436 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA, A. 1901 

 FOREST TREE PLANTATION. 



The forest trees planted in the shelter belt continue to make a strong growth. 

 The oak, ash, maple and other hardwood trees on the mountain side are getting above 

 the ferns and other low growths, as shown in early autumn, when the foliage assumes 

 autumn tints, at which time many of these eastern trees are quite conspicuous. 



ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS AND TREES. 



This portion of the experimental work has made very line growth this season, 

 and although in some instances the cut-worms took a considerable share of the foliage, 

 the shrubs have leaved out again and do not appear to be materially injured. The 

 Japanese hydrangeas and the roses continued to bloom up to the sharp frosts which 

 occurred in the beginning of November. 



NUT TREES. 



The heart-shaped, Japanese and English walnuts all fruited this year, the latter 

 variety for the first time and only a few nuts, but they have grown from very 

 small trees in 1893, when they were planted, to trees of twenty feet high, with wide 

 branching heads and the stems to six to seven inches in diameter at the collar. The 

 Spanish and Japanese chestnuts also fruited and the nuts matured. 



As there is considerable inquiry for nut trees in diilerent parts of the province, 

 these nuts have been distributed for planting. The filberts make a strong wood growth, 

 but the pollen begins to mature and falls as early as the middle of January, and by 

 the time the female blossom opens (here generally early in April), the pollen is nearly 

 all blown away and lost ; in consequence of this the crop is light. It is intended to 

 plant a few healthy bushes of the wild hazel nut in hopes that this may correct the 

 partial barrenness of the more valuable cultivated varieties, bv supplying pollen. 



The hard-shelled almonds fruited again this year, but none of the soft-shelkd 

 varieties produced any fruit. 



DITCHING. 



About 680 yards of open ditch, 4 feet wide on top, 3 feet deep and 1 foot wide in 

 the bottom, has been dug this fall, connecting at the outlet with the municipal ditch. 

 The ditch as far as completed is doing good service, and when carried through to the 

 terminus will, it is hoped, enable us to cultivate and crop land that has heretofore 

 been too wet to work. 



BREAKINO AND CLEARING. 



About six acres of land was broken up and cropped this year, and ten more cleared 

 of all timber and brush and seeded to grass and clover. It is expected in this way to 

 get a catch of grass and by pasturing the land for a few years with cattle and sheep, 

 give the hardwood stumps time to rot, and the pasturing will aid in killing out the 

 ferns, and in this way materially lessen the cost of clearing land, esi>ecially where 

 there are not many fir or cedar trees. These, of course, do not rot for very many years. 



LIVE STOCK. 



The six horses purchased when the farm was first occupied, are still in good 

 condition for work. 



The cattle mentioned in my report of last year have all been disposed of but one 

 Shorthorn cow, one Shorthorn heifer and one grade cow and calf ; since then a fine 

 Shorthorn bull calf has been procured from the Experimental Farm at Indian Head, 



