THE GUARDIAN

Farmers Crop TestingPlan

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planners-in Western Canada p“; tcvbe dosing a substan amount of moneyeannually as a ...it:ri "errors; .. crop which has been. conducted each year since 19,80 has disclosed this. This pm; i; by a committee

i twir- sarnples of wheat were taken. and

grown in plots the following year. In 1088. 0,916 samples were tested and this year the Dominion Cerea- list and those associated with him in

this co-operative woo-k of practical education contacted with more than

15,080 farmers, about 80 Per cent of

known g the National Bead corn- i whom are settled north of the main mm“, which was set up for thivlina of the Canadian National Rail-

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purpose by the National"

way. gomirrittes on Agricultural Service; When the plots approached ma.-

The former committee ‘is compos- ed of representatives of the Domin- ion Government and of the Pro- vincial Covermnents of the three Prairie Provinces. including tho ‘Universities cf Manitoba, Saskatch- gwun gnd Alberta. L-H. Newman, Dominion Cerealist, is chairman of this committee. i

In addition to the grain handling Qrgapllidtlfltle that have already been co-operating with com- mittee others have been asked to participate in the plan in order to raise as quickly as possible the gen- eral level of the quality of the wheat produced acrossthe great wheat growing areas of Western Canada. The response to this request has been very encouraging as five more companies are now actively opera- ting with prospects for a still fur- ther addition next year.

This year 14,580 samples of wheat were taken from as many farmers’ wagons at ‘I40 elevators, while 800 samples were collected from seed drills. OI the lI-titl‘ 888 samples were obtained from Soldier settlers through officials of the Soldiers Settlement Board, while the remaining 472 samples were collected by Dominion Seed Brancn and Provincial men. All these at selected points in different districts and the results show that 24.8 per cent graded A; 86.’! per cent graded B andmpercentgraded C. This means that about 40 per cent of the tested are growing wheat which may easily mean a loss to than of at

iturity the farmers were invited to

come and see the results for them- selves. At these field days authori- ties on seed wheat from the Pro- vincial and Dominion Departments of Agriculture and the Univ xplained what the growing dis- closed. It was evident that many of the farmers did riot know the name of the variety of wheat they were growing. Hundreds who thought they were growing Marquis were actually producing the most curious mixtures, some which were wholly unsuited to the d’ ‘r’ '

An analysis of the samples as a whole showed that 84.7 per cent were Marquis; 20 per- cent Garnet: 113 per cent Reward; 8.2 per cent Red Bobs; Ceres, 1.8 per cent; Huron, .1e per cent; Preston, .25 per cent; Early Red Fife, .8 per cent: Off Type Marquis, 8.1 per cent: Dururn. 2.8 per cent: miscellaneous varieties, 1.4 per cent, and mixtures, 1'13 per cent.

The Committee and the elevator companies are working through the elevator agents to have those far- mers, whose wheat the testing showed is inferior for seed, to get in touch with others in the dist ‘ ‘ who have purer seed, and make an exchange on the basis of relative values.

The work is to be extended next

seed has been tested represent only "about one-twentieth of number of farmers in the three Prairie Provinces. Eventually it ls hoped to eliminate all undesirable mixtures of wheat from Western

least one grade and not infrequently of from two to five bushels an acre. crop testing plan was inaugu-

Th0 rated in 1930 when about 8.000 the locality in which ft is grown.

Canada. and as far as possible, have each district growing only a pure variety, best suited in every wary to

fitablacfops.

to general belief the bradicationofrnostweerbdoesnot addverygreatlytotncregularfasm

work, in fact, in. the long run it may

‘ and the movements of the water

Parasite Fungus May Be Eel Grass Killer

Because Atlantic eel grass has been sick during the past two or three years the character of the sea

twin has been chimging on some inshore stretches of the. Canadian and United States coasts.

At t thought it might seem diffi‘ t to understand why there should be this relation between plant disease and sea. bottom but. in reality, the explanation is ‘ ,‘ enough. Where there is subatari“ I growth of ell grass-which, by the way. is a marine plant having oom- mercial value because it is used in insulating material-a soft mud bottom naturally accumu- lates as particles of muddy sedi- ment drifting about are caught and held by the roots and stems, but when disease kills off the plant there is nothing to hold the mud

wash it away. It is known that these patches of mud bottoms have dis- sappe in some places since disease began to destroy the grass and it is believed that there has been similar change in other spots which do not happen to have been

‘Possible Killer But it it is quite easy to under-

year, as the 16.000 farmers whosommt

t“ w“! ligations, are finding the catches be-

.ferent pieces of work very closely.

