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REPORT ON AGRICULTURE.
Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia
British Columbia. Legislative Assembly
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SECOND REPOET OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1892. VICTORIA, B.C.: Printeil by Richard WOfcFBNpBN, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majest; 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 717 Department of Agriculture, British Columbia, Victoria, June 13th, 1893. Sir : I have the honour to transmit herewith for your approval the Second Report of the Department of Agriculture of British Columbia. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, James R. Anderson, Statistician. The Honourable J. 11. Turner, Minister of Agriculture, Victoria. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 719 CONTEXTS. 1.—Letter of Transmittal. 2.—Introductory Remarks. 3.—Reports. 4.—Diseases and Pests. 5.—Imports and Exports. 6,—Dairying. 7.—Fruit. 8.—Lathyrus, Silvestris, Wagneri, a new Fodder Plant. 9.—Meteorological. 10.—Conclusion. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 72l SECOND REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 1892. I have to explain that the tardiness in presenting this my Second Report is due to the duties I had to perform in connection with the World's Columbian Exposition. It is much to be deplored that the same causes which prevented me from giving as full statistical information in my last Report as I wished, prevail in the present case, viz., the want of fuller returns from those whose interests are most closely affected by Reports of this nature, and who should be the first to come forward with the fullest information on matters of such vital importance to themselves in particular and to the Province in general. It is quite evident that in consequence of the apathy evinced under the system heretofore pursued other means will have to be adopted in the future in order to arrive at reliable conclusions. It is a curious fact that many of the more remote districts furnished interesting data much more freely than some of those near the Capital. To the Correspondents of the Department, whose reports appear in the following pages, and to many of the residents, I have to tender my thanks for the courtesy extended to me during my visits to the different parts of the Province, and for the valuable assistance afforded me in acquiring the interesting information which I am enabled to give, and which, I trust, will be of service to the public generally. T regret that I had to leave some important agricultural and pastoral portions of the country unvisited, particularly that part between Ashcroft and Cariboo, and also the Kootenay District, and which I offer as my apology in part for the meagre reports from those parts. The climate during the past season has been rather a peculiar one throughout the Province; on the whole I should pronounce it unfavourable. In the south-eastern portion the winter _ was mild, with but little snow. The spring was wet, late, and cold, with some late frosts, which in places damaged the young fruit, causing a severe loss; on the whole, however, it was good for seeding. The summer was hot and dry after June, the previous part being rather more moist than usual. The autumn was fine in the early part, the harvest weather being good throughout; but the cold set in early, more rain than usual, a great deal of fog and flurries of snow as early as the middle of October, and setting in, in earnest, about the 18th of November. In the central portion (up the Fraser Valley in the direction of Cariboo) the winter was mild and the snow light. The spring was cold and dry, but good seeding weather. The summer generally favourable, some excessively hot weather after June, damaging some grain. The autumn was good and harvest weather favourable, except in the vicinity of Williams Lake. As in the south-eastern portion snow came on early. In the region of the Lower Mainland (that portion to the westward of the Coast Range) the winter was mild, with little snow and frost, but a heavy rainfall. The spring was late, wet, and generally unfavourable, for seeding, with a late frost which injured fruit blossoms ; on some of the higher lands, however, the seeding time was good. The summer was a fair average one, some wet spoilt a 722 Report on Agriculture. 1893 little hay. The autumn was medium ; the first part of the harvest being good and the latter part bad, occasioning loss in some instances of fifty and sixty per cent. Some snow fell about the 24th November, but it did not lie very long. On Vancouver Island and the Islands of the Gulf the winter was mild in the extreme ; absolutely no snow and little frost, but a good deal of rain. The spring was late and wet, but, as a rule, fair seeding weather. Late spring frosts occasioned some loss in fruit. The summer was moderate; rather wet early, but good later on. The autumn was good in the early part for harvesting, but the rain set in earlier than usual, then dry and cold, but no snow. The yield of grain, hay, and root crops in the south-eastern portion was good to moderate; of fruit, in the Okanagan and the country south of it, good ; in the east, fair, and the quality was good. In the central portion the yield of crops generally was good ; of fruit (where cultivated), good. In the Lower Mainland the yield of grain was fair and average ; same of root crops, except potatoes, which was rather poor ; of hay, good; of fruit, medium ; quality, good and medium. On the Islands there was a good average crop of hay and roots, a short crop of cereals and of fruit, the quality of the latter being medium. Diseases and Pests. All throughout the Province, I regret to say, there seems to have been a marked increase in some of these enemies of the agriculturist and stock-raiser. In some places twenty-five per cent, and fifty per cent, loss by smut are reported. The aphis, both on fruit trees and hops, has spread in all directions. Apple and pear blight lias also occasioned severe loss. Potato rot and blight has been another fruitful source of loss. The wild-horse evil and the coyote pest have added to the difficulties and losses of the stock-raiser. Noxious weeds, notably Canada and Scotch thistles, are also spreading. All these things, and many others which will be found mentioned under the proper heads, demand instant attention if they are to be combated successfully. A good deal of fall ploughing was done in the Upper Country, but the early snow prevented as much being done as usual. In some parts of the Lower County, also, where the land is high considerable ploughing was done, but the wet autumn interfered a great deal in the lower parts. On the Islands a moderate average only was put under crop. On reference to the table of Imports it will be seen that again there has been a large increase in the importations'of most things that we can as well raise in the Province. In the matter of dairy products, poultry, eggs, bacon, hams and lard, flour, beef and mutton, it is evident that there is fearful drain on the country, and I feel constrained to reiterate some of the remarks contained in my last report. Creameries on the same lines as those in the Eastern Provinces should be established at such points on the Lower Mainland and the Island as are so eminently adapted for dairying, the Upper Country, in my opinion, being for the most part unsuitable, if I except that region in the vicinity of Lac La Hache and upwards along the valley of the Fraser, but which at the present time is isolated. Travelling dairies, also, for the instruction of the uninitiated in the art of butter-making, such as are used in some of the Australian Colonies, a description of which I give further on, and which are there found to be of immense value, would, I have no doubt, be of equal advantage to the farmers of this Province. Mr. Knight, correspondent, Popcum, says, " dairying is followed by a few farmers, but the quality of the butter is poor, they don't know how to make good butter." On the other hand, almost any part of the Upper Country, and some dry portions of the Islands, seem intended by nature for the production of poultry. Turkeys especially, of which immense quantities are imported, and which require a dry climate, would be immensely profitable on the high lands of the interior, where water is not available for irrigating and are consequently lying idle. Where grasshoppers are numerous, also, fowls have been found to be of great service in reducing their numbers. There need be no fear of over-production at present in this line, as the imports amply demonstrate. The swine industry is, I believe, a profitable one in any part of the country, and it is all equally well adapted for the purpose. On the Lower Mainland, however, "and on the Island, pigs seem more subject to cholera and other diseases. In those parts also where salmon die and get washed ashore pig-raising should be avoided, as the tainted flesh of animals so fed creates a very bad name, and has the effect of lowering prices. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 723 In the matter of flour, I find that our production is far below our requirements. There are many thousands of acres of good grain land in the Upper Country especially adapted for the purpose, and where sufficient could be grown for all our requirements. The growing of cereals in the Lower Country I hold to be utterly wrong from an economic point, for several reasons, the chief one of which is the uncertainty of the harvesting weather. Losses from this cause occur every year, and in some years very heavy losses. A multitude of other reasons can be adduced, but I think the one given is enough. This has always been considered, and I think rightly, a fruit-growing country; but what can be thought when it is seen that 9,325 barrels of apples were imported last year. There seems to be something radically wrong in such a state of affairs. It is quite true that a very large proportion of the orchards of the Province are young and not in bearing, but very many are in bearing; sufficient, I imagine, to supply, the wants of the Province. The secret is, I believe, that diseases, pests, and want of care have so reduced the quantity and quality of fruit that people are forced to buy elsewhere. It is urged that as sheep cannot be run on the same ranges as cattle, therefore the supply is limited, and hence the large importations. It is an open question as to which is the better paying branch. It is asserted by those in a position to know that sheep-raising is more profitable; and as that is the main question to be considered, it seems to me most unreasonable that such large herds of cattle, in the face of the low prices complained of, should be kept. Another peculiarity is, that in spite of the large numbers of beef cattle in the country, there should be so many imported. What all the particular causes are, I am not prepared to say; but it is certain that the cattle men of the North-West sell good cattle in the markets of the Province, when our own cattle are presumably too poor. My own opinion of the proper way to circumvent the difficulty is by the erection of cold storage warehouses at convenient points in the interior—say Vernon, Kamloops, or Ashcroft—where all prime beef cattle could be slaughtered about the month of December, and sent to the coast markets as they were required. There are so many obvious advantages in such a course, that I wonder it has not been taken up before; if not by a company, as a money-making concern, then by the ranchers themselves, in self-protection. Bitter complaints are made of the excessive freight rates on produce sent from interior points to the coast markets, the charges, it is asserted, completely eating up any profit. This is a subject of great importance to all concerned, and one which should demand attention and arranging as soon as possible. From personal observations during the last year, it appears to me that much valuable time is lost by many farmers in attempts to raise unsuitable crops, by the injudicious selection of fruit trees, and by attempting to clear land intended for orchards of large stumps. As far as my experience goes, fruit trees will grow perfectly well between stumps, provided the ground is kept well tilled about them and plenty of mulching applied. As regards unsuita- bility of crops, there is no doubt in my mind that if the farmers would confine themselves principally to dairying, fruit culture, and root crops in the Lower Country, leaving cereals to those of the Upper Country, it would result much more favourably to the interests of all. I visited the Dominion Experimental Farm at Agassiz, where excellent work is being- done in the way of demonstrating the capabilities of the country, and the adaptibility of various plants not indiginous to the country, and of the different varieties of fruit, grain and roots. I imagine much will be done to disprove certain preconceived ideas on these important points, and many things heretofore believed to be unsuitable to the climate of this Province will be proved to be well worth cultivating. Useful lessons on the distance that fruit trees should be planted from one another, and the general management of orchards, can also be obtained here. People about to embark in the occupation of farming and fruit-raising could not do better than to pay a visit to the farm and obtain many invaluable hints. A great portion of the lands of the Province, particularly those high wooded tracts covered with a heavy growth of fir and other large trees, heretofore considered worthless, are, I am glad to say, gradually coming more and more into favour, and when brought into cultivation—which, of course, is expensive—are found to be very valuable. Some farmers told me that they would not exchange this description of land, which they had brought under cultivation, for what they considered previously to be their best land. These lands, when reclaimed, will add greatly to the agricultural area of the Province. It is a curious fact that the same errors, or misconceptions, existed in Australia, where large tracts of country which were marked on the early maps " worthless " are now considered to be amongst the best lands of that 724 Report on Agriculture. 189$ country. A letter which appeared in a recent number of the Colonist shows that the same idea existed in New Brunswick, and in the State of Washington. The letter is so applicable to the case that I reproduce it: — " Farm Land in British Columbia. " To the Editor :—I have noticed several references to the amount of farm laud in British Columbia, and it has occurred to me that a leaf out of my experience might be of value to those who are trying to form an estimate. " In 1870 I made a voluntary exploration of that part of New Brunswick which is now owned, I think, by the Canadian Pacific Railway, it having been given as a bonus to the New Brunswick Railway, and I reported upon it, my report being published in the Blue Book issued in 1871 by my father, who was then Secretary for Agriculture. The papers were inclined to ridicule it at the time, and to intimate that I did not know what I was talking about when I said that there were a million acres of admirable farming land there. Since then some of the finest settlements in New Brunswick have been established on that tract, and every available acre of it would be settled if the present owners were not holding it as a timber reserve. ': Mr. Andrew Inches, Deputy Surveyor-General of New Brunswick, told me that when he entered the Crown Land Office the words 'This land is no good' were written across the map where the splendid settlements of Glassville, Johnsville, Knowlesville, etc., are now located, and where is undoubtedly some of the best upland in Eastern Canada. " When I came to tins State two years ago, the farmers of White River Valley told me that the uplands of Washington were no good for farming. I have since seen three crops . of clover cut in one season from upland, and the finest roots and grain grown upon it. The uplands of Washington, so far from being no good, are of great value for agriculture. " Prof. Johnston, F. R. G. S., says something in one of his papers to the following effect : The first impressions of settlers in a new country in regard to the value of its farm lands are almost invariably wrong. They invariably condemn what experience proves to be valuable. " It is just possible that observations of a similar character to the foregoing may be applicable to British Columbia. " Seattle, May 30th. "C. II. Lucrin." Surface-draining and under-draining is a subject which should engage more of the attention of our farmers. Its importance is probably not fully recognized, added to which, it is unquestionably expensive. Hence, I presume, it is almost altogether neglected, and the results are wet, sour lands, which it is impossible to plough or crop in proper season, the consequent lateness of the harvest often resulting (more particularly in the Lower Country) in partial or total loss. Mr. Jacob Zink's (Chilliwhack) remark is worthy of consideration. He says :—" If farmers could have money at G per cent, on good security, to make improvements and buy useful machinery, there could be many more necessary improvements made." Irrigation and the saving and storing of water in those parts of the country where the rainfall is insufficient is a subject of the utmost importance, and I have, therefore, elicited opinions on the matter from correspondents and others, which will be found in their reports, and which I commend to notice. Further necessary restrictions seem to be demanded for the regulation of stallions running at large, and for the protection of those having thoroughbred stallions. Mr. Bulman, correspondent at Upper Nicola, says that he has several mares in foal to two-year-old stallions, before May, which would seem to show that the law is defective in that respect. In the following pages I have endeavoured to give in every instance the averages, or the quantity, or both, of cultivated land, woodland, swamp, rock, and pasture ; quantity of grain, hay, root crops, fruit, and other things produced, and number of head of live stock owned; the number of ranchers—by which I wish it understood that I mean owners and occupiers of lands, not the inhabitants generally of the country ; the altitudes of the different farming sections; the precipitation and temperature in the different parts of the country. In this connection I wish it understood that what I mean by the greatest heat or cold is not the extraordinary heat or cold that may occur very rarely, but the usual highest or lowest temperature. The crops, fruit and stock most suitable to different localities; the diseases and pests affecting the agriculturist and stock-raiser, and the remedies most recommended; reports of the Fruit Inspector and Inspector of Animals; imports and exports of agricultural products, and various other matters of interest. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. From the nature of the country and the circumstances attending getting up useful information, this report naturally partakes more of a description of the different farming localities, their means of communication, their products and general adaptability, than of an "Agricultural Report" in the usually accepted sense. Such as it is, I trust it will meet with the approval of the farming population, without whose co-operation and assistance it is impossible to present a true and valuable report. .Bearing this in mind, I trust their generous support will be accorded in the future. The following questions were asked in an autumn circular to correspondents :— 1. Grain.—Can you state what the estimated yield is per acre of the following; also the average prices obtainable or ruling:—Wheat (Fall), wheat (Spring), barley, oats, rye, peas, Indian corn, other grain ? 2. Miscellaneous.—Hay, hops ? 3. Roots and Vegetables.—Potatoes, mangolds, carrots, turnips, onions, beets, parsnips, cabbages, other roots and vegetables ? (tt.) What kind of yield of above, good, bad, or indifferent 1 (b.) State the particular name of the following which are considered best suited to your part, and which give the best results :—Wheat, barley, oats, rye, peas, corn, grass, clover, hop, potato, mangold, carrot, turnip, onion, beet, parsnip, cabbage, other. 4. Fruit. -Can you state the average prices obtainable for apples, pears, plums and prunes, cherries, peaches, quinces, apricots, nectarines, grapes, other ? (a.) Was the season's crop good or bad ? (b.) What was the quality of the fruit ? (c.) Can you give any information as to soils best adapted and the cultivation of fruit? (tl.) Are the following fruits grown, and with what success : —Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes ? (e.) Give the particular name of the following fruits which have been found to give the best results :—Apples, pears, plums, cherries. Have any attempts been made to cultivate the following, and with what success? 5. Linseed or Flaxseed. G. Sugar Beet. 7. Rape. 8. Dairy. (a.) Is dairying followed to any extent, and with what results ? (b.) What prices are obtainable for butter and cheese ? 9. Wool. (a.) Is your part of the country well adapted for wool-raising ? (b.) Is it entered into to any extent? (c.) What is the quality of the wool ? ('/.) What is the average weight of fleece 1 10. Live Stock. (a.) Are people generally going in for improved breeds of stock ? (//.) State what in your estimation are the best breeds in your district of horses for draught, saddle, or harness ; cattle for beef and dairy ; sheep for wool and mutton; pigs and poultry. 11. Poultry. (a.) Is this industry entered into to any extent, and with any system ? (b.) What is the average price of eggs ? (b.) tt i spring : (c.) ii 1 summer (d.) n autumn (e.) Percent ige of loss throug 726 Report on Agriculture. 1893 12. Bees.—Has apiculture been tried, and with what results? 13. Weather. (a.) Character of last winter: snow, rain, or frost? wet or dry ; frosts.? : hot, cold, wet, &c? : wet or dry, good or bad harvest weather; frosts ? :i unfavourable weather ? 14. Diseases and Pests.—It is of the utmost importance that all information throwing any light on this subject should be brought before the department, inasmuch as the loss entailed by these agencies is incalculable, and it should be everybody's aim to devise means for the counteraction of the mischief wrought. If you can, therefore, report upon diseases of plant or animal life, noxious weeds and insects, means employed (if any), and the success attending them, to get rid of or mitigate the evils, it would be a great help towards the end in view. What percentage of loss of animals, fruit and other crops do you estimate to have occurred through diseases and pests? 15. Labour. (a.) Are labourers easily procurable? (b.) White, Chinese, or Indian ? (c.) Average wages paid ? 10. Ensilage. —Has it been tried, and with what success? 17. Ploughing.—Is any fall ploughing done, and to what extent ? 18. General Remarks.- - On the condition and prospects of agriculture generally, and on such subjects as irrigation, ditching, draining, dyking, fencing, buildings, machinery, implements, &c. REPORTS. GRAND PRAIRIE, KETTLE RIVER, Grand Prairie, situated on a bend of Kettle River where it crosses the 49th parallel and re-enters the United States again about fifteen miles below. It is therefore bounded on one side by the International Boundary, which runs here along a precipitous range of mountains This part of the country is practically cut off from the remainder of the Province by the absence of a waggon road, the journey from Osoyoos to this point, when performed on wheels (as Mr. Lumby and I did it), having to be done mainly through American territory, the course of the Kettle River being followed from Rock Creek, along which numerous fords are encountered, some of which are by no means safe, even in the dry season, for strangers, and rendering this route impracticable in the wet season. The distance, in all, is .about sixty miles. Hence the people of Grand Prairie have to procure all their supplies from Marcus, in Washington, on the Spokane and Northern Railway, but are shut out from the U. S. markets by the prohibitory tariff of that country. They are, nevertheless, well situated, as any road from Marcus or Fort Shepherd, westward, will, from topographical reasons, have to pass through Grand Prairie, and with the waggon road which the Government proposes to build from the vicinity of Osoyoos, which will reduce the distance some fifteen or twenty miles, it seems to have good future before it. There are about thirty-six ranchers hereabouts, with fine ranches, on which most of the ordinary crops attain perfection. Being practically without a market, there has not, thus far, been any great inducement to attempt production on any great scale. Fruit of all kinds does well, and a good many young trees are planted out. Irrigation is necessary for the successful production of crops in most localities, and a fair quantity of water is available for the purpose. Good crops are, however, also got in some parts without it. Mr. Sydney Almond, one of the most enterprising farmers, gave me samples of bald and blue barley which are remarkably good (see his remarks). Other cereals and root crops also do well. As a stock-raising country 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 727 it is peculiarly well adapted, bunch grass on the hills growing most luxuriantly, and many cattle are raised. Coyotes are a drawback to sheep raising, and until they are thinned out the industry cannot successfully be followed. The climate is good. When I was there, on the 22nd October, we had beautiful sunny days and frosty nights. The snowfall is not heavy, and generally lies on the ground about three months. Rain, except for thunderstorms in summer, is very infrequent. The altitude of Christiana Lake, in the immediate vicinity of Grand Prairie, and whose waters flow into Kettle River there, is given at 996 feet in the Hon. J. W. Trutch's map, 1871, while the surrounding high lands are placed at from 1,800 to 4,000 feet; roughly, therefore, the altitude of Grand Prairie may be called 1,000 feet. The character of the country is open, with pines scattered sparsely- over it, presenting a very picturesque appearance; the streams are edged with cottonwood, birch, etc. The rolling hills, covered with grass, have more timber than the lower lands. By returns received, I find that 4| per cent, only of the land owned is under cultivation, 14 per cent, being woodland or forest, and 81 if per cent, pasture land. The following, is correspondent's report, and replies and remarks of some of the ranchers:— Report of Mr. E. Spraggett, Correspondent. 1. Wheat (spring).—16 bushels per acre; $30 per ton. Barley.—Indifferent yield ; $30 per ton. Oats.—Good ; $30 per ton. 2. Hay.—One-half to two tons ; $15 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—Good ; $20 per ton. Carrots, n 30 n Turnips, n 20 Onions, n 60 n Cabbages.—Indifferent; $40 per ton. 3b. Spring Wheat, Bald and Blue Barley, Timothy, Early Rose Potato, Danver Onion, best suited. 4. Apples, Pears, and Peaches.—Average price, five cents per pound. 4a & b.—Crop and quality of roots and vegetables good. 4d. All fruits enumerated, except nectarines, grown with good success. 4e. The particular names of fruits best suited are not established here yet; a great many young trees are being set out this year. The results will be known after a while. 5-8. Linseed, Sugar Beet, Rape, and Dairying not attempted to any extent. 8 b. Price of butter, 50 cents. 9a & b. Wool-raising not adapted, and sheep-raising not attempted. 10a. People are generally going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. Clydesdale horses for draught, Durham cattle for beef, White Chester pigs, and Brown Leghorn chickens best suited to the district. 11a. Poultry kept only for house use. 11b. Price of eggs, 35 to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture not attempted. 13c Heat in summer, 94° in shade. 13d. Good harvest weather. 14. Quite a few good horses died here last fall; in good condition ; sick about twenty-four hours; could not find any cause. All the horses were from the United States side of the line. 15a. Labour plentiful. 15b. Whites and Indians principally. 15 c Wages, $35 per month. 16. Ensilage not tried. 17. The ploughing mostly done in the fall. 728 Report on Agriculture. 1893 S. Russell Almond says :—I have a pedigreed Durham bull; my stock are graded. Black flies, bull-dogs, and green flies are pests. Gophers are troublesome. Lambs-quarter and wild buckwheat are noxious weeds. The following grain I consider best suited to this locality :—Red Fife wheat, bald or blue barley, English side oat or White Russian oat, Canadian field peas, and early yellow corn. Any kinds of potato, and all kinds of roots do well. The best grasses are Schroeder's broom, timothy, the fescues, and white clover. All breeds of horses do well from the Cayuse to the Clyde. I prefer Durham cattle for beef; medium Yorkshire pigs, and a cross between Game and Dorking for poultry. There was about ten inches of snow last winter—ten to twelve is the average ; there was no rain ; there was an average amount of cold ; 18° to 20° below zero was greatest fall of the thermometer. The spring was late, generally favourable to seeding, but somewhat inclined to the cold side. The summer was moderately warm, but very dry from June till August. The autumn was moist, with cold nights and beautiful warm days. The harvesting season is always good. There were frosts during the first week in June. Particulars regarding bald and blue barley are : Character of soil, sandy loam ; date of planting, early part of April ; date of harvesting, close of July ; yield per acre, from 20 to 30 bushels; weight per bushel, from 65 to 70 pounds; price at nearest market, home demand, 2 cents per pound. Messrs. McInnis & Vaughan say:—There was not much snow and no rain, it was a mild winter. Very favourable spring for seeding. The summer was warm and dry. The autumn was very dry with excellent harvest weather. The yield of crops was not an extra good yield. They were harvested in good condition. [In answer to tin enquiry as to the general weather, see Mr. Spraggett's letter under Meteorological.] ROCK CREEK Empties into Kettle River where the road from Osoyoos will probably cross on its way to Grand Prairie, Like the latter it is shut out at the present time by lack of roads, communication with Osoyoos being had by a horse trail across the mountains, or by the so-called waggon road through Washington, some thirty-five or forty miles to Kruger's. There are some fine places in the vicinity, with extensive hill ranges covered with bunch grass, on which a number of cattle are kept ; there are also a good many horses. Mr. Macmyn n had a flock of sheep, but he had to give them up on account of the ravages of the coyotes; some few are kept for local use, but herding costs a great deal; otherwise it is a good country for sheep. Swine and poultry are only kept in limited numbers. On our way through here we were charmed with the beauty and variety of the scenery. A trip clown the Kettle River, which is an ideal trout stream teeming with fish, and the country with game, cannot be surpassed, in my opinion, for a summer's outing. There are some thirteen settlers hereabouts. Cereals of all kinds, hay, and roots all yield largely, but fruit is not grown ; it would no doubt, however, do well if tried. The crop of potatoes on Mr. Eholt's ranch was most phenomenal, but I regret to say that my note thereon has been mislaid. A market has been furnished for a limited quantity of produce by the mines on Rock Creek, and by the mining village at its confluence with Kettle River, where there is a good hotel and several stores. With the mineral developments now taking place, however, and the prospects of a good road through to the Osoyoos Valley, the probability is this will soon be a thriving settlement. Coyotes and wolves are the principal pests. The character of the climate is very similar to that of Grand Prairie. The precipitation is light, snow lying on the ground from two and a half to three mouths. Irrigation is necessary to insure successful returns of crops. The soil in the valleys is a light loam, the hills are rugged on the higher parts and pretty well covered with timber; on the lower parts timber is scarce, and bunch grass covers them in all parts. I have no means of ascertaining the altitude, it is possibly 1,500 feet. Some 44 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, according to returns, 31 per cent, is woodland or forest, 9 per cent, swamp, marsh, and rock, and 55 i per cent, pasture. 56'Vict. Report on Agriculture. 729 Correspondent's report and remarks of farmers are as follows :— Report or W. G. Macmynn, Correspondent. 1. Wheat (spring).—2,000 pounds per acre ; 2 cents per pound. Oats. it it 2 it it Rye. 1,750 pounds tt 2 A- n n 2. Hay.—2 tons per acre ; $20 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—10 tons per acre ; 1A cents per pound. Mangolds.—12 tons per acre. Carrots.—6 tons per acre; 11 cents per pound. Turnips. —15 tons per acre. Onions.—4 cents per pound. Beets.—10 tons per acre. Cabbages.—8 tons per a^cre; 3 cents per pound. 3a. The yield was small, owing to dry summer and fall. 3b. Timothy grass, red clover, Ruta Baga turnip, and short white carrot are best suited to this part. 4. Average price for apples, 6 cents per pound. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, and melons are not grown. Tomatoes are not always a sure crop. 5. Linseed has been grown with fair success. 6. Sugar beet has been cultivated; large crops, but fall frost, I think, injures its sugar value. 8. Dairying not much followed, both cattle and bunch grass being better adapted for beef-raising than dairying. 8b. Price of butter, 50 cents per pound. 9a. This section of country is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep-raising not carried on to any extent. 9 c. Wool is of good qualitv. 9d. Average weight of fleece is about 6 pounds. 10a. People are generally going in for improved stock. 10b. For this district I consider Clydesdale horses best for draught, Cleveland bays best for saddle and harness. Shorthorn cattle for beef, Herefords for dairying. Merinos for wool, Leicesters for mutton. Berkshire pigs. Plymouth Rock chickens. 11a. Poultry-raising not extensively gone into. 11b. Average price of eggs, 35 cents to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture not tried. 13a. About 6 inches of snow on the ground from Christinas until the 15th of March, 1892. 13b. Spring cold and backward. 13 c. Summer very dry. 13d. Autumn warm and dry. 13e. Loss through unfavourable weather, backward spring, and dry summer, 25 per cent. 15a. Labourers plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. Wages, whites, $30 to $40 and board per month; Chinese, $15 to $20 per month; Indians, $20 to $25 and board per month. 16. Ensilage not tried. 17. Owing to dry fall not much fall ploughing done. 18. The prospects are good for agriculture, owing to the mineral development. 730 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. Wm. G. Macmynn says:—My young horses are graded from Cleveland Bay stallion. There was a little distemper or epizootic amongst range horses this summer. Lost one mare and colt, Loss was probably five per cent. For this locality I consider timothy grass and red or alfalfa clover best suited. 1 like crosses from the Clyde for draught horses, and for general purposes crosses from Cleveland Bay. I like Ayrshire cattle for dairying, Herefords or Shorthorn for beef. Leicesters for mutton. Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock for chickens. There were a few wet clays in November; it was an exceptionally mild winter ; the spring was late, being cold and backward. There was a slight touch of frost at the end of July, but no more until middle of September. J ohn R. Jackson says :—Coyotes are pests here. I consider the yield was fair were the crops were irrigated ; the crops were harvested in good condition. OSOYOOS. Situated on the lake of that name, near the International Boundary, has, in conjunction with the adjacent settlements, about seventeen settlers. The character of the country hereabouts is arid and sandy, covered in parts with cactus, greasewood, and sage. Where water can be applied to the land, it grows good crops, but otherwise it is more fit for stock-raising. The land along the valley of the Okanagan River towards Dog Lake is good, and with the abundance of water procurable might easily be brought into cultivation, if the chances of a good market warranted it. This, I am hopeful, may soon be realized, as it is understood a line of railroad is to be built from the foot of Okanagan Lake to Osoyoos. Mr. R, G. Sidley Was very anxious that I should visit his place on Anarchist Mountain, in order that I might judge for myself of the capabilities of the land in the higher regions, but my time was so limited that I was obliged to forego the pleasure. Mr. Sidley is a great believer in the fertility of the land on the high benches, and thinks these lands have been much neglected. He says he cuts large quantities of hay from bunch grass, which grows to great perfection on the hills. In a previous communication he says :—" I have tried most kinds of grain and vegetables during the last three years. Flax does best of all; next comes oats. Wheat (spring) and fall rye does splendidly if it does not bloom too early. Hardy vegetables do well if the sod is rotted. Potatoes yield a very well-flavoured tuber, but the yield is small on account of summer frosts cutting clown the vines. Carrots and parsnips do best of root crops on account of going deep for moisture. These crops are all grown without irrigation." Fruit is not cultivated to any extent, although a few trees that Mr. Kruger has yield well; peaches, especially, attain great perfection, the climate being admirably suited to their cultivation. I have no doubt the same remark would apply to grapes, and it is a pity that the cultivation of both is not attempted on an extensive scale. Mr. Richter, on the road to Keremeos, has a small orchard which does well. Cattle are raised in abundance, and are usually driven through to Hope for shipment to the coast. If I may be permitted to digress, I will mention a curious fact in natural history related and vouched for by Mr. Kruger. It appears that wild geese hatch out their young in nests in the trees hereabouts, appropriating for the purpose the disused nests of eagles, hawks, etc. This freak is attributed to the great prevalence of coyotes, rattlesnakes, and other ground vermin. Mrs. Kruger has a flock of domesticated wild geese, the eggs from which they were hatched having been taken from nests in a tree. The climate is equable, and not much snow falls on the lower lands. Good roads lead from this point to Penticton, distant between 35 and 40 miles, and also to Keremeos. That part of the road along Dog Lake was greatly improved last season by the Government, and it now runs along the edge of and not much above the level of the lake. A good road also leads from Osoyoos into the adjacent State of Washington. The Fairview mines are situated in this district, some ten to twelve miles from Kruger's, on the road to Penticton, and promise well under the present efficient management. We spent one night there, and were hospitably entertained, and so had a chance of viewing the works. It is rightly named, as the view from the manager's house is most exquisite; the valley of the Okanagan River, Osoyoos Lakes, and away into Washington are all to be seen. The soil is a light sandy loam. Timber is exceedingly scarce on the lower lands, but there is more on the hills, The hills are rugged in the extreme, but on the top good bunch grass 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 731 grows. The altitude of Osoyoos Lake, judging by that of Okanagan Lake furnished me by Mr. A. E. McKay, C.E., and which he places at 1,150 feet, must be in the neighbourhood of 1,000 feet or less. Appended are the replies and remarks of some of the farmers :— Mr, Wm. Richter says :—It was not a cold winter; there was no rain, and not much snow. Spring was early, succeeded by a fine summer and autumn. We had a frost on 20th September. Crops were saved in good condition. Mr. Frank Richter says :—I have an imported pedigreed French Percheron Stallion, six pedigreed Polled Angus bulls and three cows, three yearlings and two calves. Fall wheat will not do here, owing to the paucity of snow. All other kinds of grain, roots, and fruits do well here. Last winter was mild ; there was no rain, and not much snow. Spring- was early, and favourable for seeding ; summer was dry, with a fine autumn and good harvest weather. The yield of crops was shortened by the dryness of the season. KEREMEOS. Situated on the Similkameen River, by road about twenty-five miles from Osoyoos and thirty miles from Penticton, these roads affording ready means of communication with those points. The trail, also, to Hope, used for driving cattle, passes through Keremeos and follows up the Similkameen. Parts of this valley are very fertile, no irrigation being required ; those parts situated in the higher benches, however, require water. The tops of the mountains which bound the river on both sides afford excellent summer ranges, being clothed with bunch grass. The valley through which the river meanders is covered, where it is not cleared, with a small growth of cottonwood, willow, and birch. Higher up the valley is the celebrated Ashnola range, the home of the big horn (Oris Montana.) so eagerly sought after by sportsmen and would-be sportsmen. Cereals, root crops, and fruit all do equally well in this valley, and we were regaled at Mr. Cawston's place with some of the finest apples it has been my fortune to taste, quite free from disease, and of very large size; the trees yield abundantly and regularly every year. Mr. Daly (correspondent) also has a fine place adjoining Mr. Cawston's, and is going in for great improvements. Cattle are raised in great numbers for the coast markets. As will be seen by the meteorological report, under the proper head, kept by Mr. E. Bullock-Webster, the extremes of heat and cold do not vary much. The snowfall is from six to eight inches; temperature, max. about 95, and min. 15 below zero. The weather during my visit there at the end of October was fine, sunshine during the day and frost at night, whilst only a little further north, in the valley of the Okanagan, a dense fog enveloped the country for days. This fog, I am bound to say, however, was seldom or never known before. The coyote is the scourge of this part of the country. Messrs. Daly and Bullock- Webster both concur in asserting that, although high enough, the bounty placed by the Government last year on them has not had the effect, as yet, of thinning them out materially. Mr. Webster's remarks will be found under "Diseases and Pests," and those of Mr. Daly in his report. Other diseases . and pests reported are wild horses (see Mr. Cawston's remarks under "Diseases and Pests"), big-jaw in cattle, potato bugs (Epicanta Maculata), Aphides, and wild buckwheat. Although no complaints reached me, I should think, from my personal observations, that wasps or hornets must be a terrible nuisance in this part. Enormous nests, happily, when I was there, untenanted, were to be seen everywhere suspended to the branches. In one place, Mr. Lumby and I counted no less than eight in full view. Apiculture under such circumstances would, I imagine, be out of the question. There are about twenty settlers hereabouts, who are principally engaged in raising cattle for beef. Not many sheep, pigs, nor poultry are produced, and dairying is only carried on to supply local demands. The soil in the bottom lands is a rich alluvial deposit, and on the higher parts a sandy loam. The valley is bounded on. both sides with steep mountains, on which is some fair timber. From returns received, it appears that about 20 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 7 per cent, being woodland or forest, and 73 per cent, pasture. My own impression is that 20 per cent, as cultivated land is somewhat overstated. L 732 Report on Agriculture. 1893 The following approximate estimates are supplied by Mr. Thos. Daly:— Quantity of land owned , 24,620 acres. ii ii cultivated 5,000 n Number of tons grain produced 500 tons. ii hay ti 2,000 .. it ti root crops , 500 n ii ii fruit 10 it it cattle owned 4,000 head. ti horses n 800 n it sheep it 200 n ti swine n 150 n Altitude of Similkameen River at Keremeos, 900 feet above sea level. The correspondent's report, and reports from several ranchers, are as follows :— Report of Thos. Daly, Correspondent. 1. Spring wheat.—2,000 pounds per acre ; $40 per ton. Oats. 2,000 ii H 40 n Rye. 2,400 n ,. 40 2. Hay.—2 tons per acre ; $20 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—4 tons per acre; $15 per ton. Turnips, 8 „ ' „ 20 Onions, 1 u n 60 n Cabbages, 3 u n 20 n 3a. The yield of above was good. 3b. Red Fife wheat, Clydesdale oats, timothy and red top grasses, red clover, Early Rose potato, short red carrot, Yellow Danver onion, blood beet, and flat Dutch cabbage are the best varieties for this locality. 4. Apples, average in price, $80 per ton. 4a. The fruit crop was good. 4b. The quality was very good. 4c. A sandy soil, with irrigation, is the best for fruit cultivation. 4d. The climate specially adapted for peaches, which do very well. Grapes do fairly well. Melons and tomatoes do very well. 4e. Red Astrachan, Twenty ounce pippin, and Snow apples, Bartlett pears, and Greengage plums give the best results. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape not tried. 8a. Dairying practised to a very small extent; the butter made is of the finest quality 8b. Butter is worth 50 cents per pound. 9a. It is a good country for wool raising. 9b. Sheep raising not extensively carried on. 9 c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. Average weight of fleece is 4 pounds. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. Polled Angus doing well. 10b. I consider the following the best breeds for this district:—Percheron for draught, Cleveland Bays for saddle; Shorthorns for beef, Holsteins for dairy ; Merinos for wool, Cotswolds for mutton ; Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock chickens. 11a. Poultry are only raised for home use. 11b. Average price of eggs, 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture not attempted. 13a. Fine winter, very little snow, rain, or frost, 1 3b. Dry spring ; no frosts. 13c. Summer hot; no rain. 13b. Good harvest weather, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 733 13e. No loss through unfavourable weather. 14. Cattle are subject to big-jaw. Coyotes (see Diseases and Pests.—J.R.A.) 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15 c. Average wages, $1 50 per day with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Some ploughing is done in the fall. Mr. Robert C. Armstrong says :- Blue bugs did considerable damage to beets and potatoes. Wild buckwheat is a bad weed. I consider the following the best suited to this locality :—Clydesdale oats, Early Rose potatoes, Timothy grass, Ayrshire cattle for dairying, and Berkshire pigs. There was not much snow or cold last winter, and no rain ; spring was late, but good for seeding. The summer was fine with a good autumn for harvesting, no frosts till October. Mosquitos were very bad. Crops yielded well, and were well harvested. This valley is the best place I ever saw to live in. Less pests and no failures of crops. It is a great drawback allowing the Indians thousands of acres of the best land, as it is nearly all lying idle ; if they were allowed 160 acres to the family there would then be several thousand acres here for settlement. There are about fifteen Indians between Keremeos and the boundary, and they hold as many thousand acres of the best land in the world, nearly all being bottom land. PRINCETON, GRANITE CREEK, AND OTTER CREEK. The former, situated on the Similkameen River about forty miles from Keremeos, the two latter being tributaries of the Tulameen, which in turn flows into the Similkameen. There is no road to these points, and as I was not equipped for the journey on horseback, besides being pressed for time, I had to leave these places unvisited. The trail from Keremeos to Hope goes through Princeton, which is distant from the latter, place sixty-five miles. There are trails also leading from Princeton to Granite Creek and Otter Creek, and thence northward to Nicola, some fifty-five to sixty miles. The latter route is probably the best for a road, as that to Hope is very mountainous, and to go round by Keremeos would be making a long- detour. A road is now in the course of construction between Nicola and Granite Creek. The country is hilly and not well adapted to grain growing ; root crops, however, do well; fruit has not been proved to be successful ; well adapted for cattle-raising, which is the princi]Dal occupation of the ranchers, of which there are about twenty in and about the three places. The altitude of Princeton is given by Capt. Parsons, R.E., at 1,650 feet. Mr. Hugh Hunter gives the average snowfall, about two feet, lying on the ground from about the 15th November to 15th March. Usual heat for three months, 75°; usual greatest cold for a month and a half, 25° below zero (see his remarks under " Meteorological "). From returns received I find that 4 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 17 per cent, being woodland or forest, 17 per cent, swamp, marsh or rock, 62 per cent, pasture. Report of Mr. Hugh Hunter, Correspondent. 1. Wheat (spring).—30 to 40 bushels per acre; 90 cents per bushel. Oats.—45 to 60 bushels per acre ; 1| cents per pound. 2. Hay.—1| tons per acre. 3. Potatoes, &c, $30 per ton. 3a. The yield was good. 4. Fruit not grown. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape not cultivated. 8a. Dairying not pursued to any extent. 8b. Price of butter, 45 cents per pound ; cheese, 28 cents. 9a. Better suited to cattle than sheep. 9b. No sheep-raising. 10a. People are improving their breeds of horned cattle. 734 Report on Agriculture. 1893 10b. For this district I consider best: For the saddle, the native Cayuse, only having trails we have no use for harness horses ; for beef, Shorthorn and Herefords ; for dairying, Jerseys ; for mutton, Southdowns ; Berkshire pigs ; Plymouth Rock, Leghorns, and Black Spanish chickens. 11a. Poultry almost entirely neglected, there being no market. 11b. Average price of eggs, 40 cents to 50 cents per dozen. 12. No bees in this part of the country. 13a. Very mild winter, lasted four months; a good deal of snow, about three feet. 13b. A backward spring, with a good deal of frost. 13c. First part of summer very cold ; latter end fine. 13d. Fine autumn, good harvest, little or no frost. 15a. Labourers plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. Average wages : Whites, $30 to $40 per month ; Chinese and Indians, $1 per day 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Some ploughing is done in the fall. 18. This district is, as a rule, unfitted for tillage; cattle-raising is the principal industry Mr. W. H. Holmes, 4 miles from Princeton, says :—There was about two feet of snow last winter; there was no rain, and there was not very much cold. Spring was late and not very good for seeding. Summer was dry and hot, with a cloudy and cold autumn. Harvest weather was dry, getting frosty about the end of September. My crop yield was not very good, as my irrigation was not completed. It was harvested in good order. PENTICTON Is situated at the foot of Okanagan Lake. It is connected by good roads with Osoyoos and Keremeos, and by steamer with Vernon and all the places along the beautiful sheet of water above mentioned. A fine steamer is to be placed on the lake this season, to take the place of the little one heretofore used, and this will undoubtedly be an additional inducement for people living near our border on the American side to take this route to the coast. It will thus be seen that Penticton is the natural outlet for all the country to the south of it, and it seems destined, in the near future, to become a place of some importance. There is no meteorological station in this vicinity, so I am unable to give any definite information on this point. I may state generally, however, that the precipitation is, in common with the rest of this part of the country, light, the average depth of snow being about five to six inches, and lasting from about 1st January to 31st March. The temperature attains a maximum of about 90° in summer, and a minimum of about 15° below zero in winter. The land is of excellent quality, and grows good crops. Like all this region, it produces fine fruit; the inducements for its cultivation having, however, up to this time, been wanting, there is not much grown. Mr. Ellis has some old trees, which bear abundantly and regularly. The apples and peaches are especially fine. Diseases and noxious insects are comparatively unknown. About twenty ranchers are here and in the vicinity. The principal product is cattle, of which large numbers are sent to the coast, met Hope. With better steamer accommodation, however, it will be possible to send them via Vernon and the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is well adapted for sheep-raising, but coyotes render it impossible, even if one wished to enter into the business. Potato bugs are the only insect pest complained of. The altitude of the lake is given by Mr. A. E. McKay, C. E., at 1,150 feet, and the majority of the places are probably not more than 50 to 150 feet higher. The soil is light and sandy and requires to be irrigated, except the low-lying lands along the Okanagan. Above the plateaux near the lake, rise the rolling bunch-grass covered hills, so characteristic of this part of British Columbia. Timber is by no means plentiful on the lower lands, but is more abundant in some parts of the more elevated country. I find that only 1 per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 7 per cent, is woodland or forest, 10 per cent, is swamp, marsh or rock, and 82 per cent, pasture. Mr, John Whatlin says :—Potato bugs about half an inch long, of a drab colour, were very numerous in some sections of the country. