SOIL CULTURE, CEREALS AND FRUITS. 31 



sent for test to the Brandon and Indian Head farms and also to the other branch 

 farms in order to prove those which are most hardy and useful in the different 

 climates of the Dominion. A larire number were also sent out that year to farmers 

 in the North-west, not only from the central farm, but also from the Manitoba farm. 

 Since 1894 this tree distribution has been carried on almost entirely by the branch 

 farms at Brandon and Indian Head, settlers in Manitoba sending for such things to 

 Brandon, while those in the North-west Territories have been supplied from Indian 

 Head. 



By Mr. Rogers : 



Q. Is that maple considered a success up there? 



A. Yes, I think it is the most successful tree we have grown there. 



By Mr. Erb : 



Q. Is this propagated from the seed only? 



A. It does not sucker, and we have never tried to grow it from cuttings. It is 

 so easily raised from seed that we have raised large quantities of seedlings and send 

 them out when they are one year old. In the west we must I think depend on the 

 distribution of tree seeds for the extension of this good work. That course has 

 given us thus far the best, results. 



Q. Is this tree liable to send out shoots from the base of the trunk like our soft 

 maple ? 



A. Yes, it has much the same habit, but with a little trimming this can be over- 

 come when the tree continues to grow with a nice clean trunk, that is after six or 

 eight years' growth. 



Q. Is it not one of the peculiarities of this tree that its trunk grows crooked ? 



A. Yes, the trunk does very often grow more or less crooked. 



Q. 1 have seen them in nurseries in our part of the country and there was 

 hardly one with a straight .-tern. 



A. With a little care in trimming when young most of them can be grown 

 fairly straight. There are avenues of these trees growing on the Experimental Farm 

 at Brandon which are as straight, a lot of trees as you want to see, but it has the 

 tendency to grow crooked and sometimes in individual specimens it is difficult to 

 control. It is better when planting an avenue or grove to reject those that are 

 ciooked and select the best. The Norway maple has the same habit, and this is 

 regarded as a valuable tree in Europe and in Ontario and the East. The tree plant- 

 ing and distribution at Ottawa during the past 12 years has aggregated as follows : — 



At the Central Experimental Farm there has been planted including forest 

 belts, avenues, ornamental planting, hedges and arboretum, over 40,000 trees. The 

 distribution to the branch farms has been as follows: To Nappan about 4,000, 

 Brandon 65,000, Indian Head 70,000 and Agassiz 35,000. 



The distribution from Ottawa throughout the Dominion, which has been chiefly 

 to settlers on the North-west plains, has amounted in all to about 560,000 youug 

 forest trees, sent out in bundles of 100 each, and about 9,000 lbs. (4^ tons) of tree 

 seeds. 



At Nappan, Nova Scotia, from the forest trees and shrubs sent there much useful 

 information has been gathered in reference to the hardiness and suitability of the 

 different species to that climate. Small permanent plantations have been made and 

 a limited number of trees distributed among the farmers of the maritime provinces 

 for trial. 



TREE GROWING IN MANITOBA. 



At Brandon, Manitoba, a largo proportion of the 65,000 trees and shrubs sent 

 from the central farm have been for trial planting on that farm. While many of 

 the varieties have proved too tender for that climate and a large number of trees 

 have died, a very large number have been successfully grown. Many thousand 



