 16 16 15 14 13 Lb. Bush. Lb. 1,307 688 27 465 641 5 211 603 31 1,819 596 59 692 578 12 153 569 13 1,075 551 15 536 542 16 340 539 233 503 53 1,449 490 49 1,734 462 14 1,835 563 55 Lethbridge. Plate LXVIII. Flood Irrigating Alfalfa. Lethbridge. First cutting of Alfalfa on irrigated land, Lethbridge, Alta. \ IG— 1915— p. 932. BIT IS ION OF FORAGE PLANTS 933 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 MANGELS. Eleven varieties of mangels vp-ere sown on summer-fallow May 7, and pulled on October lY. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and thinned to about 10 to 12 inches apart in the rows. The size of the plots from which the yields were computed were each Hoo of an acre. Mangels. — Test of Varieties. o 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Variety. Gate Post Selected Yellow Globe , Giant Half Sugar White L>anish Sliidstrup. Giant Yellow Intermediate Giant Leviathan Perfection Mammoth Long Red. Giant Yellow Globe Prize Mammoth Long Red Mammoth Long Red Golden Tankard Character of growth. Heavy tops . . •Small tops. . . Medium top.s, Heavy tojis. . Heavy lops. . Medium tops. Heavy tops . . Small tops. . . Heavy tops. . Heavy tops. . Medium tops. Average. Tons. 24 21 21 19 19 19 18 17 17 15 14 19 Yield per acre. Lb. 425 1,775 675 1,575 1,475 1,4^*5 1,100 1,750 1,425 1,125 1,525 Bush. 807 729 711 Go9 657 657 618 595 590 518 402 3S9 639 Lb. 5 35 15 35 55 5 20 50 25 45 5 49 CAREOTS. Nine varieties were sown on summer-fallow on May 7, and pulled October 10. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and the plants were thinned to 6 or 8 inches- apart in the rows. The size of each plot from which the yield was computed was %8 of an acre. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Name of Variety . Mammoth White Intermediate Improved Short White Cooper's Yellow Intermediate. Ontario Champion Half Long Chantenay Long Red Surrey White Belgian ... Long Orange Giant White Vo&ges Average Yield per Acre. Tons 11 10 9 9 8 7 8 T I 6 Lb. 516 1,903 1,355 1,600 1,542 L827 S5() 63 1,.500 1,907 Yield per Acre. Bush. 375 365 322 326 292 263 280 234 298 Lb. 16 3 35 40 22 47 56 23 27 SUGAR BEETS. Four varieties were sown on summer-fallow on May 10, and dug October 11. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and the plants were thinned to 6 to 8 inches apart in the rows. Th.e area of each plot from which the yields were computed was- Hs of an acre. Letiibridge. 934 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Tfo. Name ot Variety . Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. 1 2 3 Raymond No. 2358 .. Vilmoriu's Improved "B" Vilmoriu's Imjjroved "A" Tons * 12 12 9 10 Lb, 1,505 498 743 . 1,144 Bush. 425 408 312 352 Lb. 5 18 23 4 Klein Wanzleben 24 Avera"'e 11 473 374 33 MILLETS. Millets as a rule have not yielded particularly well at this Station. It appears that the land must be carefully prepared or otherwise the crop will be light. On stubble or fresh broken sod it produces very little indeed. It has been found that the only way to get a satisfactory yield is to sow them on summer-fallow. The following table gives the results of seven varieties sown on summer-fallow in plots of 3^o acre ■each. ' MiLLET.s. — Test of Varieties. Variety. Date Sown. Siberian Hungarian Common Hog •German Early Fortune. Japanese May 5. 5. 2. 2. 2. II 5. 2. Date Cut. Aug. 6.. 6.. 6.. July 30 Aug. (5.. July 24.. Aug. 6.. Yield Per Acre in 1913. Tons. Lb. 1,000 600 200 100 1,200 1,200 Average Yield per acre for Two Years. Tons. Lb. 1,600 300 950 850 400 1,700 750 PERENNIAL HAY CROPS. One of the most difficult problems confronting the dry land farmer in the drier parts of southern Alberta is the question of raising some kind of profitable hay or pasture crop. By the use of summer-fallow, whereby storing of a certain amount of moisture in the subsoil is effected it is possible to raise profitable crops of grain in medium dry seasons. Thus, the safest means to obtain feed, would be to cut grain green. This is, however, expensive as it entails the necessity of ploughing and seeding for each crop raised. In the case of a perennial crop, conditions are quite different. A perennial crop keeps on growing during the summer and late into the fall using up all the available moisture. In the spring when it continues its interrupted growth, there is therefore no reserve moisture in the subsoil to draw on, and to tide it over the dry periods. The perennial crop has consequently to depend entirely on the rains that come during its growing period. Lethbridoe. ' DIVIffTON OF FORAGE PLANTS 935 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The efforts made by the Station during a number of years to overcome the diffi- culty of raising profitable perennial hay crops on non-irrigated laud have so far resulted in the development of a method which seems to be promising. The principle of this method is simply to plant the hay crops in rows and cultivate. By growing the hay crops in rows a sufficient distance apart, the stand will be much thinner than if the seed is sown broadcast or in drills close together, but as the amount of moisture and nourishment awarded the plants in the rows is larger, the crop generally grows high enough to allow cutting. The cultivation also produces a mulch which aids in conserving the moisture. It also prevents weed growth. There appear, at the present time, to be only three permanent forage crops worth considering, for dry land farms. They are Alfalfa, Western Rye grass, and Awnless Brome grass. Of these, alfalfa no doubt is the superior one. Western Rye being of a bunch grass nature and not inclined to make a thick sod is better for hay than is Brome grass. It should be cut soon after it heads out; other- wise, it is apt to become woody and unpalatable to stock. For pasture, Awnless Brome grass is superior, it being of the same nature as couch or twitch grass, i.e., spreading from underground root stalks. It is, however, difficult to eradicate. This is especially true on rich, moist soils where it is really a most serious pest when it once has established itself. ALFALFA IN ROWS. On account of the reasonably good success obtained on the Station by growing alfalfa in rows, both for hay, but more particularly with the object in view of raising seed, quite a few farmers in the district are beginning to sow small areas in this way. It has been found advisable not to have the rows much less than 30 inches apart if grown for hay. If seed is to be raised, 3 feet or possibly 3^ feet apart is probably better. In view of the fact that an increasing interest is being taken by many farmers in the question of sowing alfalfa in rows for the production of seed it might be well to call attention to the importance of starting with seed of the Grimm variety or some other equally hardy strain. Although, in the Lethbridge district, practically all varieties of alfalfa seem to be sufficiently hardy, it must be kept in mind that this is not the case in other districts in the province of Alberta. Consequently, from a general point of view, the importance of producing seed only from the strains that have proven to be particularly hardy is quite apparent. The yield of seed is always uncertain as it is governed to quite a great extent by climatic conditions at the time the seed pods are forming. This year our yield of seed was light, averaging only about 70 pounds per acre. Seed selection in a small way has been begun by collecting seed from a few indi-" vidual plants that seem to possess the most desirable qualities, i.e., earliness, leafiness, an upright growth, -and a free-blooming character. Rows from the seed of individual plants collected in 1912 were planted the following spring and the plants were thinned out to three feet apart each way. Seed was collected this season for further work along this line next year. MIXTURES FOR PERMANENT PASTURE. A large number of small plots were laid out and planted in 1912 with different grasses and clovers and with various mixtures of the same. These were cut during the summer as often as the growth was a few inches high and a record was kept of the yield in each case. As this record is for one season only, another year's work will be required before it will be of much value. Lethbridge. 935 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 PART II— THE IRRIGATED FARM. As would be expected, the yields from the corn roots and hay were all mivch heavier on the irrigated thiin on the non-irrigated land. INDIAN CORN. As on llie dry land the corn was raised with the object in view of producing ens i] aire. Eight varieties were tested. They were planted May 15 on stubble land that had been manured the previous fall and were all cut September 8. The rows were 3 feet apart. The yield was computed in each case from a plot %o of an acre in size. They were irrigated once on July 24. Indian Corn.— Test of Varieties. o Name of Variety. Compton's Early Early Longfellow . . . . Longfellow Salzer's North Dakota Ninety Days Cana ia Yellow . . VVindus Yellow Dent. . Thayer's White Dent . . Average. Character of Growth. Tall and tillered... Medium and tillnrs Tall and tillers... . Medium and tillers Erecc Short and tillered. Erect Erect Height. Inche.s. 76 72 73 72 74 SO (58 68 Leafinei ss. So 8-5 8 8-5 8 5 6 8 7 Condition when Cut. Late milk In silk. . . Late milk Doughy . . Late milk Weight per lore. Tons. Lb, 1.5 14 14 13 11 10 9 7 1,278 1,913 41 1,810 854 417 915 1,308 12 317 TURNIPS. Twelve varieties of turnips were sown May 10 on stubble land, manured the previous fall and pulled October 16. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and thinned to about 10 or 12 inches apart in the rows and were irrigated on July 24. The size of the plots from which the yield was computed was Vioo of an acre. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. 11 12 Variety. Yield Per Acre. Mammoth Groystone Perfection Good Luck Magnmii Bonum Hartley's Bronze Top . . Bangholm Mammoth Clyde SJLapland gJHairs Westbury 10 Prize Purple Top Jumbo , . Halewood's Bronze Top. Average Tons. Lb. 39 35 33 32 32 31 31 31 30 29 28 20 1,000 1,000 1,500 1,000 ryOO 1,750 1,000 5(»0 500 750 1,500 1,000 31 833 Bush. Lb. 1,316 1,183 1,125 1,0.S3 1,075 1.062 1,050 1,041 1,008 979 958 083 1,047 40 20 20 30 40 20 10 20 20 13 Let H BRIDGE. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 937 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 MANGELS. Eleven varieties of mangels were sown on stubble land, manured the previous fall, on May 5 and pulled September 26. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and thinned to about 10 or 12 inches apart in the rows. The size of the plots was M.ooth of an acre each. They were irrigated on July 24. Maxgels. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Variety. Gate Post . Selected Yellow Globe Giant Half Sugar White Danish Sludstrup Yellow Yellow Intermediate. . . . Yelkw Leviathan Pi affection Mammoth Long Red. Giant Yelluw Globe Prize Maumioth Long Red Mammoth Long Red Golden Tankard Average. Tons. 2t 21 21 19 19 19 18 17 17 15 14 19 Yield per Acre. Lb. 1,425 1,725 ()75 1.575 l,4-'5 1,425 1,100 1,750 1,425 1,125 1,525 470 Bush. 823 728 711 059 057 (557 618 5^5 590 518 4'.;2 041 Lb. 45 45 15 35 5 5 20 50 25 45 5 10 CAEROTS. Ten varieties of carrots were sown May 7 on stubble land, manured the previous fall, and were pulled October 10. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and the plants were thinned to about 6 or 8 inches apart in the rows. The size of the plots was %8th of an acre each. They were irrigated July 24. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Name of Variety . Ontario Cham [)ion Mammoth White Intermediate (C.E.F). . Cooper's Yellow Intermediate White Belgian Giant White Vosges Long Orange Half Long Chantenay Long Red Surrey Improved Short White Mammoth White Intermediate Average Yield per Acre. Tons Lb. 17 17 16 18 13 12 13 11 14 11 14 1,084 888 1,173 1,142 1,342 598 1,061 3ii3 l,f^66 1,888 1,604 Yield per Acre. 5S4 ."SSI 5."i2 (;19 45") 4ii9 4()1 373 ■497 'MS 493 Bush. Lb. •44 28 53 •) 42 58 1 13 40 8 Lethbridge, 938 EXPERIMEN'TAL FARMS SUGAR BEETS. 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Four varieties were sown May 10 on stubble land, manured the previous fall, and were pulled October 13. They were sown in rows 28 inches apart and the plants were thinned to 6 or 8 inches apart in the rows. The area of each plot was. %s of an acre. They were irrigated July 24, and again on September 30. Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Varietj'. Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. 1 Pvlpin WaiiylpUen . Tons Lb. 13 166 15 674 14 861 12 1,735 Bush. 436 511 481 428 Lb. 6 2 3 Vilmorin's luijiroved "A " ....... Vilui'jrin's Improved "H' 14 1 4 Raymond No. 23 S A verao'e 55 13 1,859 464 19 ALFALFA. The acreage of alfalfa on irrigated lands in the province is increasing rapidly from year to year as the importance and value of this crop is better appreciated by the farmers. It has been grown successfully in the Lethbridge district for the past dozen years. The total acreage now well exceeds 10,000 acres. On the Canadian Pacific Railway Company's irrigated lands in the Strathmore and Gleichen districts it is being introduced more slowly. Everything indicates, however, that it can be profitably raised there, provided care is exercised in ascertaining the source of the seed so that only hardy types are used, and proper cultural operations in the manner and time of irrigation are employed. Alfalfa is peculiarly adapted to irrigation. It produces large crops each year and owing to the fact that a stand will last for many years after it is sown, it Hs very profitable there being no expense attached to it except irrigating and harvesting the crop. To get the best results the land should be irrigated for each crop or cutting. The yield depends entirely on the care exercised in irrigating, that is, no parts of the field should be missed and no parts over-irrigated sufficiently to injure the crop. In this connection it must also be mentioned that, according to reports in the spring of 1914, fall irrigation is not a safe practice in all districts. The average yield per acre on the Station since 1909 (the first fields were sown in 1908) of field-cured hay has been just a little over 5 tons per acre. Some tests have been made to ascertain the best quantity of seed to sow. The results obtained are given in the following tables. The plots were all sown alone, no nurse crop of grain being used. The Station recommends using from 15 to 20 pounds of seed per acre. If con- ditions are very favourable, i.e., if good rains come just after the seed is sown, less will do, but as it is a crop that will remain a long time on the land and one that will not thicken but rather is apt to become thinner as it becomes older, a liberal supply of seed is usually true economy. The hay from a thick stand has finer stems and so is better in quality. Lethbridge. DITISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 939 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Experiment with Eates of Seed per Acre of Alfalfa (Irrigated) Sown in 1912. Rate of Seed per Acre. Size of Plot. Yield per Acre, First Cutting. Yield iier Acre, Second Cu ting. Yield per A ere, Third Cutting. Total Yield per Acre . Lb. 5 10 15 20 25 Ac res 05 49 46 43 34 Tons Lb. 1 ISO 1 643 1 543 1 465 1 985 Tons Lb. 1 460 1 928 1 1,130 1 814 1 1,617 Ton.s Lb. 1,120 1,204 1,000 970 926 Tons Lb. 2 1,880 3 775 3 673 3 255 3 1,529 Experiment with Rates of Seed per Acre of Alfalfa (Irrigated).- Half an Acre. Sown in 1911. -Size of plots Rata of Seed per Acre. Yield per Acre, First Cutting. Yield per Acre, Second Cutting. Yield per Acre, Third Cutting. Total Yield per Acre for 1913. Total Yield per Acre for two Years * Lb. 5 10 15 20 25 Tons Lb. 2 410 2 1,160 2 1,090 2 1,210 2 720 Tons Lb. 1 1,120 1 1,660 1 1,960 1 1,800 1 1,890 Tons Lb. 1,080 1,320 1,340 1,490 1,160 Tons Lb. 4 610 5 140 5 390 5 500 4 1,770 Tons Lb. 6 1,450 7 1,240 7 1,750 8 180 7 1,670 *In the year of 1912 only two cuttings were taken. Variety Tests of Alfalfa. In the spring of 1909, seed of fourteen varieties or strains of alfalfa was planted that was received from the United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. This was supplied by the courtesy of Mr. J. M. Westgate, Agronomist, Division of Forage Crop Investigations. The following table gives the results for the season : — Varieties of Alfalfa. o (D N .|H CO O < 1-40 1 10 1-10 1-10 1-40 1-10 1-10 1-40 1-40 i-io: 1-10 1-40 1-10 1-10 23203 From Wemyj, Turkestan.. 24859 Kansas Hardy 24837 Canadian (Variegated) Turkestan from Ottawa 22788 From Aulie-ata, Turkestan. 23454 Montana 2.3,394 Sand Lucerne 22"9 ( From Kiva, Turkestan .. . . 22789 From Tt^chimkent Turkstan 21032 Turkestan 25102 25022 Old Frankish Lucerne . . . 24S'^(i Canadian (Purple Flowers). 23:<96 Sand Lucerne June 9, 1913. First Cut- ting Yield per Acre. Tons. Lb. 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1,000 750 1,040 300 600 1,400 1,.350 1,200 1,900 (ioO 1,800 1,850 July 28, 1913 Sept. 10, 1913 Second Cut-i Third Cut- ting Yield ; ting Yield per Acre. per Acre. Tons. Lb. 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 400 1,450 l,8.-)0 1,-500 1,550 1,050 200 1,300 1,600 600 1,000 850 Tons. Lb. 1,600 1,550 1,600 950 800 1,500 1,200 1^00 850 1,050 1,200 1,2.50 1,100 Total for 1913. Yield per Acre. Tons. Lb. 6 4 5 5 6 5 4 4 5 5 4 5 4 3 1,000 1,750 490 1,750 1,400 450 1,600 1,400 1,400 50 1.300 1,600 100 1,950 Average Yield per Acre for 4 Years. Tons. Lb. 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 1,750 1,658 1,558 1,488 1,430 1,230 563 .550 190 1,995 1,975 i,8(;o 1,700 1,170 Lethbridoe. 940 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Variety Tests of Grasses. Variety. Timothy Wustem Rye Boneless Brome Grass Size of plot. Yield per acre, l'J13. Acres. Tons. Lb. 2 240 1 T'M 1 1,000 Average yield per acre for five years. Tons 2 2 2 Lb. 908 958 1,140 All the plots were cut on July 31. A CHEAP EOOT CELLAE. The question of providing a satisfactory frost-jjroof storage place for roots at small cost is a problem that meets every farmer as he locates on his land in this part of the province. The Station has found that a convenient vray to build a root cellar at small expense is to make an excavation about 6 feet deep and cover with 7- or 8- foot fence posts — the ordinary split cedar ones are quite satisfactory — laid 5 to 7 inches apart. Over these is put a foot or more of straw and then two feet of soil. Little trouble is ever experienced with the sides giving way, provided rain water is not allowed to collect around or in the cellar. Split cedar posts are used for the roof as they are the cheapest material available, selling locally in most points in the district at 12 cents to 14 cents a-piece. Either 7- or 8-foot ones can be used. If the former, the excavation should be made llj feet wide and as long as desired up to 50 or 100 feet or more. On account of the shape of the excavation it can be nearly all taken out with a plough and scraper, the only hand work necessary being a little on the sides to keep them true and plumb. After the excavation is made, a 6- by 8-inch timber or a convenient-sized log the full length of the cellar is placed in position supported by sound posts placed about 4 feet apart. These posts should be placed on mud sills in the form of large flat stones or pieces of plank to prevent settling when the earth roof is put on. Posts are then laid side by side running from the ridge pole to the side, as indicated in the illustrations. A good layer of straw is put on and then plenty of soil, not less than 2 feet in any place. Ventilators are provided. Sometimes shoots 20 inches or 2 feet in diameter are provided in the roof to make it more convenient to get the roots in. The entrance now has to be considered, and it is important that this is carefully planned so as to prevent the possibility of frost getting in. Double doors are necessary. If the cellar is placed on the side of a hill the entrance is simple, but if it is necessary to build on level ground, as is often the case, some such plan as illustrated in the accompanying sketch is necessary. A trap door in place of the roofed entrance way may be used, but the objection to it is that snow is apt to drift over it badly, often causing considerabl-e inconvenience. By using the small-roofed entrance way. indicnted. this difficulty is avoided. If a large cellar is required, two ridge poles may be provided, placing them 6 feet apart, thus making the total width of the cellar 17 feet. The rest of the cellar would be made in the same way. Lethbridge. XI I— I X H H ux 2 I-" V o o p^ a. -a O o B. \5 16-1915— p. 040. y. \ K 7 Q M N U ^ o > _1 u in CD I' a »— f D O c o pi -a O DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 941 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, LACOMBE, ALTA. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, G. H. HUTTON, B.S.A INDIAN COEN. Eight varieties of Indian com were planted on May 26, 1913, in hills 30 inches apart each way. The soil was black clay loam which was ploughed out of timothy and clover sod in July of 1912. The land was packed immediately after ploughing, worked up with the disc and drag harrowed in the fall. All varieties of corn were tasselled when cut, though the earlier "Sorts were considerably further advanced than later varieties. Each variety was grown on an area Voo of an acre in extent and the yield per acre computed from same. Indian Corn for Ensilage. — Test of Varieties. ►5^ Name of Vaiiety. Comptou's Early Early Longfellow Salzer's North Dakota, Longfellow Canada Yellow. ...... Ninety Days Wind us Yellow Dent. Thayer White Dent. Date of Sowing. Date of Cutting. May 26th . . Sept. 9... 2fith . . M 9... 26th . . 11 9... 26th.. 1. 9... 26th . 1 9... 26th.. 11 9... 26th . . 11 9... 26th . . n 9 .. A verage Height. Inches. 67| 65i 65^ 70i 62| 66 58i 57 Condition when cut. Tasselled.. . Weight per Acre. A vera^'e Tons. Lb. 10 9 9 8 7 6 4 3 1,500 1,750 300 400 1,450 1,950 019 TUKNIPS. Sixteen varieties of field turnips were tested. The land was ploughed in July of 1912 out of timothy and clover sod. It was packed and well cultivated in the fall. The seed was sown on June 4 on the level in rows 28 inches apart. The plots were %o of an acre in size. Harvest took place on October 4. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Name of Variety. White Glojbe Mammoth Greystone Yellow Aberdeen (Green Top). Yellow Aberdeen (Purple Top) . Good Luck Perfection ... Lapland Hartley's Bronze Top Mammoth Clyde Prize Purple Top 1 Jumbo . i Magnum Bonum jBangholm I Hall's Westbury Halewood's Bronze Top White Swede Average. Yield pei ' Acre. Yield per Acre. Tons Lb. Bush. Lb. 28 450 940 60 26 1,400 890 21 800 713 20 19 1,800 663 20 19 . 633 20 18 1,550 625 50 18 750 612 30 16 1,200 553 20 16 850 547 30 16 250 537 30 16 . 533 20 15 600 510 15 500 , 13 850 447 30 12 1,800 430 . . 6 800 213 20 17 1,069 .5S4 20 16—61 942 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 MANGELS. Eleven varieties of mangels were seeded on May 15 on the level in rows 28 inches apart, on soil similar to that on which the turnips were seeded, black clay loam, and handled in a similar manner. They were harvested September 23. Mangels. — Test of Varieties. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Giant Yellow Globe Selected Yellow Globe Giant Half Sugar White Gate Post Danish Sludstrup. Yellow Leviathan Giant Yellow Intermediate. Golden Tankard Prize Mammoth Long Red . Mammoth Long Red Per. action Mammoth Red.. Average 618 Yield per Acre. Yield pet Acre. Tons. Lb. Bush. Lb. 6 1,500 225 5 600 170 40 4 1,100 151 40 4 600 143 20 4 350 139 10 4 100 135 4 133 20 3 1,950 132 30 3 1,200 120 3 850 114 10 3 550 109 10 143 38 CAEKOTS. Eight varieties of field carrots were tested. The seed was sown May 15 on the level in rows 28 inches apart. High winds blew out a large quantity of the seed and checked growth of the plants that remained. They were harvested on September 23. Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. Improved Short White Ontario Champion White Belgian ... Cooper's Yellow Intermediate. . Giant White Vosges Mammoth White Intermediate. Long Red Surrey Long Orange Average . Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre, Tons. Lb. 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1,650 950 550 900 150 100 1,900 1,350 1,444 Bush. Lb. 160 115 109 81 69 68 65 55 90 50 50 10 40 10 20 50 44 Lacombe. DIYISIOIi OF FORAGE PLANTS 943 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 SUGAR BEETS. Three varieties of sugar beets were tested. The seed was sown on May 26 in rows 28 inches apart on land ploughed out of sod in July of 1912 and fall worked. High winds interfered with the yield of this crop. The crop was harvested Sep- tember 23. Sugar Bekts. — Test of Varieties. No. Naine o f Varict}'. Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre. 1 Vihnoriii's Iniproved A. . . . Tons. 5 4 4 Lb. 1,100 1,700 1,C00 Bush. Lb. 185 ?, Klein WanzUhen . 161 40 8 Vilmorin's Improved B 160 Average 5 133 1G8 53 ALFALFA. The Grimm and Turkestan varieties of alfalfa continued to prove hardier than any other varieties which are suitable for commercial use, and which have been tried up to date. Three acres of alfalfa were this year seeded in drills 28 inches apart and cultivated during the early part of the summer. The young plants made a vigorous start and an interesting comparison will be possible next season between the crop on this area and that on a block of the same kind of alfalfa seeded broadcast. Moles, or pocket gophers, are giving trouble on our fields of alfalfa which have been longest seeded, and have totally eaten out quite a large section of this area. It is an expensive mattei^to combat this pest as the rvms must be found and the animals either trapped or poisoned in the runs underneath the surface. GRASSES AND CLOVERS. Five selections of timothy seed were seeded last spring on one-eightieth acre plots in duplicate. Half of these will be compared as to their value for the production of hay, and from the remainder seed will be saved. The same plan was followed out with a similar number of collections of clover seed. Kentucky Blue grass is being used by Central Alberta farmers as a permanent pasture. This valuable grass does remarkably well on this soil. It is one of the earliest to produce forage in the spring, stands heavy pasturage well, and continues growth late in the fall. Lacombe. 16— 61i 944 EXPEIUMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, AGASSIZ, B.C. REPOKT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, P. H. MOORE, B.S.A. INDIAN CORN AND FIELD ROOTS. Variety tests were conducted with a number of varieties of Indian corn, turnips, mangels, carrots, and sugar beets. Every variety was grown in two plots, situated some distance apart in the field allotted to the experiments. In some cases the two plots of the same variety yielded exactly the same, while in others there was a marked difference between them. This difference in yield between two plots of exactly the same variety, due to slight variation of the soil, tends to emphasize the value of the double-plot system. By calculating the yield of a variety from the average yield of two plots, more reliable figures will be obtained as to the yielding capacity of the variety in question than if the yield were based on the crop harvested from a single plot only. Indian Corn, The fodder corn was planted on fall-ploughed land which was not particularly fertile an 1 which was quite badly infested with couch grass. The planting of these plots was done somewhat later than usual, which influenced to sortie extent the yield of the various plots. The vitality of some of the seed was not up to standard and it was planted accordingly, in some cases as many as eight seeds to the hill. This, however, gave a hundred per cent stand, and in some cases a little thinning had to be done. The plots were planted in hills 3 feet apart, as this distance has proved the best in our experience. .^ As, according to experience gained through experiments during a number of years, in nearly every case the yields of ensilage bear a direct relation to the strength and ^er cent of germination, it is of the greatest importance that all com seed be tested before planting. It is furthermore of importance that right varieties be chosen for ensilage. As, under ordinary conditions, there is no danger of the corn becoming too ripe for ensilage, and, furthermore, as the later varieties generally do not mature enough, it is evident that the early varieties are preferable to the late ones. From a general point of view, the corn that grows \mtil the grain is in the soft dough stage is the most satisfactory to handle, store and feed. Of the eight varieties of Indian corn grown, Compton's Early gave slightly the highest yield, followed closely by Early Longfellow. Although sometimes not making quite the highest yield these two varieties usually give the best results from a silage standpoint, and can therefore be recommended for general use. Fnder trial are, however, some new varieties which may prove superior in time. A small plot of seed was ripened but of this we can say but little at present. The quality was only fair. Although a small quantity of good seed was obtained, the bulk of the crop consisted of nubbins. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 945 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The yields of the different varieties are as follows : — Indun Corn for Ensilage. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Compton's Early Early Longfellow Longfellow Ninety Days Salzer's North Dakota. Wiiidus Yellow Dent Canada Yellow Thayer White Dent... Average . Date of Sowin;^' . May 31. D.ite of Cutting. Oct. 7. A verage Height. Inches . 86 94 90 87 .S4 88 63 78 Condition when cut. Soft dpugh. Late milk. Soft dough . Soft dough . Soft dough. Late milk. Ripe Late milk. Weight per Acre. Tons Lb. 17 16 15 13 11 10 8 8 1,179 1,113 1,514 1,117 819 512 1,799 1.589 12 1,780 Mangels. The mangels were sown in drills 2h feet apart and 14 inches apart in the drill. The seed was planted at the rate of 9 pounds per acre, this quantity j»-iving us a perfect stand at the time the plants appeared above the ground. The experiments with mangels were carried out on land which the previous year was in clover. The land was fall-ploughed and given a light dressing of farmyard manure. At the time of planting, a small amount of chemical fertilizers was sown in the drills. ^ That a dressing of chemical fertilizers, applied in the drills at the time of plant- ing, greatly increases the yield is the experience gained by tests carried out during the past three years. By application of the fertilizer at the time of planting the tender seedlings are given a supply of easily accessible food, enabling them to make a rapid and vigorous start. Out of eleven varieties tested, the Danish Sludstrup proved to be the leading one. The Danish Sludstrup is a favourite in Denmark, highly recommended for its large yield of dry matter per acre. It is a long, yellowish-red mangel which grows high out of the ground and has a compact root and a close, neat top. The other varieties are all well known and are listed on the table in the order of their gross yield per acre only. Seed was sown on May 2, and the crop harvested November 10. Mangels. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 X 9 10 11 Name of Variety. Danish Sludstrup Prize Mammoth Long Red . Giant Yellow Globe Yellow Leviathan Giant Yellow Intermediate Mammoth Long Red Giant Half Sugar White . . Selected Yellow Globe Golden Tankard (i ate Post Perfection Mammoth Red . Average Yield per Acre. Tons 30 34 34 32 31 31 30 30 27 27 25 Lb. 1,700 1,450 287 125 600 600 1,700 1,5.52 1,075 75 125 31 117 Yield per Acre. Bush. 1,228 1,157 1,138 1,068 1,043 1,043 1,028 1,025 917 901 835 Lb. 20 30 7 45 20 20 20 52 55 15 25 1,035 17 Agassiz. 946 EXFERIM i:\TAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 TURMI'S. Ten varieties of turnips were grown, and, being badly infested witb the cabbage maggot, gave only fair yields. On account of the unevenness of stand, some of the turnips were very coarse. The Baiigholm heads the list with a yield of 30J tons per ^ere, being 10 tons in advance of the lowest yielder. The turnips were sown in drills 2i feet apart and 14 inches apart in the drill. On account of the infestation of the cabbage maggot, one-half of each of the two 'duplicate plots of all varieties was treated with either kerosene emulsion or crude carbolic acid. This work was done by Mi*. R. C. Treherne, of the Division of Ento- mology. From what can be learned from the year's experiments, however, little or no benefit was derived from the application of either one of the two insecticides referred to. Seeding took place on May 8, and the crop was harvested November 10. Turnips. — Test of Varieties. No. 1 2 3 4 6 6 7 8 9 10 Name of Variety. Banp'liohn Oomitig's Lajiland Good Ldck Hartley's Bronze Top. . . Hall's VVestbury ..... Magnum B(tnuni Perfection Halewood 's Bronze Top. Jumbo Mammoth Clyde Average Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre, Tons. Lb. 30 27 25 25 24 24 23 22 22 20 1,000 "966 75 1,625 1,075 850 1,975 925 1,275 24 1,370 Bush. Lb. l,01(j 91 '0 848 834 827 817 780 766 748 687 40 26 35 5 55 50 15 45 55 822 50 Carrots. Of the nine varieties of carrots tested. Improved Short White, for the third suc- cessive year, beads the list, with a yield of 28 tons G12 pounds to the acre. The carrots were planted in drills the same width apart as the mangels, namely 2J feet, and were left 7 inches apart in the rows. It should be mentioned especially that carrots do exceptionally well on the aver- age sandy soil of the Experimental Farm. The handling of the crop, including sing- ling out in the rows and pulling is, however, a little more expensive than the handling of mangels. Seeding took place on the 8th of May and the crop was harvested November 11. Agassiz. DIYISIO]^ OF FORAGE PLANTS 947 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Carrots. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. Yield pel • Acre. Yield per Acre. 1 2 3 4 Improved Short White Mammoth White Intermediate White Belgian Ontario Champion Tons. 28 26 25 25 22 22 20 16 16 Lb. 612 1,125 800 50 1,725 1,575 812 1,975 675 Bush. Lb. 943 32 885 25 846 40 834 10 6 6 7 Half Long Chantenay Cooper's Yellow Intermediate Giant White Vosges 762 5 759 35 680 12 8 9 Long Orange Long Red Surrey 566 15 542 55 Average 22 1,472 757 .52 Sugar Beets. ' The sugar beets were grown on the same kind of land aii4 under the same treat- ment as the mangels, but were thinned to only 8 inches in the row. The seed was sown on May 7 and the crop harvested November 10. The following table will show the results of the varieties tested: — Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. Yield per Acre. Yield per Acre 1 Klein Wanzleben Tons. 23 21 21 Lb. 750 1,200 75 Bush, ^.h. 779 Id 2 Vilmorin's Imi^roved ■' A " Vilmorin's Improved " B". , 720 701 16 Average 22 8 733 28 GRASSES AND CLOVER. With a view of producing, by continuous natural mass selection, strains of clovers and grasses particularly adapted to the coast districts of British Columbia, a series of experiments was started with clover and a few grasses including Timothy, Orchard grass and Italian Rye grass. The different plots made fair growth during the season, although badly infested with weeds. However, at the end of the season, there was a reasonably good stand of clover. Some of the timothy plots were exceptionally good. Agassiz. 948 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 SUB-STATION, FORT VERMILION, ALTA. REPOET OF ROBERT JONES. INDIAN CORN. TIk! past summer was very favourable for corn growing on account of the hot and dry weather throughout the summer, with no setback except one slight frost on the 24th of June. Of the six varieties planted four were fit for use. The seed was. sown on May 6 in one-thirtieth acre plots in hills 3 feet apart. The crop was cut on September 22, and weighed while still green. Below are the results obtained: — Name of Variety. Longfellow Seed from Coloradi^. Early Malcolm .... Early Gorohoon . . . Early Cory Longfellow Red Nose. . . May 6 ■§1=4 be o :- u to 0 .is 'r. ai c Q ft < ^ Inches May 6 Sept. 22 27 Aug. 8 Sept. 15 ■■ 6 „ 22 64 „ 1 „ 10 M 6 M 22 36 July 18 July 24 „ 6 „ 22 38 M 22 Aug. 4 .. 6 M 22 52 ,- .30 8 0- 6j ,. 22 50 „ 25 6J Condition when cut. 3bs very small and green. Cobs first formed Doughy Late milk Late milk. CC Tons. Lb, 17 1,640 17 4 5 5 5 320 1,240 1,400 1,700 140 3 Sept. 1 5 15 WHITE SQUAW. One row 33 feet long 11 hills 3 feet apart, in tassel July 16 ; length of stalk 2 feet, in silk July 22; 4 bundles of stalks 6 pounds per bundle, could be used from August 7, quite ripe when cut September 22. FIELD ROOTS. All the uniform test plots of roots were grown on land that had grown wheat in 1911 and had been fallowed in 1912. The land had been ploughed in the early part of June, 1912, with manure at the rate of 20 tons per acre, and thoroughly cultivated through the summer. TURNIPS. Four varieties of turnips were sown in uniform plots of one-thirtieth of an acre. The seed was sown in drills 2i feet apart and the young plants thinned to about 12 inches apart in the rows. The seed was sown May 5 to 13, and the roots pulled on September 29. DIVISION OF FORAGE PLANTS 949 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The following are the yields obtained: — Tc'RxiPS. — Test of Varieties. No. Name of Variety. Description of Variety. Yield p^ Acre. 1 Perfection Round, purple Flat, round, purple Round, i)ur|jle Medium long, bronze Tons Lb. Bush. Lb. 20 1,340' r.so 2 3 Magnum Bonum Good Luck 20 220 tJ70 20 19 4.3i) 640 30 4 Hartley's Bronze Too 19 123 G35 23 Average 19 1,528 €58 48 1 MANGELS. Four varieties of mangels were sown on May 7, on land that had the same pre- paration as for turnips. The plots were pulled on September 27. The following are the yields obtained: — Mangels. — Test of Varieties. 6 Name of Variety. Gate Post Giant Yellow Globe . . . Giant Yellow Intermediate. Prize Mammoth Long Red. Average. Size. Large . . . Large . . . Medium. \J ediuni . Tons. 23 Yield per Ajre. Lb. 25 1,000 850 24 .^40 809 21 1,560 726 20 1,940 699 26J Bush. 771 Lb. CARROTS. Four varieties of carrots were sown in uniform test plots of one-thirtieth of an acre each. Sown May 10 and 12, and pulled September 23. The following are the yields obtained: — Field Carrots. — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. 1 [Ontario Champion 2 1 White Belgian 3 Mammoth White Intermediate . Half Long Ghantenay. Average . Size. Large . . . Large . . ^Medium . Medium. Tons. 19 19 18 16 18 Yield per Acre. Lb. 940 7<".0 1,260 700 915 Bush. 649 646 621 545 615 Lb. 15 Vermilion. 950 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 SUGAR BEETS. Three varieties of sugar beets were grown in uniform test plots of one-thirtieth (.if an acre each. The seed was sown in drills 26 inches apart and the plants thinned out to 1 foot apart in the row. The seed was sown May 10, and the roots pulled Sep- tember 22. The following are the yields obtained: — Sugar Beets. — Test of Varieties. Name of Variety. Size. Yield per Acre. 1 V'lmorin Imj^roved Medium Mefiium Sniall Tons. 18 17 15 Lb. 'hob 1,080 Bush. 600 575 518 Lb. ?, Klein Wanzleben 3 French Very Rich Average 10 1,800 564 GRASSES. Two plots of Canary grass were sown : one plot of one-sixtieth of an acre and one of one-half acre. ' The yield from the one-sixtieth acre plot was at the rate of 2 tons 86 pounds per acre, and, that from the one-half acre plot 2 tons 940 pounds per acre. They were cut August 1. All the other plots of grass were ploughed up in June after manure at the rate of 15 tons per acre had been applied. The land was disced twice and a smooth- ing harrow run over a number of times. This land will be in readiness for the spring of 1914. ALFALFA AND SAINFOIN. Alfalfa was again sown this summer. The seed was sown on June 4 in one- fortieth acre plots on land that had grown roots the previous year. The alfalfa made very healthy growth throughout the season. Up to the present no entirely satisfactory crop of alfalfa has been grown at the Station, it being always partially killed out during the first winter. So far, there has consequently never been a full stand the following season. The seed sown this summer was from the Lacombe Experimental Station. Sa7id Lucerne. — Out August 12; length of stalk, 22 inches; yield per acre, 1 ton 1,000 pounds. Grimm's Alfalfa. — Cut August 12; length of stalk, 21 inches; yield per acre, 1 ton 600 povmds. Spanish Sainfoin. — One plot sown on June 4 in a one-fortieth acre plot; cut on August 12 ; length of stalli, 16 inches ; yield per acre, 1 ton. Vermilion. 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 Dominion of Canada DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Dominion Experimental Farms REPORT FROM THE POULTRY DIVISION For the Year Ending March 31, 1914 PREPARED BY The Dominion Poultry Husbandman, Ottawa. . . . . .-. . F. C. Elford. Superintendent — Experimental Station, Charlottetown, P.E.I. J. A. Clark, B.S.A. Experimental Farm, Nappan, N.S. W. W. Baird, B.S.A. Experimental Station, Kentville, N.S. W. S. Blair. Experimental Farm, Fredericton, N.B. W. W. Hubbard. Experimental Station, Cap Rouge, Que. G. A. Langelier. Experimental Farm, Brandon, Man. W. C. McKillican, B.S.A. Experimental Farm, Indian Head, Sask. T. J. Harrison, B.S.A. Experimental Station, Lacombe, Alta. - ------ G. H. Hutton, B.S.A. Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B.C. P. H. Moore, B.S.A. Experimental Station, Invermere, B.C. --..-.. G. E. Parham. 951 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 REPORT FROM THE POULTRY DIVISION. Ottawa, Ont., July 6, 1914. The Director, Dominion Experimental Farms, Ottawa. Sir, — I have the honour to submit herewith the twenty-seventh annual report of the Poultry Division, being- the first since its reorganization, at which time I took charge. Included herein are reports of the Experimental Farms and Stations where poultry work is being carried on, prepared by the following Superintendents : J. A. Clark, Charlottetown, P.E.I. ; W. W. Baird, Nappan, N.S.; W. S. Blair, Kentville, N.S.; W. W. Hubbard, Fredericton, N.S.; Gustave Langelier, Cap Kouge, Que.; W. C McKillican, Brandon, Man.; T. J. Harrison, Indian Head, Sask. ; G. H. Hutton, Lacombe, Alta.; G. E. Parham, Invermere, B.C.; and P. H. Moore, Agassiz, B.C.- During the past year poultry work has been commenced at eleven of the branch Farms and Experimental Stations, with a poultry man in charge x)f each plant. Some of the foundation stock for these plants has been supplied from the Central Farm, but owing to the limited number of breeding stock we have had here, it was neces- sary to procure most of the eggs and breeding stock from other sources, a good deal of which may have to be replaced as soon as better stock can be obtained from the Central plant. The three new buildings erected on the Central plant this year have helped con- siderably in the work, and as soon as the administration building is erected and the old buildings removed, the plant will be rearranged so that not only can the work be accomplished more economically, but visitors will be enabled to see the plant and experiments without inconvenience. In February, Mr. Geo. Robertson was appointed Assistant, and his help in select- ing the numerous experimental matings, as well as the breeding pons, has been most valuable. The demand for lectures and judging continues. Difring the year, Mr. "Victor Fortier, Assistant Poultry Husbandman, has been absexit 106 days attending meetings and fairs in Quebec and Ontario, and many requests have had to be refused because of previous engagements. During the year one bulletin has been published and eight pamphlets are in pro- cess of preparation. Tlie bulletin published is No. 16, second series, " How to Tell the Age of Hens and Pigeons,'' by Victor Fortier. It is the first of its kind that has ever been published by any Station, and is meeting with a kind reception. I wish to acknowledge the hearty co-operation of members of the Experimental Farm staff in our experimental work, especially that of the Dominion Chemist, Dr. F. T. Shutt, in the examination of feeds and his assistance in the Port Arthur screen- ing experiment, and also that of Dr. C. H. Higgins, Dominion Pathologist, who has always been ready to advise in reference to poultry diseases and to co-operate in this most important line of investigation. I have the honour to be, sir. Your obedient servant, F. C. ELFORD, Dominion Poulir,'/ Hushandmav. 953 5 GEORGE V. .SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM, OTTAWA. REPORT OF THE DOMINION POULTRY HUSBANDMAN, F. C. ELFORD. FEATURES INFLUENCING THE POULTRY INDUSTRY. The past year has had at least two features that have aifected the poultry industry and that may be of interest here, the one refers to conditions influencing the general price of eggs, and the other the importation of Chinese eggs into Canada. Owing to the mild winter and coruparatively early spring of 1912-13 throughout Canada, hens laid well, which resulted in a good supply of new laid eggs on the market early in the season. The same conditions prevailed in the Western States and, as a result, eggs in Chicago were very low and a considerable quantity of the southern eggs were imported into Canada. These, along with our own supply, brought the prices lower in February than they had been for several years. The spring, though early, was cold and long drawn out, and the early summer, especially around Ottawa, dry; as a consequence the young stock did not mature as well as usual, and the pullets were not developed as they should have been when entering winter quarters in the fall of 1913. The extremely heavy laying in the mild winter and spring of 1913, followed by the somewhat backward growth of the pullets during the summer and fall, left the laying- stock in comparatively poor condition for winter, and of course the scarcity of new-laid eggs last winter and the accompanying high prices were a natural consequence, and an " egg famine " was frequently predicted. Prices for strictly new-laid eggs in Ottawa were in some cases 75 cents and 80 cents per dozen, while in Montreal $1 was reported in special cases. The stores in Ottawa were charging 60 cents, though prices for eggs from the Experimental Farm were not higher than 50 cents, as this was thought high enough even for strictly new- laids. This condition was quite general throughout Canada, and though prices may not go to such a height for some time again, yet strictly new-laid eggs in the season of scarcity will always demand a high figure, as every year there are more people who will have them no matter what they cost. The surplus new-laid eggs at the Farms and Stations are sold for eating pur- poses, and the prices obtained, though they may not be the actual prevailing local prices, indicate the relative prices for strictly new-laid eggs throughout the Domiir'nu. The following table shows the average prices obtained, by provinces, for the three winter months of December, January, and February, and also the average price for the three months: — 955 956 EXPE'RIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Table No. 1. — Prices, by Provinces, of New-laid Eggs at the Experimental Farms and Stations for three Winter Months. Province. No. of I'lants. Dec. Jan. Feb. Average. ■Central Kxperimental Farm, Ottawa 1 2 1 1 1 • 2 1 1 Cents. 50 55 * 50 * 32 - 40 31 Cents. 50 54 * 50 30 31 40 '32 Cents. 50 51 35 50 30 30 35 30 Cents. 