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 735 TROUT CREEK AND WESTERN SIDE OF OKANAGAN LAKE. These points are only reached by water, and as the steamer's movements are very uncertain, I deemed it best not to attempt to visit them. There are about twenty-five settlers scattered about, the majority of whom are at Trout Creek. With good steamer accommodation, these places might, and will doubtless, have daily communication with Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton, thus opening up markets for their produce. Trout Creek is about 65 miles from Vernon, 30 from Kelowna, and 7 from Penticton. Naturally, from their heretofore isolated positions, not much in the way of agricultural products or fruit has been attempted; but as the conditions of soil and climate are identical with those of other parts of the lake, all the usual crops and fruits do equally well at this point. Irrigation has to be resorted to, as the precipitation is not sufficient to insure successful returns of crops. A good many cattle are raised, but not much other stock. Mr. Alex. McLennan, west side of Okanagan Lake, says :—I only settled here last spring, so can't give you much information. I and my brother have 320 acres here, only about 20 of the same being cultivable, the rest being pasture. There was not much snow last winter. Wages of ordinary farm labourers are— $ 2.00 per day without board ; $ 1.50 with board ; 45.00 per month „ 35.00 500.00 per year „ 400.00 „ Skilled labour, 3.00 per day 75.00 per month without board ; 2.50 „ 60.00 tt with ,i Indians, 1.50 n 35.00 n without n 1.00 „ 25.00 „ with Chinese about the same as Indians, except for cooking. OKANAGAN MISSION Is situated on the eastern side of Okanagan Lake, about 40 miles from Vernon, and is accessible from that point both by water and land, a good road leading past Long Lake and through the greater part of the settlement. During the last year, two townsites have been laid out, viz., Kelowna and Benvoulin, at both of which there are good hotels. Kelowna has the advantage of being on the lake shore, at the steamboat landing, and is therefore taking the lead. Great improvements have been made in the past season ; orchards are being planted everywhere, and I am glad to say a good deal of care exercised in their management. This probably arises from the good example set by Lord Aberdeen, whose place, " Guisachan," is the picture of neatness, the fruit trees, of which there were a great number set out last year, looking remarkably healthy. There are some eighty settlers hereabouts, many of whose places are in a good state of cultivation. Provided water can be had, all ordinary cereals, root crops and fruits come to perfection. Luckily, there is no lack of water, although some have to bring it long distances, some ditches being eight to ten miles long. Even with this great cost, however, the farmer of these parts has, in my opinion, the advantage of his brother farmer of the Lower Country, inasmuch as he does not require to dyke and ditch to keep the water out, and he is infinitely better off for roads, the character of the country rendering it much easier to maintain them. There is no meteorological station here, but the variations of temperature are not great and never very sudden, while the precipitation is, like the rest of this region, small. Under "Meteorological" will be found some observations of Mr. Postill on this subject. The weather during harvest being almost invariably, I may say always, good grain, is threshed on the fields, thus saving much in hauling and storing in barns. The altitude of this region is between 1,175 and 1,300 feet above sea level. That terrible pest, the aphis, has made its appearance in this section also. So far it has not attained great proportions, but, of course, it only requires time to develop and assume rank as a first-class pest, unless vigorous means are adopted for its suppression. Under "Diseases and Pests" will be found a letter from Mr. J. H. Christie on the subject. The wild horse nuisance is another pest (see Mr. Postill's remarks under " Diseases and Pests "). In addition to the above, skunks, coyotes, moles, wild oats, thistles, and smut in grain are complained of. Many beef cattle are produced; also horses, and some sheep, swine and poultry. Dairying is not carried on to any extent. The 736 Report on Agriculture. 1893 soil is a rich black loam. The valleys are open in most places; in some parts, however, there is a growth of small timber, very useful for fences, etc. Timber for lumbering is to be had in fair quantities in jslaces. Bunch-grass on the ranges affords excellent feed for stock. From returns received, it appears that 8 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 16A; per cent, being woodland or forest, 54 per cent, swamp, marsh and rock, and 70 per cent, pasture. Report of Me. Eustace A. Smith (Guisachan, Agent for Lord Aberdeen), Correspondent. 1. Wheat (spring), 1 ton per acre, $22 per ton. Barley, 1 ,, „ 22 Oats, 1 it n 27 >, 2. Hay, 2 „ n 10 to $12 per ton. Hops, 1,100 fts. n 50c. per ft. 3. Potatoes, 12 tons n 20 per ton. Mangolds, 20 n n Carrots, 13 n it 6 cents per ft. Turnips, 20 n n 4 Onions, 10 n n 5 n Beets, 1G n n 2 h Parsnips, 12. ii n 3 » Cabbages, 5 n n 5 tt 3a. Good yield on the whole; hay very good ; hops first-class in every respect, 4. Average price of apples, 5c. per ft. Small quantities of Astrachans realized 25c. per lb. Melons brought at the beginning of the season 35c. for musks and 30c. for water; later on, 30c. and 25c. respectively. 4a. The season's crop was very good. 4b. The quality of fruit was Al. 4c Sandy loam seems to be best for apjsles, but the richer the soil the better for pears. When much irrigation has to be done, as with us, sandy loam is preferable all round, as there is the less chance of the water resting and souring the ground. 4d. Peach trees are very prolific, but as yet fruit has not had a fair trial; seems to vary. Apricots do fairly. Grapes are doing wonderfully well, considering frosts, but will not, we think, ever amount to much. Melons and tomatoes are first-class; could not be better. 4e. The following fruits give the best results :—Red Astrachan, Wealthy, Northern Spy, King, Gravenstein, and Ben Davis apples ; Bartlett, Beurre d'Angou, and Sheldon pears; Pond's seedling, Imperial gage, and Bradshaw plums; Windsor and Black Tartarian cherries. 5. Flax not tried. G. Half an acre of sugar beet cultivated, with good results. 8a. A dairy farm is started in this district, and will, no doubt, do well, but it is too early to judge yet. 8b. Price of fresh butter is 50c. per ft. 9a. Wool-raising might do well. 9b. Sheep not raised to any extent. 9c. Wool is of fair quality. 9d. Weight of fleece would average 5 to 6 fts. 10a. People are imjiroving their breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following the best for this district:—Shire horses, with Oregon mares, for draught; Montana-bred horses for saddle ; light horse, with Oregon mares, for harness. Polled Angus, Shorthorn, Herefords, and Holsteins for beef and dairying. Merinos, or Oxford and Shropshires mixed, for wool; Oxford and Shrop- shires mixed, or black-faced, for mutton. Berkshire pigs. White Leghorn chickens. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 737 11a. There are, no systematic poultry farmers, but poultry-raising is gone into to. a fair extent. 11b. Average price of eggs is 50c. to 75c. per dozen. 13. Last winter there was more snow than usual; spring was wet; summer was hot, with a good deal of rain ; the autumn was wet. 14. Borer and grub, green aphis, and black knot are fruit tree pests; lice on hops, and smut on grain. (See "Diseases and Pests.") It is almost impossible to give a percentage of loss, as some orchards are not touched at all by any pest, at least to do much harm, whilst others are much affected. I think over irrigation has a good deal to account for, and also the perfect ignorance of many who have started fruit farming without the most rudimentary knowledge of either arboriculture or irrigation. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinamen and Indians can be got for hop-picking. 15c. Average wages, $30 to $35 per month. 16. Ensilage not tried yet. 17. Some fall ploughing is done. 18. Irrigation we certainly think is, on the whole, overdone, and just sours the land ; also, instead of irrigating only at sunrise or evening, many do it at midday, which is very bad for the trees. We think draining would do away with alkali, our greatest drawback, but tiles can not be got. We have 100 acres fruit, and 25 acres of hops ; the growth in both industries is really marvellous. There has been over three or four feet, in some cases five feet, in the peach trees, and the grapes promise well. The hops could hardly have possibly done better for the time they have been laid. There can be no doubt that, barring any severe blight, that hops are to be the best paying things in this part, at least everything points to this conclusion. Report of Mr. A. Postill, Correspondent. 58 cents per bush. 58 „ 50 t, 90 „ $10.00 per ton. 45 cents per bush. $7.50 per ton. Other roots, grown in small quantities, very productive ; value from about A- a cent to 3 cents per pound. Onions, as a rule, are worth 2A to 3 cents per pound. ■3b. The following are best suited to this locality:—Red Fife wheat, Six-rowed barley, Black-side oats, Fall rye, Timothy grass, Red June clover, Early Rose potato, Swedish turnips. 4. Average price for apples, 4A cents per pound ; plums, 12 cents per pound. 4a. Season's crop was good. 4b. The fruit crop was of good quality. 4d. Peaches do fairly well in choice locations. The young apricots and nectarines planted . seem to thrive. Judging from appearance of young vines, grapes should succeed. Melons and tomatoes all grow most successfully. 4e. Snow apple and Golden Russets are always certain to give a good crop. 5. A little linseed was sown about two years ago; it did very well. 6. Sugar beet have been grown for hogs with fair success. 7. Rape sown as an experiment did well. 8a. Dairying is not carried on extensively, the natural grasses and dryness of the climate being unfavourable. 8b. Average price of butter, 50 cents. 1. Wheat (fc dl), 35 bush, per acre Wheat (sj .ring), 35 ,, Oats, 60 ., Rye, 33 „ 2. Hay, 3 tons ,, $1 3. Potatoes, Mangolds 400 bush. 30 tons ,, $ 738 Report on Agriculture. 1893 9a. The country here is well adapted to wool-raising. 9b. Sheep-raising is not extensively carried on. 9c. Wool is of fine quality. 9d. Average weight of fleece is 6 to 7 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 1 Ob. I consider the best breeds in this district are : Clydesdales, crossed with native stock, for draught; English thoroughbred, crossed with native stock, for saddle ; Ham- bletonian, crossed with native stock, for harness; Polled Angus cattle for beef; Cotswold sheep for wool, Southdowns for mutton; Berkshire pigs; and White Leghorn for poultry. Ua. Dairying has been started by two or three parties in a systematic way. 11b. The average price of eggs is from 35 to 40 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture not altogether successful. 13a. Last winter was fine ; some snow, no rain ; coldest about 14° below zero. 13b. Good spring for seeding ; no frost to injure crops of any kind. 13c. A medium summer, with a hot spell about the end of June, which was bad for iinirrigated crops; crops artificially watered did not suffer. 13d. Harvest weather, good; first frost on the low land about September 1st; benches nearly two months later. The autumn was wet. 13e. I am not aware of any loss from unfavourable weather. 14. .Aphides made their appearance on fruit trees south of us in considerable numbers. Coyotes are troublesome; the Government bounty of $2.50 per head will do away with them. Skunks have been very destructive in hen roosts. Moles or gophers have been particularly busy in meadows this year (See Mr. Posthill's remarks under " Diseases and Pests "). 15a. Labour is plentiful. 15b. Whites and Indians are employed ; Chinese not employed, except when there is no possibility of getting along without them. 15c. Wages are : Whites, $35.00 per month; Indians, $1.50 per day ; Chinese, $30.00 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is a good deal of fall ploughing done. 18. Freight rates north and south are too high to allow the carrying on of farming successfully, and a great change will have to take place in respect to rates if we are to take the position as farmers, fruit-raisers, and stock-raisers that our soil and climate is abundantly able to sustain. Where water can be applied, there has been no lack of enterprise in making a course for it, but the lakes and natural reservoirs in the mountains will have to be utilized, and a better system for the distribution of water be introduced, as larger areas are brought under cultivation, and increased settlement takes place. In regard to machinery, the settlers are not behind much older countries in the east, in spite of high prices and cost of freight. It would not do to class all machine agents under the same head, yet many of them may well be termed pests Many farmers are worried and coaxed into buying machinery, and afterwards bullied and threatened into paying for it. If some better way than the present system could be devised of obtaining machinery, and the farmer only pay for his machinery, and not for the support of a small army of men who are only interested in the farmer to the extent of the amount they can get out of him, farmers would be better off. If the railway companies could take this matter up, and as they have to receive the machines from the manufacturer and deliver them to the consumer, take the orders direct from the farmers for the machinery, cash being paid for freight and goods when ordered, charging a small percentage on wholesale cash price, we should have much less of hard times and mortgaged farms. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 739 Mr. W. F. Bouvette, Mill Creek, says : --The aphis was very bad on fruit trees this year. The Scotch and Canadian thistles and wild oats are bad in some places. I consider the following best adapted to this locality :—Red Fife spring wheat and fall wheat, Welcome oafs, all kinds of beans, Early Rose potato, Purple Top Munich turnip, Yellow Globe Danver onion, sugar and early blood beets ; red clover and timothy ; Red Astrachan, Northern Spy, Russian crab, and Golden Russet apples, Bartlett pears, Greengage plums, Gov. WTood cherries ; Berkshire pigs; Plymouth Rock, Black Spanish, and White Leghorn poultry. Young orchards suffered very much from a small green bug, which gets on the new wood of the trees and eats all the leaves of the tree, sometimes killing the trees. There was about eight inches of snow last winter ; no rain ; 8° below zero for three days. Spring was late, but was good for seeding. The summer was good, with a very good autumn and good harvest weather. The yield of crops was good, and crops were harvested in good order. Mr. T. T. Davies says :—I have three horses over 1,300 fts. apiece; the others are half- bred stock, suitable for general purposes. The wild sunflowers are a great nuisance, as they seem much on the increase wherever the grass is eaten off. I consider the following clovers and grasses best suited to this district : timothy, clover, orchard grass or cock's foot, and red- top ; on the dry land of Okanagan, alfalfa or Lucerne. I think active horses like the Per- cherons or Cleveland Bays are best Shorthorns for dairying, and Polled Angus for beef. As I did not grow anything to speak of, except hay, I did not lose anything from diseases and jjests. There was more snow than usual last winter; there was no rain, and not much cold. There was too much rain during haying. There was a late frost in May. My land being bottom land is more independent of the weather than most, irrigation for first crop being entirely unnecessary. I consider the yield of crops was good, and they were saved in good condition. Mr. Thos. Murray says :—My horses are half-bred Clyde. There was not much snow last winter ; there was no rain, and there was not much cold. The spring was early and good for seeding ; the summer was dry and hot; the autumn was very dry, with good harvest weather. The crop was fair, and was saved in very good order. Mr. Robert Munson says :—I have one thoroughbred cow ; the rest are good grades. The green aphis troubles the fruit trees, and coyotes are a pest. I consider the following the most profitable and best adapted to this locality: Red Fife spring wheat, black oats, Early Rose potato, long red mangolds, Red Danver onions ; timothy, red clover; Russets, Gravensteins, King, Red Astrachan, Duchess of Oldenberg apples; Orange quinces; Cleveland Bay or Per- cheron horses for draught; Holsteins for dairying, Durhams or Polled Angus for beef; Cots- wolds for wool, and Southdowns crossed with Cotswolds for mutton; Suffolk pigs; Leghorns and Plymouth rocks for poultry. I have lost some sheep from coyotes, and fruit has been troubled with green aphis. We had about six inches of snow, no rain, and not much cold last winter; the spring was early and good for seeding; the summer was dry, with a wet autumn. We had good harvesting weather, with frost about 15th of October. The yield of crops was good, and they were harvested in good order. Mr. J. E. O. Robinson says :—Smut has been bad here on wheat this year. Most of the young trees here have been bothered with the aphis. Wild parsnip grows in the swamps here, and is destructive to cattle. Last winter there was a month or so of cold weather; no rain to speak of, and not much snow. The summer was a good one, with occasional rains. We had good harvest weather, with a slight frost on the 15th of September. Crops were good, and were well harvested.. Messrs. Postill Bros., Mission Valley, say :—Our general band of cattle are native stock, crossed with Durhams. We are now crossing with Polled Angus. We have four head of pedigreed Polled Angus bulls, and ten head of cows, the same stock. Polled Angus seem to be the best adapted to this climate. Coyotes are a pest, and our noxious weeds are wild buckwheat and fox-tail grass. All kinds of cereals, grasses, and hops do well here. We consider that Cotswold sheep for wool, Southdowns for mutton, and White Leghorns for poultry are the best adapted to this locality, and are most profitable. We lost about 200 chickens, being destroyed by skunks. A number of our young pigs were destroyed by coyotes. Moles were very troublesome in the meadows. About one-third of crop of twenty acres of oats was destroyed by smut. The greatest depth of snow last winter was six inches ; there was no rain. Last winter was very mild. We began ploughing about April 1st; seeding time was favourable. 740 Report on Agriculture. 1893 There were frosts on the low lands about the middle of May. The summer was good for growing crops. First and second week in July we had rain; after that fine till October 10th, when rain set in. Could not have had better harvest weather. There was frost about the 1st of September on the low land. The grain yield was above the average, and there was a full crop of hay. On account of July rain, hay is not so bright a sample as other years. Grain was stacked in good condition. Mr. James Crozier says :—The insect pests here are the green aphis on apples. I consider the following grains and roots most profitable and best adapted to this locality : Red Fife wheat, Welcome oats, Early Rose and Empire State' potatoes, Purple Swede, Yellow Danver onion, blood table beet, timothy and orchard grasses, and red clover. Mr. Robert S. Hall says :—The insect pests here are green aphis on apple trees, also flat-headed borers, newly imported, and the hooded mole or gopher (see "Diseases and Pests." —J.R.A.); wild oats, tumble weeds, and Canadian thistles are noxious weeds here. Red Fife wheat, two-rowed chevalier barley, black and white oats, all kinds of early corn, timothy, and red clover do well here, Winter varieties of apples viz., Northern Spy, Ribston Pippin, and Golden Russet are now being extensively planted. Not many pears are grown yet. Plums and prunes of all kinds seem to be very prolific so far as tried. Early peaches do well when grown in sheltered spots. I consider the best suited to this locality : half-bred shire and Clyde horses, half-bred Durhams for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Plymouth rocks and Wyandottes for poultry. OKANAGAN, Including Priest's Valley, White Valley, and the new settlements in the vicinity of Mabel and Sugar Lakes, which are all more or less tributary to Vernon, which is on and near the end of the Shuswap and Okanagan Railroad, and about three miles from the steamboat landing on Okanagan Lake. Excellent roads lead from Vernon to Okanagan Mission to White Valley, and two to Spallumcheen, one. of which goes through Pleasant Valle}'. About 125 settlers are in this neighbourhood, many of whom are engaged in the cultivation of cereals, which this part of the country is admirably adapted for. Many people are now turning their attention to fruit and hops—both of which do well. There are no old fruit trees in the district, if I except those in Mr. Girouard's garden at Vernon, and those are found to yield regularly and well. Hops also have only-recently been attempted as a crop, and.they have exceeded all expectations. A brewer at Vernon makes beer entirely from local productions, and he pronounces the hops of excellent quality. The soil is very rich, but requires irrigation; water is abundant however, and with judicious management there should be plenty for all purposes. The altitude in the vicinity of Vernon is about 1200 feet above sea level, rising very gradually up White Valley towards the mountains at Cherry Creek, which there attain a height of about 2,500 feet. Timber is not scarce on the hill sides, but that on the lower lands is mostly small. There is no meteorological station hereabouts, but the precipitation is light and the temperature very equable. Mr. Costerton's remarks under "Meteorological" gives a fair idea of it. Last autumn, in common with the rest of this region, fogs were very prevalent, completely obscuring the sun for days; something heretofore unknown. The open land is covered, in its natural state, with bunch grass, sage, and wormwood; the wood consisting in the low lands principally of willow, cottonwood, and birch, on the higher lands of pine and larch. Considerable numbers of cattle have in the past been raised and marketed in the coast cities, but as the country is settling up and the ranges are getting circumscribed, so people are turning their attention to more profitable pursuits. Swine and sheep are raised in small numbers, and although it is generally conceded that the former are very profitable but comparatively little attention is paid to the industry. Probably as wild animals decrease so sheep-raising will be entered into more extensively. As for poultry, no attention of any moment is paid to them, although many parts are eminently suited for raising fowls. The aphis has made its appearance on fruit trees and hop vines, but if taken in time will not, I trust, assume very formidable proportions. The wild horse evil exists to a certain degree on the .west side of the lake -(.See Mr. Costerton's remarks under "Diseases and Pests.") Smut in grain has occasioned much loss; wild oats, wild buckwheat, foxtail and Coyotes are also reported. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 741 From returns received I find that 12.A per cent, of the land owned is cultivated; 16A; percent, is woodland or forest; 9| per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, 61 A; per cent, is pasture. The following approximate data is furnished by Mr. Costerton. It will be observed that he has included Indian lands, which will account for the lower average of cultivated lands :— 1. Quantity of land cultivated 6,500 acres. 2. Quantity of land owned (including Indian Reserve) 95,000 n 3. Number of tons of grain produced 3.300 tons. 4. Number of tons of hay produced 2,000 n ' 5. Number of tons of root crops 100 t. G. Number of tons of fruit 7. Number of cattle owned 5,200 head. 8. Number of horses owned 500 n 9. Number of sheep owned 200 n 10. Number of swine owned GOO tt The following is the report of Mr. C. F. Costerton, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (fall).—2,500fts. per acre; $24 per ton. i, (spring) 2,000 ,, ,, 24 Barley, 2,400 „ ,, 25 Oats, 1,900 „ i, 25 o Hops.—50 cents per ft. 3. Potatoes.--$15 per ton. Carrots and Turnips.—1£ cents per ft. Onions.—3 J cents per ft. Cabbages.—2 cents per ft. 3a. The yield of above was very good. 3b. Australian wheat, chevalier barley, welcome oats, early and late rose potatoes are, I consider, best suited to this locality and give best results. 4. Average prices obtainable for the following, were;—Apples, 4| cents per ft.; pears, G cents per ft.; plums and prunes, 8 cents per ft.; peaches, 10 cents per ft. 4a. Crop was good, but limited. 4n. The quality of the fruit was excellent. 4c. As a rule the light loams are found to be preferable for fruit growing, but in nearly all soils fruit is beginning to be raised with success throughout the district 4d. Peaches, apricots, melons, and tomatoes are grown successfully. The few experiments in grapes have been highly successful. 4e. The following apples have been found to give the best results : Russets, Northern spy, and Gravenstein. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying not carried on to any extent. There are good opportunities in some parts of the district for this industry. Excellent prices obtainable. 8b. Average price of local made butter, 40 to 50 cents. 9.4. This part of the country would be well adapted to wool-raising if the ranges were not used for cattle. 9b. Sheep-raising not attempted to any extent. 9c. Wool is of good quality. 9d. Average weight of fleece is about six pounds. 10a. For the last five years wonderful improvements have been made in the breeds of stock. 10b. T consider the following the best breeds for this district : Shire horses for draught ; Hambletonians for saddle and harness ; Durham cattle for beef ; Cotswolds and Southdown for mutton ; Berkshire pigs ; Plymouth Rock poultry. 742 Report on Agriculture. 1893 11a. Poultry raising not extensively carried on. 11b. Average price, of eggs, 35 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is now being tested. 13a. Last winter was mild throughout. There was a medium amount of snow which lasted longer than usual, till the beginning of March. 13b. Spring was good with light showers. 13c. In summer there was no extremely hot weather. There were more light showers than usual in this district. 13d. The autumn was dry with good harvest weather, and no frosts until late. 13e. No loss through unfavourable weather. 14. The only loss in cereals so far has been caused by smut and wild oats, which has affected about ten per cent, of the crop. The aphis has appeared in some orchards to a slight extent. The losses in cattle were very light last winter, probably not more than three per cent. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites. 15c. Average wages paid are $30 per month and board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. About 25 per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. 18. Area of land brought under cultivation steadily increasing, and prospects in all branches of agriculture and fruit-raising especially bright, except cattle-raising, which on account of price and importation of cattle from the North-West Territory looks blue. Messrs. Smytiie & Mitchell, White Valley, say :—Our horses are of a superior grade. Our pigs are thoroughbred Berkshires. Coyotes and bear are animal pests. We have lost fifteen hogs in two years through bears. Our favourite wheat here is club wheat. We lost about twenty-five per cent, of our oat crop through smut, which we attribute to change of seed last winter. There was more snow than usual ; no rain; it was dry and pleasant, with not much cold weather. Spring was later than usual, and was good for seeding. We had an excellent summer and autumn, with very favourable harvest weather. Our crop yield was light, owing to late seeding. Crops were harvested in good order. Mr. John* Rusk says :—I consider the following most profitable and best suited to this locality : Red Fife wheat, 6-rowecl barley, black Tartar oats, early rose potatoes, alfalfa clover, golden hops, tennant prunes, Pereheron horses, Shorthorns crossed with Jersey for dairying, black Galloways for beef, Merinos for wool, Southdowns for mutton. Spring was not very good for seeding. The summer and autumn were very fine. We had a frost on 17th of October. Mr. Peter Bessett, White Valley, says :—I have a thoroughbred shire stallion, and my bulls are thoroughbred Herefords. Our only pests are crows. Fall wheat, two-rowed barley, one-side oats, early rose and Rosedale potatoes, long red mangolds, timothy grass are, I consider, well suited to this locality, and are the most profitable. I think Durham cattle for beef and dairying, Berkshire pigs, and Black Spanish chickens are the best suited to this locality. There were twelve inches of snow last winter. Summer was dry, with a wet autumn, but good harvest weather. Crops were good and harvested in good condition. Mr. Benjamin Greene, Creighton Valley, says :—My cows are graded Shorthorns ; my chickens are light B rah mas and Plymouth Rocks. Smut is here a disease on plant life. The following are noxious weeds : Wild carrot, pig weed, golden rod, wild cabbage, pigeon weed, and vetch. Australian spring wheat has done well here. Banner and Welcome oats, Lgyptian mummy peas, early rose potatoes, long red English carrots, elephant Swede, silver king onion, timothy and meadow fescue grasses, red and alsike clovers are, I consider, all well suited to this locality. Shorthorns for beef, Berkshire pigs, Leghorn and Plymouth Rock chickens are, I consider, the most profitable. SPALLUMCHEEN. This is one of the richest portions of British Columbia, combining, as it does, an equable climate, sufficient precipitation to ensure the successful cultivation of all ordinary crops without irrigation, a deep rich soil, and a sufficiency of timber for all purposes. Added to these advantages are the facilities for transportation afforded by the S. &,. O. Railway, which passes through the district, and the excellent roads leading from Vernon on both sides of the valley and up the East Salmon River Valley to Grand Prairie. The principal centres are Enderby, Armstrong, Lansdowne, Pleasant Valley, Salmon River Valley, East and Sicamous, all connected by rail and roads. Some 135 or 140 settlers are in this vicinity, the majority of whom go in for the production of cereals, the flouring mill at Enderby affording a home market for all that is produced. Fruit is produced in very limited quantities, although it all does well; this arises from the fact that until quite recently there was no outlet for it. Root crops and vegetables of all kinds can be grown most successfully. Cattle are not raised in great numbers, the ranges not being so suitable as elsewhere, but swine are raised in considerable numbers and are found to be most profitable. Some sheep are raised in the more settled parts, where coyotes cannot destroy them so easily. The poultry industry is not prosecuted to any extent; practically no dairying is carried on. Mr. A. E. McKay, C. E., gives the following altitudes : Sicamous, 1,170 feet; Enderby, 1,180 feet; T. Graham's, Pleasant Valley, 1,320 feet above, sea level, but there are many farms, notably that of Mr. Patton, who has a good orchard, considerably higher. There is a considerable quantity of good timber growing- on the hillsides, such as cedar, larch, and pine of different varieties. The prevailing native grass is bunch grass. There is no meteorological station hereabouts, but it is safe to assume that the precipitation, due to topographical conditions and the greater quantity of timber, is greater than it is further south. Mr. James T. Steele, correspondent, gives the rainfall for the seven months from May to November, inclusive, in 1891 at 13.47 inches in the east valley of Salmon River. He says, however, that that season was a wetter one than usual. The temperature is probably not lower in winter than it is in Okanagan. Under Meteorological will be found some further remarks from Mr. Steele and from Mr. Geo. R. Lawes, Enderby. From here also complaints reach the Department of the advent of the aphis. In weeds: wild oats and thistles are bad, while coyotes, bears, and wolves are all more or less troublesome ; gophers, also, and chipmunks occasion much loss and annoyance. According to returns 24 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 45 per cent, is woodland or forest, 9 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 22 per cent is pasture. The following is the report of Mr. Jas. T. Steele, Correspondent for Salmon River Valley East, Spallumcheen:— 1. Wheat (fall). — 1 to 2 tons per acre ; $24 per ton. Wheat (spring), 1,800 pounds per acre ; $24 per ton. Oats.—1,250 pounds per acre; about $25 per ton. 2. Hay.—About 1 ton per acre. 3. Potatoes.—4 tons per acre. Mangolds. —5 tons per acre. Carrots.—10 tons per acre. Onions.—3 cents per pound. 3a. The yield was an average one, except fall wheat, which in some places was very heavy. Oats were not as good as usual. 3b. Red Fife wheat is the most in demand by millers. 4a. The crop of fruit was under the average. 4b. The quality was also under the average. 4d. Peaches are not grown with success. Grapes are doubtful. In ordinary seasons water melons do well. I have never come across a good musk melon. Tomatoes are grown, but are subject to black spots. 5. A number of years ago I tried growing flaxseed for seed ; it did well. I have no idea how it would answer for fibre. 6. Several years ago I tried sugar beets ; they were not good. This season I had four varieties, from the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, At first they grew well, but when hot weather came they failed. 744 Report on Agriculture. 1893 7. I tried rape one season ; it did very w-ell indeed, but I found the winter did not kill the roots and in the spring I had to gather the volunteer crop to prevent it being a pest. 8a. There is very little dairying done so far; quite a number of the farmer's wives make butter, but none to send away. 8b. Farmer's butter has hitherto sold for from 35 to 50 cents per pound. 9 a. This part of the country is tolerably well adapted for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep not raised in any quantities. 9c. The quality of the wool is indifferent. 9d. The average fleece is light. 10a. The breeds of stock are being generally improved. 10b. I consider the following are the best breeds for the district:—Clydesdales for draught; Durhams for beef, and grade Durhams for dairying; Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock for poultry. 11a. The poultry industry is neglected. 11b. Average price of eggs is 25c. to 50c. per dozen. 12. Apiculture not tried. 13a. Last winter snow came in December and stayed. The fall of snow for the winter was lighter than the average, and the cold not as severe as in many seasons. 13b. There was plenty of rain in the spring, but not too much to interfere with work. Late frosts injured fruit and apple trees somewhat. 13c. There was splendid harvest weather, and plenty of rain. 15a. We are pretty well supplied with labourers. 15b. Whites and Indians do the general farm work. Very few Chinamen engaged in general farm work. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There has been a good deal of fall ploughing, probably more than two-thirds for next season's crop. 18. I should say that agriculture was generally in a prosperous state. There is no irriga tion here worth mentioning. There has been considerable ditching on swamp land ; so far very little drainage of uplands. Coyotes (See "Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.). Wheat and oats escape most of the insect pests that are prevalent in other parts. We have no rust, but sometimes a good deal of smut, for which bluestone seems a pretty effective remedy. Insects of various kinds trouble the root crops very often, more especially turnips, mangolds, and melons. The cut-worm I find most destructive, and I think they sometimes do injury to wheat, oats and peas. There are a number of spring wheats grown. The Royal Australian has been extensively grown, with good results. Latterly, the roller mill wants Red Fife spring, and has taken considerable pains to introduce it among farmers. The past season it has done well, and probably larger breadth will be grown another season. The fall wheat here (I cannot give name) the millers complain of as being too soft, and do not encourage its growth, but buy it. This season, in some instances, it yielded enormously—over two tons to the acre ; but this is above average. In a general way, fall wheat yields more largely than spring wheat; still there is not nearly as much of it grown. If there was more summer fallowing there would be 'more fall wheat, Oats is the only other grain that is much grown in this neighbourhood, and is mostly for home use or local demand ; very little is sent away ; there is no regular market for this grain. White Cave and Egyptian are best. Barley sometimes does well, but is not a sure crop. It is often badly injured by heat when filling. Peas sometimes do well, but are not a sure crop, and only few are grown. Timothy does the best of tame grasses; clover is not a success. Potatoes generally do well, as do all other ordinary root crops. I have tried sugar beets, and am satisfied not to try growing any more. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 745 Report of Mr. Geo. R, Lawes, Correspondent at Enderby for Spallumcheen Valley. 1. WTheat (fall), | ton per acre, $23 per ton. Wheat (spring), f m n 23 n Oats, | H it 25 it 2. Hay (timothy), 1 .. »'■ 15 h Hay (wheat), 10 n 3. Potatoes, 15 n Onions, beets, parsnips, cabbage, 2 cents per ft. 3a. The yield was good all round. An unusually early jfrost injured the crop of vegetables on many farms. 3b. I think the following grasses and roots give the best results in this neighbourhood:— Timothy and Kentucky blue grass, alsike and red cow-clover, yellow and purple top turnips, and white Spanish onion. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was fairly good. 4c. I think that the present uncultivated land at the foot of .the hills is best suited to fruit culture. The heavy clays where most of the fruit up to the present has been planted are not likely to prove eventually satisfactory. Ad. Peaches, apricots, nectarines and grapes are all being experimented with. Melons and tomatoes grow very well. The cultivation of linseed, sugar beet and rape has not been attempted. 8a. At present no one attempts to dairy upon practical lines. If it was attempted, I think success is certain. 8b. Average price for butter is 30c. 9a. This part of the country is not suitable for sheep. 10a. People are going in for improved range stock. 10b. I consider Jersey cattle crossed with the native cow will be best for dairying, but I don't know the result yet. Berkshire pigs and Plymouth Rock chickens, I think, are the best suited to this locality. 11a. Poultry raising not embarked in in any large way. 11b. Average price of eggs is 25c. per dozen. 13a. Last winter the snow was heavy ; frost was less than usual. 13b. The spring was wet, with prolonged frost. 13c. The summer was hot, with good rains. 13d. The autumn was very good weather; good harvest time. 13e. No loss from unfavourable weather. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15c. Average wages are $30 to $35 per month, or $2 per clay. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is a good deal of fall ploughing done. 18. This section must undergo a change from just grain and stock to mixed farming. Any crop needed for ordinary farming can be grown in this district, and a very short time of further experiment and people in this neighbourhood will produce much that they now import, All roots grow well. Corn for ensilage grows well here. I think it is a pity that no inducement is offered for hop cultivation. This section seems particularly favourable to their growth. Mr, Donald Graham, Armstrong, says:—My stock are graded and common stock, Durham and Polled Angus. My horses are common horses and graded Clydes. Our plant disease is smut in cereals. Insect pests are green fly or aphis on plums, cut-worms and wire- worms. Our noxious weeds are wild oats, tumbling weed, milk thistles, pig-weed, and wild buckwheat. I consider the following varieties of cereals, roots and fruits are the most profitable and best suited to this locality: Royal Australian, White and Red Fife wheats ; Chevalier 746 Report on Agriculture. 1893 and English malting barley ; White Sovereign oats ; Early Rose potato ; Short-horn carrot; Swede turnips ; Long-field, Wallbridge, Duchess of Oldenberg, Salome, Pewaukee, Tetofsky, Ben Davis, and Red Astrachan apples ; Bartlett and Flemish Beauty pears ; Italian and silver prunes; Moore's Arctic plum ; Black Tartarian and Early Richmond cherries. The average depth of snow last winter was 15 to 18 inches; there was no rain, and it was a very mild winter. The spring was rather late and cold ; it was good for seeding; it was a good growing summer, plenty of sun and rain. The autumn was dry, with good harvest weather. There was a frost when the blossom was on the fruit trees. This hurt the apples, plums, pears and strawberries very much. The first fall frost was on the 2nd of September. The crop yield was good, and it was harvested in good condition. Mr. Donald Matheson, Lansdowne, says :—My cattle are all graded. Among insect pests are the wire-worm and grub worm. Gophers are troublesome, and millet is getting to be, a very troublesome weed. I consider the following grain, roots, fruits, and stock the best and most profitable for this district: Royal Australian and Red Fife wheat, Egyptian or White Sovereign oats, Black Marrowfat peas ; Yellow transparent, Wealthy, Duchess, and Golden Russet apples, Bartlett pears; graded Cotswolds for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs. Mr. D. H. Cumming, Pleasant Valley, says:—I consider the following cereals, roots, fruit, and stock the most profitable and best suited to this locality: Campbell's white chaff wheat, black or hulless barley, Burpee welcome oats, Burpee's quantity peas, early Goodrich potatoes, white carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onion, turnip or globe beets; English hops; Russet apples; Clydesdale horses, Jersey cattle for dairying, Durhams for beef, Cotswold sheep for mutton in quantity, Merinos for quality of mutton, Yorkshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn poultry. I lost two sheep from unknown disease, and two were killed by coyotes. There was not much cold, no rain, and not much snow last winter. Spring was late, but very good for seeding. The summer was dry, with a very good autumn, and good harvest weather. We had a touch of frost in August. The crop yield was very good, and it was harvested in very good order. Mr. George Parkinson, Salmon River Valley, East, says :—My horses are all general purpose stock, and my cattle principally are graded Durhams. The following are insect pests: Horse-flies, bot-flies, black flies, mosquitoes, and wood-ticks; and cinnamon bear, wolves, coyotes, bush-tail rats, chipmunks, squirrels, mice, and gophers are animal pests. I consider the following the best suited and most adapted to this locality : Royal Australian spring wheat, Treadwell fall wheat, Two-rowed barley, Early Rose potatoes, Swedes, orchard and timothy grasses, alsike clover ; Ayrshire cattle for dairying, Durhams for beef, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Black Spanish, Brown and White Leghorns for poultry. Gophers killed fifteen apple trees last spring, and the winter and mice ten others. There was not as much snow as usual last winter; there was no rain, and not much cold. Spring was good for seeding, but cold. In the summer there were some long spells of great heat. Harvest weather was good. I consider the yield of wheat was good ; the yield of oats was not good. Mr. George R. Lawes, Enderby, says :—I have been making trials with different kinds of fruit trees. I intend planting next fall. This summer I noticed a great destruction in the vegetable gardens, my own with the rest, made by a small beetle with a long thin body, and of bright copper colour, females a dusty colour. Larva: of daddy-long-legs are very numerous this summer, and, as usual, very destructive. In weeds, I notice this summer for the first time in this section the English dock. Groundsell and several kinds of thistles are here. Thistles are much on the increase. Many noxious weeds seem to appear immediately after clearing land. Wild oats are more plentiful than ever in the district. Timothy, red top and blue grass I consider well suited to this locality. I am trying some Russian grass on burnt land, at present it looks well. Clovers all do well, especially alsike. Hops grow well in this section, but the expense is too great for small holders to plant an experimental crop without some aid. This winter there was the heaviest snow for the last three years. There was a good deal of rain in the fall. The winter was very mild. Spring was late, but good for seeding. It was a first-class summer, with enough rain to keep everything growing. The autumn was very good, with good harvest weather. We had an early frost in September; open weather after. First serious fall of snow, 18th November. Yield of all crops reported good; possibly hay crop was a little light. Crops were harvested in very good condition. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 747 Mr. James Steele, Salmon River Valley East, says :—Spring opened as early as usual for ploughing, but growth very slow in starting. Foliage on trees fully ten to twelve days later than usual. Ample rain for requirements till grain was filling, then a few very hot days that affected the crops. But on the whole the season was fully up to the average in favour of the farmer. Mr. R. S. Pelly, Otter Lake, says:—There are no sheep in this district. They would do well if introduced and coyotes killed off. Cut worms were severe this spring on vegetables and oats. Gophers and chipmunks are animal pests, and buckwheat and millet are noxious weeds. Red Fife wheat seems to have done well here. Ensilage corn, I think, would prove a success. All varieties of beans do well. Flax has been grown with success. The following are well suited to this locality : Telephone peas, Early Rose potatoes, Foxtail, Orchard and Timothy grasses, Alfalfa clover. I consider the French Percheron and Clyde horses the most useful breeds, Holsteins and Shorthorns for dairying purposes, Shorthorns for beef, Black-faced sheep and Welsh sheep for mutton, Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. Mr. G. G. Lynn, Salmon River Valley, says:—My stock are graded. There is a disease, black comb, amongst chickens here ; they die before two years old ; I can't find any cure. I think the following cereals, roots, and fruits the most profitable and best suited to this locality : Red Fife spring wheat, Seneca fall wheat, Chevalier barley, Egyptian oats, Early Rose potato, Bartlett pears, and German prunes. The following approximate data was furnished by Mr. C. F. Costerton, of Vernon:— fSpallumcheen District 80,500 I 01 Quantity of land owned | Okanagan District. . . 112,000 (including Indian Reserves)! White Valley 60,000 (Osoyoos 16,100 413,500 acres. Quantity of land cultivated (including hay land) 14,400 n Number of tons of grain produced 6,500 tons. Number of tons of hay produced 4,500 u Number of tons of root crops 500 n Number of tons of fruit 5 n Number of cattle owned 14,000 head. Number of horses owned 2,000 n Number of sheep owned 1,000 n Number of swine owned 2,500 n SALMON ARM, On the line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, has about 40 settlers, including those in the valley of Salmon River, which debouches into Shuswap Lake, at Salmon Arm. The climate here is decidely more humid than it is either to the westward or southward; there being no meteorological station however, it is impossible to speak definitely on the subject. According to Mr. A. J. Palmer (see "Meteorological"), the average rainfall is 40 inches, and snowfall 48 inches, the latter lying for three months. Usual greatest heat 80°, and usual greatest cold 5° below zero. The country hereabouts is densely wooded with a fine growth of good timber, which will, in the near future, acquire a great value. The land is a deep sandy loam of great richness, and especially adapted to the cultivation of root crops and fruit. Mr. A. J. Palmer, correspondent, showed me some fine specimens of onions, potatoes, &c, on his place; he also has a fine young orchard. I regret that owing to his report having miscarried, I cannot give the actual yield of his root crops, but it was very large. It is a good dairying district, but the industry is not prosecuted. The humidity of the climate renders it .less suitable for raising turkeys and fowls, but very favourable for ducks and geese. It is also not so well adapted for sheep, on account of the wooded country and the prevalence of the coyote pest, which here finds good shelter and is difficult to grapple with. The smaller animals also are numerous, and are great enemies of the poultry yard. The aphis is increasing, having been imported, it 748 Report on Agriculture. 1893 is thought, on the young fruit trees. A road leads from the railway station on Salmon Arm up the valley about ten miles, giving an outlet to those living in that direction. The altitude is probably about 1,200 feet. According to returns, 7 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated; 74 per cent, is woodland or forest; 11 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 8 per cent, is pasture. Mr. A. J. Palmer furnishes the following approximate data:— Quantity of land cultivated 200 acres. it it owned 4,800 n Number of tons of grain produced 75 tons. it it hay ii 120 n ii ii root crops 200 n it cattle owned 100 head. ii horses n 40 n n sheep it 30 n it swine n 20 n Mr. Alexander Paul says :—I have some full-bred Pekin ducks. All sorts of roots do well here. Hops do well; Red Astrachan, Fameuse, Northern Spy, and King of Tomkins apples ; Keswick, Codlin, and Bartlett pears ; Bradshaw plums, and May Duke cherries are all well suited to this locality. Any kind of poultry does well, but they are troubled a good deal by hawks. There was about eighteen inches of snow on the level last winter; there was not much rain ; there were about six weeks of cold weather; spring was late, and not good for seeding till late in April; the summer was short, with a good deal of rain; the autumn was very good, with good harvest weather; there was a little frost about the 1st of September. Vegetables were in the ground, yet in good order, on 12th October. From what I hear, I judge that the yield is very good indeed. Mr. H. C. Eraser says:—My stock are graded. The aphis is troublesome on the apple trees. Grasshoppers and onion grubs are insect pests ; the animal pests are hawks, coyotes, weasels, and mink. Of noxious weeds there are at present none, except the button berry. Something destroyed my onions, turnips, and other root crops just as they were appearing above ground ; supposed to be very minute grasshoppers, and also a worm or grub. There was good harvest weather, with a very heavy frost on the 1st of September. The yield of crops was very good, and they were saved in first-class order. Mr. C. B. Harris, Salmon Arm, says:—Apple trees are bothered with lots of small green lice (probably aphis—J.R.A.), mostly on the top of the tender shoots; if neglected, they spread very rapidly. Also caterpillars, but not numerous. Any kind of wheat, roots of all kinds, alsike and common red clover do well here. The following is the report of Mr. A. J. Palmer, correspondent for Salmon Arm :— 1. Wheat (fall), 2,400 lbs. per acre ; $25 per ton. Wheat (spring), 2,400 n „ 25 „ Oats, 2,000 ,i „ 30 2. Hay (timothy), 2\ tons „ 20 „ 3. Potatoes, 7 n ' n 20 u Mangolds, 20 ,t ,, Carrots, 20 n n Turnips, 20 » n Onions, 15 n n 45 n Beets, 10 „ „ 40 Parsnips, 10 n n 40 n Cabbages, 15 n n 40 n 3b. Timothy grass, Common Red clover, Early Rose potatoes, Mammoth Red mangold, Swedes, Danver and Wethersfield onions, Hollow Crown parsnip, and Early Wakefield cabbage are the best varieties for this part. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was fair. 4b. The quality of the fruit was excellent, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 749 Id. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes are not grown; melons are grown with medium success ; tomatoes have been grown, so far with poor success. 5, 6, and 7. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape are not cultivated. 8a. Dairying is only followed to a small extent, however with good results. 8b. The average price of butter is 30 cents per ft. 9a, This part is suitable for sheep and wool-raising. 