8 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



9-10 EDWARD VII., A. 1910 



No samples of Red Fife could be obtained. All the varieties in the above list are 

 earlier than Red Fife, and hence suit this district better. They have all been grown 

 from samples sent to settlers during the past few years for trial, from the Central 

 Experimental Farm at Ottawa. 



Two samples of oats v.-cre received from Mr. Robert Jones, one of Banner, which 

 weighed 41J lbs. per bushel, and one unnamed sort which weighed 42 lbs. per bushel. 

 The Banner was sown May 16 and was ripe August 24. One sample of barley was 

 sent in, unnamed, which was sown May 16 and was cut August 12. This weighed 494 

 lbs. per bushel. There was also one sample of peas which was sown May 23 and cut 

 on August 12, weighing 64 lbs. per bushel. Besides these there were two samples of 

 beans which were plump and well-ripened. 



From the dates of sowing and ripening, the absence of injury from frost and the 

 weights of the samples of the grain received, it is evident that the season of 1908 was 

 quite as favourable for crop growing in the Peace River District as it was in many 

 parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan further south. Writing on December 19, Mr. 

 Jones says : ' The farmers in this neighbourhood are busy at present hauling their 

 wheat to market, all of which is of the very best quality.' 



Writing again on February 14, Mr. Jones says : ' The winter has been very 

 severe up to date, as the meteorological records will show. The snow is very deep, 

 which puts the idea of the wintering of stock outside out of the question. The live 

 stock at Fort Vermilion are in good condition, the feed supply being plentiful. The 

 lowest temperature was on February 7, when the thermometer dropped to 59-5° below 

 zero. 59° below zero was recorded on January 13, and 58° below zero on January 

 6 and 14.' 



Table of meteorological observations taken at Fort Vermilion, Peace River District, 

 Alberta, from July 1, 1908, to March 31, 1909, showing maximum, minimum and 

 moan temperature, also highest and lowest, for each month, with date of occur- 

 rence; also rainfall, snowfall and total precipitation. 



Month. 



•July 



August . . . . 

 September. 



October . . . 

 November . 

 December. 

 January . . 

 February . , 

 March 



0) 



o 



1^ 



25th 

 15th 



2nd 



4th 



28th 



13th 



22nd 



2nd 



5th 



* No records of temperature or precipitation have been supplied for April, May 

 and June, 1908. 



