Canadian Agriculture. 
277 
that the first harv'est gathered upon it was in 1883, and the 
second, which I was fortunate to see in progress, was in 1884. 
In the President's Report, presented to the annual meeting held 
on January 9th, 1884, at Winnipeg, it is stated that opera- 
tions were begun during the summer and fall of 1882, when 
ground was broken to the extent of about 2700 acres, and as 
it was impossible to further prepare the land by back-setting, 
it was decided to sow on the " breaking," or once-turned sod. 
The experiment, for such it was, inasmuch as it had hitherto 
been the custom to backset before sowing, proved successful, 
and served to demonstrate that a crop might be raised after 
merely breaking the sod. Wheat gave an average yield of nearly 
20 bushels of choice hard grain per acre, some of which was 
sold at 3*\ 8fZ. per bushel, delivered on the cars at the farm 
station, Indian Head. Oats gave a light yield, attributed to 
severe drought in the early summer. Between 3000 and 
4000 bushels were sold at from 35. to 3*. 2c?., but the bulk of 
this grain, 20,000 bushels, was kept for seed and feed. Plough- 
ing of fresh prairie land was commenced as soon as the frost was 
sufficiently out of the ground, and was continued with all avail- 
able force until November 7th, 1883, when active operations 
were suspended owing to the approach of winter. The ploughs 
were set to work on the stubbles as soon as the harvest was got 
in, and by the close of the open season of 1883 there were in 
all 7000 acres ready for the " spring tooth " and " disc " harrows 
that precede seeding. 
The annual report for 1883 further states that during the 
year building was carried on continuously. Near the main 
building, erected in 1882, there was built a granary of 30,000 
bushels capacity, with " lean-to " additions for the storage of 
implements, two barrack cottages for the accommodation of the 
men at the main station, a blacksmith's shop, and a horse- 
infirmary, with several necessary sheds, while twenty-two ad- 
ditional cottages with stables were erected on the surrounding 
sections. Metal roofing is chiefly employed. The cottages 
are substantially built, of a uniform size, 26 feet by 30 feet ; 
each contains five rooms, and most of these residences are 
occupied by married tenants. Each cottage, with stable at- 
tached, cost about 160/. A stationary farm granary, of 4000 
bushels capacity, and fourteen portable granaries, circular in 
form, and capable of holding 1000 bushels each, were added 
to the storage facilities ; and the Canadian Pacific Railway 
authorities had given their assent to the erection of an elevator * 
* This elevator is bow completed, and hns a capacity of 50,000 bushels. 
■Great progress was made in 1884 in the building of elevators, the Canadian 