50 British Columbia 53 Alberta Saskatchewan 35 50 Mani toba Nova Scotia New Brunswick . . P.E.I 30 31 38 31 Average price 43 41 39 * No prices given. It will be noticed that December had a higher average price than had the months of January or February, and this is usually the case for the strictly new-laid quality. British Columbia comes highest in average price, and Manitoba lowest. One of the reasons for Manitoba's comparatively low price is because of its nearness to Chicago, from which so many train loads of eggs are shipped into Canada every spring. The high prices reported from British Columbia are largely owing to the Station at Invermere in the Upper Columbia valley, where because of local conditions the prices were excep- tionally high, December 70 cents, January OS cents, and February, 62 cents. During the year a shipment of Chinese eggs arrived in Canada and found their Avay to many centres throughout the country. In Ottawa they were sold as ordinary stored eggs, and it is quite possible that those consuming them were not aware that they were not Canadian or at least American. It is likely, however, that they were used only in cooking. The eggs were smaller than ours, and in some places were ■disposed of as " pullets' " eggs. According to the Customs figures, there were in these shipments 406, 562 dozens, valued at $59,954. This Chinese invasion need not frighten the Canadian producer who markets the strictly new-laid egg, as the class of eggs likely to be received from this source will not come into competition with his superior quality. The shipments from the United States however, are a much greater factor in influencing the general prices in Canada, and though these should not come into competition with our new-laids in the winter, they do help to bring down the prices in the early spring a few weeks before our own fresh eggs come on the market. During the last fiscal year, 11,274,036 dozens of eggs were imported into Canada, at a cost of $2,630,364. Poultry to the value of $293,513 was also imported into Canada. In an agricultural country like Canada it does seem as if we should grow eix)ugh €ggs and poultry at least for our own use. THE YEAR'S INVESTIGATIONS. Most of the investigational work to report this year is comparatively new, and because of this the experiments reported will not be many and in some cases the report will be one of progress rather than of final results. The experiment on cotton-front houses has been running since 1907, so that the report this year will be but a continuation. Other experiments such as breeding- must necessarily cover indefinite periods, and may take several years before there will be anything to report Ottawa. El u O o be S J2 IB aj E c S be X.S C X O o '^':: -^ £ ■^ o c S o ^ m cS §s 3 > O O CI s, =^§ o be 3 m 3 O Ph "o 03 16— 1915— p. 956. DIVISION OF POULTRY 957 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A few experiments have been conducted and are being reported on this year. It would be well to note, however, that this investigational work has been in operation but the one year since the reorganization of the Division, during which time new buildings and temporary quarters have interfered to no little extent with thisi work, and it may be possible in the light of future experiments that the ultimate findings in some of these may vary. COTTON-FEONT HOUSES. That the so-called cotton-front house has demonstrated its usefulness even in cold climates is becoming the experience of many practical poultrymen. The cotton front house, built in 1907, was the first of this type that was constructed on this Farm. Since that time the reports of this Division have all contained more or less information on temperature, egg yield, fertility, and healthy condition of the stock housed under these conditions; but it has always been a matter of conjecture as to the correct area of cotton or the proper proportion of cotton and glass necessary to give the maximum temperature with minimum range and good ventilation. ''I have 'lots' of cotton on my poultry house but still moisture accumulates on the inside and the litter on the floor soon becomes damp " is the complaint of numerous correspondents and visitors seeking advice from this Division, but the cotton ai-ea allowed per bird and cubic air space is never mentioned. The table of temperatures, floor space, cubic air space per bird, etc., given below is not shown as a decision on any particular house, but to point out that all of these factors have an influence in determining the suitability of any house. Table No. 2. — Showing the maximum and minimum; also range and average tem- perature in poultry houses having various proportions of cotton and glass. +3 Temperature. O ei ■1^ -1^ Max. Min. Range. Averagre. q "x ft u no „ ^ K o oV o o o o lg -f^ J o ^ » g % 0) ^ Oil d '^ f^ Q O Ci D 0 o 0 c o O o 1-5 o o Q i-» U< o 0 0 ]6 340 2,.'3r,0 66 20 32 44 44 45 15 4 4 29 40 49 31-8 24-2 21 17 340 2,5f>/J 44 20 32 48 43 16 16 4 4 32' 39 50 33- 1 26 6 28 19 80 580 32 12 30 52 58 46 10 14 J6 42 72 62 28 25 S 26 22 1.50 1,012 26 17 47 46 52 54 4 20 22 42 72 76 301 22 5 19 2 23 120 1,010 37 12 12 48 48 50 6 19 22 42 67 72 30- 1 21 4 17 24 120 810 25 16 43 52 48 46 8 14 18 44 62 64 30-3 23 7 21 25 SO 520 32 16 4S 50 12 14 36 ... . 64 32-7 21 2r, 80 560 35 9 21 44 44 44 6 10 20 38 54 64 29-5 23 8 16 27 80 520 26 12 41 58 47 52 3 10 16 55 57 68 32-2 23 3 18 28 80 4()0 26 ^ 21 48 50 40 10 12 16 38 62 56 31-8 23 4 18 6 Note. — ^Pens Nos. 16, 17 and 19 are permanent, the remainder are portable colony houses. Pens Nos. 16 and 17 were the east and west halves of a Tolman style house. Pen No. 23 had a straw loft and the glass window was replaced* by a cot- ton screen at night. DEDUCTIONS. It will be seen from the above that pens 16 and 17, which are two divisions of one house, are considerably warmer than any of the other houses, and this in spite of the fact that the space allowed in these two is over twice that allowed per bird in 16—62 Ottawa. 953 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 6 GEORGE v., A. 1915 some of the other houses. The cotton area is somewhat less in comparison and yet the house and litter was always dry. A cut of the house appeared in last year's report on page 672 and is now known as the " Gilbert " house. In the open air the thermometer registered as low as 30° below and, taking all things into consideration, this would at first appear to be as nearly ideal conditions as it is possible to obtain in an unheated house and still maintain an abundance of fresh air without draughts, the temperature, with one exception of 4°, never falling below zero. Lack of sunshine in the house, however, detracted from the results that were expected from these otherwise favourable conditions, and it is now proposed to experiment with a house of similar construction but without a centre partition as exists in this house, so that the whole interior will get the benefit of the sun's rays from the east and west windows without interruption. Of the movable colony houses, pen 27 showed up favourably, and it was noted that this house appeared the most cheerful and bright of the smaller types. This was no doubt due to the radiation through the glass beneath the cotton frames which made the floor and deep litter a cheerful spot for the hens. The glass area running horizontally and not extending over 3 feet 6 inches higher than the floor, though quite satisfactory in a shallow house, would not be as suitable for a deep or wide house as a window that extended higher. The deeper the house the higher the glass should be to allow the sun to penetrate the farthest corners. The illustration is from a photograph of this type of movable colony house 8 feet by 10 feet. Pen 24, the original cotton-front house frequently referred to in the reports from this Division, continues to hold its own for cheapness of construction, and the tempera- tures registered in this house would probably have been a little higher had it not been situated in a spot more shaded from the sun than some of the others. Thus far our experience would indicate that for an 8-foot by 12 -foot colony house in this climate a suitable proportion of wood, glass, and cotton would be, estimating from the floor up, 15 inches wood, 2 feet glass, and 3 feet 6 inches cotton. This also allows the placing of the door in front. BKEEDIFG. An investigation by numerous single matings is being carried out with a view of determining the influence of the male and female on the progeny, and how far each may be responsible for the vitality, fertility, production of eggs and meat, colour of plumage, type, sex, etc. This work is of the greatest importance though unavoidably slow, and must necessarily extend over a period of years. "Work was started in this direction in the spring of 1913, but owing to extensive alterations to the buildings then and now going on, has been more difficult to handle than would otherwise have been the case. Unavoidably changing birds from pen to pen naturally has interfered with results which, though encouraging, are hardly definite enough to be put forward authenti- cally and will be held over for a subsequent report. BEOODT^^G. Because of the unsettled state of the plant, in that new buildings were not com- pleted and other buildings not started, it was impossible to carry out the brooding experiments which were anticipated. Electric hovers placed in the cockerel house were used for brooding and into these were put the chicks when first out of the incubator. As other chicks arrived the early ones were moved into the Ottawa. DlVI^IOy OF POULTRY 959 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Simplex Brooder house and from there taken to the individual hovers placed in colony houses. A ROOM BROODER. The room brooder into which a Simplex Brooder stove is j)laced is intended for brooding on a fairly large scale. The house shown here will accommodate 500 to biOO chicks. It is divided into two rooms, the oil-burning stove is placed in one room while the other room is used for an indoor run. This brooder has been used for two seasons at the Central plant and has proven a very satisfactory, method of brooding chicks in large numbers, but should be operated to capacity or the expense of heating will be too high. By making temporary divisions, chicks or ducks of various ages can be accom- modated at the same time. FERTILITY. ONE MATING ONLY. The following investigation was carried out with the object of determining the number of eggs that would be fertilized with one intercourse only. Virgin females were selected, or those that had been separated from the male bird for at least eight months and were just about to lay. The hens were taken individually from the trap nest after laying and allowed one intercourse only with the male. Eggs laid after intercourse were placed, in an incubator and tested on the seventh day. Table No. 3. — Showing number of eggs fertilized by one mating only and the time that fertility was traceable. d .2 I) be bl O cc Egg Laid. Fertile or Infertile. Egg Laid. O 0; '6 J bo bo l-H bo O oj ^1 2 Mar. 24 Mar. 2fi F Apr. 2 F 44 Mar. 20 Mar. 28 F Mar. 29 F Mar. 31 F Apr. 14 I (iO Mar. 26 Mar. 31 F Apr. 2 F Apr. 12 I I Apr. 7 70 Mar. 27 Mar. 29 Mar. 31 I Apr. 1 I Apr. 2 I Apr. 5 50 Mar. 28 I Apr. 1 I Apr. 3 I Apr. 4 I Apr. 6 45 Mar. 28 Mar. 31 F Apr. 1 I Apr. 3 ^ Apr. 4 F Apr. 6 41 Mar. 28 Mar. 29 I Mar. 31 F Apr. 1 F • Apr. 2 F Apr. 5 Apr. 7 Apr. 8 42 Mar. 28 Mar. 31 F Apr. 1 F Apr. 3 F Apr. 5 I 34 Mar. 25 Mar. 30 F Apr. 1 F Apr. 2 F Apr. 6 F F 7 Mar. 25|Mar. 27 F Mar. 29 F Mar. 31 F Apr. 3 I Apr. 4 I 4 Mar. 2(3 1 Mar. 28 I Mar. 30 I Mar. 31 I Apr. 2 I Apr. 3 I 21 Mar. 28 Mar. 30 I Apr. 7 I A pr 8 I 1 1 Notes.—-' F." means fertile and " I." infertile. Ottawa. 960 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Hens 70, 50, 4, and 21 " missed," and their eggs were all infertile. No. 34 laid five fertilized eggs in succession. Ho. 45 laid an infertile egg preceded and followed by fertiles. It appears from the results shown that five fertilized eggs is the maximum from one mating only, and is of interest on account of the possibility of strong fertility from the use of a good vigorous male with a larger flock of hens than is generally con- sidered advisable. All eggs were infertile aft^r date in above table. FERTILITY TEST FOLLOWING 12 HOURS MATING. In conjunctioia with the previous experiment a test of the fertilizing powers of one male was also tried on another flock of hens that had not previously been mated. In this instance, females were allowed intercourse ad. lib. with the male for about 12 hours and then removed to other quarters where there was no possibility of a repeti- tion. By studying the following table it is "apparent at a glaace that this arrangement is more conducive to results than the " one mating only " proved to be. This method of mating appears highly satisfactory ensuring, as it does, the attention of the male to the laying hens only and safeguarding him from the inter- ference of the non-layers or from wasting his energies in unprofitable attention. The fairly early date of mating in an unusually cold spring mitigated against high fertility, and the fact that the males had been confined to small winter quarters for several months indicates that this system of mating might prove advantageous if generally adopted. It is proposed to carry out an experiment on these lines through an entire hatch- ing season, and on its conclusion more definite information will be available. Table No. 4. — Showing high fertility obtained by mating about 12 hours, number of eggs fertilized without second intercourse, and date laid. be 0 CD ■J be be >5 o a tbi— 1 F.. F.. ?:: F.. F.. F.. bo bo O V -d bo bo o aj "d be bo P=9 Fertile or Infertile. Egg laid. O ID 51 Mar. 30 . . April 2. . . I... April 5. . . April 28 I.. April 29 I... I... May 4 . . I. . 9 Mar. 30 . . April 1. . . F.. April 3. . April 4 . April 4 . I. . F.. F April 6 . April Ifi I.. April 18 I. 47 Mar. 30 . Vpril 1. . . F.. I... F.. April 2. . . April 6. F.. April 15 I... April 17 I. 7 Mar. 30 . . Mar. 31 . . April 1. . . April 4 . April 6. F.. April 8 . F . . April 10 I. 40 Mar. 30 . . April 2. . . April 14. . Apiil 26 r... F.. F.. April 26 T I... I... 54 Mar. 31 . . April 2. . . F.. April 3. . . April 5 . April 6 . F.. April 9 . April 11 F. 69 Mar. 31 . . April 2. . . F.. April 4. . . F.. April 8 . April 10 F.. I... F.. April 27 April 30 I. 74 Mar. 31 . . April 1. . . I... I... F.. I... April 3. . . F.. April 4 . F.. F.. April 6 . April 7 . F.. April 25 I. 48 Mar. 31 . . April 1. . . April 3. . . F.. F.. April 4 . April 6 . April 7 . April 9 . F.. April 11 F. 9 Mar. 31 . . April 2. . . April 4. . . F.. April 8 . F.. F .. April 10 F- April 14 April 21 I. I. 23 April 2. . . Apiil 8. . . Aj.ril 10. . F.. April 13 F.. April 15 April 191... Notes. — Of the eleven hens in this test, three laid eggs the first day after mating and of these none was fertile; five hens laid the second day after mating, and all eggs were fertile. Ottawa. DIVISION OF POULTRY 961 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The number of fertile eggs that resulted from the one mating ranged from one in the case of hen No. 61 up to five in Nos. 48 and 9. The first fertile eggs were received the second day after mating, and the last eleven days after, none being fertile after the eleventh day. In the instance of hen No. 74 there was a repetition of the unfertilized egg pre- ceded and followed by a fertile one; table No. 3, hen 45. An egg laid the day after mating was never fertile. The second egg laid after mating was fertilized in ten instances out of eleven. Five fertilized eggs is the maximum of any hen, as was noted in previous experi- ment. Table No. 4, hen No. 48, laid five fertilized eggs, the last egg being eleven days after mating. INCREASE OF PEN FERTILITY AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF MALE. It was deemed advisable to keep a record of the increase in fertility day by day, the fluctuation and the time the maximum fertility would be reached when the male was introduced at the commencement of the hatching season. For this purpose two pens of Barred Plymouth Rocks were selected and each mated with a vigorous cockerel. Pen 16 contained thirty-one 2 and 3 year-old hens, and pen 22 contained twenty-three pullets. Ottawa. 962 EXPElilMENTAL FAliJIS o O Si (-1 C3 >j -1-5 CO P be o 6 73 o S c a; (M a J3 00 o s o o 5C 00 o t^ lO 00 to 00 o CD c o o CO 00 to © 35 CO M 00 © o u to l^ CO to to CO 00 © © in IM O O W T3 CO CO 00 o IM S C<1 ^ ^ 3 g g V. '^ I 1—1 CO 00 IM OS (>4 ■^ -^ ! 00 in 00 o OS eo to © in 05 (M T-H '•O 5? s , © in t^ J= -U o in t- r-^ o in l>. ^' I— ' CO © to in _5_ 0) bo 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Ottawa. DITISIOy OF POULTRY 963 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The maximum fertility, 100 per cent was reached in the pullet pen 22 six days after mating, and occurred three times in a period of twenty-one days. A good show- ing when we. take into consideration the number of females mated with one male and the unusually cold spring. The maximum fertility of 100 per cent was reached in pen 16 which contained the old hens, on the eleventh day after introducing the male. The fertility increased more rapidly and continued a good deal stronger in the Tullet pen than in the pen of old hens. It would seem, therefore, from the above that it is fairly safe to set eggs and sell them for hatching six days after mating, providing that the breeding stock pos- sesses plenty of vigour. It also is of interest to note that the first fertile egg was laid the third day after mating, though out of eleven eggs laid and set that day it was the only one fertilized and it produced a strong healthy chick. FORTY-FOUR WHITE LEGHORN HENS WITH ONE MALE. In the following experiment the object was to substantiate somewhat the deduc- tion arrived at in the previous investigation, and also to note the time before one male would be giving the maximum fertility in a pen of many layers after being intro- duced to the pen. In this experiment the male was in the pen with the whole flock and allowed intercourse ad. lib. in the usual way. Table No. 6. — Showing fertility, egg yield, and hatching as season advanced. ti c 8 u Ph 56 8 77-3 86-4 w be be 1st Test. 2nd Test. s: 1 Per cent fertile. Per cent fertile hatched. 33-3 58- 1 54-6 Per cent total eggs hatched. Date. 02 Si ^ a Mar. 15 Mar. 30 Apr. 7. . . 25 34 38 30 55 106 Nil. 12 13 2 4 4 28 30 89 4 6 10 24 33 79 10 25 51 100 0 78-2 87-7 33-3 45-4 48-1 It will be seen from the above table that the increased number of hens laying at the third test in no way told against the percentage of chickens hatched out ; on the f>ontrary, improvement is shown all round. Though the percentage of fertility was highest when only 5G.8 per cent of the hens were laying the total hatch was only 33.3 per cent. When 86.4 per cent of the pea were laying the total hatch was 48.1 per cent, and the fertility 87.7 per cent. The season being further advanced and the birds getting more out-of-door exercise would improve the fertility and accoinit for the better showing in the last hatch. This test shows a fair hatch with a number of hens that has generally been con- sidered more than it was advisable to mate with the average male. Ottawa. 964 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 FERTILITY AFTER BROODINESS. An investigation to ascertain if without mating again, fertility could be traced in eggs laid after hen had been broody for any length of time. Table No. 7. — Fertility, if any, after setting and brooding for periods mentioned. 1 a Eggs set. , 20 u 11 First egg laid after setting and brooding. June 13 ., 15 M 13 „ 20 No. fertile . 0 0 0 0 In all thirty-six eggs were set from four hens, but in no instance could the slight- est trace of fertility be found. ~^ COOLING EXPERIMENT. One side of the Mammoth Incubator, eight trays, was used for a test in cooling the eggs for longer and shorter periods while hatching. The room in which the experi- ment was made had an average temperature for the three weeks of: First week 73-2°; second week, 69.0° ; third week, 74.3°. The average relative humidity of the room was: First week 63-3 per cent; second week, 61-8 per cent; third week, 71-0 per cent. No moisture was supplied inside the machine. The eggs on several trays were cooled each day as follows, the time being in minutes ; where " O " appears the eggs were taken out, turned and put right back into the incubator without any cooling. Table No. 8. — Cooling Experiment. 1st Week. 2nd Week. 3rd Week. A.M. P.M. A.M. P.M. A.M. P.M Trav No 1 0 0 0 0 5 5 5 0 0 5 10 10 5 5 5 5 0 0 0 0 5 10 15 0 0 10 15 20 5 10 15 10 0 0 0 0 5 15 20 0 0 „ „ 2 15 „ 3 20 „ » 4 .. 5 „ 6 .. 7 „ 8 ' 30 5 15 20 15 In addition to the cooling shown for tray No, 8, it was left out on the seventh day for two hours in a temperature of 68°, on the fourteenth day for five hours in a temperature of 69°, and on the nineteenth day for one hour in a temperature of 71°. This was done to see what effect it would have if a tray was left out for several hours, as is sometimes done by accident. Ottawa. DIVISION OF POULTRY 965 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Table No. 9. — Cooling Experiment. 1 51 8 7 4 70 1st Test. 2nd g 12 1 4 2 19 7 "2 2 11 Test 0) iJ 24 6 3 1 34 34 7 3 1 45 - Tray No. 1. a 9 1 & a IS 8 6 c • f— 43 M-i IB 36 1 7 3 53 41 7 5 56 1) "a. .Br 6 •sl cS 1) =i 11 2 2 1 16 8 4 2 "a 31 57 14 34 05 18 50 14 -I Oe. c .0 c 6 W Leffhoms . 13 4 1 Oz. Good. B.P. Rocks Buff Oros . White P Rocks 10 1 7 2 2 1-22 18 26 3 1 1 31 — Tray No. 2. W. Leghorns B.P. Rocks 26 22 .... 51 8 7 4 70 51 8 7 4 70 51 8 7 4 8 1 2 1 12 (53 4.S 20 33 55 50 29 33 51 38 14 25 44 39 25 29 Good. ■ • • Bufif Orps White P Rocks 36 116 Tray No. 3. W. Leghorns 14 8 1 1 3 13 9 1 2 1 3 3 5 40 7 6 1 54 8 2 1 11 32 5 5 1 20 2 2 — 12 3 3 1 19 Good. B.P. Rocks Buff Orps White P Rocks 44 34 39 38 14 30 1-08 Tray No, 4. 43 31 6 3 1 41 24 37 7 5 3 52 6 1 2 2 11 20 3 1 — 11 3 2 1 17 10 4 2 2 54 43 20 Good. B.P. Rocks White P. Rocks 24 — 46 49 29 40 Tray No. 5. W. Leghorns 70 13 5 34 39 25 29 29 1-21 51 8 7 4 70 51 8 7 4 70 51 8 7 4 70 51 8 7 4 7 1 2 2 12 5 3 3 4 41 7 5 2 55 42 8 5 1 11 1 1 13 11 2 1 1 30 6 4 2 42 31 6 4 20 2 2 Good. B.P. Rocks Buff Orps White P Rocks 24 44 40 25 20 34 33 25 14 Tray No. 6. W^. Leghorns , . — 18 14 4 3 30 108 17 2 1 .... ... Good B.P. Rocks Buff Orps 2 3 White P. Rocks 41 20 21 17 4 1 36 42 50 25 50 43 41 50 ioo 29 .33 50 14 25 33 30 50 ".50 25 1-25 Tray No. 7. W^. Leerhorns 10 10 "3 1 4 56 15 C "2 1 1 ""i 40 8 4 2 34 8 2 1 17 4 1 1 Good. B.P. Rocks Buff Orps White P. Rocks Tray No. 8. 14 9 - 2 5 54 37 8 4 2 51 9 7 ' i 8 45 30 8 3 23 22 29 1-26 15 4 ... 15 4 3 Poor. B.P. Rocks BuffOrDs 3 2 5 25 .... 11!' White P. Rocks 2 43 2 21 70 14 .... 22 41 30 Note. — The general hatch was poor, being due to the late season in which the test was made. Ottawa. gee experimental farms 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Tray ISTo. 2 was the earliest to pip, and gave the highest percentages for fertile eggs hatched and for total eggs set. The average weight for each chick was one-tenth ounce below the highest average weight obtained in this experiment, which difference may be accounted for by the fact tliat the chicks were all weighed at the same time, and tray No. 2, being the first hatched, would have lost more weight than those chicks hatched later. All chicks were in good condition except those from tray No. 8. Tray Xo. 1 hatched the fewest chicks and also had the most blood rings. Trays Nos. 3, 4, and 6 were the third to pip and all pipped together. The tray that gave the best results was cooled as follows : — First week: a.m., nil; p.m., 5 minutes ' Second week: a.m., nil; p.m., 10 minutes. Third week: a.m., nil; p.m., 15 minutes. This gives a total cooling for the period commencing the third day and closing- en the evening of the eighteenth day of 155 minutes or 2 hours and 35 minutes. The " accidental " cooling for several hours did not improve the hatch, but the opposite. Too much cooling at any one time, or too little cooling, is not good for the hatch. This experiment is being duplicated, and further results will be reported another time. INDIAN RUNNER DUCK EGGS FOR TABLE USE. Much has been said about the value of Indian Runner ducks for egg production and their eggs for table use, and as some farms may be better adapted to ducks than to hens an endeavour was made to find out what the consumer thought of these eggs as a substitute for hen eggs for table purposes. This Division supplies new-laid eggs to about thirty families on the Experimental Farm and in the city of Ottawa, and in these weekly shipments a few of the duck eggs from time to time were included with the hen eggs and a note asking the customer's opinion was also enclosed. All the customers that reported, with the exception of one, stated that they would just as soon eat the Indian runner duck egg as the hen egg, and in some cases the customers went so far as to say that the duck eggs were to be preferred because of the extra size. It would therefore appear that Indian Runner duck eggs might substitute hen eggs for table use. It was noted that there was an absence of the strong so-called duck flavour to the eggs. There was, however, what might be called a rich or buttery flavour that added to rather than detracted from the palatability. As a layer the Indian Runner will no doubt lay more eggs than other varieties of ducks, but the ducks used in this experiment were not phenomenal layers though they layed well during the winter months. The shell is white and, when cleaned, presents a very attractive appearance. GREEN DUCKS FOR MARKET. This experiment was to determine the profit on ducks hatched in incubators, reared in brooders, and sold on the local market at 10 to 12 weeks old, or just when the first growth of feathers was completed. The eggs were purchased from a farmer expressly for this experiment, but the parent stock had evidently been a little carelessly handled, as at least 50 per cent of the ducklings showed signs of a " cross " of Indian Runner blood. Ottawa. DIVISION OF POULTRY 967 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 This uiidoubtedly rendered results less profitable, as pure Pekins would have averaged nearer 6 pounds or even more at 10 weeks. This hatch of ducklings, after having been fed the ration given below during the first two weeks or critical period of raising, were forced along to marketable size and fitness by heavier feeding, due probably to the exceptionally cold weather experienced at the beginning of the hatching season, the strength of the germs seemed unusually weak for ducklings, and the hatch correspondingly small, though the fertility was well up t(i the average. Ration. — Fed fairly wet. Stale bread thoroughly soaked in skim-milk (sweet or sour) and mixed with 2 parts bran 2 parts shorts 2 parts corn meal half part meat meal or beefscrap and half part sand. After two weeks the bread was gradually decreased and the corn meal increased. After the fourth week the bran and shorts were gradu- ally decreased and the corn meal increased until by the eighth week the ration was one part shorts, three parts corn meal, half part beefscrap and half part sand. It appeared, however, that this ration, one part shorts, three parts corn meal, half part beefscrap, was a little too heavy for " finishing," as a few of the ducks appeared to be " stalled " and off their feed. Probably better results would be secured by substituting at the eighth week the following : Half part bran, half part shorts, two parts corn meal, half part beefscrap and half part sand. Water was not kept constantly before them but it was liberally supplied at feed- ing time, and in the early part of the season when the water was very cold the chill was taken off. Through not applying this rule at the first few days' feeding, disaster resulted and accounted for a heavy death rate during the first two weeks. Too much stress cannot be laid on the care for the first week, and due regard paid to the water, particularly early in the spring when the water is very cold. In raising subsequent hatches of young ducklings of many varieties, not a single death occurred, through close observance of this rule, and the ducks proved them- selves to be the easiest handled and the hardiest of the fowl raised during the spring and summer of the year. Tablk X<». 