EXPERIMENT STATION IN THE PAR NORTHWEST. 395 



EXPERIMENT STATION IN THE FAR NORTHWEST. 



PROF. S. B. GREEN, ST. ANTHONY PARK. 



(Notes taken on a visit to these stations early in August, 1901.) 

 The Brandon Experiment Station, Brandon, Manitoba, is lo- 

 cated on bottom land of the Assiniboine river and running back 

 to the bluff lands above. These bottom lands evidently at one time 

 were covered with trees. Wells at 25 feet. Spring on hill side that 

 discharges its water through the farm. Work largely devoted to 

 variety testing and but little attention paid' to stock raising. Grounds 

 tastefully laid out and ornamented. One of the most interesting 

 features is the use of hedges for surrounding garden plots and for 

 similar purposes. A portion of the grounds is devoted to sample 

 hedges in which most of our common trees and various shrubs are 

 grown in hedge form. Among those of special interest were /Veer 

 ginnala, which seems perfectly at home here and grows to the height 

 of about ten feet. The Cotoneaster is hardy here and grows to the 

 height of about six feet. The common Silver Berry is native here 

 and has been used for ornamental planting with some success. The 

 Siberian Artemisia, Artemisia abrotanum. is perfectly hardy here but 

 is not regarded with favor, as it is too low and scrubby to amount 

 to much as a hedge. The Box Elder is here used for hedge pur- 

 poses with excellent results, and there are a number of enclosures 

 surrounded with this tree trimmed to hedge form. These hedges 

 are about seven feet thick and sixteen feet high. 



Pyrus baccata is the only apple that has proved hardy here. 

 The trees of this are probably eight years old and have borne heavily 

 in previous years, but this year the flowers were frozen so that there 

 is no crop. The trees are in excellent condition. Some of the hy- 

 brid grapes from Ottawa have lieen planted here but as yet have 

 scarcely fruited. The driveway into the farm for perhaps a half 

 mile is lined on each side with a row of box elder alternating with 

 a similar row of white spruce, both of which are doing very well. 

 This spruce came from the mountains northwest of Brandon and 

 seems to be an exceedingly hardy form. The vegetable garden is 

 exceedingly well looked after and presents a very pretty appearance. 

 There is a good showing of the cold climate vegetables, and cucum- 

 bers are always raised. Tomatoes, however, often fail to mature 

 much ripe fruit. The potatoes were exceedingly nice. Of the an- 

 nual flowers there is a fine collection, and those from cold climates 

 are doing especially well. Among those noted were Asters, Calliop- 

 sis, Portulacas, Godetias, Sweet Peas and Pansies. 



The plots devoted to variety tests of grain are exceedingly in- 

 teresting. They are laid out fronting upon a main drive with a la- 



