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This Mam it fHnMd at tlw raduetlon ratio dMcInd b«low / C* d o cu ma nl Mt tOmt au taux da rMuction indiqirf ci-daaaoua. lOx 14x 18x 22x 26x 30x y 12x 16x 20x 24x 28x 32x TlM 90PV fHiiMd iMr* has bMn raproduecd thanka to tha flWMTCMity of : UiifeMity of SaikatdMwm Tha InMgaa appaaring haro ara tha baat quality poaaMa eonaWarlng tha condition and lagibillty of ttM original eopy and In kaaplnt wHh tha fibnlng eontraet apaemeationa. Original eopiaa in printad popor eovara ai« fUmad baoinning wHh tha front eovar and anding on tho iaat paga with a printad or INuatratad impraa- •Ion. or tho book eovar whan appropriata. All othor original eoploa ara fHmad beginning on tho firat paga with a printad or INuatratad impraa- •lon. and anding on tho Iaat paga whh a printad or Hluatratad impra aa l e n. Tho Iaat racordad frama on aach microficho ahaN contain tha aymbol ^^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tho aymbol ▼ (moaning "END"), whichavar appHaa. 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Commission of Conservation COMMITTEE ON LANDS Improvinil Canadian A||riculiure BY Dr. JamM W. Robcrtaoa Aflricultural Survey, 1911 BY F. C. Nunnick, B.S.A. Reprinted from — "vopn The Third Annual Report OF THE Commission of Conservation 1912 Improving Canadian Agriculture Bv Dr. Jaui W. RoBERTHOir, tWnirauin, Commillee on Landa, Comtniaaicm of Coiuervation Mr. Chairman, Ladiet and Oentkmen: My theme to-night U not one that appeals directly to those who dwell in towns and cities, although their welfare depends to a very large extent upon the weal and progress of the people who live on farnia. Last year the farmerg of Canada produced fleld crops worth $565,000,000. That amount can be doubled in ten years if all farm- ers will adopt the systems and methods followed on the best 10 per cent, of the farms examined last year for the Commission of Con- servation. What are we going to do about it! That is my theme. Let me repeat that proposition. The field crops in Canada last year hod a value, at the places of production, of $565,000,000. This amount could be doubled in ten yearii if all the farmers would adopt and follow the systems and methods that were followed on the best 10 per cent, of the 1,212 farms examined for the Commission of Conservation, "What are we going to do about it? That is the question which the Committee on Lands is trying to deal with. It is a question of conservation: conservation of fertility, of labour, of health, and of prosperity. Agriculture is not only an occupation which some individuals follow for profit: it is a great national in- terest, determining in a dominant way the fortunes of this nation and the opportunities and the character of the population. So, while thi-' matter primarily concerns the farmer and his family, it affects the status of Canada, its outlook and its destiny. This question of how we take care of old Mother Earth to make ^ .:r a better home, or a poorer home, for the portion of the race that lives within our borders, opens a big field for thought and for action. One must recognize the agencies that have brought into existence this large volume of wealth. The credit is due 'first under the blessings of Providence, to the farmers themselves and their families. A good many agencies co- operate with them to help them in their work. Organizer govern- ment in Caaada does very much. Under the Federal Government Edueatieaal Agaaei** I COMMIMION 09 OONSBRVATION w btv« the uperimmiUl famw all the whiU •bedding new light upon diAenlt proWeim. Wa haw th« Ttriom brtnchet of tbe Dom- inion DefMrtment of Agrieultun, the Live Stock Jrtnch, the IHiry •nd Cold Storage Branch, the Seed CommiMioner's Bninnb and .*f- ioua diTinionn which fumi«h information of real value to tboie men who toil in the fleldi for the uplift and the proniurity of Canada. Then, under the Provincial Govommenta the agenciea that help are manifold. To even mention them would consume minutea and, with- out explanation*, would not make at all clear the kind of work they do. There are agricultural college* with all their extenaion work; there are tenident and travelling in8p«clor» and inatructora. Ontario alone employs now at least a hundred trained, akilled, com- petent men, travelling over the Province to fumiah information and ndvice. to «hed light nto the homen of even the remote farmern. Then there is the agriculturel press which docs a great deal and does it very well. In tho»e regards, Canada is in the front rank among ■11 the nations of which I have any knowledge. Then we have voluntary and state-aided associations doing very valuable and comprehensive work. Let me instance one in passing. I shall not dcUin you by details, otherwise I should take more time than I am willing to consun..? to-night. We all like to have good names for ourselves and any one who brightens the reputation of his nation, who strengthens the con- fidence of the people in their own country and its possibilities, doee fine service. It is a good thing when anyone does any bit of work that helps to establish the people's good opinion of their own nation. ^'.)U know a boy will lire up to discerning praise and he will shrink down to unmerited blame. Even grown men are strengthened or weakened in the same way. It is a good thing for the fanner to liave occasionally a chance to straighten himself and say: "I belong to the fellows who do that for Canada." There wr^ a great Back-to- the-Land exhibition in New York city last autumn when the Com- miaaion on Industrial Training and Technical Education, of which I am Chairman, was there. We went to that Exhibition as the guests of those in charge. Two evente stood out in the results and were heralded all ov • the Continent and cabled to Europe. ^Vhat wore they? Nov - gate receipts nor the fashionable turnouts of those who were there, but that the $1,000 prize in gold- -the pold pavo just the glisten to the prize, that made the 'thousand-dollar-prize-in- gold' appeal to the newspaper correspondents, when $1,000 of gain in a common transaction would not bo anybody's concern— the $1,000 prize in gold, for the best bushel of wheat grown anywhere on the IMPROVINO CANADIAN AORICrLTVRI OontinMit, tt tb« Exhibition held in New York under the autpioet of American eitiiena, with judging by American ezperU, wa« won bj a Canadian, Mr. Seager Wheeler, of Kuelhem, Saekatchewan. Then there wat> s 11,000 prize in gold for the beat eolleotion of potatoea and that prise wai won hj a Canadian in British Columbia. What are the two bifi, ataplna that form the food of civiliivd natioim I Bread and potatoes; and of both then great Rtaplea the quality was l>eat in the Canadian samples. Home eiffht i nine years ago, there waa formed the Canadian Sewl Growers' Association, a voluntary association to help the farm- ers to improve the <|uality of life in their Kpfd. One of these priie winners was a mrmb«>r of the Canadian Seed (! rowers' Association; the other viv^ ansocioted with its work, and both fr ally acknow- ledge that the infnnnation and help they git fro. '>. • Association assisted them to so improve their products that V' , captured two $1,000 prizes for Canada. We are doing reasonably well in all these activities either ad- ministered by the Government, promoted by the Government, as- sisted by the Government or carried on by the p<'oplo themselves. But what of the morrow? Watchman, not what of the night, but what of the day? One of our best watchmen on the tower is Mr. C. 0. James, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture for the Province of Ontario. Here is what he says: "Ontario has entered upon a great upward movement in its agriculture." If they can have the work they are already parrying on extended, the crops of Ontario will be doubled in valn« in ten years. That is the answer of this clear-vision- ed watchman on the tower. In Ontario, field crops last year w<-ro woith $1»3,00'!,000, and if t) i v^rc $193,000,000 more of wealth coined into existence out of s, not trans'-!rred from one pocket into another, but called into . nenee by intelligent labour, out of otherwise chaos, ;ndifferciice, want of knowledge, want of ability, want of application, > • .»ie of sun power and failure to use the seed power tl I. i all abou: i-, what an ennching pain to us it would be. If the c: ^ of the whole Northwest last year-^Manitoba, Saskat- chewan and Alberta — had been a complete failure, so that nothing grew, what a depression would have come over Canada, what a mea- sure of dearth and starvation would have crossed that part of our inheritance. That hints at the effect on our national life of $228,- 000,000 of value from crops b ing here, or not here. The doubling of the crops of Ontario would be an addition to the value of the crops of Canada almost as great as the addition of the crops of those three great provinces has been. 4 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION Wo are making progress. The Agricultural Survey Crop YUM* ^£ J 212 farms in our nine Provinces brought this out. Taking the hundred farms in Nova Scotia, 49 per cent, of the f armera reported an increase in the yield of crops as compared with ten years ago. That is very good; they are not on the down grade in Nova Scotia. In Prince Edward Island, there was a de- cided decrease from the original productiveness until about fifteen or eighteen years ago; but since then, since they began to adopt the systems and methods that these best 10 per cent, of the farmers I have mentioned employed, there has been a decided increase; and 51 per cent, of the farmers report an increase as against ten years ago. In New Brunswick, 24per cent, report an increase; in Quebec, 39 per cent. ; in Ontario, 24 per cent, and in Manitoba, not one farmer. Con- sider that report from a virgin province with the accumulated wealth of 60,000 years of the Creator's deposits in that savings bank of soil: that not one farmer on a hundred farms has reported any increase over ten jcars ago, and 46 per cent, of them have reported a decided decrease. That gives us much food for thought. It brings out a grave situation for consideration. It is to me much more imminent of blessing, or disaster, than any other material question now before the West. t . .. .u Let me give vou from another source, another i^late YI.U in of food for thought. As some of you know 1 have Ea The field of work for this Commission is there. Its •iott'* Fiald place of servicc in investigation is to see bow of Work those farmers can so manage their own busi- ness, and administer this great public interest for the nation as a whole, that it shall be helpful, and not hurtful, to them- selves and their families and to the land and to the nation as a whole. In that field we do not encroach on the office of anybody. Ex- perimental farms furnish information after they have carried on scientific research. They publish immensely valuable bulletins, they send out speakers, they give much information. But no other or- ganized agency, so far, has entered on this field of enquiry for ser- vice: how can those farmers help themselves and help each other more than they have done; how can the results from the experiences of the most successful become the common possession