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in wind-breaks near tbe buildings. These wind-breaks were planted 65 feet apart, 

 between which fruit trees, roots, grain, &c., will be grown. A few hundred of our 

 native poplar were also planted. In the fall of 1890 tree seeds of maple, ash, oak, 

 elm, cherry, hazel and saskatoon were sown in large quantities, in all two acres, 

 and in May last nine acres of maples and ash were sown. Of the fall sowing, maple, 

 ash, oak, elm, hazel and saskatoon came up. The maples were entirely killed soon 

 after appearing above ground, but the rest, especially the young oak, made a satis- 

 factory growth. Of the spring sowing about i of the maple came, but none of the 

 ash. The maples have made a good growth. 14,450 forest trees from Nebraska 

 were set out in May 1890. These made a fair growth during that season, but this 

 spring all the cottonwoods, locusts, walnuts, butternuts and Eussian mulberry were 

 found to be dead. White ash, green ash, soft maple, white elm and coffee tree, Rus- 

 sian olive and red cedar, were all badly cut back, the great majority to the ground. 

 / The favourable season caused a good growth from the ash and elm, but the 

 maples and coffee trees, olive and cedar made little or no progress. Besides the 

 trees from Nebraska, 4,947 were receivei from the Central Experimental Farm, 

 Ottawa. Many of the pines died soon after being set out, and of those living only 

 about one dozen Scotch pine came through the winter and are living now. All the 

 spruce, larch, arbor vit^e, juniper, hickory, chestnut, butternut, Russian mulberry 

 and linden were killed. A few Norway maples are living. White, black and green 

 ash and the elm were badly cut back, many entirely killed. White birch and mountain 

 ash coming out best and did well all the past season. 



SHRUBS. 



Of the shrubs planted, the Caragana arborescena has done extra well, and of all 

 foreign trees or shrubs this seems to stand our climate by far the best, and may be 

 put down as very suitable for the North-West. Syringa alba (lilac) also stands 

 the climate well, and though little growth is made in a season none so far hUve died 

 and some progress is being made. Spircea opuUfolia and Jiibes aureum (flowering 

 currant) stood last winter and did well the past season. All the other shrubs, such 

 as Syringas Berberis, &c., have all or nearly all been killed. Artemisia abrotans 

 planted on the farm in May, 1890, stood last winter, and being a very fast and thick 

 grower, makes the best hedge or wind-break of anything so far tried, and promises 

 to be very suitable for wind-breaks/ around gardens or for small enclosures. 



WILLOWS AND POPLARS. 



« 



In willows Salix Voronesh and Salix acutifolia stand the climate well, and 

 every spring start to grow from the tips. All other sorts, such as white willow, 

 3^ellow willow, purple willow, Norway willow, Wisconsin weeping willow and Salix 

 laurifolia are cut back each winter and are not suitable. In poplars, Populus 

 Wobstii, Riga and Populus aurea start each spring fi-om the tips. 



SUMMER FALCOWS. 



In my last report I stated that two plans were being tested in working fallow 

 on the experimental farm. One was gang ploughing in the fall, as soon after harvest 

 as possible, so as to start weeds, and plough and complete the work the following 

 season; the other to do all the work in the one season — that is, fi-om May to Novem- 

 ber. So far as the crop was concerned no difference could be detected the past season 

 between the two modes of working. On both the gi-ain was very heavy and greatly 

 lodged ; the piece of land gang-ploughed in the. fall was very full of weeds the previous 

 year. The past season not one appeared, while on land worked in one season weeds 

 in great numbers came up where the crop was at all blown in the spring. 



For this reason, and on account of the fall system being much the easiest man- 

 ' aged, as it does away with all volunteer grain, it should be more frequently followed. 

 The land on the experimental farm was worked in several ways the past season. Part 

 7c^— 20| f 



