REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 



83 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



A great change has been made in the appearance of the Station since clearing 

 operations began eighteen months ago. Then giant cedars and Douglas firs grew 

 200 feet high, 8 feet diameter at the base and. being deep-rooted took 40 sticks of 

 stumping powder to uproot thom; windfalls and twisted logs were cross-piled 

 amongst second growth, treacherous places of quicksand and bog were found, 

 where, if a horse got in, cables were required to get him out. Now automobiles 

 travel over the same ground down to the two railway stations and the sea beach, 

 through avenues planted with shrubs and trees, and fields of fall wheat and rye are 

 growing. There remains, howevei", much to be done before the plans for this 

 Station may be said to be well under way. 



On account of the difficulty and amount of the clearing to be done, the season 

 was too advanced for experimental crop growing, so 30 acres were sown to oats for 

 fodder, wliite clover, which was ploughed under in the fall, and roots for the stock. 

 These all gave satisfactory crops. 



The 30 acres set aside for horticulture has been planted with British Columbia 

 .<5hrubs and plants and fruit trees imported from Japan. France, Germany, the 

 United States and Eastern Canada. 



The nursery, orchards, avenue, and arboretum look well, and the lawn sown 

 with Kentucky Blue grass is a good catch. 



The five general purpose horses have been fully employed the whole year and 

 are in excellent condition. 



JIETEOROLOGICAL RKCORD.S. 



Note. — .■Xs the ineteorologieal instruments were not installed at the Sidney Station until February 14, 

 1914, the above records up to that date were obtained from other observers in the Suanich penin-ula. There 

 may he som.e difTerence between the temperatures and rainfall at these points and at the Expcri menta 

 Station, hut the above will give a good idea of the weather conditions of the district. 



16— 6 J 



