Experimental Farms in Canada.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7076, 23 February 1893, Page 2

Experimental Farms in Canada.

| Professor Robertson, Dairy Oommiseioner 1 for tbe Dominion of Canada, lately delivered an address before a large meeting of the ’ provision trade at the Home and Foreign 1 Produce Exchange, London, on “ The Food ’ Producing Resources of Canada, and bow 1 they may bo developed farther, to the mutual * advantage of the London Merchants and the Canadian Producers.” The lecturer also dealt * with the work of the Dominion experimental dairy farms, and on this bead he said the 1 object of all efforts in Canada to develop its * food-producing resources might be tersely stated as an effort to abtain food and clothing * for the people, to preserve the fertility of the soil, and to provide occupation at satisfactory 1 wages for as many people as possible. The Government of the Dominion of Canada bad ' recognised that it could help tbe farmers with 1 tbe highest efficiency, by assisting them to 1 reduce the cost of production and to improve 1 the quality of their products. A few years ago they established a system of experimental farms, with headquarters at * Ottawa, in the widely separated pro- ‘ vincse, from Nova Scotia on the Atlantic ' coast to British Columbia on tbe slopes of [ the Pacific, branch experimental farms had * been located and equipped. The primary 3 object of these farms was to investigate the ’ varieties of grain which were beet adapted to different soils, climatic conditions, and : methods of cultivation. When information 8 had been obtained from these experiments, ’ bulletins and reports wore distributed widely r for the guidance of the individual farmers in ’ their own practice. The work of these 3 experimental farms was also intended to 3 stimulate farmers to a more careful study of 3 the principles which underlie successful ? management of theijf own business In brief, 3 their object was to help in the education of 1 grown men and women who lived on farm® 3 and upon whoip all the cares and responsihili- ‘ ties of mature life bad come. Already they r shed the kindly light of reliable and helpful * information into the homes o£ the poorest as well as into the lives of their wealthier 1 end more favoured brethren. The official 1 and authoritative nature of the information which was given made it so \ much more acceptable and available for ' use by tbe average farmer. As an instance of the far-reaching influence of this work, it 1 might be mentioned that last year over 15,050 3 sample bags of new and promising varieties 3 of grain were distributed tree. From the sowk ing of tbe contents of these sample bags upon well-prepared soil, many farmers were able to 3 j obtain from the first crop as much os'two * bushels of a new and valuable variety of ’ I gr,iin, at no cost to themselves. The quick- ! ened interest with which the growth of these 1 varieties was watched had had a most ' wholesome and stimulating influence towards 51 improved methods of grain cultivation- An 3 immediate result of this experimental work r was to induce tbe farmers to bo much more ? economical. Economy was not. meanness ;it was simply a wise administration of all that man could control, from his time down to his * money The educational value of this ’ experimental work was becoming evident 1 from the better administration of all meana 3 available for developing their food produc--3 ing resources. Further facts might be taea--3 tinned to indicate a little of the scope o? 1 the work on the central experimental farm. 3 Last year varieties of grains to the number of ’ 430, varieties of potatoes to the number of ' 135, and of field roots to the number of 53, 1 were tested and reported upon. No fewer > than 624 varieties of large fruits (apples, 3 pears, plums, etc ), and 343 varieties of small * fruits (grap?s, raspberries, strawberries, etc.> £ were grown under careful observation. Vege* 1 tables, such as tomatoes, cauliflowers, peas, * beans, etc., were grown to the number of 293 3 varieties Besides the work on tbe experi--3 mental farms proper, experimental dairy E stations had been established in each of the 7 provinces which lie east o? Mao.'toha* These 1 were bscoming centres of exact and author!1 tativa information on tbe best methods of * rnaoufaemring cheese and butter. The * products from them were shipped to Liver- ’ pool, to gain informs-iou from close market. - contact, how to meet the preferences and ■ prejudices of British merchants and consumers. Through these they were trying to 1 help farmers by showing them how to seek the market, how to suit it, and how to keep it for their own goods,, they were also conducting experiments to diecover how they might obtain food products of animal origin of the most wholesomoand toothsome quality at the lowest possible cost. It was a delusion to suppose that tbe crude] bulky, and primitive products of agriculture, in the form of grain or hay |orops, could be exported indefinitely, or that the trade in these could be made profitable Jto,the country which exported them. Canada was the natural home of cattle. With its fertile soil and bracing climate it gave vigorous health to> domestic animals and freedom from all seriousdiseases of an infectious or contagious nature, British consumers might, depend upon thehealthful, wholesome and nutritious character of all food products which were sent from Cana-la. They were only a young nation, but one whose ideals were high, Kven in those-so-called sordid things, the butter, cheese, bacon, beef, apples, eggs, etc., which they sent to other countries, they wanted to send only the They had conducted extensive experiments in fattening steers, and had been able to show Canadian farmora, that by the growth of Indian corn fodder and ( the making of ensilage from the aame they were able to produce beef of the moat excellent and luscious flavour and quality at a reduced cost to themselves. The cost of food consumed in the case of calf-steers wae rather less than 2Jd per pound of increase in live weight, while the cost for food consumed in the case of two-year-old steers was rather less than 3£d per pound of increase. Of the £13,000,000 worth of cattle and beef which were imported into England from outsidecountries, Canada expected to send a much larger share in coming years ; and when confume™ acquired the hnbit of asking for Canadian beef and seeing that they got it, trade might be more profitable to producers, importers, and butchers alike It might bo of interest also, to learn a few facts that bad been discovered from their experiments in fattening swine. England imported bacon, hams, and pork to the valas of over £lO 000,000 annually. Canada had come into this market also to increase her output, and to please the British public with the quality of hey bacon and hams* Feeding experiments, in which pigs of similar breeding and age were in one case fattened exclusively upon Indian corn, and in another case upon mixed grains and by-products from the dairies, had demonstrated the great superiority of the b-oon from the feeding of mixed grains and skim-milk, butter milk, or wbry, That was how the pigs in Canada are main’y fed. Their experiments had also brought to/ light the fact that 15 b of increase in the live weight of swine could be obtained. At 'cbisjuncture, when was a great outcry in Kngland about the low prices of wheat, it occurrd to him that the English farcser with the best of wheat at 26s to 28s pap quarter, might turn it into fr- sh pork with advantage to himself and the consumers who would thusobtain « quality < f lesn and nutritious fKb, nrnoh superior to the lardj bacons which come from those fqi(ei|u countries where

Indian corn was tbe staple and almost only food. On the experimental at Ottawa they bad an extensive poultry department. Trade with England in the exportation of eggs and poultry was growing and it should be capable of great extention, ae he found that they imported these two items to the value of £3,982,501 last year.