10. — Showing gain in weight of market ducks at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks. Set March 14, hatched April 10. No. of Ducks. Weight Average Weight. Ga Lb. lin. Average Gain. Period. Remarks. 71 66 66 66 66 66 Lb. Oz. 19 6 53 0 148 0 226 8 289 0 310 8 Lb. Oz. .. 4-.3ti .. 12-8 2 3-8 3 6-9 4 6-4 4 11-2 Oz. Lb. Oz 2 weeks 4 " G '• 8 " 10 " 10 " 3 davs. First weighing at 2 weeks of age. 33 95 78 03 21 10 0 8 8 8-1 1 7 1 2-9 .. 15-3 .. ni Ottaw.\. 968 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Table No. 10. — Showing feed consumed, cost, and price realized at Ottawa June 27. FEED CONSUMED, Bran 160 pounds at $1.35 per 100 pound8=$2. 15 Shorts".'.".". '.'.'. ".'.".'.' 200 Corn meal 501 Beef scrap -'5 Bread 30 MUk 1,000 Total. It " 1.45 " = 2.90 n " 1.95 ■■ = 9.75 II " 4.00 " = 3.80 11 " 2.00 " = .60 u " 25 " = 2.50 . . $21.70 S!xty-ei.\ ducks, 310 pounds net, maiketed June 27 at 20 cents per pound =$(2.00 Total cost of feed 21 70 Profit over cost of feed $40.30 Feed to make pound of duck, 3.18 lbs. THE DUCK MARKET. The best time to sell ducks intended for market is just when their first feathers are complete. This is usually from 8 to 12 weeks of age, depending on the breed, feed, and season. Ducks of this kind are known on the market as " green ducks," and no matter what the season, ducks should always be marketed " green." As soon as the first coat of feathers is full the ducks begin to grow another crop, and if allowed to remain even a few days too long they will be found to have pins, and it will take about 6 weeks to get rid of them, during which time the increase in weight is very slight as most of the feed goes into feathers instead of meat. With the exception of some of our large cities there appears to be only a limited demand for green ducks. A few large wholesale firms, however, say they will take any quantity of ducks marketed in good condition at this age and at any time. We preferred to sell our birds in Ottawa. Several dealers said there was no demand for ducks at this time of the year, but our experience was that wherever any of these ducks went there was a call for more. This will doubtless be the case any- where; give the dealer or consumer a good article and more will be wanted. SHIPPING EGGS FOE HATCHING BY PAECEL POST AND EXPEESS. Upon the introduction of the Parcel Post system it was decided to test this method of shipping eggs for hatching and with this end in view several settings were sent from the Central Earm by parcel post and express to the superintendents at the branch Farms, who were also instructed to ship settings in return. In each case the method of packing was identical. The eggs wrapped separately in paper with a thin layer of excelsior at the top and bottom of an ordinary corrugated cardboard shipping box such as is supplied by any of the poultry supply houses. The condition on arrival, cost of shipping, and the time the package took to reach its destination has been carefully noted and is shown in Table No. 12. Ottawa. DIVISION OF POULTRY 969 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Table No. 12. — Eggs for Hatching shipped to and from Ottawa by Express and Parcel Post. From To Parcel Post. Express. Time. Condition. Cost. Time. Condition. Cost. Nappan, N.S Brandon, Man Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa Hrs. 72 72 72 72 Good 11 .... Good, one broken. Good Cts. 28 24 28 22 Hrs. 72 72 72 144 Good M .... II .... tl ... Cts. 45 Ottawa Nappan, N.S Brandon, Man. . .. 45 45 45 • Total 288 72 1 02 25^ 3r.o 90 1 80 Average 45 Note. — The egg broken in the shipment to Nappan had a thin shell, and was hardly the result of the shipping. The average time of the four shipments was: Parcel post 72 hours, and the cost 25 i cent-s, as against 90 hours and 45 cents for express. The length of time in the delivery of the eggs expressed to Brandon was owing to the fact that they arrived on Saturday and Monday was a holiday so that it was Tuesday before they were delivered. The two lots of eggs arrived by the same train and the eggs by parcel post were delivered the same evening that they arrived. -The results of other shipments were not received in time for this report, but the indications are that for one setting packages the parcel post is quicker, cheaper, and apparently quite as safe, though it must be remembered that in case of loss there is no recourse. THE VALUE OF SCREENINGS AS OBTAINED FROM THE PORT ARTHUR AND FORT WILLIAM ELEVATORS FOR POULTRY FEEDING. This experiment was undertaken at the suggestion of Mr. George H. Clark, Seed Commissioner, and we are indebted to him and to Mr. J. R. Dymond, in charge of the Seed Laboratory at Calgary, for the sample of seeds furnished for the experi- ment. Dr. Frank T. Shutt, Dominion Chemist, also co-operated in the experiment and made the analysis of the different grains fed. Dr. Chas. H. Higgins, Dominion Pathologist, made a post mortem examination of all the birds. The purpose of the experiment was to find out if this material, the bulk of which is now being sent to the United States, was valuable for poultry food, and also if any of the weed seeds were poisonous. The feed as it was received here was (1) scalpings, (2) screenings, (3) wild buck- wheat, (4) black seeds. Tlie black seeds were again subdivided into (5) lamb's quar- ters, (6) wild mustard, and (7) tumbling mustard. Ottawa. 970 EXPERIMEXTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Eighteen different rations were used. These rations as fed were: — Ration No. 1. — Scalpings. 2.— Scalpings and mash. 3. — Screenings. 4. — Screenings and mash. 5 — Black seeds. 6.- — Blacq seeds and mash. 7. — Black seeds boiled. 8. — Black seeds and mash boiled. 9. — Wild mustard and corn. 10 — Wild mustard, and corn, and mash, 11. — Tumbling mustard. 12. — Tumbling mustard and mash. 13. — Wild buckwheat. 14. — W^ild buckwheat and nmsh. 10. — Lambs quarters. 16. — Lambs quarters and mash. 17.— Mash. 18. — Mash. Note. — The mash was equal parts corn meal and finely ground oats. The wild mustard was too oily to grind alone, and an equal part of corn was added. The Birds.- — Seventy-two birds were used for this experiment. They were healthy and vigorous cockerels from 6 to 8 months old, divided as near as possible, according to weight and breed, and weighed at the beginning and at the end of the period. The feeding. — The feeding was done in crates^ the regulation size, four birds to a compartment, and each compartment was separated so that the feed intended for one lot could not be taken by any of the other birds. The birds were all fed four days on a mash of equal parts corn meal and finely ground oats, mixed with buttermilk. This was to get them used to confinement, after which they were given their experi- mental rations. They were fed twice a day and after taking all they would eat, that which remained in the trough was scraped out clean. Where the birds would not take to the mash at first, they were left for two or three days to see if they would eat, but in some cases they would have starved to death rather than eat the feed. When the bird refused for two or three days the crammer was used once or twice a day as was thought best. It following prices have been agreed upon for breeding stock, eg'gs, and chicks, v/hen such are for sale: — Bronze Turheys. — Young gobblers, 18 pounds and over, $6 each. Hen turkeys (young) to $5 each, running in size from 10 to 15 pounds. Turkey eggs, 25 cents each. Pelcin Duchs. — Young drakes, $4 each. Duck eggs, 15 cents each. Barred Rods, White Wyandottes, S. C. Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons. — Cockerels, $2 to $4 each. No pullets for sale this year without inspection; after inspection, $1.50 to $2.50 each. Eggs from $2 to $3 per fifteen. Custom Hatching. — Day old chicks $10 for fifty. For hatching 100 eggs, $5, carriage paid both ways by customer. Infertile eggs, if marked by customer before sending consignment to be hatched, will be returned with the chicks if desired. The custom hatching is decidedly experimental, but a§ this will be an important branch of poultry keeping, the work will be investigated so a-s to be able to furnish definite information on this important phase of poultry work. Lacombe. DITISIOy OF POULTRY 987 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL FARM, AGASSIZ, B.C. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT, P. H .MOORE, B.S.A POULTRY. As reported last year, the poultrj^ work at this Farm was just reorganized, and a capable man, in the person of Mr. V. Kuhn, was given charge of the details of the work. Considerable progress has been made during the year and there is. now a good foundation for future work. All the yards and paddocks have been put in good form, and three colony houses for chick rearing have been built. In these, coupled with a few small, old ones, the chicks for this year's work were raised. At the close of this year, four lighter and more improved but cheaper colony hou^^es were built for the coming season's work. From this year's hatching, after culling very closely, there were 235 White Leg- horn pullets and 24 Barred' Plymouth Rock pullets to put into the pens. All chickens were raised on a clover range and were hopper-fed during the season. One pen of twenty-four Barred Plymouth Rock was purchased locally. These were Avell grown, useful birds, but not show birds. Another pen of eighteen Barred Plymouth Rocks also purchased locally were not so well grown as either the Farm stock or the first pen purchased, but they were a m'uch better type than the other pens. Twenty-nine year- ling hens were selected from the White Leghorns on hand, and twelve cockerels were kept for breeding. This made the flock of laying and breeding stock 342 birds. Besides these there were a pen or two of Rhode Island Reds and off -type specimens of other breeds, which were forced for eggs and sold as meat in the early spring. These being well matured, just paid for their food with eggs, but they gained weight and brought a higher price per pound than they would have if they had been sold in the autumn. This number filled everj'^ available house on the plant. The experiments conducted were mostly of a general character, and any report made will be one of progress rather than of results. A few other experiments were started, but they are not far enough advanced to warrant any comment as yet. Until another year we shall not have our stock uniform enough to allow many comparative tests, and those reported this year should be read with thi^ point in mind. With the exception of two pens., the layers were fed a dry mash from hoppers, and wheat, or wheat two-thirds and cracked corn one-third, in the litter. The corn was mixed with the wheat in the late fall and fed during the cold or damp, cool weather in winter. The dr.v mash con-isted of the following: — Lbs. Wheat bran 100 "Wheat shorts 50 Feed flour 50 Fine cracked corn 200 Giound oats 200 Foy bean cake 50 Beef scrap 50 A small amount of skim-milk was fed during the winter, but the quantity avail- able was not great. ]*.[angels were fed during the winter for green food. In the spring the pullets had to be used for breeders, for only twenty-nine old hens were kept. The results of the hatching work will be seen in the following tables.. 988 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 The eggs from the different pens were, as much as possible, put in equal numbers in the different incubators, so as to have all conditions as equal as possible. Table No. 1. — Showing cost and amount of feed fed, cost of producing one dozen eggs and fertility and hatchability of eggs set with 29 White Leghorn hens and 237 pullets. White Leghorns. Number of birds Number of days Amount of grain fed Lb. Amount of mash fed n Amount of skim-milk fed i Total number of egga jiroduced ... Weight of eggs produced Oz. Weight per dozen eggs i No. days per hen per dozen eggs Pounds grain consumed per dozen eggs Lb. Pounds of skim-milk consumed per dozen eggs n Cost to produce 1 dozen eggs Per cent eggs fertile Per cent fertile eggs hatched Per cent total eggs hatched Two-year old hens. 29 151 871 104 698 821 1,862 27 64 14 10 25 85 50 41 25 2 2 2 27c 28 Pullets. 237 142 5,376 1,042 3,254 9,901 18,793 2.i 40 7 3 12 87 60 52 •9 15 ■2 ■56 •8 •46c ■54 3 •725 Average of both. 133 146 3,123 573 1,976 5.361 10,328 25 52 10 7 18 86 55 46 075 175 1 88 865c 41 15 862 Notes. — The laying period was: In the hens, November 1 to March 31; in the pullets, November 9 to March 31. It will be noticed that the pullets produced a dozen eggs at half the cost for feed that the hens required. Table No. 2. — Showing the relative value of three pens of Barred Plymouth Eocks. Number of birds Number of days Amount of grain fed lb . Amount of mash fed lb . Amount of skim-milk fed lb . Total number of eggs produced Weight of iiggs produced oz . Weight of eggs per dozen oz. Number of days per hen i>er dozen eggs Pounds of grain con>.unied per dozen eggs Pounds of skim-milk consumed per dozen eggs Cost to produce one dozen eggs Per cent of eggs fertile Per cent of fertile eggs hatched Per cent of total eggs hatched No. 1 Home-bred raised on range. 24 151 700 43 470 1,251 2590 5 24-84 .34-7 71 4-4 12 -40 88 • 51 1 45 03 No. 2 Purchased locally. No. 3 Purchased locally. 18 151 675 34 407 797 1595-5 24 • 40-9 10.6 61 18 -46c 24 151 809 98 507 1,148 2231-5 23 28 37-8 9-4 5-3 16 34c 83-76 48-7 40-22 Average per pen. 22 151 728 58-3 461-3 1,065 3 2139 1 24 04 37-8 9.03 5 26 15 73 85-88 49-9 42 62 Notes. — The period for all pens was November 1 to March 31. The birds in pen No. 1 were bred and reared on the Farm. Pen No. 2 had no special breeding. Pen No. 3 were not so well matured as pen No. 2, but of a better type. Agassiz. Plate LXXVII. Kooni Brooder. Poultry Division, C. E. F. The Utility Poultry House. Made in two sections so that one horse can move it by taking one half at a time. It also can be di\ided into two liouses for brooding purposes. 16— 1915— p. '.m. DIVISION OF POULTRY 989 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Table No. 3. — Showing the relative value of feeding hens a dry or wet mash. White Leghorn Pullets. Number of birds Number of days Amount of grain fed Lb. Amount of mash fed , . . . « Amount of skim milk fed , u Total number of eggs produced Weight of eggs produced Oz. Weight per doz. eggs „ N umber days per hen pet doz. eggs Pounds grain consumed per doz. eggs Pounds skim-milk consumed per doz. eggs Cost to produce 1 doz. eggs Per cent eggs fertile Per cent eggs (fertile) hatched Per cent total eggs hatched . . . Pulle bs on Pullets on dry n lash. 5 wet mash. 2 14 121 121 610 207 99 101 502 135 1,318 549 2,514 5 1,182 5 22 8 25 8 27 3 37 6 4 6 7 4 5 2 9 11 36c 11 42c 90 74 93 ^9 55 74 59 2 49 66 56 3 Notes. — Both dry and wet mash were of the same composition and identical with the ration given above. The pullets on the dry mash were allowed to eat from a hopper ad. lib., while the wet mash was fed once a day and as much as the birds would eat up clean. The dry mash in this instance produced more eggs per bird, but the cost per dozen was practically the same. incubators. All the incubators were run in a small cellar. This cellar kept a reasonably con- stant temperature throughout the season. The average highest temperature of the cellar in the morning for any machine's period was 62-4°F., and the afternoon was <33-7°F. The temperatures were kept from the 15th March to the end of May; the highest temperature recorded was 70-6°F., and the lowest was 54:-6°F., but this range was spread over a period of over seventy days while the temperature outside was gradually going higher. The following chart will give an idea of the average tempera- ture of the room and machines during the hatching season, also the very highest and lowest temperatures that the machines or room attained during all the settings. The highest temperature recorded may not have occurred in the same hatch as the lowest, but it is the extreme range of the season. Table No. 4. — Average and highest and lowest temperatures of room and machines. Temperatuhes. Machine. Room. Machine. Room. A. M. P. M. A. M. P. M. Highest. Lowest. Highest. Lowest. A. M. P. M. A. M. P. M. A. M. P. M. A. M. P. M. Tamlin 0 103 5 103-4 103- 104-8 o 104-5 104 1 103-3 103 3 o 61 9 61 4 62-4 62 2 0 62 9 62-4 63 7 62-5 o 105-5 105 105-6 105- o 106-6 106- 105-5 104 6 o 101- 101-3 100- 100- o 103- 100 6 101 1 100-3 o 68-6 67 -6(; 68-3 676 o 70- 70 6 70 6 70-6 3 56-6 56- 56 6 51 6 o 56-6 56- 57-6 55- Cyphers No. 3 Jubilee Prairie Utate Agassiz. 16—64 990 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Table ICo. 5. — Giving a few particulars as to the size of machine used, together with, the cost, the amount of oil used and average cost per chick hatched. Capacity of machine -Eggs . Cost of machine $ Average quarts oil for 21 days qts. Average cost i>er 21 days, oil 30 cents per gal cts Average oil cost per chick hatched cts. .Average cost per chick, calculating 10 per cent cost of machine cts. Average total cost per chick cts. Prairie State. 130 30 11 5 86 25 2-2 8 Jubilee. 100 25- 12 125 90- 1-8 1-2 Tamlin Nonpareil. 100 35- 8 5 6375 11 1 Cyphers. 350 52- 17-43 13000 '7 •9 1-64 Note. — It will be noticed that the large machine hatched with less e.xpense per- chick than did the small machines, t AcASsia. DIVISION OF POULTRY 991 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 EXPERIMENTAL STATION, INVERMERE, B.C. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT G. H. PARHAM. POULTRY. In September two cottoii-frout poultry houses, 14 feet by 16 feet, were built, and also a third house of a ditfereut style, called the utility poultry house. This latter style of house should prove of economical value in this counti-y as it is so arranged that the part used as a winter scratching shed can be removed in the summer and used as- a house for young chickens, i. e., at a time of the year when houses are greatly in demand. The plan of this house is subjoined. Twenty-five White Leghorn pullets and the same number of Barred Rock pullets from good laying strains were purchased in August and placed in the two cotton-front houses. The White Leghorns commenced to lay at the end of October, and the Barred Rocks early in November. I'heir egg record for the six months was as follows : — • White Legliurii.s- eggs Number of birds Barred Rock.s eggs Xiiiuber of birds Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2 140 177 228 203 25 25 24 24 24 0 84 170 220 124 24 22 20 20 20 460 23 389 2een able to increase the number of leaves retained without delaying maturity too much. After curing, the loaves of the Erzegovine had a dry texture, a little too much like paper. The loss of water in the curing process is considerable and the weight of cured tobacco obtained is much less than one would expect from the appearance of the- plant while growing. Virgini: \ \ 1004 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 If one considers as suitable for use as binders all leaves of a length of 18 to 24 inches, provided that they have a texture sufficiently tough and not too thick, it -will be seen that the Havana Seed Leaf is decidedly superior. But if shorter leaves (16 inches), if fine and of a more rounded form than the Havana Seed Leaf, are accepted, the ideal type for binders would be represented by the Yamaska. On the other hand, considering the relative position of the leaves on the stalk, it is difficult not to accept as fit for binders at least the 26-inch leaves of the Big Ohio Sumatra, those of the Havana Seed Leaf and of the Comstock. Such binders may be less in demand than those 18 to 24 inches in length, but they are certainly suitable for cigar making. The relative proportion of binders furnished by these different varieties accord- ing to the manufacturer's grading, is as follows : — Percentage of thin leaf, of good texture, elastic and pliant, comprised in the lengths given below. 18 inches to 24 inches. 16 inches to 24 inches. 18 inches to 26 inches. 16 inche.9 to 26 inches. Yamaska p. c. 73 73 73 r)l 77 4 74 27 p. c. 82-24 78-26 78-98 74-94 p. c. 78 55 87 16 86 18 p. c. Big Ohio Sumatra 83 -oO Ha vana Seed Leaf 88 -70 Comstock Spanish , 86-60 The 18 to 24-inch leaves represent the true type of binder leaf; those from 16 to 24 inches include that part of the product which could be used for the purpose by manufacturers who value highly a thin binder and are not specially concerned as to its development; those from 18 to 26 inches would serve in part for machine work, owing to the proportion of large 24-inch leaves contained. As to the leaves from 16 to 26 inches, of which naturally the amount is greatest, they might be used by those engaged in the manufacture of varied tobacco products. In the first case, if attention is paid to the qualities of the tissue of each variety, preference maist be given to the Comstock Spanish; in the second case, to the Yamaska; in the third and fourth, to the Comstock Spanish again. The Havana Seed Leaf gives a product somewhat thicker, running fewer leaves to the pound, and hence not furnishing so many binders. The preceding tables have been obtained by considering as leaves suitable for binders of the first mentioned class (18 to 24 inches), the top leaves of a length greater than 18 inches; among the middle and bottom leaves., those longer than 16 inches. In calculating the second class (16 to 24 inches) the low leaves of 16 inches length have not been included in the case of the Havana Seed Leaf and the Comstock Spanish. The presence of a large proportion of 16-inch leaves among the middle leaves of these two varieties indicates that. the 16-inch leaves classified as bottom leaves are lacking in substance and cannot possibly be classified as binders. These relative proportions should not be considered as absolutely fixed. It is necessary to take into account the differences of seasons and the variations which may occur in varieties of which the type is not yet fixed, such as the Yamaska and the Big Ohio x Sumatra. The latter especially encourages the hope that among selections from it may be established a type with leaves a little shorter, perhaps, but of a more rounded and suitable form, which may take a better position in the 18 to 24-inch classification. Moreover, we have not taken into consideration here the question of flavour and strength of these varieties when used as binders, a question of importance in the Ottawa. ■ DIVISION OF TOBACCO 1005 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 manufacture of cigars, where they are associated with the tobacco of delicate aroma used as fillers. Neither was any classification made, with the exception of an unimportant lot of rejected tobacco, into leaves absolutely intact, those in good condition and those torn by the wind. All the leaves harvested were regarded as intact. One must also .take into consideration, therefore, the care taken in harvesting the crop both on the plantation and in the stripping room. As the proportion of torn leaves increases, that of the leaves suitable for binders diminishes. We have simply attempted to show the relative value of the^varieties tested for use as binders. SEED DISTRIBUTION. The number of application for tobacco seed received, and the number of samples sent out, are given in the following table: — Applications Received and Samples Sent. Variety. Comstock Spanish Canelle Havana Seed Leaf General Grant Cimnecticut Seed Leaf . . Connecticut Broad Leaf. White Biirley Cuban Big Havana Warne. Hazlewood Connecticut Havana . . . . Montmelian Blue Pr}'or Big Ohio Verel Number of A pfili rations Received. 