9b. There is no quantity of sheep here. 10a. People are not going in much for improved breeds of stock. 10b. Holsteins for beef and dairying, White Cheshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn fowls are the best varieties for this locality. 11a. Poultry are raised here to a considerable extent. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is not tried. 13a. Last winter was fine, with good sleighing. 13b. The spring was late and cool. 13c. The summer was hot and dry. 13d. The autumn was fine, with good harvest weather. 13e. There was no loss from bad weather. 15a. Labourers are easily procured. 15b. Whites and Indians. 15c. The average wages is $30 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. All the ground that is available is ploughed in the fall. SHUSWAP, NOTCH HILL, AND TAPPEN SIDING, All on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, between Salmon Arm and Ducks, have from twenty-five to thirty settlers. Owing to the difficulty of getting from one place to another, and the limited time at my command, I could not visit the two last-named places. I have, therefore, to trust entirely to the reports received from them. As Shuswap is approached from the east so the climate changes most perceptibly as regards moisture. The lands hereabouts, in common with the rest of the valley of the Thompson, require irrigation to produce crops, and, I regret to say, that water is not everywhere available for the purpose. The waters of Thompson River are on too low a level to be utilized by natural gravitation, so that unless they could be made available by pumping they are practically useless. There being no meteorological station in the vicinity, it is impossible to say definitely what the temperature and precipitation are. It is probably colder in winter than about Okanagan, and fully as hot, if not hotter, in summer, while the precipitation is very small at Shuswap, but greater at the two other places. The snowfall is probably about fifteen inches, and it lies about three months. Usual cold weather, about 17°; greatest, about 32° below zero. Usual greatest heat, about 80° ; greatest heat, 113° to 115°. The altitude of Shuswap is about 1,550 feet above sea level; that of Notch Hill, 1,708. The quality of the land is a heavy loam about Shuswap Lake, covered, as it is about Salmon Arm, with an undergrowth of wild raspberries, hazel and other bushes. Proceeding west the trees and underbrush get scarcer and the land is more of a sandy, porous nature ; good when irrigated, but easily dried up. Sage, wormwood, and bunch grass grow on all the open lands. Many cattle are raised about Shuswap for beef, but there is no dairying. Few or no sheep or swine are produced, and no poultry, although the country is well suited to these pursuits. Root crops and hay are principally produced about Tappen Siding and Notch Hill, and but little or no grain. They are well adapted to fruit growing, but what orchards are planted are quite young. About Shuswap a good deal of grain is produced. Here again the aphis has made its appearance, causing destruction amongst fruit trees. The wire worm is also troublesome in parts, otherwise this section is fairly free of all pests and diseases. Wild horses do 750 Report on Agriculture. 1893 not give the trouble here that they do most other places. (See Mr. Sullivan's remarks under "Diseases and Pests.") I omitted to mention that there is no waggon road connecting Tappen Siding and Notch Hill with Shuswap, but there is a good road leading from the latter place to Kamloops. According to returns received, the land under cultivation at Shuswap was 25 per cent, of the amount owned, 7 per cent, is woodland or forest, 1| per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 66| per cent, pasture. At the two other places the proportions are 7A per cent, cultivated, 85 per cent, woodland or forest, and 7A; per cent, principally swamp and marsh. Mr. M. Sullivan supplies the following approximate data :— Quantity of land owned 3,100 acres. ii cultivated 800 t, Number of tons of grain produced 100 tons. hay t, 1,200 „ Number of cattle owned 1,300 head. ii horses n 200 it The following is the report of Mr. Sullivan, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (fall), 2,000 lbs. per acre, $30 per ton. Barley, 3,000 ii ' n 25 Oats, 2,500 i, ,t 30 Rye, 2,500 „ „ 40 Peas, 3,500 n „ 50 2. Hay, 1A tons n 18 n 3. Potatoes, 10" ,i n 12 to $20 per ton. Mangolds, 20 ,i n 10 per ton. Carrots, 15 . it n 15 n Turnips, 25 M n 15 tt Onions, 5 ti n 2 cents per ft. Beets, 10 „ „ 1-t Parsnips and cabbage, 3 n 3a. The yield was good. 3b. Red Fife wheat, all varieties of barley, Challenge oats, Timothy grass, Red clover, hops, Early and Late Rose potato, all kinds of mangold and carrots, swedes, Yellow Danver onion, all varieties of beets, parsnip, and cabbage are best suited to give best results. 4. Average price obtainable for apples, 4c. per ft., pears, 5c. per ft. 4a. The season's crop was very good. 4b. The quality of fruit was good. 4c. Rich black loam, resting on sand or gravel subsoil, I find to be best for fruit cultivation. 4d. Peaches, apricots, and nectarines are not grown here; grapes do fairly well; melons and tomatoes do very well. 5. Flax not cultivated. 6. In June last I received from the Experimental Farm, Ottawa, 4 bags of seeds of different varieties of sugar beet. I tried some of each, but do not think it would be advisable to try and raise them as a crop. 7. Rape is not tried. 8a. Dairying is carried on only on a very limited scale, The results are very good. 8b. Average price for butter is 35c. per ft. it cheese is 20c. n 9a. This district is'not suitable for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep-raising not carried on to any extent, 9c. The wool is of excellent quality, 9d. The average weight of fleece is 9 lbs, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 751 10a. People are going in for improved stock. 10b. I consider the following the best breeds for this district: Clydes, for draught; for saddle, fair-sized native mares bred to thoroughbred stallions ; Cleveland Bays for harness. Durhams for beef ; Holsteins for dairying. Cotswolds for wool; Southdowns for mutton. White Chester pigs. Plymouth Rock poultry. 11a. Poultry raising not carried on with any system, but successful, however, in a small way. 11b. The average price of eggs from 25c. to $1.50 per doz. 12. Apiculture not attempted. 1 3a, Last winter there was more snow than usual ; not so cold as usual ; on the whole a favourable winter. 13b. There was considerable rain in the spring, not too much for crops. 13c. The summer was hot and dry during haying and harvest. 13d. There was no frost to hurt in the autumn. 13e. No loss through unfavourable weather. 14. The ivpple aphis made its appearance early in the season, completely covering the leaves and tender wood. Later on some of the trees showed symptoms of fire. blight, but it may be caused by excessive heat, which prevailed at that time. Loss in fruit would be about 10 per cent. We have taken steps to guard against a repetition of it another season. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Wrhite labour principally on farms, Indians as herders, Chinese as cooks and gardeners. 15c. Wages : Whites, $30 per month ; Chinese, $20 per month ; Indian herders, $2 per day, at farm work, $1. Board included in all cases. 17. Very little ploughing done this fall. 18. All crops here are irrigated. There is a fairly good supply of water for all land at present cultivated. Mr. John B. Newsom, Notch Hill, says :—The potatoes here tire troubled with a worm which eats them in the ground. There is also a small insect which destroys fruit trees (probably the aphis—J. R, A.) Rabbits are an annoyance, destroying cabbage and clover. There was a good deal of snow last winter. There was not any rain. ■ There was not much cold. Spring was late, but good for seeding. Summer was mild, with a changeable autumn and unfavourable harvest weather. The yield was fair, and crops were saved in fair condition. Mr. Chas. Castle, Notch Hill, says :—I only came to this place last autumn. The rabbits gnawed my cabbages and carrots, but, as I had not much of either, the damage was not very great. There was about 2 feet of snow last winter; there was not much cold. Sjaring was late, but fairly good for seeding. The summer was rather wet. The autumn was mild and wet. Harvest time was wet. We had frosts in June about the 20th, and on August 26th. This place is very high and much subject to early and late frosts. The yield of crops I consider was good and they were harvested in good condition. Mr. Wm. Todd, Notch Hill, says :—My horses are a cross between the Indian ponies and Percherons. Nettles here are a noxious weed. Last winter here the weather was very- fine ; there was 3 feet of snow. Seeding time was very fair, but there was too much rain for haying. There were a few light frosts on the 13th and 14th of June. Mr. Michael Sullivan, Shuswap, says :—My stock are all graded, although none are pedigreed. We have been greatly troubled with the aphis on the apple trees. It made its appearance early in the season and retarded the growing trees. Diseases of plant and animal life are nothing to mention—of animal pests there is little to complain ; and noxious weeds are nothing unusual. Fall wheat does not do here. Red Fife spring wheat, Six- rowed barley for feeding, Welcome oats, and all other kinds of oats, rye, peas, corn, and beans all do well. Early and Late Rose potatoes, all kinds of mangolds, carrots, and turnips, Yellow Danver onions, all kinds beets, all grasses, especially timothy, red clover, and hops do 752 Report on Agriculture. 1893 well. All kinds of apples do well. Pears do fairly well: Plums, prunes, and cherries do very well. Peach trees grow well, but not bearing any fruit yet. Grapes do fairly well. Cleveland Bay horses bred to Provincial mares produce the most servicable horses for this part of the Province, Holsteins are the best for dairying, and Durhams for beef. Cotswolds for wool, and Southdowns for mutton. Berkshire and White Chester hogs are both good. Pymouth Rock chickens are a good variety. I estimate the loss in the fruit crop to be fully 25 per cent., owing to the apple aphis. We had more snow last winter than usual, for a short time it was 20 inches deep. It was not as cold a winter as usual. The glass for two days showed 23 degrees below zero—this was the coldest. The rest of the winter was quite mild. Spring began about the usual time, ploughing beginning about the 25th March, with a good period for seeding. The first part of the summer there was a great deal of rain. After the 10th of July there were two months of fine weather, which was good for haying and harvesting. In the autumn there was more rain than usual. No frosts of any severity till 6th of November. The yield of crops was, I think, very good, and they were saved in good order. DUCKS, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, sixteen miles below Shuswap, has about twenty-five settlers in its neighbourhood. It is about seventeen miles from Kamloops, the principal town of the valley of the Thompson, with which it is connected by a good road, as well as by the railroad. The altitude is about 1,550 feet above sea level, but it rises rapidly at the back, towards Grand Prairie, with which it is also connected by a good road, so that many of the ranches are considerably higher. The land is of excellent quality, but it mostly requires irrigation, when it will produce good crops of roots and hay, and, on the lower lands, of grain. Fruit, also, does well on the lower lands, but is comparatively untried on the higher levels. Cattle are raised in large numbers, the bunch grass covered hills affording good runs. Although well adapted to it, poultry raising is not entered into to any extent. Dairying, also is not carried on. There is a considerable quantity of timber on the hills, principally bull pine. This being in the dry belt, but little snow and rain falls, and it is never excessively cold in winter. There is no meteorological station in the neighbourhood, however, so that I cannot speak with accuracy on the subject. The climates of Kamloops and Shuswap may be taken as a fair index of that of Ducks, near the river. Irrigation has to be resorted to, and like most of the country in this vicinity water is not over plentiful. The aphis, wild oats, and moles are complained of amongst diseases and pests. The proportion of cultivated land to the quantity owned is, according to reports received, only 2\ per cent. ; woodland or forest, 15Aj per cent.; swamp, marsh, and rock, 7 A; per cent.; and pasture, 74J per cent. Mr. F. Warren, Pennikintan, says :—I have tried to raise cereals and roots for the last three years, but I can't get them to do. There is too much frost; the thermometer was down to freezing on 12th of August. There was about two feet of snow last winter; no rain, and three cold days, being 12°, 16°, and 20° below zero. Spring was very late, and seeding time was not very favourable; the summer was very wet, the rainiest since I have been in the country. There was good harvesting weather. There were frosts in June, July, and August; there was more frost than usual. Hay crops were very good. (I am not aware of the locality of Pennikintan, probably at some considerable elevation.—J.R.A.) Mr. Amos Herbert complains of chipmunks and moles. GRAND PRAIRIE, On the road between Okanagan to Ducks, about fourteen miles from the latter, and twenty-two from the former, has about twenty-five settlers, who are principally engaged in growing cereals and root crops, both of which do well with irrigation, and as water is available in most parts good crops are produced. Fruit growing is in its infancy, and until it has been more fully tested it is impossible to say if all kinds will succeed; judging, however, from other places similarly situated, there is no reason to doubt that fruit will do well. Neither dairying nor poultry raising is attempted. A large number of cattle are reared for beef, and probably 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 753 more swine than in any other district. The latter has been found to be a very profitable industry. There being no meteorological records hereabouts, it is difficult to say what the temperature is ; the average is probably lower than either at Spallumcheen or the valley of the Thompson, and the precipitation somewhat greater, but it is not excessive. The land is open, with a few trees scattered about, presenting a very picturesque appearance, while there is an abundance of timber on the surrounding hills, which are also covered with bunch grass. Smut, wild oats, and the now ubiquitous aphis are the principal diseases and pests complained of. The altitude is probably about 500 feet higher than Ducks, which would make it about 2,000 feet. As I have no data, however, to go upon, my estimate of the rise from Ducks may be a good deal out. According to returns, 15 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 28 per cent, is woodland or forest, 1|- per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 55 J; per cent, is pasture. Report of Mr. W. H. Jones, Correspondent. 1. Wheat (fall), 2,000 fts. per acre ; l\ cents per ft. Wheat (spring), 2,000 i, ' „ l| ■■ Barley, Oats, 2,500 ,. 2,000 ,i it ii Rye, Peas, 3,000 i, 2,500 „ ii 2 2. Hay, 3,000 „ ii 3 3. Potatoes, 10 tons it $12 to i Mangolds 30 „ tt Carrots, 30 ,, it Turnips, Beets, '25 ,, 30 „ it 3a . The yield was fair and of excelleni quality. 3(B. White Fife and Australian wheat, Chevalier barley, Golden Giant oats, Mummy peas, and Early Rose potato are the best suited, and give best results in this district. 4. The average prices obtainable were :—For apples, 3 cents per ft.; pears, plums, and prunes, 5 cents per ft.; cherries, 25 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was fairly good. 4 b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4d. Melons and tomatoes are grown, but cannot always be depended on to ripen ; linseed, sugar beet, and rape are not grown. 8a. Dairying is carried on for home use only. 8b. Price obtainable for butter is 25 cents to 40 cents per lb.; for cheese, 18 cents to 20 cents per ft. 9a. This part of the country is well adapted for wool-raising. 9 b. Sheep-raising not tried to any extent. 9c. The wool is of excellent quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is about 9 fts. 10a. Improved breeds of stock are being raised. 10b. I consider the following breeds the best for this district:—Clydes for draught horses, the offspring of native mares and thoroughbred stallions for saddle, French Coach or Cleveland Bays for harness; Durhams or Polled Angus for beef; Cotswold sheep for mutton ; Berkshire pigs ; Barred Plymouth Rocks for poultry. 11a. Poultry raising not systematically carried on, nor in any extensive way. 11b. Average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has not been tried. 13a. Last winter was very mild, with very little snow. 13b. The spring was wet, and the frost was light. 13c. The summer was hot and dry. 13d. The harvest weather was good; the autumn was very wet. 754 Report on Agriculture. 1893 13e. No loss from bad weather. 14. Wild oats were troublesome; diseases: epizootic (among horses) not, however, causing any considerable loss, and some kind of lice upon apple trees (probably aphis - - J.R.A). 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. Average wages, from $30 to $35 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. About 25 per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. 18. The general prospects for success are good. All the farmers in this district are going in for improvements to the extent of their means every year. Messrs. Frank C. and W. J. Jones say :—We have eighteen half-bred Berkshire sows and a thoroughbred Berkshire boar. We have been troubled with smut in oats, and should like to know a remedy. Sure preventitive for wheat is to pour over a solution of copperas, 5 fts. to the ton, diluted in hot water, and thoroughly mixed with the wheat. Grasshoppers are very bad sometimes, and some insect on the apple tree leaves ; I don't know what it is. Gophers do a good deal of harm to the irrigation ditches, and sometimes eat all the roots oft' the fruit trees. Wild oats are very bad ; we know of no sure cure except to seed the land down in timothy for three or four years. We consider the following most profitable and best- suited to this locality :— Campbell's White Chaff wheat, Golden Giant (side oat) oats, Golden Vine and Blue Prussian peas, Early Rose potatoes, Yellow Giant intermediate mangold, Short White carrot, Mammoth Ruta Baga turnips, Yellow Danver onions, Knight's Blood beet, Timothy, Sanfoin, Large Red and Alsike clovers ; Duchess of Oldenberg, Walbridge, Lady, and Crab apples, Lombard plums, Early Richmond cherries; Percheron and Clydesdale horses; Jersey cattle for dairying, Shorthorns for beef; Graded Berkshire pigs ; Plymouth Rock and VTiite Leghorn poultry. KAMLOOPS, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, situated on Thompson River, at the junction of the South and North Forks, has, with Tranquille, Cherry Creek, the settlements on the North and South Rivers, and those immediately at the back in a southwardly direction, towards Nicola, about seventy-five ranchers. From its central position—all the places I have mentioned, besides a great part of the Nicola Valley, being tributary to it— Kamloops is destined to become one of the agricultural centres of the interior. Good roads lead up the South River, up both sides of the North River, the east side of which is reached by a fine bridge over the South Fork, and the west by a ferry, by which also Tranquille is reached. Another road leads down the south side of the river to Cherry Creek, &c. Roads also lead to Nicola—one over the hills, and another, somewhat longer but with less elevation, through a valley debouching about seven miles above Kamloops. Besides these, there is, of course, the railroad, and, if required, good water navigation for light draught steamers down the river to Savona and up through the Shuswap Lakes. The North River is also navigable at certain stages of the water for a short distance. The land is mostly a sandy loam, capable of producing almost anything that will grow in this latitude, provided water can be put on it; and the want of this most important requisite is the one great drawback to the agricultural prosperity of this section. Here, as at Shuswap, the river water is not available by natural gravitation, and it is only used in rare instances and in small quantities, by pumping, the cost of such a method being, of course, almost prohibitory. Recognizing the vital importance of water to this district, I made it my business to make some inquiries into the matter, and have much pleasure in directing attention to the remarks of Mr. Noble, correspondent (see his report further on), Mr. Thos. Love way, and to the following copy of a letter from Major J. W. Vaughan. All of these gentlemen, it will be observed, agree on the feasibility of bringing in water from Jamieson Creek, a tributary of the North Thompson; and although the cost would, I dare say, be somewhat heavy, the rental of the water would probably leave a handsome profit, to say nothing of the great accession in value to adjoining lands, now practically- worthless, and the consequent impetus to agriculture. I hope to see this matter taken up before long in good earnest. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. The following is the letter alluded to :—- "New Westminster, April 18th, 1893. "Sir,—In reply to yours of the 5th inst., regarding irrigation at Kamloops, I would say that my reply must be necessarily meagre, owing to the fact that the gentleman who went into the matter with me is now inland, and I am unable to get any communication with him for some time. " I may say, roughly, that 25 miles of ditch from Jamieson Creek, on the North Thompson, to a point about six miles below Kamloops, would enable the owners to bring about 6,000 acres under cultivation. " The cost of construction would not be more than $4 or $5 per acre ; consequently, a water rental of $1 per acre per annum would yield about 25 per cent, upon the outlay, which could go towards maintenance and interest and sinking fund. Of course, this is a much smaller cost than reported from those portions of the United States utilizing the system, and might not apply to other portions of this country, but in this particular locality the almost total absence of any rock cutting reduces the cost very materially. "The people using this water could make their connection with the main at a very small cost, as the greater portion of lands lie close along the base of the first bench, and are of no great width. "It is a matter of fact that these lands yield, with water, three tons of hay per acre, and it is seldom worth less than $20 per ton. This is altogether apart from the wonderful production of fruit of which this country is capable, of which you are personally aware. You probably have more knowledge of its capabilities as a grain-producing country than I have. I have had some correspondence with the Hudson's Bay Company, who own a tract of this land, and I think they would undertake to pay an annual water rental. Other properties are also held by people able and, I think, willing to pay a rental. These lands, at the present time, are held at from $15 to $20 per acre, by private owners, and there is also an area; although not large, held by the Dominion Government at $5 per acre. Should the work be undertaken by the B. C. Government, these lands could be acquired by them, and should readily sell at $50 per acre, in 20-acre allotments, and the enhanced value should go a long way toward paying the original outlay. " These lands, lying, as they do, close to the railway, should be easily sold and brought under cultivation, and would give a great impetus to agriculture in the interior, as it would demonstrate the feasibility of bringing a large area of land now utterly barren into a productive condition, and would support a population far in excess of any of those countries having a less favourable climate. " I shall be glad to do anything possible to further a scheme to add to the population and wealth of the country, but you quite understand more definite information will involve an expenditure which I am not justified in undertaking, however philanthropic T may be. " Apologizing for my delay in replying, owing to other business engagements, " I have, etc., " J. R. Anderson, Esq., (Signed) "J. W. Vaughan. " Department of Agriculture, Victoria." Some of the farmers of the North Thompson have been experimenting with fall grain and have succeeded in getting some good crops, in spite of the dryness of the soil, off land which was formerly considered valueless without water, showing that much can be done by intelligent working of the soil. A large quantity of cereals is produced of the best quality. Rye is found to do particularly well. Mr. Noble raises large quantities, and says his stock thrive well on it. Root crops are not so much cultivated as in other parts, owing to the lack of moisture. All fruits that have been tried mature well, and are of remarkably good quality. Some fine specimens were shown at the exhibition of the Inland Association held at Kamloops last autumn. There are not many bearing orchards, that of Mr. Roper, at Cherry Creek, being probably the oldest. A good many young trees have been planted out during the last year, however, and it will not be long before this district comes well to the front as a fruit-producing section. Beef cattle are produced in large numbers, and a good many horses. Sheep, swine, and poultry are raised only in very inconsiderable quantities. Dairying, except in the immediate vicinity of Kamloops for the local supply of milk, is scarcely touched. Timber is not abundant in the valleys, being composed of scattered pines and a small growth of poplars, birch, &c, along the water-courses. Bunch grass is the principal grass, but in the immediate 756 Report on Agriculture. 1893 vicinity of settlements it is eaten down very closely, and in the more arid portions the cactus grows in profusion. The altitude of Kamloops is 1,500 feet, and there is very little difference in the surrounding country, except, to the southward, where it rises considerably. The precipitation is very light, there being little or no rain, snow being seldom over twelve to eighteen inches in depth and generally lasting from the end of December to 15th of March. The usual summer temperature is from 75° to 80°, and the highest about 110°, the usual winter temperature being about 15°, and the lowest 30° below zero. Under "Meteorological" I give Mr. Andrew Noble's remarks on the subject. The principal diseases and pests reported are potato bug (epicunta macuhtta), aphis, coyotes, wolves, rabbits (Arctic hare), wild oats, and buckwheat, and smut in grain. According to returns I find that 14A per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 10A per cent, is woodland or forest, 7| per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 67A per cent, is pasture. Report of Mr. Andrew Noble, Correspondent:— 1. Wheat (fall).—26 bushels per acre ; $30 per ton. Wheat (spring) 26 n tt 30 n Barley, 33 ,, n 30 Oats,' 42 ,, „ 30 Rye, 30 t, „ 40 2. Hay.—2,000 fts.; $22 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—5 tons 20 n Turnips, 30 „ 30 „ Onions.—3A cents per ft. Other roots and vegetables.—One-half cent per ft. 3a. The yield was fair. 3b. Red Fife wheat, Chevalier barley, Early Gotham oats, Fall rye, Timothy grass, Red clover, Daisy potato, Half Long carrot, Swedish turnips, Yellow Danver onion, Dark Black Red beet, and Jersey Wakefield cabbage I consider the best suited to this section. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable:—For apples, 3 cents per ft.; for plums, 4 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was fair. 4b. The quality of fruit was good. 4c. For fruit growing a light gravelly soil is the best. 4n. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes are not grown. Melons and tomatoes do well. 4e. The Northern Spy apples give excellent, results. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying is neglected. 8 b. The price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. • 9a. This part is well adapted for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep-raising is not extensively carried on. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is G fts. 10a. Improvements of breeding stock are taking place. 10b. I think the following the best breeds for this district : Clydesdale for draught; native horses for saddle; cross between Hereford and Polled Angus for beef; Jersey cattle for dairying; Berkshire pigs and Black Spanish poultry. 11 A. Poultry-raising is neglected. 1 Lb. Average price of eggs, 25 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture not attempted. 13b. The spring was frosty. 13c. The summer was very hot. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 757 13d. The harvest weather was good. 14. There was smut in the wheat and oats. There is a disease amongst cattle (see "Diseases and Pests "—J. R, A.) 15. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Indians. 15c. Average wages are $30 to $40 per month. 16. Ensilage not tried. 17. There is considerable fall ploughing done. 18. Regarding irrigation, water could be brought from Jamieson Creek to irrigate all the available land on this side of the North Thompson to Mr. Roper's meadows, at a cost of about $15,000, which would return a large percentage to any company. Fall rye is the most successful crop in this dry belt, either in hay or in grain. Mr. J. T. Edwards, North Thompson, says:—I have two pedigreed stallions, one a Clyde and the other a Percheron. I have 7 pedigreed Polled Angus bulls, 23 graded Shorthorn, Hereford and Polled Angus bulls, 13 pedigreed Holstein cows and 1 bull. Lice appeared on fruit trees. Wild buckwheat is a noxious weed. I think the following breeds of stock are best for this district:—Percheron horses, Holstein cattle for dairying, Shorthorn and Polled Angus for beef, Cotswolds for wool, Leicesters for mutton, Berkshires and White Chester hogs, Plymouth Rock poultry. There was a good deal of snow last winter, no rain, and not much cold Spring was late, but pretty fair for seeding. Summer was good, with no frosts. The yield of crops was good, and they were harvested in good condition. Mr. James Mellors says :—I have a pedigreed Shorthorn bull; the rest of my stock are graded. Red Chaff' wheat, Rosedale oats, Egvptian Mummy peas, Snowflake potatoes, Canadian Giant mangolds, Carter's prize winner turnips, Yellow Danver onion, long red beet, timothy grass, and common red clover, are, I consider, the best and most profitable varieties for this locality. There was about 10 or 12 inches of snow last winter, no rain, and not much cold. The spring was rather late, with a good season for seeding. The summer was good, with a wet autumn ; the harvesting weather, however, was good. Some of the grain got too ripe and shelled a good deal. The yield was fair, and crops were saved in good condition. Mr. Alex. McGlasiian, Campbell Creek, says:—Wolves and coyotes are animal pests here. I consider the following breeds the best suited to this district:—Clydesdales and Thoroughbreds, Ayreshire cattle for dairying, Shorthorn cattle for beef, and Berkshire pigs. Mrs. G. W. Jones, Kamloops, says:—The aphis has been very prevalent this year, and destructive to apple trees. Buckwheat, wild mustard, and lamb's quarter are the principal noxious weeds. All cereals, roots, grasses, clovers, and hops grow to perfection, when irrigated. There was not a great deal of snow last winter ; there was about the average amount of cold. Spring was fairly early, with a very favourable seeding time. The summer was fine, with a fine autumn and very good harvest weather. There were one or two frosty nights in the latter end of August. The yield here was not good, owing to bad handling at seed-time. The crop was harvested in good condition. Mr. Alex. G. Gordan, North Thompson, says :—Smut was very bad here. Buckwheat and sunflowers are noxious weeds. I consider the following cereals, roots, grasses and clover the best for this locality: Campbell's White Chaff spring wheat, Red Fife fall wheat, Chevalier two-rowed barley, Potato oats and Fall rye, Horse-tooth corn, Lillooet white beans, Early Rose potatoes, Half-long carrots, Green-top Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Long Reel beets, Timothy grasses, and red clover. I think Clydesdale horses, Shorthorn for beef, and Berkshire pigs, the best breeds of stock for here. There was about 18 inches of snow last winter, no rain, and not much cold. The summer was very dry and hot; the autumn was very wet, with good harvest weather; there were frosts in June. I consider the yield of crops was only middling. The crop was saved in very good order. Mr. Andrew Noble, North Thompson, says :—Smut here is a disease in plant life, besides disease of which the symptoms are described in my report. (Big-jaw—see " Diseases and Pests."—J. R. A.) The horse-fly is an insect pest here; also grasshoppers, which did great damage to the oat crop three years ago. The following cereals, roots, grasses, fruits and 758 Report on Agriculture. 1893 breeds I consider the most useful : Campbell's White Chaff spring wheat, Red Fife fall wheat, Chevalier barley, Banner oats, Winter rye, Pride of the Market peas, White Flint corn, China Red-eye bean, Kaffir corn, half-long carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Bassano beets, Alfalfa and Red clovers. Northern Spy apples, Greengage, McLaughlin plums, Tennant prunes, Clydesdale horses, Jersey cattle for dairying, cross between Hereford and Polled Angus for beef, Berkshire pigs, and Black Spanish poultry. The damage to my wheat crop from smut- amounted to about $60. Last winter there was about two feet of snow; the winter was long, with mixed weather. Spring was late, with light frosts ; it was not very good for seeding. During the summer the weather was very changeable, being very hot one day and the next day cool. This brought the crops to a standstill. The autumn was very short, with early 'snow. Harvest weather was good. There were frosts in May. Crops yielded fairly well, and were saved in good condition. Mr. John H. Willis, North Thompson, says :—My stock are graded Shorthorn. The blue potato bug is a very destructive insect pest. Wild oats and buckwheat are noxious weeds here. All grain does well, if sufficient moisture. All roots do well, as far as tried. I think the following fruit trees are the best for this locality :—Duchess of Oldenbergh, Yellow Transparent, Golden Russet, and King of Tompkins apples; Bartlett and Beurre d'Anjou pears; Moore's Arctic plums ; Tennant prunes ; Black Tartarian and Whiteheart cherries, and Concord grapes. I had a small loss from the potato bug this year. There was very little snow last winter, no rain, and very little cold. Spring was too dry for seeding. The summer was favourable, but too hot before harvest for dry land. Harvesting weather was good. The yield of crops was fair, and they were harvested in good order. Mr. Thomas Loveway, North Thompson, says:—The potato bug is an insect pest here. Owing to the hot weather my crop was not so good as I expected, but cut about 1J- tons per acre. I think the water can be brought from Jamieson Creek to supply all the land on this side of the river for about $13,000, and I would like to pay the water company $60 per season for my share of it. Spring was late, with a good seed-time, The summer was hot, with a good autumn and harvest. There were frosts in April, May and June. Crops were harvested in good condition. Mr. Donald McAulay, North Thompson, says:—There were black lice on the apple trees. I think the following are the best cereals, roots, etc., for this locality: Red Chaff spring- wheat, Red Fife fall wheat, Six-rowed barley, Potato oats, Winter rye, Beauty of Hebron potato, half-long carrots, Swedes, Turnip beets, Timothy grass, and red clover. The following breeds of stock, I think, are best:—Clyde horses, Ayreshires for dairying. Shorthorns for beef, Southdowns for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Black Spanish poultry. My cows were very sick and gave no milk ; my loss was about $200. There was a good deal of snow last winter; there was no rain, and not much cold. The spring was late, but good for seeding. The summer was hot, with a very good autumn and harvest weather. We had frosts in April and May. The summer was hot and dry and burnt up the crops, and there was only about two-thirds of a crop. What there was was harvested in good order. Mr, Jos. Zink, North Thompson, says :—Rabbits are increasing greatly, and destroy the crops. Wolves are troublesome with the calves. Last winter was mild, with not much snow. The spring was backward and rather wet for seeding. The summer was good, not very hot. The autumn was fair, but more wet than usual. The harvesting weather was very favourable. About June my potatoes were killed by the frost. The Western Canadian Ranching Co. say :—Irrigation is an absolute necessity, as the country is so dry. Very little water is to be had, however, as many who have water privileges do not economize it, and so it runs short. In our case, the Indians claimed all the water out of Paul's Creek, but under the supervision of the Indian Department we constructed a dam at the lake, and now there is plenty for both. Mr. John Lawson says :—A bluish green potato bug, quite different from the Colorado beetle, is an insect pest here. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 759 UPPER NICOLA, Comprising all that part on the Kamloops road as far as Quilchena, on Nicola Lake, and including Douglas Lake, in which there are about forty-five settlers. Good roads lead from Quilchena, and from Douglas Lake to Kamloops, one over the hills between forty-five and fifty miles in length, and another through a valley coming out on the Thompson between Ducks and Kamloops, between sixty-two and sixty-five miles long ; in each case it is about ten miles further to Douglas Lake. The gradients on the first-mentioned road are rather too great for heavy hauling, but on the last-named they are quite easy. Grain and root crops are grown in all parts of this section and produce good returns. Fruit does well in most parts, but as yet only a little is cultivated. Irrigation is necessary for the successful cultivation of crops, and with judicious management there would, no doubt, be plenty of water for all purposes. Large numbers of beef cattle are raised for the markets of the coast, the Douglas Lake Cattle Co. and the B. C. Cattle Co. both having extensive ranges. A considerable number of horses are also reared. The sheep, swine, and poultry industries are comparatively untouched. Dairying is carried on to only a very limited extent, and in almost every case for home use only. The altitude of Nicola Lake is given by Sandford Fleming at 2,120 feet. The land rises slightly towards Stump Lake, and considerably towards Douglas Lake. The temperature in the vicinity of Stump Lake, is usual: hottest, about 75°, and coldest, 25° below zero. Rainfall, about six inches, and snowfall, two feet six inches, and lying for about two months. (See Mr. Bulman's report under " Meteorological."—J.R.A.) On some of the higher ranges of hills, timber is fairly plentiful, but on the lower levels it is principally scattered yellow pines with small poplars, birch, &.C., about the edges of lakes and streams. Bunch grass covers the hills, affording excellent pasturage. The soil is a heavy black loam, here and there highly impregnated with alkali. Pests and diseases complained of are wild oats and buckwheat, fox-tail, wolves and coyotes, and big-jaw in cattle. It appears that between 8 per cent, and 9 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, nearly all the rest being- pasturage. Mr. Thos. Bulman in furnishing the following approximate data, adds :— " The answers may be misleading, as it takes considerable time to give them correctly, so much land being fenced which is not owned, and it is hard to get at the number of cattle. Quantity of land owned—About 50,000 acres, not including the Douglas Lake Syndicate, who own, it is said, as much more. Quantity of land cultivated—About 8,307 acres. Number of tons of hay produced—About 7,000 tons. Number of tons of root crops—Only potatoes grown; of these there are about 800 tons raised. Number of cattle owned—About 28,000. Number of horses owned n 2,000. Number of sheep owned n 1,600. Number of swine owned n 200. The following is the report of Mr. Thos. Bulman, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (fall), 26 bush, per acre, 105c. per bush. H (spring), 26 „ „ 105c. Barley, 37 n ' n 72c. ii Oats, 50 11 ii 51c. it Rye, 33 n u 90c. ii Peas, 30 n „ 90c. n 2. Hay (timothy and clover), 2,500 fts. per acre, lc. per ft. tt (wild), |c. it 3. Potatoes, 6 tons per acre, $18 per ton. Carrots, 7 ii n 15 u . Turnips, 9 n n 20 h Onions, 2A; cents per ft. Beets and parsnips, 1 n n Cabbages, 2A; it n 3a. The yield of above was fair. 760 Report on Agriculture. 1893 3b. White Russian and Red Fife wheats, Fall rye, Timothy, Large Red clover, and Early Rose, Beauty of Hebron, and Early Sunrise potatoes are the best suited and give best results here. 4. The average prices obtainable for the following are :— For apples, 3 cents per ft., dried 16 cents per ft. ; for pears, 10 cents per ft.; for plums and prunes, dried, 18 to 22 cents per ft,; for cherries, 10 cents per ft.; for peaches, dried, 20 cents per ft.; for grapes, 12A; cents per ft.; for small fruits, red currants and gooseberries, 4 cents per ft. 4a. Small fruits were not extra good. Apples were very good. 4b. The quality was very good, but the growth was not as large as in the previous year. 4c Large fruits not much grown, but seem to give best results on sandy soils. Small fruits do well all through the district wherever the locality is sheltered from the wind. 4d. Peaches, apricots, and nectarines are not grown. Grapes have been grown at Kamloops. Melons grow well. Tomatoes grow very well on the Thompson River and in sheltered places. 5. Linseed grows well, but I find great trouble with small birds threshing it out. 6. Sugar beet I have seen grown, and it seems to yield well, but it is not grown for sugar manufacture. 7. Rape is not grown. 8a. Dairying not carried on extensively, but it pays well; the butter is of excellent quality and flavour, and the milk from bunch-grass fed cows is very sweet. 8b. Price obtainable for butter, 35 cents per ft. Cheese is not made; it is worth about 10 cents per ft. 9a. This part is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. No extensive sheep-raising. 9c. The wool is of medium quality, most of the flocks having merino blood. 9d. Average weight of fleece in large flocks, 7 fts.; in small flocks of Cotswolds, 12 fts. 10a. The breeds of stock are being improved. 10b. I consider the following the best breeds for this district: Shires and Clydesdales for draught, French Canadian horses crossed with thoroughbreds for saddle, Hambletonians for harness; Polled Angus for beef, Holsteins for dairying; Southdowns and crosses of for mutton ; Big Yorkshire and White Chester pigs ; Plymouth Rock for table and laying, White Leghorns for laying. 11a. Poultry raising not attempted to any extent. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents per doz. 12. Apiculture has not been attempted. 13a. Last winter was mild with not much snow. 13b. The spring was dry and cold. 13c. The summer was cold on the average. 13d. Harvest weather was good, not much frost. The autumn was cold and windy. 15a. Labourers are easily procurable. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. Average wages : Whites, $30 per month ; Chinese, $20 per month. 16. Ensilage not tried. 17. Most of the ranchers plough all they can in the fall. 18. Raising vegetables, grain, and fruit pays well where it is near a railroad. Our potatoes sell well at the Coast, being of a better quality than the Lower Country potatoes. A great deal might be said about irrigation, and the saving of water in the spring being the great matter, as putting in large clams means expense which I think ought to be taken in hand by the Government, as ranchers who have prior rights object to the water being held on creeks. The matter requires to be carefully studied out. In our district especially the Russel fence is taking the lead. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 761 Mr. E. O'Rourke, Quilchena, says :—We are troubled with foxtail in meadows and wild oats and buckwheat in grain. Red Fife wheat does very well. The Daisy and Early Rose potatoes, Large Red mangolds, White Belgian carrots, Swedes, Early Red onions, Early Blood turnip, Timothy grass, Alsike and Large Red clovers all do well. I think well-bred draught or road horses would be the most paying to raise for the present market. Jerseys for dairying, Shorthorns and Herefords for beef, Cotswolds for wool, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock chickens, and Bronze turkeys. Last winter there was about 10 inches of snow ; not much rain. It was a mild winter here, 27° being the coldest. Spring- was early in opening, but kept very cold and backward in April. It was a good season for seeding. The summer was very dry till the end of June, then we had a couple of weeks of showers. The autumn was fine and dry till the end of October; since then some heavy rains. Harvest weather was very favourable. There were frosts about May 5th and September 15th. The yield of crops was generally considered above the average, and crops were saved in good order. Mr. Thomas Bulman, Stump Lake, says:—I have one thoroughbred Durham bull and four graded Durhams and Polled Angus. My breeding stock are Durham grades. My mares are from Grey Eagle, owned by J. Campbell, Cache Creek, and Emigrant, a stallion owned by J. Hamilton, Nicola. The yearlings and sucking colts are by the Hambletonian stallion, Ike Groff Grasshoppers; June bugs, big-jaw, wolves, coyotes, foxtail, are bad. (See Mr. Bul- man's remarks under " Diseases and Pests."—J. R. A..) Our best grass for hay, when it can be kept from growing into large bunches, is rye-grass. I have entertained the idea of breaking the bunches and transplanting them. It yields a heavy crop and appears to be very nutritious, but does not seem to grow well from seed. Any information I can get on the subject will greatly oblige. I think the following are the best adapted to this locality :—White Russian and Red Fife wheat—Ladoga and Club wheat yield the best crops, but are too soft to be good flouring wheats; Two-rowed barley—we are trying Hulless barley ; it appears to be good grain; Black Tartar oats; Fall rye; Early Rose, Early Sunrise, and Beauty of Hebron potatoes ; Mammoth mangolds ; Swedes ; long red beets ; timothy. Clover has not done well with me. I think, of horses, that half-breed Clydes or Shires are easiest sold and fetch the best price. I prefer a French coach-horse, 1,400 fts. Common grade Durhams are best for dairying, and half-breed Polled Angus' for beef. A cross between Horned Blackface and Leicesters for mutton. White Yorkshire pigs. White Leghorns are hardy and the best layers, and are not easily caught by hawks. I consider the indiscriminate fencing of the large tracts of Government lands by private individuals a great evil. Another evil is men allowing two-year old stallions to run at large in the spring, A great -many men consider a two-year old will not get colts before May. I have myself several mares in foal to two-year olds before May. There were about 18 inches of snow last winter. It was not very cold, but long. Winter set in about Christmas, and did not break up till the latter end of February. The spring was late, but March was very warm and fine, and seed-time was good. The summer was cold and windy, with plenty of rain. The autumn was rather cold, with dry, windy weather. Harvest weather was good—only two rain-storms. Our grain yield was very good, and also that of the neighbourhood, oats yielding 2,000 to 2,200 fts. per acre; in some places my rye yielded 2,400 fts. per acre. Our fall wheat froze out in the spring. Most of the crops in our locality were saved in excellent condition. Mr. Richard Murphy, of Quilchena, says :—I think the following cereals, roots, &c, are the best adapted to this locality :—Club spring wheat, Fife fall wheat, Blue barley, White beans, Early Rose potatoes, Timothy and White clover, Clyde horses^ Holsteins for dairy purposes, Durhams for beef, Cotswolds for mutton and wool, Berkshire pigs, and Black Spanish poultry. We had twelve inches of snow here last winter, and it was 10° below zero. The spring was early, with a good time for seeding. The autumn was dry, with good harvest weather. Frosts were early. The yield of crops was very large, and were well harvested. 762 Report on Agriculture. 1893 CENTRAL NICOLA, Comprising all that part between Quilchena and Lower Nicola, has about fifteen settlers, who raise a considerable quantity of cereals, root crops, and hay. Fruit, from some unexplained reason, has thus far not generally succeeded as well as could be wished ; apple trees, especially, do not attain any great size before the tops die off. The roots do not seem to be affected, however, as they continue to throw up suckers. The probability is that some kinds, heretofore untried, will succeed, as all the conditions for fruit growing seem favourable. A good many young trees are being planted out, so that the problem should soon be solved. The soil is excellent, and like all this region wants irrigating. Water is plentiful for all present wants, and the supply could no doubt be increased when the markets are more accessible, warranting the production of larger quantities of produce. The proposed railroad from Spence's Bridge, if taken to the foot of the lake, would have the effect of draining all this part, and, with the aid of the lake, pretty well the whole of Upper Nicola. At present the major portion of the produce is consumed in the valley, the distance to either Kamloops or Spence's Bridge being so great : equidistant from either place about fifty miles. The roads are good, but some of the grades are very heavy. Large numbers of beef cattle are raised, some horses, and probably more sheep than in other districts. The swine, dairy, and poultry industries are not followed to any extent. The same characteristics, as regards timber, exist here as in. Upper Nicola. As will be seen by the meteorological tables, the precipitation is very light. According to Mr. Dalley (see his letter under " Meteorological"), snow lies on the ground between two and three months; usual greatest heat, 85°, seldom reaching 90°. Cold ranges from zero to 35° below for one or two weeks, sometimes reaching 40°. The altitude is generally not much above the level of the lake (2,120 feet—Sandford Fleming). Under "Diseases and Pests " will be found a letter from Mr. John Clapperton on the wild horse question; it does not appear to be bad in Nicola. The aphis has appeared on fruit trees, besides which grasshoppers, gophers, wild buckwheat, and fox tail are the principal pests complained of. Mr. Clapperton furnishes the following as the yield in 1892 :— Wheat 71,200 fts. Oats 137,000 „ Barley 20,000 „ Peas 9,000 „ Hay 620 tons. Roots 684; II Apples 2,000 fts. Plums 500 „ Cherries 100 „ It appears from returns received that about 4 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 5J per cent, is woodland, 1A per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 89 per cent, is pasture. The report of Mr. J. Clapperton, Correspondent, is as follows :— 1. Wheat (fall), 1,500 to 2,000 fts. per acre ; 1A cents per ft. Peas, 2,000 to 4,000 n ,. if n 2. Hay, 1 to H tons „ $10 to $20 per ton. 3. Potatoes, 5 to 10 n n 1 cent per ft. Mangolds, 10 to 20 „ ,i \ u u Carrots, 5 to 10 n n 1 n n Turnips, 10 to 20 ,. n \ « « Onions, 5 to 10 n n 2 to 3 n n Cabbages, 2 to 3 n n 3a. The yield was fair average of other years. 2b. Fife and White Australian wheat, Chevalier barley, Challenge White Russian oats, Timothy, Orchard and Red Top grasses, Red and Alsike clover, Long Red and Globe mangolds, Purple Top swedes, Yellow Danver onions are the best suited to this locality. 4. The following was the average price obtainable :—For apples, 4 to 5 cents per ft,; plums and prunes, 5 to 8 cents per ft. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 763 4a. The season's crop was fair. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4c. The general opinion is that sandy or gravelly soils are best for fruit culture. Apples, plums, and cherries appear to do well if planted where the morning sun does not shine on them too soon, so fruit growers say. I don't know anything of fruit culture. 4d. Peaches, apricots, and nectarines are not grown here; melons do well some years ; tomatoes don't always ripen. 5. Linseed is not grown extensively ; I have sown some, once or twice for occasional feeding to horses, and considered it grew fairly well. G. Sugar beet will grow well if properly cultivated. 7. I have not seen rape grown here. 8a. Dairying is not extensively attempted. 8b. xVverage price obtainable for butter, 30 cents per ft. 9a. This locality is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Only 1,100 sheep here. 9c. The wool is of very good quality. 9d. Average weight of fleece is 5 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following are the best for this district:—Clydes and Percherons for draught; Durham, Polled Angus and Herefords for beef, Holsteins, Jerseys, and Ayrsbires for dairying; Shropshire Downs and Leicesters for wool, Shropshire Downs and Southdowns for mutton ; Berkshire and Chester White pigs ; Plymouth Rock are considered the best general poultry breed. 