52 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



REPORT OP THE FOREMAN OF FORESTRY. 



Owing to the very wet season, the work of this department was greatly in- 

 creased this 3'ear, and it was only by much labour with the horse cultivator and 

 hand-hoe, that the weeds could be kept in chock. Not only was frequent culti- 

 vation necessary for this reason, but the soil became compact again so soon, on 

 account of very frequent rain, that it was extremely difficult to keep it in that 

 porous condition which is essential to best results in tree growth. 



Most of the trees and shrubs bordering the avenues in the forest plantations, 

 and on the ornamental grounds, have made rapid growth this year and are fust 

 becoming prominent features of the farm. 



Insect enemies have been very numerous, and great vigilance was required to 

 keep them in check. By occasional spraying with a mixture of Paris green and 

 water and much picking off by hand, they were prevented from doing any great 

 injury. A blight on the elms caused the limbs on a considerable number of them to 

 die, and in some cases the whole tree was destroyed by it. 



Nearly nineteen acres are now planted with the trees which form the forest 

 belts along the northern and western boundaries of the farm. The belt on the 

 western boundary is completed and contains 9,686 trees now living. The belt 

 along the northern boundary, which is not yet completed, contains 5,840 trees living. 

 Thus there is now a total of 15,526 trees living in both plantations. 



FOREST BELT ALONG WESTERN BOUNDARY. 



In this belt the trees are grouped in clumps of one species each and for com- 

 parison are planted 5 feet apart and 10 feet apart each way to show results of plant- 

 ing at different distances. Where trees have been planted for several years the benefit 

 of close planting is easily discernible, the trees making better growth with a less 

 proportion of broken tops and limbs, and the weeds being prevented from growing 

 by the dense shade long before weeds cease to thrive among the trees planted 10 

 feet apart. 



As large additions have been made to this belt since 1889, when the last list 

 was published, a complete record is now given in the following table. Several 

 clumps composed of species which havo not succeeded well have been partly 

 or wholly replaced by others : — 



Deciduous Trees. 



Acer saccharinum— Sugar maple ... . . , 



do do do 



do platan oides — Norway maple 



do dasycarpum — Silver leaved maple . . . 



do nibrum — Red maple 



Alnus glutinosa— Sticky alder 



^sciilus hippocastanum — Horse-chestnut 



Betula alba — European white birch 



do lutea — Yellow birch 



do papyracea — Canoe birch 



Carya alba — Shell-bark hickory 



Catalpa speciosa — Hardy Western catalpa 



do Ksempferi —Japan catalpa 



do hybrida — Tea's catalpa ... . 



Carpinus betulus — European hornbeam . . 



Cerasus serotina — Wild black cherry 



Eraxinus Americana — White ash 



do do do 



do excelsior — European ash 



do pubescens — Red ash. 



do viridis — Green ash 



do sambucif olia — Black ash 



Number 

 living. 



234 



60 



110 



120 



170 



90 



86 



90 



148 



118 



8 



154 



30 



30 



146 



224 



473 



120 



40 



120 



120 



120 



Number 

 dead. 



2 



2 



