472 OFFICIAL JOURNEYS. 
On Saturday, August 16, Sandy Inlet, to the north of Bear Island, was visited 
by motor-launch, where a number of interesting plants were seen, including marsh 
and aquatic plants in and near the Edye River, and a ground flora under a nearly 
pure stand of Banksian Pine to the north-west of the Inlet. In the evening many 
members of the party derived considerable pleasure from watching, and in some 
cases sharing in, a dance at Smith’s Camp, in which the native Indians were prominent 
in square dances. 
On Sunday, August 17, in the morning, the trail to the Fire Observation Post 
on Bear Island was thoroughly examined for plants, and some of the experimental 
cultures of rust fungi on spruce under field conditions, carried out by Prof. Faull 
and Mr. Watson, were also seen. In the afternoon the party proceeded by launch 
to Cochrane Island, and then by canoes propelled by boys from Mr. Cochrane’s camp 
to the mainland, where a portage trail was followed to another inlet of the lake. The 
expedition throughout was exceedingly successful. 
At CoBatt (330 m., 969 ft.) a short stay permitted the town and 
district to be visited. The larger party inspected the Nipissing and the 
Cobalt. Reduction Company’s Mining Mills. Of recent years the output 
of silver has considerably decreased. Formerly some thirty mills em- 
ployed over 4000 men. There are now approximately only ten mills, 
with little more than 1000 employees. New mines in the neighbourhood 
have absorbed a few hundreds of the unemployed. The arrangements 
made, whereby the party was conducted over the works in small groups, 
enabled the whole processes from crushing to refining the silver to be 
seen, In 1904, the year in which the first shipments were made, Cobalt 
produced 159 tons of ore carrying 5-34 per cent., or 1309 ounces, of silver 
per ton, and from 1904 to the end of 1923 about 343,895,780 ounces of 
silver, valued at $227,700,000. (For further details of the Cobalt area, 
see below, under date of August 19.) 
An agricultural party was taken by motor-cars through some twelve 
miles of cultivated country, and rejoined the train at Liskeard, after 
visiting the Dominion Experimental Farm and Mr. A. J. Kennedy’s 
Glengarry Stock Farm. 
Both places are situated about four miles from New Liskeard on the South Clay 
Belt. The soil consists of alternate layers of light and dark medium loam. The 
light-coloured layers contain chalk and the darker layers have a high organic matter 
content. In spite of the high elevation and northern situation, agricultural efforts 
are meeting with considerable success. The long summer days make feasible the 
ripening of cereal crops within ninety days of sowing. The Government Experimental 
Farm is devoting special attention to investigation (a) as to types of crops which can 
be successfully grown, (b) suitable varieties of different crops—dates and rates of 
sowing and ripening, (c) the grading of stock for distribution to farmers. 
Hay is the chief crop, but, owing to the supply being greater than the demand in 
recent years, a large proportion of the farmers are turning their attention to mixed 
farming. The usual rotation is : 
(1) Oats, barley or wheat; (2) hay ; (3) hay; (4) hoe-crop maize, sunflower 
for silage, potatoes, turnips, etc. The crops are sown during the last fortnight of May 
and the harvesting of the cereal crop begins in the last days of August. No artificial 
fertilisers are used. Stock-keeping is developing, particularly dairy stock of the 
Shorthorn and Friesian breeds. On Mr. Kennedy’s farm, for example, there is a 
herd of 23 pure-bred Friesian cows from which milk is supplied to a creamery at 
New Liskeard, whence it is distributed as milk or butter in the mining towns of 
the neighbourhood. The development of stock is greatly needed in the Southern 
Clay Belt. 
The experiments at the Experimental Farm have shown that flax-seed can be grown 
satisfactorily, and there are prospects for the development of a flax-fibre industry. 
There is an increasing demand from Southern Ontario for seed potatoes from this 
district. 
Some idea of the development which has taken place may be gathered from the 
