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Laa axamplairoa originaux dont la couvartura tn papiar aat imprimia sont filmis tn commandant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant toit par la darniAra paga qui comport* una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration, soit par la sacond plat, salon la caa. Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont filmis an commandant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'illustration at an tarminant par la darniAro paga qui comporta una taila amprainta. Un das symbolas suivants apparaitra sur la dorniira imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la cas: la symbols ^»> signifia "A SUIVRE". la symboia ▼ signifia "FIN ". Las cartaa. planchas. tablaaux. ate. pauvant atra film*s A daa taux da reduction diffirants. Lorsquo la documant ast trop grand pour itra raproduit an un saul clichA. il ast film* A partir da I'angla supAriaur gaucha. da gaucha * droita. at da haut an baa. an pranant la nombra d'imagas nicassaira. Las diagrammas suivants iliustrant la m*tf)oda. 2 3 5 6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART lANSI and ISO TEST CHART No 2i Hi m ■^ Li ■ 12 1^ la ■ 16 Ik m III 1.8 1.6 ^ APPLIED IN/MGE Ir 'Bti Las; Ma.r iir«et focfiester, New rork U609 uSA {716} 482 -Q5QQ • Phone \7I6) 288 - 5989 - r^. (/f /■/- DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. E. o. ARCHIBALD, B.A., B.S.A., director. W. D. ALBRIGHT, Siiperviior, Experimental Station, Beaverlcdge, Alta. GRANDE PRAIRIE'S CAPABILITIES. SOME EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE uv W. D. Al.BIUCHT. Situated at BeaverliKltt'. tv.eiit,v-^ix iiiil»'< west uf •;r;niili' Prairit" city and lu-arly twenty-thrco ea~t of the- Briti
  • r tlius fairly well cviitrcd in the Graude Prairii' Distritt, wlii'li -prtads out fan-^liapfd toward- the :-oiithwest and northwt'-t. is a Doiiiiuinii KxijiriiiiLiital Siib>tatioii. t roiii a fiw eiiiiplf Tl?!-; undertakiM without rtnuimr:itioii iu 11*14 tin wirk luis ttradually expanded to a point where thirty acres are now dcvuted to invt»;ti;ratuins with cereals, forage crops, vege- tables, flowers and fruits. Both absolutely and relatively the experimental area is hifili, the topographical survey readiiijr 2 j()(i feet and the at^inct beiny the southeastern expoeure of the crest of a hogs-back ridife. Because of its sharp slope and lucal elevation it is safer from frost than some other parts of the i)rairie though not (jiiite so iininune as considerable areas in tlie centre turrounding the larger lakes. This fact is important to bear in mind when considering results with tender crops, {t 1- likewiBC to be considered in connection with climatic data, for there is believed to be a difference of at least twenty degrees as between the extreme temperatures on high and low land. A disparity of fifteen degrees has been noted between the readings of two official instruments three miles apart, and neither of them representing the extremLS of contour at that. Prpxipitatios and Temferatlres. Meteorological records at the Beaverludge Station for the years 191tj-lu, inclusive, show an average annual precipitiition of 15 5 inches, ranging from lU 3 in 191G to 20 08 in 1919. In connection with the latter season it may be noted that although the precipitation was above normal, yet for purposes of crop production it was rather a dry season in many localititf. the bulk of the rain falling in the latter part of the summer. From the standpoint of hay cro|>3 it was one of the most adverse seasons on record at the Station. Grains did well. The lowest winter ten perature was -52 Fahr., on January 30, 1917. Second lowest was -48 ■ 5 in January, 1910. An unofficial but self- registering instrument kept by the experimentalist during his tirst few years' rejidence shuwed a minimum read- ing of about 3s Falir. in the winter of 1913-14 and of -2,3 Fahr. in tlij very tine atid mild winter of 1914-15. The average number of days' sleighing for the four vears ending December, 1919, was 132. CEREALS Qals. — As to cereals, Grande Prairie is pre-eminently an oat country, its climate being e«-pecially adapted to produce a large yield and a well filled kernel. Accurately determined yields per acre, from te^t plots, usuiilly in duplicate, are as follows: YiiKl, lai!). Four-year Variety — Banner Victory Ligowo Abuiiilance Daulieney Liberty. O-Issu (hulless) 2816—1 Yi.lJ, lai!). Four-yeai Average Bush. r.b. Busti. Lb. 132 32 ll'i 24 li>0 4 113 28 9'j 19 111 16 83 10 T» iS 72 2 2 Thf Banner oat, prown only in.HUu and ll'l!', hn^ on both ownsions hcadid the list of variotic- in yield. ' Daubcncy is an t-xtra-carly uat, ripcnin^r always with six- ri)W(d Ivarley lun sowt-d at the san'c dati\ Tin- new hullcsA nat. Liln'rty 0-JSO, promitTS to be a valuable acquisition. Its yi« Id of 7:.' bushel!- 2 pouiids of i-loar meat i« equivalent to a little better than ino bu^la■!