GARDENING FOR SCHOOLS (CLASSIC REPRINT)

Excerpt from Gardening for SchoolsIn 1905, the work has been carried out along thirty-five distinct branches of field agriculture, thus covering practically all of the crops which are grown on the ten million or more acres of the cultivated land of Ontario. As in 1904, a large number of experiments have been con ducted in New Ontario. There is scarcely a settlement of farmers in the northern part of the Province that has not received seed, and has from one to twenty or thirty of its number actually engaged in the experi mental work. For instance, there were exactly forty-eight experimenters in the Temiskaming District in 1905. When I visited that district this summer, I realized more than ever the great importance of work of this kind in a new section of country. Some of the settlers had been careless in the seed which they had sown, and some of the most troublesome weeds were getting a foothold in the clearings. The farmers of the dis trict were very enthusiastic regarding the experimental work, and we could already see the good influence of the Union work of the past two or three years in those settlements which were visited. It is impossible to estimate the great value of this work in supplying seed of the best varieties of farm crops, in encouraging improved methods of agriculture, and in starting the people in the new country to experiment and investi gate for themselves along the lines of their life work.Each year about thirty-five selected experiments are chosen for the work throughout the Province, five of them are for autumn work. For the spring of 1906 are listed to show the large agricultural interest served. They are all carefully chosen. They have been under test on the College experimental grounds for at least five years, and only those. Varieties that have proven themselves worthy are distributed. All these are Open to any responsible resident of Ontario who agrees (1) to follow instructions, (2) to be careful and accurate in his wor