1.043 1,189 714 265 218 171 47 .52 12 10 2 2 3 1 1 3,080 Number of Samples Sent. 1,043 1,180 .570 141 233 188 171 47 27 12 10 2 2 3 1 1 3,640 Most of these demands gave rise to correspondence or th'e sending of- circulars treating of the variety of tobacco asked for. As usual, all the seed produced in 1913, with the exception of that obtained from individually selected plants, was passed through the separator. Ottawa. 16— G5 1006 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 EXPERIMENTAL TOBACCO STATIONS AT ST. JACQUES L'ACHIGAN, QUE. FARNHAM, REPORT OF THE MANAGER, 0. CHEVALIER, I.N.A. The 1913 tpbacco crop was perhaps the best obtained in the province of Quebec for the last six years. This was especially the case in the Yamaska valley. The light snowfall of the winter of 1912-13 and the fairly early spring made it possible to pre- pare the land for crop very early. Unfortunately, the month of June was compara- tively cold (for five days the temperature ranged between 48° and 60°) and, as a result, growth was delayed which in turn made the harvest much later than in a nor- mal year. By an unfortunate coincidence, autumn frosts occurred much earlier than usual, and on September 8 a sharp fall in temperature to a minimum of 25° F. caused serious damage in many plantations. In the northern counties, the drought of July affected the yields somewhat but -the damage from frost was not so severe as in the southern counties. FARNHAM TOBACCO STATION. SOWIKG. The varieties sown at Farnham were as follows: For binders among others, the Comstock, Havana Seed Leaf, Big Ohio x Sumatra, and Yamaska which, it must be remembered, is a hybrid of Comstock x Sumatra. Among the '" fillers " grown were the Cuban and two varieties of Brazil, the St. Felix and Las Almas. All the seed-beds, measuring 15 feet by 5 feet each, were treated in the same way. Mould of a suitable richness had been prepared the previous autumn and cleared of weed seeds. The beds were made without manure or chemical fertilizers ; a bed of tobacco stems alone formed the foundation, in short the bed was of the type which it has been agreed to call the semi-hot. For an experiment, two beds of the simplest character were tried ; they were made of ordinary earth simply, well sifted and placed in the frames without manure, chemical fertilizer or tobacco stems. These gave results at least as good as did the other beds. When prepared, on April 14, all the beds were subjected to the influence of the sun for four days, and were sown on April 17 and 18 at the rate of one-seventh of an otmee of seed for 100 square feet of bed, the grain being slightly swelled. The beds, twenty in number, each 15 by 5 feet, were divided as follows: — Bed No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, fi, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Ifi, 17, 18, 19, Variety . 20, Comstock, Havana Seed Leaf, . Yamaska Biff Ohio X Sumatra Cuban St. P'elix Lass Almas Carelle ( Erbasanta 1 Makborka rr.igOhio < Comstock ^Sumatra No. of Beds. 3 2 3 4 3 1 1 1 i i DIVISION OF TOBACCO ■ lOOr SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The plantation of Canelle was intended for the prodvictiou of seed; those of Erba- santa and ilakhorka with a view to the study of their nicotine content and, lastly^ those of Big Ohio, Conistock and Suiuatra in order to make new hybrids of Big Ohio X Sumatra and Comstock x Sumatra for comparison with the hybrids of those varie- ties already made and on which four years' selection had been made. Germination was uniform and good on all the beds between No. 1 and No. 12. The " filler '' varie- ties, Cuban, St. Felix, and Las Almas, which are a little later, required eleven days- for germination. Beds 18, 19, and 20 gei-minated a day later than the above, except the Big Ohio and the Comstock, where germination took place eight days after sowing; in brief, by April 29, germination was general in all the beds. The next operation was weeding which, owing to the good condition of the beds, was not very long or labourious. Immediately after, by means of a screen, a light covering of very fine earth was spread over all the beds in order to fix in place any young plants which the weeding operation might have disturbed. The plants were watered, with water slightly warmed, twice a day, about 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. A large kettle was placed among the beds, over a brick fireplace, which rendered the watering easy. In general, the plants made rapid growth in the beds. The Cuban and the Brazils were, however, very slow, and the Rusticas, the young plants of which were very pale in colour, developed very quickly. In the latter case, foreign seed had been used, and it is possible that its germinative power had been impaired and that more seed should have been sown. The beds were aired every day, the length of time depending on the outside tem- perature. It should be remembered that plants breathe and that it is dangerous to allow them to develop in a confined atmosphere. A very thin covering of white cotton placed between the frame and the seedling protected the latter from the sun, and each evening the frames v/ere covered with a thicker cloth of a dark colour to reduce as much as possible the radiation of heat dur- ing the night. Having adopted this special system of beds, the variations in inside and outside temperature were followed very closely. Two maximum and minimum thermometers were placed in the beds, and one on the outside. The highest and lowest temperatures both inside and out were taken every day, and the variations are indicated in the diagram. As will be seen, the maximum temperature in the beds never exceeded 86°F. The minimum of 33° was observed during the night of May 17, on which date a minimum of 30° was noted outside. In a neighbour's beds, which were made very warm, the thermometer also recorded 33°. One shoiild not, therefore, lay too much stress on the importance of manure as a heat preservative. For this purpose, tight frames, well- built sashes and sunshine are the principal factors to rely on. Much has been said and written on the subject of beds, but the question is still unsettled. In our opinion, the purpose of the bed has been a little misunderstood. They are, in short, a means, not of forcing the development of the plant but of allow- ing it to gro\fr under as normal conditions as possible; the beds are made not to stimu- late artificially the plant's growth but to permit it to develop in the way it has been accustomed to, because in our country we cannot grow the tobacco seedling in the open air without subjecting it to severe set-backs. The beds, in a word, are a means of sheltering the plant from the unfavourable weather conditions generally prevailing in April. In our opinion, the ideal aimed at should be to remove the plant as little as possible from the natural conditions of growth, while taking all necessary precau- tions to protect it from extremes of temperature. Now, the best way would be to place the seed in the open ground and allow it to develop naturally, which is the reason why the simple form of bed described above was tried. In short, the beds * Farnh.^m. 16— 65i 1008 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 allowed of growing the plants under shelter; but in a normal year the value of manure, chemical fertilizers, and sprinklings with nitrate of soda or other fertilizing material, was not apparent. Moreover, it is in approaching natural conditions as nearly as possible that we can maintain the vigour and vitality of the plant; it is under these conditions that the plant will thrive, which is in itself one of the surest methods of selection, and it is also, in our opinion, the surest means of rendering it resistant to all the diseases, fun- gous and otherwise, to which the tobacco plant in the hotbed is subject. Outside of the beds of Brazil and Cuban, which showed an evident tendency to grow spindling, all the beds produced plants which were- healthy, vigorous, and with a good root system. There was not the least trace of disease or feebleness, the plants were not even yellowed, and it was not necessary to choose the plants for planting out, but they were taken as they came. The plantations on the Station required 105,000 plants and, in addition to that, neighbouring planters, whose beds had failed, were given 52. WK) plants. In some of their beds the plants had be-en attacked by rot, owing to the bed having been too compactly made; among others, the plants were spindling, sickly, and seemed very unlikely to recover if planted out. DISEASED SEED BEDS. It has been noticed among neighbouring planters that the beds are sometimes attacked by rot. This is due to the bed being too thick, too hot, and too moist. To a certain extent the spread of the malady has been stopped as follows : Take out all the affected plants and even a part of those which appear sound, around the affected area, the affected section of the bed with water containing one-half per cent formalin. In seven beds so treated, six were completely cured. , On an average, it was calculated that on each of the first fifteen beds at the Station, 12,000 plants of excellent quality were obtained. The two special, or cold beds, as they may be termed, gave 18,000 and 16,000 plants, respectively. PREPARATION OF THE LAND. During the development in the seed-beds, the land for the plantation was pre- pared. A field of 8 arpents^ was worked up and manured before winter set in. This field, which had previously been in hay for fourteen years, received 20 tons of manure per arpent, after which the land was ploughed 7 inches deep. Another field of five arpents had been fall-ploughed only. We were unable to plough under manure on this area until the spring of 1913, and then only 3 of the 5 arpents were so treated. The whole plantation received a treatment with chemical fertilizer, made up as fol- lows, per arpent: — 300 pounds sulphate of ammonia. 200 pounds sulphate of potassium. 148 pounds superphosphate. This may be regarded as a heavy application, but it should be remembered that ■while the soil on the Farnham Station has remarkable physical qualities, it was in a deplorable state as regards fertility. On May 23, the land was ready for planting. It had received two harrowingfs with the double disc, two with the ordinary harrow and a cross-harrowing to cover the chemical fertilizer. OTHER CROPS. Some time previous to this, preparations for sowing had been made. Thirty arpents were ploughed, harrowed, rolled, and sown to oats and clover at the rate of 2 bushels of the former and 15 pounds of the latter per arpent. Germination wa.s » An arpent contains 36,806-42 square feet; an acre, 43.560 square feet. One arpent = . 8,449 acres; on« acre — 1.1803 arpenta. Farnham. DIVISION OF TOBACCO 1009 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 good, but weeds caused considerable trouble, especially mustard, bindweed and thistles. However, 19,500 pounds of oats were harvested, of which 7,500 pounds were sent to the Central Farm at Ottawa, and the remainder kept at Farnham to feed the horses. This is an average of 20 bushels per arpent, with an average weight of 35 pounds per bushel. The whole 30 arpents varied in fertility, however. Eight arpents yielded at the rate of 38 bushels each, and 15 others only gave 15 bushels per arpent. The catch of clover was excellent, and at the end of October the plants were 6 inches high. Four arpents more, recently broken, and of a sandy character, were sown twice to buckwheat. This was ploughed under each time. The treatment served to destroy weeds to a considerable extent and to increase the fertility of the soil. This part of the farm was manured in the fall, and will be sown this spring to oats and clover, which, if necessary, will be treated with a topdressing of nitrate of soda. PLANTATION. On May 25, 12,000 plants had been taken from the beds and were ready for setting out. The heavy rain of the 26th prevented this, and the land had to be prepared again. The weather remained wet and cloudy and, notwithstanding our efforts, the soil remained too wet for planting with the machine. It was necessary to plant by hand. Four men planting and two assistants were employed in this work. Eight days after, all the " filler " varieties were planted, that is to say, 2 arpents of Las^ Almas, 2 of St. Felix and 2 of Ciiban. The planting of these three varieties was done in the same manner, the plants being placed 18 inches by 30 inches apart. As it waa planted, the ground was sprinkled with a mixture of corn meal and Paris green. This had to be repeated, the first application being spoiled by the rain. Owing to the damp, cloudy, warm weather, the transplanting was very successful. Unfortunately, insects, and especially cutworms did great damage, and it was neces- sary to replace some 70 per cent of the plants. On June 3, the planting of the "binders" varieties was begun. This was done entirely by machine, the plants being placed at the usual distance, namely, 18 inches by 30 inches. The soil was in very good condition and moist enough to render the application of water unnecessary. The rains of the 8th, 9th, and 10th of June delayed planting, which was finished on the 15th. The planting done was :— One arpent of Havana Seed Leaf, 2 of Comstock Spanish, 2 of Yamaska and 2 of Big Ohio x Sumatra; as in the previous case, the Paris green mixture was used several times. Insects did less damage than in the other plantation, and only about 30 per cent of plants required replacing. Generally speaking, the transplanting was successful. Hot weather com- menced at this time, and everything promised well. Beside the main plantation a supplementary one was made of the following varieties : — 600 plants of Erbasanta 600 " " Makhorka 1,000 " " Canelle 300 " " Sumatra 300 " " Big Ohio 300 " " Comstock Spanish The two first-named varieties could not be harvested; they were too late and the frost of September 8 had practically destroyed them. We were able to hybridize fifty flowers of Comstock and forty-two of Big Ohio. This was attended with considerable difficulty as the Sumatra variety flowers long after the Big Ohio and Comstock. However, in the first case, success was obtained with forty-eight seed capsules and in the second, with thirty-five. The seed pods "were well on towards maturity when the frost of September 8 destroyed all seed formed. Farnham. 1010 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Warm weather arrived on June 15, but its duration was short, and the remainder of June was rather cold so that the i^lantation made slow growth during this time. For five consecutive days the temperature ranged between 48° and 60° F., and, as a result, grow^th received such a set-back from its beginning that only a small part of the plantation regained the ground lost, and harvest was from fifteen days to three weeks later than in a normal year. By July 1 the plantation had been gone over twice with the horse weeder and once by hand. The plantation of " binders " was in good shape, but that of the "filler" varieties was very weedy and it took a great deal of labour to clean it. At the beginning of July, the follov\^ing notes were taken on the condition of the plantation : The Comstock is tlie most advanced in growth, followed quite closely by the Havana Seed Leaf. The Yamaska is a little later, and the Big Ohio x Sumatra maintains its special character of being slow to commence, but afterwards becoming the most rapidly developing variety of all. The Cuban appears earlier than the other "filler" varieties. The St. Felix especially is very slow at commencement; however, it was generally true this year that the Brazil varieties seemed to be paralyzed at the beginning of their growth. An arpent of St. Felix on which 648 pounds of chemical fertilizer had been applied, but no barnyard manure, has a very ix>or appearance, while another arpent of the sam.e variety which had been manured seems to promise better. About this time, July 2, conditions became very favourable for growth. Warm weather, followed by warm and frequent showers, gave the plantation a vigorous growth which it maintained up to harvest. During August, the choice of seed plants was the main occupation. After a long and careful selection, 2,000 plants were reserved. Unfortunately, the frost of Sep- tember 8 almost completely destroyed the results of this work, for very few seed pods escaped and the small amount of seed harvested had to be examined very critically before being used. The 2,000 plants reseiTed for seed were as follows: — 800 Comstock 40. 6.. . .. 6 Suckering. Harvested. An?. 13 to 2G, Sept. 4. Sept. 4 Aug. U to 26, Sept. 4. Aug. IG to 30, Sept. 6. Aug. 18 Sept. 1 and 9 Aug. 20, Sept. 2 and 11 4. 6. 7. 9. 11. 13. Farnham. DIVISION OF TOBACCO 1011 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 The transport of the tobacco to the drying room was done Q'uite rapidly by a new method to which reference will be made later on. The curing was considerably aided by the remarkable autumn weather. In short, it may be said that the summer of 1913 was hot and moist, giving the tobacco excellent growing conditions. The harvest gave a product which was well developed, gummy, thin, and with good qualities of tissue. While the drying process was going on in October, 15 arpents of land were under- drained, requiring 9,{) 1) S 6 a o •^^ -1^ cS o 3. a a o -73 c 3 CI ed >» (3 o o 'J V / 3 7 ^ ± \ V \ ^ V. \ ^^ ^ ^ ^^^ — ^-^-^ / /) / 3: U / 7 i: / ^^ ^ D ^ t < 1 H 1 1 u 1, s s. \ ^ JJ \ ^^^ 5s ^ \ >. / i / ^^ J s / N ^V 7 \ \ \ It & ''^^ d i \ ^^ ^ ^ y^ ■^v^ \ \ \ ) \ / / \ \ I } \ \ \ V -V, « J ^"V r # J m » *9 9 » m 'If r / -^/^if> fl\/jJ6^Ai i^ / \l o.^^ 0|., or*2 005 °ir:) °-^ °*^ °h^ °0> o»0 o-^ Ofr^ oks IG r.ll5 p. 1012. DlVISIOy OF TOBACCO 1013 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 necessary work to ensure a rapid running off of the waters which for a long time had flooded our land, owing to lack of a means of escape. Frequent attempts were made to induce neighbouring farmers to destroy weeds upon their farms, and the borders of the Station were mowed three times with this end in view. In September, the curpora- tion of Farnham promised a water service for the Station, and put in two hydrants; they also, at our expense, put in electric lighting in the sorting room, tlie implement shed, the stable, and the granary. YIELDS AXD RATINGS OF VARIETIES GROWN. It will .be remembered that the Farnham Station was in poor condition when taken over by the Federal Government. That section where the plantation of tobaccp for binders was made had not been cultivated for fourteen years. It will readily be granted that such land, cannot be put into good condition in two years. For this reason, the crops this year, although quite g-ood, are not yet what they should be. It may also be stated that the 2,000 plants kept for seed production had an appreciable influence on the total j'ield. They represent the crop on almost one-third of an arpent. BINDERS. Big Ohio X Sumatra. — Two arpents of this variety produced 2,139 pounds, or an aTerage of 1,070 pounds per arpent. The 2,139 pound were made up of: Top leaves, 430 pounds or 20 per cent. Middle leaves, 1,430 pounds or 66 per cent. Bottom leaves, 279 pounds or 13 per cent. The whole harvest gave 1,419 pounds of thin leaves or 66 per cent, and 720 pounds of thicker, darker leaves, or 33 per cent. In the top leaves, l.'^2 pounds were classed as No. 1, 210 pounds as No. 2, and SS pounds as No. 3. Among the middle leaves, 316 pMDunds were classed as No. 1, 839 pounds as No. 2, and 275 pounds as No. 3. Among the bottom leaves, Nos. 1, 2 and 3 contained respectively: No. 1, none; No. 2, 131 pounds; and No. 3, 148 pounds. Yamaska. — -The Yamaska gave a total yield of 1,356 pounds divided as follows: — Top leaves, 239 pounds or 17 per cent. Middle leaves, 886 pounds or 65 per cent. Bottom leaves, 233 pounds or 17 per cent. Of this variety, 331 pounds of thin leaves were gathered, or 24 per cent, and 1,025 pounds of darker and thicker leaves, or 75 per cent. The top leaves gave 81 pounds No. 1,121 pounds No. 2, and 35 pounds No. 3. The middle leaves gave 288 pounds No. 1, 440 pounds No. 2, and 158 pounds. No. 3, and the bottom leaves, 66 pounds, 97 pounds, and 70 pounds, of Nos. 1, 2, nfid 3, respectively. Comstock. — The total yield of Comstock was 2,383 pounds, or an average of 1,191 pounds per arpent, made up as follows :— Top leaves, 443 pounds, or 18 per cent. Middle leaves, 1,611 pounds or 67 per cent. Bottom leaves, 302 pounds or 14 per cent. Rejected, 27 pounds or 1 per cent. The total yield gave 1,239 pounds of thin leaf of light colour, or 52 per cent, and 1,117 pounds of darker and thicker leaves, or 47 per cent. Farxiiam. 1014 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 As to the quality, the sorting gave the following results: Top leaves Middle leaves. Bottom leaves . No. 1 >o. 2 Lb. Lb. 172 180 356 820 50 156 No. 3 Lb. 91 435 96 Havana Seed Leaf. — The yield of this variety was 7Y9 pounds, for 4,500 square feet only, which would give a yield per arpent of 1,384 pounds. This gave after sorting: — Top leaves, 186 pounds, or 24 per cent. Middle leaves, 485 pounds, or 62 per cent. Bottom leaves, 96 povmds, or 12 per cent. Rejected, 12 pounds, or 1-5 per cent. Leaves thin and light coloured. 176 pounds or 22 per cent; leaves thick and dark, 591 pounds, or 77 per cent. No. 3. Top leaves Middle leaves Bottom leaves No. 1. No. 2. Lb. Lb. 77 82 165 262 45 24 Lb. 27 58 27 FILLERS. Cuban. — The total yield was 275 pound j, made up of: — Top leaves, 109 pounds, or 39 per cent. Middle leaves, 121 pounds or 44 per cent. Bottom leaves, 45 pounds or 17 per cent. These were classified as follows: No. 1, 36 pounds; No. 2, 195 pounds; and No. 3, 44 pounds. St. Felix. — The yield of St. Felix was 209 pounds, which were classified as top leaves and middle leaves. All the bottom leaves were of sufficiently good tissue to be classed as middle leaves. Top leaves, 12 pounds or 5-7 per cent. Middle leaves, 197 pounds or 94 per cent. These were classified for quality as follows: No. 1, 148 pounds; No. 2, 61 pounds; and No. 3, none. • .- F.\R\H.\M. niTisiay of tobacco 1015 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Las Almas. — Total yield, 349 pounds, made up as follows: — Top leaves, 80 lbs., or 23 per cent. Middle leaves, 231 pounds, or 66 per cent. Bottom leaves, 38 pounds, or 10 per cent. The quality was classified as follows: No. 1. 113 pounds; No. 2. 