11a. Poultry raising is neglected. 11b. Average price of eggs : in summer, 25 cents; in winter, 50 to 75 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is not tried. 13a. The winter was mild for this section, but spring was late. 13b. The spring was backward, with late frosts. 13c. The summer was dry and warm ; there was less rain than for many preceding years. 13d. The harvest weather was good. 13e. No loss from bad weather. 14. Last year was, on the whole, almost exempt from insect pests injurious to growing crops. Mosquitos were unusually prevalent. 15a. Labourers are generally easily procurable. 15b. Whites, Chinese, or Indians can be had when wanted. 15c. The average wages paid are: Whites, $1 to $1.50 per day ; Chinese, $1 to $1.25, without board, and in busy seasons with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. An early snowfall prevented the fall ploughing being entirely finished ; there was not much left, however. 18. Agriculture is on a limited scale at Nicola, owing to no market outside local wants, which are easily supplied, most people raising enough for their own use. Mr. John Clapperton, Nicola, says :—1 have pure pedigreed Durham Shorthorns, Polled Angus, and Herefords. I keep the three breeds distinct. The range cattle are coupled with thoroughbred bulls of above breeds. I think the following the most profitable and best suited to the district:—Red Fife, White Australian, and Golden Drop spring wheat, Chevalier barley, Multiplier peas, Early Rose and Beauty of Hebron potatoes, Long Red and Globe mangolds, Purple Top swede, Kentucky Blue and Orchard grasses, Sanfoin and Alfalfa clovers; Clydesdales, Percheron Coach horse, and thoroughbreds; Holsteins and Jerseys for dairying, Durham, Polled Angus, and Herefords for beef; Cotswolds and Southdowns, crossed, for wool and mutton ; White Chester and Berkshire pigs. Fall wheat is not much grown; rye is only 764 Report on Ag iculture. 1893 grown for hay. All European grasses thrive well; I find orchard grass best for mixing with clover. Hops would do well if attended to. Apples, generally speaking, are not successful; they produce well for two or three years, and then they die from some kind of dry rot; no one, as yet, can intelligently give a reason why. Plum trees and cherry trees do just the same as the apple trees. I have now the third lot of fruit trees in twenty years, and some of them are dying out as the others did. I think the altitude is too high here for grapes. We have not suffered this year from any vegetable or fruit pests. The winter was mild; only once did frost register 20° below zero. Spring was late and cold, such as usually follows a mild winter; cold windy weather, withering vegetation. This lasted all through April, consequently harvest is two to three weeks later than usual. The summer was very hot and dry ; hardly any rain. Pasturage was poor and dry. We have had a peculiar year; terrible heat and no rain, with unusual high winds. The yield of crops was barely on an average with other years ; on low lying bottom lands it was better than the average, on high dry lands it was under the average. Crops were saved in very good order, as there was no rain. Mr. Joseph Collett, head of Nicola Lake, says:—Grasshoppers are insect pests hero, gophers and magpies are animal pests, and foxtail is a noxious weed. Mr. Edwin Dalley, foot of Nicola Lake, says:—My sheep are Cotswold and Southdown grades. The apple trees are infested with the aphis this year for the first time. Wild buckwheat is a noxious weed here. LOWER NICOLA, Comprising all that part between Spence's Bridge, the vicinity of Coldwater, and Voght's Valley, has about sixty ranchers. The road from Central Nioola leads via Coutlie's to Spence's Bridge, distant about forty miles from the confluence of the Coldwater with the Nicola River. Another road now in the course of construction, and which will probably be completed this season, leads to Otter Valley about fifty miles distant, in the direction of the Similkameen. A railroad from Spence's Bridge, the early construction of which seems to be pretty well assured, would tap the whole of this fertile valley and afford an outlet for its products. The precipitation is not sufficient in most parts to ensure good crops; therefore, as in the rest of Nicola, irrigation has to be resorted to. Water is available from some of the mountain streams, and there is an abundance in Nicola River, but the level of the latter is so low that it is not much utilized. The altitude of parts of this section (notably Voght's Valley, which is between 2,000 and 3,000 feet) is so great that little besides hay can be successfully cultivated ; the lower part, however, the altitude of which according to Sandford Fleming is 2,028 feet, is a good grain-producing country, a good deal of wheat being raised and ground into flour at the mill at the foot of Nicola Lake. Root crops produce abundantly, and so do small fruits ; but large fruits, especially apples, are not everywhere successful. A good many cattle, horses, and swine are raised, and some poultry, the latter principally for home consumption, and but few or no sheep. Dairying is only carried on to a limited extent. The soil is good, the characteristics both of it and of the timber and native grasses are very similar to the rest of the Nicola Valley. Diseases and pests reported consist principally of the aphis on apple trees, smut in grain, Canada thistles, wild oats, and foxtail. I beg to refer to Mr. Dalley's letter under the head of " Meteorological," which gives an idea of the climate. From returns received I find that about 7| per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 12| per cent, is woodland or forest, 18A per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 61A per cent, is pasture. The following approximate data is furnished by Mr. H. S. Cleasby :— 1. Quantity of land owned 35,000 acres. 2. Quantity of land cultivated 2,500 n 3. Number of tons of grain produced 350 tons. 4. Number of tons of hay produced 2,000 n 5. Number of tons of root crops 120 it 6. Number of tons of fruit 7. Number of cattle owned 2,500 head. 8. Number of horses owned 1,200 n 9. Number of sheep owned 10. Number of swine owned , 750 n 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 765 The following is t le report of Mr. H. S Cleasby, Correspoi 1. Wheat (fall), 1,200 fts. per acre $1.75 per cental. Wheat (sprin y), 1,500 ,i tt 1.75 Barley, 2,000 t. tt 1.50 ,, Oats, 1,800 ,t it 1.50 i, Rye, 1,000 ,i ii 2.00 ,, Peas, 2,000 „ ii 1.50 „ 2. Hay, 2,000 tt n $12 to $15 per ton 3. Potatoes, 10 tons it $1 per cental. Mangolds, 20 „ n Carrots, 25 „ n Turnips, 20 „ ii 3a. There was about an average yield. 3b. White Australian wheat, Chevalier barley, Short or Potato oats, Fall rye, Multiplier peas, Timothy and Cocksfoot grasses, Red, Sanfoin, Alfalfa, and Alsike clovers, Early Rose potato, Long Red mangold, Shorthorn carrot, and Yellow Danver onion are the best for this locality. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines and grapes are not grown. Melons and tomatoes some seasons do well, but we are liable to too early frosts here. 5. Linseed is not grown. 6. Sugar beet is grown by some for feeding hogs. 7. Rape is not grown. 8a. Dairying is being more extensively followed every year, so far as butter-making is concerned. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 30c. per ft. 10a. Improved breeds of stock are sought after. 10b. I consider the following the best for this district:—Pure or half-bred Clydesdales or Percherons for draught; crosses of Morgan and Hambletonian sires, with good cayuse mares, for saddle and harness; Shorthorn cattle for beef and dairying; Southdown sheep for wool and mutton ; Berkshire pigs ; Leghorn and Plymouth Rock poultry. 11a. Poultry are not extensively or systematically raised. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25c. per dozen. 1 3a. Last winter was mild, with very little snow. 13b. The spring was late and cold. 13c. The summer was very dry. 13d. There was fine dry harvest weather, frost coming about the usual time. Since 20th September, rather wet but open weather. 14. Fall wheat and oats, some years, especially if wet, inclined to smut. (See "Diseases and Pests."—J. R. A.) 15a. Labourers are usually plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. Average wages paid are : Whites, by the year, $25 per month, with board; Chinese and Indians, $1 per day. 17. Most of the ploughing is done in the fall. Mr. Peter Marquart, Coutlie's, says :—Four-rowed barley, Fall rye, and Timothy are very well suited to this locality. I consider Holsteins the best cattle for dairying, and Durhams the best for beef. We had 18 inches of snow last winter, with no rain and no cold weather. Spring was late and rather cold for seeding. The summer was cold, with fine weather and good harvest weather. There were frosts about the latter end of August. I consider the yield of crops was not very good; they were, however, saved in fine condition. 766 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. W. H. Voght, Voght's Valley, says :—Timothy and Red-top grasses do very well here. I consider Shorthorns the best for beef. There was not much snow, and no rain or cold to speak of, last winter. The spring was late; the summer was warm and favourable ; harvest weather was good. There were frosts all the year except in July. This is too high to depend on any growth but that of hay; it is about 3,000 feet in altitude. The yield of crops was good, and they were harvested in good order. Mr. W. Voght, Nicola Valley, says:—My stock are graded. Wild buckwheat is a noxious weed here, and Canada thistles are also beginning to be a nuisance. I think the following cereals, roots, &c, are the best suited to this district: Red Chaff spring wheat, Potato oats, Daisy potatoes, Shorthorn carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Long Red beets, Timothy and Red-top grasses, and Red and Sanfoin clovers. I prefer Berkshire pigs and Plymouth Rock poultry. There was not much snow, no rain, and no cold weather, last winter. The spring was fairly early, with a good summer and autumn. Harvest weather was good. Crops yielded well, and were saved in good order. Mr. H. D. Green-Armytage, Nicola Valley, says:—My stock are graded. There was widespread disease this summer among barndoor fowls ; also among turkeys. (See " Diseases and Pests."—J. R. A.) Among noxious weeds the Canada thistle is making its appearance. The most numerous are squirrel (or fox-tail) grass, wild buckwheat, and wild oats. I have grown rye here, with success, for fodder. Timothy, Common and Alsike clovers, Red-top, Orchard, Kentucky Blue-grass and Sanfoin are profitable and well suited to this locality. I think Tetofsky and Crab apples are the best for here. Plymouth Rooks and Game poultry are the best for this district. My garden produce was poor this year, from failure of water. I have lost some of my currant crop from curled leaf. Last winter there was a good deal of snow on the mountains, and owing to the cold spring the floods were exceptionally high when warm weather came. There was the least cold I have experienced in fourteen winters. The spring was late, with a good seeding time, and the summer was an average one, with good harvest weather. About 15th August the potatoes were cut with frost; otherwise no damage. I have not heard of any wheat being hurt by frost. Mr. C. M. Newkirk, Voght's Valley, South Nicola, says :—This is too high for fruit trees; it is about 3,000 feet above sea-level. Potatoes did not come, from frost. There was an accumulation of about 18 inches of snow last winter, and it was comparatively mild. The spring was late and too cold for seeding. The summer was cold and dry, with a wet autumn and good harvest weather. There were frosts all the time, except a few nights in July. Hay is the only certain crop. Mr. H. Lindley, Coutlie's, says :—Wild oats and wild buckwheat are noxious weeds here. I think the following varieties are the best adapted to this locality : Royal Australian fall wheat, Early Rose potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Shorthorn carrots, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy and Red clover, Durham cattle for beef, White Cheshire pigs, and White Leghorn poultry. Last winter there was very little rain, no cold weather, and very little snow. The spring was late and good for seeding. The summer was dry, with a good autumn and favourable harvest weather. There was ice on 6th July, and frosts at the end of September. I don't consider the yield was up to mark. Crops were saved in very good order. Messrs. A. Coutlie and Sons, Coutlie's, say :—We consider the following best adapted to our locality : Red Chaff wheat, White oats, Early Rose and Early Goderich potatoes, Short Red carrots, Yellow Danver onions, Long Red beets, and, on low land, Red-top grass; Holstein cattle for dairying, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock and White Leghorn poultry. Last winter was not very cold; there was no rain and not much snow. The spring was late and favourable for seeding. The summer was dry, with good harvest weather. There was a slight June frost, and frosts at the end of September. I consider the yield of crops was good, and that they were well harvested. Mr. John Marquart, Coutlie's, says:—My mares are graded Clydes. I have a graded Hambletonian colt and a graded Clyde gelding; the rest are native stock. My pigs are graded Berkshires. Grasshoppers are an insect pest here. Mr. Thomas Woodward, Lower Nicola, says:—My stock are graded. The insect pests here are green lice on young wood of apple trees. The following are the most profitable and 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 767 best suited to this locality : Royal Australian spring wheat, Beardless barley, Maine oats, Golden Vine peas, Sugar beets, Timothy grass, Red and Alsike clover, Ironclad apples, Red plums, and French prunes. I think graded Hamblotonian horses are the most useful; Wyandotte and Plymouth Rock poultry. Mr. R. M. Woodward, Lower Nicola, says:—Our apples have suffered considerably from a little green louse that literally covers some of the trees, dest roying both fruit and foliage to a certain extent, but not killing the trees. (Undoubtedly the aphis.—J. R. A,) Last winter there was eight to ten inches of snow, no rain, and not very severe cold. The spring was very late; it was good for seeding. The summer was very variable, from very warm to very cold, almost amounting to frosts some nights. Harvest weather was good. There were no frosts, in our locality, but in some parts frost occurred in August, doing only very slight damage. The yield of crops was fairly good, and they were saved in excellent order. SAVONA, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, is situated at the foot of Kamloops Lake, 25 miles from the town of Kamloops, and has about fifteen settlers. Good waggon roads lead from this point to Kamloops and to Cache Creek, on the Cariboo Road, distant about 25 miles. The precipitation being very small, and the land being of that porous nature, in common with the rest of the Thompson Valley, irrigation is necessary, and like the country above, available water is not abundant, consequently, not as much is produced as the quality of the soil, and the advantages of easy transport, would warrant. Grain, root crops and fruits, including peaches, grapes, apricots, &c, all do well. Considerable numbers of beef cattle and horses are bred, and some poultry, but no sheep or swine to speak of. The dairying industry is not prosecuted to any extent. Timber in the valleys is not plentiful, and is much of the same character as about Kamloops. Pasture land is extensive, covered, as a rule, with bunch grass. The altitude is somewhat less than that of Kamloops—probably in the neighbourhood of 1,400 feet. No diseases and pests are reported from this district. Mr. Chas. Pennie, says :—All my land is cultivable, but I only have water enough for 200 acres. My breeding stock are graded, and the bulls are pure Shorthorn. I think the following varieties the best for this locality : Royal Australian spring wheat; Rough Five rowed and Chevalier barley; White Egyptian oats; Aitte corn; Pennie's Prolific White potato; Improved Short White carrots; Elephant Swedes; Yellow Danver onion; Long Red beets; Timothy and Orchard grass; Alfalfa, Red and Sainfoin clovers; Wealthy, Wallbridge, Ben Davis, Golden Pippin, Fall Pippin, Twenty Ounce, Alexander, Gravenstein, Maiden's Blush, Waxen, Mcintosh Red, Golden Russet, and other apples; Bartlett and Keifer's Hybrid pears; Wellow Egg, Greengage, Coe's Golden Drop, and Damson plums; Black Tartarian cherries; Russian apricots. I think Brahmas and Leghorns the best poultry. There are no pests. Last winter there was no rain, not much cold weather, and not much snow; the spring was late, it was good for seeding; the summer was dry without extreme heat; the autumn was cool and showery with good harvest weather, and no frost till the end of October. The yield of crops I consider was good, and was saved in excellent condition. Rate of wages for ordinary farm labourers, stockmen, &c, with board, is $40 per month, and Chinese $1 per day with board. ASHCROFT, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, is 22 miles below Savona, on Thompson River. The Cariboo waggon road starts from this point, crossing the river by a bridge. There are about twenty settlers in the neighbourhood. Irrigation is necessary for the successful cultivation of crops, but unfortunately water is not available in sufficient quantities in all parts. Where it is to be had good returns are obtained of almost any crops. In Venables Valley some fruits will not stand the winter; apples, however, do well everywhere, and in the lower parts all the more tender fruits attain great perfection, and a large quantity 768 Report on Agriculture. 1893 is being produced. Hay and cereals, including beans, succeed well; this part of the Province being the only one in which any quantity of the latter is cultivated. Root crops of all kinds yield well where they get sufficient moisture. About 3,000 head of cattle and 500 horses are owned in the neighbourhood, but sheep, swine, poultry, and dairying are much neglected. The precipitation is very light indeed, little or no rain falls; the average depth of snow is under 12 inches, and lasts for about three months, viz., January, February, and March, The highest temperature in the hottest part of summer is probably about 100° to 110°, while [the usual highest is probably about 80°. In winter the temperature seldom falls below 15° below zero, but on occasions it goes much lower, but generally only for a few hours. The altitude of Ashcroft is given at 1,075 feet by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Principal diseases and pests reported are the aphis, rabbits (Arctic hare), potato beetle (not Colorado), some ordinary weeds, and distemper anlongst horses. Under "Diseases and Pests" will be found letters from Messrs. Cornwall and J. J. McKay on the wild horse evil. According to returns 8J- per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 8 per cent, is woodland, 2 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 81 A- per cent, pasture. Messrs. Cornwall Bros., say :—Our stallion is a Clydesdale, and the mares are well- bred; our bulls are thoroughbred and graded Durhams; our stock cattle are graded Durhams. The insect pests here are a green fly on fruit trees, a grey beetle on potatoes, clover and garden stuff, and some years grasshoppers. Noxious weeds are plentiful. Kidney potato, Early Horn and Long Yellow carrots, Eclipse beets, Alfalfa, Red anil Alsike clovers, are the best varieties for this district. We think horses as nearly thoroughbred as jiossible and Durham cattle for beef the best. Long Shew, near Ashcroft Station, says :—I have three hundred and seven acres all fit for cultivation, but I am short of water for irrigation. My horses are graded. The potato bug is an insect pest. Buckwheat and hogweed tire noxious weeds. I think the following varieties the most profitable: Ladoga wheat, Three-rowed barley, Potato oats, White and Sugar corn, Brown or Chili beans, Early Rose and Kidney potatoes, White carrots, Yellow onions, Large Blue plums, and Large Red cherries. I think Hambletonian horses, Cheshire pigs, and Wyandotte poultry, the most useful breeds. There were four inches of snow last winter, no rain, and 12° below zero for one day. The spring was late and not very favourable for seeding, keeping cold until the middle of May. The summer and autumn were very good, with very good harvest weather. The first frost was on the 10th of November. The crops yielded very well, and were harvested in good condition. Mr. W. V. Kirkpatrick, Venables Valley, says :—My stock are the ordinary scrub stock. It is impossible to raise the English gooseberry it mildews so badly, but the mildew does not bother the American varieties. Distemper is common in horses, but not bad. The plant louse or aphis is very troublesome to apple trees. Rabbits are very numerous and they girdled or barked a good many of my apple trees last winter, several of which died. Both salsify and chicory have become noxious weeds, having gone wild. They are becoming very troublesome, especially as they are hardy perennial plants they are hard to exterminate. The following are best adapted to the neighbourhood : Red Fife Spring wheat, Common Six-rowed barley, Morning Star and Green Mountain potatoes, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy and Kentucky Blue grasses, Sanfoin clover. For summer: Tetofsky, Red Astrachan apples. For autumn: Duchess of Oldenburgh, Wealthy, Fameuse, and Salton apples. For winter: Plum Cider, Talman Sweet, Grospomare, and Ben Davis apples. Corn will not ripen here. Plums, prunes, cherries, peaches, quinces, apricots, nectarines, and grapes will not stand the winter here. Mr. T. G. Kirkpatrick, near Black Canon tunnel, says:—I have one graded Gallowway bull and a few graded cows. There are no diseases of plant life. Horse distemper is quite common every two or three years among my horses ; some die with it. The apple aphis is the only insect pest here worth mentioning. I use a strong decoction of tobacco of my own growing as a remedy. Gophers were bad in my orchard, but I got rid of them by placing poisoned parsnip in their runs. The following I consider the most useful varieties : Red Fife spring wheat, Common Six-rowed barley, Bayo beans, Green Mountain (late variety), Daisy (early variety) potatoes, Guerande carrots, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy, Common, Red, Alsike, and Sanfoin clover, Tetofsky, Yellow Transparent, and Red Astrachan apples 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 769 for summer, Wealthy, and Fameuse for autumn, Wallbridge, Winesap, and Talman Sweet for mid-winter, Rawls' Gennet and Scots' Winter for late apples, Coes' Golden Drop plum, Jefferson and Columbia plums, the next best being an unnamed seedling of my own, Early and May Duke cherries, and Agawam grapes. My pear trees are only just coming into bearing. I don't yet know which are the best. I am trying all the early kinds of peaches that I can hear of and hope to get some kind that will do. Mr. George Knappett, Venables Valley, says :—My stock are the ordinary common stock. Distemper is a disease here. Grasshoppers and large horse-flies are insect pests. Chipmunks are an animal pest. Wild buckwheat is a noxious weed. Rate of Wages.—Ordinary farm labourers, $1.50 per day, or $35 to $40 per month and board ; stockmen, etc., $1.50 per day, or $45 per month and board; skilled labour, $3 to $5 per day without board, or $75 per month with board; Indians, $1.50 without board, and $1.25 per day with board, or $30 per month with board ; Chinese, $1.25 per day without board, $1 per day with board, or $25 per month with board. SPENCE'S BRIDGE, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, twenty-six miles below Ashcroft on the Thompson, has about twenty ranchers in its neighbourhood. The old Cariboo waggon-road crosses the Thompson at this point and is still used by those living on its line. The road from Nicola also comes in here somewhere on the line of the proposed railroad to Nicola. This also is a fine fruit-growing part of the country, and no trouble is experienced in ripening peaches, melons, and such things. Several orchards are owned in the vicinity, and Mr. Murray has also a nursery. Young orchards are being planted out, so that it will not be long ere large quantities of fruit will be produced. All ordinary crops do well, the conditions being about the same as in the rest of this section. Cattle for beef are raised in considerable numbers, and some sheep. As in other parts, no interest is taken in the swine, poultry, nor dairying industries. As will be seen by the meteorological reports furnished by Mr. Murray, the observer, the climate is very equable and the precipitation trifling. Irrigation is therefore necessary, especially as the soil is of that porous nature that moisture is not long retained. Streams from the steep hill-sides furnish a fair quantity of water. The altitude of Drynock, six miles to the southward, is 700 feet, by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. The aphis has put in an appearance on the apple trees here, as elsewhere. Other diseases and pests consist of distemper among horses, some grasshoppers, and the usual weeds. The following data is furnished by Mr. John Murray, and is only an approximation :— Quantity of land owned 2,000 acres. it ti cultivated 400 n Number of tons of grain produced 30 tons. ii ii hay produced . , 400 ii ii ii root crops 80 n n „ fruit 20 ,i ii cattle owned '. 600 head. ii horses n 40 n ii sheep it 50 n ii swine n ■ • • ■ . 50 n ' According to returns the cultivated land amounts to 20 per cent, of the quantity owned, 15 per cent, is woodland, 1 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 64 per cent, is pasture. The following is the report of Mr. John Murray, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (Fall), 1,500 fts. per acre ; $ 1.75 per 100 fts. Wheat (Spring), 1,500 „ „ ' 1.75 „ Oats, 1,500 ,i „ 1.75 2. Hay, 2 to 3 tons ,, 9.00 to $13 per ton. 770 Report on Agriculture. 1893 3. Potatoes, 7 tons per acre ; $18.00 per ton. Mangolds, 12 n n 1 cent per ft. (no market.) Carrots, 10. n n 1 n n Turnips, 12 n n 1 n n Onions, 2 11 Beets, 1 ii Parsnips, 1 n Cabbages, 1 11 3b. Sanfoin and Timothy, Red Clover, Alfalfa, White Kidney potato, Gate Post mangold, Swedes, Yellow Danver onion, and Winter Savoy cabbage are the best suited to this place. 4. The average prices obtainable are: For apples, 2J cents; for plums and prunes, 6 cents; for cherries, 12A cents; for grapes, 8 to 10 cents per pound ; for currants, 4 cents. 4a. The season's crop was fair. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4c. A deep sandy loam is the best soil for fruit culture. 4d. Grapes, melons, and tomatoes are all grown successfully. 4e. Ben Davis and Janet apples give a good crop every year. Gravenstein, Fameuso, Pewakee, Russet, and Duchess of Oldenburgh apples ; Flemish Beauty and Winter Nelis pears ; Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, and Greengage plums, and Heart cherries have been found to give best results. 5. Flax is not tried. 6. Very little sugar beet is grown. 7. No rape is grown. 8a. Dairying is only followed for family use. 8b. The price for butter is 35 cents. 9a. This part is well suited to wool-raising. 9b. No large amount of sheep kept. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock to a small extent. 11a. Poultry raising not largely attempted. 11 n. The average price of eggs is 25 cents to 35 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is not tried. 13a. Last winter was mild. 13b. The spring was wet with late frosts. 13c. The summer was about the average. 1 3d. The autumn was good. 13e. The loss from unfavourable weather was very small. 14. The aphis on apple trees are a pest with young trees; wash in a strong solution of soap as a remedy. 15a. Labourers can be procured fairly easily. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages paid are $20 to $30 per month with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. About 33 per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. 18. Farms are generally improving, good irrigation ditches, fair fences and buildings, and good improvements. Messrs. Wood & Campbell, Spatsum Station, C. P. R., say :—Our stock are graded Shorthorns. We have four thoroughbred Durham bulls. Small green insects feeding on young growth of apple trees are insect pests. (Probably aphis.—J.R.A.) There are no diseases of animal life or animal pests to speak of. Noxious weeds are jjlentiful. All outplace is under hay, such as Sanfoin and Alfalfa; also wheat, oats, and peas cut green for hay. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 11. Beans, potatoes, and carrots do well. We think the following fruits the best for this locality : Ben Davis, Roxbury Russets, Mann, Grime's Golden, Salome, Wealthy, Gravenstein, Duchess of Oldenburgh, and Tetofsky apples ; Bartlett, Flemish Beauty, Winter Nelis pears; Imperial Gage, Columbian, Greengage, and Peach plums; Italian and Felenbergh prunes ; May Duke, Governor Wood, and Royal Anne cherries ; Stump the World and Crawford peaches ; Salem and Concord grapes. We consider the following the best breeds of stock : Shorthorns for beef ; Berkshire pigs ; Black Spanish and Leghorn poultry. LYTTON, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, at the confluence of the Thompson with the Fraser twenty-two miles below Spence's Bridge, has about twenty-five settlers, most of whom are engaged in fruit raising and in the cultivation of cereals and root crops. The equable summer heat of the valley of the Lower Thompson, protected as it is by the high mountain ranges which keep narrowing the valley as you descend, makes it especially favourable for maturing the more tender fruits, many tons of which are now cultivated and sent to the coast markets. Mr. Earl says of peaches, however, that the winters are apt to injure them, and are therefore unprofitable. The fruit industry is being prosecuted vigorously by Mr. Earl, Mr. Seward and others in the vicinity. The precipitation being small, irrigation is necessary for success in producing crops. The temperature of Lytton is probably about the same as that of Spence's Bridge (see meteorological tables), perhaps a little colder in winter. The altitude is 675 feet, by the C. P. R. It is not well adapted, on account of the rather precipitous mountains, for cattle and sheep raising ; this remark does not apply to poultry, however ; nevertheless the industry is not followed. The aphis is the only pest reported. From returns received I find that 55 per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 30 per cent, is woodland, 11 per cent, is swamp and rock, and 4 per cent, is pasture. It will be seen that Mr. Earl's estimate of cultivated land agrees very nearly with the above. The following approximate data and report were supplied by Mr. Earl, correspondent for Lytton and Foster's Bar:— Quantity of land owned 886 acres. Quantity of land cultivated 450 n Number of tons of grain produced 140 tons. Number of tons of hay produced , 200 n Number of tons of root crops 200 n Number of tons of fruit 35 n Number of cattle owned 150 head. Number of horses owned 120 n Number of sheep owned 20 tt Number of swine owned 100 n 1. Wheat (fall), 30 bushels per acre. Wheat (spring), 30 tt „ Barley, 40 to 60 „ Oats, 40 to 60 ,, Peas, 30 „ Indian Corn, 30 to 50 n n 2. Hay.—2 tons per acre; $18 to $20 per acre. 3. Potatoes.—100 to 300 bushels per acre. Mangolds, n n n Carrots, n n n Turnips, n n M Onions, 50 to 100 n n Beets, it it I, Cabbages.—4 to 8 tons per acre. Other roots and vegetables.—4 to 8 tons per acre. 3a. The crop of the above was middling good. 772 Report on Agriculture. 1893 3b. I consider the following give the best results here :—Spring wheat, Red clover, St. Patrick's potato, Swedish turnip, Yellow Dutch onion, and Drumhead cabbage. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable :—For apples and pears, 3 cents per ft. by the ton; plums and prunes, 4 cents per ft. by the ton; cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes, 12 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was an average one. 4b. The fruit was of good quality. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes grow very well, but are subject to damage from frost. 4e. The following particular fruits give the best results :—Blue Pearmain, Northern Spy, Greening, Newton Pippin, and Gravenstein apples; Seckel, Beurre d'Anjou, Bartlett, and Winter Nelis pears ; Washington, Blue Imperial, and Golden Egg plums; Ox Heart, May Duke, and Black Eagle cherries. 5. Linseed has not been tried. 6. Sugar beet has not been grown to any extent. 7. Rape has not been tried. 8a. Dairying is only carried on to a very limited extent. 8b. The average price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. No cheese is made. 9a. This part is not very well suited to wool-raising; it is too mountainous. 9b. The quality of the wool is good. 10a. People are not troubling about improved breeding stock. 10b. Durhams for beef, Jerseys for dairying, Southdowns for Wool, Leicesters for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Brahma poultry are the best breeds for here. 11a. Poultry-raising is not very extensive : it is carried on in the usual farming way. 1 In. The average price of eggs is 35 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have not been tried. 13a. Last winter the snow was heavy. 13b. The spring was dry; no late frosts. 13c. The summer was cold in June, and hot in August. 1 3d. The summer was dry ; the autumn was wet. 13e. There was no loss to mention from unfavourable weather. 14. The green aphis is quite troublesome; I am spraying with coal oil emulsion. 15a. Labourers are easily procured. 15b. Indians are preferred. 15c. The average rate of wages is $1.50 per day. 1G. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is very little fall ploughing done. 18. All crops have to be irrigated, and then with proper care crops are good. Not much ditching is required ; fences have to be good. This last winter (1892-93) has been a severe one. On the 18th of November I was ploughing, and it commenced snowing, with no frost. It snowed from time to time until we had three feet of snow, which laid on the ground until the middle of January. The snow then disappeared, and it was quite warm for three weeks; it then suddenly turned cold, and the glass went down to 20° below zero. I lost all the grapes I had, from twelve to fifteen hundred, also losing some cherry trees, peaches, and a few apple trees. I belie ve all who had grapes lost them, as well as many other trees. I have been here thirty-three years, and never experienced a winter like it. The snow coming and lying so long kept the sap up, and then when the cold came it killed the tree or vine. This may not happen again in a lifetime. I mean to purchase and set out one thousand grape vines in the spring, as I am satisfied grapes will do well. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 773 Mr. Thos. G. Earl says :—The aphis is troublesome to fruit trees. The following are the best and most profitable fruits for this locality :—Northern Spy, Yellow Newton Pippin, Hubartson's Nonesuch, Baldwin, Vandevere, Blue Pearmain, Spitzenburg, Greening, Roxbury Russet, Ribston Pippin, Smith's Cider, Duchess of Oldenbergh, Yellow Bell Flower, and Astrachan apples, Bartlett, Winter Nelis, Vicar of Winkfield, and Sekel pears, and Russian apricots, till kinds of plums, prunes, cherries, and grapes. The green aphis is a pest. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was a great deal of rain ; there was no cold weather. The spring was late, but it was good for seeding The summer was cold, with a wet autumn. Harvest weather was not good. There was frost about the 20th of October. The yield was very poor, owing to cold winds in J une and July. Crops were saved in good order. 1 suppose you are well aware that this is not much of a farming district, For many miles around here the farms are mostly small and widely scattered. I would' suggest your visiting this vicinity in the spring. NORTH BEND, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, 27 miles below Lytton, on the Fraser. This is about the dividing line between what I elsewhere designate as the Lower and the Upper Country, the former being all that part lying to the westward of the Cascade or Coast Range, the climate of which is much more humid than that of the Upper Country, or Dry- Belt, as it is also termed. North Bend partakes somewhat of the characteristics of both. There are about six ranchers about here and Boston Bar, who principally raise root crops and fruit, the limited area of agricultural land rendering the production of grain unprofitable. The mountainous character of the country is also against stock-raising to any extent. The altitude of North Bend is given by the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. at 425 feet. Before proceeding to report on the Lower Country, I will take those places along the Cariboo Road and the Fraser in a northerly direction, also in the Upper Country. This part of the country, in consequence of the lateness of the season and the heavy snow on the ground, which came much earlier than usual (18th November), I was unable to visit, and have, therefore, to trust to what reports I have. Mr. John Lyons, North Bend, says :—North Bend is a new district. Its settlers are devoting their time to fruit and vegetable culture and poultry-raising. All root crops and every variety of vegetable are of the very best grade. We have the best of mountain streams, which the travelling public admire when alighting from the trains at North Bend. It is admitted to be the Vale of Avoca of North America. Its hotels, stores, and pleasure resorts are second to none on the Canadian Pacific Railway. The orchards are young, being a new district. All fruit grown here is of the best quality. The soil is well adapted to roots and fruit culture. The summers are long and dry; irrigation is needed. There was very little snow last winter; the thermometer registered zero on two nights. Spring was early, with a good seed-time. The summer and autumn were good, with good harvest weather. The crops yielded very well, and were saved in excellent order. CACHE CREEK AND HAT CREEK, Both emptying into the Bonaparte River, are on the Cariboo Waggon Road, the former about 13 miles from Ashcroft, and the latter some 10 miles further. There are about 30 ranchers in the vicinity of the two places, the most of whom are engaged in raising cattle for beef, the country about here being well adapted for the purpose. There are about 3,000 head of cattle in this neighbourhood, and but few or no sheep or swine. Irrigation is necessary, and water is not lacking, especially on the lower lands, where the waters of the main streams are used. Grain, root crops, and fruit of the hardier kinds all produce well. The potatoes of the Bonaparte have a reputation all over the Province for their excellence, and are pronounced by many to be the best in the world. Upwards of 500,000 fts. per annum are produced, which always command the top market price in the coast cities. The altitude of Hat Creek 774 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Valley, as given by Sandford Fleming, is 2,466 feet, and that of the, Bonaparte 1,847 feet. There is no meteorological station nearer than Spence's Bridge, but it may roughly be stated that little or no rain falls, and an average of probably 24 inches of snow, which lies on the around for about three months. Rate of wages for ordinary farm labourers is $1.25 per day, or $35 per month, with board. LILLOOET Is situated on the Fraser, at the confluence of the river flowing out of Anderson and Seton Lakes and which is joined by the Cayoose River close by. It is off the main Cariboo Road, and is reached from Lytton, distant about 46 miles, by a trail leading along the Fraser. A road leads northward past the Pavilion to Clinton, about 47 miles, where it joins the Cariboo Road. The main outlet, however, is a road turning off at the Pavilion through the Marble Canon, and joining the Cariboo Road at the mouth of Hat Creek, the distance being G8 miles to Ashcroft. A road 3A; miles long leads to Seton Lake, some 16 miles long, which in turn is joined to Anderson Lake by a road 1A miles long, the latter being about the same length as Seton Lake. A road from the southern end of Anderson Lake leads to Lillooet Lake and Harrison Lake, which was the route followed to Cariboo before the road along the canons of the Fraser was built. The altitude of Anderson Lake is given by Sandford Fleming at 875 feet, and Seton Lake at 802, Lillooet, at the river, being about 700 feet. The number of ranchers about Lillooet and Pemberton Meadows is about 30. Isolated as this part of the country is, with long stretches of road to haul over, it is to be expected that only sufficient for local wants, and of those points easily reached, is produced. Irrigation is necessary for the successful production of crops. Water is to be had, but generally at some expense, on account of long distances. Cereals and root crops yield largely, but for fruit of all kinds this region is specially adapted, peaches, apricots, grapes, melons, tomatoes, &c, all maturing well. A considerable number of beef cattle and horses are bred, but the sheep, swine, poultry and dairying industries are not prosecuted. Pests are not numerous, wild horses being probably the worst (see Mr. Hoey's letter under "Diseases and Pests"). There is no meteorological station nearer than Spence's Bridge, to the south-east about 40 miles as the crow flies, but the climate may roughly be said to be much about the same. Precipitation light, snow lasting about three months. Temperature, usual coldest about 15° below zero, and usual hottest about 90°. In correction of my report of last year, under this head, I beg to draw attention to a letter from Mr. Smith, M.'P. P. (see "Meteorological"). The following is the report of Mr. Hoey, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (fall), 1,800 fts. per acre, 1| cents per ft. Wheat (spring), 1,400 n Oats, 1,300 i, 2 ,i Rye, 1,300 „ 2 „ Peas, 2,000 2. Hay (first crop, clover and timothy), 3 tons per acre. 3b. Red clover gives a good first and second crop of hay. 4. Average price realized for apples, pears, plums, 4 cents per lb.; cherries, 10 cents per ft. Sales limited. 4a. The crop was good. 4b. The quality of fruit was good. 4c. Our soil here is a warm dry soil, and requires irrigation. 4d. Mr. Smith, our member, has both peaches, apricots, melons, and grapes, of different varieties, and some are eatable at the present time (4th September). We have more tomatoes than we know what to do with. 8a. No butter is made except for home consumption, as this is too far from any market. 8b. Butter retails here at 40 cents per ft. 8. Flax grows wild ; none is cultivated. 9b. There are not many sheep in this part of the district. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 775 10a. Most farmers who own any quantity of stock have been improving the breeds. 10b. The cayuse, when crossed with any American horse, makes a very serviceable animal. No high-toned horses in this part of the district. 11 A. Poultry only raised for home consumption. Transportation too heavy to pay for raising poultry for the outside market. This is the best country I know of for poultry. 12. Thirty-two years ago I brought in a hive of bees ; they did well. I did not under stand their management, and they eith'er died or left. The clover blossoms and wild flowers are covered with wild bees. 13. We have it sometimes 98° in the shade here. About the 1st of September all grain. was cut. Fall wheat is cut about the 1st of August. We never have any frost to do any damage to crops between seeding and harvest. We often can plough up to the 25th December. 14. There was a slight disease among horses, but it was not fatal about here. Weeds grow everywhere here ; the most troublesome is wild buckwheat, but summer fallowing would be a great means of getting rid of all troublesome weeds. As for pests, I might say there are none, except yellow jackets and flies ; we have our share of these. 15b. Our labourers are whites, Indians, and Chinese. 15c. The average wages are : Whites, $30 to $35 per month ; Indians and Chinese, about $1 per day and board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried yet. 17. Ploughing is generally done here in the spring. 18. Broom corn, Sweet potatoes, and Sorghum grow here well. There is any amount of land between here and Lytton adapted to above products, if we had a road so as to give us an outlet to the seaboard. We have everything that is needed for home consumption, and could stop some of the drain on the country, and it would benefit both large and small farmers. Mr. Richard Hoey says :—We have no pests that I know of. Neither peach, apricot, nor grapes are affected by any pests. Caterpillars sometimes visit the apple trees ; they, however, go after the wild rose bush or alder most. We have to prop up our apple tree branches or else they would break with the weight of fruit. There were about eight inches of snow last winter, and it lasted about two and a half months. It was cold and dry, with very little rain. The coldest was 1 3° below zero. It was a mild winter. There were cold winds in the spring which, however, did not interfere with seeding. The summer was often 98° in the shade ; it was good growing and ripening weather. The autumn days were warm in the daytime, pleasant and cool at night. Harvest weather is always good ; it seldom rains. In the spring the frosts come as late as the 1st or 10th of March, and light frosts in the fall from the middle of October to 1st of November, and sometimes not till the 20th December. Crops that were grown were good. We cut a second crop of clover. Potatoes were taken up by the 1st of November. PAVILION MOUNTAIN, On the road between Lillooet, and Clinton, about twenty miles from either point, has about twenty ranchers. Although the altitude is very great—the summit being given by Capt. R. M. Parsons, R. E., at 5,012 feet, and the north base at 3,535—good grain and root crops are produced in abundance wherever water is to be had for irrigation. Unfortunately of late the water rights have proved to be a source of litigation amongst the farmers, and in consequence but little has been done, or can be done, until this question is laid at rest. Cattle are raised in considerable numbers for beef, but sheep, swine, and poultry are not produced in any quantity. There being no meteorological station, I can not give definite data. The rainfall is small, however, and for the altitude (an average of probably 3,500 feet) the quantity of snow is not great, probably two feet, and lying four months, December to March. No 776 Report on Agriculture. 1893 particular pests are complained of. Barley, oats, and timothy hay are the principal crops produced, and are chiefly used for feeding stock. The timothy hay raised here has a great reputation, and is considered as good as can be produced anywhere in the world. There is a sufficiency of timber of fair quality for all purposes. Tt appears from returns received that 41 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, nearly all the rest being given as pasture. Mr. Thos. J. Cole says :—I have one full-bred Galloway bull and one half-bred Durham, the rest are common stock. As for diseases of plant life, they are very few, except mildew on peas. Wild buckwheat and cockle are noxious weeds. I generally seed half my ground and summer fallow the other half to destroy weeds Nothing can be raised without irrigation. Common Red chaff, Spring wheat, Early Rose potatoes, Half Short carrots, and Mammoth Red clovers are the best suited to this locality. I think Clyde horses and Berkshire and Chester hogs are the best. Rates of wages—Indians, $1.50 per day, $35 per month, without board ; $1.25 per day, $30 per month, with board. Chinese, $1.50 per day ; $30 per month with poard. CLINTON, At the junction of the Lillooet road with the Cariboo road, about 32 miles from Ashcroft, and 47 by road from Lillooet. There are, about fifteen ranchers in the vicinity. Irrigation is necessary, and water is available for the purpose in sufficient quantities. Fruit has not been proved to be a success as yet, but it is being tried ; small fruits I except, these doing well everywhere. Grain and root crops are cultivated to a certain extent and succeed well, but, of course, the production is limited by the demand. Good barley and oats are grown, but it is too cold for wheat. Cattle are raised for beef, about 2,000 head being owned in the vicinity, and about 500 horses. Few or no sheep, swine, nor poultry are raised, and dairying is quite neglected. The snowfall is about from 1| to 2 feet, and it lies about four months, say from 1st December to 31st March. The usual hottest is 85°, or thereabouts, and usual coldest about 25° below zero—See Mr. Soues' remarks under " Meteorological." The altitude is in the neighbourhood of 3,000 feet. The Mound, six miles east of Clinton, on the Bonaparte, is about 800 feet lower. The average depth of snow there is about 12 inches; usual hottest, about 90° ; usual coldest, about 6° below zero. The timber consists of White pine, Douglas fir, and Bull pine, scattered about the lower lands, and there is ample for local demands. Pests, consist of wild horses, of which there are probably 1,000 head between this place, Big Bar, and Bridge Creek ; wolves are rare, and coyotes are not numerous on the eastern side of the river, but are plentiful on the western side. There are also a few bears. The aphis has made its appearance. Mosquitoes, buffalo gnats, and wasps are very numerous, and are great nuisances. By returns received, I find that 30 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 14J per cent, is woodland or forest, 22 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 33J per cent, is pasture. The Western Canadian Ranching Co., Clinton, say :—We own 400 acres here, all in wild hay and timothy. The following remarks were on an unsigned report from Clinton :—I have a half-bred Clyde and English cart mare stallion, a pedigreed Aberdeen Polled Angus bull, and a full- bred Berkshire boar. Insects on black currant bushes and apple trees (See " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) All varieties of barley, mangolds, carrots, turnips, onions, and beets, early varieties of potatoes, Timothy, Rye grass, Orchard, Blue Joint, Red Top grasses, Alsike, Scarlet Alfalfa, Common and Red clovers are well suited to this locality. Peas do not do well except for hay. Ironclad and hardy varieties of apples are. the best for here. Some people are commencing to try a few of these trees ; so far they are doing well, but they are not bearing yet. Rate of wages—Ordinary farm labourers, $2 per day, $30 to $45 per month with board. Indians, $1.50 per day with board. Chinese, $1.25 per day ; $30 per month with board, Mr. John Saul, The Mound (see remarks under " Meteorological "—J. R. A.)—The Mound is an isolated valley. My nearest neighbours are on the north, or up the Bonaparte 18 miles, south or down the river 12 miles by trail, and Clinton is 6 miles west. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 777 BIG BAR, Situated on Fraser River, about 35 miles from Clinton, with which it is connected by a waggon road, has, with High Bar, Canoe Creek, etc., about 30 ranchers. The altitude, of the river at this point is about 1,200 feet, so it'will be, seen that the descent from Clinton is very great, and the temperature is proportionately milder. Grain of all kinds are successfully cultivated, including wheat, beans, and Indian corn. Fruits, including peaches, melons, tomatoes, etc., also do remarkably well, and so do root crops of all descriptions. The soil being gravelly and porous, the small precipitation is not sufficient to insure good crops being grown without the aid of irrigation. WTater, T am glad to say, is in sufficient quantities for all present needs.