?^^^= §^^CD t=o >. Rl '3 " ^ >. ■" '^ c w 0) ■5 =0 > "E ■o^^^O Z> » S^^^ c " CM OO) m O C*j ^ ^^CO CM ^ CD (0 I/) SELECTION OF SEED GRAliNS-CROP GROWING EVIDElSrCE OP ME. G. H. OLAKK SEED COJMIIISSIONER With "Seed Control Act" annexed, hy order BEFORE THE SELECT STA-ISTDinS-a COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND COLONIZATION 1905 FEINTED BY ORDER OF PARLIAMENT As advance sheets of the Committee's Final Report OTTAWA FEINTED BY S. E. DAWSON, PRINTER TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 190 5 a Cornell University g Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924000729206 CONTENTS. Mr. G. H. Clark, Seed Commissioner SELECTION OF SEED GBAIN CROP GROWING, pp. 71-9S. Page. The objective work of the Seed Branch 71 Method of growing and selecting seed grain T2 Method of selection 73 Seed corn 73 Canadian Seed Growers' Association 76 List of farmers engaged in seed raising in the various provinces 78 Prince Edward Island 78 Nova Scotia 78 New Brunswick 78 Quebec 79 Ontario 80 North-west Territories, Manitoba, and British Columbia 81 Production of grass and clover seeds 81 Red clover and alsike 81 The commerce of agricultural seeds 83 The home trade 83 Table showing comparative germination and comparative cost of value of each different kind of seeds 86 Kind of weed seed 88 Work of Seed Laboratory 88 Seed Branch 89 Table giving the number of samples of different kinds of seeds received for tests and reported upon 92 The Seed Control Act 94 Directions by Seed Commissioner 97 MR. G. H. CLARK 4-5 EDWARD VII. APPENDIX No. 1 A. 1905 SELECTION OF SEED GRAIN -CROP GROWING House of Comhons, CoitMITTEE EOOM 34, Tuesday, May 16, 1905. The Select Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization met here this day at 10 o'clock a.m., Mr. Thos. Greenway, Chairman, presiding. Mr. G. IT. Clark, Seed Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, appeared be- fore the committee and delivered the following address : — Hon. Mr. Greenway and Gentlemen, — As this is the first time I have had the honour of appearing before you, perhaps you vcill permit me to refer briefly to the train- ing I had before I took up the work in which I am now engaged. Except for the time that I was attending the common and high schools, the first twenty-five years of my experience was obtained on the farm, near Brantford, Ont., where I was born. I entered the Agricultural CoUege at Guelph in February, 1896, and graduated in June, 1898, when I was given a position on the staff under Professor Zavitz, who has charge of the experiments in field crops. I received a letter from my late esteemed chief. Prof. Robert- son, in March, 1900, stating that I had been recommended to him to take the work of which I now have direct charge as Seed Commissioner. THE objective WORK OF THE SEED BRANCH. The work of the Seed Branch is mainly along educational Jines, and is directed with a view to encourage the production and more general use cf high class seeds as a means towards increasing the yield and improving the quality of farm crops. The first step that was taken was made in an endeavour to stimulate to a practical application on Canadian farms of the principles which make for improvement in crops through the careful growing and continued selection of seed grain. Prof. Eobertson has already fully explained to this committee with what success that object was attained, and how the early stages of the work were conducted through the medium of the Mac- donald Seed Grain Competition. Nor do I think it advisable to inflict on you at this time a statement regarding the underlying principles involved in the production of high class seeds, except to say that, in the application of those principles, the law that ' like begets like,' and that all living things tend to vary in character from generation to generation, is fully recognized. If wheat or oats be thickly sown on an impoverished soil year after year, the individual plants in the crop will gradually lose their power to reproduce, through their seeds, thrifty and productive plants, until better care, in respect to soil and selection has been given them for a number of years. If the con- ditions be reversed and those plants which would be considered to be ' run out ' were given better soil, and a rigid system of selection were followed for a number of years they would return to their original productiveness. It is, therefore, not only well that farmers should secure the varieties of grain or other crops that are best adapted for their farms, but it is equally as important that they should use seed of those varieties that has had the best of care in cultivation and selection. There may be quite as much. 2—9 72 TEE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 difierence between two strains of seed of the same variety, as between two different sorts so far as the capacity of the seed to give a large yield is concerned. In carrying out this work it has been the aim to solicit the interest of farmers in all districts of Canada who are favourably situated for growing seed of one or more kinds of crops, with a view to induce them to adopt a well defined system in the grow- ing and selecting of needs, and to make seed growing a special industry in their farm- ing operations. JIETHOD OF GROWING AND SELECTING SEED GRAIN". To commence with, they are advised to get the best obtainable variety and strain of seed. Many of tliem are able to obtain such seed in small quantities from the ex- perimental farms. To increase the seed in its state of purity and productiveness and to make further improvement, they are recommended to provide each year a small area of fertile and well tilled soil, to use as a base of supply of specially selected seed. On this plot it is not sought to obtain the maximum yield per acre, but rather to provide the individual plants with the most favourable conditions for vigorous growth and secure a maximum yield per plant. To obtain the best results, many of the seed grow- ers have found it expedient to sow wheat or oats in drills about 14 inches apart. That is done with an ordinary grain drill, having every other drill tube stopped. I do not consider that practice would worlv out so well under the western conditions, where the season for growth is considerably shorter than it is in the province of Ontario. Nature abhors a vacuum, and thin seeding tends to encourage plants of cereal grains to stool. I That process of stooling retards the maturity of the plants to some extent. Tou will I understand that the object in having this base of supply, this special seed plot on a ' .'farm, is to provide the highest class of seed for the balance of the farm. We have a number of farmers in nearly all the provinces who are now making a specialty of grow- ing seed grain in that way on their farms. They have the highest class of seed that could be obtained at any place in the country, and some of them have been able to supply quantities of it to their neighbours, or to the people in the district where they live who, perhaps, are not so favourably situated for growing seed grain. By Mr. Wilson: Q. In what parts of the country do they grow seed in the way you describe ? A. We have been able to get a few good farmers to take up this work in nearly every agricultural district in Canada. In the eastern provinces there would be on an average, perhaps two or three farmers for each county. In Manitoba and Assinaboia same have taken up seed growing in a business-like way, and I am hopeful that within a few years the supply of this quality of seeds will be more plentiful in every district. Q. In what parts of Ontario are they making a specialty of it ? A. In the province of Ontario the system has been adopted more generally in growing seed corn. I shall refer to that in a few minutes, if you will permit me. Q. You will kindly give the districts in which they are doing it ? A. Yes. Before harvesting the ripened crop on the seed plots By Mil. Cochrane: Q. Are we to understand there are no parties' growing seed on the line you have explained to us in Ontario? A. Yes, there are a large number in Ontario. Q. Well, where are they growing it? Where could a man get his supply ; A. I have not a list of the men who are doing that work in the province of On- tario with me. There are about 60 or 70 men who have taken it up. Some of them have taken up the growing of seed grain and potatoes. Many of these men have com- menced this work during the last two years. SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECVRINO GOOD CROPS 73 APPENDIX No. 2 Q. Where do you get the information? A. You will be able to get full information after tliis year from the secretary of the Canadian Seed Growers' Association. Q. Well, would it not be very important to have information like that? Can you not say where we could get it? By Mr. Derhyshire : Q. If I dropped you a line, could you not furnish me with information? A. Yes. Nearly all of the seed that the growers had for sale this year was sold very early, I think most of it was sold before Februury. METHOD OF SELECTION. Before harvesting the ripened crop on the seed plot, they pick from 30 to 50 pounds of the best and ripest heads and from these "they get good plump seed to sow the seed plot of the next year. The system provides for