212 pounds; and No. 3, 24 poimds. ^ EEMARKS. In considering the varieties grown for binders, it is seen that the Big Ohio x Sumatra has given the best results from the point of thinness of tissue. It gave 66 per cent of thin leaves as against 52 per cent for the Comstock. The Yamaska and the Ha^^ana Seed Leaf are much thicker and gave results almost equal, 24 per cent for the former and 22 for the latter. The Big Ohio x Sumatra, however, is still a little lacking in strength and tough- ness. Every year, an improvement is noted in this regard and it is hoped, by con- tinuing the work of selection, to arrive at the true type of binder tobacco. The very small proportion of rejected leaves may be noted as showing that the harvest was handled with care. It will also be noted that the percentage of middle leaves is much the highest From this point of view, all the varieties gave practically equal results. This is indicative of a good harvest, for the uniformity of product is the result of having the highest proportion possible of middle leaves. To obtain thjs result, careful pruning is necessary, and sufficiently low topping. The binder tobaccos gave a total yield of 6^657 pounds, of which 1,798 pounds, were classed as No. 1, 3,362 pounds as No. 2, and 1,458 pounds as No. 3. As will be noted, 50 per cent of the crop was classed as No. 2. This seems a high percentage, hut it may be mentioned that, notwithstanding, a much more severe sorting out was made than is generally done in commercial tobacco growing. In the latter, one con- siders as No. 1 every leaf, half of which at least is intact, while the No. 1 here reported on contains only leaves absolutely whole. Farnham 1016 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 TOBACCO STATION AT ST. JACQUES I'ACHIGAN, QUE. At this Station, the varieties studied during 1913 were the Comstock, Aurora, and Cuban. SEED-BEDS The six seed-beds used, each 5 feet by 21 feet, were treated and used as follows : — ■ The mould, which had been placed in a heap the previous autumn, was spread out during the iirst days of April and, as soon as thawed out and warmed was placed in the frames, where it was left for further sun action for six days. Only the semi-hotbeds were used; the bottom of the seed-bed is separated from the solid ground by a fairly thin layer of tobacco stems. The Victor brand of fertilizer was used at the rate of 1 ounce to each square foot of bed. The sowing of all six beds was done on April 18, with favourable weather. The seedlings of (3omstock especially looked well, while the Aurora and Cuban appeared sickly. Weeding was done as usual although the beds were not very weedy since the same mould had been used each year for three years, during which time it had been cleared of a great number of weeds. As at Farnham, the beds were watered lightly and often, with slightly warmed water. As soon as the temperature outside permitted, air was admitted to the seedlings. The thermometers placed in the beds never registered more than 83 degrees, and the minimum temperature, 32^ degrees, was observed on May 18. This was very near frost, but the seedlings did not appear to have suffered greatly, except the Aurora. After May 10, the seedlings of Aurora seemed arrested in growth, and many of them commenced to die. An application of hen manure in the propor- tion of one in ten, and of nitrate of soda, was without result, and only a few hundred plants were saved. This necessarily reduced the plantation of Aurora, but the seed- lings of Comstock were plentiful and enabled the planting of four arpents of tobacco, as had been planned. PLANTATION. Spring conditions were favourable enough to permit of the preparation of the land in good time. Unfortunately, the municipal regulations of. Montreal do not per- mit of the loading manure at the Great Northern station, except in winter. This prevented the usual application of barnyard manure to the land. To make up for this, as far as possible, the amount of chemical fertilizer applied was increased, but with only fair results. The planting, finished June 12, comprised : Three arpents of Comstock Spanish, one-quarter arpent of Cuban, and one-sixth arpent of Aurora. The work was done entirely by machine, under favourable conditions. Not many plants had to be replaced. The cut worms and wire worms are becoming more and more rare, which would lead to the belief that the application of Paris green and also the three-year rotation followed are very efficacious against insect spread. At St. Jacques, as throughout the Yamaska valley, the month of June was exceptionally cold, and con- sequently unfavourable to the plantations. July was very hot, but very dry as well, so that it may be said in a general way, that ai the beginning of August, the plants were practically a month behind in growth. The heat and rain of August gave a good impulse to growth, but so late that the yields were much below what they should have been. The curing process, favoured by a long autumn of good weather, generally went DIVISIOX OF TOBACCO 1017 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 on well. The tobacco had a very good colour but, owing to the prolonged drought, the leaves were too thick and frequently lacked elasticity. After a severe selection, 200 seed plants were reserved, which gave 8 pounds of seed of the first quality. lows: CROP RETURNS. The total tobacco crop at St. Jacques amounted to 2,719 pounds, made up as fol- 2,320 pounds of Comstock Spanish. 205 pounds of Cuban. 115 pounds of Aurora. 79 pounds of Comstock (leaves detached from the seed plants). The whole harvest was sent to the tobacco warehouse at the Central Farm, Ottawa, arriving there the last of December. The 2,320 pounds of Comstock was classified as follows : — 486 pounds top leaves. 1,347 pounds middle leaves. 487 pounds bottom leaves. As will be noted, 58 per cent of middle leaves were obtained, a very good propor- tion. At Farnham, the proportion of middle leaves is much higher, as the conditions for growth are much better, the topping is done lower down, and the pruning higher up. Soon after the harvest, the laud was ploughed, and the area which will be in tobacco in 1914 was manured at the rate of 20 tons per arpent, and turned under by a deep ploughing of 9 inches, finished the end of October. The mould for the beds was then treated with formalin, and is ready for the work of 1914. St. Tacqites. 1018 EXPERIMESTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 TOBACCO STATION, HARROW, OXT. REPORT OF THE MANAGER, W. A. BARNET, B.S.A. Considering this particular section of the county, the season of 1913 was a very- unfavourable one for the successful culture of tobacco and, generally speaking, con- ditions in other parts of southwestern Ontario were the same. The spring opened out as early as usual and very favourable weather prevailed during the fore part of the season for the growth of the young seedlings, so that in some rare cases where beds were sown very early, planting was begun in May. Despite the fact that many beds made apparently good progress there was the usual scarcity of plants just when they should be plentiful and planting carried on to the fullest extent. On account of the shortage of seedlings the acreage of Burley was smaller tlian in the previous year. During a period of four weeks from the latter part of May till the 21st of June there was a continued drought. The weather conditions necessitated an unusual amount of care in the watering of beds, especially those covered with glass, and made conditions very unfavourable for securing a uniform stand in the field. THE ORCHARD. On April 23 the whole orchard was sprayed for the San Jose scale, and again later for the Codling moth. A light pruning was given the apple trees. The peach trees planted in April, 1911, made a splendid wood growth. A hoed crop of Warne tobacco was grown in part -of the orchard. In the balance of the area clean cultivation, followed by a seeding of Hairy Yetch for a cover crop was the practice. There was a large yield of apples but they were of poor keeping quality, a large percentage of the Northern Spy variety rotting on the tree. A few scattering peaches were found in the young orchard. CORN EXPERIMENTS. Part of the area in corn was manured at the rate of twelve loads per acre. The balance of the ground, 4 acres, had been manured the previous year for tobacco, and fertilized for corn as follows : 100 pounds muriate of potash and 275 pounds super- phosphate per acre. The latter area planted with Golden Glow variety was not damaged badly by the hail-storm, and yielded 100 bushel baskets per acre of good sound corn, but the -balance of the ground planted with Improved Leaming yielded only about one-half a crop. The severe wind and hail-storm of August 3 broke off a large percentage of the stalks and, for the most part, the leaves were torn and actually stripped off the standing stalks. Then again, where the ears were struck by the hail- stones they were deformed and never developed as they would have done. Conse- quently the yield was diminished and the proportion of reliable seed was quite small. DRAINAGE WORK. A system of main drains was started but the work was not completed owing to a small delay getting a satisfactory outlet. The balance of the main drain will be com- pleted and the laterals put in this coming spring. Cement curbed sand traps were put in at intervals along the main. It has been noted that although the drains were put Diri^IOy OF TOBACCO 1019 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 in with a fall of but 1 inch to 100 feet they were working quite successfully, carrying the water into the sand traps, the bottom of which is composed of a coarse gray sand, a porous filter. PLANT BED EXPERIMENTS. As in former years, plants sold at a premium just at planting time, the demand was keen, seedlings selling up to $3 per thousand. Despite the fact that some of our beds did not do as well as was expected, there was sufficient to plant the 9 acres of Burlej^ and about 6 acres of AVarne without having to do any buying. Dijf event Kinds of Plant Beds Established. — Sixteen hundred square feet of beds were established according to the following methods : — 1. Hotbed with cotton covering. 2. Cold bed with glass covering. 3. Cold bed with glass covering and different proportions of home-mixed ' fertilizer applied. 4. Cold bed, glass covering, with a thin layer of black virgin soil applied. 5. Cold bed, glass covering, using the ordinary sandy loam soil, manured and fertilized. 6. Cold bed, cotton covering, no fertilizer applied' but heavily manured, and a layer of black soil used on the surface of the ordinary soil. Bright Tobacco Beds. — On April 17, eight beds, 560 square feet were fertilized and sowed as follows : — 5 beds dry seed, Warne variety. 2 beds swollen seed, Virginia Erzegovine. 1 bed swollen seed, Virginia Erzegovine Gigante. The above beds were fertilized at one-twelfth pound per square foot with the single fertilizers, sulphate of potash, nitrate of soda, and superphosphate mixed in equal proportions by weight. Black soil was applied to the ordinary soil, the ferti- lizer applied to the top layer and raked in lightly. The soil was firmed with plank after sowing. The seed came up uniformly and made a good growth till the leaves were the size of a half-dollar, when growth was retarded despite the fact that a solution of nitrate of soda was used in watering and close attention was given to the beds. The leaves had a dark green cast, and the plants were the thick stalky type. On examining the roots of specimens, it was found that the root system was not developed, particularly there was an absence of the ramification of the fine rootlets. Again, the ends of the main roots and even the extremities of the fine root hairs presented a dark, dead appearance, as though they had been burned. It was noted that the new types of Vir- ginia Erzegovine and Virginia Erzegovine Gigante did not show the effects of the disease, although both the Warne and the latter-mentioned types wore sown on soil which had received exactly the same previous treatment. Upon investigation it was fouild that the disease in question was bed root rot, Thielavia basicola. These beds had not been treated with steam nor disinfected with formalin soki- tion as a preventive measure. While the soil had been partly changed from year to year it was noticed that where the roots penetrated into the old soil the disease developes rapidly. While experienced growers of bright tobacco from Virginia claim to be able to grow plants successfully, continuously on the .same soil, it has not been proven to be thus in our experience. Warne plants had been grown on this soil, which was partly changed each year for five successive seasons. The writer is fully con- vinced that to grow any variety of tobacco plant, commonly grown in Ontario, on the Harrow. 1020 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 same soil continuously is a risky practice. It was very evident that this soil, which is very fertile, must be disinfected before being used again, and it is doubtful if we shall use this soil in the future even after disinfection. Burley Beds. — Burley beds were sown April 17, the same date as the Warne beds were sown. The soil and treatment were alike. The same diseased condition prevailed in this case, and the roots developed marked cases of tobacco root rot. The balance of the area in Burley beds which was sown on new soil, April 21 and 23, did not show any signs of root rot; and it was noted that both the cotton and the glass-covered bods sown on the latter-mentioned date gave stronger and earlier plants than the first seeding. The Burley beds sown under glass, the soil previously well manured and fertilized at one-fifteenth of a pound per square foot with the combina- tion of single fertilizers mentioned above, gave very strong healthy plants. A cotton bed manured but not fertilized gave plants about ten days later than a bed with glass covering prepared in the same way and sown the same date. Conclusions from Plant Bed Experiments. — -1. From observation and past exper- ience the writer would advocate sowing beds by April 1 to 10 if weather and soil conditions were favourable. 2. The practice of sowing beds continuously on the same soil more than two years is a risky one. 3. The glass covering gave plants about ten days earlier than the cotton covering. 4. The writer would advocate the disinfection of all tobacco beds, either by steam- ing or using a solution of formalin. The methods are explained in Bulletin No. A-6, Tobacco Division. 5. A combination of the single fertilizers sulphate of potash, nitrate of soda, and superphosphate mixed in equal proportions by weight and applied at one-twelfth of a pound per square foot gave excellent results as a plant bed fertilizer. To avoid any danger from burning the young germ, should sprouted seed be used, the writer would recommend applying the soda, say three to four days before sowing the beds. EXPERIMENTS WITH VIRGINIA TOBACCO. Five acres of Virginia Leaf was planted from June 11 to June 20. The ground was given a 500-pound application of a 3-8-3 combination of single fertilizers, which is a 3 per cent nitrogen, 8 per cent phosphoric acid, and 3 per cent potash. To 1 acre an application of complete ready-mixed fertilizer was given. Immediately after setting, the poisoned bran mash was applied around the plants, and greatly checked the ravages of the cutworm. By subsequent replanting a very uniform stand was obtained. The crop made splendid growth throughout the latter part of June and July, and it gave appearances of being the most imiform crop we had yet grown. One-half of the crop was ready for topping August 4. The balance of the area was about ten days later. However, a very severe wind and hail storm passed over this section of the county on August 3, greatly damaging about one-half of the field. In many cases plants were broken off at the ground and scores of plants were practically stripped of their leaves, nothing being left but fragments of leaves on a. badly beaten stalk. The later planting, being not so far advanced, seemed to grow out of the effects from the storm, and made a fairly good sample of tobacco. The earlier planted portion of the crop was topped fairly high, but the top leaves did not sufficiently mature to be ready for harvesting when the lower portion of the plant wps ripe for cutting, consequently the very top leaves cured a rather dark red or greenish colour. The plants most badly damaged were cut off, but the sucker which sprung up did not have time to grow and mature into a well-ripened plant. A few plants which were Harrow. CO rH 05 =3 a 0) O 4) 0 c8 IG- 1015-1). 100 L Plate LXXIX Giant Herzegovnia. (Central Farm, 1913.) 16-1015- p. 1004. DIVISION OF TOBACCO ^ 1021 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 cured had a thin textured leaf of greenish yellow cast. The crop was graded and the sound leaf was sold at 22} cents per pound, while that badly torn with the wind and hail was sold for 10 cents per pound. Thus what promised to be a crop of first quality had an unforeseen but destructive accident, deducting from its value more than one- half. BURLEV EXPERIMENTS. The Burley ground was prepared from a clover sod, manured at sixteen spreader loads per acre, and fertilized according- to the outline below. Part of the area was manured the fall and sunnner previous, and the balance of the ground was manured early in the spring. Ploughing was finished the last week of May, and the ground was immediately rolled with a weighted roller, and double disced- It was again double disced, harrowed smooth, and fertilized as follows: — Plot No. 1, acre plot. — 2.j0 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 400 pounds super- phosphate per acre, 150 i^ounds blood meal per acre. Plot No. 2, acre plot. — 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 300 pounds super- phosphate per acre, 200 pounds blood m.eal per acre. Plot No. S, acre plot. — 200 pounds basic slag (contains 18 to 24 per cent phos- phoric acid) per acre, 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 100 pounds blood meal per acre. Plot No. 4, acre plot. — 300 pounds superphosphate per acre, 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 140 pounds basic slag per acre. Plot No. 5, acre plot. — 200 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 200 pounds superphosphate per acre. Plot No. 6, acre plot. — 200 pounds sulphate oi potash per acre, 200 pounds basic slag per acre, 100 pounds blood meal per acre. - Plot No. 1 , acre plot. — 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 200 pounds super- phosphate per acre, 300 pounds blood meal per acre. Plot No. 8, acre plot. — lf^5 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 240 pounds super- phosphate per acre, 200 pounds Blood meal per acre. Plot No. 9, acre plot, divided into six plots of equal size. — No. 1, 200 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 300 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 300 pounds superphosphate per acre. No. 2, 250 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 350 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 350 pounds superphosphate per acre. No. 3, 300 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 400 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 400 pounds superphosphate per acre. Xo. 4, 350 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 450 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 450 pounds superphosphate per acre. No. 5, 400 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 500 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 500 pounds superphosphate per acre. No. 6, 400 pounds sulphate of potash per acre, 550 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, 550 pounds superphosphate per acre. IIarrow. IC— G6 1022 EXPERIMENTAL FlRMii COMMENTS. 5. GEORGE v.. A. 19!5 In view of the fact that the combination 200 pounds sulphate of potash, 300 pounds acid phosphate, and 300 pounds nitrate of soda per acre, has g-iven the best results in former years, the above outlined experiment was planned with the idea of finding out the etfeet of the heavier applications of phosphoric acid potash and nitrate of soda, and to find out if possible which one, if any, of the above combinations would give the largest net returns, after paying for- the expense of the materials. In all cases the fertilizer was lightly harrowed in and the ground rolled before planting. As will be noted in the experiments on 1-acre plots, nitrate of soda was applied in the case of No. 5 only. The remaining plots received a hand application of 350 pounds per acre on July 24. The idea in applying the soda by hand in the later dressing was to prevent any unnecessary leaching which might occur in case the material was applied in conjunction with the other single fertilizers. This operation, which on the face of it would look like an unusual amount of labour, required the -ervices of three men but one day. Likewise this crop suffered a severe set-back from the hail-storm, particularly the first planting. Over an area of 4 acres the lower six or eight leaves were so badly torn and broken that a large percentage of them were thrown away at stripping time. The later plantings, being smaller when tlie storm came, g-radually grow out of the effects of the storm and made a very fair sample of tobacco. Owing to the severe accident which happened to the crop, the writer did not con- sider it advi.-able to keep each plot separate in the field, or when taken into the barn. Since there was no really appreciable difference noted in the field, no accurate fig-ures of yields per acre were kept for each plot. TOBACCO ROOT ROT OBSERVATIONS. While the most of our Burlcy crop was making a splendid growth previous to the storm, still there was a plot of 2 acres v.-hich was growing unevenly — it ni'Tht be termed a partially Burley-siek soil. The observations the writer made in i^e field were as follows : Plants on certain rows or in certain rows in the field seemed to have completely stopped growing. The dwarfed plants were often attacked by the Mosaic, disease, but sometimes the stunted or dwarfed plants bore no trace of this mottled appearance, but sim])ly seemed to have stopped development. This latter case applied to fields, the soil of which was still healthy at planting time, and the diseased plants have been taken from the diseased plant bed. But in the more exaggerated cases in other fields in the county the writer has noticed whole fields which presented a dwarfed appearance, in which case the disease has been ])reva- lent in the field and has affected previous crops but was vmrecognized. The writer considers that in the case in question on the Farm at Harrow the disease was trans- mitted from the infected plant bed to the field. The root systcan of many plants \va* so seriously affected that the feeding powers of the fine root hairs were cut off so com- pletely that the plants were merely surviving on a limited supply of plant food. I'ndoubtedly this disease has been prevalent in many fields which have been closel.y cropped with Burley and it has never been recognized. One must admit that a case is difficult to diagnose unless you arc thoroughly conversant with the symptoms. The writer would suggest that the grower should feel at liberty to send any diseased speci- mens to the Experimental Farm, Harrow, or to Mr. F. Charlan, Tobacco Division, Ottawa, for inspection and identification. The situation is not improving, and if we were to study the facts as expressed by many growers, '• My ground is burleyed out," '' I shall have to grow a crop which is easier on the soil," we would find in manj' cases that the soil was infected with root rot. We might substitute the Burley with other varieties of smoking tobacco as Connecticut Seed Leaf, Big Ohio, and Gomstock Harrow. DIVISIOX OF TOBACCO 1023 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Spanish, which are more resistant, but the market for such varieties is not favourable and even these kinds become badly affected. Mr. James Johnson, a plant pathologist from the College of Agriculture, Madison, Wisconsin, made no hesitation in calling the disease Tlr hivia hasicola. We have planned to co-operate with him in trying to breed a resistant strain of Burley by sow- ing different types of seed selected in 1913 from fields in Essex county. It is believed that through a process of selection and breeding a disease-resistant strain can be worked out. PRECAUTIONAIJV MEASURES. First. — The soil of the seed-bed which produced sick plants in 1013 miist be either discarded or steamed for twenty to 30 minutes with pressure at 100 pounds. To treat the bed area, secure a pan the width of your beds, 8 to 10 feet loTig. and 4 to 6 inches deep. A serviceable and inexpensive pan can be made by securely nailing galvanized roofing to four pieces of 2- by 4-inch oak scantling, and soldering the seams so that no steam may escape. Have an intake in the form of a short piece of galvanized pipe securely fastened in one corner of the scantling frame; one handle on each side of the pan would make it more convenient to handle. The writer saw some beds last spring prepared and cured for alike, but part of the bed area was. disinfected with steam and a portion left not treated. At the time of his visit there was at least 3 inches difference in the growth of the plants. In short the untreated portion gave promise of being a failure, while the treated area was pro- ducing healthy seedlings with very little work required in weeding the beds. Second. — Adopt a longer rotation, say, corn, cereals, clover, followed twice in succession before planting Burley on the soil. The above precaution applies parti- cularly to an area of ground which has been frequently used for Burley tobacco. Third. — The year previous to planting, apply 1,000 pounds superphosphate i)ev acre, since this fertilizer will counteract the most rapid flovplnpment of the organisni Avhich causes the disease in the soil. Fourth. — Let the farmer consider as diseased a field or. whieli a very uneven growth of tobacco was observed in 1913 and be convinced that growing tobacco con- tinuously on the same soil is a risky and exhaustive practice. 