- There are some 3,000 head of cattle in the neighbourhood, and about 7,000 head of sheep between this and Dog Creek. No swine nor poultry to speak of are produced, and dairying is only carried on to a limited extent for local purposes. Timber is scarce near the river, but is more plentiful on the hills, where also good summer ranges are obtained for cattle. Diseases and pests are just about the same as they are at Clinton. Mr. Alexander Burnett, Crow's Bar, says :—I don't farm for the want of water. The only pests are a few potato bugs. About 10 inches of snow fell, but it did not remain long. Cattle wintered without hay. It was a mild winter, and there was no rain. The spring was late ; it was good for seeding. The summer was rather milder than usual. The autumn was mild, with good harvest weather. There were no frosts till 5th September. The yield of crops was good, and they were harvested in good order. EMPIRE VALLEY, On the western bank of the Fraser, is about 20 miles, as the crow flies, from Big Bar. Access to the road from the last-named place is had by means of a ferry. A road is also in the course of construction up the Fraser to Hanceville, in Chilcotin. Probably about ten ranchers live here, who devote their time almost exclusively to stock-raising, the country being scarcely adapted, by reason of the scarcity of water for irrigation, for the cultivation of crops, although the, soil is capable of producing most cereals and roots. The climate is similar to Big Bar, the precipitation being small, and the temperature comparatively mild. Mr. J. N.J. Brown says :—This portion of the Province is principally prairie or'open land, and there are many places that could be utilized but for want of water, as irrigation must be resorted to for a successful growth of crops. All kinds of grain, potatoes, carrots, turnips, pumpkins, squish, and other vegetables do well. Durham stock seem to do best. DOG CREEK AND ALKALI LAKE, On the eastern side of the Fraser, the former about sixty-five miles from Clinton and the latter about fifteen miles further. The stage road ends at Alkali Lake, and communication further up the country from this point is only had by trails. About twenty-five ranchers live in the vicinity of the two places. For the successful production of any kind of crops irrigation is an absolute necessity, but the water supply that is easily available is limited. The precipitation is light; there are usually spring rains about May, and fall rains about October; the snow averages about eight or nine inches when packed, which lies on the ground for two to three months, beginning generally about the end of December. The temperature is : Usual greatest heat probably 90°, and the usual greatest cold between 20° and 30° below zero. The soil is a sandy loam with clay subsoil, and in parts a heavy alluvial loam, which, with sufficient moisture, will produce both large and small fruits in abundance, and grain and root crops. Large quantities of hay are produced, of clover, timothy, wheat, oat, and wild grass. Some 2,000 head of cattle are owned, chiefly for beef purposes, and probably between 200 and 300 horses. Some swine are bred, but not many, and about 4,000 sheep, but no poultry to speak of, and dairying is not carried on to any extent. The timber is principally fir, which is plentiful and good for all ordinary purposes. The principal pests are wild horses and some 778 Report on Agriculture. 1893 coyotes, but the latter are not very numerous. Some complaint is also made of the aphis, grasshoppers, and mosquitoes. I commend Mr. Place's remarks on the subject of wild horses to the attention of the reader (see Diseases and Pests). By returns received it appears that 4 per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 1 per cent, is woodland, 6 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 89 per cent, is pasture. The report of Mr. J. D. Prentice, correspondent, is as follows :— 1. Wheat (spring).—1,500 to 2,000 fts. per acre; 2 cents per pound. Oats, 1,000 to 1,500 ., „ 2 „ 2. Hay (timothy).—1 to 2 tons per acre. Hay (wild) —1 ton per acre. 3. Very few roots and vegetables grown. 3b. Alfalfa, Sanfoin, Timothy, and Potato oats are considered best suited to this part. 4. Too far from market to allow any quantity of fruit to be grown to advantage. 4d. Melons and tomatoes grow successfully on the lower benches of the Fraser. 4e. Hardy winter apples are the best. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape I don't think have been attempted. 8a. Too far from market for dairying. 9a The climate is too dry to carry any number of sheep. 9b. There are about 4,000 sheep here. 9 c. Half merino wool. 9d. The average weight of fleece is about 7 pounds. 10a. Improved breeds of stock not much sought after. 10b. I think the following are the best breeds of stock for this district :—French Coach and Half-bred Clydes for draught; for saddle, the native mare bred to a blood horse gives a hardy, fast saddle horse; the standard bred trotters are preferred for harness; Shorthorns for beef; Ayrshire or Durhams for dairying ; a cross between Merinos and Lincolns for wool and mutton. 1 1a. Poultry raising is neglected. 11b. The average price of eggs is 35 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is not attempted. 14. Grasshoppers destroy much valuable pasture. 15a. Labourers are usually easily procured. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. Average wages are : Whites, $1.50 ; Chinese and Indians, $1 per day with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is very little fall ploughing done. 18. Attention is being given to ditching for irrigation, for hay chiefly. The Western Canadian Ranching Company have done considerable fencing and building, and have modern implements and machinery, including a steam saw-mill. Mr. J. S. Place, Dog Creek, says:—Ants,, green flies, crickets, grasshoppers, sand flies, horse-flies, and mosquitoes are insect pests here. All kinds of wheat, barley, oats, peas, carrots, and turnips, early varieties of corn, beans, onions, and beets, Early Rose potatoes, Timothy, and Rye grasses are well adapted to this locality. Fruit culture is only in its infancy, and I can't say what kinds are best. Durham cattle for beef; Merinos for wool; Cotswolds for mutton ; Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock poultry are best suited to this locality. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 779 LOWER CHILCOTIN. For convenience I have divided Chilcotin into Lower and Upper. The former is that part in the elbow formed by the. Chilcotin River where it flows into the Fraser on its western side, beginning at about Meldrum's on the Fraser, and ending at Hance's, Timber or Saw Mill Creek, which flows into the Chilcotin. Access is had to it from Alkali Lake by trail to the confluence of Chimney Creek with the Fraser, where there is a ferry across the latter; this trail is about twenty miles long. Good roads also lead from Pinchbeck's, at the northern end of Williams Lake (about ten miles), and from Eagle's ranch, about three miles from the main Cariboo road, near the southern end of Williams Lake (about fifteen miles), to the mouth of Chimney Creek. Another waggon road, about forty miles in length, crosses the Fraser at Soda Creek by ferry, and leads down the western side to the Chilcotin post office. There are about 15 ranchers here, whose chief occupation is breeding cattle for beef. Probably three thousand head are owned, but few sheep, and a good many swine. No dairying is carried on, nor poultry-raising to speak of. The precipitation is not heavy ; in some seasons thunder storms are of frequent occurrence, but otherwise not much rain falls. The snowfall is in the neighbourhood of thirty inches ordinarily, and it lies from about the 20th November to the first week in March. No crops can be depended upon coming to anything without irrigation. Water is scarce in the immediate vicinity, but it is to be had by going long distances, and to the consequent expense of ditches. The temperature is : usual greatest heat, about 90°; greatest cold about 30° below zero on the lower part, and probably 10° lower on the plateau, which is higher. The soil is a light sanely loam, with gravel or clay subsoil, which produces grain of all kinds in most places; root crops also do well, and tomatoes mature; green corn also does fairly well. Small fruits, like all the rest of these parts, produce well, but it has not yet been proved what degree of success will attend the culture of large fruits. There seems to be no reason, however, why they should not do on the lower lands. There are two small flour mills and a saw-mill in the district. Timber is not scarce, and consists of fir on the lower lands and black pine on the hills away from the river, but it is all indifferent for lumbering purposes. On the open lands near the streams there is good pasture, principally hunch grass, and in the timber pea-vine and swamp grass. A great deal of the water is impregnated with alkali, but stock like it and thrive well on it. Sufficient quantities of hay to feed stock are obtained from the beaver meadows, supplemented by timothy, oat and wheat hay. Horses, however, of which there are many, generally winter out, there being good ranges for them. The altitude about Mr. Drummond's place, near the mouth of Risky Creek, is given by Sandford Fleming at 2,170 feet. The table land or prairie, some miles further back from the Fraser, is considerably higher, probably 500 feet. The principal pests complained of are wild horses (see Mr. Prentice's remarks under " Diseases and Pests"), coyotes, and wolves for calves and sheep, some bears for young pigs, grasshoppers, wild oats and buckwheat, foxtail, and smut in grain. The following is the report of Mr. M. G. Drummond, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (spring), 1,000 to 1,800 per acre; 2 cents, on ranch. Oats, 800 to 1,600 i, 2 i, 2. Hay, | to 2 tons, n $5 per ton, swamp hay; $10, green feed. 3. Potatoes, very good yield; 1 cent per ft. ' Mangold and turnip, good yield. Turnips, fair yield. Onions, beets, and parsnips, good yield. Cabbages, very good yield. 3a. It is impossible to state yield per acre, as no one either measures land or weighs crops ; one can only guess. 3b. Red Fife wheat, English big straw oats, Timothy, Sanfoin, and Early Rose potato are considered the best varieties. 4. No fruit is yet grown in Chilcotin, except crab apples ; such trees as have been planted seem to indicate that hardy apples, plums, etc., would grow satisfactorily. 4c. A light volcanic soil, in sheltered hollows facing south, is the best for fruit culture. 780 Report on Agriculture. 1893 4d. Tomatoes grow well when not frozen. 4b. Ironclad, Russian, and Crab apples are the most promising kinds. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape are not tried. 8a. Dairying is not attempted. 8b. Butter is worth 30 cents per ft. 9a. The country is not well adapted for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep are not raised here in any numbers. 9c. The wool is very poor. 9d. Average fleece is very light and dirty. 10a. People are going in for improved stock. 10b. The following are the best breeds for this district:--Cleveland Bays for draught and harness, Shorthorns or Polled Angus for beef, Berkshire pigs. 11a. Poultry-raising not extensively carried on; they do well if properly housed. 11b. The average price of eggs is 4'0 cents to 75 cents. 12. Apiculture has not been tried. 14. Grasshoppers have been committing great damage at times to the ranges; smut is most prevalent; distemper is a disease here amongst horses. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites,'Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages are $30 to $40 per month. 16. Too cold for ensilage. 17. A certain amount of fall ploughing is done. 18. Grain growing does not pay, stock being the only means of livelihood. Farming, owing- to expense of raising crop, wages, summer frosts, and bad markets, has been almost abandoned, except for the production of hay. Messrs. Beecheii & Dester say :—Our cattle are graded Shorthorns and our pigs are half-bred Berkshire. The following are noxious weeds : Foxtail growing amongst the timothy, buckwheat and wild oats amongst the potatoes and garden stuff. Red Fife and Club wheat, Fall rye, Early Yellow six-week bean, Early Rose potato, and timothy are the best for this locality. Graded Shorthorns for dairying and beef, half-bred Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock poultry are the best for this locality. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was no rain and no cold weather. The spring was late and not good for seeding. The summer and autumn were cold. There was good harvesting weather. There was frost on the 1st September. The last two winters have been mild, and cattle wintered out. There was an average yield of crops; they were saved in good condition. UPPER CHILCOTIN Covers a very large area, and besides all that part to the westward of Saw-Mill Creek, I have included that part to the southward of Chilcotin River. A good waggon road leads from Chilcotin post office past the Hanceville post office, in Upper Chilcotin, which are about' 35 miles apart. A bridge crosses the Chilcotin River at Hanceville, which gives access to the southern side of that river. A road from this point is also under construction to Empire Valley, some 30 miles down the Fraser from the mouth of the Chilcotin. There are some 25 ranchers hereabouts. The principal industry is the rearing of cattle for beef, which, including those of the Western Canadian Ranching Co., number between 4,000 and 5,000 head. The last-named company has also about 3,000 head of sheep and 300 horses; and scattered 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 781 throughout the district there are possibly 200 to 250 more, while the Indian ponies number perhaps 500 to 700. The swine, poultry and dairying industries are practically altogether neglected. Plenty of wild hay is to be had for stock, but horses, as a rule, winter out on the ranges, there being excellent feed even when the snow is on the ground. The altitude of Hanceville is between 2,400 and 2,500 feet, while Chilco Lake, some 70 miles to the southwest, is given by Mr. Sandford Fleming at 3,150 feet. That part, however, to the southward along the Fraser is, of course, much lower; the Gang Ranch, belonging to Western Canadian Ranching Co., some 12 or 15 miles below the Chilcotin, being about 1,800 feet. The temperature at the latter place, and along the Valley of the Fraser and Lower Chilcotin River, is about the same as at Dog Creek, viz., 90° usual greatest heat, and 20° to 30° below zero usual greatest cold ; whilst on the higher levels, or Upper Chilcotin proper, it is usual greatest heat about 90°, and usual greatest cold about 40° below zero. The precipitation in the latter section is heavier than at Lower Chilcotin, the snowfall being about 40 inches, and which lies about four months. (See Mr. F. J, Nightingale's report, under "Meteorological") On the Fraser, in the neighbourhood of the Gang Ranch, it is much lighter; probably about the same as at Dog Creek. To make sure of a crop it is necessary to irrigate, for which purpose available water is fairly plentiful in the upper part, by going to some expense for ditching, but about the Fraser not enough can be obtained to irrigate all the arable land. The. valley of the Lower Chilcotin River, which is low and warm, and that of the Fraser near the river, will probably grow good fruit, but it has not yet been proved. The upper parts are undoubtedly too cold, and trees could not mature before the cold weather sets in. Grain of all kinds does well on the lower parts, but wheat often gets frosted in the upper parts. Root crops all do well. Timber is plentiful, principally black pine on the hills, and cottonwood or poplar along the rivers. None of it is much good for lumber, however. There are two small flouring mills in this district also. Pests are wild horses, coyotes, grasshoppers, and foxtail. The Western Canadian Ranching Co. say :—Our stock are chiefly Shorthorn. Grasshoppers are an insect pest ; wild horses are an animal pest, and foxtail is a noxious weed when there is too much water ; it kills cattle, cutting their lungs. The most profitable breeds of stock, we consider, are : Cleveland Bay and French coach-horses, Shorthorns for beef, Merinos for wool, Cotswolds and cross between Lincolns and Merinos for mutton. Irrigation is necessary, but at present we have not enough water available. BRIDGE CREEK AND LAC LA HACHE, On the main Cariboo road, the former about 50 miles from Clinton, and the latter about 22 miles further, have about 25 ranchers. The altitude of Bridge Creek House is given by Capt. Parsons, R. E., at 3,086 feet, and Lac La Hache at 2,488 feet, whilst Sanford Fleming- places the latter at 2,682, by which it will be seen that Bridge Creek is slightly higher than Clinton. The temperature is about 6° lower, viz.: Probably usual greatest heat, 80°, and usual greatest cold, 36° below zero. The snowfall is about 4|- feet, and lies on the ground for about five months, viz., from 1st November to 31st March. The rainfall is inconsiderable. In consequence of the prevalence of summer frosts, little or no grain besides rye is grown, and no potatoes; other root crops, however, do well. Large fruit cannot be grown successfully. At Lac La Hache, however, most cereals and root crops can be grown, but not large fruit. The snowfall is lighter and goes off about three weeks sooner. The temperature is also higher, probably 6° or 7°. (See Mr. Abel's report under " Meteorological.") Irrigation is necessary all through this section, although at Bridge Creek it is not much required, as little more than hay is raised. Sufficient water in most parts is available for the purpose, Many cattle are bred, both for beef and dairying ; probably as many as 1,000 or 1,500 head between the two places. There are also a good many horses, the ranges being very well adapted for them. Some few sheep are reared, and a good many hogs in connection with dairying. Dairying- is carried on on a comparatively large scale ; also the production of hay, oats, and barley for local demands and for those of the mining camps. The land is generally a good loam with gravelly subsoil. The character of the country is rolling hills with patches of timber, some of which is of very fair quality. Bunch-grass in the open land, with pea-vine amongst the timber, afford good summer ranges for stock. Pests are not numerous, coyotes being the worst. 1. 2. 3. Barley, 1,500 fts per acre Oats, 1,500 .> ,, Rye, 1,000 ,. Hay, 1A tons n Potatoes, 4 m n Onions. 782 Report on Agriculture. 1893 The following approximate data is supplied by Mr. W. Abel, 111-Mile House:— Quantity of land owned , about 15,000 acres. ,, ,. cultivated 2,000 n Number of tons grain produced 300 tons. ti it hay it 3,000 it ii ii root crops 100 n ii it fruit ii cattle owned 4,000 head. ii horses n 1,000 n ii sheep ii 100 n ii swine n 400 n The above is, as near as I can give, along the waggon-road from Bridge Creek to 180-Mile House inclusive, but not including any of the Williams Lake Valley—W. Abel. The following is the report of Mr. W. Abel, correspondent:— 2A cents per lb. 2| 2 | 8 per ton. 30 80 ,i Mangolds, carrots, turnips, beets, parsnips, cabbages—We raise good crops of all these, but I can only guess at the average crop, and prices vary from | cent per ft. to 1 cent per ft. 4a. The season's crop was very good. 4d. Neither peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, nor tomatoes are grown here. 8a. Dairying is carried on extensively here with success. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 30 cents ; for cheese, 20 cents. 9a. I think this part of the country is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep-raising not extensively attempted. 10a. There is enquiry after improved breeds of stock. 10b. Durhams are the best for beef. 11a. Poultry-raising is not extensively carried on. 11 a. The average price of eggs is 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has been tried a little with good results. 13b. The spring was wet. 13c The summer was cool most of the time. 13d. The early autumn was wet, later on it was cold. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages are $25 to $40 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is a limited amount of ploughing done in the fall. Mr. Dennis Murphy, Lac La Hache, says :—I have one stallion and three mares, full- bred pedigreed Clydesdale ; my other horses are graded. My cattle are graded. The bulls are Shorthorn and half-bred Shorthorns. There are no diseases of plant or animal life. House flies are an insect pest. Buckwheat and wild oats are noxious weeds. Coyotes (see "Diseases and Pests"—J.R.A.) Last winter was very mild; there was not more than 10 inches of snow ; there was hardly any cold, only below zero a few days. Ploughing commenced on the 20th March. There was a good seeding time. The summer was very dry. The latter end of October was very wet. There was a frost on the 1st of October, not very heavy ; no- damage was done to crops. The yield of crops was very good, and they were harvested in very good order, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 783 Mr. W. Abel, 111-Mile House, says:—I have one pedigreed Shorthorn bull and three half-bred bulls. Barley, rye, and oats do best at this end of the valley. Potatoes, mangolds, carrots, turnips, onions, and beets all do very well. Medium heavy hardy horses are best for general work here. There was a moderate quantity of snow here last winter ; there were several heavy rains here in the early part of the winter ; there was not much cold. The spring came about the ordinary time, with a good time for seeding. The summer was rather cool, with very wet weather in the early autumn. We only had one frost to do any damage, and that was in August. The yield of crops was good, and they were saved in good condition. WILLIAMS LAKE Is situated between the Main Cariboo Road and the Fraser. The Post Office of the district is the 150-Mile House on the Cariboo Road, which is about forty miles by road from the southern end of Lac La Hache. Pinchbeck's, at the northern end of Williams Lake, is connected by a good road, about ten miles in length, with the 150-Mile House. There are about fifteen ranchers in the vicinity. The altitude of Williams Lake Court House is given by Capt. Parsons, R.E., at 2,135 feet; that of the 150 is considerably higher. Cereals, except wheat, grow well at the 150, but at the Lake all cereals do finely. Root crops of all kinds do well at both places. Fruit does not succeed well, at least the kinds that have been tried. According to Mr. Pinchbeck (see "Meteorological") the greatest summer heat is from 90° to 95°; usual, 65° to 70°; greatest cold, about 40° below. Snowfall is about twenty inches, and disappears about two weeks sooner than at Bridge Creek. Rainfall, about twelve inches. Irrigation has to be resorted to to insure any returns from crops. Water for that purpose is, however, rather difficult to obtain. A considerable number of cattle, are bred, there being probably in the neighbourhood of 1,000 head hereabouts. A good many horses, a few sheep, a fair quantity of swine, and a good deal of poultry are also raised. Dairying is carried on to some extent, but all industries, except cattle and horse breeding, are cramped for want of sufficient outlets. A few coyotes, grasshoppers, and some of the ordinary weeds are the principal pests. From returns I find that 32A per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 7 per cent, is woodland or forest, 8 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 52A per cent, is pasture. The report of Mr. W. Pinchbeck, correspondent, is as follows :— 1. Wheat (fall), 1,500 to 2,000 fts. per acre ; 2A cents per ft. Wheat (spring), 1,200 to 2,500 ., ' ii 2\ to 21 cents per ft. Barley, 1,500 to 2,500 „ ,, 2\ to 2-|- ,., Oats, 1,200 to 2,000 ,, „ 2\ to 2| „ Rye, 1,200 to 2,000 tt ,. 2\ cents per ft. Peas, 2,000 to 3,000 ,, t, 3 cents to 4 cents per ft. 2 Hay.—1 ton to 3 tons per acre; $10 to $12 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—10 to 15 tons tt 1 cent, per ft. Mangolds, 20 to 25 „ „ \ „ „ Carrots, 15 to 20 t, tt 1 ' ,, ,, Turnips, 20 to 30 n n \ n n Onions, 8 to 10 n n 3 n n Beets, 15 to 20 n n 1 n ii Parsnips, 10 to 12 n m 1 h n Cabbages, 10 to 15 n n 2|- to 3 cents per ft. 3a. Roots of all kinds do well; there is, however, no market. I feed mine to pigs and cattle. 3b. Royal Australian wheat, English Two-rowed and Six-rowed barley, Winter rye, Stratagem peas, Timothy, Red clover, Beauty of Hebron potato, Long Red mangold, Yellow Danver onion, and Hollow Crown parsnips are the best varieties for this district. 4. Apples are shipped here and sell for 10 cents per ft. 8a. Dairying pays well, but is not extensively carried on for want of a market. 8b. The average price for butter is 25 cents to 30 cents per ft. Cheese is 25 cents per ft. 784 Report on Agriculture. 1893 9a. This part is well adapted to wool-raising. 9b. No large quantity of sheep kept. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 3 to 5 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. Half-bred Clydes for draught, and Shorthorns for beef, are the best breeds in this district. 11a. Poultry-raising is not extensively followed for want of a market. 11b. The average price of eggs is 50 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have been tried here without success. I think it is for want of proper knowledge. 13a. Last winter the snow was light, and there was but little frost. 13b. Spring was dry and frosty up to the 6th of May ; then there were light showers and hot weather in the latter end of May. 13c. The summer was very hot by spells, and then cool with some heavy showers. 13d. Harvest weather is generally good. There were some light frosts in September and October. 13e. The loss from bad weather was small. 14. The loss of stock and crops from diseases and pests has not been over one per cent. 15a. Labourers are not easily procured when wanted, and we get a very poor class of labourers. 15c. The average wages paid are $25 to $40 per month with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried in this district. 17. About two-thirds of the land is ploughed in the fall. 18. There is plenty of laud for farming, but water is scarce for irrigation, requiring the expense of long ditches. A fair average crop can be grown in this district without water in most places. St. Joseph's Mission, Williams Lake, say :—There was a foot of snow last winter. There was very little cold weather, and no rain. Seeding time was not favourable. The summer was late, and the autumn was fine. Harvest weather was not favourable. There was a heavy frost on the 21st of September. The yield of crops was very good, except four tons of wheat that got frozen. Mr. W. Pinchbeck, Williams Lake, says:—My stock are mixed bred Shorthorns. Distemper is a disease here. Grub-worms or cut-worms, and small grasshoppers one year in every ten or fifteen, horseflies and buffalo gnats are the insect pests. Pig-weed, stink-weed, wild mustard, and a small weed in this part called wild buckwheat tire the noxious varieties. Royal Australian, White Australian, and Red Fife wheats, English Brewing Two-rowed and Six-rowed barley, White Side oats, Strategy and Bliss Ever Bearing peas, Beauty of Hebron and Early Puritan potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Short Red and White carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onion, Timothy, are the best varieties for this locality. Clover freezes out most winters and will not stand the climate here. We have the light coach horse here, and we are mixing them with the Clydesdale. In the poultry line Plymouth Rocks appear to be the favourite fowl, and White Aylesbury ducks ; there are but few turkeys or geese. SODA CREEK, At its junction with the Fraser, is about 27 miles from the 150-Mile House, on the main Cariboo Waggon Road. The navigation from this point up the Fraser for some distance is good for light draught steamers. The number of ranchers is about 18. The average altitude of the general run of the farms is somewhere about 1,500 feet. The greatest usual heat is from 80° to 90°, and the greatest cold about 40° below zero, but only for a few days. The precipitation is decidedly light. Some rain falls in summer, generally in the shape of thunder 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 785 showers. Average rainfall, probably about 10 inches, and .snowfall (packed) 12 to 15 inches, which lies from about 15th November to 20th March. (See Mr. Hawkes' report under " Meteorological.") To insure good crops, irrigation must be resorted to, and there is an abundance of water for the purpose. All cereals and root.crops come to perfection, as well as small fruits, but large fruits have, up to this time, not succeeded. It is thought the seasons are too short to allow of the trees maturing sufficiently before the winter sets in, and they get killed down to the roots in consequence. Mr. Dunlevy says he has grown cherries, pears, and grapes, but they have all been killed after one or two seasons. He considers this as good a section for general farming as any in the Province. Timothy, clover and alfalfa yield large crops of hay, furnishing food for the large numbers of live stock which are bred. About 500 head of cattle are sold yearly for beef. A fair number of horses, swine and poultry are also produced. Dairying is carried on to some extent. The land is sandy loam, with some limestone and a clay subsoil. The country is mostly timbered, with patches of open land here and there. The timber is generally red fir, but it is not much good for milling. Bunch-grass in the open and pea-vine amongst timber afford good feed for stock. A few coyotes, wild oats, buckwheat, and some Canada thistles are reported amongst pests. Mr. J. F. Hawks supplies the following approximate data :— Quantity of land owned 2,440 acres. ii cultivated 550 n Number of tons of grain produced 140 tons. hay „ 240 „ ti roots ti 250 ti Number of horses owned 55 head. cattle i, 280 „ ii swine n 25 n The following is the report of Mr. J. F. Hawks, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (spring), 20 bushels per acre, 2| cents per ft. Oats, ' 30 ii 21 2. Hay (Timothy), 1 ton n $15 per ton. 3. Roots and vegetables.—Only a moderate yield ; can hardly estimate amount. 4. No fruit is raised ; a few trees are being tried. Id. Peaches, apricots, nectarines and grapes are not grown. Melons are grown with poor success. Tomatoes are grown in favourable locations. Linseed, sugar beet and rape have not been tried. 8a. More or less butter is made, but not enough to interfere with raising calves. 8b. Price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. at the farm. 9a. The country is well suited to sheep-raising. 9b. Sheep are not raised in any quantities. 9c. Wool is of good quality. 10a, Improved breeds of stock are being sought after. 10b. Berkshire pigs seem to do well. 11 a. There is not much system in the poultry-raising. Most farmers have more or less to supply themselves with eggs and poultry. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents in summer and 50 cents in winter. 12. Bees have been tried a few times, but not with much success. 13a. Last winter was rather mild, with a very light fall of snow. 13b. The spring was cold, with much cold drying wind. 13c. The summer was very dry and moderately warm, except one hot week in June, which did much damage to the grain. 1 3d. In the autumn there was considerable wet weather, rather free from early frost. A cold snap in the middle of October interfered with potato digging. 14. Wild oats is our worst weed, and is very hard to kill. Wild buckwheat is the next worst. There are a few Canada thistles, and in some locations mustard abounds. 786 Report on Agriculture. 1893 15a. Labourers are not plentiful at busy times. 15b. Whites, Indians, and Chinese. 15c. The average wages for whites, $30 to $40 per month ; Indians and Chinese, $20 to $35 per month. 1G. Ensilage has not been tried. I think the winters are too cold. 17. With some farmers a lot of fall ploughing is done. I much regret that you could not have extended your trip to this part of the country, as a personal visit would result much more satisfactorily. ALEXANDRIA. A good agricultural section, extending on both sides of the Fraser ; is about twenty miles from Soda Creek by the Cariboo waggon road, and has about fifteen ranchers. The altitude and climate is much about the same as it is at Soda Creek, the precipitation being somewhat heavier. There is a fair supply of water for irrigation, which, however, is not always essential, for raising crops, as the rainfall is sometimes sufficient. Some of the land is a light sandy loam with a gravel subsoil, and some a heavy soil with a clay subsoil, which, with sufficient moisture, will produce large crops of all kinds of grain and roots. Fruit lias not yet been thoroughly tested, the same drawbacks occurring here as at Soda Creek. Good hay of timothy and clover is saved in sufficient quantities to feed the cattle, which are raised in large numbers for beef. Horses and swine are also raised, as well as poultry, but very few sheep. But little dairying is carried on. Timber is plentiful and of fairly good quality. Bunch grass is the prevailing food for stock on the ranges, and pea-vine amongst the cottonwood trees on the river flats. AUSTRALIAN RANCH AND BOHANON'S, On the main Cariboo waggon road, are about twenty miles above Alexandria, on the Fraser. The altitude of the river is about 1,430 feet at the Australian, according to Captain Parsons, R.E. The temperature is about as follows :- -Usual greatest heat, 84°; usual greatest cold, 25° to 30° below zero. The snowfall is probably about forty inches, and it lies generally about four and a half months. The rainfall, except for the thunder storms, which are frequent in all this part, may be said to be nil, and therefore irrigation here also is a matter of necessity if good crops are wanted. Good oats and barley are raised, but no wheat, as summer frosts are frequent. Fairly good root crops are also produced, but no large fruit. A few cattle, horses, and sheep are reared, and a good many swine, the sheep giving good heavy fleeces. Not much dairying is done, the attention of the farmers being principally turned to raising barley, oats, and potatoes for the supply of teams and of the mines. There is a good deal of timber, and it is of pretty good quality. Bohanon's, somewhat further on, is about 500 feet higher than the Australian. QUESNELLE, On the Fraser, twenty-two miles from the Australian, on the main Cariboo road (which at this point leaves the Fraser at right angles, and goes in an easterly direction to the Cariboo mines), has about twenty ranchers. The altitude is in the vicinity of 1,800 feet, Captain Parsons, R.E., giving that of the Fraser at this point at 1,490 feet. The climate is much the same as it is at the Australian, perhaps a little colder. Good timothy hay, oats, and barley for feed are raised, and some wheat. Small fruit does well, and some of the hardier kinds of large fruit are being tried. Vegetables and root crops are also grown successfully. There is some good timber along the Fraser and Quesnelle rivers. Live stock of different kinds thrive well, but not many are reared. Dairying is not prosecuted to any extent, although the country is well adapted to it. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 787 Mr. P. C. Dunlevy, Soda Creek, says of this part of the country:—The whole of the country from Bridge Creek to Quesnelle has splendid feed on the plateaux along the rivers and on the margins of the swamps, where any number of cattle can get rich succulent grasses, and in time it will be the great dairying part of the Province. The prospective building of the Canada Western, or, as it is now called, the British Pacific Railroad, will tap the whole of this rich section, and promises in the near future to bring it in the foremost ranks of the agricultural sections of the Province. Mr. W. A. Johnston, Quesnelle, says :—My stock are fairly well bred, not full-bred. Cut worms, horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes, and other small flies are insect pests here ; mustard, Chinese turnip (wild), and many others, whose proper names are not known, are the noxious weeds. Royal Australian and Red Fife wheat, Danish Chevalier barley, Early Cluster oats, Lillooet beans, Early Rose and Beauty of Hebron potatoes, Steele's Short White and Early Horn carrots, Purple Top swedes, Yellow Danver and Red Wethersfield onions, Short Red beets, and Timothy are the varieties best suited to this locality. Hardy varieties of plums, prunes, cherries, and apples are the best, and crab apples. Berkshire pigs and a cross from Plymouth Rock are the best breeds. KOOTENAY, In which is included Golden, Galena, Windermere, Fairmont Springs, Canal Flat, Fort Steele, Cranbrook, Tobacco Plains, on the boundary, and all the intervening- settlements, has about ninety ranchers, including a few about Ainsworth and Nelson, on the Kootenay Lake. 1 did not visit this part of the country, the time at my disposal not allowing of it. A good waggon road leads from Golden up the Columbia River to Galena, and thence to Windermere, about ninety-five miles, Galena being a little over half-way from Golden. From Windermere the road proceeds to Fairmont Springs, sixteen miles further, where the Columbia takes its rise in the Upper Columbia Lake. The road here crosses Dutch Creek by a good bridge, and proceeds to the upper end of the lake, where it strikes the Kootenay River, which is also crossed by a bridge at Canal Flat, about eleven miles from Fairmont Springs. Proceeding down the Kootenay River, Fort Steele is reached about forty-six miles further. From this point to Cranbrook, at St. Joseph's Prairie, is about twelve miles—in all, one hundred and eighty miles. From Fort Steele to the boundary there is only a trail, probably fifty-five to sixty miles further. For about four months in the year, when the water is high enough, the Columbia is navigable for light-draught steamers from Golden to the Upper Columbia Lake, and this route is used in preference when available. The valley is somewhat open, with patches of timber, some prairie and rolling country. About the rivers and in the bottoms the wood consists of cottonwood, alder, and birch, and about the bases of the mountains it is yellow fir, larch, and spruce, with some cedar. The timber is good for milling and other purposes. The principal grass is bunch grass, making good ranges for cattle. The soil is generally a rich black loam, which produces fruit of all ordinary kinds, both large and small, cereals and root crops, potatoes being especially good, and yielding very largely. Indian corn for fodder does very well indeed ; alfalfa is also a good crop, and timothy yields good crops of hay; a large quantity of wild hay is also cut for fodder. There are no large herds of cattle, each man keeping a few, there being no inducement up to this time to raise large numbers. There are probably 3,000 head between Wolf Creek and Cranbrook. There are a number of horses kept, and some swine and poultry, but no sheep. The country is well adapted for pigs and poultry, but not so well for sheep. Irrigation is not everywhere, at all times necessary, much of the soil being naturally damp enough to raise good crops without it. The precipitation of rain is light throughout, some heavy thunder storms occurring during the summer. The snowfall between Windermere and Canal Flat is very light, the settlers rarely having to feed their cattle in winter; in the other parts probably an average of two feet lies on the ground for about ten weeks. The greatest usual heat is probably 95°, and the greatest usual cold 4° or 5° below zero, the temperature occasionally going much lower, probably 30° below. The wild horse problem is solved here by an occasional rounding up, in which all interested join, and those horses that are worthless or cannot be caught are shot. Pests reported are some coyotes (not bad) which get a few young calves, a few wolves, and gophers, the latter are the worst, and destroy large quantities of crops. They are destroyed by means of wheat soaked in a solution of strychnine, which is found to be effectual. 788 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. J. W Cockle, of Pilot Bay, Kootenay Lake says:—Insect pests are larva? of Pieris, Vanassa, Californica Grapta, etc.; animal pests, skunks, weasel, marten, and mink ; noxious weeds, poison ivy, red dock, wild parsnip. The best grasses are timothy, and giant blue-point. Special note.—" I have had timothy under water for ten weeks, which is caused by the abnormal rise of the lake every spring, the water not receding until the latter part of June." Snow last winter was three feet, no rain, 6° frost, late spring, dry summer, late frost 17th April. DELTA, At the mouth of the Fraser, on its left or southern bank, has about 190 ranchers. Ladner's, the principal shipping point, has good facilities for shipping produce to all the neighbouring markets. The main trunk road, partly corduroy and parti)7 gravelled, runs through the district, connecting with the neighbouring districts and with New Westminster. On account of the nature of the soil, the humidity of the climate, and the absence of material with which to construct roads, the difficulty and expense of making and maintaining them are enhanced enormously in most parts of the Lower Fraser, but more especially at the Delta, Lulu Island, ifec. The gravel in some instances is brought down from Port Kells, some 23 miles up the river, and the wood for corduroy has also to be brought long distances. In spite of these disadvantages, the roads about the Delta are comparatively good, and although I did not care about making fast time in a light buggy over corduroy, they are, for the most part, solid and capable of withstanding heavy hauling. The whole of this district is formed by the detritus washed clown in the course of ages by the Fraser; so it can easily be imagined what a depth of soil there is, and how rich it is. Equally, it can also be understood that low-lying land like this, only a little above the level of the surrounding waters, should require an immense amount of dyking and draining to keep the water at high stages from overflowing the land and to allow the surface water a chance to escape. It seems odd that one part of the Province should be so destitute of water as to necessitate enormous expense for irrigation, and that another should have such a superabundance, both naturally and from precipitation, as to necessitate an equal if not greater expense to get rid of it, The rainfall is heavy, the average of Abbotsford, the nearest station on the same side of the river, being 54.79 inches per annum. I dare say that there would be 50 inches at the Delta; the snowfall is light, and scarcely ever remains on the ground for more than a day or two. The temperature is equable, seldom rising above 80° nor falling to zero. There is no timber of any account on the Delta proper, merely a fringe of poplars, a few spruce, &c, near the water. Most crops and fruits do well, and it is needless to say that the yield is enormous, and large quantities of wheat, barley, oats, root crops and fruit are grown. It is a district eminently adapted for dairying, but the industry is not prosecuted, except in a desultory manner. Poultry-raising is entered into more largely than in most other places. Swine and sheep are not produced in any quantity. Diseases and pests complained of are black scab on pears and apples, aphis and thistles. From returns received it appears that 53 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 10.A per cent, is woodland, 2\ per cent, marsh, and 34 per cent, pasture. Mr. Hutcher- son's estimate places the cultivated land a good deal lower, I think too low. A good nursery is kept by Mr. Hutche: son, where native-grown trees are to be had. Mr. E. Hutcherson gives the following approximate data :— Quantity of land owned 40,000 acres. Quantity of land cultivated 10,000 n Number of tons of grain produced 6,000 tons. Number of tons of hay produced 10,000 n Number of tons of root crops 12,000 n Number of tons of fruit 100 n Number of cattle owned 2,000 head. Number of horses owned 1,000 n Number of sheep owned 600 n Number of ssvine owned 500 n 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 789 The following is the report of Mr E. Hutcherson correspondent: 1. Wheat (fall), 2,500 fts. pei ' acre, $30.00 pei ' ton. Wheat (spi •ing), 2,000 ,i ,, 27.50 tt Barley, 2,000 tt ,, 25 ii Oats, 2,000 .. ii 25 .. 2. Hay, 91 ^2 to 4 tons .1 14 II 3. Potatoes, 7 „ 8 t. ,, 14 11 Mangolds, 30 ,i 35 .1 n 6 II Carrots, 25 „ 30 t, n 10 ,, Turnips, 35 „ 40 ,i ti 5 I, Onions, 10 „ 15 i, it 25 II Cabbages, 10 „ 12 it tt 20 tt 3a. The crop was a medium one. 3b. Red Fife and Democrat wheat, Peerless barley, Banner oats, Mummy peas, Timothy, Alsike clover, Early Rose potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Short WThite carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, and Hollow Crown parsnips are the best varieties for this locality. 4. The average price obtainable for— Apples, 4 cents per ft. for early, 3 cents for late ; Pears, 6 11 Plums and Prunes, 5 n Cherries, 10 n Strawberries, 10 n Red and White Currants, 6 n Gooseberries, 8 11 Black Currants, 8 n Raspberries, 10 11 Black Cap, 10 ,t 4a. Crop of small fruits was good, of large fruit medium. 4b. The quality of fruit was good. In. Peaches are grown with poor success. Apricot trees are doing well ; no fruit yet. Nectarines do well. Grapes and melons do not grow successfully. Tomatoes grow with fair success. 4e. The following are the particular kinds of fruits which give the best results :— Apples (early)—Red Astrachan, Keswick's Codlin, Yellow Transparent, Wealthy, Gravenstein, Maiden's Blush, and Duchess of Oldenberg; late varieties—Blenheim Orange, Golden Russet, Baldwin, and Canada Red. Pears—Clapp's Favourite, Bartlett, and Madeleine. Plums—Red Egg, Yellow Egg, Bradshaw, and Peach plum. Prunes -Hungarian and Italian. Cherries—Early Richmond, Royal Anne, and Black Republic. 5. Linseed has not been tried. 6. Sugar beet grows a heavy crop, with a large percentage of sugar. 7. No rape is grown. 8a. Dairying is not followed to a great extent. 8b. Price obtainable for butter is 30 cents. A co-operative system of creamery would be of great advantage. 9a. This part is well suited for wool-raising. 9 b. Sheep-raising is not extensive. 9c. The wool is of medium quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 8 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 790 Report on Agriculture. 1893 10b. The following are the best breeds of stock for this district: Clydesdale horses for draught, Percherons for general purposes; Durhams for beef, Ayrshires for dairying, Cotswolds for wool, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock chickens. 11a. Poultry are raised extensively. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents per dozen. 14. The black scab on the apple and pear trees is our greatest pest or disease at present. (See "Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages are : Whites, $30 per month, with board ; Chinamen and Indians, $1 per day, without board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. But little ploughing was done last fall. Mr. H. D. Benson, Boundary Bay, says :—T have five pedigreed full-bred Shorthorns; the rest of my stock are grades. Reel Fife wheat and Timothy are best adapted to this locality. All kinds of clovers and apples do well. Last winter it was not very cold, and there was not much snow. The spring was late and very wet; seed-time was not favourable, it was very cold and wet. The summer was cold, and the autumn was cold and wet. Harvest weather was good for early but bad for late grain. There were frosts in May. There was about an average crop of hay. Grain was not quite up to the average. The hay and three- fourths of the grain were saved in good condition ; the balance in bad order. Mr. Wm. B. Skinner, Boundary Bay, says : —The insect pests here are a small green insect and hop lice. The thistle is about the worst weed we have. The following are the most profitable and best suited to this locality : Rough barley, Shonan and American Banner oats, Early Rose potatoes, Intermediate carrots, swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Egyptian beets, Timothy, Rye, Orchard, and Red Top grasses, and Alsike clover. Peas do not do well on low land. The earliest kinds of corn will grow for table use, but it is no good as a field crop. All kinds of mangolds do well. Hops need more shelter than we have. Apples do not do very well on low lands. All kinds of pears do very well. Cherries don't do well; trees don't live long. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes do not do well. The following are the best breeds for this district : Jerseys for dairying, Durhams for beef, Leicesters for wool, Shropshire.? for mutton, and Berkshire pigs. The fruit trees suffered considerably from a small green insect similar to the hop lice. Last winter there was very little snow ; there was not much cold, and very little rain. The spring was late and wet. Seed time was too wet until late. The summer was rather wet. Harvest weather was very good until late ; it was too wet for late grain. There were late frosts in the spring, which destroyed a good deal of fruit. The yield of grain was comparatively light. Hay and roots were good. The majority of hay and grain were saved in very good order. There is considerable rot in potatoes. Mr. August Anderson, Ladner's, says :—There are no pests here and no disease. The following are the best for this district : Red Fife and White Winter wheat, Black oats, Rose potatoes, Yellow Globe mangold, Belgian carrots, King of swedes, Large Red onions, Blood Turnip beets, Timothy and Alsike clover, Baldwin, Canada Red, Red Astrachan, Northern Spy, and Duchess of Oldenberg apples, Bartlett pears, Oxheart cherries, and Fidalgo peaches. Mr. John McKee, Jr., Ladner's, says : —My cattle are graded Holsteins, and horses are graded. I consider the following the best for this locality : Rough barley, Red Fife wheat, Early Rose potatoes, D. M. Ferry's Improved Long Red mangolds, Long W'hite Field carrots, Timothy, Alsike clover, Red Astrachan, Duchess, Golden Russet, and Early Harvest apples, Bartlett pears, Lombard and Bradshaw plums. I think Holsteins for dairying, Durham for beef, and Berkshire pigs are the best for here. Mr. James Gilmore, Westham Island, says :—Here buckwheat is a noxious weed. The following I consider the best varieties of cereals, roots, and grasses for this locality. Gipsy or Rosedale oats, Early and Late Rose potatoes, Mammoth Long Red mangold, Short White carrots, swedes, Yellow Globe onions, Timothy and Rye grass, and White Dutch clover. Nearly any sort of clover does well. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 791 ELGIN. Situated on Mud Bay, by road about fifteen miles from Ladner's, is the centre of a fine agricultural district bordering on that bay, of euphonious appellation, and on the Serpentine and Nicomekl Rivers, which here debouche into the sea. About 45 ranchers live here, who raise a considerable quantity of grain, hay, root crops, and some fruit. The land is a rich alluvial deposit which produces largely with little trouble. Timber is plentiful except near the bay. The climate is much the same as at the Delta, with probably more rain, on account of the proximity of the timber and the higher land in the vicinity. A good road leads to the Fraser opposite to New Westminster, about ten miles distant. This same road, passing through Elgin, goes on to Blaine (about six miles) on the American boundary. It is also connected with Ladner's by the road first mentioned, and with the settlements higher up the country. Some cattle are reared, but very little dairying clone. Mr. Daniel Johnson, Mud Bay, says:—I have a team of heavy imported Clydes from Ontario, and a yearling colt from pedigreed Clyde horse. I have also some British Columbia mares and saddle horses. My horned cattle are all graded Durhams and Ayrshires. Rough barley, Dwarf peas, Early Rose potatoes, Large Red mangold, White Belgian carrots, swedes, Silver Skinned Danver onions, Short Blood beets, Timothy, Broad leaf, and Alsike clovers are the best varieties for this district. I never heard of Fall wheat being tried here. All kinds of wheat and white oats, any hardy kind of corn, and all kinds of grasses. and clover do well. All the varieties of apples that I know of do well and bear heavily when the trees are quite young. The tide lands, when well dyked and drained, are hard to beat for apples, but the trees want to be kept clean of moss and all kinds of vermin. All kinds of pears do well ; the Bartlett is the favourite and grows to great perfection ; the flats seem to be the home of the pear. All varieties of plums and prunes do well; the trees make rapid growth and bear heavily when the spring frost does not kill them in blossom. I have not had experience enough with cherries; I think they will do best on the high gravelly land ; they do fairly well on the flats. Shoemaker peaches do well with me ; they are a beautiful peach and don't kill with the frost. The Clydesdale is the best horse for the farm ; he is stong and walks fast. Ayrshires are my choice for milking. Durhams are the best for beef, and the best all- round stock to keep. Southdowns are the best for mutton. Wool does not pay. Berkshire pigs are best. Leghorns for eggs, and Plymouth Rock for an all-round fowl. I have lost many calves from a disease of the lungs (see " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) Potatoes raised on the flats have black lumps on them, and the longer I keep them the worse they get. Last winter snow only laid two or three days. There was a great deal of rain ; we always get a great deal in the winter. There was no cold weather. We had fine ploughing weather in March. April was rainy, but where the land was drained it was a good spring to put in crops. The summer was as fine as could be wished. It was dry up to the 22nd September, after that it was showery. Harvest weather was good, except for late grain. There was no frost to do any harm this fall up to the 1st November ; but the frost in the spring, when the fruit trees were in blossom, destroyed all my fruits except small fruits ; one peach tree was entirely killed. The yield of crops was about an average one. All early grain was saved in perfect condition. The late grain was damaged by the rain. SURREY CENTRE, Including Kensington Prairie, Scott Road, South Westminster, and Brownsville, have in all about eighty-five ranchers. The Scott Road, which is a very good one, connects the first- mentioned places with South Westminster on the Fraser, Kensington Prairie, the furthest removed, being about thirteen miles away. The country between the two places is for the most part densely wooded. There are some open patches, however. Kensington Prairie, as its name indicates, is an open, low-lying bit of country in the valley of the Nicomekl. The land rises considerably on leaving the Fraser, attaining a height of perhaps 150 or 200 feet, and falling away -again towards the Nicomekl. The higher ridges are covered with fir, cedar, and the bottoms with alder, willows, and such trees. The climate is not materially different from the Delta ; possibly a little more rain. The soil on the ridges is a red loam, and in the 792 Report on Agriculture. 