DIMSION OF HORTICLLTLRE 979 



SESSIONAL PAPER No, 16 



SUBSTATIONS. 



FORT VERMILION, PEACE RIVER DISTRICT, ALTA. 



This Substation is situated in the valley of the Peace river in latitude 58° 36'. 

 It is over three hundred miles north of Edmonton, and is in charge of Mr. Robert 

 Jones, wbo has prepared the details for the •following report : — 



The spring of 1915 was a very fine one. The snow started to go in the latter part 

 of March and, the thaw continuing, was all gone by April 8. • The frost was out of the 

 ground enough to plough April 12 and land was in condition for seeding by April 15, 

 as early as it has been for many years. Trees and shrubs came through the v/inter 

 well and strawberries were wintered satisfactorily. The lowest temperature in April was 

 on the 21st when it was 16-1° F., the' highest was 69-0 on the same date. There was 

 frost on twenty-one days during the month. In May the lowest temperature was 24° 

 on the 13th and the highest 77° on the 26th. There was frost on nine days in May. 

 There v,"ere good rains, which caused rapid growth and on June 11 conditions were 

 very favourable for many shrubs and herbaceous plants in flower. On June 12, there 

 was a decided chiinge to cooler weather. On the night of the 13th, there were 3-5° of 

 frost; on the night of the 14th the temperature went down to 17-9° F. or 14-1° 

 frost. Tender plants, such as tomatoes, squash, melons, cucumbers, beans, corn and 

 many flowers were completely killed. The blossoms on all of the lilacs and other 

 flowering shrubs were killed and foliage of trees injured. Potatoes were cut down to 

 the ground, but recovered again though the crop was later. For all the years the writer 

 has spent in the North, this is the severest frost that has been experienced at this time 

 of year. Very dry weather followed the frost and berries were small. The weather was 

 warm in July with good rains so that the hardier vegetables recovered fairly well. 

 The lowest temperature was on the 1st, when the temperature was 36 -5° F., the highest 

 was 84-5° on the 7th. There was no rain in August from the 6th to the 29th. The 

 highest temperature in August was 92° on the 12th and the lowest 37° on the 25th. 

 In September there was frost on fourteen days, the lowest temperature being 14-9° on 

 the 18th and the highest 78° on the 4th. There were fourteen and a half degrees of 

 frost on the 15th when corn was killed. 



FRUIT. 



Fruit was promising until the severe frost of June. At that time the Charles apple 

 had about one dozen apples on it; the Cheney plum also had fruit. All the fruit fell 

 off after the frost. 



APPLES UNDER TEST. 



Two Alberta, two Charles, two Tony, two Prince, two Golden, two Magnus, two 

 Silvia, two Robin, two Pioneer, one Parma, one Charlamoff, one Morden, two seedlings 

 of Alberta, two seedlings of Golden, three seedlings of Jewel, two seedlings of Silvia. 



These are the oldest trees and are doing only moderately well. 



Fort Vermilion. 