- pt r ai're of ordinary kind-, and by reason of its naked eharaeler it i> especially adapted to the fiiding of vouiii; pLi~ i.nd poultry and to the nuikiiiff of ijatineal porridfre. It is a reasonably early V'"'y ^Vhiat. — Perhaps not over fifteen per cent of (irnnde Prairie land di-triet is safe for the fjrowintr ot spring wheat on a larjre eonuneieial ^eale; but many farmer- may with advantai.'e inelude a limited acreage of it iu their cropping plans. If fronted • it may still make jrood feed prain, jiartieukrly for poultry, and if the worst comes to the Worst it may be used as trreen feed. Early and hardy varieties should be ch.ren Five years" trial at Beaverlodge favours the Hiinm. a cream- tiou red, n d-chatfed, bearded wheat, maturing in the same length of time as Manpii:- but much hardier, thanks probably to its Ladoga parent. In frost years esiiecially it outyields Marqiii> by a wide margi-i, and in r.>lit, when frost did not atfect yield-, it still produced a much more attractive sample. Its five-year average yield is 42 bu-lielf; K pounds per acre, as against H2 bushels 38 pounds of J{;;rquis, from adjoining plots, usually in duplicate. liailiji. — Barley is but a moderately safe crop. Though coming to maturity in a brief period, it does not always ircape frost and if caught after heading it is almost as susceptible as wheat. Of three varieties umler tot, the O.A.C. Xo. 21 maintains a consistent lead, with a yield of .').') bushels 4!) jiounds in IHlit and 3;J bushels K! pounds a^ a four-year average. The Ouymalaye hullesv, compared for the first time in llHIl, acquitted itself very well, with a turnout of 49 bushels H pounds per acre. Though rather short of straw it possesses two cardinal merits in being ear'v and fairly wind-reeistant. Prnx yield well when they ripen; autunm frosts often forestall maturity. They need to he sown early. Fla.r is not a very reliable crop except on favoured areas near the lakes. Primost flax at Beaverlodge yielded over 10 bushels per acre in '!!(i; however. Winter Wheat. — In seasons when chinooks do not bare the ground in mid-winter or result in the formation of layers of ice close to the crowns, hardy varieties i wheat succeed quite well in sonn- di<^tricts, as high as 45 bushels per acre ha^ threshed from fields. The KharkotT or Turkey Ked is the most S'..itable vj. during the past two years, in both of which gome killing out had occurred, it. yield was 29 bushels 31 pounds, as against 20 bushels 20 pounds from the u < Golden Chaff. It matures from two to th.je weeks ahead of Marquis or Huron spring wheat. The chief objection to this crop is that in spots where it kills out, the native grasses are inclined to re-occupy the ground. Winter liye. — Proving almost perfectly hardy during two seasons, winter rye bids fair ti till an important place in Grande Prairie agriculture, especially for the produc- tion I, late-fall and early-spring pasture and for the provision of winter roughage in seasons when ordinary hay crops may be short. In 1918 unpastured plots at the Station thr«hed over 57 bushels per acre. Dry weather in early summer curtailed the yield in 1919 to 4-3 bushels 22 pounds but the two-year average was :iO bushels 11 pounds. Pasturing to June 1 restricted the grain yield by about 40 per cent and delayed maturity a couple of weeke. In some years this would result in no ripe irraiu at all but it is clear one could always cut a good crop of winter roughage, after pastur- ing until the first of June. When fodder was not needed, ono could take a chance of letting the grain ripen. 09501496 8 Gra^fie" and ' -•».— Over 5(¥> plots of pru.-o# and Icguiias hiivc been secdud at Btavirlud^'.- dm lie pa^t two year-, spwial ..-tTort .. Intr coiiofiitratpd upon the problem uf tiiid'Mm a hat (fra-,jes and .''.uvtrr wilU do bt*; and huw they may be most econoinieally seeded. Per'o Meal seeding' to ^.Jd-t'or^ling erop> is neee-sary tu provide a suitable .piality and viiiety of feed, to maintain ^s.nl fertility and to pruteet the luiul truin erosion. A permanent handieap in the growing of bumper erops of gra-si - and elov.rn is the limited annual preeipitation —more partieularly the dry wea' her characteristic of the average sprinji and early summer (I'.UT having been a eonsp cuous exception). Notwithstanding this drawback .ertain irrasses can be growi with measurable success if needed alone ou veil-prepared land. As a rule, winter-killing is not troublesome so far as the graji^cf- are (.-onci riud. Of ten hay crop- tried comparatively. Western Rye graes and timothy appear to be the mo.st suitable, with sweet dover hohling coiiriderable promise for the prodiic- tiuii of summer pasture. It makes a coar-e hay. The true clovers do well when there i^ plenty of early moisture but they, a* u. U as sweet clover and alfalfa, require artificial inoculation of seed or soil in order t. .onie into their best. Alfalfa does best on deep, open loams. The surest cro i= obtained by mowing it thinly in rows and inter-cultivatiiig. Of all the grasses, timothy is the one of which it is most easy to secure a catch when seeding with a nurse crop and the one which gives the large^^t crop of hay in the year of eeeding when no nurse crop is used. On several occasions we have cut in August a ton and a half of cured hay per acre from timothy seeded alone in May at the rate of six jxiunds per acre. And in =uch cases the mower bar was run hitfh, to leave a long stubble, for winter protection. 