DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 9 



To conduct any other experiments and researches bearing 

 upon the agricultural industry of Canada which may be approved 

 of by the Minister of Agriculture. 



It is thus planned to cover, as thoroughly as possible, all 

 those branches of agriculture which the investigations of the 

 Parliamentary Committee showed to be in need of assistance, 

 through the discovery and application of more scientific methods. 

 The evidence gathered by them appeared to demonstrate that, 

 while there was no lack of fertility in the soil, and while climatic 

 conditions were favourable for the production of abundant crops, 

 defective and wasteful farming was the cause of the agricultural 

 depression then so widely spread. 



LOCATION OF ORIGINAL FARMS. 



A study of the requirements of the most thickly-settled 

 agricultural areas of the Dominion led to the location of the 

 five original Farms as follows: — 



The Central Farm at Ottawa, some 465 acres in area, was 

 designed to serve the requirements of Ontario and Quebec; of the 

 branch Farms, the one located at Nappan, N.S., near the bound- 

 ary of New Brunswick, was intended to meet the needs of the 

 Maritime Provinces; the Farm for Manitoba was placed at 

 Brandon in that province, and that for the section then termed 

 the Northwest Territories was established at Indian Head, Sask. 

 The Experimental Farm for British Columbia was located at 

 Agassiz. 



In the choice of a site for a farm of this character, many points 

 are to be considered. The farm should be in a fairly well-popu- 

 lated district, easy of access to the farmers of the locality and, 

 if possible, near a transcontinental line of travel as well. The 

 soil must be fairly representative and the climatic conditions in 

 the immediate neighbourhood similar to those of the district the 

 farm is intended to serve. 



Within two years from the passing of the Act, the five farms 

 had been selected, the necessary officers appointed, most of the 

 buildings erected and the Farms put into practical operation 

 along the lines laid down. 



THE CENTRAL FARM. 



At Ottawa, the Central Farm, as its name implies, in addition 

 to carrying on those extensive varietal and cultural experiments 

 inaugurated at all the Farms, has served as the headquarters of 

 the Director and the technical and administrative staff under 