a selection of the best from the best from generation to generation, as would be applied in building up a good paying herd of dairy cows. We now have in Manitoba and the North-west Territories, farmers who have this year sold on an average of 150 bushels for each, of seed wheat, of Red Fife ■and other good milling varieties that have been improved in this way by several years of selection. Our efforts to encourage this work are most needed throughout the grain growing districts in the west, where it is thought that more permanent good can be done by stimulating private enterprise in the growing of high class seed wheat and. other cereal grains than would result from the maintenance of seed farms under gov- ernment control. SEED CORN. I desire to refer briefly to what is being done by those in the eastern provinces, but more especially by those who are growing seed corn. I have here to show you some specimens of ears of corn that are fairly representative of the types of corn that are required for ensilage in the different latitudes. Here is one that was grown in the county of Essex last year. It would be about the best specimen of ear, that matured last year, that we could get from that district. Last year the seed corn crop was not very satisfactory in any part of Ontario. Let me draw your attention to the depth of kernel in ears of corn that will mature as far south as the county of Essex. By Mr. Wright (Renfrew) : Q. What variety is that ? A. This is a sample of the ' Leaming variety.' I have here a sample of corn that matured last year, one of the best ears we could get in the neighbourhood of Guelph. You will see the difference in the depth of the kernel between this ear and the type of corn that will mature further south. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. Well, it is not an achievement to grow good corn in the county of Essex, is it ? A. I wanted to show you mainly the difference in the character of the ears of corn from the different latitudes in which they will mature. By Mr. 'Wilson: Q. They are not both the same kinds of corn? 2— 9J 74 THE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 A. No, they are different varieties, but it would not malie any difference. If the Learning variety were grown as far north as the other the kernel would gradually be- come shallower on account of the shorter season for growth. Q. Why not grow the same variety at the two places? A. Unfortunately I could not get an ear of the Learning that had matured in tha neighbourhood of Guelph. The ear that I am now showing you matured last year within three miles of Ottawa. You will see that the kernel is quite shallow. By Mr. Wilson: Q. How near do these samples go to what the average of the crop would be? 'Ihese are not at all fair SEinples. A. These are not fair samples, they are representative samples rather, of the type c.l corn that will mature in those districts. Q. Of the best type? A. Of the best type, yes. The best we could get from last year's crop. This ear was grown last year and is fairly representative of the type of ears that will mature in the vicinity of Ottawa which is considered rather far north to grow seed com. Here is the best ear we could get and which is fairly representative of the typ3 cf com that will mature in the Gaspe peninsula. It is grown there by the AcadiaTi French settlers. The stalk from this would not be higher than a crop of oats. Q. To what particular use would they put that small corn? A. I think they use it mostly for meal. Q. For their own use? A. For their own use, perhaps. By Mr. Wright (Renfrew) : Q. It is flinty? A. It is flint corn, yes. The dent varieties of corn that will mature in the couny of Essex will give very good results for ensilage purposes as far north, perhaps, as Toronto or Guelph. In growing corn for ensilage it is not necessary to have it fiilly matured. The best re- sults are to be had 'from varieties that reach the, glazed stage. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. If you can raise corn that will come up to the glazed stage will that not mature properly ? A. Not for seed piirposes. If in the average of seasons a variety of corn will only reach the glazed stage before the early frosts it would not be safe to grow that variety for seed purposes in that district. By Mr. Bland: Q. Learning will mature for ensilage purposes in Bruce county. A. It would be protected there to some extent by the water. That would make a difference. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. In our section of country when corn glazes we cut it. A. For ensilage? Q. For any purpose that we need it. A. Your object would be partly to get good feed for the stock. Q. Our object would be to get a com that would make a meal or anything- o'se tl-at wc wanted. It is glazed when we cut it. SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 75 APPENDIX No. 2 A.^ When farmers are growing corn to get the maximum value for feed, it is well to cut it very soon after it is glazed, but if they are growing corn for seed purposes it should be pretty well matured before it is out. Here we have a deep kernel, late maturing dent type of corn that would give good results for ensilage as far north as the city of Toronto, and in some favoured districts stiU farther north. The kind of corn that will mature near Guelph or Toronto would make very good ensilage as far north as the city of Ottawa, and in some favoured dis- tricts a little farther north. There' is also a market fci a fair quantity of this flint type of corn that will mature near Ottawa. If we can arrange for its production in quantity along the north shore of Lake Ontario and in other favoured districts, we can extend the corn belt very much farther north than it is at present. Q. What corn is that ? A. The common Canadian Yellow. By Mr. Wilson: Q. There would be some^ advantage in doing that ? Is r.here no other grain that would be more profitable to grow ? A. I believe that if this corn could be grown for ensilage purposes 50 miles farther north than Ottawa, in the dairy districts of the provinces of Quebec and New Bruns- wick, it would be a better paying fodder crop than any other fodder crop they are grow- ing at the present time. There is very little corn grown for seed purposes in Canada except in the south of Ontario along the Lake Erie corn belt. By Mr. Bland: Q. Have you tested the Mammoth Cuban in the northern districts? A. Judging from tests made at the experimental farms it would be too late a variety to grow as far north as the city of Ottawa, though it has given good results in some parts of western Ontario. By Mr. Wright (Renfreiv) : Q. Did you make this test — take for example the Leaming corn, the farther north that is grown and matured it will ripen the earlier on the average and will consequently be more valuable for the northern section? A. Yes, our experience has shown that if you take one of these deep kernel varie- ties of corn and gradually move it farther north, it will gradually change and become shallower in the kernel and become an earlier maturing corn. One of the main drawbacks which our dairy farmers in the northern districts have ha'd is that they have been unable to secure seed corn for ensilage of a type that is well suited to their district. The supplies that they hare been able to get through seed merchants were drawn very largely from districts still farther south than the county (if Essex. To meet this need, a special endeavour is being made in the eastern pro- vinces to create a supply of northern grown seed of the types most suitable for en- silage along the northern limit of the corn belt in Canada. In order to prevent cross-fertilization the producers of seed corn are asked to grow but one variety on their farm. Twenty or more rows, of about Y5 hills to the row, are each planted with the seed from a single ear. Those 20 rows form the breeding plot or base of supply. To get 20 ears to plant the breeding plot of the next year, they select the best row or two rows out of the 20 rows, and from those they take the best ears from the most perfect plants. Their breeding plot of 20 rows would furnish seed for 20 acres from which they would get a fair quantity of high class seed to sell. There are now 43 farmers in the province of Ontario, five in the province of Quebec and three in New Brunswick who have taken up this worjc of growing seed corn, and who have commenced the work of special selection within the last two years. Others in the eastern 73 TBE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 provinces are growing seed of wheat, oats, barley and potatoes, by following tbe same system. CANADIAN SEED GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. To further this woik of seed growing and secure more uniform methods of opernt- ing the breeding plots, the Seed Branch organized the ' Canadian Seed Growers' As- sociation.' This association which was formed in June last outlined general plans for procedure in the operation o'f breeding plots and made definite regulations for the saidance of its memhjrs. Since June last, the department has 'assisted with the work- ings of the association in a way to gradually hand over the responsibility for its man- agement to the representative directors and executive who are appointed by the