REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 85 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



VISIT TO THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT AGASSIZ, B.C. 



Pursuing my journey westward I reached Agassiz, B.C., early in September. I 

 found the crops of grain at the Experimental Farm very good. Wheat, barley and 

 oats have all yielded well. The hay crop had been unusually heavy, and Indian corn, 

 field roots and potatoes were very promising. Particulars of all these will be found in 

 the report of the superintendent, Mr. Thomas A. Sharpe. The crops on the Experi- 

 mental Earm may be taken as a fair index as to those on farms generally in the coast 

 climate. 



The fruit crop in the Eraser river valley in which the Experimental Farm is lo- 

 cated, was disappointing. Cold and wet weather in the spring prevented much of the 

 fruit from setting, so that there was comparatively few apples and pears. Later in 

 the season rot prevailed in the plums to such an extent that a considerable proportion 

 of this crop was destroyed. The fruit trees in the more newly planted orchards were 

 making satisfactory progress. The trees in the nut orchard had made good growth, 

 and considering their age were bearing well. The forest and ornamental trees were 

 making rapid growth, and many of the shrubs and flowers blooming well. An addi- 

 tional area of land has been cleared to provide for increased pasturage and an enlarge- 

 ment of the orchards and to give additional areas for field crops in the near future. 



The stock including the pure bred short-horns recently sent from Ontario were 

 doing well, and the swine, sheep and fowls were all making satisfactory progress. 



In the interior of British Columbia the fruit crop was said to be good and of ex- 

 cellent quality, but the limited time at my disposal prevented me from visiting any of 

 these districts this year. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



It gives me much pleasure to acknowledge gratefully my obligations to those who 

 have rendered me special services. To the United States Department of Agriculture 

 to whom I am indebted for a number of different sorts of cereals and other farm crops, 

 to Dr. C. Doxrud, of the Technical School, of Christiania, Norway, for samples of cer- 

 i als and other agricultural products grown in Norway. To the Director of the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, England, for seeds of trees, shrubs and plants from many countries, and 

 to the Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plains, Mass., for seeds of promis- 

 ing shrubs. Also to Prof. John Macoun, Naturalist of the Geological and Natural 

 History Survey, and Mr. J. M. Macoun, assistant naturalist, for seeds of interesting 

 Canadian plants. 



Acknowledgments are also due to the officers at the Central and Branch Experi- 

 mental Farms, for faithful services rendered and for their earnest co-operation in 

 carrying out the many lines of work planned. 



My hearty thanks are also due to those members of the staff who have rendered me 

 help in those branches of the work over which I have had personal charge ; to the hor- 

 ticulturist, Mr. W. T. Macoun, who has supervised the labour given to the trees and 

 shrubs, and to the lawns on the experimental grounds; to the farm foreman, Mr. John 

 Fixter, who has carefully watched over the different branches of the work, has taken 

 special charge of the experiments with fertilizers and made the notes thereon, he has 

 also helped me much by many practical suggestions; to Mr. George Fixter, who has 

 managed the work connected with the experimental plots of cereals, fodder crops and 

 field roots, and has taken records of the growth and yield of all these, and has thus 

 aided me much in furnishing material for the preparation of this report, to him I am 

 also indebted for the careful management of the many details connected with the dis- 



