OFFICIAL JOURNEYS. 479 
Prof. W. A. Bone, F.R.S., followed with another topical paper on Brown Coals 
and Lignites. This paper had been communicated to Section B at Toronto, but it 
was felt that it should be repeated here. An abstract will be found under Section B, 
Tuesday, August 12 (p. 377). 
A joint meeting of Sections D (Zoology) and M (Agriculture) was held, at which 
Prof. W. J. Dax delivered a short lecture on Animal Diseases. The local research 
workers are considerably interested in the control of the warble-fly and in the investiga- 
tion of ‘ swamp fever ’ in horses. 
The local branch of the Engineering Institute of Canada met engineering 
members of the party; Sir C. Parsons spoke on the development of the steam 
turbine, and Prof. G. W. O. Howz on wireless communication. 
Through the kind permission of the Board of Trade and the Rotary 
and Kiwanis Clubs, members were enabled to visit, in motor-cars, the 
principal points of interest in the city and neighbourhood, including the 
forestry farm, Normal School, Quaker Oats flour-mills, Government wheat- 
storage elevator, agricultural experimental grounds, experimental stock- 
yards, Saskatchewan clay deposits, a flower show, etc., and they were 
entertained by local ladies to tea at the University. The naturalists of 
the party were given opportunity to study the surrounding country, and 
the botanists were particularly grateful for a list of common prairie plants 
which was supplied to those interested, and helped to solve many points 
which had been discussed in the course of the journey. The North 
Saskatchewan River, with its wooded banks lined with glaciated rocks, 
and its sands containing gold in minute quantity, also attracted 
attention. Members interested in problems of overseas settlement were 
enabled to visit some of the houses of the people; in particular, the 
necessity of personal effort was impressed upon them on viewing a farm 
which had failed after an attempt to work it through a foreman. 
There are two specially interesting lines of work at the Saskatoon agricultural 
experimental station. ‘ 
(1) Plant selection and breeding work, with the object of producing early-ripening 
varieties of maize and winter hardy clovers and alfalfa. If success attends these 
efforts—and considerable progress has been made—it is hoped that it may prove 
possible to substitute a ‘ hoed’ crop, such as maize, instead of fallow. 
(2) Experiments on the formation of pastures by sowing sweet clover, alfalfa, 
and western rye grass. 
The average farm in Saskatchewan is about 320-480 acres in size. On the straight 
grain farm—that is, one following the rotation wheat, wheat (or oats) and fallow—one 
man can work 320 acres with help in the spring and at harvest-time. Only the fallow 
is ploughed, the fallow wheat stubble being disked two and a half inches deep for the 
following wheat crop. Thirty-five acres can be disked per day and sowing drills can 
keep pace with the disc cultivator. The yields are stated to be 30 bushels of wheat 
per acre and 60 to 70 bushels of oats (34 lbs. to bushel), but this year the appearance 
of the crop would suggest considerably lower yields. 
In the evening the members were entertained at an informal civic 
dinner in the King George Hotel and the University dining-hall. After 
this, a meeting was held in Third Avenue Church, when the Premier of 
Saskatchewan (Mr. C. A. Dunning) and the Chancellor of the University 
(Sir Frederick Haultain) welcomed the members, and an address was 
given by Dr. E. E. Slosson on Photochemistry and Modern Cwilisation. 
_ The special trains left Saskatoon after this meeting. 
Saturday, August 23.—The party reached Epmonton, the capital of 
Alberta (2087 m., 2185 ft.) in the morning, and was escorted to the 
_ Government Buildings, where it was received by the Premier of Alberta 
(Mr. H. Greenfield). A series of meetings then took place in the University. 
