14 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



5 GEORGE v., A. 1915 



The next morning, Wednesday, July 2, we started on the second lap of 125 

 miles to Grant, the second divisional point west of Cochrane. The country west 

 of Hearst is like that east of it, drained by numerous streams flowing north. In 

 the stretch from Hearst to English river, some 97 miles, the railway crosses the 

 Kakabenakagami, "White river, Skunk river, Negagami river, the Negagami branch, 

 Bad river, the Pegachouan, Flint river and English river. From Hearst to the latter 

 point is probably the best part of the clay belt. I should judge that from 26 to 30 

 per cent would be easily cleared, from 40 to 45 per cent would need no great effort 

 to clear, and from 25 to 30 per cent more could be cleared, but would require more 

 work to do so. It promises to be a splendid agricultural country. From English 

 river to Grant, while still in the clay belt, is likely to be of but small value agricul- 

 turally, being as it is, rather low where level, with the higher parts rocky. 



From Grant to Armstrong, the next divisional point, the country is of very 

 small agricultural value if one may judge by what one sees along the right of 

 way on the N.T.R., rocky rises, quaking muskegs, sliallow black lak^es, and sluggish 

 rivesrs, with a very rare stretch of decent soil making up the district through which 

 the railway runs, for a distance of about 130 miles between the above points. The 

 road on this division crosses a number of rivers, some running south and some- 

 north. Of the latter, the most notable was the Kowkashagami, and of the former the 

 Ombabika, Jack Fish, Seymour, Mud, Rapid creek and Whitesand may be men- 

 tioned. 



We spent the night at Summit, some 30 miles from Armstrong. 



From Summit to Armstrong the character of the country changes for several 

 miles; barren sand dunes struggle for the mastery with stunted jack pine and dwarf 

 poplar. This gradually changes near Armstrong, and spots of quite fertile soil show 

 up both east and west of this divisional point. 



From Armstrong to Superior Junction, the country is, for the most part, of 

 small agricultural value. Lakes, rocks, rivers, muskegs, sand hills, gravelly knolls, 

 with here and there small clay pockets make up the district as traversed by the 

 N.T.Iv. It will no doubt, in time, be brought under agriculture, in part at least, 

 as the good parts seem to be fertile and the climate appears tx) be favourable. It 

 would, however, on the whole appear to be more suitable for a forest reserve or a park 

 than for agricultural development. The same may be said of the country to the 

 west of Superior Junction to Reddit, the first divisional point east out of Winnipeg 

 on the IST.T.R. From Graham to Redditt the country is exceedingly picturesque. 

 Lakes are almost always in sight. It is the prettiest part of the whole N.T.R. 

 From Reddit to Transcona some good country is traversed. 



We reached Transcona at 2.30 a.m. Sunday and the next morning an automobile 

 bus took us the rest of the way into Winnipeg. 



Another trip taken was that to visit certain of the more important Exj)eriment 

 Stations and Agricultural Colleges in the central part of the United States. Am.ong 

 the institutions visited were Manhattan, Kansas, Agricultural College and Experi- 

 ment Station; Ames, Iowa, Agricultural College and Experiment Station; Urbana. 

 m., Experiment Station and Agricultural College, and Lansing, Mich., Agricultural 

 College and Experiment Station. 



In November, I attended the meeting of the Directors of Agricultural Colleges 

 and Experiment Stations, held in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 