of all; how can the best systems and methods on the best farms become common on all? We have begun an investigation of local conditions and the causes which produced them. We have had competent men go to the farms to obtain information as to the actual conditions. These reveal the necessity for improvement. Many of the best farmers attribute their progress and their improvements to the help obtained COMMISSION OF C0N8BRVATI0N from experimental farms, agricultural colleges, farmers' institutea, lectures and agricultural papers. They recognize and admit at once that they get great help in that way. We are investigating, with their hearty co-operation, some of the causes for improvement, some of the causes for standing still and some of the causes for going back. Our work is scientific research, not in the laboratory, but out in the rural community, as to what is occurring and what might occur, to give better results. In our survey of these 1,212 farms, we omitted a great deal, and I shall omit far more to-night; otherwise I would keep you here till morning. We left out all references to live stock; not because it was not important, but because we were not ready to take in the whole field at first. We did not deal with drainage because we were not sure that we would get much information of real value at first. We confined ourselves to matters that were imminent of danger or big with possible gains. Every farmer, with only few exceptions in the 1,212 — and I suppose the exceptions were those who had got out of bed on the wrong side that morning, or had had a bad dream, or had not praised their wives enough the day before, or had some- how been put into a grumpy mood — ^willingly joined the collector of information, told what he was doing and what the conditions of his farm were. The attitude of mind was full of hospitality, as the homes themselves were, for the men who acted for the Commission. At his best, the farmer is a man in partnership with the Almighty. That is farming at its best, gathering sun power through living plants. Farming is the mar- riage of the strength of old Father Sun to the inherent strength of old Mother Earth. The plant is the child and the farmer manages the business. That is his place in the economy of nature. So this is a noble calling at its best, and those 10 per cent, of the farmers belonged to that sort of fellows. It is a good thing for a nation to have as many of that sort of fellow as you can get within its borders. He is not a "hay-seed," and he is not a "clod-hopper"; -he is not anything except a partner of the Almighty to make a new earth wherein dwelleth righteous farming and righteous living. It is a good thing to meet a man like that. He gives one an impression of stability, of responsibility, of majesty. There is no vain bragging or "showy side" in his bearing; it would not become him, because he is a partner, a working partner, with the Almighty. At his mid- dling best he is not the same sort of fellow. Any man who proves untrue to his principles or obligations must deteriorate; he cannot FuacUoBS o( tb« Farmar IMPROVING CANADIAN AGRICULTURE. help it and he cannot hide it. At his worst, — well, this is what those kindly men report when they see somebody at his worst in farming: "Carelessness, neglect and general shiftlessness were evident on many farms." I have reasonably large capacity for believing, but when a man is so conducting his affairs that "carelessness and neglect and general shiftlessness are evident" about his place, I cannot be- lieve he is in partnership with the Almighty. He may have been in his babyhood and boyhood, but the business connection was not kept up. Why did we gather all this information ? Of what use is the large stack of records of these 1,212 farms? For myself, I object to being a collector of information that will be useful chiefly to the archivist two hundred years after I am dead. I have no ambition to accumulate material that the historian only will find instructive and interesting. How can that information be made effective? That is our next enquiry. How can the information collected be turned to good account now — ^now in the Springtime of our nation's life? How can it be sent out like good seed to bring a crop of intelligence and ability and good will to every farmer in Canada? I shall detain you a moment with a few of the salient points of the information collected. First, we enquired whether the farmer followed any system of rotation in his crops. Most things hang together. There is a hang- togcther-ness in this world that it takes a fellow a while to believe in as a working scheme of life; and when he comes to believe in the hang-together-ness of things, he gets a new vision, a new principle, a new guide for his behaviour and he realizes that he is one of the lot. No man liveth unto himself; he belongs to the other fellows as well as to himself. He cannot help it that he is part of them; and their upliit will uplift him and their down-going will pull him down. ii there is a systematic rotation of crops, if the crop that now is prepares the soil for the crop that is to be, then you have con- tinuously improving conditions and continuously improving crops; but, if the crop that now is, does not prepare the soil for the crop that is to be, then you get Tadual degradation and poverty. No doubt the same principle applies to the rotation of civilizations, and social conditions and opportunities. The generation of to-day must provide cleaner fields with fewer weeds, less disease and more fertility? On the whole, we are on the up-grade, but we may slip back. That is why I connect the rotation of crops with the hang- Rotation of Crop* S COMMISSION or CONSBRVATION together-neM of things on the farm. A good system of rotation provides for the spreading of the labour of the farmer over most of the jear. The other system means a rush of work and very long hours for two months in spring and two in harvest, and little satisfy- ing occupation during other parts of the year. I have never kno\vn a healthy man who, under sixty, could loaf for half the year and escape the devil. I do not mean the devil hereafter, but the devil here and now. A man has to be at something, something with a de- finite purpose that calls out his powers, or he will not.be happy. Where the practicable system of farming does not provide satisfying, profit- leaving work during the winters. Jet us have what the Swiss have, what the Swedes and Norwegians have: the home industries— not for profits, but for the salvation of the boys and young men and the satisfaction of the women. Labour, intelligent labour, intelligent skilful labour, labour with good will, is the means of grace, whereby the race will be always rising, rising, rising. Then the systematic rotation of crops cleans the land, gives a variety of products, increases the yields per acre and leaves the placo fertile and clean. That is the acme of all culture on land and in life, fertility and beauty. This is the general conclusion gathered from these farms; that, where a systematic rotation of crops has prevailed, tbere has been from two to three times the profit to the farmer and a conservation of fertility. That is the general conclu- sion of the whole matter. Let me mention a few of the facts in between the ends of that general conclusion. I shall take first the provinces east of the Great lakes, where a systematic rotation of crops is practicable under the conditions of climate, labour and market. In Nova Scotia, only 8 per cent, of the farmers followed any systematic rotation of crops; in Prince Edward Island, 4 per cent, on a small part of the farm; in New Brunswick, 13 per cent.; in Quebec, only 4 per cent, and in Ontario, 53 per cent. Does that not tell a tale worthy of study ? In New Brunswick — so reads the record — "Few follow any systematic rotation, and then, on only part of the farm. Where a four or five year rotation is followed the results are far ahead in every respect." In Nova Scotia (I shall not go into all the counties) in Pictou county, systematic rotation is not followed at all. In Antigonish, it has just been adopted by a few farmers and other farmers are intending to start. Wherever followed, the results are from two .to three times more feed. IMPROVING CANADIAN AGRICULTURE In Quebec, in the county of Bellechasse, fanners acknowledge the value of STstematic rotation but make no practice of it. In L'Asaomption, few follow any system. In Brome, rotation is the practice on a few farms. In Pontiac, very little rotation is followed and weeds are getting very bad. In Huntingdon county, rotation is quite general. Any man who knows Quebec needs no reminder of the difference between the conditions in Huntingdon county and in some other places where there is no systematic rotation. In Ontario, in Dundas county, a percentage of the farmers hardly know what is meant by the term systematic rotation. In Lanark county, most of the farmers follow some rotation. In On- tario county, a few follow a rather irregular rotation and some, a definite systematic rotation. In "Waterloo, few follow a systematic rotation, though many have some definite rotation. What is the difference ? The systematic rotation is the one that brings the crop in the right order of sequence. The systematic rotation always has the crops in right sequence for the locality, for fertility and for cleaning the land. In Norfolk county, it is quite general. If .this were general all over Ontario we would have Professor James' antic- ipation realized, and the farm crops of the Province twice as large as they are. Another question investigated was the systematic selection of seed. Here again I must be quite brief. The practice of selecting good seed for sowing on the fields is one that reaches away back beyond all records. The Seed Branch of the Department of Agriculture has done much to awaken an interest in this question of good seed — good seed, not merely seed that looks plump, but seed suited to the locality and the markets, with a vigorous quality of life. I have no intention of discussing that at length — the quality of life. The dominating thing worth while in any existence that is vital, is the quality of life, not the mere possession of life — the quality that is vigorous to overcome obstacles in a reluctant soil and a dry or wet season and hardy to resist disease. Some strains of seed produce plants which have power to resist at- tacks of such diseases as rust and are so vigorous as to produce large- ly. In every strain of seed the farmer must see he cleanness and vitality. A good many farmers are selecting iir seed by choosing the best part of a crop in the field, storing t,oat by itself, cleaning it thoroughly and sowing it. They report good results. That is good. It is still better to prepare a seed-grain plot or field anu grow a special crop for the sake of the seed. SaUatioa 10 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION Some time ago we arranged a competition for boys and girls on 1.400 farms in Canada to pick out the big heads from the vigor- ous plants of wheat and oats on the farms. The seed, from these were sown on specially prepared seed-grain plots. The system was applied to them in three successive crops, from Prmce Ed^.ard