10 INTRODUCTION 



peach farms and vineyards of Lower Ontario — thence to leap, as 

 it were, over a thousand miles of scrub, to the great prairie, and 

 after traversing the seemingly endless levels of yellow wheat to 

 emerge from the gorges of the Rockies and the Selkirks into a new 

 world on the Pacific slope. Follows from this diversity of natural 

 feature a diversity of soil, rainfall and temperature, and a corres- 

 ponding diversity of methods of cultivation ; follows also a difficulty 

 which the succeeding pages doubtless reflect — difficulty of dealing 

 adequately with the subject in a Report that aims at being more 

 than a traveller's rapid narrative and less than a cyclopaedia. 

 Regretfully we have been obliged to pass lightly over many places 

 and features worthy of fuller treatment because to pass otherwise 

 than lightly was not to pass at all. Canada from the agriculturist's 

 point of view supplies matter for a dozen reports. It is a chain 

 of differing territories and differing conditions within a single 

 nation. 



The scope of the tour rendered memorable an experience that on 

 a more limited plan would still have been singularly interesting 

 and valuable. It is, we believe, the fact that no previous body 

 of visitors from Scotland has had an equal opportunity of becoming 

 acquainted with all the provinces of Canada, particularly with the 

 very attractive Maritime Provinces. For this comprehensive 

 scheme of visitation the members of the Commission must confess 

 themselves deeply indebted to the Honourable Frank Oliver, 

 Minister of the Interior, who added to our obligation for the ex- 

 cellent arrangements made at his instance that of many personal 

 courtesies. We retain a grateful sense of journeys in which fore- 

 thought for our wishes and our comfort was evident at every step. 



But to make fitting acknowledgment of the welcome accorded 

 us at every resting point in Canada is impossible. This page 

 would be congested with names if we were to mention a tithe of 

 those to whom we owe thanks. In every province Ministers, and 

 Members of Parliament, Dominion or State, were assiduous in 

 furthering our desires to obtain the maximum of information in the 

 minimum of time. All along the route the Mayors, the Town 

 Councillors, the Presidents of Boards of Trade and other leading 

 citizens were waiting with hospitable intent. Canadians have the 

 art of making Scotchmen feel that the further they are from home 

 the nearer they are to their kindred. 



Of the assistance lent us by the official representatives of agri- 

 culture we cannot speak too highly, members of the staffs being 

 deputed to travel with us that facts might be readily available. 

 It may not be improper here to say that we were much impressed 

 by the ability and earnestness shown by the departmental officers 

 in the work of organising and bringing science to bear on Canadian 

 agriculture. 



To Dr Saunders, and the superintendents of the various Experi- 

 mental Farms, our indebtedness is great ; at Ottawa, Brandon, 

 Indian Head, Lacombe and Agassiz we had interesting days. To the 

 Principals of the Agricultural Colleges which so notably distinguish 

 Canada — to Principal Creelman at Guelph, to Principal Robertson 



