REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 13 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



JOURNEYS MADE. 



During the year, I visited tlie various branch Experimental Farms and Stations, 

 and a number of the Substations. In some cases, where new Farms were being 

 established, it was necessary to make several visits in connection with the general 

 organization, the installation of new officers or the laying out of the farms in ques- 

 tion. 



In addition to the various above-mentioned visits of inspection, many other trip3 

 were undertaken during the year, probably the most important being (1), a trip to 

 Fort George, B.C., made by automobile and steamer from Ashcroft over the Caribou 

 trail to Soda creek, thence by steamer, as a usual thing, but in this case all the way 

 by automobile, on the first one to enter Fort George. Several addresses were delivered 

 on the fair grounds, and judging done of agricultural products and live stock of 

 various kinds, as entered for competition at the first annual fair of the Fort George 

 Agricultural Association, to attend which the trip had been undertaken. 



While in the Fort George district, advantage was taken of the opportunity to 

 make a number of excursions east and west of the Fraser river, and along the Nechaco. 

 In practically every direction, crops being grown by settlers, most of whom had been 

 in the country but a few years, bore witness to the wonderful fertility of the soil and 

 the suitability of the climate to the production of grasses, vegetables, cereals and 

 small fruits and to live stock farming. Some most remarkable crops of oats, potatoes 

 and hay were inspected, and live stock of all kinds seemed to be doing exceedingly well. 



(2.) A trip to Pullman, Washington. U.S.A., to look into land clearine; methods, 

 as practised by the Washington State Experiment Station staff at various points 

 in the more heavily-wooded areas of the state, was also made. Clearing conditions 

 there closely resemble those which obtain in many parts of British Columbia. 



MEETINGS. 



My duties as Director do not permit of my attending very many meetings as a 

 speaker on agricultural or other subjects. I did, however, during the year speak at 

 a number of points, among which might be mentioned the Maritime Fat Stock and 

 Poultry Show, Amherst, N.S.; Fort George Agricultural Exhibition, Fort George, 

 B.C.; Quebec Dairymens' Convention, Terrebonne, Que.; Ontario Entomological 

 Society Meeting, Ottawa, Ont. ; Eastern Ontario Dairymens' Convention, Kingston, 

 Ont. ; Eastern Ontario Fat Stock and Poultry Show, Ottawa, Ont. ; Live Stock Asso- 

 ciation Meetings, Toronto, Ont.; Quebec Live Stock Association Meetings. Montreal, 

 Que. ; Manitoba Fat Stock Show, Brandon.; Quebec Seed Grower.^' As ociricn, 

 Quebec, Que.; Moosejaw Canadian Club; New Brunswick Farmers' Association, 

 Fredericton, N.B.; and several Farmers' Clubs in different provinces. 



REPORTS OF EXPERIMENTS AT FORT SMITH, RESOLUTION. AND 

 PROVIDENCE, MACKENZIE DISTRICT. 



Owing to the very poor success in the experimental work at the above points 

 last year, it was thought advisable to discontinue tests at them for the present. How- 

 ever, the Fathers in charge of the Missions at these Forts have reported on their work 

 for the season of 1912. The results, as a whole, are more encouraging than those of 

 1911, especially at Forts Resolution and Providence. 



FORT SMITH. 



At Fort Smith the season was a bad one in every respect. The snow had com- 

 pletely disappeared by April 20, but the land could not be worked before May 8. On 