stand that disappearance of eel grass may effect stretches of in- shore sea bottom, what causes the disease is something else again. Now, however, there is evidence that the disease is due to one of the lower forms of fungi-a relatively IAPBB. mobile fungus which moves along the air spaces of the lea/yes of the grass. This evidence, as reported to the recent Halifax meeting of the North American Council on Fishery Investigations, an international re- search body, has been obtained by an investigator working under the Oceanvflldlhiio u ‘itution, Wioods Hole, Mass. Previous study by Can- adian and United states scientists had pointed to bacteria as the probable cause of the disease. No positive conclusion as to the cause has yet been reached but the Woods Hole investigation has shown that the suspected "killer" is constantly associated with the diseased condi- tion of the leaves and stems of the

grass.

As a point of incidental interest it may be also noted that the destruc- tion of eel grass is unfortunate from the standpoint of bird lovers and

be said that the reverse h true, for

from weeds greatly facllltotea not crib! seed bed pre- Dlwtlona, but rnsnyother fem-n fllierations as well.

It has been’ said that "good cultivation will dutroy weeds." This statement is correct in pant only. more correctly it might be said that "good cultivation at the time will destroy weeds."

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IJoint Study to Avert Haddock Depletion

In an endeavour to ascertain ef- fective means of averting threatened depletion of North American had- dock stooks, which are the basis of one of the most valuable of the con- tinent's Atlantic fisheries, Canada, the United States, and Newfound- land will carry on a ioint program of intensified research into the life history of the haddock. g

Steps toward this end were taken at the recent annual meeting of the North American Council on Fishery Investigations, whose membership includes rc- tives of France as well as Canadian, United States, and Newfoundland fisheries scien- tists. The sittings of the council were held on the French Govern- ment's new fisheries research vessel, the “President T“ odore Tissier," which came into port from the Newfoundland banks so that French scientists might attend the meeting. Various questions of interest and im- portance were under consideration at the meeting but the serious situa- tion exist’ _ in the haddock fishery on this side of the ocean was the one of the greatest immediate mom-

ent. Causes Apprehension

Investigations carried on by Can- ada and by the United States in the past few years, but more especially the United States research, have shown that the haddock fishery is in danger of diminishing alarmingly. It has been found that the appearance of very successful year-broods of had- ldock apparently occur very infre- quently. There is evidence indicating that there is inadequate peinent of immature fish in fishing opera- Unlted States vessels, as ‘shown by the United States invest-

coming smaller on the nearer fish- ing grounds and must apparently go farther afield. ‘Phase points, and others, have been brought outby the studies already carried on by such haddock research men as Dr. V. D. vladykov and Dr. A. W. H. Needler, of Canada, and W. C. Herrington, chief haddock investigator for the United States, but before it can be determined what conservation ac- tion should be taiken, and how it can best be carried out, more data must be obtained.

During the council's sittings a. aub- committee was appointed to consider the haddock situation. It included in its membership United States and Canadian scientists and Dr. Harold Thompson, Director of Fisheries Re- search for Newfoundland, who for- merly conducted extensive haddock investigations fii European waters for Old Country fisheries authorities. As a result of discussions in the sub- committee and within the council it- self, it was decided that Canadian. United States, and Newfoundland research workers would carry on as intensive a program of haddock studies as possible. (France is not directly interested in the North American haddock fishery) Canad- ian and United States experts will take charge of specific items of study and Newfoundland will co-operate by surveying the Grand Bank had- dock situation in particular, giving some attention also to the ncrthem boundary of the Western Bank area. While the scientists of each country will do their own particular jobs they will exchange material and the effort will be to co-ordinate the dif-

It is expected that the investigation will continue over s period of five years and then the ituation will be re-examined in the light of the new facts uncovered, although it may be noted that the council's sub-com- niittee expressed iris opinion that wholly adequate attention cannot be given the problem, which is of great importance to Atlantic coast com- mercial fishermen. "n"! I lull-Wk haddock research ship is made available.

Sterilization of Milk Cans

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FOR F STOCKBREEDERS AND

l NE WSY NOTES .