mem- bers. This will be finally accomplished at the next annual meeting which is announced to be held in Ottawa, June 27 to 29 next. Our Department of Agriculture may then recognize the object of the association but will concern itself mainly with a continu- ance of the educational work that led up to its organization and made the association possible. By Mr. Wilson: Q. I notice you passed over the seed growing districts without giving districts in which the seed was being grown. You said you would give us that? A. I beg pardon, if I have not made that cleir. Q. I mean where they are raising specially for seed suitable in Ontario. I would like to know where that is being done. A. About seed corn especially? Q. Well, tell us, you can give lis the different kinds of seeds that they grow in each district? A. The men who are growing seed are fairly well distributed; perhaps there are two or three men in every county in Ontario. Q. I do not know of any in my part of Ontario? A. You will understand that this work of encouraging the growing of seed accord- ing to the system I have outlined has been carried on for a few years only. Q. But I thought if you had a number of people that were engaged in this work, you would probably be able to give us the districts they were operating in and what they were doing in each district? A. I have not with me a statement showing the location of the different men who are doing this work, but I can easily supply that to any person who may apply for it. By Mir. Cochrane: Q. But it is very important if a man wants to change seed corn that he should know where he can get a supply. A. If you would apply to the secretary of the association By Mr. Wilson: Q. What I wanted to know was the districts in which they were growing this seed. If he could furnish that, I would like to have it? By Mr. Cochrane: Q. I want to get the man himself, I do not want any dealer. By Mr. Blain: Q. Is it the intention to have some-one growing this seed corn and other seeds in every county in Ontario? Is that the object? SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 77 APPENDIX No. 2 * A. It is the intention to induce as many of the farmers who are interested in the work and who are favourably situated for growing seed, to take it up. By Mr, Wilson: Q. It is a matter of business ; they take their own risks ? A.. Certainly. By Mr. Blain: Q. Is there an association formed for that purpose? A. Yes, the association which has been formed has made regulations to govern the members in respect to how these seed plots shall be carried on from year to year, just the same as the live stock associations have done for the breeding of pure-bred live stock in order that it may be eligible for registration. Q. Has that been done in some parts of Ontario during the past year. A. Yes. By Mr. Wright (Renfrew) : Q. What is the name of the secretary of the association ; we can write him and get the information ? A. From the time the association was formed, a year ago, our department has very largely taken the responsibility of this work, and I have been acting as secretary in the meantime. But the association will appoint their own responsible secretary- treasurer at the next annual meeting in June. The work of organizing the association has made substantial progress since last year, and I think it will be finally accom- plished next June. By Hon. Mr. Fisher: I think if any member chose to ask for the names of the seed growers, Mr. Clark could furnish to him the names of all that he knows are growing seed, so that any member who wishes to find out if there is any-one growing seed in his county or in his neighbourhood can ascertain who it is. I think in the meantime, or until the associa- tion takes over the whole work in its entirety, Mr. Clark can gite the information. By Mr. WilsOn: Q.I would suggest that he can put the names in his report when he revises it. A. They appear in the report, the annual report of the Seed Growers' Association. Q. That is not distributed to members of the House of Commons, is it? A. I think the last report was distributed. By Mr. Derbyshire: Q. Yes, it was publishcKl and distributed ? A. It will be quite agreeable to me to have the list of names published. They are as follows : — 78 THE SEED COMMISSIONER PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 County. Post Office. Name of , Seed Grower. Kind of Seed. Variety. Kind's Albion, Lot 59 Bridgetown Urbinville Newton, Lot 26 Richard Creed T. J. Wigginton Elie E. Arsenault Michael McKenua James Marchbank Henry Ritchie Oats.... Wheat . Oats. , '. '. Wheat '. Oats. . . . Wheat '. Oats. . . . Wheat : Oats.... Wheat . Oats White Egyptian. White Russian. Banner. Prince Lot 10 Scotch Black. „ Thos. S. Waugh 11 II Edmund H. Boyle James E. Brown Gothland. " Glenwood Danish Island. Lot 14 P.E.I. Black. ,, Margate Lower Freetown Bedeq ue Scotch Black. Wm. G. Schurman Chas. D. Wright Gordon McMillan Wm. F. McDonald H White Fife. Queen's Siberian. White Fife. Glenfinnan NOVA SCOTIA. Annapolis. . , Antigoaish. , Cape Breton Cumberland , II Digby Hants .... . King's Pictou tt ..... Victoria . . . . Falkland Ridge. . Doctor's Brook . . . Scotch Lake Wallace Bay Blue Sea Corner . Little River . . . . Rossway Lattie's Brook. . . Dalhousie East. . . North Corner. Millsville Four Mile Brook . Waterside West S. Middle River Ch.s. R. Marshall. . Donald Gillis Wm. H. Moore. . Peter G. Brown. . . . Jacob W. Treen . . . H. G. Hart. .. . Caswell H. Denton. William Burton Wm. O. Wright. . . . •lohn Long Amos B. North Robert McKay Arthur McKay., Walter Sutherland . Campbell, John W. Oats. . . . Wheat . Oats. . . . Wheat '. Corn. . . Oats. . . . Wheat Oats. . . Wheat Oats Wheat Oats. . . Banner. White Russian. Wallis. White Russian. 11 Banner. American Beauty. Banner. White Russian. Red Fife. Manitoba. Tartar King NEW BRUNSWICK. Gloucester King's Northumberland, Victoria ■ York. ..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. Elm Tree Green Point Jeff ry Mount .Pisgah Portage Upper Blackville . , . Blaokville Tobique River. Burden Lower Queensbury. . Central Haynesville. B. H. Cormier Josr.ph A. Lagace. . Chs. H. McNutt.., David Proudfoot . . Irvine H. Dunfield. B. Donald W. J. McLaggan.. Donald Innes. . . John Crewdson.. John Ferguson . . John Billmg . . . . Wheat , Oats. . '. . Wheat , Oats. . . , Wheat Oats Wheat Oats. . . Barley. Wheat Oats. . . Wheat White Russian. Red Fife. Early Blossom. White Russian. Banner. White Fife. Early Blossom. Mensury. Red Fife. Early Triumph. SELECTED 8EED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS APPENDIX No. 2 QtJEBEC. 79 County. Argentoiiil . . ArtUabaska. Bagot Bellechasse.. . Bonaventuri'. . Brome Champlaiii . . . . Charlevoix . Chiooutimi . Dorchester . Laval. L'Islet Lotbiniere. Megan tic. .. Montniagny. . Montmorency. Nioolet Portneuf. Quebec Richmond Rimouski Rouville St. Hyaointhe. St. John's Shefford Sherbrooke . . Stanstead — Temisoouata. Post Office. Lachute Mills. Victoriaville . . St, Simon St. Chai'lis St. Alexis Foster St. Stanislas Ste. Anne de la Perade. Chainplain Les Eboulements Metabetchouan . Normandin. . . Hebertville Metabetchouan . Ste. Henedine . . Ste. Rose. L'Islet Station. Ste. Eniilie Leclercville Ste. J ulie St. Pierre Ange G.irdien. . Ste. Gertrude . . Nioolet St. Bazile Wolfe. Les Grands Deserts.. Danville Tessierville Village Richelieu.. . . St. Jude St. Jean Bethel Waterloo Orford Centre. Coaticook Trois Pistoles . Weedon . Name of Seed Grower. Gilbert Matthews Rosaire C&te Antoine Garand Fe)i.\ Dandenault Jos. Leclerc Angustin Fortin Clarence D. .Johnson Henri Trepanier I'bilippe Lafieche Gustave Pintal Abraham Goudreault.. . Joseph Perron Ad^l.ard Tremblay Philippe Tremblay , , Achille Tremblay J. B. Coulombe Zoel Turgeon Jos. Elz. Tremblay Job. Boily I^arcisse Roy Leonard Boulet Theophile Chalifour. . . . Joseph Gagne Chas. Alph. Parrot.. F. L. Tousignant . . , Honor^ Gingras Michel Cloutier Leon Leclerc Ephrem Champoux . Frs. Manseau Jos. Paquet Dolore Decareau Joreph D^ry Antonio Rousseau. . . J^r^mie Levasseur . Jos. Theberge Stanislas Lafrenaye.. Ephrem Moreau . . . . W. L. Davidson Norman Jamieson. . Frs. Desmarais Louis St. Cyr Leon Gerin , Cyprlen Belanger. , J. Herv^ Rousseau . Pierre Despres Kind of Seed. Oats. Wheat Oats. , . Wheat Oats. . . Wheat Oats. Corn . . Oats. . . jWlieat I Oats. . . Wheat Oats. . . Wheat Barley. Wheat. Oats. . . Wheat Corn. . . Wheat Oats. . . Barley. Oats. . . Corn.., Banner. Red Fife. Banner. Variety. Early Prize Ouster. Banner. Perron. \Vaverly. Red Fife. White Russian, White Fife. II Banner. Red Fife. Banner. Red Fife. Banner. Campbell's Wliite Chaff. Preston. Banner. Red Fife. White Fife. Banner. Early Prize Cluster. Duck Bill. Tartar King. Banner. 80 THE SEED C'OimiSSIO^'EB ONTARIO. 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 Connty. Post Office. Name of Seed Grower. Kind of Seed. Variety. Brant Onondaga Merivale Dunrobin Marsvilip Abr. Sickle Chat;. Edwards Geo. Boyce Thos. Scissons Chester Wilson Oats.... Wheat. " Oats... . Barley. . Oats.... Barley. . Oats .... Corn.. . . Oats . . . Corn Wheat.'. Barley. . Corn Oats.... Wheat.'. Oats.... Corn Oats Oorn.. . . Oats'.".'.'. Corn.. , . Oats.... Pease. . , Wheat. . 3orn.. . . Oats.... Wheat. . Corn.... Wheat. . 2!orn Potatoes Dom Wheat. . Barley. . Oats..!'