DIVISION OF HORTICULTURE 399 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



EXPERIMENTAL SUB-STATION, FORT VERMILION, 

 PEACE RIVER DISTRICT, ALBERTA. 



This station is situated in the valley of the Peace river in latitude 58° 23'. It 

 is over 300 miles north of Edmonton, and is in charge of Mr. Robert Jones, who has 

 prepared the following report: — 



The spring of 1912 opened very early, the snow starting to thaw during the 

 early part of April. Seeding was begun on April 29, but was not general until May 

 2. May opened very dry and continued so throughout the month, and, as a result, 

 growth was very slow. June was very dry and hot, with only yioo of an inch of rain 

 during the whole month. This gave the crops a permanent set-back which all the 

 rains of July could not remedy. The crops that were not ploughed under were very 



light. 



July opened showery and cold, a slight frost occurring on the nights of the 9th, 

 11th and 19th, which did considerable damage. The first part of August was showery, 

 and the ripening period was prolonged. From the 13th to the 24th, however, the 

 weather was good, and considerable cutting was done on the experimental plots. 

 Frot occurred three times towards the end of the month. 



VEGETABLES. 



Seeds sown in hotbeds April 19 to 21, transplanted to the open ground May 20 

 to 26. 



ASPARAGUS. 



Conovers' Colossal, one year old plants, in use May 22 ; large and good. 



BEANS, GARDEN. 



Sown May 2 in drills 30 inches apart : Stringless Green Pod, fit for table August 

 26; Challenge Black Wax, in use August 17. Neither of these did ripen. 



BEETS., TABLE. 



Early Blood Red Turnip, sown May 6, in use July 15. Egyptian Dark Bed Flat, 

 sown May 6, taken up September 11. Early Dark Red Egyptian Turnip, sown May 

 6, very long, all very large. 



CABBAGE. 



Early Jersey Wakefield, in use July 29; averago weight, August 29, 14£ pounds. 

 Danish Ballhead, average weight, August 29, 4£ pounds. Kildonan, very good and 

 firm; average weight August 29, 6 pounds. Bed Rock, very fine and solid; average 

 weight, August 29, 5£ pounds. 



CARROTS. 



Early Horn, sown May 6; fit for use June 29; fine flavour. TTalf Long Chante- 

 nay. sown May 6; fit for use July 5; very fine, very large when pulled on September 

 11; yield, 720 pounds. 