16— 66i Harrow. 5 GEORGE V. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 A. 1915 INDE X Agassiz, B.C. — ■ Animal Husbandry — Dairy Cattle Breed Breeding exiperiment Calf rearing, costs and methods of Cheese, Coulommier Cheese, Pont rE>veque Dairy manufacturing Feeding Feeds Milk contaminations Mill? production, pure Records Stable notes Horses Breed Feeding work horses Sheep Breeds Feeding Lambing Shearing . Swine Breed Breeding Disease due to rice meal feeding. . Experiments — Feeding Alfalfa Barley Dried blood Mangels Oats Peas Rice meal Skim-milk Wheat shorts Rice meal for fattening hogs. . . . Cereals — Barley Oats for grain Oats for hay Season, character of Wheat, spring Field Husbandry — Crops ; field Manure; barnyard Forage Plants — Carrots, test of varieties 94C, Clovers Corn, Indian, test of varieties. . . . Grasses Mangels, test of varieties Roots, field Sugar beets, test of varieties.. .. Turniiis, test of varieties Horticulture — Ornamental Gardening — Bulbs Flowering and deciduous shrubs and trees Herbaceous plants Page 387 387 3S7 392 397 397 396 387 38S 395 393 389 301 421 421 421 442 442 442 442 442 459 459 459 473 461 466 465 467 463 465 465 461 463 463 461 827 826 826 825 290 291 947 947 947 947 945 945 947 946 731 730 730 AGASSIZ, B.C. — Continued. Horticulture — Continued. Pomologj' — Commercial apple orchard. Vegetable Gardening — Beans Beets Carrots Celery Com Cucumbers Lettuce , Parsnips Peas Peii^pers Potatoes Salsify Squash Tomatoes Poultry — Cost of feeding 266 W. Leghorns . Cost of hatching chicks Incubation Rations used Relative value of 3 pens B. rocks . Stock on hand Temperatures of machine (table) . Wet and dry mash, relative value. Brandon, Man. — Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle Corn todder, dry. . . . Corn silage Feeding out-of-doors. Financial returns. . . Dairy Cattle Breeds Calves, cost of rearing. . Feeding, winter , Heifers, cost of rearing. Milk production, cost of. Records of production.. . Horses , Barn, new horse Breeding Feeding in barn Labour, classification of. Light for horse barn . . . Ventilation of horse I).aii . Sheep Breeding Experiments in wintering flock. Barn vs. open shed Grass-hay vs. alfalfa Feeding the flock Swine Barley for Breeds Experiments, feeding Barley vs. oats vs. shorts.. . Two vs. three feeds daily. . . Flour for Mangels for Page 727 724 721 724 720 723 723 723 722 725 722 725 722 721 720 987 990 989 987 988 987 987 989 312 313 313 312 312 380 380 382 380 382 381 380 415 415 415 415 415 415 415 434 434 434 434 434 434 451 451 451 451 4 51 453 452 452 1025 1025 INDEX 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Brandon, Man. — Cpjt. Anisial Kusbandry- Pace Brandon, Man. — Con. -Con. Swine — Con. Oats for 451 Piggery, new 454 Conveniences 456 Floors 4.5.5 Foundation 455 Grades and levels. 455 Light 455 Ventilation 4 55 Shorts for 451 Cereals — Barley, six-row 789 two-row TOO Oats 787 Oats, five J ear averages 788 Oats, influence of locat'on on 788 Peas, field 791 Peas, field, five year averages.. .. 791 Red Fife, strains of 786 Season, character of 785 Seed grain, fields of 791 Seed grain, sold 792 Varieties, test of 785 Wheat, spring 7S5 Wheat, five year average 786 Field Husbandry — Crops, notes on field, cost of production of field, yields of rotation of Manure, barnyard, application of... green Packing, soil Ploughing, stubble, depth of sod, depth Qf sod, from cultivated grasses and clover summer-fallow, depth of Seed-bed, preparation of Seeding, grass and clover depth of Stubble, treatment of Summer-fallow, treatment of Values, cost return Weather, condition of observations taken Forage Plants — Alfalfa, experiments with Carrots, test of varieties Clover, Alsike, experiments with.. 914, Red, experiments with.. ..914, White Dutch, experiments with 914, Corn, Indian, test of varieties. . . .910. Grasses, experiments with 914, Brome 914, Kentucky Blue 914, Red Top 914, Timothy 914, Western rye 914, Hay, annual Mangels, test of varieties 912, Millets, test of varieties Oats Peas Season, character of Sugar beets, test of Turnips 911, 199 202 201 204 218 223 214 215 218 214 222 217 226 217 217 208 209 199 200 914 913 915 915 915 911 915 915 915 915 915 915 916 913 916 916 916 909 913 912 Horticultnre — Ornamental Gardening — Annuals P^lowering bulbs Tulips Dahlias Sweet peas Arboretum Caragana Flowering shrubs. . . . Hedges Honeysuckle, Tartarian. Ninebark Spiraeas Viburnums Pomology — Apples Plums Small fruits Vegetable Gardening — Beans Beets Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Corn . .'^ Cucumbers . Lettuce Onions Parsley Parsnips Peas Potatoes, varieties of Commercial fertilizers. . on . . . . Cooking test of potatoes Five-year averages Average for four years Average for three years Earliness test Small vs. Large potatoes for seed. Radishes Salsify Spinach Squash and marrow Tomatoes Turnips , Poultry — Amount of stock Cotton front houses satisfactory. . Temperature of houses Page 659 fr.7 658 659 659 661 661 661 662 661 661 662 661 655 655 656 649 649 647 648 647 648 650 648 650 652 65« 652 652 643 643 645 644 644 644 0-45 645 649 652 652 654 654 655 983 983 983 Cap Rouge, Que. — Animal Husbandry — Dairy Cattle 369 Breeds 369 Experiment, feeding 372 Relation of concentrates fed to milk produced 372 Feeding . 372 Records, dairy herd 370 Horses "^lO Barn, new. . . 412 Breeding 410 Breeds 410 Cost of rearing weanlings 411 Fxperlments 410 ^V'intering horses at low cost.. 410 Jjabour, classification of 410 INDEX 1027 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Cap Rouge, Que. — Con. PAGE Animal Husbandry — Con. Sheep 433 Breeding ^"^•^ Breeds 4^^ Feeding 433 Swine 449 Cap RougEj Que. — Con. Page Breeding . Cereals — Barley as a nurse crop Oats rates of seeding Peas their high protein content.. .. ■Season, character of Seed grain Variety tests Vitality of seed, effect of, on crop. Wheat, spring 449 782 783 780 ( So 781 783 779 784 779 784 779 Field Husbandry — Crops, notes on field, cost of production of.. .. field, yields of nurse, quantity of and effect on yield of hay rotation of nurse, kind's, and yield of hay . . Lands, clearing of drainage of Season, character of observations taken Forage Plants — Carrots, test of varieties Digestible nutrients Clover, red Corn, Indian, test of varieties.. 904, Digestible nutrients Mangels, tests of varieties... ...906, Digestible nutrients Roots, field Season, character of Sugar beets, test of varieties. . . . Timothy Turnips, test of varieties 905, Digestible nutrients 188 190 189 197 191 19^ 198 198 188 189 907 908 988 905 908 907 908 904 904 908 908 906 908 Horticulture — Character of season 616 Exhibition, Quebec 642 Ornamental Gardening — Annuals 641 Conifers 637 Deciduous trees and shrubs. . . . 638 Hedges 637 Roses 640 Seed distribution 642 ' Pomology — Apples 616 Cherries 617 Plums 616 Small fruits 617 Vegetable Gardening — Beans 621 Beets 623 Broccoli 623 Brussels sprouts 623 Cabbage 623 Cardoon 624 Carrots 624 Cauliflower 625 Horticulture — Con. Vegetable Gardening — Con. Celeriac 625 Celery 625 Corn 625 Cucumbers 627 Egg plant 627 Endive 627 Kale 627 Kohl rabi 627 Leek 627 Lettuce 628 Marketing 636 Martynia 628 Melon, musk 628 Miscellaneous &36 Parsley 629 Parsnips 629 Peas 630 Pei>per 631 Potatoes G31 Radishes 631 Salsify 632 Seed distribution 63G Seed growing 636 Spinach 632 Squash 6i33 Tomatoes 634 Turnips 635 Watermelons 636_ Witloof chicory 635 Poultry — One breed 982 Turk£\ys, geese and ducks 982 Charlottetown, P.E.T. — Animal Husbandry — Beef cattle 298 Breeds 298 Deductions of experiments 300 Experiments 298 Feeding steers of different breeds «nd ages 298 Feeding 298 Dairy cattle 360 Feeding 360 Records, dairy cow 360 Horses 404 Feeding work horses 404 Labour, classificatioii of 404 Sheep 426 Breeding 426 Experiment, lamb fattening 426 Alfalfa hay 4 27 Clovei- hay 4 27 Corn stover 4 27 Mixed hay 427 Roots 427 Timothy hay 4 27 Cereals — Barley 768 six-row, test of varieties.... 768 two-row, test of varieties. . . 769 Cereals, field plots of 770 multiplication plots of 770 uniform test plots of 767 Oats 767 co-operative test of three varie- ties of . . . 771 Peas 769 Rotation, system of 766 Season, character of 766 Wheat, spring 767 1028 INDEX Charlottetown, P.E.T. — Con. Paci Field Husbandry — Crops, field, yields and cost of — production of 165 rotation of l*''^ Grass, couch, twitch or quack 172 Manure, barnyard ■. . 1"2 Miscellaneous 172 Soil, cultural experiments 172 drainage of 173 Forage Plants — Alfalfa Carrots, test of varieties Clover, Red Corn, Indian, test of varieties Grasses. . Kentucky Blue Red Top Mangels, test of varieties New expeiiments Roots, field 890, Season, character of Sugar beets, test of varieties Horticulture^ Character of season Horticulture, area devoted Ornamental gardening — Annuals Bulbs Perennials Trees and shrubs to. Pomology — Pruit, large. Apples. . - Cherries. . Pears. . . Plums. . . S92 891 892 890 892 892 892 891 892 891 890 892 553 554 559 559 559 555 Fruit, small B'.ackberries Currants Gooseberries Grapes Lucretia (Dewberry) Raspberries Strawberries •• Vegetable gardening- Asparagus Beans , ■ • • Beets Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Corn Cucu.obers Lettuce Onions Parsley Parsnips Peas Peppers Potatoes Test of different methods of cut- ting sets • • Test of varieties. 1913 Squash Tomatoes Turnips 554 554 554 554 554 554 555 554 555 5-- 4 51^5 555 555 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 ARNHAM, Que., Tobacco Station — Page. Crops at 1008 Cultural operations at 1010 Curing shed, method of placing tobacco in.. . 1011 Curing shed, ventilation of 1012 Improvements to station.. 1013 Land, prep9.ration of.. .. 1008 Plantation at 1009 Seed beds at 1007 Seed beds, diseased 1008 Seed beds, temperatures in 1007 Sewing at^. 1000 Varieties- grown. . ..' 1000 Varieties, yields and ratings of.. .. 1013 JFREDERICTON, N.B. Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle 311 Breeding ,311 Feeding 311 Financial statement 311 Dairy Cattle 366 Barn, new 366 Accommodation 367 Dimensions 307 Foundations 366 Light 367 Superstructure 366 Ventilation 367 "Water 368 Breeding SCO Horses 4 07 Breeding 4 07 Feeding work horses 4 07 Labour, classification of 408 Fie7d Husbandry — Crops field 183 Fences, building of 184 Land, clearing of 184 Se.ison. character of 1S2 observations taken 182 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 556 557 557 557 557 557 558 558 557 557 557 Poultry- Equipment 976 Price of cockerels for breeding and for market 976 Stock 976 Forage Plants — Corn, Indian, test of varieties. Turnips, test of varieties. ... Horticulture — Character of season Ornamental Gardening — Flowers, Cannas, Dahlias, Perennials Iris. Vegetable Gardening- Beans Beets Cabbage Carrots Corn Cucumbers Lettuce Peas Parsnips '. . Potatoes R-^dish .Squash Tomatoes 901 902 602 607 605 604 604 604 605 606 606 604 605 608 606 606 605 Poultry- Colony house 981 Ration 9^1 Stock fSl IXDEX 1029 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Indian Head, Sask. — Page. Animal Husbandry — Beef cattle 315 Breeding 315 Kxperiments 315 Feeding vs. outside 316 Feeds for steers 315 Tied vs. loose feeding 316 Two-year vs. three-year steers for feeding 316 Feeding steers 315 Financial returns 318 Dairy cattle 383 Breeding 3S3 Horses 416 Breeding 416 Breeds 416 Experiments, horse feeding 416 Exercised vs. idle vs. worked in winter 416 Feeds for winter maintenance.. 416 Grains for win.ter maintenance. . 416 Roughages for winter mainten- ance 416 Sheep 436 Breeding 43G Experiments, lamb feeding 4 36 Gra'ns for 436 Roughages for 436 Financial returns 437 Swine 457 Breeds 457 Feeding 457 Housing :. 457 Cereals — Barley, field lots 796 six-row 795 two-row 796 Flax 797 Oats 794 fields tests 795 Peas 796 Potatoes, free distribution of.. .. 797 Rve, winter 797 Season, the 793 Seed grain 797 Reed sold 797 Wheat spring 793 field lots 794 winter 796 Field Husbandry — Crops, notes 226 field, cost of production of 230 field, yields of 227 rotation of. . . 231 Drag, split log 247 Field, husbandry work, s^ope of .... 227 Manure, barnyard, application of. . 240 green 243 Packers, soil 244 Ploughing, summer fallow, depth of. 236 Sod, depth of 237 Stubble, depth of 237 Summer-fallow, treatment of 238 SecMng, grass and clover 240 depth of 246 Seed-bed, preparation of 244 Forage Plants — Alfalfa 920, 921 Field tests 922 Test of varieties 921, 922 Clover, Alsike 920, 922 Clover, Red .- 920,922 Indian Head, Sask. — Con. Horticulture — Distribution of samples. Ornamental Gardening- Annual flowers. ... Bulbs Cannas Perennial flowers. . Trees and shrubs. . . Pomology — Apples. . . . Cross-bred . Currants. . . Gooseberries. Plums. ... Raspberries. . Vegetable Gardening- Asparagus Beans Beets Brussels sprouts. . Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Citron Corn, garden Cress Cucumbers Egg plant Lettuce Onions Parsley Pai'^nips Peas, garden Pep'per , Potatoes Pumpkins Radish Rhubarb Sage Squash Summer savory. . . Tomatoes Turnips Weather conditions. Poultry — Cotton front houses. Equipment Temperatures Harrow, Ont., Tobacco Station — Barley, experiments with Drainage at Orchard at Season, character of Seed bed experiments Tobacco root rot Preventive measures against. Virginia tobacco Page 676 673 674 674 674 675 671 672 670 671 371 671 664 664 665 665 665 660 665 G66 667 667 606 667 667 66S 667 669 668 667 670 669 667 667 667 66? 667 66t- 669 664 984 984 984 1021 1018 1018 lOlS 1019 1022 1023 1020 INVERMSRE, B.C. Horticulture — Ornamental Gardening — Bulbs 734 Flowers 734 Pomology- — Apples 732 Crab 733 Blackberries 733 Cherries 733 1030 IXDEX 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 INVERMERE, B.C. Con. Horticulture — Con. Pomology — Con. Currants Gooseberries Orchard experiments. Peaches Pears Plums Prune Raspberries Vegetables Weather conditions. . . Page Kentville, N.S. — Con. Horticulture — Con. Poultry — Egg record Rations Turkeys Utility poultry house. Kentville, N.S. — Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle - . . . Experiments, steer feeding. Feeds for Loose vs. tied Financial returns Dairy Cattle Breeding Feeding Horses Feeding Hor.scs vs. oxen . 733 733 73 3 733 733 .733 733 733 734 732 991 991 991 991 30S 308 309 310 365 365 365 406 406 406 of. Field Husbandry- Crops, flild. . . . Dykes, construction Fences, building of Land, clearing of Roads Weather, condition of observations taken Forage Plants — Carrots, test of varieties Corn, Indian, test of varieties . . . . Mangels, test of varieties Roots, field Season, character of Sugar beets, test of varieties -Turnips, test of varieties Hortictilture — • Meteorological Records Ornamental Gardening : Lawns and Planting Shrubs and Trees Plantations made Pomology : Apples, experiment for control of Aphis Cover crops, fertilizer experiments v/ith ' Fruit trees, fertilizer experiments with Orchard planted in 1913 Orchard Surveying : Cover crop Distance of planting Fertilizers Soil management, system of . . . . Spraying Small fruits and grapes 179 181 181 ISO ISl 179 179 900 898 890 898 898 900 8 99 575 577 577 598 586 586 577 602 601 602 602 602 577 Spraying, cost of different sprays used for control of Apple Aphis. Arsenate of Lead, relative effect of different brands in causing foli- age injury Arsenate of Lead, fungicidal value of Bordeaux vs. Lime Sulphur, sum- mary Bordeaux and Lime Sulphur, al- ternating Bordeaux 3-3-30 vs. Bordeaux 4-4-40 Experiments in the Bridgetown Orchard Experiments in Falmouth Orchard. Lime Sulphur, home boiled vs. com- mercial Time of Thinning experiments Young Trees at planting time. Fer- tilizing of Vegetable Gardening — Beans, Garden Cabbage Cucumbers in the greenhouse. . . . Lettuce Melons, Musk Peas Potatoes, Varieties of Fertilizer, experiments with.... Sweet Corn Tomatoes Fertilizer, experiments with . . Weather Page 598 595 596 593 594 595 592 592 596 597 599 588 57S 578 579 578 578 578 580 587 578 578 583 577 Poultry — Brooder house " 971) House 97g Incubators 979 Rations 979 Stock 978 Temperatures 979 Lacombe, Alta. — Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle Breed Breeding Experimens, Winter steer feeding. Bain vs. corral vs. range. . . . Feeding for beef Financial returns .. Dairy Cattle Breeding Breeds Dairy products Experiments, feeding Feeding Records, Dairy herds Horses Breeding Feeding, Summer Feeding, Winter Foals, Cost of rearing Slieep Bi'ecdiing Swine Breeding Costs of rearing 324 324 324 325 325 325 326 384 384 384 386 384 385 385 420 420 420 420 420 438 438 458 458 458 IXDEX 1031 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Lacombe, Alta. — Con. Page Cereals — Barlej', field lots, suitable for seed 820 six-row SID two-row S20 Oats 819 Peas, field S20 Rye 818 Season, character of 817 Seed distribution and sale of . . . . 820 Wheat, spring- 817 field lots for seed 818. ■winter 817 Field Husbandry — Crops, field, yield of 283 rotation of 284 Fencing 289 Land — Clearing- and breaking- 289 Ploughing — Depth of.. 288 Seed, wheat, fanned vs. not fanned.. 288 Seeding, grass and clover 2.^8 Stubble, treatment of 288 Summer-fallow, treatment of 288 M^eather, condition of 282 Porage Plant Alfalfa 943 Clovers 943 Carrots, test of varieties 94/. Corn, Indian, test of varieties 941 Grasses 943 Mangels, test of varieties 942 Sugar beets, test of varieties 943 Turnips, test of varieties 943 Horticulture — Ornamental Gardening — Cannas 715 Dahlias 71.5 Flower garden 714 Gladioli 71.t Narcissus 716 Perennials 716 Sweet Peas 715 Tulips 716 Pomology — Currants 717 Orchard 708 Vegetable Gardening — - Beans 708-714 Beets 709 Brussels Sprouts 70!' Cabbage 71i'-714 Carrots 709 Cauliflowers 709 Celery 710 Cucumbers 710 Lettuce. . ..'..' 711 Onions 711 Parsley 711 Parsnips 711 Peas 711 T'otatoes 718 Pumpkins 712 Rad-sh 712 Rhubarb 712 Salsify 713 Squash 712 Sweet Corn 713 Tomatoes 713 Turnips 713 Weather Conditions 70S Lacombe, Alt.a. — Con. Page Poultry — New buildings 985 Price list dSd Stock 986 Straw house 985 Turkeys, geese and ducks.. .. ., .. 986 Lethbridge, Alta. Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle 327 Alfalfa for steers 327 Experiment, steer feeding 327 Alfalfa vs. oat sheaves o27 - Feeding steers 327 Feeds for steers in winter 327 Financial statement ."",28 Steer feeding, winter 327 Sheep i6o Deductions from lamb feeding ex- periments 141 Experiment, sheep feeding 439 I Alfalfa vs. roots vs. meal 439 Meal vs. elevator screenings.. .. 439 Roots vs. meal 439 Feeding sheep, winter 439 Lamb feeding expeiiment, avei-age 3 years 441 Roots, "Value of 441 Cereals — Seasonal conditions SOS Irrigated Farm si'i Barley, six-row 815 two-row 815 J?uckwheat 816 Oats 814 Peas 816 Wheat, spring 814 Non-irrigated Farm 8 09 Barley, six-row 811 two-row 812 Buckwheat 813 Flax 813 Oats 811 Peas 81 2 Rye 813 Wheat, spring 810 winter 809 Field Husbandry — 15rcaking. i)rairie "79 Crops, rotation of (non-irrigated) .. 270 rotatio-ughing, de)jth of 279 time of 279 Seeding, dates of 2Ti; rates of 277 Season, Condition of 268 obsersation taken 269 Water, irrigation, measurement of. . 282 Forage Plants — lirigated Farm !J36 Alfalfa 938 rates of seeding 939 variety tests 940 Carrots, test of varieties 937 Corn, Indian, test of varieties . . 936 Tvlangels, test of varieties 937 I toot cellar 940 Sugar beets, test of varietie.'". . .. 938 'I'ur-nips, test of varieties 936 1032 IXDEX 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Lethbridge, Alta. — Con. Forage Plants — Con. Non-inigated Farm ''32 Alfalfa, in rows 035 Carrots, test of varieties 932 Corn, Indian, test of varieties . . f)32 Hay, perennial 934, 935 Mangels, test of varieties 932 Millets, test of varieties 934 Pasture, permanent 935 Sugar beets, test of varieties.. .. 934 Turnips, test of varieties 932 Page^Nappan, N.S. — Con. Page Horticulture- Character of ^ . Culture with Experiments season and without irrigc without irrigation. tion Ornamental gardening Trees for windbreaks Pomology (without irrigating). Apples Currants Raspberries Pomology (irrigated land). Apples Currants 7 Raspberries Strawberries Vegetable Gardening (without irri- gation) : Potatoes Vegetable Gardening (irrigated land) Beans Beets Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Corn Cucumbers Lettuce Onions Parsley Parsnips Peas Potatoes Radish Salsify Spinach Squash Tomatoes Turnips Nappan, N.S. Animal Hiisliandry — Beef Cattle Butcher steers, feeding heavy vs. medium ration to Deductions from experiment . . . . Experiment, steer feeding Feeding stocker vs. butcher steers Feeding value of molasses. . . . Heavy vs. medium rations for finishing Molasses vs. meal Feeding steers Financial statement Rations for steers Stocker steeis, feeding heavy vs. inedium ration to Dairy Cattle Breeding experiment Object of Results to date 693 693 695 707 707 697 695 696 707 05-6 705 704 695 699 702 702 701 703 704 699 703 699 700 700 701 700 698 699 701 701 702 703 700 301 302 307 301 301 303 302 303 305 306 306 302 3C1 361 361 Animal Husbandry — Con. Dairy Cattle — Con. Feeds 363 Heifers, cost of rearing 364 Record, dairy herd .. 362 Horses . . . 405 Sheep 429 • Breeding 4 29 Deductions from experiments.. .. 432 Experiment, lamb feeding 430 Average, two years 4 31 Clover vs. timothy hay 431 Roots vs. meal 431 Feeds for flock 429 Financial statement 431 Swine 447 Breeding 447 ^ Cost of rearing 44S Feeding 447 Financial statement 447 Cereals — Bailey, six-row 775 two-row 77fi Buckwheat 776 Oats ^ 774 Season, character of 772 Seed grain, field crop of 777 Wheat, spring 773 Field Husbandry — Crops, field, cost of production . . . . 176 yields of 175 Fertilizer, commercial .. 17S Season, character of 174 Forage Plants — Alfalfa ■ 897 Carrots, test of varieties 896 Clover, experiments with . . . 897 Corn, Indian, test of varieties.. ..893,894 Grasses, experiments 897 Mangels, test of varieties S95 Sugar beets, test of varieties 896 Turnips, test of varieties 894 Horticulture — of Horticultural, crops,' effect of season on. in 1913 Weather observations taken Ornamental Gardening — Annuals, list of with dates blooming , Dahlias Flowers Grounds , Perennials Sweet Peas Pomology — Apiiles Orchard, Commercial Cost of started in 1911 Plums Strawberries Vegetable Gardening — Beans, Garden Beets Cabbage Early Late CaiTOts Cauliflower 560 560 573 572 573 574 572 57 4 571 561 562 571 566 569 570 567 567 567 570 568 IXDEX 1033 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Nappan, N.S. — Con. Horticulture — Con. Vegetable Gardening — Con. Corn 571 Cucumbers , . . 571 Ltttuce 570 Or ions 568 Parsley 571 Parsnips 571 Peas 569 Peppers ,. .. 571 Potatoes, experiment with 563 Salsify 571 Squash 567 Poultry. Housing 977 Stock - 977 Temperatui'e of houses .. 977 Ottawa, Qnt., Central Experimental Farm. Page Ottawa, Qnt. — Con. Animal Husbandman — Con. Swine — Con. Deductions from Feeds for sows Object of ' . . . Plan of Report of vs. vs. Molascuit. vs. molasses. Animal Husbandman. the Dominion — Beef Cattle '. . . . Breeding PJxperimental feeding Financial statement Dairy Cattle Barn plans Breeding Breeds Co-operative milk records... . Expeiiments, feeding Analyses of meals Caldwell's molasses meal Molascuit Caldwell's molasses meal molasses Caldwell's molasses meal vs. Molassine Conclusions from experiment.'?... Molasses vs. Caldwell's meal... Molassine meal vs. Caldwell's meal Molassine meal vs. grain Molassine meal Molassine meal Feeding, summer Feeding, winter , Financial statement.. . Milldng machines Molasses Molasses meals Heoords, dairy herd.. . Dairying Butter Cei-tificd milk Coulommier cheese... . Cream cheese Disposal of milk Hoises Breeding. . . : Feeding biood mares. . . I'^'eeding colts Feedng work horses. . . Financial statement.. . I..abour, classification of. Stables " Sheen Bleeding Feeding lambs Feeding shed, new Financial statement.. .. Swine Bleeding Experiment, sow fee-ding. 297 297 297 297 329 357 329 329 354 331 342 339 333 340 341 331 338 337 337 335 330 330 359 343 331 331 345 356 357 357 356 356 356 400 4 00 402 402 401 4 03 400 401 4 22 422 423 4 25 443 443 444 Page 446 444 444 444 849 844 846 830 846 845 846 841 847 847 847 831 839 Botanist, Beport of the Dominion — Acknowledgments Agricultural bacteriology, the signifi- cance and problems of Apple disease. Black rot Canker Collar rot Scab Sun scald Botanic gardens Cherry disease. Black knot Brown rot Shot hole Destructive Insect and Pest Act, Ad- ministration of Economic Botany Evaporated potatoes and their economic value to agriculture . Experimental work Field stations, value of Fruit tree disease, Apple canker Silver leaf Herbarium House fly fungus " Imi'ortant diseases in 1913 International Phytopathological Confer- ference Miscellaneous Pear disease. Blight .. Collar rot Leaf spot Scab Peach disease. Canker '' Leaf Curl Mildew Yellows Plant disease .specimens, concerning sending of Plant diseases, need for specialization in the investigation of Plant pathology _\ | | Plum disease. Brown rot '. Shot hole Sun scald Poisonous plants Potato disease, Black heart.. .. . '. .. Common scab Powdery scab Silver scurf Potato diseases transmitted by the use of unsound seed Potatoe."