H.—29b

18

The following are particulars of the agreement between the Department and the farmer on whose property the demonstrations are carried out: — The farmer agrees with the Dominion Department of Agriculture to place under its direction a portion of his farm—say, 45 acres—for demonstration purposes in connection with cropping systems and cultural methods. The Department agrees to furnish the farmer with grain and such other seeds as are thought best, by the Department, and with formalin for treatment of same, said grain or seeds to be sown on such of the 5-acre fields as shall be decided upon each year by the Department, said fields to be contiguous to each other and to be selected and approved by a representative of the Department, and the grain to be seeded at, such time and in such manner, anil the land to be given such cultivation and treatment, as said representative of the Department, shall direct. The farmer agrees to follow the directions of the Department, in the measurement of the plots, in the treatment of the seed, in the cultivation of the ground, and in the rotation of the crops, and to seed the several plots at such time and in such manner as directed by the Department or its representative, and to perform the labour connected therewith as directed; to harvest said fields when crops mature or when directed to do so by the Department or its representative; to carefully sfook same if of cereals, and to thresh or properly harvest cadi plot, separately, and to record the exact production of each plot, and to keep these and such other records as may be agreed upon, such as amount and date of rainfall, etc., and at the end of the season to submit to the Department a complete and accurate report of the. season's work and the results thereof. The Department agrees to furnish addressed envelopes, and a diary (in duplicate) in printed form, properly dated from Ist April to Ist November of each year. The farmer agrees to enter a report of each day's or part of day's work, and to make other notes on the growth of the crops, (fee, and to mail each week, as directed by the Department or its representative, the week's report, and to retain the duplicate copy in his office. The Department will notify the farmer of the failure of receipt of report. The farmer agrees to keep a record of the time and cost of each field operation, and to report the same on the daily report form in such manner as directed by the Department. The farmer agrees to assist, the Department to measure and stake off eight fields, with a road I rod wide running between fields and all round the outsides, said fields to be numbered consecutively from A to H, the crops to lie grown on the said fields each season to be as per diagram attached, but subject to revision if such revision is deemed advisable by the Department. The work of laying off plots and roads to be done in the year. It is further agreed that the farmer will permit the placing in front of each field a sign stating briefly the method of preparing the land for the crop-growing thereon, or the treatment being given the plot that year, thus :— THIS PI/OT IS BEING SUMMER-FALLOWED, or WHEAT: LAND WAS SUMMER-FALLOWED LAST YEAH. or such other legend as will indicate the work under way on the plot in question, and two larger signs, one at each corner of the field on the road, thus : — DOMINION GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATION WORK IN CROP-PRODUCTION. The Department reserves the right of entering upon any or all of these fields under crop and of collecting small samples free of charge for exhibition or other similar purposes if so desired. Further, the farmer agrees to sell to the Department, if the Department desires to purchase, any or all of the grain or other seeds grown on these fields at an advance of, say, 5 cents (2Jd.) per bushel on grain, and a proportionate advance on other seeds, over the price being paid for grain or seeds of a similar grade at the nearest railway or shipping port. In the event, of the Department desiring to purchase grain and seeds from the said fields, the farmer shall each yearhave the right to reserve as much of this seed as may be necessary for his own use as seed on the above-described area the next year if the Department deems it suitable for use on said area, otherwise the whole crop would be the property of the farmer and subject to his disposal. The Department or its representative may at any time during the currency of this agreement enter upon said land and examine the crops growing on said fields. In consideration of the farmer doing this work according to instructions set out, and under the supervision of an inspector who will visit the farm from time to time during the growingseason, keeping the necessary records, sending weekly reports, &c, the Department will undertake to pay the farmer at the rate of 5 dollars (£1) per acre for all land occupied—say, 45 acres, or 225 dollars (.£45) in all —payment to lie made at the end of the cropping season when approved by the inspector, The Department agrees to furnish the necessary seed, for the first year at least, to sow such of the above-mentioned 5-acre fields as it is decided to put under crop that year. In subsequent years the farmer would be expected to save enough of the best of the crop grown on these fields to do the necessary seeding —this, of course, provided the seed produced was satisfactory as to purity and germinability. The Department to supply the signs as above described and to help set them up ; furnish the boundary or corner stakes for the fields and help set them up. This agreement is for three successive years, but should the farmer fail to fulfil the conditions outlined in this agreement, it may be revoked at the end of any one year by the Department. This agreement shall extend to and shall bind and shall enure to the benefit of the successors of the Department, and to the heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns of the farmer. Seasonable Hints. The officers of the Canadian Experimental Farms are trying to get into touch with every farmer in Canada through the printing-press, and a novelty that was adopted in the beginning