DOMINION EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 81 



composition, having some of the characteristics of the land on 

 each side. The subsoil is shale, which is found at varying 

 depths. There is soil suitable for every cereal, vegetable or 

 fruit which will thrive in Central Quebec. 



Drainage. 



About 120 acres are drained, but in some places with tile 

 of too small a diameter. The other 40 acres need drainage, also 

 most of the land which is to be cleared. The latter is a great 

 deal more fertile than that which is now in cultivation. 



Buildings. 



They comprise the Superintendent's, the foreman's, the 

 herdsman's, the ice, the scale, the well, and the boarding houses, 

 the horse stable, the cattle barn, the piggery, the hennery, 

 implement, also wagon sheds, store for tools, blacksmith shop, 

 and shelters for colts, calves and swine, in the paddocks. They 

 are all painted red, with white trimmings, except the Super- 

 intendent's and foreman's houses, and present a very pleasing 

 appearance. Situated as they are, about 150 feet above the 

 mighty St. Lawrence, they can be seen from all ocean steamers 

 and river boats which go up to Montreal. The site of the 

 Station is admtted by all who visit the farm to be one of the 

 most beautiful to be seen in any land. 



Agronomy. 



Methods of cultivation found most suitable. — For the lighter 

 land, shallow ploughing early in the summer, with frequent 

 harrowings until late, to keep down weeds and to store mois- 

 ture for next season. For heavy soil, deeper ploughing, with 

 frequent harrowings, and ribbing the last thing before frost, to 

 leave a larger surface for frost to work on, thus kilhng many 

 weeds and insuring a good seed bed. 



Cultural Experiments. — Not much could be started the 

 first season, but this part of the work is being enlarged as rapidly 

 as possible. As Indian corn, for silage, is bound, with time, 

 to become the most important forage crop for Central Quebec, 

 an experiment is being made as to the yield of sowings at 

 different distances apart. 



Rotations. 



Eight rotations are laid out: one 3-year, one 4-year, two 

 5-year, three 6-year, one 8-year. A well-fenced road will be 

 made through all of these, so that anybody driving around one 

 lot of them can see every acre very well. (For details see 

 plan.) 

 21294—6 



