34 DR. WM. SAUNDERS. 



without much labour. On the south boundary there is an avenue planted of trees 

 20 feet apart. 



Q. Do you think that necessary for every farm, a belt 100 feet wide ? 



A. Not necessarily so. In the North-west, however, where the winds are very 

 strong, it requires a wide belt to break their force. Possibly a narrow belt might 

 serve the purpose. 



Q. You have not planted them any less ? 



A. Wo have on the central farm here, where the belts are 65 feet in width on 

 the north boundary and 165 feet in width on the west boundaiy. At Brandon and 

 Indian Head we have used thick hedges as wind-breaks, made by planting two and 

 three rows of trees three feet apart, the trees being put about two feet apart in the 

 rows, and these have soon formed excellent shelter. 



By Mr. Erb : 



Q. On the central farm what variety of maple do you find most suitable ? 



A. The sugar maple is perhaps the best, but the white or silver grows the most 

 rapidly. The silver maple is a soft maple, a native of Ontario, and is found as far 

 west as Minnesota. The leaves are silvery underneath. 



Q. Does it ripen its seed here ? 



A. Yes, and also when grown further north. The furthest point north that I 

 know of where these trees are growing is near the old siation at Portage la Prairie, 

 Manitoba. These are 8 or 10 trees in a group there old enough now to bear seed, 

 and I have made arrangements when they bear seed to have it collected. If we can 

 get seed from so far north they will probably produce seedlings hardy enough to 

 stand the climate in most parts of Manitoba. There are several of these trees 

 growing at Winnipeg al60. 



By Mr. Wilson : 



Q. Don't you find the ordinary soft maple about as good as any in this section ? 



A. Y"es, but it does not do as uniformly well as the sugar maple. 



Q. It grows more rapidly ? 



A. It does grow more rapidly at first, but after a time the sugar maple will 

 usually overtake it and eventually make a larger and better tree in this climate. 

 You will see along the streets in Ottawa that the sugar maple is healthier than the 

 red maple. 



Q. And it is a finer looking tree, too ? 



A. Yes, I think it is. 



By Mr. Rogers ; 



Q. To what height does the box-elder grow in Manitoba ? 



A. There are old trees growing along the river valleys and elsewhere that will 

 sometimes measure two feet or more in diameter. The largest planted tree I know 

 of is one at Silver Heights, a farm owned by Lord Strathcona. There are Manitoba 

 maples growing there that will measure about 18 inches through, and range from 

 about 30 to 35 feet high. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLES OP SEED GRAIN. 



The usual annual distribution of trial samples of cereals and potatoes is now in 

 progress. The interest in this work is unabated and although the samples are now 

 sent only on individual application the demand is as brisk as ever. This is indicated by 

 the correspondence we receive. During the month of February the number of letters 

 received by the Director was 13,054 and in March up to and including yesterday, the 

 21st, there were received 14,746 letters, making a total of 27,800 letters in 49 days, 

 being an average of 662 per day for the whole period. 