?, evaporated Potato pitting- experiments CJuince disease. Black rot and leaf spot. Rust St. Catharines Field Laboratory, Re- liort of 845 Specific diseases, Investigation of . . . . 833 Students and Plant Pathology 833 Weeds, Cencral Considerations on.. .. 839 W'Wd Rice, (Jcrmination tests of 841 Wild Rice, Quebec . 842 Cerealist, Report of the Dominion — Baking test.s 757 Barley, si.x-row 751 recommended varieties of 762 S43 838 833 836 837 841 838 845 842 842 846 847 847 847 848 848 84S 843 833 833 831 848 848 849 840 835 834 834 S34 836 843 838 847 847 1034 INDEX 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Cerealist — Con. Barley, two-row recommended varie- ties of Beans Bi ancli Farms and Stations, visits to Cereals, experiments with plots of, etc., at Ottawa.. .. Correspondence Cross-breeding and selecting cereals. . Distriljution, samples, seed grain and potatoes. . . Emmer . Flax Marquis wheat Pioneer wheat Prelude wheat. Milling tests Oats , recommended varieties of Peas, field Rye, winter Seed grain, sale of test of vitality of Spelt Tables, explanation of Tests, milling and baking Weather Wheat, IMarquis Pioneer Prelude spring spring, recommended varieties of winter / . . . . Chemist, Report of the Dominion — Acknowledgments Arsenate of lead ; .. Ashes, soft maple Barley germ meal Bran Brewers' grains " . . . . Calcaieous clay Cariots, analysis of yield and average composition of Cocoa bean husks Corn fodder and ensilage Cotton seed meal Distillers' grains Fertilizer experiments with potatoes. .89; Fertilizing materials Agricultural lime Ashes, soft maple Calcareous clay Crushed limestone Flue ashes Lime compounds, their function and use Lime vvaste, from kilns Limestone, grey ground Marl Pulp mill refuse Rock deposit Sludge or poudrette Superphosphate of lime Wood ashes Field roots, relative value of S9, Flax, golden Flue a-shes Fodders and feeding stuffs American vetch hay Bailey germ meal Bran PAGE Chemist — Con. 763 763 764 757 758 752 758 753 760 764 752 753 753 757 760 761 764 764 755 755 760 758 757 757 752 753 759 759 760 90 123 103 112 113 111 100 118 119 112 114 ni 111 104 96 102 103 100 98 104 96 101 100 101 98 104 100 103 102 102 114 113 104 89 112 112 113 Pagh Brewers' grains Ill Cocoa bean husks 112 Corn fodder and ensilage 114 Cotton seed meal Ill Distillers' grains Ill Gluten meal Ill Golden flax 113 Middlings 113 Mixed concentrates 112 Molasses ; 113 feed 114 Molassine meal 114 Hulless oats 113 Oil cake m Veiny pea hay 112 Formaldehyde 125 Gluten meal m Insecfcides and fungicides 89, 123 Arsenate of lead 123 Formaldehyde 125 Pine spray insecticide 125 Tobacco decoction 126 Velvas lawn sand weed killer 126 Worm killer . . . . . . . 125 Lime compounds, their function and use po Limestone, grey 100 ground 101 Mangels, analysis of 115 influence of heredity in.. .. 116 yield and average composi- tion of lie Marl. ....... i 98 Meat Inspection Division 89 Middlings 113 Molasses 113 feed 114 Molassine meal 114 Oats, hulless 113 Oil cake m Potatoes, fertilizer experiments with. . 89, 104 Pine spray insecticide 125 Pulp mill refuse 104 Rain and snow, average nitrogen con- tent of 129 Rain and snow, fertilizing value of. . 89, 127 Samples received for examination and report 88 Sludge or poudrette 103 Soils, Nova Scotia 91 Soil moisture, conservation of 88 Sugar beets for factory purposes. . . . 89, 119 Superphos]ihate of lime 102 Tobacco decoction 126 Turnips, analysis of 117 yield and average composition of 118 Veiny pea hay 112 Velvas Lawn Sandwe'ed Killer 126 Water supply of farm homesteads. . 90, 129 Wheat, composition of as influenced by climatic cocditions 88 Worm killer 125 Wood ashes 102 Director, Report of the l Agassiz, B.C. — ' Meteorological -Records at 78 Summary of work at, 1913 77-80 Animal Husbandry, Division of, Sum- mary of work, 1913 35-37 Baird, W. W.. Aiipointment of 10 Botany. Division of. Summary of work, 1913-. 29-31 ixnEX 1035 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Director — Con. Page Director — Con. Brandon, Man. — Meteorological Records at 63 Summary of work at, 1913 60-63 Buildings, new 8 Cap Rouge, Que. — Meteorological Records at 60 Summary of work at 57-60 Cereals, Division of. Summary of work, 1913 26, 27 Charlottetown, P.E.I. — Meteorological Records at 45 Summary of work at, 1913 42-45 Chemistry, Division of. Summary of work of 25 Correspondence — From branches . . . 7 From Central Farni 6 Crops — ■ J Prices obtained for, 1913 1 Returns of, 1913 1 Davis, M. B., Appointment of S Dreher, W., Appointment of 9 Entomology, Division of. Summary of work of, 1913 31 Field Husband.ry, Division of. Summary of work of 22- Forage Plants, Division of, Summary of work, 1913 3S Fort Providence, experiments at, 1913. Fort Resolution, experiments at. 1913.. Fort Verniii:on, experiments at, 1913.. Meteorological Records at 15, Sim.'shine Records at Weather at, compared with Ottawa.. 17- Frederieton, N.B. — Meteorological Records at Summary of work, 1913.. ., .. ..52 Gilbert, A. G., Poultry Manager, death of Graham, "W. L., Appointment of Grande Prairie, Alta., experiments af, 1913 Grouard, Alta., experiments at, 1913.. Harrison, T. J,., Appointment of Horticulture, Di\ ision of. Summary of work, 1913 .27 Indian Head, Sask. — Meteorological Records at Summary of work, 1913 63 Invermere, B.C. — Meteorological Records at .Summary of work at, 1913 SO .Tourneys made Kamloops, B.C., experiments at, 1913. Kcilett, A. E., Appointment of Kentville, N.S. — Meteorological Records at Summary of work at, 1913 Lacombe, Alta. — Meteorological Records at Summary of work at, 1913 Lethbiidge, Alta. — Meteorological Records at Summary of woik at, 1913 72 Live Stock, Conditions in 1913 T.ogsdail, A. J., Appointment of IiIacBean, K., A])i)ointmenf of IMackay, Angus, Appointment of as In- spector of Western Farms Matthews, V., Appointment of Meetings attended Meteorological Records at Ottawa.. .. Montreuil, EJ.. Appointment of -34 24 4 0 20 20 15 19 19 -18 53 -55 11 9 20 19 10 -28 67 -67 SI •SI ■14 21 10 4S 47- 76-77 77 77 73 ■77 9 10 11 11 12 3 10 Page Nappan, N.S. — Meteorolo;;ical Records at Summary of work at, 1913 4'. Nichols, R. ^V., Appointment of Ontario, Northern, Visit to Ottawa, Ont., Meteorological Records at Parham, G. E., Appointment of Poultry Division, Summary of work of, 1913 .\^ . . .... . . 40- Publications Issued Affriciiltural Gazette, contributions to. Annual Report No. 1?,, Regular Series, Smut Diseases of Cultivated Plants No. 74. Regular Series, Summai-y of Re.sults with Cereals, 1913 No.- 75, Regular Series, Sumniary of Results in Field Husbandry, 1913. No. 76, Regular Series, Summary of Results with Forage Plants, 1913.. No. 77, Regular Series, Summary of Results in Horticulture, 1913 No. 15, Second Series, Preparing Land for Grain Crops on the Prairies No. 16, Second Series, How to Tell the Age of Hens and Pigeons . . . . No. 17, Second Series, Forest Insect Conditions in British Columbia.... No. 18, Second Series, Strawberry Root Weevil in British Columbia. . Circular No. 4 (Botanical). Potato Diseases transmitted by the Use of Unsound Seed Potatoes Circular No. 5 (Botanical). I'ow- dery Scab of Potatoes Circular No. 3 (Entomological). The Chinch Bug in Ontario Roads at Central Farm, Improve- ments made to Robertson, G., Appointment of Rosthern, Sask. — Meteorological Records at . .> . . . . Summary of work at, 1913 67 Salmon Arm, B.C. — ^Meteorological Records at Summary of work at, 1913 Scott, Sask. — Meteorological Records at Summaiy of work at 70- Seed Distribution Sidney, B.C. — Meteorological Records at Summary of work at 82 Staff, The, Additions to and changes in S Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, Que. — Meteorological Records at Summary of work at, 1913 5."> Toliacco Division, Summary of work, 1913 41 Visitors 47 -47 9 12 n 5 5 5 5 8 10 68 70. 2-~> 21 72 72 7 S3 S3 12 56 56 42 Entomologist, Report of the Dominion. t..")l Af/rUiis anj-ius S6s Af/rotis yi)si'.07i Sfi2 Anupholhrips striatus S64 A7ilhonoiiuis cjuadrifjibbus 8(i0 Apicultnral work at Ottawa 870 Charlottetown, P.E.I ST.I Kentville, N.S 87:: Nappan, N.S.. S73 1036 IXDEX Entomologist — Con. Page Apicultural — Con. Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, Que 873 Cap Rouge. Que 873 Brandon, Man 873 Indian Head, Sask 873 Lacombe, Alta 873 Invermere, B.C 873 Agassiz, B.C 873 Sidney. B.C 873 Aphis inaidi-radicis 870 Aphis povii SG6 Aphis sorbi 80 6 Apple Aphis 866 Apple Curculio 8G6 Apple Maggot 8G6 Army-worm 862 Birds, Protection of 874 Bronze Birch-borer 868 Brown-tail Moth — Field Worls 1912-13, New Brunswick. 857 Nova Scotia . . 858 Food Plants ,S.">7, S.tS Importation of Parasites 858 Collection of Parasites. 859 Colonization of Parasites S60 Distribution of Imported Parasites and beetles in 1913 S60 Apantelesin Nova Scotia 860 Brucfiophagus funebris 863 Bruchus pisorum S63 Budmoths of Apple in Nova Scotia. . . . S65 Bulb Mite 870 Camnula peUncida 862 Carrot Rust-Fly 864 Cattleya Fly 870 Chrysanthemum Fly 870 Clover-seed Chalcid 863 Coccohacillus acridioruvi 862 Collections 874 CoHOtrachelus nenuphar 866 Corresjiondence , 875 Crytohypnus abbrevintus 863 Curculios of plum and apple in Quebec. 866 Cutworm Investigations in Aluerta. . . . 861 ■ Cyllene robiniae 868 Dtndroctonus brevicomis 867 monticolae 867 pscudotsugac 867 obcsus 867 DcymaceiUor vennstus 869 Destructive Insect and Pest Act — Amendments to Regulations... .... 854 Diplosis triticif S64 Douglas Fir Bark -beetle 867 Eastern Fir Bark-beetle 868 Eelworms 864 Blap^rldicn villosum 868 Elm Bark-louse 80S Epl'cstid knehnicllu S69 Eitxoa "c.hrogaster 862 Eye-spotted Bud Moth 865 ■ Field Laboratories 853 Forest Insect Investigations in British Columbia 867 Forest Tent :"aterpillar 868 Formica ulkei 861 Fruit Insect Investigations in British Columbia 867 Fruit-worm.'? in Nova Scotia 866 Fumisation .Stations, new 855 Gossyparia spuria 868 Grain Aphis 866 Grasshopper Coccohacillus 862 Greasy Cutworm 862 liarrnologa fuini/erana 868 5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 Entomologist — Con. Page Hessian-Fly 863 Houseflies. Control of 868 Hydaphis avenae 866 Ilyphantria cnnca 861 llypodcrnia bovis 869 lineata 869 Insect-infested Flour Mills, treatment of 869 Insects affecting Cereals and Field Crops 861 Insects affecting Dom.estic Animals and Man 868 Insects affecting Fruit Crop.5 . 865 Insects affecting Garden «;nd Green- house 869 Insects studied at Field Stations.. ..853,854 Ips balsa }neiis SfiS Tsosoina orchidearnm 870 Lachnosternr spp 863 Larclj Sawfly 868 Parasites of 86:^ Lesser Wheat-stem Maggct 863 Leucania imipuncta .. .. 862 Locust Borer 868 Locusts — I>ess9r Migratory 862 Pellucid ' 8f!2 Lyr/ns pratensis S70 Mtdacosoma disstria 861.868 Mayetiola dcstrnctor 863 Mediterranean Flour Moth 869 Melanoplus atlanis 862 MematKS erichsonii 868 Npw Plant Quarantine or Fumigation Stations 855 Nursery Stock — In.spection and Fumigation of 856 Insjiected during 1912-13 856 Oak Twig Pruner.. 868 Olcihreutcs consangninana 865 Osrinis carbonaria 86.''. Otiorhynchits ovatns 867 Parasites of Native Insects 860 Pea Weevil S63 Pcridroma saucia 870 Phorbia brassicae 861 cejiarum 86 1 Phytomy~a chrysanthcmi 870 Plum Curculio 866 Poplar Borer S6S Porosagrotis orthogonia S61 Psyhi. rosne S64 Publirat'ons S75 Red-backed Cutworm 862 Rhagoletis pomoncUa 86fi Rhiioglyphus hyacinthi. .- S70 Root Maggots 864 Rosy Api)le Aphis 866 Sapri-da calearata S6S Hchizoneura lanigcra 866 Sitka Spruce Bai-k-beetle 867 Sitka Spruce Gall Aphis 867 Sowbugs iniuring greenhouse plants... 869 Spilonola ocrUana §65 Spruce Budworm 868 Staff, appointments, etc 875 Strawberry Root Weevil 867 Tarnished Plant Bug 870 Til rips 864 Tr.avellin.g 874 Variegated Cvitwoi-m 870 Warb!e Fly 869 AVe.stern Hemlock Looper 867 Western I'inc Bark-beetle 867 Western White Pine Bark-beeile 867 Wheat, Injuries to Winter, in Alberta.. 864 INDEX 1037 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Entomologist — Con. Page Wheat Midge 864 White Grubs 863 Wireworms 863 Woolly Apple Aphis 866 Xylina hethxinei 866 Field Hnsbandnian, Report of tlie Assistant — Crops, notes on field, yields field, cost of production of rotation of Fertilizers, commercial Ploughing, shallow and subsoiling vs. deep Values, cost and return Weather, condition of observations taken Forage Plants, Report of the Dominion Agrostologist — Alfalfa, breeding work with.. ..884.885, Cai-rots, test of varieties breeding Clover, breeding 886, alsike red Grasses, breeding Orchard grass Timothy 887, W^estern Rye Wild grasses Herbarium 888, Mangels, test of varieties breeding Sugar beets, test of varieties Turnips, test of varieties breeding Variety tests (Indian corn and field roots) Double plot system 881, Preparation of soil Horticulturist, Report of the Dominion- Acknowledgments Character of Season Correspondence Donations Farms, Branch Greenhouses, New I\nprovenients. Other During the year. . Meetings, Addresses, and Places Visited. Ornamental Gardening Annuals, Best Low-Growing Best Medium Height Best Tall-Growing Climbing New or Little Known Varieties Tested at Ottawa, Summer, 1913. Notes on Selected or New Varieties well known "Unsatisfactory New Plants Bulbs, Culture of Out-Doors Depth to Plant Easy to Grow Grown in the House Helpful Hints How to Plant Requirements of Time to Plant Tulips, Darwin ISarly Early Double Late (May flowering) . . . . Varieties of Flowers, Large Groups of Popular Varieties of IG— 67 141 142 143 145 158 154 148 141 142 88('. 883 884 887 887 887 887 888 888 888 888 889 883 884 884 882 884 881 882 881 489 490 488 488 483 487 487 486 522 529 529 530 531 531 528 523 533 537 539 538 54 0 541 539 538 539 541 540 541 541 540 526 Horticulturist — Con. Page Flowers — Con. Lawn (new) Care of 536 Grades Best For 535 Grading, Levelling and Special Pre- paration of 534 Lawn, Grasses for Shady Places. . . . 537 How and When to Sow the Seed. . 535 T'-"'ds and Quantity of Seed . . . . 535 Making and Care of 533 Soil and Its Preparation 534 Weeds in 537 Ornamental Gardening and Forestry, Area Devoted to 524 Perennials, Articles Relating to. . . . 523 Flowers 526 Seasons of Bloom of the Best. ... 527 Plants. Climbing 547 Climbing and Rock 525 Ornamental, Donations of 527 Ornamental, Extension work with. 524 Two Beautiful Little Varieties of. . 525 Roses 525 Shrubs, Best with Coloured Foliage. . 545 Best with Highly Attractive Fruit. 546 Best Evergreen for Individual Planting 546 Best for Planting as Individual Specimens 546 Best with Coloured Bark in Winter. 546 Blooming in Early Spring 545 Blooming in Spring and Early Sum- mer 545 Blooming In Summer and Early Autumn 545 Ornamental, List of Best, Classified According to Seasons of Bloom. . 545 Pi-omising Varieties Recently Im- ported 528 Trees, Best Evergreen and Small Sized for Individual Planting 546 Best with Coloured Bark in Winter. 546 Best Small for Individual Planting. 546 Evergreen, Good for Planting as Individual Specimens 544 Good for Shade and Ornaments about the Home 544 Good for Shelter Belts 544 Good for Street or Avenue 543 Trees, Not Recommended, Although often Planted 544 And Shrubs, Something about. . . . 542 And Shrubs. Ornamental, Articles Relating to 523 And Shrubs, Ornamental, Reasons for Growing 543 Work, Notes on 525 Relation of Old to New 524 Plant Breeding 547 Apples — Northern Spy, Characteristics of One Hundred Seedlings . . 495 Originated in Horticultural Divi- sion, C.E.F 493 Ambo (Swayzie Seedling) 493 Casco (IMcTntosh Seedling) . . . . 494 Con-sort (Wealthy Seedling) .... 494 Dulcet (Langford Beauty Seed- ling) 494 Gilda (Mcintosh Seedling) 494 Jethro (Wealthy Seedling).. .. 494 Lucia (Salome Seedling) 494 Sparta (Northern Spy Seedling). 495 Toshlet (Mc-Intosh Seedling) . .. 495 Valerie (Mcintosh Seedling) . . . 495 1038 INDEX SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Horticulturist— Con. Page Apples — Con. Apple, Seedling No. 2 from C. L. Stephens, Orillia, Ont 493 Seedling from E. P. Bradt, Morris- burg. Ont 493 Seedling from E. L.. I^oomer, Kingsport, N.S 493 Seedling- '-"'^ W. B. Easton, Cobble Hill, B.r 493 Corn 552 Floriculture 552 Fruits, Seedlings sent to Hoiticultural Division for Examination, 1913- 14 492 Grapes 549 Pears 54S Plums 549 Tomatoes 550 Vegetables 549 Pomology 500 Apple Trees, Dehorning of 501 Recommendations in regard to dehorning 502 Wounds 502 Cherries, Winter Killing of Buds.... 500 Percentage of Injury and Dates of Gathering 500 Horticultural Crops, Cost of Produc- ing in Canada 503 Apples, per barrel t)U3 Grapes, per basket 503 Peaches, per basket 503 Potatoes, per bushel 503 Tomatoes, per bushel 503 Strawberries, per quart 503 Orchard Cultivation, New System of. 508 Sheet, Monthly Expense for Distri- bution to Farmers 505 Strawberries, Yield for Year 1912.. 504 Staff of the Horticultural Division. . . . 489 Vegetable Gardening 509 Beans 516 Beets 519 Cabbage 518 Carrots 520 Cauliflower 519 Corn, Sweet 517 Best Varieties, 1913 517 Best Varieties, Average, 1911-13.. 518 Cucumbers 521 Lettuce 520 Onions 520 Peas 513 Best Varieties, average 1911-13.. 514 Best Varieties, 1913 515 Potatoes 510 Thirty Best Varieties, 1913 511 Twelve Most Productive, Average 1912-13 511 Pumpkin? 521 Radishes 521 Squash 521 Tomatoes 512 List of Best in 1913 ". 513 Vegetable Marrows 521 Poultry Husbandman, Report of the Dominion 953 Breeding 958 Brooding 958 Chinese eggs 956 Comparative prioe of p-ovisions 956 Cotton front houses 957 Duck market, the 968 Poultry Husban-dman — Con. influencing the poultry in- Features dustry Fertility experiments Green ducks High Prices for new laid eggs. Incubation experiments Indian Runner duck eggs. . . Letter of transmittal Rations for ducks " laying ducks. . . . ducklings goslings young turkeys. . . Room Brooder Screenings for crate feedins:. . Shipping eggs Tobacco Husbandman, Report of the- Envelopes, per cent of tobacco suitable for Plants, setting out of . . . . Seed beds at Seed distribution Varieties tested at Warehouse, fermenting, at . Pagb 955 959 966 955 964 966 953 974 974 975 975 975 959 969 968 1003 1000 999 1005 1001 1003 ROSTHERN, SASK. Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle -. 320 Experiment, steer feeding 320 Deductions 323 Rations 321 Results 322 Cereals — Barlev 802 Oats 802 Peas 803 Season, the 800 Wheat, spring 801 Field Husbandry — Breaking, prairie 254 Crop, yields 250 rotation of 250 Manuring, green 257 Ploughing, depth of 255 Seeding, depths of 257 Summer-fallow, treatment of 256 Weather, condition of 248 observations taken 249 Forage Plants — Alfalfa, seeding to 925,926 Carrots, variety tests 9 25 Clover, red, seeding to 925,926 English rye grass 926 Grasses 925,926 Mangels, test of varieti-es 924 Sugar beets, test of varieties 925 Timothy 926 Turnips, test of varieties 924 Western rye grass 926 Horticulture — Ornam.ental Gardening' — Evergreens 677 Flowers 677 Pomology — Bush fruits 678 Strawberries 678 INDEX 1039 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 ROSTHERN, SASK. Horticulture — Con. Vegetable Gardening^ — Beans Cabbag-e Carrots Cauliflower Celery Corn Cucumbers Onions Parsnips Peas Potatoes Salsify Squash Tomatoes Turnips Scott, Sask. — Animal Husbandry — Beef Cattle Experiment, outside winter steer feeding Financial returns HoTses Colts, cost of rearing Wintering idle Cereals — Barley Flax Grain for seed purposes Oats Peas Rye, fall Rye, spring Season, the Wheat, spring Field Husbandry — Crops, field, yields of conditions field, cost of production of rotation of Seeding, dates of depths of grass and clover rates of Weather, conditions Forage Plants — Alfalfa Carrots, tes't of varieties Clover, red Corn, Indian, test of varieties Mangels, test of varieties Mangels Roots, field Season, character of Turnips, test of varieties Horticulture — Ornamental Gardening — Annuals Trees and shrubs Pomology — Fruits Vegetable Gardening — Beans Beets Brussels sprouts CabbAge Pace Scott, Sask.— Con. Horti culture — Co7i. 679 679 6S0 6S0 680 680 680 681 681 681 683 682 682 682 682 319 319 319 419 419 419 805 806 807 805 806 806 806 804 804 258 258 259 259 264 267 266 265 258 930 929 930 927 927 929 927 927 928 691 692 692 686 687 687 687 Vegetable Gardening- Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cucumbers Corn, table L#ettuce Onions Parsley Parsnips Peas, garden. . . . Potatoes Radishes Rhubarb Salsify Squajsh Turnips Weather conditions. . -Con. Sidney, B.C. — Cereals — Season's notes Horticulture — Ornamental Gardening — Annuals Herbaceous Perennials. Pomology Vegetable Gardening. . . . Weather Conditions. . . . Ste. Anne db la Pocatiere, Que. — Animal Husbandry — Dairy Cattle Barn Accommodation. , Cement finish Dimensions Levels Light Slopes Superstructure Ventilation Water Breeding Records, dairy herd Horses Barn Conveniences Dimensions Facilities Feeding Levels , Light Slopes Superstructure Ventilation Swine Cereals — Oats, Banner Field Husbandry — Crop, yields rotation of Drainage Weather, conditions. Forage Plants- Corn, Indian Hay, crops Roots, field Spa son, character of. Pagk 688 687 688 688 688 690 689 689 689 689 686 690 690 690 691 690 685 823 735 735 736 735 735 375 376 379 377 377 377 378 377 376 378 379 375 375 413 413 414 413 414 414 414 414 414 413 414 450 77.8 185 186 187 185 903 903 903 903 1040 IXDEX 5 GEORGE v.. A. 1915 Ste, Anne de la Pocatterk. Que. — Con. Page Fort Vermilion, Alberta — Con. Horticnlture — Character of Season 614 Pomology — Apples 614 Cherries 615 Plums 614 St. Jacques l'Achigan, Que. — - Tobacco Station — ■ Crop returns at 1017 Plantation at 1016 Seed beds at 1016 Substations — Fort Providence, Mackenzie Dis- trict- Cereals — • Barley Oats Peas Rye Season, character of . Wheat Vegetable Gardening- Beets Cabbage Carrots Corn Lettuce Radish Tomato Turnips Weather conditions.. 824 824 824 S24 824 824 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 748 Page Fort Resolution, Mackenzie Dis- trict- Cereals — Season, character of 823 Varieties, report on 824 Vegetable Gardening — Beans 747 Beets 747 Cabbage 747 Carrots 747 Cauliflower 747 Onions 747 Peas 747 Potatoes 747 Turnips 747 Ornamental Gardening — Flowers 748 Weather conditions. . . . ■ 747 Fort Vermilion, Alberta — Cereals 822 Barley six-row 823 Barley two-row 823 Oats 822 Peas, field 823 Wheat, spring 822 Forage Plants 948 Alfalfa 950 Carrots, test of varieties 949 Corn, Indian,te st of varieties 948 Grasses (canary grass) 950 Roots, field 948 Mangels, test of varieties 949 Sainfoin 950 Sugar beets, test of varieties 949 Turnips, test of varieties 949 Horticulture 739 Ornamental Gardening — Annuals 741 Trees and shrubs 740 Pomology — Apples 739 Plums 739 Vegetable Gardening — Asparagus 741 Beans 742 Beets : 741 Cabbage 743 Carrots 741 Cauliflowers 743 Celery 741 Cucumbers 742 Lettuce 742 Muskmelon 742 Onions 741 Parsnips 742 Peas 743 Potatoes 743 Rhubarb 741 Radish 742 Squash 742 Tomatoes, test of varieties 742 Weather conditions.. 739 Grand Prairie, Alberta — Cereals 821 Oats 821 Peas 821 Season, character of 821 Wheat, spring 821 Horticulture 745 Ornamental Gardening — Flowers 746 Vegetable Gardening — Beans 746 Beets 745 Carrots 745 Lettuce 745 Onions 746 Peas 745 Potatoes 746 Gronarr' Alberta — Cereals 821 Barley 821 Oats 821 Season's notes 821 Wheat 821 Horticulture 744 Ornamental Gardening — Flowers 745 Shrubs 74 5 Vegetable Gardening — Beans 744 Beets 744 Cabbage 744 Carrots 744 Cauliflowers '. 744 Celery 744 Corn 745 Lettuce 745 Onions 745 Peas 745 INDEX 1041 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 Grouard, AVberta.— Con. Page Horticulture — Con. Vegetable Gardening — Coji. Radish 745 Rhubarb 745 Tomatoes 744 Turnips. 745 Salmon Arm — Horticulture 736 Pomology — Apples 736 Blackberries 738 Cherries 737 Salmon Arm — Con. Page Horticulture — Con. Pomology — Con. Currants 738 Damsons 737 Gooseberries 738 Grapes 737 Loganberry 737 Pears 737 Plums 737 Ra.spberrles 737 Strawberries 737 Vegetable Gardening — Coin , 738 New York Botanical Garden Librar III 3 5185 00258 4116