. Wheat'.'. Oats.... Barley. . Oats. . . . Carleton Dufferia Banner. . Bannpr. V^inohester Enfield West Lorne J. Christi"^ .... Durham Elgin It Leslie Pascor Duncan Carmichael. . . . A. Camiicbael W. B Roberts " . . . Mensurv. Sparta Grovesend Compton's Early. Yellow Dent. Leonard D. Hankin&on. . John Bedford GoMen Giant, Tyrconnell lona Strafford ville Middlemarch Rutbven Blythewood Windsor Maxville T. H. Mason. Essex Glengarry J. Wigle .Jos. C. Thomas Charles XJre Robert MacKay H. McDermid R. Sangster A. J. Cochrane Jno. Arnold W. L. Dixon White Cap. Yellow Dent. Red Fife Martintown Grenville Easton's Corners E?rly W. Flint. Grey Thistle W. W. Ramage Tartar King. Early Red Clawson. Herbert Davidson. ...... A. P. Gillespie Mansewood jVTIlton George Cottrel Goderich Compton's Earl. Madoc . ..... Raymond O'Hara Robt. Armstrong W. R.'Reek . ] Kent Wallaceburg Bomney R. Yellow Dent. Da\id Wilson Andrew Buist .,,,., " Ebbert Watford Whitf Dpnf James Sullivan E. M. Zavitz Siberian. Middlesex Coldstream Hanbury..., Jos. E. Marriott...'. Chas. L. McKey C. I. Midglev. . . . Black Eyed Marrowfat. Oxford Otterville Neil Stevenson. Banner. D. Golden Chaff. Perth Avon bank Vankleek Hill Northcote Cumming's Bridge. . ., Dalmeny A vening Don. McPhee Red Fife. Russell D. Gordon-Thompson. . . J. Stuart Willie Murray Garfield. W. S. Fraser Matthew Johnstone W. Morgan C. R. Gies Mensury. Aultsville Heidelberg. D. G. Cha£F. Wellington Neil McTaggart Alex. Moir ij Fergus SELECTED SEED GRAINS A E ACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 81 APPENDIX No. 2 NORTH-WEST TERRITORIES. County. Post Office. Name of Seed Grower. Kind of Seed. Variety. Aasiniboia Hilleaden Saltcoats P. J. Dash Wlieat. . II Oats. . . . Wheat. . Oats Wheat. . Oats. . '. '. Wheat. . II Red Fife. Fred. Kirkham & Sons. . II II . . Robt. McKell White Fife. Danish White. Regina Moffat . !!!!..!!!!! Red Fife. II Sergt. -Major Coles. . . HughW. Gibson II II Frank Nicholson Martin Hamm Banner. Wolseley Red Fife. Perley.." '".'.".'..",!!!..! Banner. Red Fife. Saflkatchewan Hague Velvet Chaff. MANITOBA. Brandon Roden Souris II Thos. Thomson Wheat. . Oats. . '. '. Barley. . Oats. . . . Wheat. . Oats. . '. '. Wheat. '. Potatoes Wheat. . Red Fife. 11 Geo. Dow Wm. Jas. Boughen J. A. Mooney. . . Tartar King. Mensury. Gilbert plains Valley River II Red Fife. 11 11 Portage la Prairie. . Neepawa Stephen Benscn Geo. P. Jack Red Fife. BRITISH COLUMBIA. Vancouver Colquitz . Chas. B. Jones. Potatoes Early Rose and Burbank. THE PRODUCTION OF GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS. Fully 90 per cent o£ the grass and clover seeds produced and used in Canada are of Timothy, Red Clover and Alsike seed. Selatively small quantities of seed of Blue Grass and Alfalfa are grown in the K^iagara peninsula, and some seed of Brome grass is grown in Manitoba. Timothy seed is grown to some extent in all of the provinces, but the main centres for its production are in the Georgian bay district, around Mea- ford, and in the lower Ottawa and St. Lawrence valleys. The quality of the Timothy seed grown in these districts is not excellei? in any place in the world. RED CLOVER AND ALSIKE. ^ The production of Red Clover and Alsike seed has grown to be an important in- dustry in the province of Ontario, and has to a great extent taken the place of grain growing as a money making crop. Although there is evidence to show that clover seed can be successfully grown in most of the other provinces, there is very little of it grown outside the province of Ontario. The latter province practically supplies the whole of Canada with clover seeds, and in the average of years exports to foreign countries about one-half of her total crop. The Toronto market virtually controls the world's prieea for Alsike seed. 82 THE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 As a means to encourage the production of these seeds on clean land, and to further arouse a sentiment among farmers regarding the importance of exercising care m the growing and use of seeds that are free from the seeds of noxious weeds the Seed Branch has this year arranged for the holding of several series of farmers' meetings in central localities and in the fields where grass and clover seeds are heing grown. These meet- ings have been arranged in co-operation with the farmers' institute system in the province of Ontario and in Quebec. They are announced for June 12 to June 26 next. The seedsmen were good enough to advise us as to the localities where the meetings should be held, and they collectively are invited to be present and address the meetings. By Mr. Wilson: Q. Can you tell us what is the modus operandi of getting a .meeting held; if I wanted to have one in my locality, how would I get it? A. The meetings were asked for in the first place by representative seedsmen who are large buyers of grass and clover seeds. They applied to the department, showing the necessity of holding such meetings at the time of the year when the weeds were most in evidence. We asked the seedsmen to point out to us the districts where they obtained the largest supplies of seed, and where they thought the meetings should be held. "We followed their advice throughout in. regard to where the meetings should be held. By Mr. Blain: Q. Have you a list of those meetings ? A. Not yet, the plan is not far enough advanced to be able to give you that. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. And the main business at these meetings will be to point out to the farmicrs what are foul seeds ? A. Each delegation will consist of one practical seed grower, who is a trained in- stitute lecturer, and one weed expert who will be able to identify most of the weeds that the farmers will bring to the meeting. The farmers in those districts are invited to bring any weeds they may be able to get on their farms or in their locality. In hold- ing the meetings they will probably visit two or more fields, and instruction will be given somewhat after the plan of that followed in ' orchard meetings,' and right on the ground where the seed is grown instruction will be given pertaining to the growing of these seeds. By Mr. ]yilson: Q. These meetings will all be in the daytime? A. Yes, there will be no night meetings. They will be held in the afternoon. Seedsmen are invited to be present at as many of the liieetings as they can attend, and address the farmers from the standpoint of a merchant engaged in the commerce of agricultural seeds. By Mr. Seidell : Q. Have you the names of two or three counties in Ontario which are the largest producers of Red Clover and Alsike? A. Yes, Simcoe and Grey counties are perhaps the largest producers of Eed Clover. The quality of the Red Clover seed grown in those counties is superior. Victoria and Peterborough counties are large producers of Alsike seed. Both Alsike and Red Clover seed is quite generally grown west of a direct line between Orillia and Kingston in Ontario. SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECVRINO GOOD CROPS 83 APPENDIX No. 2 By Mr. Staples: Q. Just before leaving that subject, have you been able to find any clover that does well in Manitoba or the vrest ? ^ A. I have seen some favoured localities in Manitoba where Red Clover seemed to thrive very well. When it is sown the first year without a nurse crop and does not suffer too much from drought, it will come on and give a very satisfactory crop the next year. I believe that when shelter belts become more plentiful around the farms in the province of Manitoba they will have little difficulty in growing Eed Clover. I know very little about the growing of Alfalfa in Manitoba. Q. What species would be best adapted to Manitoba farm soils? A. I do not know of any that would be better than the common Red Clover that is grown in Ontario. It may be that some new and hardier varieties of Alfalfa would do very well. In the United States they imported some seed of what they call ' Tiirk- estan Alfalfa ' a few years ago, which proved to be a little hardier than any other Alfalfa that they have, and I believe the crop from that seed thrived very well in Dakota. I am not very conversant with the work that has been done by Mr. Bedford at the Ex- perimental Farm at Brandon, although T have visited that farm in three different years and saw on each occasion plots of Red Clover that seemed to be thriving quite as well as we would have them in Ontario. THE COMMERCE OF AGRICULTURAL SEEDS. Although there is a great deal of seed of cereal grains exchanged and sold among farmers, a very small proportion of the seed grain used by farmers enters into the commerce of agricultural seed. The proportion is very much lower in the province of Ontario than in the maritime provinces. Probably about ten per cent in the case of the former and 25 per cent in the case of the latter provinces. The supply Of seed 03ts, which is the kind of seed grain for which there is the greatest demand from seed merchants in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, is grown mainly in the pro- vince of Ontario. A fair proportion of this seed is obtained from reliable seed mer- ojiants who have it grown on contract or secure it from good farmers and expressly foT seed purposes. A part of the supply, however, is obtained by the maritime local dealers in seed