REPORT OF MR. JAMES MURRAY 301 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



Two large roots of rhubarb were put into barrels and covered lightly with earth 

 and placed in a warm cellar with the idea of providing a winter supply, on October 

 20. A fortnight later another large root was dug up and exposed to the weather until 

 it was frozen solid. It was then placed in the cellar and watered occasionally. This 

 root produced stalks 15 inches long by December 20, being far ahead of the roots 

 placed in the barrels. 



AGEICULTUEAL MEETINGS. 



During the year a number of farmers' meetings have been attended and addressed 

 on some agricultural subject. At the following seed fairs, I judged the grain or 

 assisted in that work and addressed the meeting afterwards : — 



Swan Lake, December 14; Virden, January 11; Elkhorn, January 20; Oak 

 Lake, January 21; Strathclair, February 2; Hamiota, February 3, Oak River, 

 February 4. 



The subjects discussed at these meetings related mainly to the successful growing 

 of grain, grasses, clovers and corn, but some other branches of work on the farm were 

 also given attention. At the Convention of Agricultural Societies and Grain Show 

 held in Winnipeg, February 15 to 18, I acted as one of the judges of the grain, and 

 , gave before the convention a resume of some of the most important experiments 

 conducted here during the past year. At the Manitoba Winter Fair and Fat Stock 

 Show held in Brandon March 9 to 12, I discussed ' The Production of Beef with 

 minimum labour and expense,' paying particular attention to experiments under way 

 at this farm. 



A Farmers Institute meeting was also attended at Melita on February 9, which 

 was very successful. 



VISITORS. 



During the year many thousand visitors have inspected the work under way at 

 the Experimental Farm, many of whom were farmers from Manitoba and other pro- 

 vinces. Several press excursions from the United States paid close attention to the 

 Farm during their stay in Brandon. The most interested and critical group of 

 visitors was the Scottish Agricultural Commission, sent to Canada to study agTi- 

 cultural development and education. They spent several days in Manitoba visiting 

 various places, spending one forenoon at the Farm. At your direction, I met them in 

 Winnipeg and accompanied them during the tim-e they spent in this province. They 

 took a particular interest in everything pertaining to the agricultural welfare of this 

 part of Canada, and, while impressed with its possibilities, did not regard our present 

 system of farming with much favour, as they considered it too prodigal of our soil 

 fertility. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLES. 



The distribution of samples of grain, jwtatoes, trees, and shrubs, &c., has been 

 continued, and during the past year the following material has been sent out: — 



Seedling trees and shrubs, packages 274 



Potatoes in 3-lb. bags , 134 



Wheat in 3-lb. bags 55 



Oats in 3-lb. bags 53 



Barley in 3-lb. bags ' 24 



Peas in 3-lb. bags 17 



Maple seed in 1-lb. bags 10 



Rhubarb seed in 1-lb. bags 4 



Ash seed in 1-lb. bags 5 



Caragana seed in 1-lb. bags 5 