Island to British Columbia, there was a surprising increase in the yield of grain, wrought by that process of systematic selection. Ihe exact amount of increase was computed in percentages. I applied the percentage of increase on those seed-grain plots to the fieW crops of Canada, and how much more grain do you suppose we would have got from the same area if all the fields had been sown with similarly ^perior seed, not imported from Kanisohatkn, but selected from the fields and farms of Canada? How much? Enough grain to fill 1.500 miles of railway cars; enough increase above what we har^est- ed to fill 1,500 miles of railway cars in one year. Surely that is a confirmation of the statement I made, that, if the methods employed by the best 10 per cent, of the .farmers prevailed all over Canada, w^e would get this doubling of the value of $565,000,000. One migh let the grain of those 1,500 miles of railway cars be lost without regret if conditions were created by that sacrifice which caused the fanners themselves to develop increased power of body, namd or spirit. But you see we lost the 1,500 miles of railway cars of grain, or we missed getting the 1,500 miles of cars of gram that we might have had, and we have left in our farming community a continua- tion of much of the same indifference. The best thing left by he competition of those boys and girls was the ability, t^^e .uteres the intelligence, the power, the enlarged life of the boys and girls them- selves That has been finding expression ever since in school gar- dens, boys' .aubs, and the Canadian Seed Growers' Association. We enquired into the question of the prevalence of Di...... plant diseases. That is a whole field in itself. I shall "* P'"** not detain you with more than two very simple illus- trations. Tl.e Agriculturist of the Commission, Mr. Nunnick, has done remarkably good work for the Commission, for a young man of his brief experience in public affairs. One who has done such Bood work in such a brief time seems to me to give promise of ever- widening usefulness and service to Canada. Mr. Nunnick visited a farm in the county of Dundas. When he mentioned smut to the farmer, the latter 'said in effect: "Oh, I do not bother or worry about simit; that does not concern me." Mr. Xunnick steps into his field of oats, and, standing still, gathers forty-three heads of oats IMPROVINO CANADIAN AGRICULTURE. 11 Pr*v«Uao of Waad. within reach of his arm, each one a head of smut instead of oats. That man was a convert; that was instantaneous conversion. I doubt if any lecturer on agriculture or any writer on agriculture could have converted that man by the use of language, but the revelation of this unknown destroy ir by evidence under his nose and eyes con- verted him at once and he will sow oats hereafter treated to kill the spores of smut. Scores of farmers need that kind of conversion. Taking the farmer's judgment as to the losses, the preventable losses on these 1,212 farms from weeds and insects and plant diseases run to an average of between $75 and $100 per farm. That loss could be prevented by the means which are used by the best 10 per cent, of tha farmers. A very little about weeds as such. The report from our collectors is that the Russian sow thistle is a serious and an increasing menace. This weed came into the county of Waterloo in Ontario only six years ago, and those sturdy farmers report that it is getting established in the land. I am not down on some kinds of established institutions but I am down on the establishment of the Russian sow thistle. It came into the county of Lanark a little before that, and this is the report from the farmers themselves: "It is so alarming that we predict that some farms will be abandoned." If a Russian regiment came over here to do us harm what would we say? You remember that little threat of a row when the Russian warships let off a few shots by mistake on those fishing boats of ours. English? No, ours — they belonged to the fellows of our breed and blood — ours. I can re- member our teeth tightening. But even that little damage by mis- take by Russia made every one of us feel wild — particularly to say things. "What is the British fleet for if not to smash Russian men- of-war that meddle with our ships or our fishermen." They apolo- gized and explained and all the rest, and the thing was hushed up. That is how we felt at the very beginning of an injury from Russia; and the Russian sow thistle comes into Lanark and begins to push our people off the land, and it does not seem to bother us. In the county of Ontario some farmers are controlling this weed by rotation of crops. There never came an invasion that would not give way to intelligence and ability and energy and good will. This weed is a comparative newcomer, but it is so bad that in Nova Scotia 42 per cent, of the farmers reported it; in Prince Edward Island, 89 per cent; in New Brunswick, 15 per cent.: in Quebec, 62 per cent.; in Ontario, 66 per cent, and iu Manitolm, 30 It COMMiaSION 09 OONSmVATION per cent. In some di«trict«, there are famu now abandoned; the people were pushed off the land by the prevalence of weed*. The weeda came, took posaeaaion and held it — and we are a free, liberty- loving, intelligent, and self-governing people. Then there are wild oats. You know the, phrase, "Sowing his wild oats." If a fellow of sixteen had any sort of acquaintance with the real character of wild oats, he would not have any in his seed bin, and, if he had any, he would not sow them. The wild oats got to Manitoba some time ago. That is a new province and yet 94 per cent of the farmers report them as being there and getting worse. Sixty-three per cent, of the farmers of Saskatchewan report them this year. Only three per cent, of the Albertans reported them last year and this year 31 per cent, reported wild oats on their farms. There is the widening invasion of a menace to the prosperity '^f our people and the fertility of our farms. In the Province of Quebec, in the county of Brome, there is becoming established a most persistent weed on pasture fields where cultivation cannot get at it. It is reported on in this way: "The orange hawkweed is threatening to destroy many of the unbroken pasture fields and has reduced their carrying power for feeding stock." There are others: the ox-eye daisy, the Canada thistle and the couch prass. If we harden our indifference to the invasion of weeda. and neglect a systematic rotation of crops, the plagues of Egypt will not be in it with the experience of Canadian farmers. In those localities where the system of rotation of A(t*r-HarvMt yjops which is practicable, does not ensure the clean- CulHvttion j^g ^£ ^jjg jjjjjj f J.QJJJ weeds, a system of after-harvest cultivation accomplishes a great deal. Many farmers speak well of the benefits from it in destroying weeds and in preparing the soil for the crop of the following year; and also where rotation of crops is followed, the after-harvest cultivation is most useful. A special investigation is being conducted in three districts in the Province of Quebec in connection with the growing of alfalfa. The matter was dealt with in full in the report of the Agriculturist.* The prospects are good for the general extension of the growing of alfalfa throughout Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The varieties most likely to be suitable are the variegated form of Ontario, and Grimm's alfalfa as obtained from Minnesota. *See p. 16 of Third Annual Report IMPROVINO CANADIAN AORICVLTDRB It The practice of sowing clover teed with grain crop* Bvmimi •{ jg QQ ^jjg incretge. The enrichment of the land in Oorar 8m4 nitrogen collected from the air by the clover and the presence of the humus formed from its decaying roots, stems and leaves, are some of the results from sowing clover seed with cereal crops. In the various provinces, on the farms surveyed for the Com- mission, the percentage of the acreage of grain crops sown with clover are as follows: Nova Scotia. . 60 per cent. Prince Edward Island 67 " " New Brunswick 50 " Quebec 74 " " Ontario 45 " " Manitoba nil* Saskatchewan "«'* Alberta "•' British Columbia 42 per cent. A good deal of valuable information was obtained '•'" on the question cf the available supply of farm labour, Muhi>*nr ^^^ ^^ jjjg ^gjg^ Q, j^gjj of care,, of farm machinery, and of the need of special instruction and illustrations to farmers in the use of gasoline and other engines where power plants are used for field work or in connection with the bams or crops on the farms. Our Committee has no recommendation to ofFer in regard to these latter matters at present. I want now to make a few observations on the situation thus revealed. In some respects, we, in Canada, are a self-satisfied people. Other people praise us so much, that, to be agreeable, we join in the chorus and enjoy a reasonable measure of self-laudation. There is quite a different attitude of mind in England and in Germany and in Scotland. I heard people grumble much at the inefficiency of their own institutions in England. They have got the weather habit applied to everything over there; they grumble about the weather and about having a poor system of education, and so on throughout the list. But when you come to examine their schools and their local Government and their roads and their weather, you find they have about the best. It is this discontent-this not ignoble discontent- about what they have that makes them rise up, and stay up, and meet »Two experimental clover plots of small acreage were found, one In Manitoba and one in Saskatchewan. 