ABICINUBPLANT

m4 N11 919M118 were prime favor- files. When the miners held a bowl- mittch the About the middle of last June. 80:18 level pielreulitislgsrfillf t: two visitors, members of the gentler moor or common. Each man carried sex, came into the garden where I his bowl (which he called a “b001") rwas working. One of them carried a stone ball about four lngheg {n a little plant, and said "We've diameter, and as truly 5phgfl¢51 a; brought this plant down to see ifisn excess of grinding could make you know what it is, and lf-youit. A certain number o1 thmws can tell, it's yours!" I looked it over Wes agreed upon and the game was and for a yoke, told them it was a Won by the party who, u, use their Rhinos. "That's not the name the Own Phrase, "measured out the salesman called iti" "No," I said. greatest distance o; groundy The "ho called it s. Castor Oil Plant." bowl was delivered by p, 5°11 o; ;'I‘h.ey smiled and duly presented me clinging movement of the arm, and with the plant in question. I had travelled an incredible distance“ the flower borders pretty well flll- but I never heard that any mine; ed up. and, so the Rlcinus was came up to the throw made by an Planted in a place that was too Australian aborigine m 137g, hish and dry for it w attain to any “Jocks” threw the bowl 14o yards. size. It did not grow more than Some of the devotees of bowling three feet high. but produced alwould venture their fortnight/s quantity of good aeeds—beans, as .wages on a bowling match often to they are called. When the first the great embarrassment '01 ghely goat struck, I cut the stem backifarnily affairs. . two buds dug up the plant and, Quoits is the British e potted it. It is now growling i of pitching horse-shoes, Enurlivala: nicely, in the house. rules are about the same. Ball- Tha Castor oiliPlant, or Palmaliplaying is a very ancient game o5 Christi as it is sometimes called, ‘appears by some of om- 1011950533 belongs to the family of the Euph- It was played by two plgyefs Wm; orbisceae-a family characterised kept a. soft air-filled ball in motion by the possession of an acrid, nar-‘by slapping ii; with their hands so cotlc, poisonous iulce. Its botanical that it struck a specially-built high name is Ricinus communis, and wall and rebounded, this is said to be the only species, Not so innocent, rim- so humane though several varieties are luwwn, was the “rabbit coursing" which named from the places where theyidrew huge crowds, and caused much are found. Thus we have R. cxhardly-earned money to change Zansibarensls, from the East coastjhends. In this “sporrt" p, ymbbii; of Africa. All the varieties arewas freed and two dogs chased it 370173391 P191158. 8-114. IJlhWBh grown the one who overtook and killed as an annual in this country, it poor bunny being m, winner o, becomes a. tree of several year's the race. The dogs-on which the standing lll Alflfi. R l8 CUIHVMSBC 11111191- ggmgtlmeg bestowed more here for the sake of its ornamental care and tenderness than upon his iolllse- family- were Of a slim speedy V“- But while the plant is somewhat iety called greyhounds. A good dog of a. rarity with us, the oil which of this breed could travel about '83 is obtained from the seeds, is a. very feet per second, and was highly important addition to the liouse-Iprized. hold medicine chest. The "cold The lowest of all forms of amuse- drawn oil was extracted by a/pply- merit, according to the seriously m3 31"“ WWW" w m“ seed!» and minded. was the practice of “pitch. the resultant fluid is clear, limpld, and toss” called echoollnc. possibly and almost odorless The oil Ob-‘becauee the miners congregated like tslned by heating the seeds is said “school.s" of fish. This kind of to have more color and odor, but is gambung was 5km to "matching rather m0l€'l>1fl-fld in MUW- 1'11 halfpenoe" but the coins were Jamaica, where this pldnt was ex- Vghmwn my‘, the a1,- md their dis- ferisively cultivated. this IHGl/hodfipxitlon‘ a; they yelL decided the was employed to extract the oil: the ‘gamble. This prion“ w“ fllegay "e45 W" “m? 171111594 111 9- 1ml‘- and batches of miners were fined m3 and flmrwardl "ed “l? in level-y court-day, but without effect. cotton bag, which was then thrown ‘pigeorhflymg and hOmA-amg use into a cauldron or bollins. weter- took wu of the miner's wages. m" W" i899 to m! "llldlm $111 Their house games were whist, the oil rose to the surface, whence dfgughflg’ and dmnmoei it was skimmed, strained and bot- By looking bu‘; u, the, “omn- tled. It is probable that all these days and other waysi- om sees the primitive methods have been wp- great improvement which has taken erseded by the 010119111 FY0685‘! place. The schoolmaster has been "will! "PIPWY Wlwntfl 1h °11'°X' abroad: the spread of general" edu- mam"- cation has reached the miner's cot- Caswr oil differs from almost

tage, and the cheap publication of 8-11 0W6!‘ Pllmttives; its ifi-‘qllem good literature has proved one of use has the effect of enabling the the chief factors in raising the P55161115 to diminish. instead of to standard of his recreations, and in "M?!" the dofle- 1h the dlys be- that extent ameliorating his social fore the advent of kerosene, the condition. orude'castor oil was used in the countries of its origin as an illum- inant fn lamps.

