72 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



the society I delivered an address containing a summary of the methods adopted by the 

 Government of Canada for the promotion of agriculture. 



I also attended the meeting of the agricultural conference held in Truro, N. S., in 

 August in connection with the visit of their Excellencies the Governor General and the 

 Countess of Aberdeen, and took part in the proceedings. 



VISITS TO THE BRANCH EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



Two visits have been paid this season to the branch experimental farms at Brandon 

 and Indian Head and one each to Nappan and Agassiz. The first trip was made in 

 July, and the second during the month of September. 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT BRANDON, MAN. 



At the time of the earlier visit, July 17th to 20th, the crops were suffering much 

 from a protracted drought, the straw of the grain was very short and the yield did not 

 promise well. Subsequently, the results of the harvest proved better than had been 

 expected. The yield was not large, although better than last year, but the quality of 

 the grain was excellent. The Indian corn looked well, but the roots and other late 

 crops had suffered much, from the long continued dry weather. The avenues, belts and 

 hedges of forest trees looked well and had made good growth notwithstanding the 

 unfavourable season. 



This farm is proving a most useful institution to the farmers of Manitoba, and kind 

 words of appreciation and commendation are heard on every hand in regard to the 

 suitability of the location, the value of the experimental work planned, and the excel- 

 lent way in which the farm is conducted by the much esteemed superintendent. 



The grading and planting of the groups of shrubs and ornamental trees about the 

 residence of the superintendent briefly referred to in my last annual report, together 

 with the subsequent sodding, had produced a most marked improvement in the sur- 

 roundings and had transformed a bare and barren looking place into a fertile looking and 

 beautiful spot dotted with thrifty growing trees and shruDS, affording in all directions 

 pleasant objects for the eye to rest upon. Provision is being made to add to this inter- 

 esting collection of trees and shrubs during the coming season. 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT INDIAN HEAD, N. W. T. 



Crops suffered in a still greater degree from the excessive dry weather in the 

 North-west Territories, and those at Indian head were no exception to the general rule. 

 The good results of summer fallowing and good farming were very apparent during this 

 visit, for, while the crop on the Indian Head experimental farm was reduced to about 

 one half of the average return, those farmers in the neighbourhood who had not fol- 

 lowed the good example set by our efficient superintendent, Mr. A. Mackay, had scarcely 

 any crop worth cutting. The wind-breaks and belts of forest trees which have been 

 planted on this farm are now rapidly transforming it from a bare plain to a piece of at- 

 tractive and diversified landscape. Their great usefulness in collecting snow during 

 the winter and thus giving more moisture to the land has also been clearly demonstrat- 

 ed in the increased yields of grain and roots obtained on land adjacent to such plant- 

 ations, for particulars of which I would refer the reader to the excellent report of the 

 superintendent of that farm appended. 



The train service during the greater part of the year has not been convenient for 

 visitors to the farm, the trains passing Indian Head each way during the night. For 

 this reason the number of visitors to the farm has not increased as it undoubtedly 

 would have done under more favourable circumstances. 



EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT NAPPAN, N.S. 



This branch farm was visited in August, when the work in progress there was care- 

 fully inspected. The hay crop had been large and was well saved, but the protracted 