14 COMMISSION OV C0N8BRVAT10N the Bituations. Wo f»»unil koiuo .of tho best thing* in educational effort in England and Scotland and Ireland that wo fovnnl anywhere in onr travels. Kngland, Scotland and Ireland have no reason to bo u-dianied of their leaders in ihat respect. T* StraMlkaa CcBBuaity latorast Tho reports from our Survey indicate .that a com- paratively small number of fiinns are run under good biifdness nianageinrnt, that is, under good systems of cropping and good methods of cultivation. The farmers say that they have learned much that is helpful from other good farmers in the locality. Our problem is: how can we help that farmer who is doing tho best in his locality, to do stili better, in order that he and his farm and farming methods may be still more helpful to all the farming of the district where ho lives. You cannot get into vital conUct with the indifferent farmer in any other way that will be so useful to him, immediately and permanently. A» Profeasc James has said: "The age of talk for the improvement of agricul- ture has gone by, and the day of demonstration is here." Our im- mediate duty is to investigate further how that leading successful farmer, that uplifting power in the locality, may have more power and closer contact with hit neighbours, than he has had. There are a good many difficulties, difficulties from the want of knowledge, from the want of incentives to co-operation in the neighbourhood, and particularly from the lack of personal sympa- thetic contact between the man who needs farming help and the man able to help him. If we are to do anything at all effective in <" anada, we will have to bring about these contacts; we will have to get what the Germans have, what the Danes have, what the Irish are now getting — a quickening recognition of community interest that makes every man proud to be one of the helpers, not proud to be an exclusive person or superior person and all that tommy-rot of refined heathens. We want that contact, that intimate contact, between people on a level of common effort that will make the whole community stronger and more prosperous in farming because of wliat each contributes. If we can discover the best fa' ners, as we have in many cases, and help them to do still better work for them- splves and for the neighboiirhood, we will have taken another long step in the right direction. When these most successful farmers recognize that they are helping to advance the agriculture of the locality in a systematic way, they will do more and more in that direction. We cannot begin with farmers in general ou farms in general. IMPROVING CANADIAN AURICUL.TURS 11 U't II ratluT concentrate our investigation* on a f»'\v fariiw with a pnrjiortc quite deflnitc and very evident t<. the fiiruaru of the locality. The fir»t purpose in to make money from the farm*. You may .tay that this plan is the emhodiment of aordidnt i uiid my theory of action asxumes that the whole object of living ii* to mako money. I do not think that; but I do think that, if a mun i* not git-at able on ony other aide of bin nature than on the making of money, 1 would get at him there, in the hope. that the other I'uU'* of his nature would by-and-' be awakened. If you want the people to adopt better niethods, that is the first way to reach tli' u. This is not primarily a system of morality or ethics, but a system of farming for profits. The first object is an increase of profit to the farmers from the crops. That muat be definite, evident and successfully realized. Afterwarda will come the wider values and benefits from theae illustration farms. May I detain you by • few remarka on what I have Co-«»«nUMi ia observed elsewhere in thia connection. "^ waa in ^**** Denmark about twenty-six years ago, anv. ^ learned then that the Danes had picked out the best farms all over the king- dom and, during mtny yeara, had given grants to hundreds of young farmers to go and live and work and learn on these farms. The young farmers brought back to their own localities not simply a knowledge of principles on which they could pass an examination, but s working knowledge of the systems, practices and inethoda. All Denmark was seeded down to the praotice of the best farms. That waa worth while. No farmer to-day in Denmark feels he has done hia duty, if he has discovered a better method of raising a crop or feeding a cow, until he gets all the others to adopt the came method. That is real co-operation — everyone chipping into the common bosket whatever he has gained of knowledge or ability that may serve the locality. That basket is always full, and every man who takes out makes the basket richer. What are some of the results in Denmark ? From being about the poorest nation in Europe, Denmark is now the most prosperous in the world of those who^ie main industry is farming, ilt has become so in less than my lifetime by these methods I am indicating. What can we not accomplish if we follow similar methods? We have a better chance on this great continent by reason of our resources and our population and our opportunities. The Danes take from England enough more money than any other nation obtains for an equal quantity of butter, bacon and eggs because of their superior qualities, to pay for their whole educational Work and to have a balance over. For the superiority of their but- It OOMMIMION or CONimtVATION ialrttolM tn, baeon and eggt, they get, u a premium, more than we ipend on our mral Mhook from the Atlantic to the Paeifio. That U a fine tribute collected bj the ability of thete people. My Tiait to Denmark laat year gave me the impreiaion that they are using it for further training and further enlightenment and further drveiopment. I do not want to My anything diiparaging about Canada; I have spent most of my life here, but I have to go to Scotland once in a while to get the delight, the refreshing delight to one'i, eyes, of seeing farming land that is elean, and beautiful through its cleanneu. You know that in riding on the railway from here to Montreal and from Montreal either east or west; from herr to Toronto and from Toronto east, north or west; from here to Winnipeg and from Winnipeg in any direction, you •ee weeds and weeds and weeds and weeds and weeds, and then more weeds, and then, on top of that, another lot of weeds. The Scotch farm is clean because on it are employed the merhods I am indicat- ing — the systematic rotation of crops, the selection of seeds, the seeding to clover and the spreading of the labour over the whole year. Then, in little distressful Ireland,— tha' lovable •^ •" island which loves its miseries and talks about them so much that that is where they have their embodi- ment—there has grown up a new Ireland within the last len or twelve years by means of progress in agriculture and technical edu- cation. I went to see a group of "colonists" in the west of Ireland. Here was a big pasture estate turned into farms of 25 to 30 acres. I found a resident farming instructor with these two hundred and fifty "colonists." They had been on these farms less than th.ee years; and a resident farming instructor was living on the spot and visiting them from day to day. That was his job. He v •• young farmer himself, who had attended short courses provided by the De- partmont of Agriculture. He was not allowed to wake speeches. I thought that was capital. That was the one inhibition and he en- joyed it. The authorities did not want the instructor to make speeches. His duty was to counsel the individual and show him the best systems and methods of work. It cost some fl-^O sterling for this instructor's salary and expenses. He had an ilhistration fi^ld en one of these farms. On that illnstratiin farm, crops were pnwn in some of the best ways, and demonstrationa were given of crops and method'J new to 'le looalit.'. x estimated that the crops on these 250 farms in 1011 were worth at least $15,000 itmre tlinn if Pi IMPROVINO CANAD AN AORICULTURB IT the initroctor had not bctn there. He tniido the contact not only between the Department of Agriculture and the Uniwn, but be- tween the farnier* and the illui«tration field*, and between the farm- era thcniielvea. One hundred and fifty pounds of Oavernnient money apent and £3,000 of increaaed value in crops pluN the reii- duum in the increaaed abilities, goodwilli and co-operationi of all the fanners in the "colony." We could have a system such as that over Canada. That is co-operation between the central author- ity, doing a definite thing cloie by the peopU*, and the people thcm- •elves who benefit by it, in the enrichment of life as well as in the gathering of larger profits. Ontario is doing much, very much of that sort of thing. It haa an Experimental Union that touches five thousand farmers. In fifteen counties the farmers are brought into contact with the Agri- cultural College and the Department of Agriculture by District Representatives, who work with the farmers, like this Irish resident instructor. They have made great progress. The idea of our civili- lation is that of associated effort of the people by the people, for the people — associated effort on the spot for the common good. This year, the Committee on Lands will enlarge its work of in- vestigation. Probably 60 farms, the best 50 out of the 1,212 sur- veyed in 1011, will be selected as illustration farms. It expects to have a few experienced and competent fanners visit and counsel with these farmerr for further progress. The other farmers whose farms are being surveyed by our collectors of information, will be invited to meet on these farms two or three times a year to discuss the farming of that locality for themselves with these talented, ex- perienced visiting farmers who come to investigate and help them. So may wo realize Sir Horace "lunkett's goal of "better farming, better business and better livin: What will thic mean also to the people who are not fanners, to the merchants and the manufacturers and the transportation people and the professional people, to the wliolp j)oople ? What will it mean to education? It will help us not merely to pasa on this heritage of ours unir?aired and andiminished, but to leave it enriched and im- proved by intelligent labour and co-operative good will. Our Com- mittee on I^inds is working towards that end and I think success will attend our efforts. A|{riculiural Survey, 1911 Bt F. C. NuwincK, B.S.A. Agriculturist of the Commia»ion of Conservation THE following is a very brief summary of the agricultural conditions found by the Commission of Conservation in the localities where the Agricultural Survey was con- ducted in 1911. NOVA SCOTIA Pictou and AntiioBitk Most of the farmers in these counties grow a small amount of grain and a large amount of hay and past- ure. Very few follow a systematic rotation of crops. Nothing is done in the way of seed selection more than to grade the grain through a funning mill. The amount of clover seeded each year is small and the number of pounds to the acre is insufficient to secure a good stand. Windmills and gasoline engines are not to be found on many of the farms. The water supply is reported as bad in many cases. Very few have modem conveniences in their houses. Lack of help and weeds (especially ragwort) are the principal draw- backs. Mixed farming and hay growing are practised. Where orchards have been sprayed there is a marked improvement in the quality of the fruit. Many farmers admit that they should adopt shorter rotations. One man at River John was very enthusiastic over the effects of a short rotation on the liindwecd on his farm, stating that h*? had ahnost exterminated the weed by this means. Very few farmers grow a large amount of grain and the iicrcage in hoe crop is usually small. Many of the rotations have two years of hoe crop followed by grain and hay. Very little in the way of seed selection is prac- tised, most of the farmers using the ordinary fanning mill. The amount of clover sown to the acre is small. Many use artificial fertilizer on roots and grain crops. Very little grain is treated for smut. The wood supply in most cases is good. Practically no forest tree planting has been done. There are very few windmills or gaso- ColcIi««tar County i^ IMPROVINO CANADIAN AGRICULTURE 19 AaaapolU County line engines to be found. Dairying, mixed farming and beef-raising are the principal branches of farming specialized in. The farmers here pay more attention to the orchard than to any other part of the farm. Such a small amount of grain is sown that the rotation, even if it is good, is not so important as in districts where more grain is grown. The fanning mill is used in almost all cases for cleaning seed. Not enough red clover is sown. Manure is used on grain crops and or- chards. Many of the farmers use artificial fertilizer. On the whole, the care of the manure is fairly good. Orchard pests are prevalent. Wood is abundant in most cases. Windmills and gasoline engines are not to be found on many farms. The water supply in many cases comes from the mountains and is good. Orcharding is the chief industry. Indeed, farmers pay so much attention to this in- dustry that they neglect their other crops. If the apple crop is a failure, they have very little to rely upon in the way of grain crops and stock. Many farmers admit having purchased grass seed and seed grain which contained new and noxious weeds. If farmers would buy nothing but the best inspected seed, many of the bad weeds coiild be kept under control. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND A large portion of the land is in hay and pasture. The rota- tion, if such it can be called, is long with not enough hoe crop enter- ing into the system. Tlie land is sown to grain, seeded down and left in hay and pasture for from four to six years. Very little sys- tematic seed selecting is done, the common practice being to put the grain once or twice through the fanning mill. The amount of clover seed sown to the acre is too small. The manure is, in the majority «.f cases, piled in the open yard and drawn to the root and hoe crop fields in spring. A little top dressing is done. Weeds are very bad, in many places and some of the worst weeds are the most prevalent. Insect pests and plant diseases are quite prevalent. Codling moth and potato beetle are perhaps the worst. The fuel, in the majority of cases, is good. The water supply is polluted and, in very many cases, inconvenient. Very fcw.wiiulniills or gasoline engines arc to be found. Some fari..--rs complain of the boys leaving the farm, making it hard to keep up the work and control the weeds. In some places, the machinery used for spring seeding is still standing in the fields. Carelessness is all too evident. iWiHj]!Y (j'r Cf,r.;'»^- '!r*,v.\r.; tf COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION Carlatea Couatjr NBW BRUNSWICK Most of the farmers grow a large amount of hay. The rotation is long on most farms. The majority of the farmers grade the seed grain through the fan- ning mill. In most cases, a small amount of clover seed is sown and a large amount of timothy. The manure is applied to grain and root crops and top dressing of meadows is practised to some extent. In some instances, the fine well-rotted manure is harrowed into the soil before the grain is sown, but, with the root crops, it is ploughed under. Some of the worst weeds are prevalent on most of the farms. There is much neglect and carelessness evident in allowing weeds to go to seed. Seed grain is very seldom, if ever, treated for smut The wood supply is good in most cases. No windmills and only two or three gasoline engines were found in this district. The water supply on some farms is very poor. Conveniences around the house and bam are not ofter f jund. Grain, hay and pasture are the principal crops in Kia|( Ceuatjr this county. Very few roots are grown. The rota- tion on most farms is too long. Very little is done in the way of seed selection, the most common practice being the grading of the ordinary seed with the fanning mill. Not enough clover is seeded down and the amount sown to the acre is too small. Manure is used on roots and grain. A large number of the farmers use artificial fertilizer on roots. Very little attention is paid to pre- vent waste of manure. Impure grass seed is given as the cause for the introduction of some of the worst weeds. The codling moth has done much rl nnage in some districts. Windmills and gasoline en- gines are almost unheard of. There are very few conveniences in the houses. Lack of help and weed pests are the principal drawbacks mentioned. On many farms the animals show the effects of selling the best hay and grain and keeping the poorest for home use. Many were surprised when told that they could increase their yields by careful seed selection. The reason given by a considerable number for not selecting seed is lack of time, but, judging from the carelessness which is in evidence almost everywhere, very little time is given to improvements of any kind. Kant County The conditions in this county were found to be very similar to those in Kings and Carleton counties. kLu IMPROVING CANADIAN AGRICULTURE 21 L'AnoBpUoB County QUEBBC Most of the farmers specialize in hay with some live stock and tobacco, but very little of any other hoe crop is grown. Systematic rotation of crops is almost unknown. Seed from the best field is usually kept and put through the fanning mill, but not often cleaned more than once. A ery little is known regarding the names of varieties of grain grown, there being but few who knew anything about it. The yield is not, m any case, what it should be. Sufficient clover is not sown and the amount sown per acre is too small to secure a good stand. Manure is used principally on hoe crops, with small amounts sometimes used for top dressing. A few use artificial fertilizer on tobacco. Manure spreaders are almost unknown. Very little care is taken to prevent waste: .the manure pile is usually in an open yard and unprotected. There are many bad weeds to be found in the meadows and as hay is sold and shipped to other districts, this is a very serious matter. Many pests are prevalent which ;ould be controlled if properly looked after at the right season. The wood supply is plentiful. Gasoline engines and windmills on the farms are few in most cases, the water supply is not the best, many using water from a nearby stream or river. In some eases, the supply comes from .springs in the hills and is good. Very few practise systematic rotations. Most of Pontimc County the farmers grow grain for a year or 'wo, followed by hay for several years. Very little hoe crop is grown. In the majority of cases, grain from the best field is chosen and screened with the fanning mill. In nearly every case, timothy is grown with the clover for the hay and pasture mixtures. Much of the manure is used as top dressing for meadows. Very little care is taken to prevent waste ,-. manure. Many of the farmers blame the impure jrrass seed for the introduction of some of the worst weeds. Fire blight on the apple trees seems to be doing much damage in this locality. Very few windmills or gasoline engines ere used. Few farm conveniences are f, and in the buildinf,'s. The labour problem is a serious one here. A largo niuiibor of the farm- ers do not believe that a change from the present system of fann- ing would be profitable. Many of the farms are in a worn-out con- dition and illustrations of up-to-date methods are needed. Grain does not form a large part of the cultivated ChllrutT" ^'"P" •" *'"'*'' '•""nfip'^- ^"fry little hoe crop is grown, the chief crop being hav. There is practically no rotation of crops. A little field selection of seed is done and most M 22 COMMISSION OP CONSERVATION of the farmers run the grain through the fanning mill. The amount ot clover sown to the acre is small. No very marked increases are IZTl * *u™*" fT?* °^ ""°"'« " produced on each farm on account of the stock being small and, in most cases, poorly cared tor. Very little attention is paid to the protection of the manure. u, L f/tP*""*^ ^™" ^"*^«' l«"t« and plant diseases are small, although if the actual loss were known it .would, in all probability, be greater than that reported. The wood supply is good, there being enough to last a great many years. Very few windmills are found on the farms m these counties. Gasoline engines are almost unknown. A large number of farmers obtain water from springs and streams, many of which are poorly situated, thus endangering the purity of the supply. In .nearly every case where water is taken from a stream the stream is lower than the house and bams. Very little in the way of modem conveniences is to be found. Drainage IS, badly needed in both counties. Several of the farmers had re- ceived seed grain from the Central Experimental Farm and com- plained of It not being free from other grains. There is too much land occupied by unprofitable growth such as shrubs and weeds. The main crops are hay and pasture. Systematic Bro». Co-nty rotation is .almost unknown. The general practice is grain seeded down and left for eight or ten years JJairying ,8 the principal industry. Very little grain is grown and the seed is usually purchased. Not enough clover is sown. A large number of the farmers use chemical fertilizer on J.oe crops and some use It on the gram crops. Weeds are very bad, the orange hawkweed threatening to destroy many unbroken pasture fields. There is prac- tically no treating of seed grain for smut. The wood supplv, in most instances, will last a long time. Very little in the way of "windmills pr gasohne power is to be found on the faruis. The labour problem IS acute. *^ Huntingdon County A larfro portion of the cultivated land U in hay and pasture. Tlie most comnion rotation— if it ean be called a rotation-is grain followed by hay and pasture for from four to eight years. But little hoe crop is grown on anv of the farms. A ery httle ,s done in regard to selection of seed, tl.; fanning mill being used on nmst farn.s. Some farmers, when ap- proached concerning selection of seed, either bv hand or in the field confessed that they had never thought of it. In most cases, not enough clover seed ,s sown to the acre. Many put manure on hay IMPROVING CANADIAN AGRICULTURE 23 or pasture land which they intend ploughing for either hoe crop or grain. Very little care is taken to prevent waste. Weeds are l>ad on most of the farms. Wood is used as ftiel in almost all cas-cs. Windmills and gasoline engines are few. Water supply, in many instances, is bad. The drawbacks montioned are lack of help, weeds and pests. The crops on many of the farms are thin and short and would be much improved if a systematic rotp'uon and the growing of clover were introduced. ONTARIO A number of the farms in this county are small, Em«s CouBtr especially in the Leamington district. Tobacco grow- ing, fruit growing and the raising of early vegetables are the principal lines of agriculture followed. A numlxr of the rotations have two or three hoe crops, such as tobacco, corn, clover and vegetables. Clover crops are used to a large extent in supplying fertility to the soil. The land is well cultivated and the manure, in most instances, well looked after. On these small farms, there is very little grain grown other than com, the seed of which is care- fully selected. In seeding down to clover, the ^farmers sow from ten to fifteen pounds of clover seed to the acre, which insures a good stand. In comparing the crops of to-day with .those of ten and twenty years ago, the farmers sav that since they have adopted the new system of more intensive farming, it is hard t" make the correct estimate of increase or decrease, but nearly all state that the returns are much larger than formerly. The manure is used on the early vepc'tablcs and -ime chemical fertilizers are used to supplement the supply of barnyard manure, which is very carefully looked after by most of the farmers on the small places. While on most of tlie farms a large number of weeds are reported, a great many of the farniors say that they are not a cause for anxiety, as vcgf-tablo grow- ing and plenty of clover keep them down, ilany pests are reported, most of which may be kept under control by careful spraying. Many of the farmers have windr.iills for pumping water and doing part of the barn work. The majority of the wells arc in good condition. Many in this district aave the water piped to the liouse and on tap and have a bath-room and a water closet in tlie house. The majority of the farmers are prosperous, as is evinced by the conveniences around the buildings and on the farnis. This may be attributed to keeping plenty of stuck, earefsil list- of iiiaiiiire and good cultivaticn. 