1893 bottoms a rich black loam, the former being admirably adapted for fruit growing, especially apjoles, while the bottoms grow root crops and vegetables to great perfection. Grain, of course, yields largely, but the country, by reason of the uncertain climate and the expense of clearing it of timber, is hardly adapted for it. The land can be put to a great many much more profitable uses, such as fruit and hop growing. The latter are being planted in considerable quantities. Swine and poultry raising are only carried on in a very small way. Although this is essentially a dairying country, but little butter is made; a considerable quantity of milk is, however, sent to New Westminster. Bee-keeping is also a profitable industry, there being a large quantity of white clover, the flowers of which make excellent honey. Mr. Boothroyd, who has several hives, says they do exceedingly well. The principal diseases and pests complained of are aphides on hops and apples, wire worms, black rust on apples, thistles, and sorrel. According to returns received 11 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 54 per cent, is woodland or forest, 1 OA/ per cent, is swamp or marsh, and 24J? per cent, is pasture. The following is the report of Mr. E. T. Wade, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (spring).—$30 per ton. Barley.—$20 to $25 per ton. Oats.—1 ton per acre; $22.50 per ton. Peas.—Just under 1 ton per acre; $25 to $30 per ton. 2. Hay.—1A to 2 tons per acre; $10 to $12 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—$20 per ton. Carrots, 7 to $10 per ton. Turnips, 5 to $8 Onions, 30 per ton. 3a. The yield of grain was fairly good. Potatoes were only fair. Onions are grown on a very small scale ; one man had rather less than one acre and gathered fourteen tons ; another man had two tons on less than a quarter acre. 3b. The following are best suited to this part : Two-rowed and Chevalier barley, Egyptian oats, Timothy, Red, and Alsike clover, White Elephant and Early Rose potato, White Belgian and Danver Orange carrots, Ruta Baga turnips, Red Wethersfiekl and Yellow Danver onions, and Hollow Crowned parsnips. 4. The average price obtainable for the following are :—Apples, 2 cents per ft).; pears, 2A to 3 cents per ft.; plums and prunes, 3 to 5 cents per ft.; cherries, 8 to 10 per ft.; raspberries, 8 to 12 cents per ft.; black currants, 6 to 8 cents per ft.; red currants, 5 to 6 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was bad, except in a few cases. 4b. The quality of the fruit was fair. 4c. Cherries do best on a gravelly soil. Apples on a light loam or sandy soil. Plums and pears do well on the bottom lands. 4d. Peaches are grown to-a small extent with fair success. Apricots are very little grown. I don't think grapes will pay to grow in this district. Melons are grown for home use, and tomatoes do very well if started early in the season. 1e. The following varieties give the best results : Baldwin, Wealthy, the Rusets, Northern Spy, and Winter Pearmain apples ; Bartlett pears ; Bradshaw plums ; Oxheart and Black Tartarian cherries. 5. Flaxseed was tried in a few small patches as an experiment, and did very well. 8a. There is no large dairying, about twenty cows being the most where butter is made. No cheese is made in this district. There are several large milk ranches which supply the towns with milk, instead of making butter. 8b. The average price for butter is 30 cents. 9a. This part is well suited for sheep-raising. 9b. There are not many sheep, but the number is increasing gradually, and farmers are adding to their stock. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 793 10b. I consider the following the best breeds :—Clydes for draught, Durhams and Polled Angus for beef, Jerseys and Ayrshires crossed with Durhams for dairying (half bred cows from Jersey bull and native cows are first-class for dairying), Berkshire and Poland-China pigs, Leghorn and Plymouth Rock poultry. 11a. In a few cases the poultry industry is worked with some idea of system. As a rule the fowls are allowed to look after themselves. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents per dozen the year round. 12. Bees have been tried with good results. 13b. The spring was wet, and late frosts did great damage to fruit buds. 13c. The summer was hot. 13d. The autumn was wet; harvest weather for those who had their seeding done early was good. 13e. A large quantity sown late on account of bad weather was almost lost through the same cause at harvest. In these cases the loss was from 50 to 60 per cent. 15a. Labourers, as a rule, are easily procured. 15b. Whites and Chinese. 15c. The average wages paid are $25 to $40 per month. 1G. I only know of one trial this season of ensilage, and that is reported a success. 17. There is about 300 to 400 acres of fall ploughing done in Surrey. Mr. Joshua Rice, Surrey, says:—Blight injured the potato crop. Last winter the surface of the soil was covered with snow for two weeks; there was lots of rain; there were very few cold days. The spring began in March with a good seeding season; the summer favoured the growth of crops; the autumn was wet; harvest weather was unfavourable. The yield of crops was light; they were saved in good order. Me. W. C. Bourns says:—Any of the clovers are well suited to this locality. Rhode, Island Greening, Ben Davis, Duchess of Oldenberg, Red Astrachan, and Tetofsky apples and Bartlett pears all do first-rate here. Leghorns, Black Minorcas, and Plymouth Rocks are the best strains of poultry. Mr. T. Fallowfield, Kensington Prairie, says :—My stock are graded. White Egyptian oats, White Elephant potatoes, Shorthorn and Orange Giant carrots, Purple Top turnips, Yellow Globe onions, Timothy grass, and Alsike clover are the best suited to this district. I consider Berkshire pigs the best breed. Last winter there was not much snow or cold weather ; there was a good deal of rain. We had a medium spring, with good season for early seeding. The autumn was broken ; there was good harvest weather for early crops. The yield of crops was good, and they were harvested in good condition. Mr. Wm. Collishaw, Kensington Prairie, says :—My stock are graded. The aphis or plant louse on fruit trees is a pest; I lost three apple trees from aphis. Chevalier barley, White Elephant potato, Long Red mangold, Short White carrot, Elephant swede, Oregon Long- Keepers onion, Laing's Sugar beet, Timothy grass, and Alsike clover are the best varieties for this district. Baldwin apples and Bartlett pears do well. I think the following breeds are the best:—Percheron horses, Durhams for beef, Berkshire and Poland-China pigs, and Plymouth Rock fowls. Last winter there was not much snow, not much cold, but a great deal of rain; the spring was late, but good for seeding; the summer was dry; the autumn was wet; harvest weather was good for early crops. Crops were saved in good order and yielded well. Mr. Wm. Smith, Surrey Centre, says :—My stock are graded. Sorrel is a noxious weed. The following I consider the most profitable varieties for this district:—Black Tartarian oats, Early Rose potatoes, Mammoth Long Red and Medium Yellow mangolds, Short White carrots, Purple Top turnips, Timothy grass, Alsike clover; Red Astrachan and Wealthy apples for summer, Duchess apples for fall. Last winter there was not much cold weather, and not much snow ; there was a great deal of rain. We had a medium spring, not good for seeding ; the summer was rather wet, and the latter part of the autumn was rather wet; haying time was rather wet. The yield of crops was good, and the quality was good. 794 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Me. R. A. Fallowfield, Surrey Centre, says:—My cattle are graded, not pedigreed. Durhams and Jerseys do well; they are hardy. Crops did well, considering the late wet spring. This is a very good locality for roots, hops, and hay. Black flies and mosquitoes are pests ; docks and sorrel are noxious weeds. Golden One-Side White oats, Elephant and Early Rose potatoes, and Alsike clover are the best varieties. Last winter was mild, with very little cold, and not much snow, but considerable rain; spring was wet and late, and not very good for seeding; the autumn was good, with fine harvest weather, but it was smoky and intermixed with fog. Good roads are needful. The yield of crops was fair, and they were saved in good order, Mr. James McClennan says :—My cattle are graded Shorthorns. The yield of crops was good, and they were saved in good order. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was not much cold weather, but there was a good deal of rain ; the spring was fair, with a fair time for seeding; the summer was good, with a broken fall ; harvest weather was gootl for early crops. There was frost in May ; none after then till November. Mr. John Churchland says :—I have only a garden and a small orchard, which is not producing yet. Last winter there was not much snow, not much cold weather, but a good deal of rain ; spring was late, and not good for seeding; the summer was short but dry, with a broken autumn and unfavourable harvest weather. Mr William Bell says :—The yield of crops was fair, and they were generally saved in good condition. (Report on weather was similar to Mr. James McClennan's.) Mr. J. Dafoe says :—My cattle are graded Durhams. The borer is an insect pest, and was very bad on apple trees. Sorrel is a noxious weed. Beauty of Hebron potato, Timothy grass, and all varieties of clover are well suited to this locality. Percheron horses, Shorthorn and Jersey cattle for dairying, and Shorthorns for beef I consider the best breeds. I am only just starting in farming; what amount of crops I raised did well. The yield of crops was good, and early crops were saved in good condition. (Report on weather was similar to Mr. Fallowfield's). Mr. Christopher Brown says:—My cattle are graded Durhams. My horses are Porcherous and Clydes mixed. Lice on apple trees are insect pests. Black Tartarian oats, American Wonder peas, Late Rose potatoes, Half Long White carrots, Imperial Prize swede, Timothy grass, and Alsike clover are the best for this locality. I consider Cleveland Bays, Graded Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock fowls the best breeds. Mr. George Boothroyd says :—My cattle are pretty well graded from Shorthorns. Diseases on plant life are leaf lice on fruit trees and black rust on apples, which stops growth and causes the fruit to crack. The following I consider the best varieties for this locality:— Ladoga wheat, Egyptian oats, Common Field pea, Eight-rowed Yellow corn, Large White bean, Early Rose, Late Rose, Imperial State and Early Ohio potatoes, Shorthorn Field, White or Orange Long carrots, Swede, Yellow Danver and Silver Skinned onions, Blood beets, Timothy grass, Large English Red and Alsike clovers, Ben Davis, Northern Spy, Stark, Spitzenburg, Baldwin, Blenheim, Grime's Golden, Rhode Island Greening, Western Beauty, Mcintosh, Alexander, Mann, Astrachan, Oldenburg, and Gravensteiu apples, Bartlett, Winter Nelis, Keifer, Louise Bonne de Jersey pears, Yellow Egg, Large Blue and Red plums, Large Red cherries, Crawford peaches, Reas Mammoth quinces, Russian apricots, and Concord grapes. I think graded Durhams are best for dairying and for beef. Common chickens mixed with Plymouth Rock and Leghorns. Black bees crossed with Italians. Mr. Edmund T. Wade says :—My cattle are graded Durhams. There is no disease amongst stock in this neighbourhood. The noxious weeds are : wild parsnip, which is very dangerous to cattle (many are killed by it), sorrel, sowthistle, wild buckwheat. Thistles are becoming a veritable plague in this district. We have a noxious weed by-law in this municipality, but it is not thoroughly carried out I am sorry to say. The following varieties of grain, roots, fruits, &c, are the best for this district:—Old Two-rowed and Chevalier barley, Welcome and Champion oats, Early Rose and White Elephant potatoes, Mammoth and Long Red mangolds, Danver Orange and White Belgian carrots, Ruta Baga turnips, Yellow Danver and Red Wethersfield onions, Timothy and Perennial Rye grasses, White Dutch, Medium Red and Alsike clover, Red Astrachan, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Baldwin, and Russet 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 795 apples, Bartlett pears, Magnum Bonum, Yellow Egg, and Bradshaw plums, Oxheart and Black Tartarian cherries. I think the best breeds of stock for here are : Clyde or Percheron, and crosses of these ; Jersey and graded Jersey for dairying, Durhams for beef ; Berkshire and Poland China pigs ; Leghorn and Light Brahma chickens ; Bronze turkeys ; Rpuen and Pekin ducks. Mr. E. T. Wade furnishes the following approximate data :— Quantity of land cultivated 2,000 acres. Number of tons of grain produced 607 tons. it ii hay ii 648 n it ii root crops it it fruit About 2 tons. it cattle owned 876 head. it horses n 224 n it swine n 450 t> it sheep ti 161 n CLAYTON AND CLOVER VALLEY, On the Southern side of the Fraser, the former about nine miles from New Westminster by the Yale. Waggon Road, and the latter about five miles further (by road). Access is also had by the Scott road, which makes the distance longer to Clayton and about thirteen miles to Clover Valley. The New Westminster Southern Railway also passes through these places, giving them ample facilities to get their produce to market. About ninety ranchers live in the vicinity of the two places. The climate and character of the country are just about the same as that described under Surrey Centre. There is a good deal of low-lying open country about Clover Valley running down to the Nicomekl River. The soil is of excellent quality, and capable of producing any ordinary crops if only properly drained. The timber, of which there is a great quantity, is good for all purposes. Some grain and a large quantity of root crops are produced. Fruit also is produced in small quantities, most of the orchards being quite young. A large area is under hay, and a little under hops. Cattle are bred to a limited extent, and dairying is not carried on, except on a small scale. Some sheep and pigs are raised, but in inconsiderable numbers. Pests and diseases reported are potato blight, apple tree borers, thistles, daisies, fluke in sheep. According to returns received, I find that 15A;per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 55 per cent, is woodland or forest, 13 J per cent, is swamp and marsh, and 16 per cent, is pasture. The following is the report of Mr. E. W. Wiltshire, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (spring), 30 bush., $32.00 to $35.00 per ton. Barley, 50 „ 25.00 Oats, 40 to 100 „ $22.50 to 26.00 Peas, 40 ,, 25.00 2. Hay, 2 to 3 tons, 10.00 to 15.00 3. Potatoes, 5 to 6 „ 10.00 to 15.00 „ Mangolds, 30 n Carrots, 25 n 8.00 n Carrots (red), 25 „ 10.00 to 12.50 Turnips, 30 ,, 8.00 to 9.00 Onions, 25.00 n In small quantities, 1J to 2c. per ft. Cabbage, 10.00 „ 3a. Taken all round, the yield was good, but some potato crops were a good deal injured by blight. 3b. The following are considered the best suited to this part :—Six-rowed barley, Egyptian and Banner oats, Common peas, Timothy grass, Red clover, Early Puritan, Late Rose, and Empire State potatoes, Steele's Short White and Shorthorn carrots, Purple Top turnip, Danver Globe onion, Hollow Crown parsnip, Fiat Dutch and Drumhead cabbages, 796 Report on Agriculture. 1893 4. The average prices obtainable are :—For apples, 1A to 2 cents per ft.; for pears, 3 cents per ft. The other fruits were a good deal damaged by frost. A peach tree which bore 100 fine peaches two years ago, only had three on this season. 4a. Fair crop of apples. Plums and peaches not up to the average. 4b. The fruit was of good quality. 4c. I think the best fruit soils are found along the hillsides bordering on the flat land. They need draining, but are not so badly infested with stumps as higher lands, and usually are pretty free from large stones. 4d. Peaches some years yield well. Apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are uncertain. 4e. The following particular kinds give the best results :—Baldwin, Gravenstein, and Red Astrachan apples, Bartlett pears. 5. Linseed has not been tried. 6. There are not many sugar beets raised. For a root crop most people depend on turnips, which are a certain crop here, as the fly does not kill the young plants as in the East and the Old Country. 7. There is no rape grown. 8a. Dairying is only followed in a small way, but this part of the country is especially adapted for this branch of agriculture, as we have first-class water, and, in many instances, both upland and lowland pasture, a great advantage, as cattle do not appear to thrive as well when kept altogether on the bottoms. 8b. Butter is worth 25 cents per ft. in summer time, and 30 cents per ft. in winter • months. 9b. There are but few sheep here, but they seem to do well, and are free from fluke or liver root, which I hear is showing itself in other parts. (For Mr. Wiltshire's remarks under this head, see " Diseases and Pests."—J. R, A.) 10b. I consider the following the best breeds of stock :—Cleveland Bays and Suffolk Punches for draught; Durhams for beef, Ayrshire and Durhams for dairy (the milking strain of Durhams does not appear to have been introduced into this country yet); Shropshire for wool. The Horned Dorsets I should prefer, if they were obtainable, as wool is at such a low price it is hardly worth consideration, and as they raise two lots of lambs in one year, generally having twins, and sometimes triplets. They are also able to defend themselves against the attacks of dogs and wild animals by means of their horns, which they can handle very skilfully. Berkshire pigs; Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. 11a. A good deal of poultry is kept. Returns seem to be better when the business is not carried on too largely. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents to 60 cents per dozen. 13a. The winter was mild with a good deal of rain. 13b. The spring was early and fine ; the later part was rather wet ; there was only one late frost which damaged plum and peach crops. 13c. The summer was warm. 1 3d. The early harvest was good ; no frosts. 13e. Early crops were got in in good shape; some very late crops were damaged. 14. The two worst diseases I have had to contend with were potato blight and the borer in fruit trees. The latter appears to be an exceptionally bad insect when, once it has got a foothold, but I believe whitewashing the trees two or three times will prevent same. Fluke, this is one of the worst diseases to which sheep are liable (see "Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) 15a. Labour has been more easily procured this year. 15b. Chinese are employed in ditching, where, on account of wet, it is difficult to get the. men to work. 15c. The average wages are:—Whites, $25 to $35 per month ; Chinese, by contract. 17. Ploughing is not done in the fall to any extent. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 797 18. What this country most wants is better drainage, and much better roads. There is lots of fine seasoned cedar for fencing ; the price of splitting rails being about $12 per thousand; posts, 1 cent each. I am sorry to say that much land is held by non-resident owners, which lies in its old primeval state, and is very discouraging to residents, who are thus shut in to a great extent. ME. George W. Cann, Clayton, says :—My cattle, are graded Shorthorns, and my pigs a cross between Berkshires and Cheshires. Borers kill the fruit trees ; they have killed most of mine. A lotion should be discovered that would destroy the eggs without injury to the trees. I consider the following the best varieties for this locality : Six-rowed barley, White Egyptian oats, Small White peas, Empire and Summit potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Short White carrots, Early Red onions; Russian Fall, English Russet, and Yellow Transparent apples, Bartlett pears. I consider Cleveland Bays, Berkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock and Hamburgh poultry are the best breeds for this locality. Last winter there was very little snow, plenty of rain, and it was very mild. There was a medium spring, March and April being good for seeding. It rained the most of May. The weather was not very good for harvesting, but I have seen worse. The yield of crops was fail-. Mr. John F. Morton, Clayton, says :—My cattle are graded Durhams. Early Yellow Six-week beans, and Baldwins, King, and Roxbury Russet apples are well suited to this district. Bull thistles and barnyard daisies are bad weeds ; I lost about three days labour destroying them. Last winter there was little snow, plenty of rain, and not much cold. The spring was late and fairly good for seeding. The summer was fair. The autumn was good until late. Harvest weather was good for this country. There was a frost when the plums were green. The yield of crops was middling, and they were saved in good order. Mr, C. H. Duark, Clayton, says :—My stock are graded Durhams. The potato blight is a disease, and mice are a pest. Empire State potatoes, Long Red carrots, Timothy grass, and Red clover are best suited to this locality. I consider Durhams the best breed for dairying and for beef. Last winter there was not much snow, there was lots of rain, and very little cold weather. The spring was early, but was delayed by cold rain at the latter part. Early seeding was good. The summer was favourable. The fall was wet. Harvest weather was favourable for early crcms. There were no frosts till very late in the autumn. The yield of crops was good, and early crops were saved in good condition. Mr, Enos Ellis George, Clayton, says :—Rose potato, Long Orange carrot, swedes, any varieties of onions, beets, and clovers, and Timothy grass are well suited to this locality. All kinds of apples, pears, plums, prunes, cherries, and peaches are suited to this district. Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Leghorn fowls, and Italian bees are the best breeds. Last winter there was not much snow, there was a lot of rain, and not much c*old weather. Spring was not early. Seed-time was wet. The summer and autumn were wet. Harvest weather was good. The yield of crops I consider was good, and they were well saved. Mr, B. Watkins, Clayton, says:—My cattle are graded Durhams. My calves were troubled with a swelling in the throat; one died, the others got over it. The symptoms are similar to quinsy. Borers are an insect pest, and ferns are a noxious weed. Late Rose potatoes are well suited to this locality. Plymouth Rock are the best poultry for table use, and Leghorns for eggs. Last winter there was not much snow, considerable rain, and no cold weather. The spring was late and unfavourable for seeding. The summer was short but good. The autumn was wet, but harvest weather was good for early crops. There were no frosts till the 16th of October. Crops did not yield up to the average, except timothy and clover. Early crops were well saved. Mr, T. A. Bothwell, Clayton, says:—There is an insect injurious to turnips, destroying leaves, not black fly, but more like lice ; worst on dry ground. There are also lice on apple trees. Last winter there was not much snow, there was considerable rain, and not much cold weather. Spring started in early, but there were cold rains in the latter part; it was favourable for early seeding. The summer was good, and the autumn was fair. For early crops the weather was fair. The quality of crops was good and they yielded well. Mr. George White, Clayton, says :—The following are the most profitable for this locality: White Egyptian oats, Canadian yellow peas, Early Rose potatoes, Short White 798 Report on Agriculture. 1893 carrots, Purple Top turnips, Yellow Globe onions, Timothy grass, and Red clover. I think these are the best breeds of stock : Cleveland Bays, Durhams for dairying and beef, Leicesters for wool, Shropshires for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock poultry for table, and Leghorns for eggs. There was very little snow last winter; considerable rain ; the winter was mild. Spring was late; the early part was good for seeding, but the latter was wet. Tin; summer was dry, with a wet autumn. Harvest weather was good for early crops ; there were no frosts till late in the autumn. The yield of crops was good. Early crops on drained land were got in in good condition; late crops in some cases were damaged. Mr. Charles W. McCallum, Clayton, says :—Barley, oats, rye, peas, corn, beans, potatoes, mangolds, carrots, turnips, onions, beets, timothy, red clover and hops are all suitable for this locality. There was no snow last winter. The spring was late and not very favourable for seeding. The summer and autumn were very good. Harvest weather was good. We had frost on 15th December. I consider the yield of crops was good, and they were saved in good condition. Mr. W.m. Routley, Clayton, says :—Ferns are a noxious weed. Early Rose and Empire State potatoes, Greystone turnips, Timothy grass and Red clover are the best varieties for this district. The crops were of good quality, and their yield was middling. (Remarks on the weather are similar to Mr. George White's.) Mr. John M. Routley, Clayton, says:—Ferns are noxious weeds. Most cereals, roots, grasses, clovers and hops do well in this locality ; corn does not ripen very well. I have no apple or pear trees bearing. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was quite a lot of rain ; there was not very much cold. Spring was late ; it was not very favourable for seeding. The summer was very wet, and the autumn was wet. Harvest weather was good for early crops. Frosts in the spring damaged small fruit. I consider that there was an average yield of crops, and that they were saved in very good condition. Mr. C. C. Cameron, Clayton, says :—I have no pedigreed stock ; they are all Galloways, Jerseys, and Durhams. Any kinds of potatoes do well here. The earliest kinds of spring- wheat are best. All kinds of apples and pears do well. I have the Bartlett pear; they grow large and good. I have the egg plum ; it is very fine and grows large. Concord grapes yield well. I think a general purpose horse suits this part best; a cross between Jerseys and Durhams for dairying, Durhams for beef, Leicesters for wool, and Berkshire pigs. Last winter there was very little snow. November and December were wet; January, February and March were very fine. There was very little cold last winter. The spring was late and not good for seeding; the summer was very good ; the autumn was fair; harvesting weather was very fair; there were no early frosts. I think this climate next best to California. The yield of crops was fair, and they were saved in goocl condition. Mr. J. Parks, Clayton, says :—My cattle are graded Shorthorn. I have two troubled with hard lumps the size of a large cup. (See " Diseases and Pests.") The following are the best roots, cereals, &c, for this locality : Black Tartarian oats, Burbank Seedling and Empire State potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Long Red carrots, Purple Top turnips, Yellow Globe onions, and Timothy grass. I think the best breeds for here are the native horses, Jerseys for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, and Berkshire pigs. There was not much snow last winter, there was lots of rain, and not much cold. The early spring was good ; the latter part was wet and not good for seeding. The summer was good; the autumn was wet. Harvest weather was not good for late grain. I consider the yield was very good. Late crops were harvested in poor order. Me. E. M. Wiltshire, Clayton, says :—I have found apple trees a good deal bothered by borers, but damage not very great as yet. There was very little snow, no cold, but a good deal of rain, last winter. The spring was fair, but not so good as usual. The. early part was good for seeding; the latter part was wet. There was no excessive heat during the summer ; the weather was warm and agreeable. Harvest weather was favourable for crops put in early. There was only one frost up to the 12th October, and that did me no damage. Crops yielded well, excejit potatoes, which were troubled with blight, for which their appears no remedy. Crops were saved in good order, except potatoes, many of which did not make full growth. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture'. 799 Mr. George Whitfield Cann, Clayton, says :—The following varieties are the best for this locality : Rough Six-rowed Hulless Black barley, White Egyptian and Black Tartarian oats, Blue Imperial peas, Empire State and Summit potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Short White carrots, Late Red onions, Timothy and Red-top grass, White Dutch clover, Wealthy, Gravenstein, Ben Davis and Golden Russet apples, Keifer and Bartlett pears. I consider Cleveland Bays and Suffolk Punch horses, Shorthorns for beef, Black Berkshire pigs, White Cheshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock poultry, the best breeds of stock for this locality. Mr. D. Sutherland, Clayton, says :—Re weather (remarks are similar to those of Mr. George White). Mr. J. C. L. Mackenzie, Clover Valley, says :—It was too wet for fall wheat. Chevalier barley, Black oats, Blue Imperial and Common White peas, Yellow Squaw corn, Common White corn, Early Rose, Elephant and Garden .Chili potatoes, Swede and Yellow Danvers, Turnip beet and Timothy, Alsike and Alfalfa clovers, are the best varieties for this locality. Any kinds of apples, pears, plums, cherries and peaches do well. Clydesdale and French coach horses, Jerseys and Durhams for dairying, Southdowns for wool, Leicesters for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Brown Leghorns and Plymouth Rock poultry, and Italian bees, are the best breeds. Last winter there was about four inches of snow ; any amount of rain; no cold worth speaking of—never below zero. Spring was rather late, and wet for seeding. The summer and autumn were good and dry. Harvest weather was good for early crops, but foliate crops bad weather set in too soon. The yield of crops was just middling. Early crops were saved in good order, the late crops in poor condition; some was not harvested at all. Mr. Thomas Shannon, Cloverdale, says :—My cattle are grades. Russian Red Chaff spring wheat, Chevalier barley, White Egyptian and Prize Cluster oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Early Rose potatoes, Northern Spy and Gravenstein apples, and Bartlett pears are the best varieties for this locality. I consider the following the best breeds of stock for here :— Clydes and Roadsters, Grade Shorthorns for dairying, Galloways for beef, Berkshire pigs, Leghorn and Hamburgh poultry, and Italian bees. Last winter there was no snow, there was considerable rain, and not verv much cold weather ; there was a medium spring, which was not very good for seeding ; the summer was rather damp at first, but dry later on ; the autumn was dry, with good harvest weather. Crops were well saved and gave a medium yield. Mr. Albert Mitton, Cloverdale, says :—I consider Red spring wheat, White Kidney and Early Rose potatoes, Timothy grass, and Red and Alsike clovers the best varieties for this locality. (Remarks on weather similar to Mr. George White's.) Mr. Elisiia Pickard, Nicomekl, says :—Hop lice are a pest here. I should like to know the best preventive, as we have six acres set out as a hop yard, which was a good deal bothered by these lice. Wire worms are a pest among potatoes. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was considerable rain ; no cold weather. Spring was fair, and good for early seeding; the latter part was wet. The summer was good ; harvest weather was good for early crops, but not for late. There were frosts in the early part of May, and after that not till late in the fall. Mr. N. D. Macdonald, Nicomekl, says:—My stock are graded. Black flies are the insect pests. The yield of crops was good. Early crops were saved in good order; late crops were damaged. (Mr. N. D. Macdonald's report on the weather coincides with that of Mr. Pickard.) Mr. Richard Ludlow, Nicomekl, says :—Animal life is free from disease. Large flies are pests; there are very few noxious weeds. Barley, oats, flax, hops, all kinds of roots, timothy, and red top do well here. Percheron horses I consider the best, and Durham cattle for beef. HALL'S PRAIRIE, On the southern side of the Fraser, adjacent to the International Boundary and Semi" ah moo Bay, is accessible by a very fair road, six or seven miles long, which leads through part of Clover Valley and joins the Coast Meridian Road at a point about thirteen miles from New Westminster. The Westminster Southern Railroad also runs through the district. The 800 Report on Agriculture. 1893 ridges are heavily timbered with Douglas fir, red cedar, and hemlock On the lower part there is some open meadow land, interspersed with patches of alder, willow, vine maple, etc. The soil is a rich heavy loam, which is capable of producing large crops of grain, hay, root crops, and fruit. Extensive orchards have been planted out, but they are all as yet quite young and scarcely in bearing. Some dairying is done, but not as systematically as a country so well adapted for it, as this is, warrants. The altitude cannot be much above the level of the sea, although quite a high ridge is crossed by the road toward Clover Valley. The precipitation is, like all this region, heavy ; usually there is not much snow, and it seldom lies long. The temperature is seldom below zero nor above 80°. There are about fifty ranchers here and at Glenwood, a new settlement adjoining the boundary line. The principal pests reported are the aphis on hops and apples, borer, and bears. According to returns, 10), per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 70J per cent, is woodland or forest, 10 per cent, is swamp and marsh, and 9 per cent, pasture. It will be observed that Mr. Thrift places the area of cultivated land at about 8 per cent. Mr. Henry Thrift furnishes the following information and approximate data : - As near as I can learn, there are about 12,300 fruit trees planted out, the major portion of which being prune trees, and there is, in addition to this, some eight or ten acres of small fruit planted out. There are only two parties who have gone into hops extensively ; one has six and a half acres, and the other about four acres. There are quite a few who have planted a small piece by way of experiment. Quantity of land owned 9,070 acres. ii ii cultivated 710 n Number of tons of grain produced 228 tons. ii tt hay ii 402 n ii tt roots it ■ 182 tt fts. fruit .t 8,000 fts. ii cattle owned 276 head. it horses u 72 n, it sheep ii 30 n ii swine n 342 n There is a large amount of land in this vicinity that is unoccupied, the original settlers having left the neighbourhood. The following is the report of Mr. H, T. Thrift, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (fall), 25 to 30 bush, per acre ; $25 per ton. Wheat (spring), 25 ,, n 25 n Barley, 30 ,, „ 25 Oats, 45 to 60 „ n 20 to $26 per ton. 2. Hay, 1 to 1J tons n 12 per ton. 3. Potatoes, 150 to 600 bush. „ 12 to $14 per ton. Mangolds, 200 to 600 „ Carrots, 100 to 150 i, Turnips, 200 to 500 ,, Onions, 100 to 150 „ 3a. Owing to the late wet spring and very dry weather through the summer, I do not think there was quite an average crop ; in some places very good (especially oats and peas), in other places quite light. 3b. Ladoga and Australian wheat, Chevalier barley, Egyptian and Welcome oats, Mummy and Imperial peas, Timothy and Cocksfoot grasses, Alsike clover, English Cluster hops, Empire State and Beauty of Hebron potato, Yellow Globe mangold, Swedes, Yellow Danver onion, and Student parsnip are considered the best for this district. 4. While fruit has been quite extensively planted, the orchards are all quite young yet, hence only small quantities of fruit have hitherto been available for sale. 4a. The season's crop was goocl. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 801 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4c Apples appear to do best on good, rich, light loam, while pears and all varieties of plums thrive on somewhat heavier soil, if well under-drained ; cherries thrive where apples do. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are not extensively grown. 4e. The following particular fruits do best:—Wealthy, Baldwin, Western Beauty, Blue Pearmain, Ben Davis, King of Tompkins County, Tetofsky, Gravenstein apples; Bartlett and Keifer's Hybrid pears; Italian prune; Coe's Golden Drop, Yellow Egg, and Black Imperial plums ; Black Heart and Duke cherries. 5. Linseed has been grown here for several years with good results. 6 and 7. Sugar beet and rape have been grown with good success as an experiment, but not extensively. 8a. A number of our residents are engaged in dairying, with, so far as I can learn, very satisfactory results, principally making butter. 8b. Butter has brought from 25 cents to 35 cents per pound. 9a. This part of the country is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There is no quantity of sheep kept. 9c. The wool is good and long. 9d. Average weight of fleece is 5 to 8 fts. 10a. People are generally going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following breeds the best for this district : Suffolk Punch and Clydesdales for draught; Percheron crossed with native mares for saddle ; Percheron and Cleveland Bay for harness ; Shorthorn and Ayrshire for beef, Jersey for dairy ; Dorsets for wool, Hampshire Downs for mutton ; Berkshire and Poland China pigs; Brown Leghorns and Plymouth Rock poultry. Ha. Almost everyone has a flock of fowls, but have no system of breeding. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents to 50 cents per dozen. 12. A few people have gone into bee-keeping with good results. 13a. Last winter there was a good deal of rain, very little snow or frost. 1 3b. The spring was wet; there were several sharp frosts that were Very detrimental to the early fruit. 13c. The summer was dry; we had some spells of pretty warm weather. 1 3d. There was very fine harvest weather until after the middle of September ; then heavy rains for several days ; then very fine days interspersed with wet; no frosts until well on towards the end of November. 14. The hop louse appeared in considerable numbers; there were also some insects (green lice) on apple trees, but as the orchards are young and generally very thrifty the damage was very slight; some of the settlers resorted to spraying. 15a. So far all the labourers that have been required have been easily procurable. 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages paid are $1 to $2 per diem. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 1 7. A great many are taking to fall ploughing now ; some have done it hitherto. 18. All our land is better for underdraining, some landowners are going into it quite extensively, and where done the most gratifying results follow. With our land underdrained we have no need of irrigation. Fencing in this district is very good, excellent material. Buildings not so good as may be desired, owing to remoteness from saw-mills. Generally speaking the settlers have all the implements they can make satisfactory use of. Mr. James Harding, Glenwood, says :—I have an Oregon bred mare, a high grade Norman mare with a colt out of a Suffolk Punch. The cattle are more or less Shorthorn blood. In this section Alsike clover is a splendid crop. 802 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. Henby T. Thrift, Hazelmere, says :—My stock are graded. Our land being good virgin soil so far no diseases have made their appearance. There are no diseases of animal life. The borer has made its appearance in the apple trees, not to any great extent ; also a small green louse has attacked the leaves and young shoots, but a liberal spraying seems to keep them in check. The hop aphis is giving me more trouble than anything else at present. Bears have got away with some of my pigs. I observe some of my neighbours are raising some very fine specimens of the Canada thistle, and just in this neighbourhood large Scotch thistles have made their appearance. The following I consider the best varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, ifec, for this locality :—Ladoga and Campbell's White Chaff Spring wheat, Four-rowed barley, Welcome and White Egyptian oats, Mummy peas, Empire State and Blue Canada Victor potatoes, Giant Mammoth mangold, Yellow Danver onion, Timothy, Blue grass, and Cocksfoot grasses, Alsike clover, Early English Cluster hops, Wealthy, Baldwin, King of Tompkins County, and Golden Pippen apples. I have raised good fall wheat, but forget the name. All kinds of carrots do well, and any variety of turnips. I consider the following the best breeds of stock :—General purpose horses, Holstein cattle for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, Dorsets for wool and mutton, Berkshire and cross of Berkshire with White Suffolk pigs, and Plymouth Rock chickens. PORT KELLS Is situated on the southern bank of Fraser River some eight or nine miles above New Westminster, and has in its vicinity about thirty settlers. Access is had to it by steamer and by the Canadian Pacific Railway by crossing the river to Port Hammond. The land, like all of it along this part of the river, is of excellent, quality, being formed of the alluvial deposit of the Fraser. All ordinary crops are easily raised, more particularly fruit. Brush and trees of alder, maple, and cottonwood cover the ground pretty generally. The altitude, temperature and precipitation are much the same as that, of other places similarly situated in this region. Principal pests and diseases reported are red water in cattle, aphides, bears, and thistles. From returns received it appears that 5 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 72 per cent, is woodland or forest, and 23 per cent, is pasture. Mr. P. McClarty says :—My stock are graded Durhams. Aryshire cattle for dairying, Durhams for beef, and Berkshire pigs are the best breeds for this locality. Last winter there was not much snow. There was considerable rain, and no cold weather. Spring was late, but favourable for seeding. The summer, autumn, and harvest weather were good. No frost, till late in the fall. Crops were well harvested and yielded well. Mr. Zenas Daniel Page says :—My stock are a graded cross between Shorthorns and Holsteins. Red water is a disease of animal life here. Insect pests are mosquitoes and fruit lice. Animal pests are bears and lynx. Ferns and thistles are noxious weeds. The. following- are the best varieties of cereals, roots, fruits, &c, for this locality :—Egyptian oats, Egyptian peas, Beauty of Hebron and Burbank's Seedling potatoes, Short White carrots, Purple Top swede, Yellow Danver onion, Timothy and Blue grasses, Red, White, and Alsike clovers, Russet, Baldwin, Red Astrachan, and Gravenstein apples ; almost all the leading varieties of pears except Flemish Beauty and Winter Nelis ; all kinds of plums, prunes, and cherries, and early varieties of peaches, which latter, however, are not a sure crop. Percheron and Suffolk Punch horses, Holsteins for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, Southdowns for mutton, and Berkshire pigs. Last winter there was not much snow; there was a great deal of rain ; not much cold weather. The spring was rather late, but for sound land was good for seeding, but seeding was late for wet land. The summer was good for crops. The early autumn was good, with lots of rain later. Harvest weather was good. The first frost was on September 22nd, but very light. There was no more till October 22nd. T think the yield was good considering the many stumps there are on the land. Crops were saved in very good order. Mr. A. J. Gordon says :—There was not much snow last winter. There was not much cold weather, but there was considerable rain. Spring was early, with heavy rains in the latter part. Seed time was good for early crops. The summer was short but good. The autumn was fair. Harvest weather was good for early crops. Frost in May injured some fruits. The yield of crops was good. Early crops were saved in good order, but late crops were somewhat damaged. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 803 Mr. William A. Stone says :—Wild parsnip is a noxious weed, and is injurious to cattle. The following varieties of cereals, Arc, are the best for this locality :—Black Tartarian and Black Mane Side oats, Multiplier peas, Red Flint corn, Golden Wax beans, Green Mountain and Empire State potatoes, Short White carrots, Purple Top turnips, Danver Yellow Globe onion, and Timothy grass. All clovers are good. Graded Shorthorns for dairying and beef, Berkshire pigs, Brahma, Plymouth Rock, Leghorn, Minorca, and cross between Leghorn and Minorcas for poultry. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was considerable rain, but not much cold. The spring was early and good for early crops ; it was wet for late crops. The autumn was fair. Harvest weather was good for early crops. There were some rather late frosts on the flats which injured some small fruits. The yield of fruits was good, and they were saved in fair condition. Mr. David Sutherland says :—Empire State, Early and Late Rose potatoes, Swedes, Oregon Long Keeper and Early Red onions, Sugar beets, Timothy and Red and Alsike clover, I consider to be the best varieties for this locality. All kinds of carrots do well, and I think hops would do well. I think almost all kinds of apples, pears, plums, prunes and cherries do well ; no orchards in vicinity old enough to bear yet, but young trees which are set out are healthy and thriving well. The earlier sorts of peaches are best. LANGLEY PRAIR1E, On the south side of the Fraser, is situated about five miles back from the landing at, Langley, with which it is connected by a very fair road. The Yale Waggon Road also passes through it. The character of the soil is a clayey loam well adapted for crops and fruits of all kinds, provided it is drained, a great deal of the countiy being flat and lying low. A large quantity of hay, grain and root crops are produced, and some fruit, the trees being older than in most of the adjoining places. Dairying also is followed, but not in tie systematic manner nor as extensively as it should be in a country so favourable, for the purpose as this is. Swine and poultry are also raised in some numbers There are about 150 ranchers within a certain radius, leaving out Langley and Shortreed. Much of the, country is open, some of it partly covered with a small growth of alder, birch, etc., and on the higher ground fir and cedar abound. It has not much elevation, the altitude being only a little above that of the Fraser. The precipitation is, like the rest of this region, considerably in excess of requirements. The snowfall is, however, usually light, and the temperature very equable. The aphis is the only pest complained of. By returns received, I find that 104 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 71A_ per cent, is woodland or forest, and 18 per cent, is swamp and marsh. It will be seen that Mr. Riddell's estimate of cultivated land comes very close to the above. Mr. George Riddell gives the following approximate data :— Land owned 93,000 acres. Land cultivated 10,000 „ Grain produced 400 tons. Hay produced 1,000 ,, Roots produced 4,000 n Fruit produced 4 n Catte owned 800 head. Horses owned 100 n Sheep owned 150 n Swine owned ' 1,200 n The following is the report of Mr. George Riddell, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (spring), 35 bush, per acre ; $35 per ton. Oats, 60 i, t, 30 Peas, 35 ,., ,, 40 2. Hay, 2| tons „ 13 „ Hops, 1 ,, n 25 cents per ft. 3. Potatoes, 250 bush. „ 20 per ton. Onions, 200 „ ,, 2 cents per ft. Parsnips, 1 cent per ft. 804 Report on Agriculture. 1893 3b. Spring- wheat, White oats, Egyptian peas, Timothy, Red "and Alsike clover, Early Rose and Chili potatoes, White Vosges carrot, swedes, Yellow Danver onion, and Drumhead cabbage are best suited to this locality. 4. The average price for apples is 2 cents per ft. ; pears, 3 cents per ft. ; plums and prunes, 2 cents per ft. ; cherries, 5 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was fairly good. 4b. The quality of the fruit was medium. 4c. A light soil, a somewhat sandy loam, is the best for fruit culture. 4d. Peaches are successfully grown. Grapes don't do very well. Melons and tomatoes don't ripen. 4e. Ben Davis, Russets, Northern Spy, Astrachan, and Duchess of Oldenberg apples, Bartlett and Lawson pears, Yellow Gage, Imperial Gage, and German plums, Yellow Spanish and Black Tartarian cherries give the best results. 5. Linseed has been grown with fairly good success. 8a. Dairying is carried on with fairly good success. 8b. Prices obtainable for butter and cheese are, 25 cents and 15 cents, respectively, per ft. 9a. This part is well suited to sheep-raising if proper houses are erected for shelter of sheep. 9b. Sheep not raised to any extent. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 4 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. Clydes for draught, Cayuse or Hambletonians for saddle, grades for harness; Durhams for beef, Jerseys for dairying, and Brahmas and Plymouth Rock poultry, are the best breeds. 1 1a. Poultry-raising is gone into. The system is not so good as it might be. I 1b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has been tried and yields well. 13a. Last winter there was rain with little frost. 13b. The spring was wet with a slight frost. 13o. The summer was hot. 13d. The autumn was wet; no frosts. 13e. There was a loss of about 10 per cent, from unfavourable weather. 14. No diseases and pests. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites. 15c. Average wages are $35 per month with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 1 7. About 25 per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. 18. This vicinity is suitable for hay-raising and dairying. The most of the land is undrained and will not be good for grain-raising till drained, on account of wet in winter, spring and autumn. Mr. Joseph Drinkwater says :—Empire State, Pearl of Savoy, and Early Rose potatoes, Steele's Improved Short White carrot, Purple Top swede, Yellow Danver and Red Wethersfield onions, Timothy, Kentucky Blue, and Rye grasses, Common Red clover, Gravenstein, Red Astrachan, Golden Russets, Fameuse, and Wealthy apples, Bartlett pears, Lombard and McLaughlen's Greengage plums, Ostheim and Black Tartarian cherries, Hyslop peaches, and Concord, Worden, and Moore's early grapes are the best varieties for this district. Suffolk Punch horses; Herefords, Durhams, and Holsteins for dairying; Durhams for beef; Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock, Brahma and White Leghorn poultry, are the bests breeds for this district. Last winter there was not much snow, there was a moderate amount of rain, and not much cold weather. Spring was early and very favourable for seeding. The summer was fair, and the autumn was good. Harvest weather was very 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 805 good if quickly made use of. This section could grow most magnificent fruit of all kinds. I consider the yield of crops was moderate. Some crops were left too late and were caught by the wet weather. Me. Benjamin Boake says :—My young stock are graded. Green lice on the leaves of the fruit, both apple and plum, trees are insect pests. Last winter there was scarcely any snow, there was considerable rain, not much cold weather. The spring was late and very wet. Seeding time was too wet. The summer was very fair ; there was one rather dry spell. The autumn was very fair. Harvest weather was favourable. There was frost the first week in May. Draining is very needful here. I consider the yield of crops was good, and the quality of grain was very fair. LANGLEY, On the south bank of the Fraser, some eighteen or twenty miles above New Westminster, has about 130 ranchers. A great deal of the land lies low, and is subject to inundation by the backwater of Salmon River when the Fraser River is in flood. The precipitation also being so great, makes it necessary to drain the land very thoroughly. There is a quantity of land, however, which is high and out of the reach of the floods. This land, as a rule, is wooded and has to be cleared, but when brought under cultivation makes, the best fruit- producing land. The bottom lands are, of course, very rich, and afford excellent pasture for cattle ; they also produce goocl crops of hay, grain, and most kinds of root crops. The higher lauds are, however, better for potatoes and Red clover, the latter yielding most extraordinary crops. This part of the country is also well adapted to hop-growing. Fruit is produced in fair quantities, some of the orchards being in bearing, but many are still too young. Hay and root crops are also produced largely, and some grain. Dairying is carried on to some extent, as are also the poultry and swine industries. Langley is easily accessible by steamer, and by the Canadian Pacific Railway by crossing the river to Port Haney. A road leads to and joins the Yale Waggon Road about seven miles back. No particular pests are complained of. From returns received, it appears that 8J per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 69 per cent, is woodland or forest, 6 per cent, is swamj) and marsh, and 16|- per cent, is pasture. Mr. John Pratt says :—The following varieties of cereals, roots, etc., do well here : Fife spring wheat, Hulless barley, Mane oats, McLean peas, Early Rose, Beauty of Hebron, and Garnet Chili potatoes, Early Horn and White Oscar carrots, Red and Turnip beets, ■Timothy, Red Top, and Alsike clover. Hops do splendidly. All kinds of apples, pears, and plums grow luxuriantly and bear in great abundance. Quinces do well. The best breeds of stock for here are : Suffolk Punch and Clydesdale horses, Jerseys and Durhams for dairying, Leicesters for wool, and Southdowns for mutton, and Berkshire pigs. All kinds of poultry do well, and bees do fairly well. Last winter there was very little snow, and no cause to grumble on account of rain. There was not much cold weather. The spring was latish, and seed-time was rather late. The summer was pretty fair. I consider the yield of crops was good. Mr. Alexander Williams says :—Early Rose potatoes, swedes, and Early turnips, Red and Yellow onions. Timothy and Red clover are the best varieties for this district. Berkshire pigs and cross-bred chickens are the best breeds of stock for here. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was a great deal of rain ; there was not much cold weather. The spring- was late on account of rain. Seed-time was not favourable. The summer up till the 30th July was wet. There was a frost in the spring disastrous to fruit. Mr. Geo. Rawlison, correspondent, furnishes the following approximate data :— Quantity of land owned 60,000 acres. it ii cultivated (pasture land included.) 10,000 n Number of tons of grain produced 1,000 tons. it it hay produced 2,500 it ii ii root crops 600 n it i, fruit 30 ii ii cattle owned 1,200 head. ti horses owned 500 u ii sheep owned 500 n n swine owned 750 h 806 Report on Agriculture. 1893 ALDERGROVE, The post office, of Shortreed, which, I think, may be, considered about the centre of the district, is on the Yale Waggon Road, some seven miles from Langley Prairie, about twelve by road from Langley, and about eight, miles from Mount Lehman. At the two last-named points access is had to the river, with good facilities for shipping. Part of the road between Langley and Shortreed had been newly made-too late, I was told, in the year—and the consequence was that when I went over it in October it was very bad for about two miles ; otherwise, the road was in fair condition. The nature of the soil, combined with the humidity of the climate in this region, renders road-making and maintaining very expensive—a fact well recognized by the various municipalities. The land rises considerably between the river and Aldergrove, so that it is not subject to trouble by inundation, and the undulating surface of the country affords excellent opportunities for drainage. The major part has at some time been covered with a large growth of timber, principally cedar, but that has disappeared, evidently by the action of fires, with the exception of the blackened stumps and some of the huge trunks, which remain to bear witness to the fact. Its place is now usurped by a young- growth, principally of alder, birch and maple. The soil is a red loam on the higher parts, well adapted to fruit-growing, and in the bottom a rich black loam, where root crops and hops do excellently. Little grain is raised, the farmers going in principally for root crops, hay, and hops. A considerable quantity of the latter is planted out. Pests complained of are thistles, fern, sorrel, rabbits, and the aphis on hops and fruit trees. Dairying is followed to a considerable extent, but the poultry, swine and sheep industries are not carried on much. The climate is much as it is all over this section, heavy rainfall and not much snow, and the temperature never very cold nor very hot. About two hundred and thirty ranchers live hereabouts. According to returns, it appears that 6 A per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 74 per cent, is woodland or forest, 12 per cent, is swamp, marsh and rock, and 7-J per cent, is pasture. It will be seen that Mr. Shortreed estimates the cultivated land at only 3| per cent. Mr. R. Shortreed gives the following approximate data :— Quantity of land owned about 23,000 acres. it tt cultivated n 800 n Number of tons of grain produced 300 tons. it it hay produced 700 n it it root crops ?. . . . 600 n ,i it fruit.- Fruit only coining into bearing. ii. cattle owned .' 700 to 1,000 head. horses .. 50 to 100 „ tt sheep ii about 100 n i, swine n 300 to 500 m The following is the report of Mr. R, Shortreed, correspondent:— 1. Oats, 60 bushels per acre, 1A cents per ft. Peas, 40 ii ii 2 to 3 cents per ft. 2. Hay, 3 tons n $15 per ton. Hops, 1 to 1A tons it 25 cents per ft. 3. Potatoes, 300 bushels, $ :0 to $30 per ton. Turnips, $9 per ton. Onions, 3 cents per ft. Cabbages, 2 cents per ft. 3b. Banner oats, Mummy peas, Timothy grass, June Red clover, White Belgian carrot, Swedes, Danver onions, Long Blood beet, and Late Drumhead cabbage are best for this locality. 4. The following are the average prices for— Apples, 2 cents per ft. Pears 3 to 4 n it Plums and Prunes, 4 n h Cherries, 7 n n The cultivation of small fruits, berries, currants, etc., give the very best results, both as to quality and quantity. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 807 4a. Last season's crop was fair; the very early blooms were frosted. 4b. The fruit was of the best quality. 4c. For fruit culture a sandy clay loam, or very light clay loam for all but small fruits, is best. Currants, berries, etc., do best on a dark clay loam, not peat lands. Id. Peaches have not been successfully grown so far. Apricots and nectarines are not grown. Grapes did well; but few missed. Melons have not been successful so far. Tomatoes do fairly well. 4e. The following are the particular names of the varieties which give best results :— Baldwin, Gravenstein, Duchess of Oldenberg and Ben Davis apples; Bartlett, Clapp's Favourite and Flemish Beauty pears; Washington and Imperial Gage plums ; Black Tartarian and May Duke cherries. 5. Linseed is not cultivated, so far, as an industry. 6. The same of Sugar beet, but as an experiment, it yields well. 7. Rape does well. 8a. Dairying is followed to a considerable extent, and results are good. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is from 22 cents in midsummer to 30 cents in winter; for cheese, 13 to 14 cents. 9. Sheep have not been tried to any extent. 10a. People are going in. for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following are the best kinds of stock for this district:—Percherons, Clydes and Shires for draught, Durhams for beef, graded Durhams and Ayreshires for dairying, Berkshire pigs, and Yellow Leghorn poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is yet in its infancy, but is being gone into more every season, with good success and system. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 to 30 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have been very little tried, so far with indifferent success. 13a. Last winter was very wet. 13b. The spring was wet and late. 13c. The summer was moderate. 13d. The autumn was wet and harvest weather uncertain. 13e. The percentage of loss was small. 14. The loss among fruit trees by the " woolly aphis" was small, as last season was its first appearance here. The hop-louse caused a great deal of damage among the hop-vines last season, destroying nearly 50 per cent, of the crop. 15a. Labourers are to be procured easily. 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages are $1.25 to $1.50 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. About 50 per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. 18. The prospects for agriculture are good, though clearing the land of underbrush is a great impediment. Fences are good, plenty of rail and post timber being available. The same applies to building materials ; improved machinery being limited, as area cultivated as yet is small. Mr. R, E. C. McGie says :—I have one Holstein heifer; the others are scrub stock. Ferns and a few thistles are the noxious weeds. Mammoth clover is the best for high land. Leghorn and Plymouth Rock poultry are the best strains. Last winter was fine, with not much snow, but a very great quantity of rain. The spring was late; it was good for seeding. The summer was very wet, with a fine autumn and good harvest weather. I consider the yield of crops was very good. Me. C. C. Geeen says:—My stock are graded Shorthorns. Rabbits are an animal pest. Red clover does very well here, 808 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Me, James McDonald says :—Fern is a noxious weed. Empire State potatoes, Red clovers, and Gravenstein apples are well suited to this locality. Durham cattle are the best for beef. Me. Alex. MacConnell says:—Thistles and sorrel are noxious weeds here. Mr. F. B. Day says :—Lice are coming on the hops. I am going to use whale oil, soap, and bearberry bark. Do you know of anything better? MOUNT LEHMAN, On the southern bank of the Fraser, about thirty miles by water above New Westminster, has in the neighbourhood of one hundred ranchers. Being at a considerable elevation above the level of the river, probably two hundred feet, it is out of the reach of floods. It is generally heavily timbered, but with patches of semi-open land, covered with maple, alder, and such wood, which are comparatively easily cleared. A road runs through the settlement, and joins the Yale Waggon Road about seven miles back. The rainfall is probably about fifty-five inches, and the snowfall inconsiderable ; temperature probably goes up to 90° occasionally in summer, and a little below zero in winter. The soil is a rich black loam in the bottoms, and a red loam on the ridges. Fruit is raised in considerable quantities, and of very fine quality. Little grain is grown, but plenty of root crops and hay. Dairying is not carried on to any extent, and the same remark applies to raising sheep. A fair number of pigs are produced. No diseases and pests are complained of. About 8 per cent, of the land owned is, according to returns received, under cultivation, 75^ per cent, is woodland or forest, 5^ per cent, is swamp and marsh, and 11 per cent, is pasture. Mr. Thompson, it will be observed, estimates the cultivated land a little higher. I regret to say that some misleading reports were received from this section, but they were eliminated from this report. The following approximate data was supplied by Mr. E. J. Thompson :— Quantity of land owned about 9,000 acres. it ii cultivated 800 or 900 acres. Number of tons of grain produced 50 tons. t, tt hay ii 250 n ii tt root crops 250 n ti it fruit 20 it it cattle owned 250 head. .1 horses n 50 n ti sheep t, 100 n it swine m 500 n The report of Mr, E. J. Thompson, correspondent, is as follows :— 1. Oats, 1 ton per acre; $30 per ton. 2. Hay, 1 „ „ 10 to $12 per ton. 3. Potatoes, 4 to 5 n .. 12 to 15 m Carrots, 5 to 6 n n Turnips,' 10 to 12 n M 3b. Early Rose potatoes are the best for this locality. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable per box of about 50 fts,:—For apples, $1.10 ; pears, $2 ; plums and prunes, $3 ; cherries, $5 to $6. 4a. The season's crop was bad. 4b. The quality of the fruit was fair. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, and melons are not successfully raised; tomatoes are not to be relied on. 4e. Gravenstein, Baldwin, and Northern Spy apples and Bartlett pears give the best results. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 809 5, 6, and 7. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape are not tried. 8a. Dairying is not extensively followed. 8b. Butter fetches 25 cents per ft. 9b. There are no large numbers of sheep. 10b. I consider the following are the best breeds in this district:—Percherons for draught, ponies for saddle, Percherons for harness, Durhams for beef, Holsteins for dairying, and Berkshire pigs. 11a. Poultry-raising not extensively or systematically followed. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents to 30 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has not been tried. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites. 15e. The average wages are $2 and $1.50 and board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. About fifty per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. Mr. George McRae says :—Last winter there was not much snow; there was a good deal of rain ; no cold weather. The spring was late, and not good for seeding; the summer was wet, with a dry autumn and good harvest weather; there were no frosts. Mr. James Mereyfield says:—I consider the following varieties are the best for this district:—Royal Australian spring wheat, Hulless or Naked barley, Welcome oats, Egyptian and Mummy peas, King of the Earlies and Pearce's Prolific Kent corn, Japanese buckwheat, Early Rose, Daisy, Snowflake, and Garnet Chili potatoes, Red and Yellow Tankard mangolds, White Belgian carrots, Carter's Prize Winner swede, Red Wethersfield and Yellow Danver onions, Red Turnip beets, Orchard and Timothy grasses, Alsike and Common Red clovers, Gravenstein, Red Astrachan, and Duchess of Olclenberg fall apples, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Roxbury Russet and Rhode Island Greening winter apples, Vicar of Winkfield, Bartlett, Keifer's Hybrid, Beurre d'Anjou, and Winter Nelis pears, Peach, Columbia, Bradshaw, Lombard, Blue Denver, Yellow, and Egg plums, Royal Anne, Black Eagle, and Black Republican cherries, Hale's Early and Alexander peaches, Concord and Isabella grapes. Prunes with me are a total failure; when it is wet weather they crack and rot. White and Brown Leghorns and Silver Spangled Hamburg hens are the best poultry. Italian bees are the best. RIVERSIDE, OR MATSQUI, On the southern bank of the Fraser, at the crossing of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co.'s branch line to Whatcom, in Washington, has some ten ranchers in its immediate vicinity. It is forty-three miles from Vancouver by rail, and about thirty-seven by water from New Westminster. The land lies very low, and was subject to inundations from the Fraser until a dyke, some seven miles in length, was built, which now effectually shuts out the water, and a large extent of country is reclaimed. The soil is, of course, rich and deep, capable of producing all ordinary crops. It is also a fine dairying section. There are semi-open patches, interspersed with belts of wood and brush, which are easily cleared. Mr. C. J. Sim, Riverside, says :—My horses are of no particular breed; cows are a cross between Ayrshire and Shorthorn; my pigs are Berkshire and White Yorkshire. There are no very noticeable diseases of plant life; no disease is rife in this neighbourhood amongst, animal life ; there are no insect pests of importance. A small, dusky, dark brown beetle appears in large numbers on the willow leaves, which it eats ; it has not attacked any other vegetation yet. Animal pests are an occasional bear in the outlying parts. Canadian thistle has been seen in one spot—at the old Mission Station, C. P. R. The land, as a rule, is newly cultivated, and weeds have not appeared; thistles, however, are threatening. Banner oats are as good as any. I am trying Red Astrachan, Mann, and Gravenstein apples, Bartlett pears, Italian prunes, Greengage plums, and White Heart cherries. Wool is not raised 810 Report on Agriculture. 1893 hereabouts ; it is only worth ten cents per ft. The best breeds are heavy sheep for the low lands, and down sheep for the up lands. Berkshire pigs are the best; they require little feed to fatten. Last winter there was hardly any snow; there was a good deal of rain, but we did a good deal of work ; there was very little cold weather, only three days' skating; spring promised well, but turned cold ; seed-time was goocl; the summer was rather wet, with a fine autumn ; harvest weather was good, and there were no frosts up to 28th of October. I consider the yield of crops was good, and they were harvested in good condition. UPPER SUMAS, Including Abbotsford and Huntingdon, has about one hundred and thirty-five ranchers. The Yale Waggon Road passes through Abbotsford, and thence through Upper Sumas proper, round the head of the lake of that name. Abbotsford and Huntingdon are on the Whatcom branch of the C. P. Ry., the former about six miles from Riverside, and the latter about three miles further; near the international boundary. A great part of Upper Sumas is subject to inundations from Vedder Creek, which empties into Sumas Lake. A scheme has been on foot for some time to dyke the land about the lake and river, but it has thus far miscarried, and most of the land is therefore only used for pasture at low stages of the water. The lake itself is a curious sheet of water, being about six miles in length and four in width, and only from two to four feet deep. The land about it is scarcely above the level of the lake, which in turn is, I believe, very little above that of the Fraser, so that considerable difficulty would be experienced in any attempt to drain it. The higher lands are rather heavily wooded ; the soil is however goocl for fruit, and many orchards are being set out. Dairying is carried on to some extent, but is not prosecuted to the degree it deserves. Principal pests reported are aphides, caterpillars, mosquitoes, moles, ferns and thistles. According to returns received, four per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, forty-two per cent, is woodland or forest, twenty-two per cent, is swamp or marsh, and thirty-two per cent, is pasture. The following is the report of Mr. Wm. Fadden, correspondent : — 1. Spring Wheat, 20 to 30 bushels per acre, 1J cents per ft. Barley, Oats, 30 40 to 70 i ii H 1A II " Peas, 40 i it 2 II 1! Indian Corn, 70 i ii 1A 11 n Buckwheat, 40 to 50 . ii 1 II ii 2. Hay (Timothy and Clover), 2|- tons per acre, $10 to $12 per ton 3. Potat oes, 4 it 20 Mangolds, Carrots, 6 to 10 it 5 it 3 3 Turnips, Onions, 6 to 8 ,i 21 it n it 3 2 cents per ft. Beets, 6 tt $6 per ton. Cabbages, 3 to 4 it ii 1 cent, per ft. 3b. Early Rose, Morning Star, and Blue potatoes, Alsike clover, Swedes, and Sugar beet, give the best results. All kinds of roots and vegetables and nearly all kinds of grain do well here. 4. The average prices obtainable for the following are :— Apples, 1A cents per ft. Pears, 2 it it Plums and prunes, 3 it ii Cherries, 5 ii ii Peaches, 5 it ii Strawberries, 10 ii ti Blackberries, 8 it ti Raspberries, 10 ii ti 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 811 4a. The crop was a medium one. 4b. The quality of the fruit was very good. 4c. A ridge soil of sand and gravel; also a clay soil, with a sandy formation for drainage, are the best for fruit culture. 4d. Peaches are grown with success. Apricots and nectarines are not grown. Grapes are grown on a small scale and do well. Melons and tomatoes are grown. All fruits suited to the temperate region, and a good many of the tropical fruits, do well. 4e. Gravenstein apples, I think, are the best, and big Red and Black cherries. 5. Linseed is not cultivated with success. 6. Sugar beets have been grown, and grow very well. 7. Rape has never been tried. 8a. Dairying is gone in for considerably, with good results. 8b. The average prices for butter and cheese are 25 cents and 15 cents per ft., respectively. 9a. I consider this part is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are not many sheep raised here. 10a. People, as a rule, are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following are the best breeds of stock for this locality :—Clydesdale for draught, French Coach for saddle and harness, Durhams for beef and dairying, Southdowns and Leicesters for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs and Brown Leghorns, Plymouth Rock and Black Spanish poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is not systematically or extensively developed. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has been tried with goocl results. 13a. Last winter there was more rain than snow or frost. 13b. The spring was wet, with late frosts. 13c. The summer was wet. 13d. The autumn was wet, with bad harvest weather, and no frosts. 13c. There was a loss of about 10 per cent, from bad weather. 14. Caterpillars and mosquitoes are the pests, but not to any great extent. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites principally. 15c. The average wages are $2 per day for white labour, and $1 to $1.50 for Chinese and Indians. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is not'much fall ploughing done. I don't think it is successful. 18. Since one dyking company has fallen through the people are taking it into their own hands to form a dyking district, &e , and intend to push the work vigorously so as to have a dyke completed before May or June, 1894. Mr. David Manning, Abbotsford, says :—My stock are graded. Lice on apple trees are insect pests. Sorrel is a noxious weed. Potatoes, mangolds, turnips, and onions do well here. Red clover is the best variety. Red Astrachan, Newton Pippin, Baldwin, Duchess of Oldenberg, and Gravenstein apples, Bartlett pears, Italian and Silver prunes, Black Republican and Royal Anne cherries are, I consider, best suited to this locality. Mr. William Millee, Abbotsford, says :—I think bees would do well here. Blue jays are pests, and bull thistles and ferns are noxious weeds. This year there is a blight on the potatoes. Oats, peas, carrots, turnips, onions, and beets do well. I consider the following varieties best for this district:—Early Rose potatoes, Timothy for clay land, and Red Top and. Blue grass for gravelly land, Alsike and Common Red clovers, Ben Davis, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Baldwin, Red Astrachan, Spitzenburgh, Bartlett and Beurre d'Anjou pears, Silver and Italian prunes, Snelling and Royal Anne cherries, and Crawford's Early peaches. Peaches don't do well here. Every homesteader in this part is going in for fruit trees. There will be a large increase in orchards this coming fall which, I think, will be. a profitable investment. Mr. M. G. Fadden says :—Insect pests are fruit tree lice. Animal pests are moles. Ferns are noxious weeds. Early Rose potatoes are well suited to this locality. I consider Percheron and French coach horses, Jerseys and Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Leghorn poultry, and Italian bees, to be the, best breeds for this district. M. H. Fadden says :—My stock are common graded stock. Mosquitoes for six weeks or two months after high water are insect pests. Noxious weeds are common bull thistle and something similar to wild mustard springing up quite freely this year No fall wheat is grown here. Generally all kinds of grains, vegetables, grasses, potatoes, &c, do very well. There is no especial variety better suited than another. I think all kinds of apples, pears, plums, prunes, cherries, and peaches are suited to this district. There are no special breeds of horses here, all breeds seem to do well. I consider the best breeds for here are Durhams for dairying and beef, Southdowns for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs, Brown Leghorns and Black Spanish poultry, and Italian bees. The average wages for skilled labour, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, and other mechanics is : Without board, $3.25 per day, $75 per month ; with board, $2.75 per day, $55 per month. CHILLIWHACK, SUMAS, AND POPCUM, On the southern side of the Fraser, I have included under one heading, inasmuch as they form practically one settlement, the finest, most populous, and important in this part of the Lower Fraser. The town of Chilliwhack, about the centre of the district, is about fifty miles from New Westminster by river, and five from Harrison River Station, on the Canadian Pacific Railway, access to which is had by ferry. Sumas (sometimes called Lower Sumas) is about six miles from Chilliwhack down the river, by an excellent road, and Popcum, about thirteen miles up the river, by the Yale waggon road, which here, owing to the clayey nature of the soil and the difficulty of obtaining material for constructing roads, was in places somewhat soft and muddy when I went over it in November. Many settlers live along this road and on the branch roads leading into it. Popcum being situated on the river is also reached by water. Most of the roads in and about Chilliwhack are good. One, however, leading back and across Vedder Creek, over which Mr. Webb took me, is not good. Vedder Creek is spanned by a beautiful bridge, but the Municipality has not yet made proper approaches to it. The low lands about Chilliwhack and Sumas are generally partly open, with belts of small timber interspersed, forming a pleasing variety and affording plenty of timber for all farm purposes. Further back and along the road to Popcum it is more heavily wooded, and there is less open country. The soil is a rich clayey loamy which produces good crops of cereals and roots, of which a large quantity is raised; hops also do well, but thus far have not been much cultivated ; fruit is the coming industry, however ; a great many young orchards are being planted out, and a large quantity of fruit produced in the older ones. Dairying is also an industry which is being pushed a good deal, and which will no doubt in the future form one of the leading features of this section. This I believe is the only place in the Province where cheese is manufactured. A considerable quantity of swine and poultry is produced and some sheep. This is also the only place where honey is produced in any quantity, Mr. J. S. Smith, the principal producer, having probably 100 hives, from which he gets a very fine quality of honey. There are in the neighbourhood of two hundred and fifty farmers in the district. Although not lying high above the level of the Fraser, it is not subject to inundation from that river ; some trouble has however been experienced by the unruly conduct of the Luckakuck and Chilliwhack rivers, when they are in flood, sometimes breaking through their banks. The principal diseases and pests reported are hog cholera, aphides, thistles, wild oats, and potato and pear blight. According to returns received, I find that 26| per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 48 per cent, is woodland or forest, 3 per 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 813 cent, is swamp and marsh, and 22J per cent, is pasture. Mr. Webb's estimate of cultivated land in Chilliwhack it will be seen is about 16 per cent., and Mr. Chadsey's, of Sumas, 13 per cent. The difference can be accounted for in part or in whole from the fact that many owners of unimproved land (some being away and others not thinking it worth while) have not made returns. The following approximate data is furnished by Mb. Horatio Webb for Chilliwhack proper:— Quantity of land owned about 45,000 acres. ii tt cultivated u 7,000 n Number of tons of grain produced n 1,500 tons. it it hay produced » 5,000 n ii ii root crops n 2,000 tt ii ti fruit ii 175 ii ii cattle owned u 3,000 head. it horses owned n 1,200 n it sheep owned n 500 n ti swine owned n 4,000 n The following is the report of Mr. H. Webb, correspondent for Chilliwhack :— 1. Wheat (fall), 25 bushels per acre, $30 per ton. Wheat (spring), 35 „ „ 30 „ Barley, 50 n n 25 n Oats, GO ii tt 25 ti Peas, 35 „ „ 25 2. Hay, 2\ tons „ 10 Hops, 1,500 fts. tt 18c. per ft. 3. Potatoes, 150 bushels n 15 per ton. Mangolds, 30 tons n 6 . ii Carrots, 30 n n 6 n Turnips, 35 n n 4 n Onions, 15 it n 30 n Parsnips and beets, 1 cent per ft.; cabbages, | cent per ft. 3b. Democrat Fall wheat, Red Fife Spring wheat, Six-rowed barley, Banner oats, Mummy and Golden Vine peas, Timothy grass, Red clover, Early Rose and Stray Beauty potatoes, Long Red and Globe mangold, the Perfection carrot, Purple Top carrot, Wethersfield and Danver onions, Blood Turnip beet, Hollow Crown parsnip and Wakefield cabbage are best suited to this part, and give the best results. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable :— For apples, 2 cents per ft. ii pears, 3 n n it plums and prunes, 3 n n it cherries, 5 n h ii peaches, 6 n n 4a. The season's crop was generally light. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4d. Peaches are grown, but they are not a success. Grapes have not proved satisfactory. Melons do well some seasons. Tomatoes do well, but do not ripen without good care. 4e. The following are the particular fruits which give best results : Apples—Duchess of Oldenberg, Gravenstein, Bethel, Keswick Codlin, Ben Davis, Baldwin, Roxburry, Russet, Golden Russet, and all varieties of Pippins; pears—Bartlett, Beurre d'Anjou, Seckel, Winter Nelis, and Kieffer; plums—Imperial Gage, Peach, Lombard, and Egg ; cherries—Black Tartarian and Royal Anne. 5. 6, 7. Linseed, sugar beet and rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying is pursued extensively, and with good results. 814 Recort on Agriculture. 1893 8b. The average price for butter is 28 cents per ft., and for cheese 13 cents. 9a. This part is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep are not extensively raised. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 6 fts. 10a. People are generally going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following the best breeds for this district:—Clydesdales for draught, Roadsters crossed with common mares for saddle-horses, Coach and Hambleton- ians for harness ; Shorthorns for beef, Ayrshires and Jerseys for dairying ; Down sheep for mutton : Berkshire, Yorkshire, and Poland-China pigs, and Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is carried on by quite a few people. Incubators are quite common, and are satisfactory. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Several parties are trying bees, some having as many as 75 hives. Last summer being a cloudy one, the results were not so good as were expected. 13a. Last winter there was not much snow, but very cold, and rather a wet season. 13b. The spring was fine in the early part, but afterwards cold and wet. 13c. The summer was good, not very hot; a good deal of cool cloudy weather. 13d. The autumn was very wet after the early harvest was in.; the late harvest was a failure. 13e. There was a loss of about 10 per cent, through unfavourable weather. 14. We have been pretty free from pests of any kind, and the disease among pigs, so prevalent this time last year, has left us. The hop-louse did great destruction to the hops. 15a. Labourers are to be easily procured. 15 b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages are from $15 to $30 per month and board. 16. Ensilage has been tried, with better results than last year. 17. There was not much fall ploughing done ; it was too wet. 18. Improvements are going on in all directions, large tracts being cleared of timber and brush, also a large tract being reclaimed by ditching and draining. Goocl fences and buildings are being built. All kinds of machinery are in use for farming. Mr. W. H. DeWolf, Chilliwhack, says :—I have a half-bred Ayrshire and Durham cow, two graded cows, a registered Durham heifer, and a graded heifer. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, fruits, etc.:—Red Fife Spring wheat, Rough barley, Banner oats, Mummy peas, Chili potatoes, Swedes; Roxbury Russets, Mann, Wealthy, Yellow Transparent, King Tompkins, Baldwin and Gravenstein apples; Bartlett pears, Italian prunes, Royal Anne cherries, and Early Crawford peaches. I think the best breeds of stock for here are : Clydesdales, Durhams for dairying and beef, White Chester pigs, and Plymouth Rock poultry. Last winter there was not much snow; there was a good deal of rain ; there was not much cold weather. The spring was late; it was goocl for seeding. The summer was very good, and the autumn also till 20th September; after that there was considerable rain. Harvest weather was not good. I consider crops were harvested in good order, and they yielded very well. Me. W. H. Bayly, Chilliwhack, says :—My cattle are graded Ayrshires. I consider the following the best varieties of roots, grasses, and fruits:—Garnet Chili and Red Dakota potatoes; Large Red clover; Gravenstein, Duchess of Oldenberg and Wealthy for early fall apples; Baldwin, Golden Russet and Ben Davis for winter apples; Bartlett pears, Bradshaw plums, and Napoleon or English Ox-heart cherries. Timothy does well where the land is properly drained. The following breeds of stock are the best for this locality :—Ayrshires for dairying, Berkshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn poultry. From January to December there were 238 wet or showery days, and 128 cloudy and fine days. (For fuller particulars about 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 815 the weather (see Mr. Bayly's remarks under "Meteorological."—J. R. A.) There were frosts on the 7th and Sth of April. I consider the yield of crops was good, and they were saved in good order. Mr. George Good, Chilliwhack, says :—The insect pests are green lice on trees and curl leaf on peaches. Hog cholera is a disease here. The following varieties are the best for this locality :—Colorado Spring wheat, American Banner oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Early Rose and Rural New Yorker potatoes, Alsike clover, Golden Russet, English Russet, King's Greening and Maiden's Blush apples. Clydesdale horses, Jerseys for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshires and Chester White pigs. There was not much snow last winter; there was a good deal of rain and not much cold weather. The spring was late and unfavourable for seeding. The summer was changeable, the autumn was wet. The harvest weather was pretty favourable. There was frost on the 10th of October. I consider the crops yielded very well, and were saved in fair condition. Mr. Jacob Zink, Chilliwhack, says :—My stock are of no particular breed. Ferns are a noxious weed. Dakota Red potatoes, Swedes, Timothy, and Red clover are all well suited to this district. Last winter there was a medium fall of snow ; there was plenty of rain. The spring was late, seed time was pretty favourable. The summer and autumn were good. Harvest weather was favourable. We had a frost that killed the peaches. If farmers could have money at six per cent, on good security to make improvements and buy useful machinery there could be many more necessary improvements made. I consider the yield of crops was good, and that they were saved in good condition. Mr. R. Wt. Prowse, Chilliwhack, says :—My horses are common grades. My cattle are bred from pedigreed Holsteins, Jerseys, and the milk strain of Durhams. Scotch thistles are noxious weeds. The best kinds of cereals, roots, fruit, &c, for this locality are Swamp Spring wheat, Banner oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Long Red mangolds, Steel's Short White carrots, Purple Top swede, Yellow Danver onion, Timothy grass, Alsike clover, Duchess of Oldenberg apple, Royal Anne and Yellow Spanish cherry, and Early Crawford peaches. The best breeds of stock are Percheron horses, Jerseys and the milk strain of Durhams for dairying; Leicesters for wool, Southdowns for mutton; Berkshire pigs; Light Brahmas, Brown Leghorns, and Plymouth Rock poultry. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was a good deal of rain; there was not much cold weather. The spring was late and not very good for Wet land. The summer was rather wet for low land, and autumn was wet. The weather was favourable for early harvest. I think there was a full average crop, and the crops were saved passably well; they would have been harvested better if good weather had prevailed at the right time. Mr. Henry Jespersen, Chilliwhack, says :—My bull is three-quarter bred Holstein ; my other cattle are graded Jerseys and Durhams. Smut occurred here in barley. I never seem to have noticed it before, but this is the first time I have tried barley. Hog cholera is a disease of animal life. Last year hundreds of hogs were destroyed by it here. This year I have not yet heard of the disease at till. The noxious weeds here in Chilliwhack are Canadian thistles, but only in small spots ; and also wild oats. I have none on my farm. The following I consider the best varieties of cereals, roots, and grasses for this locality : Six-rowed barley, Banner and Egyptian oats, Mummy peas, Dakota Red potatoes, White Belgium carrots, Mammoth swede, Yellow Danver onion, and Timothy grass. The following breeds of stock are the best for this district:—Suffolk Punches, Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Brahmas and Plymouth Rock poultry. Mr. Eugene F. Smith, Sardis, says:—My cattle are grade Durhams and Holsteins. The diseases of plant life here are pear leaf blight, potato blight, curl leaf, and yellows in peaches. Diseases of animal life are hog cholera, as it is called here. They have a high fever and looseness of bowels, no appetite, and dwindle away and die. Insect pests are tent caterpillars, green and brown lice. Noxious weeds are chick-weed and crab-grass. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, &c, for this district:—Banner oats, Partridge peas, Navy beans, Early Rose and Blue Halleys potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Improved Short White carrots, Purple Top swedes, Yellow Globe Danver onions, Flat Egyptian beets, Timothy grass, Red and White clovers, Yellow Transparent and Astrachan apples; for summer Gravenstein, Duchess of Oldenberg, Wealthy, and Maiden's Blush, and for fall, Golden Russet, Baldwin, Ben Davis, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, and Esopus Spitzenbergs; for winser Bartlett, Clap's Favourite, Beurre d'Anjou pears; German, Royal George, Golden Drop, Sib Report on Agriculture. 1893 Peach, Yellow Egg and Red Egg or Magnum Bonum plums, Governor Wood, which, however, is liable to crack, Napoleon or Royal Anne is the best, Black Tartarian, Snelling and Early Richmond cherries ; Alexander, Ansden and Globe peaches ; Champion quinces ; Moorpark apricots ; Isabella and Niagara grapes. The best breeds of stocks for here are Norman horses, Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Merinos for wool, Southdowns and Shropshire Downs for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Brown and White Leghorns, and Plymouth Rock fowls. Mr. Samuel Mellard, Chilliwhack, says :—All kinds of cereals, roots, grasses, clovers, and hops are adapted to this locality. The following are the best varieties of fruit for here : Ben Davis, Baldwin, Twenty Ounce Pippin, Alexander, Canada Red, Duchess of Oldenberg, Gravenstein, and Golden Russet apples ; Bartlett and Beurre Claregunn pears ; Peach, Brad- shaw, Reine Claude and Yellow Egg plums; Italian and German prunes ; Royal Anne and May Duke cherries; Early Crawford, Foster, Early Charlotte, and Hales Early peaches; Royal and Moorpark apricots, and Boston nectarines. The best breeds of stock are Clyde and Suffolk Punch horses, Holstein and Jersey cattle for dairying, Chester White, Berkshire and Poland-China pigs, Black Spanish, Brown and White Leghorn, and Wyandotte chickens, and all kinds of bees. Mr. Levi McCumber, Sardis, says:—I find a large caterpillar on the fruit trees ; also a short black one that makes a web and forms it large bunch and seems to kill the tree. I have a large number of peach trees, the leaves and tops of which are blighted. Last winter there was not much snow, there was a good deal of rain, not much cold. The spring was late. The summer was fine, pleasant weather. The last part of July and the first part of August was good harvest weather. The yield was good, and was of good quality, with the exception of some that was sowed late and harvested late. I have only just started on a bush ranch, and I find nearly all kinds of fruit trees grow very fast and look very healthy. Mr. Arthur Mennell, Chilliwhack, says :—The diseases of plant life here are potato blight, curl leaf on peaches, and a bark disease on plum trees, blue jay (see " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) Noxious weeds are sorrel, chickweed, and Scotch thistle. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, grasses, fruits, etc. : Ladoga and Campbell's White Chaff spring wheat, Kinver Chevalier barley, Banner oats, Common Grey peas, Cory corn (for table), Early Rose, Schoolmaster, and Chili potatoes, Long Red mangolds, all kinds of carrots, Elephant swede, Yellow Danver onion, Orchard, Perennial Rye, Meadow Fescue, and Timothy grasses, White Dutch, Alsike, and Common Red clovers; Blue Pearmain, Gravenstein, Baldwin, Golden Russet, Red Astrachan, Maiden's Blush, Spitzenberg, and Duchess of Oldenburg apples ; Winter Nelis, Bartlett, and Flemish Beauty pears; Imperial Gage, Bradshaw, Coe's Golden Drop, and Yellow Egg plums, Italian prunes, Queen Anne, Early Richmond, and Black Tartarian cherries ; Crawford's Early and Late, and Alexander peaches, and Niagara grapes. The following I consider to be the best breeds of stock for this district : Clydesdale horses, Jerseys for dairying, Durhams for beef, Southdowns for wool, Shropshires for mutton, White Yorkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock and Black Spanish chickens. Mr. John Maynaed, Chilliwack, says :—My stock are all graded. I have been using thoroughbred bulls of my neighbours, and have Holsteins, Durhams, and Ayrshires. The borers are insect pests; they have tackled my trees, and something stung or made a small hole in the gooseberries, causing them to rot and drop off. Noxious weeds are chickweed, pigweed, sowthistle, and flat-bottom summer grass. Banner oats, Mummy peas, Early Dwarf corn, Timothy, and Alsike clover are the best varieties. All kinds of roots are prolific on our soil. All our orchards are young, and we have very little idea as to what kinds are best. Duchess of Oldenberg and Red Astrachan are the first to bear with me. Peaches are a total failure on our low or peat soil. I consider the following breels of stock are the best : Clydes or Punches, as they step easily and carefully in the mud (Percherons we do not like as they are too excitable), Ayrshires for dairying, Durhams for beef, and Black Berkshire pigs. Me. Charles Cremer, Chilliwack, says :—Mosquitoes are insect pests. Noxious weeds are thistles, wild parsnip, and burdock. Millet does well and is good feed for cattle. Mummy peas, Chili potatoes, White carrots, White Danver onions, Orchard grass, Roxbury Russet, Crab, Gravenstein, Ben Davis, and English Russet apples, Bartlett pears, Magnum Bonum, Italian, and Greengage plums, Black Tartarian cherries, and Early Charlotte peaches, are the best varieties of grain, fruit, etc., for this part of the district. Percheron horses and White Yorkshire pigs are the best breeds for this part. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 8i7 Mr, G. W. Chadsey furnishes the following approximate data for Lower Sumas :— Quantity of land owned about 15,000 acres. it it cultivated 2,000 n Number of tons grain produced 200 tons. ,i hay i, * 1,200 „ ii ii root crops , 100 n ii ii fruit 50 ti it cattle owned 750 head. it horses n 300 n ii sheep ii 100 n n swine n 200 n The following is the report of Mr. G. W. Chadsey, correspondent for Sumas:— 1. Wheat (fall), 40 bush, per acre; $35 per ton. Wheat (spring), 33 ,, n Barley, 50 n n 30 n Oats, 60 it it 25 n Peas, 30 ,, „ 30 „ 2. Hay, 3 „ „ 12 Hops.—Some growers claim they can raise 1 ton per acre. 3. Potatoes 5 tons per acre ; $30 per ton. Mangolds, 30 n n 5 t> Carrots, 30 n n 5 n Turnips, 30 n n 5 n Onions, 5 n n 30 to $40 per ton. Parsnips, 15 to 20 M n 20 per ton. Beets, 25 n n 15 n Cabbages, 8 n n 12 n 3b. Red Fife and Ladoga wheat, Rough Six-rowed barley, American Banner oats, Black-eyed Susan peas, Timothy, Alsike clover, Early Rose potato, Elephant swede, and Long Red beet are the best for this district. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable for fruit : For apples, $1 per box of 45 fts.; pears, $1.25; plums and prunes, $1.25; cherries, 6 cents per ft.; Peaches, 4 cents per ft. ; quinces, 5 cents per ft. ; apricots, 4 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was far below the average. 4b. The fruit was of good quality. 4c. Baldwin, Northern Spy, Golden Russet, King of Tompkins, Seek no Further, Wealthy and many other apples do well on a light soil such as a sandy loam; others succeed on a clay loam. 4d. Peaches are grown with medium success. Apricots and nectarines are not yet bearing. Grapes of hardy variety do well. Melons and tomatoes do well. 4e. The following particular fruits give the best results : Gravenstein, King, Ben Davis (medium), Baldwin, Northern Spy, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Seek no Further, Lemon, Porter, and Wealthy apples, Bartlett, Louise Bonne de Jersey (splendid), Beurre d'Anjou, and Sekel pears, Magnum Bonum, Coe's Golden Drop, Red Egg, Yellow Egg, and Greengage plums, and Queen Anne cherries. 5. Linseed has been cultivated with good success. 6. Sugar beets are successful. 7. Rape has been grown without much success. 8a. This is a grand dairy country, with cool nights and no weeds to cause a taint of butter or milk. 8b. The prices obtainable for butter are 25 to 30 cents per ft. ; for cheese, 12 to 17 cents. 9a. This locality is well adapted for sheep ; they do very well. 818 Report on Agriculture. 1893 9b. No extensive flocks of sheep are raised. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 4 to 5 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following are the best breeds for this district : Clyde, Shire, Percheron, and Suffolk Punches for draught, Cayuse for saddle, French Coach for saddle; Durhams and Polled Angus for beef, Holsteins for dairy; Cotswolds for wool, Southdowns for mutton; Berkshire pigs, and White Plymouth Rock poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is carried on to a considerable extent, 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have been tried with success. 14. Stock are pretty healthy, except some distemper among horses. There are some fruit pests, but nothing serious. Canadian thistles are getting a foothold, also burdock. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages are $25 per month. 16. Ensilage has been tried with good results. 17. Fall ploughing is done to the extent of about one-twentieth. 18. There is $15,000 to be expended on ditching in Chilliwack, $250,000 on dyking on Sumas. Indian Home school to be erected at Chilliwack at a cost of $20,000. Mr. A. H. Wane, Sumas, says : —My stock are half and quarter-bred Jerseys. Early- potatoes are showing some signs of blight, which did some damage last year. Aphides are rather numerous on young fruit trees. There are no animal pests to speak of. Ferns are very troublesome. Bull thistles are making their appearance. Herrick, or wild mustard, is showing in some, places. Banner oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy, Northern Spy, Golden Russet, Baldwin, King, and Maiden's Blush apples, Bartlett pears, Royal George, Magnum Bonum, Peach, and Greengage of the old varieties of plums, and Royal Anne cherries are the best varieties for this locality. I consider Jerseys for dairying, Durhams for beef, and Plymouth Rock and Brown Leghorn poultry are the best breeds of stock for this district. Last winter there was very little snow. The winter was mild ; there was a large amount of rain up to January 1st, after that date no great amount. The spring was late, but, on the whole, favourable for seeding. The summer was unusually showery. The autumn was fine with two or three broken spells. Harvest weather was good for early grain. The last frost in the spring was on the 1st of May, and the first in the autumn was on October 14th. There were no thunder storms during the summer ; there was a slight one in September. On the whole, the crops were well saved. A small per cent, of hay was damaged. There was about an average yield. Mr. D. McGillivray, Sumas, says :—I have four head of pedigreed Durhams, the balance of my stock are grade Durhams. Hog cholera has been prevalent in some sections for the last year, but it is about exterminated. All kinds of cereals and roots yield well. Alsike clover, Early Harvest, Duchess of Oldenberg, Pippins, Russets, Baldwin, and King of Tompkins apples, Royal Anne and Napoleon cherries, Alexander, and Early and Late Crawford peaches are the best varieties for this district. For dairying, a cross from Durhams and Jerseys, and for beef, Durhams are the best breeds. Last winter there was very little snow ; there was a goocl deal of rain, and no cold weather. The spring was early, but, being- wet and cold, it was bad for seeding. The summer was wet and cold. Messrs. Chester & L. L. Chadsey, Sumas, say :—We keep three pure bred pedigreed Jersey bulls and two pedigreed Jersey cows, and the most of our other stock are Jersey grades, crossed between Jersey and graded Durhams, and they make a profitable dairy cow. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, etc.: Ladoga or Red Fife wheat, Egyptian, White Cluster, and Banner oats, Egyptian peas, Morning Star potatoes, Long Red mangolds, White carrots, Purple Top swedes, Timothy grass, Northern Spy, Seek no Further, Wine Sap, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 819 King, Twenty-Ounce Pippin, Mann, Bottle, Greening, Walbridge, Swaar, Fameuse, Haas, Early Harvest, and Astrachan apples; Royal Gage, Peach, English Gage, and Chadsey's Pride plums; Late Duke, Kentish, and Yellow Spanish cherries. The best breeds of stock for here are : Graded Clydes and mixed bred horses ; Durham, Jersey, and graded cattle for dairying, Durhams for beef ; Poland China and Berkshire pigs. Mr. George W. Chadsey, Sumas, says :—I have five head of pedigreed or full blood Holsteiu-Freisians ; a large percentage of the other cattle are graded Holsteins. My horses are graded Clydes, Percherons, and Cleveland Bays. Plant life seems wonderfully free from disease. For a period of two years, hogs have been afflicted in some parts of the settlement with hog cholera. We have an abundance of pests that pester the sweet life out of us, and give the poor animals trouble ; I do not know if they attack the plants or not. I refer to the mosquito. There have been a great many flies here for the past two or three years, similar to the common house fly, but longer, that trouble horses and cattle severely, as they extract blood. (For remarks about thistles and burdocks see Mr. Chadsey's remarks under "Diseases and Pests.") The following varieties of cereals, roots, grasses, and fruit are the best suited to this locality:—Ladoga, Red Fife spring wheat, Red Chaff fall wheat, Two-rowed Chevalier barley, Banner and Egyptian oats, Canadian Yellow and Stowe's Evergreen corn, Butter beans, Morning Star, Chili, and Late and Early Rose potatoes, Mammoth or Elephant swede, Yellow Danver onion, Sugar and Long Blood beet, Timothy and Italian Rye grasses, Red clover, Wealthy, Northern Spy, Gravenstein, Baldwin, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Wine Sap, Seek no Further, Porter, Maiden's Blush, and Trancendent apples are suitable for our climate, and we should try and educate the people who intend to raise fruit not to try every miserable tree agent's new kinds, as in most cases they are no good ; Bartlett, Idaho, a few Seckel, Flemish Beauty, Clapp's Favourite, Duchess d'Angouleme, P. Barry, Beurre d'Anjou, and Vicar of Winkfield pears, Coe's Golden Drop, Yellow Egg, Greengage, Washington, Lombard, Red Egg, and Magnum Bonum plums. Fellenberg or Italian prune, and Foster, Globe, Early and Late Crawford peaches. The best breeds of stock are French Coach, Shires, Morgan, and Cleveland Bay horses, Holstein-Freisians for dairying, Durhams for beef, Southdowns and Hampshire Downs for mutton Berkshire and Poland-China pigs, White Leghorn and Wyandottes for poultry. The following is the report of Mr. Knight, correspondent for Rosedale and Popcum :— bush, per acre ; 1| cents per ft. ii $28 per ton. it 1-J cents per ft. Wheat (fall), 25 3US Wheat (spring I), 20 it Barley, 40 it Oats, 60 tt Peas, 20 tt Hay, 2 to 4 t ons Potatoes, 6 ti u ■■ i, litol J- cents per ft $10 to $10 pei ton 9 to 20 , 4 to 5 , 7 to 10 , 3 to 5 , 7 to 8 ' , . Mangolds, 15 to 30 ,, ,, Carrots, 15 to 30 tt n Turnips, 30 to 40 ,, Beets, 15 to 20 i.(sugar)n 3a. The yield was good where properly cultivated. 3b. Red Fife wheat, Chevalier barley, Egyptian, Banner, and WTelcome oats, Mummy peas, Timothy, Alsike clover, Rural New Yorker No. 2, Vosges, and Large Orange carrot, Swedes, Vihnue's and Lane's Improved beet (heavy yielder), are the best for this district. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable per ft.:—For apples, 1J to 3 cents; pears, 2A to 4 cents; plums and prunes, A; to 4 cents (according to quality).; cherries, 4 to 5 cents; peaches, 6 to 8 cents. 4a. The season's crop was below the average. 4b. The quality of the fruit was very good. 4c. Trees in this locality do very well on good loamy soil, well subsoiled and drained, also well manured with lime or ashes. 820 Report on Agriculture. 1893 4d. Peaches I don't think ever can be grown successfully ; apricot trees have not yet fruited, so can't say how they will do ; melons not successful—it is not warm enough ; tomatoes do fairly well. 4e. The following particular fruits give the best results :—Red Astrachan, Gravenstein, Baldwin, Golden Russet, Roxbury Russet, Mann, Walbridge, Rhode Island Greening, Montreal Peach, Hyslop, Transcendent, Twenty-Ounce Pippin, and Ben Davis apples; Bartlett, Anjou, and Winter Nelis pears; Red Egg, Lombard, Peach, and Coe's Golden Drop plums; Royal Anne, Black Republican, English Morello, Black Eagle, Early Richmond, Luelling, Governor Wood, and Knight's Early Black cherries. 5. Linseed is not cultivated. G. Sugar beet is cultivated for stock ; it increases the quality of the milk and butter. 7. No rape is grown. 8a. Dairying is followed by a few farmers, but the quality of the butter is poor; they don't know how to make good butter, 8b. The average price for butter is 25 to 30 cents per ft.; cheese is 15 to 18 cents per ft. 9a. This part is not suitable for sheep. 