1-1 the second and third years. Western Rye grass decidedly outyields timothy and is especially adapted to the poorer and drier soils, for which timothy is ill-adapted. From the standpoint of chemical analysis Weistern Rye grass is superijr to timothy; but it is not so well relished by stock, i- slippery to handle and unless cured nn the iireen side is inclineeais probable that the most econnmicLil way will be to use a nurse crop of oats or barley (usually oats) sown thinly and late — probably some time in the latter half of May. From o--ts sown May 21, 1919, at two and a half bushels per acre and bound August 24 in the milk stage, two and a half tons of oat hay was harvested and promising catches of ten kinds of grasses and clovers obtained. Gia.sti ^V^•t/ Produciion. — Western Rye grass, timothy, red clover, alsi;;e and sw.et clover have all demonstrated their ability to produce germinable seed and it is believed thit the production of Rye grass and tiaiothy seed would be a profitable line of production for many farmers on the lower lands, these crops being more frost- haidy than any of the common cereals, even oats. Miscellaneous Forage Crops. — Turnii* are the t-afest field root. Sunflowers are hardy on the higher lands at least and may yet fill a large place for the provision of succulent winter feed, once we have silos to put them in. They should be sown early in May. POTATOES. In six years' residence the experimentalist has never failed to produce some surplus of potatoes for sale, though in the first few seasons he did not plant early enough for best results. Iti 1919. two and half acres averaged over TOO bushels and one or two plots went as high as 450 bushels per acre. To produce putatocs rp^ularly on tlie iiverfljro Grande Prairie farm, oiif rl.ould:— 1. I'iiuorip an early varitty. ;?. I'Lint earl.\ in May on vvtil pitpar.rd Irnd. I! Plant fairly ,hallo\v as the liround i- nfton warm at the surfii'''' when it i-* cold three or fi ur inclus down. 4. Hill early ;.nd modrratoly ih'cp. This rediicPj yield, but improves quality, pru- tectinff from -unburti and early fall frosts. 5. DifT l).f>in the first of Oetober. vt:(;KTAlir.t;.->. While til' '-'lol, di\ weather ii-uai!y predominant in -prinjf and early .summer is a ilrikwhaek in ve;;. table (frowiiii:, yet with preparwlness, }>■. .--severHnee and care the staple kind< may be jirnvn sueees-tully and of a rare (luality. For example, the ditferenet- in Haviiur between earriit- gr(iW7i in Ontario and (irande Prairie is so dcreat as to sui:- tfest contrast rather th:in enmparison. Seven-pound heads of eauliHower. white, tinn and exipiisite of flavour, w.re produced without special pains in liU?. A hotbed i- often of trreat advimtaae in -tartin? plants of the cabbatre class. Peas are easy to (Trow, of rine quality, very productive and usually extend over a considerable season. sometimes two nionth-. An in.Dortant point in startiM-r tine-.-eeded vcsri-Iublef is Ui liave the land fall-pr.- pared 'o tliat in -spring it need not be di-turbed except to the dipth of rake or harrow teeth. SM.XLI. FRUITS. One of the pioneer fruit growers of Grande Prairie is Mrg. C. H. Johnson, ut Beaverlodge. who has made a thorousrh sucress with strawberries and, on a smaller scale, with raspberries, currants and gooseberries. Red. white and black currants, set out in I'.tl'i, have done exceedingly well at the Experimental Station Fourteen eets of Herbert ra-pberrii s set out at the same time have nndtiplii d into a row ninety rods long, besidi i furnishing a ^tart to many settlers. Strawberry plants received from Ottawa never survived until 1919 but a row of plants obtained locally and transplanted in 191S nearly all lived and are doing jplendidly. Gooseberries of several varieties were planted in 1919 and some survived Attempt is being made to cultivate the native Saskatoon. Apple trees transplanted in 191^ are still alive, though killing back considerably each winter. ornamext.\ls. Many ornamental, plants are thriving, notably ilanituba maples, caragan is, Chinese lilacs and spiraea- White spruce was successfully traiispbmted last season and wild hone,\ :,uckle is being propagated satisfactorily while Tartivriau honeysuckle hiiili-bLish cranberry and some other species are growing with a greater or less degree if success. Of flowers, the sweet pea and pansy are particularly successful though Iceland and Oriental poppies, columbines, larkspurs and many others are proving hardy. With experimce the list will lengthen and it is already certain that not only profitable farms but attractive farm home.s are possible in the -North. A GKHAT FrTFRK ASSFRED. Climatic and soil conditions in Grande Prairie demand and give scope to those qualities of mind and character that pt^rtain to the liighest type uf civilization. During six years' residence the writer's faith has steadily int'reased It i?^ a case merely of learning the limitations, <>mpha*izing the adaptabilities and making the most of these. The resources are here and wc have the quality of population to do the rest. With adequate transportation service, the Peace River region should develop into one of the finest, fairest and foremost mixed-farming regions north of the gulf of Mexico.