24 COMMISSION OF CONBBRVATION Some splendid fruit land is to be found in the county Narfeik Ceiwtr of Norfolk. A number of the farmers are going into aniall fruits and orcharding. The rotations are fairly good, but very little is being done in systematic seed selection. Sintral stated as their reason for not taking up this work that they had never thought of it. A large percentage of the grain acreage is sopded to clover each year. A number of the farms visited had clijinged hands within the last few years, henco a comparison of crops on these farms with ten and twenty years ago could not be obtained. A great many weeds were found. The Hessian fly seems to have been particularly bad in this district of late. The loss from other causes is hard to estimate. Dairying is one of the principal industries in this Luurk Couaty county. A great many of the farmers have a large percentage of their land in hay and pasture. Many follow a rotation such as hoe crop, grain and then hay and pasture for several years, prolonging the course to six or seven years. Very little wheat is grown in this county, the majority of the farmers growing large quantities of oats. A very few practise seed selec- tion, the general practice being the use of the fanning mill. Most of the farmers saw a small quantity of clover in their seeding-down mixture, while a number sow more timothy than clover. A large number of the farmers haul the manure to the field in winter as made. The perennial sow thistle is a new weed in Lanark county and is increasing rapidly. Potato blight seems to be on the increase. The loss reported from oat smut and rust, is small and, in all prob- ability, underestimated. There is a considerable amount of wood yet in the coimty. There is a lamentable lack of farm conveniences in both the houses and barns. The labour problem is a serious one. A large percentage of the area under field crops is Duafn. The amount of manure produced is small and is used on *• ^oes and garden crops, and grain close to buildinps. Mu^ lesriness i evident regarding the care of manure. Nearly all of the farmers are troubled with wild oats. Very little 'oss is reported fK..n pests or plant diseases. All of the farmers treat seed grain for smut with good results. A little tree planting around the building's has been done. The source of water supply is often from a well under the house, and, for stock, from a well in the bam. Many of the farmers realize that they must change their system from all grain to one having a greater share of forage and clover crops, as the land in many places is becoming loose, and is blowing. The following is a summary of the remarks made by the col- lector on one farm and which is applicable to many. "Mr does not seem to be one of the progressive farmers but seems to be content to travel in the same old rut and consequently does not get on well. After thirty-one years in a district like this, one would expect to see a man with a well-improved farm, but here we see one where no trees have been planted and a very old and small house is still used. Machinery is not cared for and things in general are not fixed up around the place, yet it is not because of financial difiiculty, it seems rather to be lack of attention." The following is what is said by the collector of a man who is careful in looking after his farm and interests. "Mr 's farm is one of the cleanest I have met with. He undoubtedly has some of the bad weeds, but they are few in number. His crops look especially well and, in talking to his neighbours, I find that they consider him one of their best farmers. One man told me that he always had clean crops and always had three or four bushels more to the acre than any of his neighbours. He uses a lot of manure and works his land well." More men of this kind are needed in Manitoba. "Wherever the farms were rented they were dirtier and poorly lookod after. The principal causes given for the spread of noxious weeds are, moving waggons and machines from place to place at threshing time, stock threshing, insufficient cultivation, too much grain growing with not enough hoe crops, grass and clover; and weeds on roadsides, in ditches, on headlands and in waste places being al- lowed to go to seed. IMPROVING CANADIAN AGRICULTURE 27 HaaleU Diatriet Conditions here aro very siiuilar to tliuitc in the ^^" Carberry disttrict. Ono man near Morden has a tirst- clagg orchard und is paying considerable attention to the f^rowing of apples. His farm is pretty well adapted to this, as it is situated in a very sheltered spot. Weeds are allowed to go to seed in waste places and the weed inspector is not strict enough. This |)oint8 out very clearly the necessity of having weed inspectors who are not local men. Local men are likely to be afraid of offend- ing, their neighbours, hence they neglect their duty. Several men who are raising .some stock complain of poor marketing facilities for it. Nearly all the farmers in this district need more hoe crop and stock to clean and strengthen the land. Where any care is taken of the manure, it is in hauling it out to the land direct from the stable as made. No '->anurc sheds are used. This is a first-class farming district. While very little .hoe crop is grown and a very small amount of stock is kept on each farm, the crops were good and most farms were very clean. The system generally followed is wheat, wheat, oats or barley and summer fallow. The majority of the farmers are very careful about cleaning their seed grain. No clover is grown. A number of the farmers burn their straw. Very little attention is paid to the production and care of manures. No pests were reported. On a number of farms without wood lots the supply is reported as indefinite. This will be understood when it is remembered that on these same farms there are some bluffs which will supply a small amount of summer wood where coal is used in the winter. The water supply, in some cases, is very poor. A spe- cialty is made of grain growing on most farms. There are some excellent farms in this district. The following remarks by the col- lector show, what can be done if care is taken when the farm is first occupied: "The most home-like farmstead in the township. Berry bushes, strawberry vines, shrubs, hedges, tennis lawns and flower beds in profusion (not confusion), for all is carefully laid out and kept clean. The farm crop is also clean and well tilled. A real home-like home, a nice place to live." There are, of course, some dirty farms in the district, especially where the farms are rented. SASKATCHEWAN Of the districts surveyed in Saskatchewan, ninety-eight per cent, of the field crop area is in grain; it is plainly seen that wheat is "King." Less than one-half of one per cent, of the field crop II COMMIMION 09 CONUnVATION DMria* area it in hoe crop, to that it would taJce more than two hundred yean, at this rate, for the hoe crop to cover the field crop area if it were grown each year on loil that had never before bad hoe crop on it. The inoat common practice with regard to the rotation of crop* u three ycara of grain crop and one year of fallow. So far, there ■ecma to have been no need felt for the husbanding of aoil fertility. The importance of good seed haa been very atrongly impreeHed on the average farmer, and while very few do anything in the way of field aelection, the fanning mill is uaed tu good advant- age on almost every farm. The growing of red clover haa not yet been attempted in the localities o' the Survey. Alfalfa is l)eing gradually introduced. The majority reporting upon the preaent yield aa compared with that of ten and twenty years ago, say that their croj)s are about the firao. About 75 per cent, of the farmers make use of the manure pr3duced, while about 25 per cent, burn the manure. The weed problem is becoming more and more aerioua each year. The agencies which are at work in the distribution of weed aeeda are numerous, and suppression ia a matter needing prompt attention and drastic treatment. The solution of the problem ia, to a large extent, in the hands of the farmers. Insect pests have done and are doing very little damage as yet. The use of formalin and blue-stone has reduced the loss from smut to a minimum. The wood supply on the average farm is so amoll that it is hardly worth mention. Some little attention has been paid to the planting of trees around a few of the houses. The farmers, are, however, com- inj; to realize that they must adopt a system of rotation which will include clover crops or grasses. On some of the light soils, the root fibre has become so depleted that the soil is beginning to blow. This, however can be remedied bv the production of crops which will leave a root matter in the soil. Indian HmJ Di«Met The majority of the farmers grow wheat and oats and, on a number of the farms, there is to be found some permanent and unbroken pasture. Very little hoe crop is prown and very little cultivated hay. A number of the farmers report enoiiKh wood to Inst indefinitely. The farmers re- porting wood enoufih to last for some time do not take into consi- deration the worvd to be found on the \inbroken pasture. Thus the supply h good for smno time, rvon where no wood lot i= reported. IMPROVING CANADIAN AURICULTURB t* BdmoalOB DittriJt The most general rotation ii wheat, grain and fallow. All who were Tiiited in thia diitrict use cleaned teed. In moat iniUncea, the aeed grain i« treated for smut. Many of the farmers bum the manure. A large number of the worst weeds prevail in this district. Where the weeds are few and decreasing, the reasons Riven are summer fnllow, good tillage and careful seed selection. Very few pests are reported. Some tree Wanting has Wen done around a number of the houses as shelter t)elts. A few use gu^olinc engines or steam engines for field work, but horses arc used on the majority of farmx. Many of the houses have nothing in the way of a convenient water supply or bath room and water closet. A number o* the farmers report frost and hail as drawbacks and are beginning .^ realize that they must keep more stock for tho sake of certainty of income. Whe.-.i, is "King" in thin district. ALBBRTA There is probably more mixed farming followed in this district than in many others. It is well adapted for the raising of stock, as there are numerous bluffs for shelter and considerable pasture land. Oats and barley are grown to some extent. About one-third of the farmers make no attempt to follow any systematic rotation of crop*. The rotations are grain and fallow systems with no clovers. The majority of the farmers seem to realize the importance of cleaning the seed grain but very few think it worth wliile to hand or specially field select. Many of the worst weeds grow in rank profusion in this district, including wild oats, Canada thistle and wild mustard. Inssect pests are very few and have done but little damage. The fuel supply is unlimited, as coal is to be found underlying nearly all the farms in the district. The water supply is poor on many fanns. The buildings are very poor, the barns, in many instances, being but low and poorly constructed shack.