200 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS, 
63 VICTORIA, A. 1900 
with Mr. T. N Willing. We took the evening train for Grenfell, where we were met by 
Mr. R. D. Lake, through whose kindness I was driven out to his home and had an 
opportunity of seeing the nature of the country and its condition as to the prevalence 
of weeds. The following morning further opportunities were afforded by a 15-mile 
drive round by the farm of Mr. T. Skilliter and back to Grenfell, where a very largely 
attended meeting was held, one of the best of the whole series. After the meeting I 
returned with Mr. Lake to Col. Lake’s house, and the following morning was driven to 
Wolseley, where we held another good meeting in the new Court House. At Whitewood 
we were joined by Mr. F. Blakely, of the WVor’- West Yarmer, who remained with us for 
all the subsequent meetings but the last. Owing to the much greater altitude, the crops 
from Moosomin to Grenfell and Wolseley were not nearly so forward as in Manitoba. 
Winnipeg is about 700 feet above sea level, while Grenfell is nearly 2,000. All crops, 
however, were in splendid condition and there was every prospect of an enormous 
yield, the land being, as a rule, clean and well worked. 
We reached Indian Head on June 23, when I was met at the station and driven 
out to the Experimental Farm by Mr. Angus Mackay. During the morning the whole 
of our party was driven round the farm. Crops of all kinds were in the best of order, 
and a remarkable object lesson was here seen of the very great value of using harrows 
and weeders upon growing grain crops. These as a whole were much more advanced 
than at Grenfell, and those which had been harrowed showed this fact plainly by their 
greater vigour. The meeting in Indian Head in the afternoon was well attended, and, 
as was to be expected, summer-fallowing and the surface treatment of growing grain 
were much discussed. Mr. Mackay has probably taken a more active part than anyone 
else in the North-west in insisting upon the necessity of a proper system of summer- 
fallowing for the dry regions of the West, and, as a remarkable confirmation of the accur- 
acy of his views, lands which ten or fifteen years ago were abandoned because it was 
stated they were too far west and too dry to produce paying crops of wheat, are at the 
present time selling at a higher price than any other lands in the North-west Territories. 
On the morning of the 24th Mr. Mackay kindly drove me himself to Qu’ Appelle 
station and on the way pointed out many features of agricultural interest. The meet- 
ing was held in the afternoon, and, like the next one at Fort Qu’Appelle on the following 
Monday, was particularly well attended, the large number of questions asked and free 
discussion of the addresses being noticeable features in both places. 
On Monday morning June 26, through the kindness of Mr. Donald McKay, I was 
driven to Fort Qu’Appelle and had a chance to examine many growing crops on the 
way. This locality was of particular interest because it was from here that the first 
reports were received of the occurrence as crop pests of the Tumbling Mustard and 
Hare’s-ear Mustard. After the meeting at Fort Qu’Appelle, I drove back to Qu’Appelle 
Station with Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture Peterson and Mr. Blakely through a 
torrent of rain and took che train at 20.20 o’clock for Regina. 
The following morning was taken up by examining the barracks of the North-west 
Mounted Police and the successful experiments in cultivating trees and growing flowers 
which have been carried on for many years by Col. Herchmer. It is very seldom that 
one can see anywhere such beautiful sweet peas and other annuals, and as well grown 
vegetables as are produced at Regina in these grounds. A most successful meeting took 
place in the afternoon at which many prosperous farmers from the surrounding country, 
as well as several government officials, were present. A vote of thanks to the speakers 
was proposed by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, and seconded by Mr. D. J. 
Goggin, the Superintendent of Education. 
The next meeting was at Moose Jaw, and I was much. pleased to have an opportu- 
nity of driving out both in the morning and in the afternoon to see the grand crops 
which are now being grown in this semi-arid district, and are due to the recent adoption 
of the best methods of farming for that section of country. The discussion at the meet- 
nig held in the afternoon was mainly upon the treatment of such annual weeds as the 
various kinds of mustard, several of which were prevalent through the district, the 
Spear-leaved Goosefoot (Monolepis chenopodioides, Moq. ) and of such deep-rooted peren- 
nials as the White-stemmed Evening Primrose, Poverty Weed (Iva awillaris, Pursh), 
