REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 61 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



to the large assembh^ as Canadian representatives. There was a large and dis- 

 tinguished gathering, including eminent pomologists from nearly all the civilized 

 countries in the world. ]Many interesting papers were presented, which were followed 

 by animated discussions. Among the subjects discussed were the planting of fruit 

 and forest trees on the roadside, which brought out much difference of opinion; the 

 weight of evidence, however, was in favour of using fruit trees for this purpose. 

 The replanting of orchards, the trenching of land, the use of fertilizers on fruit trees, 

 the cultivation of the banana in the French colonies, and the teaching of agriculture 

 and horticulture in the public schools were all discussed. This latter subject called out 

 much -difference of opinion. The results of this teaching were commented on favour- 

 ably by some, while other speakers were of opinion that the progress made by the 

 pupils had not, on the whole, been satisfactory, and it was only where the teachei^ 

 themselves took a great interest in the subject and imbued the pupils with som? of 

 their enthusiasm that much real progres.s was made, and that the number of teachers 

 so interested was comparatively small. 



A paper was presented by Mr. A. Dupuis on 'Horticulture in Canada,' which was 

 very well received. The proceedings of the congress lasted nearly three days, and 

 was well attended throughout. 



I also attended the Congress of Botanists, where Canada had three representa- 

 tives : Mr. James M. Macoun, Assistant ISTaturalist of the Geological Survey ; Mr. 

 Robert Hamilton, of Grenville, Quebec, and myself. 



AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AT GRIGNOK 



A visit was paid to this excellent and well-known IsTational Agricultural School, 

 in company with Dr. Jas. Mills, President of the Ontario College of Agriculture at 

 Guelph, and others. The college at Grignon has commodious buildings and is 

 thoroughly equipped for teaching purposes. It is well supplied with apparatus and 

 material suitable for chemical and physical demonstrations and for the teaching of 

 agriculture and botany. Good examples were also seen of animals belonging to 

 different breeds of stock. 



After inspecting the buildings, we visited the fields where experimental work was 

 in progress, and found everything nicely arranged. The series of experiments were 

 well planned and instructive, all calculated to serve an excellent purpose in the 

 instruction of the students. Experiments are conducted with many different sorts of 

 wheat, barley and oats, but the grain plots were all harvested. Samples, however, 

 wei^e shown us in the building, both in straw and cleansd grain. Rotation plots are 

 carried on. Comparative tests were in progress as to the relative value of farm 

 manure and lupins and vetches, ploughed under. Other experiments were also 

 being made with fertilizers. About 230 acres of land, in all, are used for the purposes 

 of this college. The number of pupils in 1900 was 220, 100 of which are boarders; 

 the others live outside the college. About 25 per cent of the pupils are fai'mers' sons. 

 Fifty varieties of sugar beets were ui^fler test in plots of about 8 by 10 feet. Experi- 

 ments were also in progress with potatoes, using for seed a medium-sized whole 

 potato, as against the half of a large-sized potato. IN'o reports or bulletins are 

 published. Farmers generally are not encouraged to visit this school. The school 

 is established especially for students and for the advancement of scientific work in 

 connection with agriculture, but no means seem to be adopted to make farmers 

 aequainted with the particulars of the work in progress. 



VISIT TO NORMAXDY. 



A journey was made into ^Normandy to the district of Calvados to inspect one of 

 the large tree-growing establishments for which this district is celebrated. The firm 

 whose place I visited work about 100 acres in all, and grow young trees and slirubs by 