THE MINER-S AT PLAY

‘Phe Northumbrian miners of a fonner day were very distinctly sep- aratedinto two classes, by the manner in which they spent their "OH-time," that is, their leisure horn-s. I may call the one group the “seriously-minded," and the other the "sportsmen!" and no matter to which category the miner belonged. he stuck to it rperseveringly. Cori- osntratlori, and matter-of-fact views were two prominent mental qual- ities of our subject.

The seriously-minded amongst the old-time pitmcn generally d6-

ODDS AND ENDS

Jacksoifs Te Deum: I was great- ly interested to read that this Ari- them had been sung in one of our City churches recently. I sang in that piece as an alto choir-boy over half a century ago, in a little church up among the foot-hills of the Pennlne Chain. The choir could generaly muster sixty singers, and from steady, almost laborious, prac- tice they had bec very musical. and always had some really good anthem "on the tap " as the choirmaster said. Practice night (Thursday) was the most important event of the week, for there were no radios, cars, talkles, or matches. voted "m, energies and spare tune to distract us in those days. And I to the mopagmdism o; some form think we were just as happy. of religious faith. There wm no , doubt of the numerical superiority of the followers of Wesley. but the Salvation Army, then iii process of evolution, ran them a close second. There were quite a number of other sects, which had their little Bethels all over the county; aind there were exotics, like the Mormons. who sometimes induced some of the fe- male portion n! the community to

Scandinavian Crop

Crop reports from Scandinavian countries indicate that Norwegian crops are not as good as reported earlier in the summer. according to the Agricultural Department of the Canadian National Railways. Grain

m the progress report of the 90-. minion Agricultural Bacteriologist for the years 1981, 1032 and 1%. reference is made to the steriliar. ticnofuiilxcansandbottlesw the steam and chlorine solutlons| methods. Steam under

report. an 0W0?‘ "to the

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migrate in their particular spiritual lion. Others of the serious minded group gave themselves up to the promulgation of teatotalism, while a smaller number became natural- ists, ornithologists, botanists, and geologists, of quite r ,. table at- tainments. Many of the younger men applied themselves earnestly to the study of geology and coal- niining in order in qualify as c111- cials in the mine, and the aforesaid concentration enabled the student to sit with his eyes on his book, and his hands over his ears, while the "balsam" made the wildest rac- Autumn sown seed will average a medium crop while rye is above

Some of these man became ‘ medium, also spring sown seed. The figures in their chosen vocation. potato crop is off and root crops .The sportsmen of our community nlighliy above medium. Hay is had a considerable variety of out- medium with respect to quantity door amusements. Bowling. quoitl. but poor as to quality.

crops are below normal. The potato crop is dissappointlng as it also the fruit crop. The hay crop is reported as on the whole good. Sweden re- ports good grain crops, both as ra- gards quantity and quality. Potato and root crow are reported as be- ing slightly above medium. while the hary‘ crops are below average. Denmark reports grain crops fairly promising, the hay crop not so good, potato and root crops below normal owing to extremely dry weather. In Finland. itho crops have suffered somewhat erom lack of rain.

BROOK VILLE

Experimental Farm Notes

Fumigants to assist in the control of plant diseases in greenhouses are used in two ways. First to destroy

“ disease and pests when the houses are empty, and secondly to protect the plants whdle in growth. The practice of burning sulphur or evaporating formalin in empty greenhouses should be followed as an essential routine practice. When growing plants are present, the evaporation | of sulphur is a quicker, cheaper, and more effective control than spraying I for certain leaf diseases, where the greenhouse is tight and well built and when the operator is careful

and intelligent. The material recommended by the Dominion

Uaboratory of Plant Pathology at Sanichton, B. C. as effective and ‘economical for -both purposes is i sulphur. 1n the fumigation of empty ‘houses one-third pound per “- and cubic feet is placed upon hot ashes in a suitable container, using one pound per five thousand cubic feet. (lhlps soaked in coal oil and ignited are a satisfactory substitute for hot ashes. The house should be tightly closed for twenty-four hours and no one allowed to enter as sulphur dioxide fumes are highly in- iurious.

Formalin can also be used at the rate of one pint per thousand slbic feet poured on to eight ounces of potasiil-m permanganate in suitable container. The same precautions should be observed, as for the sulphur method.

For the control of such diseases as tomato leaf mould, mildew, etc, on growing plants the sulphur should be vaporized, either by plac- ing in shallow metal trays fastened] every few feet to the steam pipes or by the electric hot plate method. The pipes must be at a temperature of not less than 2300 F., arid it is rarely necessary to heat the whole system during the whole crop season.