203 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4-5 EDWARD VII., A. 1305 



Insects. — As in previous years, much time has been given to the rearing of insects, 

 eggs or larvaj of many of which have been received by mail from all quarters or collected 

 in the field. An exact knowledge of the preparatory stages. of insects, the number of 

 broods, and the time at which they develop, is of the greatest value when devising 

 remedies for injurious species. Careful notes are taken of every species studied, and 

 year by year the collections are enriched by the addition of specimens reared from the 

 egg and prepared for the cabinets, showing all stages of growth, as well as the work 

 of the various species. At the same time, records are kept for reference or for future 

 use in the reports when sufficient data have accumulated or when occasion demands it. 



Plants. — Extensive additions have been made to the herbarium, either from speci- 

 mens sent in by correspondents for naming or as donations' ; and in many instances 

 fine specimens of rare plants have been acquired by growing the plant from the seed 

 and securing samples at different stages of development. During the year the her- 

 barium has been gone over, and many imperfect specimens have been replaced by 

 better ones, or additions have been made by increasing the series of various species by 

 representatives from other localities. 



The collection of weed seeds has been largely increased, and it is now a rare thing 

 for a seed to be submitted by seedsmen or purchasers of seeds, or even to be sent in 

 by students, which cannot be recognized. The institution of the Seed Division, under 

 the Commissioner of Agriculture and Dairying, has had a most marked effect upon 

 the quality of all kinds of seed now offered by seedsmen, and it may be justly said that 

 at the present time, if purchasers will pay a reasonable price, they can easily obtain 

 in Canada all erop seeds of the highest quality, both as to vitality and as to freedom 

 from the seeds of other plants. 



Fodder Plants. — The Experimental Grass Plots during the past season have been 

 very attractive to visitors. The season at Ottawa was extremely favourable for the 

 development of all fodder plants, and consequently very complete collections of all th« 

 leading hay and fodder plants were made for exhibition at the various fall fairs and 

 other exhibitions where the government has assisted by sending exliibits. A large 

 collection has also been made for the museum at the Central Experimental Farm. 



Reclaiming Sand Hills. — A visit was paid to the large tract of shifting sand near 

 Lachute, Que., locally known as the Argenteuil Sand Hill. This is estimated as now 

 covering nearly one thousand acres, stretching along the Ottawa River in an elongated 

 patch about four miles long by half a mile to one mile in width, for the most part 

 entirely destitute of vegetation, but bearing in places clumps of spruce trees, birches, 

 maples, tamaracks and willows. As is usually the case on such areas, the surface is 

 very dry; but a few inches below this there is an abundance of moisture available for 

 the support of any plants which can be protected against the drifting sand. At the 

 request of Mr. Thomas Christie, M.P., I called upon the various farmers living around 

 this sand hill and examined the work they had been doing in their efforts to control 

 the sand. I found, without exception, that every one of them had taken a keen interest 

 in fighting against the common enemy, and much good work had been done in the way 

 of holding back the drift by planting trees and other vegetation. Since 1898 the 

 attention of the Division has been directed to this tract of land, and a few hundreds 

 of plants of the Beach Grass, and also of Norway and White Spruce trees, have been 

 sent to different farmers to be planted on the sand as an experiment; but no extensive 

 work has been carried on by the department. I was much pleased to see the success 

 which had attended the efforts to grow trees on this apparently barren sand hill. The 

 kinds of trees which were noticed growing wild in the scattered clumps which here and 

 there appear, were White Pine, Tamarack, Canada Balsam, Wliite Spruce, White Cedar, 

 Balm of Gilead, Aspen Poplar and White Birch ; and round the edges all the ordinary 

 forest trees of the region are represented. In low spots two or three kinds of willows 

 and the Gray Alder flourish. Of shrubs which attracted attention by their vigour and 



