46 



BRANDON. 



Arriving at Brandon on the 15th of August, the Experimental Farm there was 

 found to possess many interesting features. The new buildings had made fair pro- 

 gress. These have since been completed. The avenue trees and belts of forest growth 

 had made rapid advancement and will soon become a prominent featui-e. The fields 

 of grain were most promising and the acre plots of different varieties of oats were 

 the heaviest in crop I had ever seen. The crop of Indian Corn and other fodder 

 ])lantH was unexpectedly heavy. The plots of native grasses and some of the foreign 

 sorts had made thrifty growth, and the plantations uf small and large fruits which 

 had been piit out in clearings on the bluffs, amid the surrounding shelter of thick 

 scrub weie most promising. Much of the haj^ crop on the meadow lands had been 

 cut and stacked. Heavy winds had partly lodged a few of the earlier sown plots of 

 grain in the vallej^, but these were now ready for the reaper. The harvest promised 

 to be an abundant one. 



INDIAN HEAD. 



Passing on to Indian Head on the 18th, the grain crops were truly magnificent 

 and never more full of pi'omise. Miles of waving golden-headed wheat greeted the 

 eye at almost every point of view. Most of the Ladoga wheat was cut and stacked, 

 but a portion, now over lipe, had been left for ray inspection — this was cut on the 

 day of arrival. In the fields the scene was a busy one ; two binders, with their quota 

 of men, were in constant use from early to late, cutting the early-ripening borts of 

 oats, barley and wheat, and good progress was being made. On the afternoon of the 

 20th a cold wind set in from the north, the temperature fell rapidly, and before night 

 the possibilities of frost began to be discussed. At the time of the last observation 

 at night the thermometer still stood above 40, and hopes wei'e entertained of escape 

 from impending danger, but the morning revealed the fact that there had been five 

 degrees of frost. Many of the garden vegetables were more or less injured, the 

 tomatoes were gone, the potato vines partially blackened and the foliage of the corn, 

 which looked so thrifty and vigorous on the previous day, was now rapidly drooping, 

 and it was feared that serious injury had been done to the standing crops of grain. 

 The harvesting was pushed on with increased vigour ; while the two binders felled 

 and bound the golden grain willing hands cut and stacked the corn ere its leaves 

 should wither and dry, and experiments were devised to make the most of the 

 opportunity given by cutting plotsof standing grain, which had been purposely sown 

 late, at different periods, so that information might be had as to the best time to cut 

 frozen gi'ain in case such frosts should occur again. The conclusions reached will be 

 found in the report of the Superintendent of the Indian Head Farm. Many differences 

 of opinion were expressed as to the probable result of this severe visitation, some of 

 the hopeful ones claiming that no harm was done ; but subsequent experience has 

 shown that the injury to all the late wheat, which was then in a soft condition, was 

 serious, and that the effects on that which was well advanced, but still standing, was 

 such as to lessen its value. There was no frost atBi-andon that night, but it came soon 

 after. The unfavourable harvest weather which followed, and which prevailed all 

 over Manitoba and most of the eastern part of the Territories, attended with a most 

 unusual fiUlof rain, caused further injury, and the bright outlook was darkened, and 

 much of the grain, although in general a heavy ci'op, has brought very low prices. 

 The necessity of early sowing, the selection of some early ripening varieties, so that 

 the harvesting may begin earlier, and not come on all at once, and of devoting a 

 larger proportion of the land to other crops than wheat, is forcing itself upon the 

 minds of all thoughtful fai-mers, and it is believed that this visitation severe as it was 

 will be followed by compensating advantages. These wonderful plains so marvellous 

 in their fertility despite occasional drawbacks are being gradually occupied, and 

 when once the farmers can be bi'ought to fully realize the great importance of adopting 

 mixed farming, its general practice will do much to lessen the injury caused by eai-ly 

 frosts where wheat ia the mainstay of the country. 