grain, directly from the larger grain merchants at Montreal and other v^estern points and consists of No. 1 or No. 2 car lots of oats that were never intended for seed purposes. The use of such grain for seed may result in a satisfactory crop, but the risk is much greater than the difference in price between its cost ^and that of the better article. THE HOME TRADE. ■ The home trade in grass and clover seeds is affected very materially by the export trade. Europe is our best market for these seeds. In point of purity Canadian seeds have an enviable reputation abroad and the demand from foreign countries is mainly for seeds of the best quality. This demand for a superior quality of seeds is largely the outcome of work done by European seed testing stations, the first of which was established at Tharandt in Germany about 35 years ago. As evidence of the service which these stations have rendered, in European countries, I may add that Germany alone now maintains 39 of these seed testing stations. The work done at those stations led up to the adoption, in some of the countries, of laws to enforce the guarantee sys- tem, and in other countries the practice of furnishing a statement, showing the per- centage of purity and vitality with the seed sold, was adopted voluntarily by most progressive seedsmen. To make it more clear as to just what is meant by that guai- antee system, I might say that when a seed merchant is selling seed to a farmer he furnishes the faTmer v/ith a statement showing the percentage of pure seeds and the 84 THE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 percentage of vital seeds in the package he is selling. He provides a statement .chew- ing the real value of the seed. By Mr. Wilson (Lennox) : Q. That is, in Germany he has to do this? A. I think there are two provinces in Germany that have enforced the guarantee system by law. It is enforced by law in Austria-Hungary and Belgium. Q. And what are the penalties for violation of the contract ? A. The penalties, I think, in Austria run from i$100 in some cases down to a mini- mmn penalty of $2. Q. The minimum penalty would be $2 and the maximum would be $100. A. Yes. Q. Has Germany not got one? A. So far as I know, there are only two provinces in Germany where they enforce the guarantee system. In other provinces it has drifted into a voluntary system but imder their conditions that seems to be quits satisfactory. Q. In the two provinces there are penalties? A. Yes, if I remember correctly. The volunteer guarantee system also obtains in Switzerland. The effect of this advancement in those countries to which we export seeds most largely, brought about an adverse reaction on our home trade. To meet this demand for a high class article, our Canadian exporters equipped themselves with modem ap- paratus for recleaning grass and clover seeds. According to their own statements, from 10 to 25 per cent of these seeds that are gatiiercd in from farmers in Ontario, is tsken out as cleanings to make the article suificiently good for export. It is much to be regretted that there has been a large demand for these cleanings in our home trads. I am very glad to say that that demand is not now so large as it was two or three years ago. By Mr. Christie: Q. The demand for the screenings? A. Yes. By Mr. Wilson {Lennox) : Q. Not as seed? A. For seed. I have some of it here that we got from the trade last year and ths year before. Q. Do I understand you to say that the clover seed that is prepared for export for seed, that after they clean it, the screenings are sold for seed in this country. A. That is it. Q. Don't they have great diiEculty in finding purchasers for that kind of seed? A. The trouble is that the demand for that seed has been coming from local seed vendors to supply to farmers who do not live in the districts where the seed is grown. Q. Could not a person by comparing the two tell the difference? A. They are very small seeds and it is very difficult to judge their value from thei>- appearance. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. Is it a known fact that farmers make application for screenings for seelC Is'nt it more likely to be the fact that they make application for seed and that th seed merchant sends them that stuff that they have on hand. '^ A. This quality of seed is not sold to the farmer directly by reliable seed m chants. It reaches the farmer through the medium of the local dealer, and the farmi SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 85 APPENDIX No. 2 in buying that seed would perhaps have three different grades to inspect and on his own account selects the inferior and cheaper grade. By Mr. Wright (Eenfrew) ; Q. The farmer comes in and wants cheap seed ? A. That is it. Q. And the dealer gives the price of the cheap seed. Supposing a farmer wanted five cent cotton, the dealer would give it to him, and if he wants 10 cent cotton he gets it? A. A person would havj to be almost an expert to tell the difference between these samples of seed. Of course any person can see it is not pure, but many farmers would not fully appreciate the evils that would result from using this quality of seed. By Mr. Christie: Q. My experience is the very opposite. The farmers in our section who want seed are always particular to get the best seed to sow, because there is a big difference in the price when they come to sell it. A. You are living in a district where red clover seed is grovra very largely. The farmers in South Ontario have learned to appreciate the value of good red clover seed, because they raise the seed to sell. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. I would suggest that yovi amend your statement. I understood you to state that the farmers applied for that cheap seed themselves. A. They buy it in stores from samples shown with their prices. Q. I do not think that farmers as a general thing buy poor seed if they know it. A. They are demanding a much better quality of seed now than they were three years ago. By Mr. Wilson (Lennox) : Q. I would like to ask if these screenings are sold as screenings when sold ? A. It is all sold on sample. Q. Without any reference as to whether it is screenings or not. A. Without any reference so far as I know. It is difficult to obtain that informa- tion. By Mr. Blain : Q. What is the difference in price between the good seed and the seed you term screenings 1 A. Seed of this quality (showing sample) last year would perhaps be retailed, we will say in the maritime provinces or Quebec, at 9 cents a pound. Seed of this quality (showing sample) would be retailed at about 15 cents a pound. I have here a chart that will illustrate that. By Mr. Wilson : Q. Would the Bill passed recently interfere with the selling of screenings. Hon. Mr. Fisher. — Certainly, but that Bill is not in force yet. Mr. Wilson. — It will ? Mr. Fisher. — Certainly. Mr. Bland. — It will be in force for next year's crop 3 88 THE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 Mr. Fisher. — I hope so. I may say here that while in the districts of Ontario where seed is grown the farmers know pretty well about seed, there are large areas in Quebec and the maritime provinces especially where the farmers do not grow seed and buy it almost entirely from Ontario, and I fear too many of them will buy the cheapest seed they can get, and if there is only a few cents difference the screenings will be bought, when, as a matter of fact, instead of two cents' difference in the price, there should be 10 cents' difference according to the real value of the seed. The farmer does not understand it, and purchases the article which seemingly costs him a couple of cents less per pound, whereas if he had bought the better sample he would have been paying less in the end. The farmers are not as familiar with the quality of seeds there as they are in such districts as Mr. Cochrane or Mr. Christie spoke of. Witness. — I have a chart here that will illustrate the difference in the quality between seeds that we obtained two years ago. Table showing corr,parativc germination of different seeds and the comparative cost value of each estimated by their respective germination. RED CLOVER. Where obtained. Market price per bushel. Weight of pure and germinable seeds in 100 lb3. Actual cost of pure living seed per bushel. Number of weed seeds per pound. Toronto, Ont Ottawa, Ont $ cts. 6 60 9 60 9 60 8 70 8 40 9 00 8 10 9 60 Lbs. 95 62 94 63 49 25 77 84 $ cts. 6 94 15 47 10 24 13 85 17 14 36 00 10 51 11 42 20^565"' 315 St. Jacques, Que Bathurst, N.B Yarmouth, N.S Morell, I.E.I Mount Tolmie B. C 42,660 40,635 8,775 19,350 11,160 ALSIKE. Ottawa, Ont Pembroke, Ont... Gait, Ont St. Norbert, Que. . Yamacbiche, Que Montreal, Que . . . Fredericton, N.B. Halifax, N.S Abbotsford, B.C.. 9 60 12 CO 9 50 12 00 9 00 9 00 IC 20 10 80 9 GO 20 42 13 79 15 83 13 36 14 75 13 47 12 05 15 09 10 19 14,496 181 14,043 900 8,460 47,070 2,610 15,.30O 180 TIMOTHY. St. Catharines, Ont Barrie, Ont St. Johns, Que Weedon Sta. Que. . . Perth Centre, N.B.. Andover, N.B Weymouth, N.S... . Alberton, P.E.I Nanaimo, B.C. . . Chilli wack, B.C. 4 32 6 00 4 80 95-8 97-8 74-9 97-8 97-9 89 72-9 83-5 81-5 86-1 74 2 65 48 67 5 29 6 96 6 46 10,239 91 2,S7,690 90 30,510 2,520 42,930 34,470 28,710 123,750 SELECTED SEED ORAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 87 APPENDIX No. 2 A Eed Clover seed tliat contained 93 :8 per cent of pure living seed was retailed at 1( cents a pound. After the rubbish was taken out the pure living, seed cost the pur- chaser 17 cents a pound. It had 315 weed seeds per pound. It is a very clean sample. Another sample contained only 62 -8 per cent of pure living seed. That was sold at 14i cents a pound, as against 16 cents for the better quality. The real cost to the purchaser of the pure living seed in the sample was over 23 cents a pound. He got with each pound 42,660 weed seeds. I want to mention that of these 42,660 weed seeds, perhaps a very small proportion of them would be of the most tcxious weeds. By Mr. Wilson (Lennox) : Q. They would all grow, I suppose? A. Probably most of them would grow. To illustrate the same with Alsike. One sample containod 89 :8 per cent of pure vital seed. It sold at 20 cents a pound. With the rubbish and dead seed taken out the price was raised to 21 cents. It only con- tained 900 weed seeds per pound. Another sample contained 65 pounds out of 100 good reliable seeds. That was sold at 16 cents — four cents cheaper — but the actual price of the pure living seed was 27 cents per pound. It contained 8,460 weed seeds per pound. Another lot of Alsike seed contained over 47,000 weed seeds per pound. