Canadian Agriculture. 
301 
" 2. The careful testing of varieties of trees native and foreign to Canada. 
" 3. The gradual and systematic choice of positions for plantations, their 
fencing, and such cultivation preparatory to tree-planting, as may be 
necessary. 
" 4. The immediate recording, by Statute of the Dominion, of power by 
Government to resume any part of land leased or sold, or to be leased and 
sold, for purposes of tiee-planting. 
"5. The gifts of trees to settlers, upon conditions. 
" 6. The annual planting and care of the trees upon the best known prin- 
ciples of science and practice. 
" 7. The appointment of a Forest Conservator — directly responsible to 
Government." 
The healthiness of the prairie as a place of abode hardly admits 
of a doubt. There is certainly the long period of five months 
of winter to struggle through, but the dwellers on the prairie 
are a cheerful people ; they work through the summer and 
have time to spare for festivities in the winter. Besides, there 
is no problematic element about the winter on the prairie as 
there is in England. The settlers know perfectly well that at 
some date in November everything will get frozen up, and 
will remain so till March or April. They expect it, and they 
are prepared for it. Their clothing is suited to such a winter ; 
their houses are admirably arranged for the utilisation of stove- 
heat, and the people are quite ready to use melted snow in 
their tea-kettles. The children, born and bred on the prairie, 
cannot fail to be hardy and healthy, and this vast territory seems 
destined to become the cradle of a fine race of men. I saw 
children it was a pleasure to look at, and one day when a halt was 
called for half an hour, I was wandering alone across the prairie, 
when a lovely child, the picture of health and beauty, approached 
me, and in the frankest, most winsome manner possible, gave 
Die a bunch of the sweet-smelling holy grass, Hierochloe horealis. 
Of course, I thanked the donor-^she was quite a little girl — - 
for her graceful welcome to the stranger from the East, and 
gratefully accepted the gift. I have it now, and mean to keep 
it, but my recollection of the charming little " prairie flower " 
by whom it was given to me will remain long after the fragrance 
of the holy grass has passed away. 
Though many of the prairie towns are barely a year old, 
there is far less roughness, and much more evidence not only of 
civilised, but of polite life, than might be looked for. This is, 
no doubt, greatly due to the fact that not a few gently nurtured 
women have bravely determined to face the hardships of a pioneer 
life in order that they may soften the struggle for brothers, or 
fathers, or husbands. And some of the ladies of the North- 
West are as witty as they are accomplished. Last autumn 
two or three English ladies somewhat given to severe forms of 
