204 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 
63 VICTORIA, A. 1900 
both of plants and insects. As a result of the late season, we found on the summit 
banks of snow 75 and 100 feet deep, where last year at the same date we had seen deep 
ravines. On the morning of August 8, it began to rain at 6 o'clock, so we decided to 
descend at once, and at eight o'clock struck camp and began the descent of the moun- 
tain in a downpour of rain, which continued all day till we got to the base at 16 o’clock, 
drenched to the skin, but with all of our specimens safe, as we had wrapped them in 
waterproof covers before starting. At Popcum we took a hasty meal and crossed the 
Fraser River by 17.30 o’clock. The following morning was fully taken up attending to 
our specimens and in drying our clothes to be ready to leave for the upper country on 
the train at 15.47 o'clock. 
We reached Sicamous on Shuswap Lake at 2.35 o’clock and waited there in pour- 
ing rain till 6 o’clock, when we took the Ukanagan Valley train for Armstrong, arriv-. 
ing there at 9 o'clock. We had hoped to have collected many specimens in this 
locality, but it rained all day. Our time, however, was by no means wasted, for we 
examined a very interesting loca] collection of plants and insects made by Mrs. Walton, 
of Armstrong, and in the evening held one of the best meetings of our whole trip. This 
was of the Spallumcheen Farmers’ Institute. Some of the worst weeds of the North- 
west, including the Tumbling Mustard, False Flax and Ball Mustard, were found to have 
gained a foothold in this fertile valley, and the farmers were keenly interested in learn- 
ing all that was to be known about them. The Prickly Lettuce (Lactwca Scariola, L.) 
and the Purslane (Portulaca oleracea, L.), both of gigantic dimensions worthy of the 
Pacific Province, were brought to the meeting. We left Armstrong at 9 o’clock on 
the morning of August 11, for Okanagan Landing, where we took the fine steamer 
Aberdeen for Kelowna, and reached there at 16 o'clock. After being shown over the 
new and up-to-date factory of the Kelowna Shipper’s Union, where the now well 
known ‘Flor de Kelowna’ cigars are made, we were driven out to see the sur- 
rounding country by Mr. J. T. Davies, the President of the Okanagan Farmers’ 
Institute. We first visited Lord Aberdeen’s ranche at Guisachan, where we were shown 
fields of Smooth Brome grass. We then visited the extensive and successful tobacco 
plantations of Messrs. Collins and Holman, and finally accompanied Mr. Davies to his 
own home. The meeting at Kelowna was held at 20 o’clock in the evening and was, as 
is always the caseat this bright active little town, well attended and very successful. We 
left this delightful place at noon on August 12and reached Enderby at 18 o’clock the same 
evening ; there we left the train and drove across the country to Salmon Arm, arriving at 
20.30 o’clock, just in time for the meeting of the Salmon Arm Farmers’ Institute. This 
meeting, although not so largely attended as those at Armstrong and Kelowna, was full 
of interest, as this place is becoming a fruit growing centre of importance in the province. 
The addresses were attentively listened to and fully discussed. 
This was the last of a series of sixteen useful and most enjoyable meetings held 
with Mr. Anderson in the best agricultural and fruit growing districts of British 
Columbia. Mr. Anderson’s thorough knowledge, not only of the capabilities of his 
province, but also of its fauna and natural history, made him a most entertaining com- 
panion ; the careful arrangements he had made beforehand enabled me to take the full- 
est advantage of the expedition, which was of inestimable value to me in becoming 
acquainted with the conditions prevailing in the various localties visited, so that I might 
be of as much use as possible in the future to such farmers of British Columbia as may 
wish to correspond with the Division of Entomology and Botany. 
We left Salmon Arm at 1.25 o’clock and reached Banff, Alta. by 17 o’clock on 
August 13. I remained there until the next day, when in company with Mr. W. C. 
McCalla of St. Catherine’s and Mr. N. B. Sanson, Curator of the Government Museum 
at Banff, both enthusiastic botanists we sallied out, and, notwithstanding the torrents of 
rain which fell almost continuously, I added several desirable botanical specimens to my 
collections. On August 14, I left for home at 16.10 o’clock, reaching Winnipeg at 21 
o'clock on the 15th, and Ottawa at 18 o’clock on August 17. 
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