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. Is that sold in Montreal? A. It was sold at Montreal. By Mr. Fisher: Q. It was not grown near there. A. No ; no Alsike seed is grown there. By Mr. Blain: Q. How many of these seeds can be sold under the new Bill? Mr. Fisher. — I would not like to say off-hand, but I should think only tJie first ones mentioned could be sold as No. 1. I am not sure about any others. The first could be sold as No. 1, could they not, Mr. Clarke? A. Yes. By Mr. Cochrane: Q. What are the most noxious weeds ? I understood you to say that that second quality contained a relatively small proportion of seeds of the worst kind of weeds. A. Those mentioned in the Seed Bill. The following table gives the names of fifteen species of weeds, the seeds of which we3>e found with more or less frequency in the grass and clover seeds that were col- lected for investigation by the Seed Branch of the Department of Agriculture at Ottawa. The number of samples analyzed were: Timothy, 536; Alsike, 293; Eed Clover 567. The table shows the number of these samples which contain seeds of the weeds named, together with the average number of the seeds per pound of the com-' mercial article: — ■ 2—10 88 THF, SEED GOmmsSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 Kind op Weed Szed. •Wild mustard ** False flax Sliepherd'a purse. Pepper grass ... . •White cockle. . . . .Mayweed *Ux-eye daisy . . . •Canada thistle . . . "I'er. sow thistle . *KibgTa.sa ' Lamb's quartei'3 . Sheep son'el. , . *Curled dock Ciiiquefoil Foxtail TiMOTHT Seed. (536 samples tested.) No. of samples containing seed named. 60 33 164 60 96 37 71 2C 74 167 180 37 343 164 Average number per pound. 2,051 802 582 2,055 824 810 314 850 209 689 1,741 187 2,755 253 Alsike Seed. (293 samples tested.) No. of samples containinf seed named. 7 125 34 40 210 93 5 72 55 187 224 103 56 108 Average number per pound. 110 829 987 610 1,240 486 144 193 1»2 500 2,617 307 1,406 2.53 Red Clover Seed. (567 samples tested.) No. of samples containing seed named. 32 36 2 299 141 7 97 3 351 378 228 321 3 534 Average number per pound. 239 338 45 413 341 135 205 60 69B 564 614 503 60 3,403 Note. — Weeds named in " Seed Control Act." £y Mr. Fisher? Q. Was every seed of those 43,000 wHcli was not Eed Clover called a weed ? When you tested the sample of Ked Clover was everything in it which was not Eed Clover called a weed seed? A. No, nothing that would he considered harmless. If it was Timothy it would not be called a weed. Foxtail (Setaria sp.) would be called a weed, although some peo- ple do not consider that to be an injurious weed. The more reliable seedsmen in Canada do not retail these low grade seeds. They reach the farmer through the medium of irresponsible local seed vendors, whose main business is of an entirely different character, and who are no better able to judge of their quality than the farmers who buy them. Under the present conditions of trade in Canada they are able to make a larger margin of profit from the sale of the low grade article than from the sale of seeds of the quality that is exported. WORK OF THE SEED LARORATORT. In the early spring of 1902 I was authorized to instal the necessary equipment for a modem seed-testing station, and to procure, for the purpose of investigation samples of the grass and clover seeeds from lots that were being retailed' to farmers m the various districts where they are offered for sale. A circular letter was addressed to the farmers' institute lecturers and secretaries of agricultural societies, asking them to co-operate with us in obtaining these samples. Each of them was supplied with small cotton bags that were already addressed for return, and with blank form cards on which to fill in information regarding the place where, and the price at which it was being retailed; also the name of the retail merchant, and the wholesale merchant or farmer from whom it had been obtained. This work of seed investigation has been continued each year, and extended to other kinds of seeds. I will read you a copy of the circular letter and a blank form card that was sent out this spring. This is a copy of the letter tb^t we sent out in March of the present year: SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FAOTOB IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 89 APPENDIX No. 2 Department op Agriculture, Ottawa. seed branch. Dear Sir, — We are desirous of having your assistance in again obtaining for the purpose of investigation samples of the agricultural and garden seeds offered for sale by seed merchants or farmers in your locality. It has been found expedient to continue to collect samples of the seeds ofEered for sale each year in order that we may be able, more accurately, to determine the extent of the evils connected with the seed trade. We will be glad to have your co-operation this year in obtaining samples from any Timothy, Alsike or Red Clover seeds that may be marked ' No. 1,' or otherwise repre- sented to be of first quality, or from seeds that may appear to be of decidedly inferior quality; samples of all other kinds of grass and clover seeds that may be offered; sam- ples of seed' com or other cereal seed that may be of questionable vitality; small samples (from 200 to 400 seeds) of root crop and garden vegetable seeds, and samples of coarsely ground mill feeds that may appear to contain whole seeds of noxious weeds. The Seed Branch will be pleased to remit to you such amounts as you may find it necessary to pay out in the purchase of such samples, on receipt of your account for same. It is also distinctly understood that this investigation work is done to obtain information for educational purposes and that the names of persons obtaining such samples, and also of the seed merchants from whom they are obtained, will be kept confidential by the department, except that report showing results of their analysis will be sent to persons obtaining the samples. I am sending you, herewith, a few information cards v/hich we would like to have filled out as completely as possible, and returned inclosed in cotton or paper bag to- gether with the seeds. With the inclosed labels attached, the seeds will be carried free by mail. G. H. CLARK, 8eed Commissioner. The cards which were sent out were marked as follows : — Seed Laboratory Test No Sample marked Name under which seed was sold Grade name Name of seller Address of seller Selling price When grown Origin of seed (farmer or name of seedsman) Name of sender Address of sender Date By Mr. Cochrane: Q. I would like to ask for information regarding Alfalfa. What kind of a crop is it for fodder ? A. As a soiling crop I do not think you could get anything better than Alfalfa. Q. That is for ploughing under, a soiling crop, do you mean? A. No, to exit for green feed during the spring and summer months. From my experience with Alfalfa on the farm I cannot recommend it as being a very desirable crop to grow in large areas for hay. Our difficulty was that we did not as a rule get favourable weather for curing the first cutting which, in an average of years, would be taken about the 15th of May. Q. How is it for ploughing under? 2— lOJ 90 TBE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 A. It would not be a suitable crop for ploughing under. It takes too long to get a stand of it. It is a perennial and will continue to produce paying crops for a num- ber of years. It is not nearly so desirable a crop for ploughing under as Red Clover. Q. Is'nt it more certain? The trouble in our section is to get a crop of clover to stand. A. In that respect, I think you would find as much difficulty with Alfalfa as with Red Clover. By Mr. JacJcson (Elgin) : Q. Do you know anything with reference to the danger of turning stock on it? In our seed catalogues they warn us against it. A. If you turn hungry cattle on it when the crop it wet with dew they are liable to bloat, but if they are turned on when it is dry or when perhaps they have had a chance to fill up on other grass, I do not think there would be much difliculty with it. Q. It is almost prohibitory to have it if you cannot turn cattle on it without endangering them. ^ A. It would be a little risky to turn on huLgry cattle if the Alfalfa were wet, but if dry I think the risk would be very little. 7>,7 Ml. IT'y.nd : Q. It would be bad when there is a little white frost on it? A. I'cs, Five hundred and thirteen samples were obtained and tested for both purity and vitality in 1902. The results showed a startling state of afEairs, particularly in respect to the quality of the clover seeds that were being offered by local seed dealers outside of the district where the seeds are produced. I have here some of the samples to show you. Perhaps you would prefer to look at them after the meeting is over. We were able to trace most of those samples back to the large seed firms who are engaged in the export trade. A summary of the information obtained from this work was prepared in advance of any publications and supplied to farmers' institute lecturers in all the provinces, together with printed charts like the one I have shown you. We supplied 35 of these, one to each farmers' institute lecturer, and specimens of the weed seeds found in grass and clover seeds, to enable them to bring the matter clearly and forcibly before the farmer. The information was also supplied in concise form to the agricultural press, and to newspapers in all parts of Canada, and a more complete report of the investi- gation of that year was published in Bulletin No. 8. By Mr. Wilson (Lennox) : Q. That chart will appear in your report? A. Yes. Here is a collection of weed seeds similar to those used by the farmers' institute lecturers. These collections have been supplied to seed merchants for the use of their travellers. They contain specimens of all the weed seeds mentioned in the Seed Bill. They are really the most noxious weed seeds that are common in grass and clover seeds. By Mr. Blain: Q. Were some of these samples obtained from farmers who are growing seed on their farms? A. Not of these samples. SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 91 APPENDIX No. 2 Q. Those you have referred to a few minutes ago ? A. No, we have had quite a large number of samples from farmers, but we find them a little more difficult to get than those obtained from seed merchants. The seedsmen themselves have this year supplied us with a large number of samples sent in to them by farmers. In this educational work the main object sought after was to demonstrate the false economy of buying the lower grades of seeds, and the far-reaching evils that would follow their use^the evils that would follow the use of the weed seed. Pressed and mounted specimens of the weeds themselves, whenever they co\iId be obtained, were sup- plied to the lecturers, but the demand for these was most difficult to meet. To over- come this difficulty and to enable us to pursue this educational work in a more effective way we have had coloured drawings made of 50 of the most dangerous Canadian weeds, and for our next season's work we expect to have these printed in their natural colours, together with information about their nature of growth and reproduction and the best methods of combating them. Following this educational work our department received many appeals from individual farmers and from agricultural associations for legislation that would serve to gheck the more serious evils connected with the seed trade. To enable seed merchants to carry on their business the more intelligently the Seed Branch offered to test their seeds for them, in the meantime, free of charge; also to provide them at a nominal cost with a comprehensive reference collection of economic seeds, with the use of which they could pick out the noxious weed seeds from the seeds they sell, and be able to determine what they are. I have here one of these collections to show you (see cut last page). It contains specimens of all the weed seeds named in the Bill. There are about 65 species of weed seeds in this collection and the others are made up of seeds of grasses and clovers that are not aU well known, but are sometimes wanted by farm- ers or seed merchants. By Mr. Wilson (Lennox): Q. You have the names of all the seeds shown there? A. Yes. The samples are all numbered and labelled with their common and botan- ical names. Q. Do you furnish one of these to each lecturer? A. This form of collection was thought to be too cumbersome to carry around by the lecturer. They were furnished with a smaller collection. Q. That is a pretty good one. A. The cost of the empty cardboard cases, getting them in quantity, is one dollar for each. The one hundred bottles cost a little more than a dollar. We put up the collections in the seed laboratory, and we offered them to any man enc;ag€d in the seed trade for $2 each. Q. I would not think that was too big for the lecturers. If you had them smaller they would be hard to show. A. I am in doubt as to whether it would be desirable to use a collection of that kind in a farmers' institute meeting, especially where the meeting is held at night. Although we 'have on our mailing lists more than 6,000 merchants in Canada, who sell grass and clover seeds, all of whom have been advised about these collections of seed we have had applications for only Y8 collections from seed merchants. In 1^02, when we started this work, we did not test any seeds for farmers or seed merchants. 92 TEE SEED COMMISSIONER 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 The following table gives the number of samples of different kinds of seeda that have been received for test, and reported upon to farmers and seed merchants in each province during the calendar year of 1904: — Designation of Seeds. Quebec. Ontario. New Brunswick Nova Scotia. Prince Edward Tsland. British Columbia. Manitoba and North- west Territory. Total. Timothy 53 21 74 60 45 74 1 's" 1 3 4 3 i" 6L ""lo" 2 1 11 24 10 14 7 4 7 18 7 10 5 1 1 6 t 2 o 173 Alsike lied clover 87 194 White clover 13 Crimson clover . . Lucerne i' 3 12 Vetch 1 2 E«d top 1 1 1 i 1 1 6 5 Orchard grass Brome grass 1 l' l" 5 2 1 9 1 2 70 Wheat 2 6 4 Oats 1 19 Barley 2 MiUet " "i" 1 1 1 3 9 1 3 1 4 29 Sugar beot 2 Garden beet 3 3 1 1 1 1 6 Turnip 1 1 4 1 Rape 1 1 1 1 4 riax 1 3 3 1 3 i 1 Pin« 1 4 174 Total 291 60 •25 58 30 13 656 Q. I understand that the department at the Experimental Farm tests seeds for any person that sends them in ? A. They have tested seeds for farmers ever since the Experimental Farm was established. Q. You say that only- for the last two years you have done it. Tours must be an entirely separate thing in that respect? A. Our seed laboratory wfis established in the first place to conduct the investiga- tion work. In the first year, 1903, all of the work we did was confined to the investiga- tion work, and was concerned mainly with the seed trade. Q. The seed that wosld be tested would be sent in by farmers, not to your depart- ment but to the Experimental Farm? A. The seeds come now direct to our department. Mr. FiSHEK.— For niany years the Ezpolimental Farm has been testing seeds for farmers who sent them in. When the work of the seed division began Mr. Clark did investigation work to deal with the trade. Work at the Experimental Farm was not dealing with the trade at all. That work has developed and grown very much in Mr Clark's division. We propose after this year that all testing of seeds will be done in Mr. Clark's division, and that the work of testing seeds at the Experimental Farm will cease. Mr. Wilson (Lennox) — -There are two divisions now. Mr. Fisher.— Yes, the old one at the Experimental Farm and the new one de- veloped for the trade, but as Mr. Clark's laboratory has been fitted up much more SELECTED SEED GRAINS A FACTOR IN SECURING GOOD CROPS 93 APPENDIX No. 2 elaborately than the laboratory at the Farm, I propose to transfer the whole of the peed testing to his division. I will issue a circular to that effect, so that next year the farmers' samples will be sent to him and not to the Farm. Mr. Blain. — I would like to ask for information as to the testing of vitality of ticed cowi. Will this new Bill provide for that? Mr. Fisher. — The Bill does not deal with corn, except in the first section, but of course corn would be tested at the laboratory just like any other seeds. Mr. Blain. — We had a great deal of trouble in Western Ontario last year with the seed corn for ensilage purposes. Only one-third of it grew. Mr. Fisher. — I would test corn as I would test barley or anything else. Q. The Seed Bill would not affect the corn? A. No. I shall be pleased at any time if you can, either individually or collectively, make it convenient to come down to the Seed Laboratory in the Imperial Building, 13S Queen street, and inspect the work that is being done there, when we will be able more clearly to give you details of information regarding that part of the work of the Seed Branch. Gentlemen, I thanlc you one and all for your kind attention. Having read over the above transcript of my evidence, I find the same correct. G. H. CLARK, Seed Commissioner, 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 THE SEED OONTEOL ACT, 1905. An Act respecting the Inspection and Sale of Seeds. His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Com- mons of Canada, enacts as follows : — 1. This Act may be cited as ' The Seed Control Act, 1905.' 2. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of September, nineteen hundred and five. 3. No person shall sell, or offer, expose or have in his possession for sale, for the purpose of seeding, any seeds of cereals, grasses, clovers or forage plants unless they are 'free from any seeds of the following weeds : — Wild Mustard or Charlock, {Brassica Sinapistrum, Boiss) ; Tumbling Mustard (Sisymbrium sinapistrum Crantz.) ; Hare's Ear Mustard [Coringia orientalis (L.), Dumort] ; Boll Mustard (Neslia yaniculata, Desv.) ; Field Penn'ycress or Stinkweed, (Thlas^pi arvense, L.) ; Wild Oats, {Avena fatua, L. and Avena strigosa, Schrob.) ; Bindweed, (Convolvulus arvensis, L.) ; Peren- nial Sow-Thistle, (Sonchus arvensis, L.) ; Ragweed, (Amhrosia artemisiae folia, L.) ; Great Ragweed, (Ambrosia trifida, L.) ; Purple Cockle, (Lychnis Githago, Lam.) ; Cow Cookie, iVaccaria Vaccaria (L.), Britton] ; Or.ongo Hawkweed or Paint Brush, (Hieracium aurantiacum, L. and Hieracium pracaltum, Vill.) ; and from Sclerotia, known as Ergot of Eye, (Claviceps purpurea, Tul), unless each and oveiy receptacle, package, sack or bag containing such seeds, or a label securely attached thereto, is marked in a plaih and indelible manner — (a.) with the full name and address of the seller; (&.) with the name of the kind or kinds of seed; (c.) with the common name or names of the aforenamed weeds, the seeds of which are present in the seed sold or offered, exposed or had in possession for sale. 2. The provisions contained in this section shall not apply to the sale of seed that is grown, sold and delivered by any farmer on his own premises, for seeding by the purchaser himself, unless the purchaser of the said seed obtains from tLe F-e'Jer at the time of the sale thereof a certificate that the said seed is supplied to him subject to the provisions of this Act. 4. No person shall sell, or offer, expose or have in his possession for sale, any seeds of timothy, red clover, alsike, or any mixture containing the said seeds, in or from any receptacle, package, sack or bag upon which is marked " No. 1 " or any other designa- tion which represents such seeds as of first quality, unless they are free from the seeds of weeds named in section 3 of this Act, and are also free from the seeds of White Cockle, (Lychnis vespertina^ Sibth.) ; Night-Flowering Catch-fly, (Silene noctiflora, L.) ; False Flax, (Camelina saliva, Crantz.) ; Canada Thistle, (Cnicus arvensis, Hoffm.) ; Ox-eye Daisy, (Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, L.) ; Curled Dock, (Rumex crispus, L.) ; Blue Weed, (Echium vulgare, L.) ; Eib^i-ass, (Plantago lanceolata L.) ; Chicory, (Cichorium Intylus, L.), and contain out of every one hundred seeds not lesi than ninety-nine seeds of the kind or kinds represented,or seeds of other useful and harmless grasses and clovers, of which ninety-nine seeds ninety seeds must be germin- flble. TEE SEED CONTROL ACT, 1005 95 APPENDIX No. 2 5. The Governor in Council may make regulations determining the maximum proportion of seeds of the weeds named in sections 3 and 4 of this Act, that may be tolerated in any seeds without affecting their character as being within the meaning of the said sections free from the seeds of the said weeds. 6. No person shall sell, or offer, expose or have in his possession for sale, for the purpose of seeding in Canada, any seeds of timothy, alsike or red clover, or any mix- ture containing the said seeds, if the seeds of the weeds named in sections 3 iPiud 4 of ■this Act are present in a greater proportion than five to one thousand of the seed sold, or offered, exposed or held in possession for sale. 7. The provisions contained in this Act shall not apply to— (a.) any person growing or selling seeds for the purpose of food in respect of seed sold, or exposed or had in possession for sale, "for such purpose; (b.) any person selling seeds direct to merchants to be cleaned or graded before being offered for sale for the purpose of seeding in respect of seeds sold, or exposed or had in possession for sale, for such purpose; (c.) seed that is held in storage for the purpose of being recleaned, and which has has not been offered, exposed or held in possession for sale for the purpose of seeding ; (d.) seed marked " not absolutely dean " and held or sold for export only. 8. Every person who, by himself or through the agency of another person, violates any of the provisions of sections 3, 4 and 6 of this Act shall, for each offence, upon summary conviction, be liable to a fine for the first offence not exceeding one dollar, and for each subsequent offence not exceeding five dollars, together with the costs of prosecution, for each receptacle, package, sack or bag in or from which seeds are sold, offered, exposed or had in possession for sale contrary to such provision ; provided that the total amount of the fine shall not exceed, in the case of a first offence, five dollars, ■and in the case of a subsequent offence, twenty-five dollars, and in default of paying such fine and costs, shall be liable to imprisonment, for a term not exceeding one month, ■unless such fine and the costs of enforcing it are sooner paid. 2. Nevertheless, if the accused proves to the magistrate before whom he is tried that the package, sack, bag or receptacle containing the seed respecting which the com- plaint or information is laid, was purchased by him directly from a seed merchant domiciled in Canada, and was not opened, or the state of the seed was not altered, while it was in his possession, and he had no reason to believe that the seed did not comply with the provisions of this Act, he shall, upon disclosing the name of the person from whom he purchased the seed, and the place and date of the sale thereof, to him, not be liable beyond the costs of prosecution. 3. Every magistrate who has disposed of any case under the foregoing subsection shall, within one month from the date of his judgment therein, send to the Minister of Agriculture a report of the case, giving the name of the accused, the name of the person who sold the seed to him, and the date and place of such sale. 9. The person on whose behalf any seed is sold, offered, exposed, or had in posses- sion for sale, contrary to the provisions of the foregoing sections of this Act, shall be prima facie liable for the violation of this Act. 10. Any person charged with the enforcement of this Act may enter upon any premises to make any examination of any seeds, receptacles, packages, sacks or bags of seeds, with respect to which he has reason to suspect or believe that any provision of this Act is being violated, whether such seeds, receptacles, packages, sacks or bags of seeds are on the premises of the owner, or on other premises, or in the possession of a railway or steamship company, and may take any samples of the said seeds from any receptacle, package, sack or bag, for which samples the owner of the seed shall be paid in accord- 96 THE SEED CONTROL ACT, 1905 4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1905 lance with the amount of seed thus taken and its current value; a&d any person who obstructs or refuses to permit the making of any such examination, or the taking o£ any such samples of seeds, shall, upon summary conviction, be liable to a penalty not exceeding five hundred dollars and not less than twenty-five dollars, together with the costs of prosecution, and in default of payment of the said penalty and costs shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, unless the said penalty and costs are sooner paid. 11. Any purchaser of seeds, with respect to which he has reason to suspect or be- lieve that any provision of this Act has been violated, or any person charged with the enforcement of this Act, at his request, may take a sample from the said seeds and for- ward it to such person as the Governor in Council appoints as an official seed analyst to examine and report upon any seed submitted for analysis under the provisions of this Act. 12. Any sample of seed taken for official analysis under the provisions of this Act shall be taken in the presence of — (a.) the person who sold or offered, exposed or had in his possession for sale the ■said seeds, or (&.) two impartial or non-interested witnesses, and — an acordance with the rules for seed testing prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture and shall be inclosed in a sealed package together with a certified statement of the per- son taking the sample, which statement shall include the name and address of the person who sold, or ofEered, exposed or had in his possession for sale, the seeds f''om which the said sample was taken, the manner in which the rec^tacle, package, sack or bag was marked, and the section or sections of this Act in violation of which the said seeds were found or suspected to be sold or offered, exposed or had in possession for sale. 13. Any sample of seeds taken from any seed which are found or suspected to be sold in violation of the provisions of this Act shall be taken and forwarded to an official seed analyst — (a.) from seeds that are sold in sealed packages, sacks, bags or recept