*. Very little care is givon to the implements. Som. of the manure produced is used, but a number of the farmers make no use of it whatsoever. Careless and waste- ful methods are all too common. This district is dovoted almost entirely to grain Stavaly Dicirict growing. Grain is grown from three to four years followed by summer fallow. The majority of the farmers are careful to grade their seed grain through the fanning mill. No clover is grown. This district has not been settled for V.U.r.Ok*a. ■<•■. Raataaay •• COMMIMION 09 CONISRVATtON more iin about eight yean, hence no reconl u to iocreue cr do- r' jf crop* in the last ten and twenty yean is to be had W-rj • vo attention it paid to the manure. There are very few weed* in the diitrict as yet. Practically no peiti were reported. Mi»t of •he farnM-ri trpot their ieed (prain for smut. Coal it uaed for fuel. Very little tree planting has been done, llorsci are used as motive power on the farms, with an oocssional steam engine for ploughing. There is a great similarity of comlitions in this district. Some farma where grain growing has been continually practised since the land vras broken, are already beginning to show the effects in lighter yields and the prevalency of weeds. BRITISH COLUMBIA So far as agriciilturul operations are concerned it may be said that they are very Irregular, that is, some of the farmers grow a considerable amount of grain, LakM Dutariat* some specialize in one or other of the vegetable crops, some Kpecializc in bay and stock, while a large number grow veget- ables and small fruits between the ♦'■ees in their newly set orchards, with the expectation of specializing in fruit in the very near future. Some of th.^ ranches are large, sometimes consisting of thousands of acres with only a very small portion broken, while others again are but a few acres in extent. So far as rotation is concerned, It can scarcely be said to exist. Where a small amount of grain is grown, it is alternated with hoe crop, and where a large amount of grain is grown, it is grain crop after grain croj> for . •-■ . eral year t,. A major- ity of the fanners visited buy their seed grain and many complain that they are unable to obtain it free from noxious weeds. Many of the farmers visited have been occupying the land for less than ten years, hence compa.'Ison with ten years ago could not be made. Manure is usrd in most cases on the orchards and vegetable crops. Artifi- cial fertilizers are used on the garden crops by many of the farmers. Very little care is taken of the stable manure to prevent waste. Many bnd weeds are found in almost all the localities visited, nnd the farmers were complaining of the weeds imported in seed grain and grass seed, and the carelessness of the railroads and constniPtion gangs in bringing in and distributing weeds from baled hay and frod grain; and also of the lack of proper weed Inspection and enforcement of the laws where such exist. A number of pests were reported fnuu almost ;..l the di-tricts visited, but tiu- loss on the whole was not heavy. Cut-worms and other garden pests have Hi IMPROVING CANADIAN AORICULTURB •t eatuiHl a Iom to the grc«n stuff in the Rardcni, which, of course, ia M'rioua where the farmera are ipecializing alonn thii liiip. The wooJ lupply en. the large ranchea ii good for a long time, Imt, on the •iialler holding!, the wood ia Wing cleared off rapidly no that the land can be uicd for fruit and vegetoblo growing. Tin re ia an occacional gaioline engine to l)c found. The water supply ia taken largely from ttreami and, in many inatancea, u ex- cellent. Some caitea, however, were reported where the wnitary conilitions were very bad. Conveaienceg iuch u water on tap in the honae, bath rooms and water closets are not aa much in evid- ence aa they should be, considering the ease with which such appli- ancea could be installed. Dbawbacks. — A great many of the farmera in all the above districts complained bitterly of the lock of proper control of the water supply for irrigation when needed during the dry aeason. The following quotations from the reports sent in speak for them- selves: From the South Thompson valley, the following, — "One drawback is the dual control of water in the Railway Belt It is suggested that the Dominion Government transfer its right of con- trol to the Provincial Government and that the latter should adjudi- cate on the claims of record holders putting all on the proper basis." Another quotation from the schedules of this district is as follows, — "Seven persons in this neighbourhood were absolutely ruined for want of regulation of water supply. The first record is takinp it all and letting it n» . to waste rather than let others have a share. Four fanners have left their farms and others have actually no crops. Invt'fetipation would ihow absolute ruin to a fertile district through want of official water distribution. The strong man is utterly re- gardless of his neighbour." One quotation from the report for Kara- loops district is as follows,—" The conservation of water at the source of supply and official distribution would fully develop a vers- fertile valley." Anotier quotation referring to the same district nientions "The lack of legal control of water supply, administration of re- gulations 90 imperfect that settlers with much later records hive monopolized all the water. The judpment piven in recent lawsuits to enforce record rights bids fair to practically ruin this ranc^. The Provincial riovemments were held to have no jurisdiction and all records they issued during the last twenty-five years -re null and void." Forest fires denude the forests and will affect the vatcr supply in the near future. Many of the farmers suppest that steps be taken 81 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION Vancouver by the Government to clear the land and that a charge, extending over some years, be made to pay for it. A number suggest that more drastic measures be taken regarding the supervision and con- trol of seed grains and grass seeds at points of production and sale. The farms vary greatly in size. Very few of the farmers grow a large amount of grain. Dairyir ? ia ^''m''"i'' J*"" the principal industry on the farms visited on Van- •r M.i> «> ^Q^y^j. iaiand, and there is great diversification on the farms visited on the lower mainland. Very few follow the short rotation of crops. Where a rotation is followed, it is usually a rota- tion of hoe crop, grain, followed by hay and pasture for several years. Most of the seed grain is cleaned by the fanning mill. Manure is used on roots, orchard and grass land. A considerable number of the farmers use chemical fertilizers on roots and vegetables. Many of the worst weeds are found. The farmers are complaining about the weeds being imported in mill feed, seed grain and grass seed. Very few pests are reported. The majority of the farm- ers treat their seed grain for smut. A number of the farmers have gasoline engines, but very few have windmills. Many of the farm- ers get their water supply from springs. A number have water piped to the house. There are more houses in this district with water on tap and with baths than in any other district visited. The drawbacks mentioned are scarcity of help, the difficulty of getting good milkers, weed seeds in seed grain and large middlemen's profit. INFORMATION SCHEDULE The following are half-size reproductions of the pages of the q^p^tion schedule used in the collection of the foregoing informa- tion: COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION AGRICULTURAL SURVEY, 1911 No Lot ('on Township County Province Name of farmer P. O Under field crops acres. Grain acres. In permanent or unbroken pasture, .acres. Hoe crop acres. In woods acres. Hay and pasture . acres. ROTATION. SEED AND MANURE 2. Does he follow a systematic rotation of crops? Does he practise any of the following rotations?. . . . 1. 2. 3. 4. Hoe crop Hoe crop. Hoe crop. Hoe crop. Grain. Grain. Grain. Grain. Hay. Hay. Grain. Grain. Pasture. Hay. Hay. Pasture. State in above columns kinds of crops in rotation S. Does he use seed selected In any systematic manner? If not, why not? Does he sow specially cleaned seed grain or ordinary feed grain?. State namou of varieties sown: Wheat Oats Barley How many acres seeded to clover this year? !!!!.!.!! Pounds of seed sown per acre of red clover? Alsike? If he grows alfalfa, how much, when and how sown? . . . How does the yield of crops from his farm compare with ten years ago? With twenty years ago? 4. Does he use manure? On what crops and rate per acre?. . . Does he use artificial fertUlzersT.On what crops and rate per acre! '. How does he apply manure? What care Is taken to prevent waste?. M COMMISSION OP CONSERVATION WEEDS, INSECTS AND DISEASES No ;•• B. Which weeds are most prevalent? Before name of weed the letter (a) means few. (b) numerous, (c) very bad; (s) new to farm, (i) Increasing, (d) decreasing within nve years. A, B C. N, I. D. A, II, C. N, I. I). 1 Barnyard Grass. 2! Bindweed. 3 Bladder Campion. 4'. Blue Burr. 6 Blueweed. 6 Canada Thistle. 7 Chlckweed. 8 Chicory. 9 Couch Grass. 10! Darnel. 11 Golden Rod. 12 Green Foxtail. 13.' King Devil. 14 Lady's Thumb. 15. .... .... Lanib's Quarters. Ig! Mayweed. 17 Milkweed. IS Mustard. 19 Night Bl Catchfly. 20 Orange Hawkweed. 21 Ox-eye Daisy. 22 Pigweed. 23 Ragweed. 24 Rib Grass. 25 Shepherd's Purse. 26 Sow Thistle. 27 Stlnkweed. 28 Tumbling Mustard. oij wild Buckwheat. 30 Wild Carrot. 31 Wild Flax. 32 Wild Oats. 33 Yarrow. State causes responsible for foregoing « Whit insect pOTts or plant disewM lijurV his crop? TJse iettera (a) ■ (B) (c) and (N) (I) (n) In same sense as for weeds. A, B N. I. C. D. A, B, N, I. C. D. 1 Codling Moth. 2^ Cut Worm. 3. Potato Beetle. 4 Pea Weevil. 5 Turnip Aphis. 6 White Grub. 7 Wire Worm. 8 Apple Scab. 9 Oat Smut. 10 Potato Blight. 11 Potato Rot. 12 Potato Scab. 13. Rust- 14 .... Turnip Clubroot. 15" ". ' Wheat Smut. Oxop Pest or Dlsemsa Estlasaitod Los* Is seed grain treated for BmotT. IMPROVING CANADIAN AGRICULTURE tt FUEL, POWER AND WATER No 7. Is the fuel wood or coal? If wood from farm la used, how many years at present rate of con- sumption win the supply last? How many acres of the unbroken pasture would be' niorV profitable K forested and utilized as a woodlot? i-.uuiauiB Has any planting been done, if so with what resuits?! 8. What motive powers are used on the farm? '. House and barn worit Field work '.'.'..... '■ streair"'^"" ^"'""'' '"'' ^°"'* "^^ obtained' from welV. ' spring, " or Where is water for stocit obtained? '. Sta^e^ distance. In feet, of well or spring from 'hous;,' stable,' or 'manure House supply?: '. '. '. ". ". '. ". '. '. \ .V.y- giock 'supply? ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! .' How is water conveyed to house? Is there water on tap In the house?. Is there a bathroom and W. C. in bouse^ 10. Plot In diagram the positions of well, spring.' or' Vtream' ' Lnk'thL farm buildings; and indicate by arrow head^ the general "one o? feT"quare""AnMrow "on'^V- J,'" "*» '"^""^ n^s^yZuLnTiol /I i-^ftf "^°^ °"^ *"'='" '°°K indicates a very gentle alone (1 m 50); an arrow half-inch long a steep slope (1 in 20 /«n arrow a ^uarter of an In ch long a very steep Mope (i W' 5) (TliM ^ > Indicates a very gentle slope downwards in direction of arrow head aa 1 In Km /tk„ * ■ Han Inch square). '° ^"' <^»>« rectangles are each i i i I I i St COMMISSION OF C0N8BRVATI0N INSTANCES OP GOOD FARMING (Particularly aa to RoUUoa. Cropa ana Fartllity) Total Points: 1500 No. I. 500 PLAN OF BOTATION Legumes and grasses. To keep down weeds. Control of moisture. Distribution of labour. Quality of seed. II. 500 CROPS Stand vigor and uniformity. Yield per acre. Freedom from other grains. Freedom from weeds. Freedom from diseases and insects. III. 200 PHODUCTION AND CARE OF MANURES IV. 300 EQUIPMENTS Water supply and sanitation. Care of machinery and Implements Care of fuel supply. TOTAL POINTS Possible Awarded 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 200 100 100 100 Does the farmer Indicate any drawback or menace to profitable continua- tion of any branch of his present system of farming? In what branch of farming does he specialize?. Collector's remarks regarding above Dated at 191- Collector STATISTICAL RESULTS OF SURVEY The following tnbles give detailed figures relating to the con- ditions found in the localities of the Survey for 1911. PREVALENCE OF WEEDS IN CANADA {As shown by Agricultural Survey of the Commission of Conservation, 191 1.) NOVA SCOTIA 1^ ». Couck GrM* . • • ^ Ox>«]r« Daicy . Barnyard Graaa CaaaJa Tkiatla . htaah't ^uartara Lady'f Tkumb . Sew TkiatU . . OeUaaRod . . WUa Buekwkaat Ra^waad . . . Sbapkard'a Puraa Rib Oraaa . . . N1!V BRUNSWICK Ox-Eya Daiay . Couek Graaa . . Yarrow . . . Canada Tkiatla . Kia< Davil . . Lamb'a Quartara Goldaa Rod . . Barnyard Oraaa . Muatard . . . Groan Foxtail Ckickwaod . . Sow TbiatU . . Sow Tbiatla . . Couck Graaa ■ Canada Tk iatla . Ox'Oya Daiay • Graan Foxtail Goldoa Rod . Wild Buekwbaat Maywaad . . ■ Sbapbard'a Puna Lady'aTbumb . Muatard . . ■ Milkwaad. . . PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Perctniage of farms upon which the 0ted was found I Percentage of farms upon which the wted is reported as becoming worse. I ita PREVALENCE OF WEEDS IN CANADA {As shown by Agricultural Surtfty of tht Commisston of ConstrvalUm, 1911.) QUEBEC Os-«y« Daisy C«udaTkMl« Ceuek OraM , Lamb'* Ouartara Sow Tklatla . Muatard . . Pltfw*a4 . . Ow—n Foxtail OoUaa Roa . Gkleory. . . Yarrow . . Oraatfa Hawkw ONTARIO CaaaJa ThUtlc . Ceueh Graaa . . Pigwaad . . . Groan Fojttall . Sow Thiatla . . Lamb'a Quartara Raiwaad . . , Barnyard Graaa . Wild Backwhoat Milkwaod. . . Skopkard'a Purao Rib Graaa . . . Muatard . . . Parunia^e of farms upon which the wttd 0qa found Percu»tage cf farms upon which tht weed is reported as becpmingwone. PREVALENCE OF WEEDS IN CANADA (As shown by Agricultural Survty of ths Commission of Conservation, igu.) Cauda TkiatU . W1MO.U. . . Lraib'* Qwurtora SUidiwaaJ. . . PUwMd . . . WiMBwIar. . ""•►••r Oru* . Cauok Otm*. . 8*w Tklail* . . Skcpksrd** Pan* Btdl Muafard . WiMMiMfara . MANITOBA HH liT T T T-?-^ ^^" ■■■■P"! — _j mtkmL — r 1 1 1 [' ' 1 m n H tmi\ SASKATCHEWAN Lraik'a Quartan WiM Buekwhaat Wild Oata . . Skapkard'a Puna SUakwaad . . Goldan Rod . . Blua Burr . . Muatard . . . Canada Tkiatla . Yarrow . . . PiIta« Muatard Lamb'a Quartara . Ball Muatard. . . Wild Oata. . . . Shapkard'a Puna , Tumbliatf Muatard Wild Buckwkaat . ALBERTA _!9 ■00 Percentage of farms upon which the •eerf was found i j Percentage of farms upon which the ^^ «««/ is reported as bocoming worse. ^B PREVALBNCB of weeds in CANADA (At skotm by Agrieultural Snrvty of th* Conmittion of CoiutrvaiioH, 191 1.) BKITISH COLiniBIA CaMdaThiatIa WiMMiiatarJ . Ta«Uta« Il«atar4 MiUkwaaA. . . OvaaaFaKUU . SfciphirJ'a Pwraa WlUBMkwhaM mUOata. . . M ay aiaaJ. • • Sow TkUtU. . Biii4waa4. . . HntHtoge af farms upon tthuh ike tmtd io» tiuikl ■' ^trcwtag* cffuim upon mhieh the mmiit'epcrtediubatamimftmnt IMPROVINO CANADIAN AORICULTURB A^eultunil Survey. 1911 I. ARKA8 tf No. of farnw .... Total acrMMt« . . . field crop aerMge Pero«nUge of toUl •re* Omin aorrage . . Percenuge of fleld crop area Hue crop acreage . Percentage of field crop area Hay and pvstare.. Percentage of field crop area. N.8. P.K.M N.H. 100 100 16^»3 10.992 5,958 8,220 3.V 74 1,072 3,50S 18| 277| 5 ! 4,609i i 77, 30 616 6 >,1S6 62 100 13,911 6,8.3r> 4» l,7fiO 2fi 149 3 4.837 71 Que. 200 30,5A2 19,469 r>4 S.iUU 34 806 4 13,014 6tl Out. 300 33,340 24,634 74 10,917 44 3,126 U 10,596 4.1 Man. too 39,99 26) 9 :),446 67 n. ROTATION OP CROPS (Flfur-M glTen aa peroeotagee.) Systematic re- lation .... Ditto on small part uf farm Irregular rots-j tion Mu rotation. N.8, P.K.I, 19 4 17 90; l.ing rota- 47 tion N.B Que No. 2-1 Ont. .Han. No. 1-3 No. N20 .Vc. 1= 2 No. 2-9 No. 3-2 No. 2>24 No. 3-50 No. 3=1 No. 4>l No. 3» 5 No. 4« 4 13 4 63 52 47 1/ 30 21 40 76 17 27 8«sk. No. 3-60 No. 1-60 Alta. j K.i!. 100 No. l=l!t| No. 2- '.'' No. 3-2(' •111 None with clover i 32 11 :i7 KEY TO NUMBEUH IN ".SVSTKMA IIC ROT.VIION" COLUMN O.' FORKGOINO T.ABLE Prairie Slu-et No. 1 Wh^at Wheat Fallow No. 2 W ijeat Oats or Barley Fallow Paxtiire No. 3 Wheat Wheat Oats or Barley KhIIow or Hav No. 1 Or unary Sheet No. 2 Hoe Crop iHoe Ciop *irain Grain Hay Hay ' Pa.Htiire No. 4 Hue Crop Oram Grain Hay Paul u re SI CUMMIMlON or CUN8BHVATION Atfrioultural Survay. 1911 III. SKI.ECTION OF BBBD (FlcurM flrcn m pcrcuitaff**.) C. 8. O. A. or Syatematio By purchaae. . . By ftumiog mill Noo* Fcedgrain. . .... N.8. P.E.I. 96 N.B few A'J 10 in Que. 32 per cent ■elect beat flcM 10 M I Onl. 16 per cent select beet field fi 91 Man. 54 per cent Miect beat Held < 93 I ha«lc. 100 Alia. lUO 3 4') l« • IV. CLOVBR N.S. P.r..I. N.B. Que. 74 44 Ont. Man. S» iKiiis of Heed (lerl ncre .. . . . * •• 5 67 3 60 4 46 8 •• 12 If V. ALFALFA N.S. IP.K.I. N.B. Que. Ont. Han. Sasic Alta. H.C. Percentage of f«riii- 48mall ers growiog allalla 10 7 1 none 6 25 none plotr ' 2 28 No. of acres Kxp. plot- Small plots Sn.all plolH 3U0 Exp. plot'* 321 Arerage number of acres on each farm ft 4 •• 10 •A few hare trl*d growing alfalfa, but without IMPROVINO CANADIAN AORIOULTURB Agrieultural Survey. 1911 VI. COMPARISON OF YIELD OF CROPS NOW WITH TEN AND TWBNTT TEARS AGO (FigurM ■lT«n M p«rc«aUgM-) ai N.S. P.E.I. 4» With 10 ykam Alio : No. reporting iii- CrtMMC No. reporting no change SI No. r«| oraatf With 30 tbakii AOn : No. reporting in- crenw No. re|>orting no change 17 No. reporting de- 1 crrM« . ... A niinitier being new to farm, could not I report Al •v.inc. =12X 1!, «v. (l*c.— 12 Few with •light inor'i« N.a 24 av. inc.=r« 16 12 av. dec. = 10 10 IS dec. uf 15 15 av.iiic.=l9% 18 14 Hv. dec.^16 The flgiirea would have breii more complete hail all rrpoitrd Que. .»» 14 4 22% II 3% <>ol. Man. HMk 24 av. inc. --50% 36 av.dec.=2fi% 26 av inc. =2% 20 .12 4H av. dec.=ll% none .VI av. dec — 50X av.dec.==U% !<• per cent. were new- lOiiiefH and coiiM give no accurate estimate Alia,B.C. 13 40 6 30 2 VII. NAMES OP VARIETIES (B^ures given m percentages.) N.S. 67 1 P.E.I. 7(1 .SO none N.B. 15 46 Que. Ont. .Man. .Saxk .MtB. It.C. No. knowing names ot varieties ol wheat, oat8 and barlev \r, 51 .32 67 21 29 69 1 70 2r, 5n ,10 none j No. knowing; part of names... . No. not knowing any oC the naineg 24 26 24 4« COMIIIUION OV OONimVATIUN A^eulhinl Survey. 1911 ▼III. MANORS (ItcurM ctvM M peroraUflM.) NM. I P.E.I. No.niingfhriii man- ur«* No. gWiDf Doe»i«i4 manurM ?»ry little carr. . .. F«irc«r» Good carp No. burning ihr Rtraw No. I>iirninf( tli« itikiMirr 100 23 II 8 ■ no 64 34 N.B. 100 44 IS gu». Uhi. 100 76 w 4 100 44 3 2S IS Mm. 8Mk. M.«i f»nn- UM eri 77 •oen* Th« •«y 14 10 ,, 11 16 burn .. ►ome 32 i AllA TO Muiv H.C. m 5S IR X. WOODS If Total «cre •iff III fHrii'HBur »eve(l ... Acri': ite in W( (nil . , . Per cent. of total »rp.. In Nii.ul vpiircj " 11 |.p ly will luit N.S. t!..112 .17 P.E.I. N B. 76%l,avel4%li»' iiidef. fllpply; 157, for 18 JTK. 10,% (or f»K tliari 25 vrs 1.1,991 5,298 38 .">9%linTe indcf. KUpplvi 13% fl.r I'M than -5 yrs. Que. 30,372 7, no 64% have indet' guttpiv; 16% f"or fliort time; 9% for 5 jii vrH. Out. .13,340 4,120 12 .•W%l.»vf illdef. supply: 26% hf^ til an 25 yrn. Man. 39,9S9 1,623 20%haTe indef. fUpp'V; 24% fbr ^llort tinn' SaKk. 35,.103 15L' .44 Alta. 22.713 413 IH ll%h.'.vp|20%lirtve ilidef. indpf. "upply supply H.C. 62,428 7,H49 12 :f:i% liav« indef. supply i I7%lbr 10.25vT«. 9% tor 2S-60yrs. I 1 SASKATCHEWAN | AWKETAt 1 BRITISH COLUMHIA u 1 *" 49 1 _ i _ : 22 7 M It 33 8 40 It it K 71 36 R 32 U B 47 U 40 18 <4 G <3 2C a 7 20 .11 7 24 20 34 40 9 17 32 4 37 b I 10 2 U 40 1 1 4 14 1 32 1 21 e I 2 IH 6 N 9 1 i 4 19 2 2 13 e 3 6 4 30 il 3 (, 38 12 6 i:i 31 13 32 11 1 It I- II It JO U It 22 It 15 7 11 SI 42 _ 2ti A 5 I_5 ( — I ~ 1 N i ,1 _ _1_ It 1.! It It It i2 i: 11 u 26 11 11 .Vi 19 26 It 9 ■i\ It It n 17 3j 20 H 5 19 6 a 1.1 31 <) I'.' 10 2:1 lli 11 21 C 9 14 • 6 6 11 2 11 4 b 4 10 3 9 I IH 3 6 10 4 10 4 2 1 1.1 7 2 6 1 <• H 1 4 10 H 1 3 4 6 14 2 1 1 1 n I 1 . 1 I i to IH r. & 4 < 16 4 II 2 3 9 1 2 6 4 C 3 3 I 3 3 S 3 1 1 1 3 1 3 tBiai MiiiUnl, 40. CoBUBiMion « AOMCULTinAL IX. \ (FisurM gii ran r 1 NOVA SCOTIA I PRINCK EDW.\RU ISLAND || NBW BRUNSWICK | QOBBBC 1 1 a 'If 6 40 <• II i 1 1 R B R a 1 h \ c\ n i 23 49 — - 11 12 M G9 15 — — 11 8 31 30 15 18 23 79 42 37 q v> Chickweed 19 — — ~ — — — 12 — — — — — — 20 ^ -_ ._ ^ R 9 Chicory H — — — — — — R — — — — — — It — — — _ _ 28 14 6 2 - 8 Couch Grass n 31 6:i 7 — 21 .11 ■■— 13 14 It Ox-eye Daisy -J 12 4G :ii — 12 1!) ' » 63 ! - 1 — 9 28 — ,-l 23 57 2 « 52 22 ■i» 80 41 I? ?? s 22 Pigweed 21 — — — — — — i — — — : — — — — R — — _ _ ■^m. 37 20 14 t>? Ragweed 24 .•1 18 :i — o — |l — — — 1 — — — — R _ — _ *• ^^ 13 — 1 A1 Rib Grass 21 If! K 17 — " _ ^ 35 j U Shepherd's Purse 2.3 18 5 __ i _ R R I I mmm R ^^ ^ — — — _ 35 39 Sow Thistle 42 .^■^ 9 — — 14 •» ! S3 3(; — — 20 3Z IS — _ 8 ~n (2 44 14 5 n 3l> Stinkwee.1 Tumbling Mustard Wild Buckwheat M) 27 :t — — — — ' It It 50 — I — — 13 — ! R 11 ^~ ™~ ~~ ^ - — 5 14 R — - tt — R 43 Wild Carrot Wild Flax Wild Oils 1 l.> ~ i — — — — — 1 11 - I j — — — — R 1 — "^ — 1 - — R R 6 — — — — — — R — 11 — 24 \ irrow - I -| — — ~ — — - - '-i — — — •>4 31 3.1 - _l_ 1 — 28 — — — — — 19 KKY TO LrrTKIIS Column H) gives total percentage of farmers reporting tlie weed. Kaw te nalama Red, 75 per Blue 50 tn Colu Colui Coin mn ( mn 1 mn Cc) g ves ves ives perce percc perc ntag ntag entai e rep e rej re re ortii )ortii port! ig It ig it ns i as SI as D t as carce ume v-erv on rous bad farm on 1 on f arm. arm. i««*lNiiin(1) Green, 30 to Blwdi, lew t Column (n) gives percentage reporting it as new to farm in last five years. Coiumn (i) gives percentage reporting it as increasing. Column (d) gives percentage reporting it as decreasing. iMioB of CoaMTvatlon LTUKAL SUKVBY. 1911 IX. WBEDS :m givan M percenUgM.) d, 75 per cent, and over, le, 50 to 74 per cent, een, 30 to 49 per cent, ick, lew than 30 per cent •Wild Barley, 37. Pepper Graw, 37. Ball Mutaid, 2a tiiall Mtutatd, 40. 00 D O 1^ 1 H a i « t ^ g, ^ S a ■^ h s u a. • ^ CO -& 3 S u •c H Mt i ^ & fc