9b. No quantity of sheep is kept. 9c. Wool is of fair quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 4 to 6 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The best breeds of stock for here are Shire and Clyde horses for draught, Percheron and Hambletonian for light work, Durhams for beef, Guernsey, Jersey, and Ayrshire for dairying, Shropshire for mutton, Berkshire and Improved Yorkshire pigs, Brown Leghorn and Barred Plymouth Rock poultry. 11a. Poultry only raised for home use. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 to 50 cents. 12. Apiculture has been tried by a few on a small scale. 13a. Last winter there was about six inches of snow, and considerable rain, with thermometer never below zero—the lowest 1° above zero. 13c. The thermometer registered 92° in the shade. 13d. The early part of the harvest was good, but later on very poor; there was no frost till November. 13e. There was a loss of about five per cent, from bad weather. 14. The pests on fruit trees are woolly aphis, black aphis, green aphis, and tent caterpillar. If people would spray their trees with any of the mixtures recommended, they could easily be kept under. Black knot has also appeared in our orchards at Popcum ; the only remedy for that is to cut the tree down and burn it. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Indians and Chinese. 15c. The average wages are $1 to $2.25 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Some ploughing is done in the fall, but not to any extent. 18. Quite a large preparation is being made for spring planting in the shape of fall clear ing, draining, &c., etc. Mr. John Chapman, Rosedale, says:.—My stock are all graded. Hog cholera is a disease here ; ferns are a noxious weed. Red Fife spring wheat, American Banner oats, Mummy peas, W^hite Sweet corn, Chili potatoes, Timothy grass, and Red clover are the best varieties for this place. The best breeds of stock are Clyde horses, graded Ayrshires for dairying, Southdowns for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock chickens. Last winter there was four inches of snow, a goocl deal of rain, and not much cold; spring was early, and seed-time was good ; the summer and autumn were fine ; harvest weather was good. Crops yielded well, and were harvested in good order. With . 2 75 „ .... GO 00 Indians— Without board. . . 1 37 A n .... 30 00 With „ . 1 25 „ .... 25 00 Chinese— Without board. . . 1 25 „ .... 27 50 With „ . . . 1 00 t, .... 19 00 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 821 The following is a table of the average of wages paid in this district:— Ordinary farm labour- - Without board $2 00 per day $40 00 per month $400 00 per year. With „ .... 1 50 „ .... 27 50 tt ..... 313 00 Skilled labour, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, and other mechanics— Without board $3 25 per day $77 50 per month $900 00 per year. .... 700 00 .... 350 00 .... 240 00 .... 360 00 .... 200 00 HOPE. There is no place higher up the Lower Fraser on its southern bank. It is about eighteen miles above Popcum, and is accessible by the Yale waggon road and by steamer; it is also reached by the Canadian Pacific Railway, by ferry from the Hope Station. There are about twenty-five ranchers in the vicinity. The land is good and capable of growing good root crops and fruit, some of which is produced. It is generally heavily timbered, near the river, with cottonwood, maple, alder, and such trees, and further back with fir and cedar. I regret that, owing to its isolated position and the short time at my command, I could not visit this settlement. Mr. C. F. Pound, St. Elmo, below Hope, says:—I came here last fall and am starting on new land. A disease of plant life is potato rot. About 1st August they began to wilt, and stalk died in about two weeks, as if killed by frost; some potatoes are rotting in the ground, there will not be a good crop. Mosquitoes are the principal insect pest, they were.almost unbearable this year. Clover will grow if once sowed. Winter apples, such as Russets and Northern Spies, are the best apples for this locality. Mr. N. Yerex, St. Elmo, says :—My stock are Graded Durhams and Polled Angus. Smut is a, disease of plant life; there was about fifty per cent, of smutty wheat here. Mosquitoes here are very numerous. Clover is the best suited crop for this locality ; when once sown it is almost impossible to kill it. The best kind of fruits for this locality are winter varieties. The best breeds of stock for here are : Heavy Draught horses, Graded Jesseys for dairying, White and Brown Leghorns, Plymouth Rocks and Black Spanish. YALE AND SPUZZUM. On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway are situated on the right or *western side of the Fraser, the latter 114 miles from Vancouver, and the former 11 miles nearer, have about ten ranchers. The agricultural land in the vicinity of these places is very limited and in small patches, generally covered with timber. The soil is good and produces good root crops, fruit and hay. The altitude of Yale is 200 feet, rising towards Spuzzum. The precipitation is heavy, and the temperature not very excessive either way. * By way of explaining the seeming anomaly of distinguishing the banks of the Fraser in part of my remarks as the East and West banks, and in others as the North and South, the river above Hope runs in almost a southerly direction, and below that point in almost a westerly one ; therefore the western and the northern bank is one and the same, i. e., the right bank. AGASSIZ. On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is situated seventy-one miles from Vancouver, and has between it and Harrison Lake, from forty-five to fifty ranchers. The Dominion Experimental Farm, under the direction of Mr. T. A. Sharpe, is situated at this point. I regretted very much that Mr. Sharpe was absent during my brief visit there, and that the rain prevented my seeing as much of the country as I wished. It is pretty generally covered with a small growth of birch, willow, alder, and such trees, with a few larger pine trees here and there, all of which, except the last named, are easily cleared. The soil is a reddish loam with a gravelly subsoil, well suited to fruit-growing and hop-raising, both of which are being entered into extensively. Grain is grown to some extent, some root crops, and a good deal of hay. Dairying, and swine, sheep, and poultry-raising are not prosecuted to any great degree. A good road leads from the station through the valley to the Harrison Hot Springs, distant about five miles. As will be seen by the meteorological tables, the precipitation is very heavy at this point, the rainfall averaging 60.43, and running up to 66.53 in 1892, and the snowfall averaging 31.01, which however does not lie long. The hottest it attained in 1892 was 90°, and the coldest 23° below zero, but only for short periods. The heavy precipitation is no doubt due to the high mountains, which tower on all sides of the valley, and the heavy growth of timber on and about them. According to returns, 17 par cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 50 per cent, is woodland or forest, 7A per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 25| per cent, is pasture. It will be seen that Mr. Agassiz's estimate of land under cultivation is very near the foregoing. The principle diseases and pests reported are smut in grain, blight on apples, curl on peaches, hop louse, and thistles. The following data furnished by Mr. Agassiz is approximate :— Quantity of land owned 5,000 to 6,000 acres. it it cultivated 1,000 n Grain produced 300 tons. Hay n 2,000 ,, Root crops produced (mostly potatoes) 300 n Fruit produced G n Cattle owned 800 head. Horses ■ „ 100 „ Sheep i, 400 n Swine it 200 n Hops cultivated . . 00 acres. The report, of Mr L. A. Agassiz, correspondent, is as follows : — 1. Wheat (spring), 2,100 fts. per acre ; $30 per ton. Barley, 2,600 „ ' „ 20 Oats,' 2,000 i, ,i 20 Peas, 2,300 ,i „ 25 2. Hay (baled), 4,500 „ „ 12 3. Potatoes, 4 to 8 tons n 15 n Mangolds, 10 to 20 ., „ 6 Carrots, 10 to 20 „ „ 10 ,, Turnips, 10 to 25 h n 6 n Onions, . 3 to 6 n n 40 ,, 3b. White Russian wheat, Banner and Welcome oats, Mummy peas, Timothy, Dakota Red potatoes, White Vosges carrots, and Swedes are the best for this part. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable for fruit:— Apples, $ 40 per ton, including boxes which cost $10. Pears, 60 n u n 10. Plums and prunes, 60 n n u 10. Cherries, 140 „ „ „ 10. 4a. The season's crop was very fair. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 823 4b. The quality of the fruit was very fair. 4c. Dry hill-sides well drained are best for apples, and bottom lands for plums. 4d. Peaches are grown, their success depending on the season. Apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes do very well. 4e. The following have been found to give the best results : Red Astrachan (for early), Gravenstein (for late), and Baldwin (for winter) apples. Heart cherries are best. 8a. Three or four farms only go in for dairying; it is profitable when they do their own work. There is not enough pasture here to go into it extensively. 8b. The average price for butter is 20 to 30 cents per ft. ; for cheese, 20 cents. 9a. This part is well suited for raising wool. 9b. Sheep are not extensively raised. 9c. The quality of the wool is medium. 9d. The average weight of fleece of 4 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The following are the best breeds for this district : Shire or Suffolk Punch for draught, Cleveland Bays for saddle, Shorthorn cattle for allround purposes, Jerseys for dairying, Oxford Downs for mutton, and Berkshire pigs. 11a. Poultry is not extensively or systematically raised. 11b. The average price of eggs is 20 cents to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have not been tried. 13a. Last winter was rainy. 13b. The spring was very wet. 13c. The summer was warm and dry. 13d. There was a short spell of dry weather for harvest. 13e. Some parties had their hay spoilt. 14. There was no loss of animals. Hop lice were bad (see Mr. Agassiz's remarks under " Diseases and Pests "—J.R.A.) 15a. Labourers are not easily procured. 15b. Chinese. 15c. The average wages paid are $1.25 for Chinamen, and $1.75 to $2.25 for white. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 18. Part of the valley needs draining ; the settlers think that the Dominion and Local Governments should help them. There is no doubt that the Experimental Farm needs draining badly, numbers of fruit trees standing in the water this fall, and it is hardly fair to expect the settlers to do it. Mr. L. A. Agassiz says :—My bull is a pedigreed Durham. The diseases of plant life are smut in grain, scab on apples, black blight on apple tree bark, curly leaf on peach. The diseases of animal life are ringworm, for the first time on cattle last winter. They caught it from the neighbours' cattle. My sheep are healthy, but some in the neighbourhood have scab. The insect pests are caterpillars on apple trees, and lice on hop plants. The noxious weeds are thistles (not Canadian), burdocks, and about all other known varieties. White Russian Spring wheat, Carter's Prolific barley, Welcome oats, Timothy grass, Baldwin, Gravenstein, and Astrachan apples, and Bartlett and Winter Nelis pears are the best for this district. Shire horses, Durhams for beef, Cotswolds for wool, Oxford Downs for mutton, and Berkshire and Poland-China pigs are the best varieties for this district. 824 Report on Agriculture. 1893 NICOMIN ISLAND AND HARRISON, Both on the northern side of the Fraser, the former divided from the mainland by a narrow slough, across which access is had to the Canadian Pacific Railway at Nicomin Station, fifty-three miles from Vancouver ; the distance by water to New Westminster being about forty miles. Harrison is on the main line, sixty-two miles from Vancouver. Between fifty and fifty-five ranchers are in the vicinity of the two places, nearly all on Nicomin Island. Most of the island is subject to inundation, and dyking has to be resorted to to keep the water out. It is pretty generally wooded with poplar and willow, but there are some semi-open patches with fringes of bushes, easily cleared. The soil being alluvial deposit, is of course of the richest description and capable of growing heavy crops of cereals, clover, grass, root crops, and fruits. Dairying is carried on to some extent, while poultry and swine raising are neglected. The precipitation is heavy, and the temperature much the same as it is at Agassiz. From returns received, it appears that 6 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 72 per cent, is woodland or forest, and 22 per cent, swamp, marsh and pasture. The following approximate data and report is from Mr, Thos. Gourley, correspondent, Nicomin :— Quantity of land cultivated 1,000 acres. ti grain produced 250 tons. ii hay produced 300 n ii root crops 400 n ,i fruit 10 ,i Number of cattle owned 450 head. it horses owned 80 n ti sheep owned 10 n it swine owned 250 n 1. Fall wheat, 2,000 fts. per acre, H sents per ft Spring it 2,000 „ ii i* ii it Barley, 1,500 i. 1! H ii n Oats, 2,400 t, . 11 H it n Peas, 2,200 „ II 1* it ti 2. Hay, 6,000 i, II 1 2 ii ii 3. Potatoes, 6,000 i, '1 l it ii Mangolds, 24,000 .. II Carrots, 20,000 i, II i 2 ii ii Turnips, 30,000 ,, II 1 i it ii Onions, 4,000 .. II 1A it ii Parsnips, 10,000 tt II 1 n ii Cabbages, 12,000 „ tl 1 it ti 3a. The yield of the above was good all round. 3b. The following particular varieties are best for here :—Red Fife wheat, American Banner oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Timothy grass and Red clover, Early Rose potatoes, Long Tankard mangolds, Shorthorn carrots, Purple Top swedes, Weathers- field onion, Hollow Crown parsnip, Early Jersey and Wakefield cabbage. 4. The following- are the average prices obtainable for :— Apples 2 cents per ft. Pears : 3 Plums and prunes 1 Cherries 4 Peaches 3 Strawberries 6 Raspberries 6 Black currants 8 Red currants 8 4a. The season's crop was a fair one. 4b. The quality of the fruit was averagely fair. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 825 4d. Peaches are grown here, but they are very uncertain. Apricots and nectarines are not grown. Grapes are grown with very fair success. Melons are rather a doubtful crop, a few are grown. Tomatoes grow well and yield heavily. 4e. The following particular varieties give the best results :—For winter, American Golden Russet and Northern Spy ; for summer, Gravenstein and Duchess of Oldenberg apples, Bartlett pears, Red Egg plums, and Duke cherries. 5. We have tried linseed, with good success. 6. Sugar beet was grown from free samples; it does well. 7. Rape is not tried. 8a. Dairying is carried on to a considerable extent, with varying results. 8b. Butter fetches 25 cents per ft. 9a. This part of the country is well suited for wool-raising, but better adapted for tearing it off. 9b. Sheep are not raised extensively. 9c. The quality of the wool is not good. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 6 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved stock, to a certain extent. 10b. The following I consider to be the best breeds for this part of the country :—Horses of any kind weighing over 1,000 fts. ; Shorthorns are decidedly the best for beef; for actual dairying, Jerseys take the lead; Cots wold sheep for wool and mutton; Poland-China pigs, and Brown Leghorn poultry. 11a. Poultry are merely raised in connection with farming, and not as a business of its own. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Bees are coming into more general use; they do well. 13b. Last spring was moderate, with lots of showers. 13c. The summer was sometimes hot, though generally cool. 13d. There was fair harvest weather. 13k. The loss from unfavourable weather was 5 per cent. 14, About one-quarter of the total area under cultivation was lost on account of the overflowing of the banks of the Fraser River, known here as high water ; a second pest is mosquitoes, weeds, &c, which are not to be, considered a pest in comparison with mosquitoes. 15a. Labourers are not easily procurable. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages paid are $20 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried so far as I know. 17. There is a considerable amount of fall ploughing practised here. 18. Agriculture generally does not seem a profitable way of gaining a livelihood. Here land is not adapted for using the ordinary farming implements on account of stumps and roots, besides all the, agricultural land is too dear. At a cost of $80 per acre the outlook is indeed a gloomy one for the farmers. 826 Report on Agriculture. 1893 DEWDNEY. The Municipality of Dewdney, on the northern side of the Fraser, about forty-seven miles by rail from Vancouver, comprises Hatzic Prairie and the adjacent country. The following description is by Captain Livingston Thompson, correspondent:— The District of Dewdney lies north of the Fraser River, and extends as far as Stave Lake, and comprises all sorts of soils, the lower portion being clay with a rich strata of black loam on top. This portion is most fertile, but unfortunately is subject to the inundations of the Fraser. This is being remedied through dyking, and in 1893 there will be an extent of about 4,000 acres which will be reclaimed, and thus become more productive. The upper and northern portions of the district have been only lately opened up, and already vast improvements have been made. This portion is very well adapted for fruit growing. The valley of the Clearwater running north-west to Stave Lake will be a most productive country, but is only in its infancy. The figures given in my return are low and well within the margin, and there is no doubt but that the yield is much larger. As yet but the most simple methods of agriculture have been tried, so that as times go on great strides will be made. It will be seen by the foregoing that much of settlement is quite new, and part is subject to inundation ; the production, therefore, is not so great as it might be. Many people are planting out fruit trees and hops. The precipitation and temperature is similar to that of Agassiz and Nicomin Island. Diseases and pests reported are hog cholera, mosquitoes, skunks, coons, wild cats, leaf and bark lice, fern, and Canadian thistles. Under "Diseases and Pests" will be found a copy of a letter from Mr. R. C. Garner on parasites of the aphis which he observed on the hops. There are about seventy-five ranchers here. The proportion of cultivated land to quantity owned is, according to returns, 9 per cent., of woodland or forest, 68 per cent., of swamp and marsh, 5 per cent., of pasture, 18 per cent. The following is the report of Capt. Livingston Thompson, correspondent :■— 1. Wheat (fall), 30 bushels per acre ; $28 per ton. Wheat (spring), 30 n n Oats, 1 ton ti 22 u Peas, lj ii it 25 n 2. Hay, 21 t, .. 10 to $12 per ton. Hops, (Last crop fetched from 40 to 45 cents per ft.) 3. Potatoes, 5 tons per acre; 15 to $20 ." Turnips, 20 n n 7 per ton. 3a. The yield of above was good. 4. The following were the average prices for apples, $1 per box of 50 lbs. (nominally) ; pears, 3 to 4 cents per ft.; plums and prunes, 2 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was fair. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4c. The higher benches and sandy loams are the best for fruit culture. 4d. Peaches have just commenced to crop; prospects are good. Apricots and nectarines are not successfully grown. A few grapes are grown. Melons and tomatoes do well. 4e. The following particular varieties of fruit give good results : Northern Spy, British Columbia, Reel Astrachan, and Russet apples; Bartlett pears; Greengage and Egg plums ; prunes, and White Heart cherries. 5. 6, 7. Linseed, sugar beet and rape are not cultivated. 8a. Dairying is considerably followed, and with success. 8b. The average price for butter is 25 cents per ft. No cheese is made. 9. This part is not suitable for sheep. 10a. Some few farmers are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The following I consider are the best breeds of stock for this district:—Shire and Percherons for draught, half-bred horses for saddle, and Cleveland Bays for harness; Shorthorns for beef and Jerseys for dairying; Berkshire, Cheshire and Yorkshire pigs; Wyandottes, Plymouth Rock and Leghorns for poultry. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 827 11a. Poultry-raising is not systematically or extensively followed. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 1 2. Apiculture has not been tried. 13a. The winter of 1891-92 was very fair. 13b. The spring was wet and late. 13c. There were wet spells throughout the summer. 1 3d. The autumn was not good for harvest. 13e. The loss through unfavourable weather was 10 per cent. 15a. Labourers are not easily procurable. 15c. The average wages are $25 to $30 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. A certain amount of fall ploughing is done, but not to the extent it should be. Mr. Richard' Brett says :—My cattle are graded. There is a disease among hogs. Some of them take sick and die in three days; some last for a week and break out in sores and die. Mosquitoes are insect pests. Animal pests are skunks, coons and wild cats. I have lost 14 hogs, worth $6 apiece, from the above described disease. There was very little snow last winter; there was quite a lot of rain; there was not much cold weather. The spring was late; it was good for seeding. The summer was wet. Harvest weather was not very good. There were some frosts in April. I consider the crops were well harvested and yielded very well. Mr. Thomas Moreau says :—I have lost 50 pigs from disease. Last winter there was no cold weather; there was not any snow ; there was a lot of rain. The spring was early, but not very favourable for seeding. The summer was pretty nice. The autumn was not very agreeable ; there was lots of rain. Crops were saved in good order and yielded first-class. Mr. R. G. McKamey says :—My bull is a Durham and my cattle graded Durhams. My horses are Suffolk Punch and Percheron The diseases of plant life are borer in apples, and leaf and bark lice. A disease of animal life is hog cholera. Noxious weeds are ferns and Canadian thistles. The following varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, etc., are best suited to this district:—Red Fife Spring wheat; Welcome (largest crop) and Banner (the best price) oats; Mummy (best selling) and Grey (largest crop) peas; Early Rose potatoes; Timothy grass; Alsike clover; Baldwin, Russet, and British Columbia seedling apples (this last is a new apple, hardy, a heavy annual bearer); Golden Drop and Blue Egg plums; Early peaches, and Concord and Niagara grapes. The best breeds of stock for here are: Percheron and Suffolk Punch—they are better than Clydes ; Durhams are the best general purpose animal; Berkshire pigs; Brown Leghorns for laying, and Italian bees. Last winter there was not much snow to speak of; there was a good deal of rain; there was not much cold weather. Spring- was late, and it was good for seeding; the summer and autumn were wet. Early harvest weather was good ; the late weather was not good. Crops were saved in fair order, and yielded fairly satisfactorily. MISSION AND HATZIC, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, 42 miles from Vancouver by rail, and about 32 miles by water from New Westminster. The banks of the river hereabouts are high, and the country is therefore out of the reach of inundations. The timber also gets heavier, with a greater proportion of fir and cedar, and the common fern (pteris aquilina var Ictnuginosa) growing rank and strong on the cleared portions. The land is particularly adapted to fruit-growing, being a red loam. Clover and peas also do remarkably well on this class of land. Some cereals and root crops are raised, and a good deal of hay. Most of the orchards are young and not bearing, the older ones giving good returns. Dairying is carried on to some extent, the country being well adapted to the pursuit. Apiculture is also found to be successful. Poultry, swine and sheep are only raised in limited numbers, the latter averaging 5 fts. of wool per fleece. About 95 ranchers are here and at Silverdale, a few miles 828 Report on Agriculture. 1893 lower clown the river. The conditions being similar, there is little, if any, difference meteorologically between this and the rest of the places in this region. Diseases and pests reported are hog cholera, caterpillars, bot flies, mosquitoes, Canada thistles, ferns, sorrel, and potato disease. Land under cultivation, according to returns received, is 11J per cent, of quantity owned ; of woodland or forest, 77 per cent. ; of swamp, marsh and rock, 54 per cent.; of pasture, 6 per cent. It will be observed that Mr. Peen's estimate of cultivated land is much higher, but he has given that part within the municipality only. The following approximate, data was furnished by Mr. A. W. Peen :— Quantity of land owned and settled on, about 4,000 acres. Quantity of land cultivated 2,000 it Number of tons of grain produced 90 tons. Number of tons of hay produced 600 n Number of tons of root crops 650 n Number of tons of fruit 30 n Number of cattle owned 700 head. Number of horses owned 60 n Number of sheep owned 400 n Number of swine owned 200 n Mr. A. W. Peen, Mission, says :—Innumerable caterpillars and flies of various kinds are insect pests. The Canadian thistle is a noxious weed. Thorp barley, Tartarian oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Chili Garnet potatoes, Early Horn and Half Long White carrots, White Danver onion, Sugar beets, Orchard, Timothy, and Rye grasses, White, Red, and Alsike clovers, Northern Spy apples, Bartlett pears, and peach plums are the best varieties for this locality. The best breeds of stock are Suffolk Punch horses, Jerseys for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, Shropshire Downs for wool and mutton, Berkshire, and White Poland pigs. Nothing has injuriously affected either stock or crops. Last winter was a very open one, there was very little snow, and there was a great deal of rain. Spring was rather late, the season was good for seeding on the high land, but too-wet on the low land. There was good summer weather for all kinds of crops. The autumn was open and mild. Harvest weather was favourable. There were several keen frosts in the spring. Taken on the whole the weather could not have been better for agriculturists. Crops were saved in good condition and yielded very well. Mr, Duncan McRae, Mission, says :—The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, &c, for this district. Early Rose potatoes, White and Red carrots, Timothy and Red Top grasses; Duchess of Oldenberg, Spitzenberg, Tetofsky, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Golden Russet, Fall and Summer Pippins, Mammoth Pippin, and Gravenstein apples ; Damson, Greengage, and Yellow Egg plums. There was very little snow last winter; there was a good deal of rain; no cold weather. The summer was very favourable, and the autumn was pretty fair ; harvest weather was very good indeed. There were several frosts in April, but the fruit blossoms were killed by frost on 5th May. Crops were harvested well, and yielded very well indeed. If the Chinese were prohibited from renting, leasing, or buying land for agricultural purposes, it would then pay the farmers to raise roots and vegetables, but it does not pay at existing prices, except where the farmer is close to market. Mr. C. L. Trommeb, Mission City, says :—Mosquitoes are pests. Leghorn poultry are the best strain. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather; the spring was early, and good for seeding; the summer was wet, and the autumn was very wet. Harvest weather was not favourable; crops were not saved in good order. The yield was good. Mr. George Munro, Mission, says:—Last winter there was a good deal of rain, and not much snow or cold weather. Seed:time was unfavourable ; the summer and autumn were wet. Harvest weather was good ; crops were saved in good order. Mr, John R, Wren, Mission, says :—My bull is a registered Holstein, and my cows are graded Shorthorns; my mares are graded Clydes, and their colts from imported Clyde ; my pigs are Berkshires, and sheep are Shropshires. Egyptian peas are the best for the low lands ; Alsike clover is best for flat lands, and Red clover on high lands; Duchess of Olden- 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 829 berg, Fameuse, Alexander, and Golden Russet apples are the best for this district; peaches are no good with me; Suffolk Punch or Percheron horses (Clydes and Shires are rather heavy, and have too much hair on their legs); Holsteins for dairying, Shorthorns for beef; Oxford Downs for wool, Shropshires for mutton ; Berkshire pigs ; Toulouse geese, White Leghorn hens, Pekin duck, and Bronze turkeys are the best breeds for this district. My apple trees were hurt by the late frost last spring, making the crop only about half what it should have been. There was also a rust on the apple trees and fruit. Last winter there was about six inches of snow for four days, and there was a good deal of rain ; there was not much cold. The spring- was very late ; the summer was fine; the early autumn was fine; the latter part was wet. Harvest weather was good ; there" were no early frosts. Crops were saved in good condition ; the yield was very good. Mrs. Annie Solloway, Mission, says :—There are no pests or diseases here whatever. There was no snow last winter; it rained nearly all the time; there were a few days of cold weather. The spring was very early; the summer was splendid all round ; the first part of the autumn was beautiful, and in every way good for harvest; the first frost was on the 15th of October. The crops yielded well on the new land, and they were harvested in good condition. Mr. W. D. McMillan, Mission City, says :—Flies are pests, and fern and sorrel are noxious weeds. Early Rose potatoes, Purple Top turnip, timothy, and clover are well adapted to this locality. M'e. George Proud, Mission, says :—Some kind of blight has blackened the tops of my potatoes, which are Early Rose and White Elephants. The tubers have kept all right; only the tops appear to be affected. (For further remarks of Mr. Proud's on this subject see " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) Mr. John Moriarty, Misson, says :—My stock are full bred Durhams Cattle troubled with worms under the skin ; I apply brimstone and grease, and wash off' the next with salt water. Peas, beans, potatoes, mangolds, carrots, turnips, onions, and beets do well here; corn and clover are good for dry soil, and timothy for wet soil. King, Wealthy, Mann, Northern Spy apples; Bartlett, Beurre d'Anjou, Clapp's, and Louise Bonne de Jersey pears ; Bradshaw, Coe's Golden Drop, Quackenbush, and Yellow Egg plums; Early Crawford peaches, Red Mammoth apricots, and Concord and Niagara grapes are the best for this locality. Mr. Edward Parris, Mission, says :—My stock are all graded stock, mostly Shorthorn blood ; my sheep are graded Southdowns; my mares are graded Normans. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, &c, for this part:—American Banner oats, Egyptian Mummy peas, Early Rose, and Chili Garnet potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Steele's Short White carrots, Long Purple Top swede, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy and Orchard grasses, and Red and Alsike clover. I consider the following breeds of stock are best:—Norman graded horses, graded Shorthorns for beef and dairying, and graded Poland-China pigs. Mr. Robert H. Brett, Hatzic, says :—I lost twelve sucking pigs this summer from hog cholera. Spring wheat, oats, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, timothy, and red clover are all well adapted for this locality. Last winter there was very little snow ; there was a good deal of rain; there was not much cold weather; there was an average early spring; the summer was warm, with an average amount of rain; there was an average autumn, and good harvest weather. Crops yielded fairly well, and were saved in good condition. Maj.-Gen. J. C. Kinchant, Hatzic, says :—Last spring was late, and not good for seeding ; the summer and autumn were wet. Mr. William M'cEwen, Hatzic, says :.—Peas, potatoes, carrots, timothy, and red clover are w-ell suited to this locality, and oats and onions are fairly well suited; Baldwin, Northern Spy, and Golden Russet apples, Bartlett pears, Yellow Egg, Red Egg, and Greengage plums, and Black Tartarian cherries are the best varieties for this district. There was not much snow last winter; there was a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather; the spring was late, and not very good for seeding ; the summer was an average one; the autumn was fair ; harvest weather was good. Crops were saved in good order; the yield was not very good. 830 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. William Watt, Hatzic, says :—Wheat, spring or fall, would not do well here. All ordinary vegetables, oats and potatoes, are suitable to this locality. Standard late apples are the best for here. Last winter there was one foot of snow from Christmas to the middle of January. There was a great deal of rain last winter ; it was an ordinary winter for cold. Spring was fairly early, earlier than that of 1890. Seed-time was wet. The early summer was wet; later on it was fair. The autumn was wet. Early harvest weather was good ; later on it was rainy. Mr. William Scorey, Hatzic, says:—The following is a disease among animal life— calves dying, they run at the nose and bleeding and heavy snoring from the nose, and they refuse food. Early Rose and Morning Star potatoes, Timothy grass and red clover are all well suited to this locality. All kinds of apples grow well, and all pears of strong habits. Plums and prunes grow very well and make vigorous stock, and cherries of any kind. Peaches do not do well ; frost kills the buds. Quinces and apricots do fairly well. Grapes do well. The following are the best breeds of stock :—Horses which are not too heavy, or hairy on the hock, as the mud is bad ; Holsteins for dairying, Jerseys can hardly stand the weather; Durhams and Holsteins for beef; Cotswolds and Shropshire sheep; Poland-China and Berkshire hogs ; Plymouth Rock, Spanish and Brahmas for poultry, and Italian bees. The following is the average scale of wages for this district:— Ordinary farm labour— Without board $2 00 per day $42 50 per month .... $320 00 per year. With „ .... 1 50 ,, .... 29 00 i, .... 240 00 Skilled labour, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, and other mechanics— Without board $3 00 per clay. With ,. .... 2 50 i, Indians— Without board .... $1 75 per day. With ,, .... 1 25 Chinese— Without board.... $1 00 per day .... $22 per month. With ti .... 75 „ .... 15 Mr. Frederick Wallace Hughes, Silverdale, says :—Early Rose potato, swedes, Weathersfield onions, Large Red beets, Timothy grass, Alsike clover, Bartlett pears, and Early Crawford peaches, are the best varieties of roots, fruits, etc., for here. Berkshire and Poland-China pigs, Black Spanish and Plymouth Rock fowls are the best breeds for this place. There was a blight on peach trees. Last winter there was just a shower of snow ; there was a good deal of rain, not much cold weather. Spring was late and not good for seeding. The summer and autumn were wet. Harvest weather was good. The summer has been bad for clearing land here. I consider crops yielded very well, and they were saved in good order. WHARNOCK, On the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, thirty-three miles from Vancouver by rail, and about twenty-three by water from New Westminster, has between seventy-five and eighty ranchers. The high banks of the Fraser place the land out of reach of the floods. It is covered for the most part with timber: a great deal of it fir. The soil is a dry red loam on the ridges, and black in the hollows. People generally are planting out orchards, as it is found to be a favourable locality for the cultivation of fruit. They are, however, mostly young and not in bearing. Grain is, of course, not much cultivated as the land can, as a rule, be put to more profitable uses. Some peas are raised, as they are found to do well as a first crop on the dry fern land. Root crops, principally potatoes, hay, and clover, are produced in fair quantities. This being a comparatively newly settled district, the want of roads is felt for access to the railroad and river. The precipitation is plentiful, but not too much for this part, the land being high and dry. Snow is neither heavy, nor does it lie long. The temperature is probably about 86° highest, and a few degrees below zero coldest. Favourable locality for 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 831 dairying, but it is not much carried on. Poultry, swine, and sheep-raising not entered into, except in a very small way. Pests and diseases reported are aphides on apples and hops, cherry slug, potato disease, pear blight, mosquitoes, skunks, thistles, and sorrel. Only 5 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, according to reports received, 85 per cent, is woodland or forest, 9 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 1 per cent, is pasture. Mr, Foster Carter, Stave Valley, says :—Early English oats are the best for this locality. Last winter there was 13 inches of snow ; there was a great deal of rain; there was not much cold weather. There was a medium spring, with good seed-time. The summer was good ; rather rainy for grain. The autumn was rainy. The weather was bad for haying, but good for early grain. There were no summer frosts. The main drawbacks to farming in this settlement are bad or no roads and the high price of Government wild lands. Crops were saved in very fair condition. The yield of grain was good, and of roots poor. Mr. E. C. Carter, Stave Valley, says:—Last winter there was not much snow ; there was a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. Seed-time was fairly good. The summer was pretty good. Harvest weather was good. The want of a passable road in Stave Valley settlement is one of the greatest drawbacks to farming. The rise of wild land from $1 to $5 per acre has completely stopped the rapid settlement of this part. Crops were very well harvested. Grain crops were good, root crops poor. Mr. Robert Bradon, Wharnock, says :—Oats, peas, beans, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, clovers, grasses, and hops all do well here. The following are the best varieties of fruits for this district : Baldwin, Astrachan, Duchess of Oldenberg, King, Wealthy, Golden Russet, British Columbia, Crab, Montreal Beauty, and Transcendent apples, Bartlett and Beurre d'Anjou pears, Lombard, Reine Claude, Bradshaw, Pond's Seedling, Red Egg, and Yellow Egg plums, Early Richmond, Governor Wood, and Napoleon cherries, Alexander peaches, and Niagara and Moore's Early grapes. Poland-China pigs are the best. It is a great loss having no road to take produce to market. Last winter there was quite a bit of snow ; there was a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. Spring was not very early. Seed-time was not bad, and the summer was pretty good. The autumn was fair, and the weather for harvesting was good. There was a slight frost in October. Crops were saved in very good order, and yielded very well. Mr. Clement Stickney, Wharnock, says :—My sheep are Merinos; my cows and calves have a clash of good blood ; my horses came from the Upper Country. Insect pests are mosquitoes and clegs. The best varieties of grain, roots, fruit, etc., for this district are : Broad beans, Long and Globe mangolds, Sugar beets, Orchard, Oat, and Timothy grasses, Red and White clovers, Duchess of Oldenberg, Wealthy, Baldwin, Ben Davis, Russet, Greening, Mann, Spy, Twenty-Ounce, Astrachan, Yellow Transparent, Walbridge and some other apples, Bartlett, Comet, Sheldon, Seckel, and Anjou pears, Lombard, Red and Yellow Egg plums, German prune, Golden Drop, Greengage, Damson, and Magnum Bonum plums, Silver prune, Governor Wood, Tartar (big cherry), and Morello cherries, Shoemaker, Foster, Globe, Crawford, Canada, and Alexandria peaches, Orange and Lemon quinces, Russian apricots, and August Giant and Niagara grapes. Diseases and pests this year not so bad as other years ; the green louse on the apple tree, which is cultivated by the ant, and the black slug on the cherry tree and pear. The brush on the other side of the C. P. R. track keeps the breed up. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was any amount of rain, and not much frost, but it was very damp and clammy. Seed-time was not favourable. There was frost from the 20th to 25th of May, 1892 ; it did me lots of damage with the fruit in blossom. After that rain came, the bees could not turn out; in fact, it is the worst year I have experienced for six years in B. C. My potatoes were cut down three times with the frost this year. I had new ones in the ground in the first week in June, now they are going- bad in the ground. My opinion is it is a very bad year this for all produce. There may be some favoured districts. Mr. Christopher Barker, Wharnock, says :—There were a few lice on the hops, but they were a good crop for all that; I had only six plants. There was a good deal of snow last winter, and there was a good deal of rain; there was not much cold weather. The spring was late, and it was good for seeding. The summer was wet. The autumn was favourable, with good harvest weather. A moderate wet summer is more favourable than a dry one for this soil. The yield of crops was not good, the soil requiring manure. Crops were saved in good condition. 832 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr, A. C. Henry reports red water as prevalent (see his letter under " Diseases and Pests.") Mr. F. M. Phillips, Wharnock, says :—Pear tree blight is a disease of plant life. Animal pests are mice and skunks. Noxious weeds are sorrel, thistles, and nettles. Early Rose potatoes, Timothy and orchard grasses, and Red and White clovers are the best varieties for this district. The best breeds of stock for here are : Durhams for dairying and beef, and Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. Mr. H. G. Selby-Hele, Wharnock, says:—My cattle are graded Shorthorns. One potato disease has become prevalent around here. (For further remarks on this subject, see " Diseases and Pests "—J.R.A.) Yellow Globe Danver onion, Red Top and Orchard grass, and Alsike clover are the best varieties for here. Of the potatoes I have tried I like best-the Rosedale and Rural New Yorker, No. 2. I am trying alfalfa, and will report on it next year. I find Leghorn chickens are very good layers, but, their eggs are small. The following shows the average rate of wages for this district :— Ordinary farm labour— Without board $2.00 per day $45.00 per month $400.00 peryear. With it .... 1.50 ,i "... .$30.00 to 35.00 it .... 250.00 „ Skilled labour, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, and other mechanics— Without board $3.00 per day. MAPLE RIDGE. This municipality includes Port Haney, Po.rt Hammond, and Pitt Meadows on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the two former on Fraser River, respectively twenty-seven and twenty-four miles by rail from Vancouver, and seventeen and fourteen miles by water from New Westminster. They have between them about one hundred and fifteen ranchers. The land in the immediate vicinity of Ports Haney and Hammond is high and out of reach of inundations from the Fraser. It is for the most part heavily timbered—on the higher parts with fir and on the lower with maple, alder, and such trees. The lands about Pitt River and Pitt Meadows are subject to inundation by the summer freshets of the Fraser backing up Pitt River, and from the winter freshets of the Lillooet River, which flows through the meadows into Pitt River. Dyking is therefore necessary, and it is being undertaken on an extensive scale by a company, who had up to last year built about six miles of dyke, reclaiming some 2,500 acres of rich alluvial land, which is drained by natural gravitation, the river for nine months in the year being lower than the land. There are some 14,000 acres of this land which, when dyked, will add immensely to the importance of this section of country. Pitt River is navigable for steamboats, and with the canals which are being cut through the lands every portion of the meadows will be of very easy access. Mr. G. W. Henry has a good nursery of native grown fruit trees at Port Hammond. The soil is good and produces good fruit, of which, however, there is not any great quantity raised as yet, the orchards being young. Root crops, especially potatoes, do well and a fair quantity is produced. Grain is not generally cultivated, except peas, which suit the fern land well. Dairying is carried on quite extensively, but sheep, swine, and poultry have little or no attention bestowed on them. The climate is much the same as at Wharnock. Diseases and pests reported are red water amongst cows, a disease amongst calves, fluke amongst sheep, mosquitoes, wire-worms, pear slug, aphis, lung worms in calves, green worms on cherries, blue jays, mice, rabbits, moles, wild cats, bears, Canada thistles, oxeye daisy, fern and potato blight, a rather long list it must be confessed. Reports place the land under cultivation at 14 per cent, of the land owned, 48 per cent, being woodland or forest, 14 per cent, swamp, marsh, and rock, and 24 per cent, pasture. It will be seen that Mr. Ferguson does not estimate the cultivated land so high ; he is possibly nearer the mark. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture1. 833 The following approximate data was supplied by Mr. Hector Ferguson:— Quantity of land owned, about 50,000 acres. cultivated 5,000 „ Number of tons of grain produced 500 tons. tt hay ti 1,500 n ii roots n 1,000 ii fruit „ 100 „ Number of cattle owned 1,500 head. it horses n (exclusive of Indians) 100 n it sheep ti 75 per cent, have died of liver fluke) 500 n ii swine n 1,000 n The following is the report of Mr. H. Ferguson, correspondent for Port Haney and Wharnock : — 1. Spring Wheat, 30 bushels per acre, 1A_ cents per ft. Oats, 60 ii 1^ ii it Peas, 35 n 1| n n 2. Hay, ll tons n $10 per ton. 3. Potatoes, about 6 m n Carrots, 15 n n 10 n Turnips, 25 n n 6 n 3a. The yield of above was indifferent. 3b, Club wheat, Golden Vine peas, and Swedes are considered the best varieties. 4. The following are the average prices obtained for apples, $1 per box of 50 fts.; pears $1.50 per box of 50 fts.; plums and prunes, $1.50 ; cherries, 10 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was an average one. 4c. Apples will do well on any soil that is deep and well drained, but do best on a porous sandy loam. Pears do best on a heavy, well drained clay soil. Plums do best on a heavy soil. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are grown on a small scale with uncertain success. 4e. The following particular varieties give the best results :- —Red Astrachan, Yellow Transparent, Duchess of Oldenberg, Ring, Gravenstein, Wealthy, Spy, Baldwin, Golden Russet, Rhode Island Greening apples, and Duchess d'Angouleme pears, and all other kinds of pears, plums, and cherries. 5 & 6. Linseed and sugar beet have been grown on a small scale, with success. 7. Rape has not been tried. 8a. Dairying is gone in for considerably ; it is the principal branch of farming, and, next to fruit-growing, it is the most profitable. 8b. The average obtainable price for butter is from 25 to 35 cents. 9a. Some parts here are well suited to wool-raising. 9b. In some places sheep are raised extensively. 9c. The wool is of a medium quality 10a. People are not generally going in for improved stock. 10b. The following I consider the best breeds for this district: Clydes for draught, Shorthorns for beef, grade Jerseys and Holsteins for milk, Cotswolds and Leicesters for wool, Shropshires and Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn and Plymouth Rock poultry. 1 1a. Poultry-raising is not much gone in for. 1 1b. The average price of eggs was from 25 to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has been tried, with very good results. 13a. Last winter was very open. 13b. The spring was wet. 834 Report on Agriculture. 1893 13c. The summer was wet in the forepart. 13d. There was an average autumn. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages are $1.25 per day and $30 per month, with board ; $1.75 to $2 per day, without board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Fall ploughing is not extensively followed. 18. Dyking is being carried out on an extensive scale on Pitt Meadows, and so far with complete success. Mr. Thos. Bosomworth, Port Haney, says :—My stock are graded. The diseases of animal life are red water, fluke, and some disease that kills cows when calving; they run at the nose and their heads swell. Pear slugs and green lice are insect pests. All kinds of grain, roots, grasses and clover do well. Yellow Transparent, Red Astrachan, Early Harvest, Duchess of Oldenberg, Gravenstein, Wealthy, King, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Golden Russet, Rhode Island Greening, and Ben Davis apples do well. The blue jay is a pest (for remarks on this head, see " Diseases and Pests"). Moles are bad, peeling the roots of fruit trees; wild cats are bad on poultry and hogs. Last winter there was very little snow ; there was a great deal of rain ; there were two weeks of cold weather, but it was not cold enough to freeze over the streams. The spring was late, with cold rains. Early in April it was good for seeding, but it turned cold and wet after. The autumn was fine part of the time, but, turned wet. Harvest weather was favourable. There were frosts from October 2nd to 5th. All crops that were planted in good time and on high ground were well saved. Crops yielded fairly. Mr. Hector Ferguson, Port Haney, says:—My cattle are part graded and part scrubs; my bull is a pure-bred Durham. Diseases of plant life are leaf blight and potato blight. Red water is very prevalent here in cattle ; lung-worm in calves, and fluke in sheep. Insect pests are wood-ticks on hogs. The Canada thistle has got a foothold in two places near Port Hammond. All kinds of oats, fall and spring rye, buckwheat, flax, and all kinds of potatoes do well. The short-strawed varieties of peas are best. Mangolds, carrots, turnips, onions and beets do best on river land. Timothy is generally grown, but Orchard grass and California Mesquit do well. All kinds of clover do well, and hops do extra well. The following are the best kinds of fruit for summer —Yellow Transj:>arent, Red Astrachan, Early Harvest; for the fall—King, Duchess of Oldenberg, Gravenstein, Wealthy ; for winter—Baldwin, Northern Spy, Greening, Russet and Ben Davis apples; Bartlett, Louise Bonne cl'Jersey, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Beurre d'Anjou pears; all kinds of plums and prunes, and all kinds of cherries. Peaches do not do well, except one kind of seedling that is a good peach, which appears to stand the frost well. Nectarines are easily killed with the spring frosts. The following are the best breeds of stock for this district: Common scrub horses till farming is more advanced, when, I think, Clydes will be best; Ayrshires for dairying, Durhams for beef, Shropshires for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Yellow or Brown Leghorn hens, and Italian bees. During August and September my pear trees were thickly covered with the pear slug The cherry trees had a good number of green caterpillars on the leaves, which began at the points of the branches and ate the leaves only, leaving the fibres. Last winter there was not much snow. There was very little rain from January 1st to April 1st, but a great deal from then till the middle of June. There was very little cold weather; spring was late and wet and unfavourable for seeding. The fore part of the summer was wet; the latter part was very good. Rain began early in the autumn ; harvest weather was good. There was frost on llth of October. There -was a poor yield of all crops except peas. Crops were harvested in good order. Mr. Thomas Marshall, Port Haney, says :—My cattle are grades. The following are the best varieties of grain, roots, fruit, etc., for this district: Common WThite oats, Beauty of Hebron potatoes, Long Orange carrots, Yellow Transparent, Wealthy, Gravenstein, King and Wagner apples; Bartlett pears, Yellow Egg plums, Red prunes, Black Republic cherries, and Concord grapes. Berkshire pigs and Brahma poultry are the best for this locality. Last winter there was scarcely any snow, there was a great deal of rain, and there was not much cold. The spring was late, and seed-time was rather wet. In the fore part of the summer 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 835 there was too much rain; the remainder was good. There was a good deal of rain in the autumn ; the harvest weather was very good. This soil gives better returns than that of any other part of Canada. Crops yielded well and were saved in good order. Mr. F. M. Webster, Webster's Corner, says :—My cattle are graded, partially Holstein and Ayrshire. Disease of animal life : Red water in cattle ; it has carried off a number of cattle in this neighbourhood. A disease, name and remedy unknown, affects calves; their heads and noses swell, blood oozing through the skin on body, and dying in two or three days. I have lost ten from this disease. (For further remarks on this and red water see " Diseases and Pests.") Insect pests are wire worms, sometimes affecting the potatoes. The neighbourhood seems to be troubled with a kind of blight on fruit trees ; some kind of borer injures the trees; you cannot notice anything wrong until you see the dark bark, which peels off. