68 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



1-2 EDWARD VII., A. 1902 



afterwards. There were 14 or 15 present, and all joined heartily in the singing. The 

 musical part of the service was greatly aided by the piano played by Mrs. Boutellier, 

 and a violin played by her son. The service was interesting and impressive. The con- 

 gregation were summoned by a bell mounted outside the building which had been got 

 from a wrecked vessel. A good deal of the furniture in the dwellings on the island 

 consists of articles rescued from similar disasters; indeed one finds reminders on all 

 hands of wrecks. 



LOOKING OVER THE GROUND. 



In the afternoon a walk of several miles was taken along the shores of the lagoon, 

 and some promising sites for other tree plantations examined. During this ramble a 

 considerable area of ground was found which was covered with 3 or 4 inches of black 

 peaty soil mixed with sand and with pure sand underneath. On this land the common 

 juniper w T as growing, also masses of crowberry, Empetrum nigrum and quantities of 

 wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), blueberry (Vaccinium), wild rose and other plants. 

 Doubtless this dark peaty layer has been formed from the gradual decay of many suc- 

 cessive crops of these plants and shrubs. The weather was more or less foggy during 

 the greater part of the day, clearing up at intervals, with a strong wind from the north 

 which worked up a very stormy sea and the breakers were so powerful that it would not 

 have been practicable to have gone out to a ship in such weather. 



ADDITIONAL PLANTATIONS BEGUN. 



On Monday morning, May 20, we were all early at work at the trees with the avail- 

 able force so divided that planting was carried on during the day at three different 

 points. The weather was foggy, windy and cold, but plenty of exercise induced warmth. 

 A plantation of trees was put out in front of the Superintendent's house, another on 

 the east 'side, and a third was put in the Superintendent's garden. In the latter en- 

 closure, which was a good sized piece of ground, all the small fruits were planted, all 

 the smaller lots of shrubs and trees and 10 or 12 each of all the other varieties. Hence 

 in that plantation specimens of all the different sorts under trial are ranged side by 

 Bide under similar conditions. The garden plot, originally sandy, had with the frequent 

 application of manure from the barn and stables become somewhat loamy, so much so 

 as to grow vegetables fairly well. In such soil many of the trees and shrubs are likely 

 to do well. The plantation in front of the Superintendent's house is nearly pure sand, 

 that on the side has a little loamy material in it, and another at the back of the house 

 is of the same quality. As the result of this day's work several thousand trees were 

 placed. 



EVENING SEARCH FOR TERN'S EGGS. 



Towards evening three of us went across Lake Wallace in a boat to the south side 

 for tern's eggs, as we found them very good eating. On landing we found the eggs 

 quite plentiful. There were thousands of the birds flying around screaming and 

 swooping down towards us in a most threatening manner. Their nest is simply a little 

 hollow place worked out in the sand with sometimes a few bits of sea-weed in it, usually 

 eel grass, but this is exceptional. In these nests which were scattered all over the sur- 

 face, and more numerous on elevated knolls, we found from one to three eggs. In a 

 short time our party gathered over twelve dozen. In most nests there was only one 

 egg, in from ten to twenty instances two eggs, and in one nest only, three eggs. There 

 would doubtless have been more eggs in some of the nests, as three is the usual number 

 these birds lay, but for the fact that they had been gathered on that part of the shore 

 two days before when we had a large supply for breakfast. 



