REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 53 ' 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



months, a fine town had been built with a population of 600, and between 4,000 and 

 5,000 acres of land were under crop. The estimate for the wheat crop at that time in 

 that district was from twenty-five to thirty bushels per acre. 



REGINA TO SASKATOON. 



On returning to Regina a trip was taken up the Prince Albert railway as far as Sas- 

 katoon. This section of country is being settled very rapidly within twenty-five miles 

 on either side of the railway. Many visitors were met with going from point to point 

 on the railway and in vehicles inspecting and purchasing lands. Some of these were 

 from eastern Canada, but much the larger number were from the United States. These 

 included farmers from Michigan, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and IMiss- 

 ouri. Among the visitors there were also the representatives of companies of capitalists 

 who were investing largely in lands. One of these companies bought in April last, 

 eleven hundred thousand acres and at the time of my visit six hundred thousand acres 

 had been sold. Another company had bought two hundred thousand acres in that part 

 of the country, and large purchases had been made in other localities 



The number of entries for homesteads in the Dominion Land ofiices throughout the 

 Territories has been very much larger than in any previous year, and the number avail- 

 able for settlers within convenient reach of the railways has been greatly reduced. 

 There has been a considerable advance in the price of land and with tliis the demand 

 seems to have largely increased. 



REGINA TO MILESTONE AND PENSE. 



A journey was also made across the country from Regina south to Milestone and 

 thence north-west through Yellow Grass to Pense. Settlement was proceeding about as 

 rapidly throughout this district as on the line to Saskatoon. 



THE WESTERN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The return to Winnipeg was made in time to attend the meetings of the Western 

 Horticultural Society on August 29-31, where I had the opportunity of examining a 

 large collection of flowers, vegetables and fruits. The collections of flowers and vege- 

 tables were large and comprehensive and of excellent quality. The specimens of fruit 

 although limited in number and variety, were for the most part very good. The prin- 

 cipal exhibitor was Mr. A. P. Stevenson of Nelson, Man., who showed a good number 

 of vai'ieties of apples chiefly of Russian origin. Nelson is about six miles from Mor- 

 den, Man., and Mr. Stevenson has a plantation exceptionally well sheltered, both by 

 natural woods and artificial planting. The altitude also is low, 980 feet. A large pro- 

 portion of the apples exhibited were grown on trees of Russian sorts sent to Mr. 

 Stevenson, in 1891, from the Central Experimental Farm. Mr. Stevenson's favourable 

 conditions enabled him .;0 save most of the trees sent him. Larger numbers of the 

 same varieties were sent at the same time to the experimental farms at Brandon and 

 Indian Head, where they were planted under conditions as favourable as could then be 

 had, but none of these have survived. It is hoped that other fruit growers will be 

 found in the more favoured districts, who may be equally successful with Mr. Stevenson, 

 but for the average farmer under average conditions tlie chance of reaching similar 

 results is small. 



The apples shown by Mr. Stevenson at the exhibition of theW^estern Horticultural 

 Society included the following : — Blushed Calville, Hibernal, Stone Antonovka, Little 

 Hat, Ostrakoff Glass, Sugar Sweet, Saccharine, Anisim, White Rubets, Krimskoe, Hare 

 Pipka, Peerless, S;mbirsk No. 9, Arabka, Cross, Simbirsk, No. 1, Grandmother, Volga 

 Anis, Wealthy, Red Cheeked Borovinka, Yellow Transparent, Duchess and White 

 Transparent. Among the smaller exhibitors of fruit were Mr. Thos. Frankland of 



