REPORT ( ? MR, AXGUS JIAVK1Y 425 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



OINE HOUSE. 



A building 1G x 26 feet was pul up to hold the gasoline engine for winter use. 



- [EEP HOUSE. 



Having purchased some sheep, a house became necessary, and one 20 feet by 40 

 feet with three divisions, and a loft for hay, was built late in the fall. 



FENCING. 



Nearly five miles of fencing was erected during the season, four miles of inside 

 cross-fences and one mile on the southern boundary; 1,400 rods of woven wire and 

 1,470 lbs. of barbed wire was used. 



FRUIT CROP. 



As already stated, all fruit was destroyed by spring frosts, something that never 

 before happened on the Farm. 



The spring opened early in March, and all fruit trees and bushes came in blossom 

 Jong before they should. Commencing with strawberries, everything was killed in suc- 

 cession, and, excepting two trees of late wild-plums, all blossom was totally destroyed. 



CROSS-ERED APPLE TREES. 



The following cross-bred apple trees were received from E. D. Smith. Winona, 

 Out., and used to fill the blanks in the different orchards:— 



10 Alberta, 15 Jewel, 10 Prince. 



10 Golden, 10 Pioneer, 10 Magnus, 



10 Silvia, 10 Tony, 15 Robin. 



PREPARING LAND FOE • J RAIN CROPS IN SASKATCHEWAN. 



During the growing season of 1G08 almost the entire western portion of the pro- 

 vince suffered from dry weather, and the majority of the new settlers, either from 

 unfamiliarity with the methods of cultivation for the conservation of moisture, or 

 through a desire to bring the greatest possible area under cultivation, naturally suffered 

 a severe disappointment. 



In some districts, where in former years moisture had been abundant and proper 

 cultivation had in consequence be< i neglected in the effort to 'get rich quick.' the 

 partial failure of the crop proved an expensive lesson. 



For many years, commencing in 1S8S, the methods of conserving moisture by 

 "'Breaking and Backsetting' and by 'Summer-fallowing, 1 now called 'Dry-farming' 

 for a change, have been recommended and universally adopted by tlie older settlers, 

 but to very many of the new settlers they are unknown. The latter. I trust, may be 

 benefited by the following explanation of the methods which, for a great many years, 

 have proved uniformly successful at the Experimental Farm here, and may with 

 confidence be recommended for ever;' district in the province of Saskatchewan, 



