The Canadian Horticulturist. 259 



black currants were assuming their Ethiopian hue, the day was bright and 

 warm, dame nature was smiling from every feature of her lovely countenance. 

 The committee were received by Mr. Saunders the director in his usual 

 genial style ; we were all old friends, he having been President of our Asso- 

 ciation for several years previous to his receiving his present appointment. 

 After partaking of slight refreshments at the house at 10 a.m. we sallied 

 forth to inspect the plants and fruits. It is not too much to say that the 

 wand of the magician has passed over the farm since its purchase some 

 three years ago ; stumps and stones have been removed ; rough ground has 

 been made smooth; fences have been built; houses, barns, stables, museum 

 and a laboratory has been erected, and on every hand marks of progress, 

 industry and its results are observed. Lovely belts of deciduous and 

 evergreen trees almost surround the farm of over four hundred acres, whilst 

 excellent roads wind with graceful sweeps among clumps of tr6es and 

 shrubs which have been imported from the four corners of the earth. 

 Nothing appears to have been neglected or overlooked to make the farm 

 attractive and ornamental, whilst for actual utility it would be difficult to 

 think of any experiment that is not being tried, or is not contemplated in the 

 future. In the laboratory Professor Shutt is working out the value of feeding 

 plants. When visited, he had over his gas jet in a platinum trial gauze 

 basket some lamb's quarter, of which he was obtaining the ash. On enquiry 

 being made he explained that this plant was a profuse grower in Manitoba, 

 and he was testing its value as a cattle food. 



The director is great on hybrids, and crosses are being made in various 

 directions between grains, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Seedlings are 

 being raised from these crosses, as it is a well known law of nature, that 

 when once the original tpye of a plant is broken down by a cross, the seed- 

 lings obtained sport in every conceivable direction. Then there are experi- 

 ments going on to test all the different varieties of wheat, oats, barley, 

 potatoes, etc., of which small sections have been planted of hundreds of 

 kinds selected from the known world. 



I noticed the barley from India, the straw of which is about nine inches 

 long, the head is heavy, and it was turning yellow to ripen when all the 

 other kinds were yet green. There were also patches of oats and grains 

 sown at the earliest possible moment when the spring opened — the land 

 having been prepared during the previous autumn — these were repeated, the 

 same grain being sown a week apart for six or seven successive weeks. 

 The result will show the probable proper season for the seeding of this 



p: 1 



The experiments in manures,artificial and others,are varied and extensive. 

 Quite a number of trials are being made with chemicals for the destruction 

 of various kinds of fungus growth, and the insect enemies that ravage our 

 grain and fruit crops. Amongst these pests, mildew, apple scab, blight. 



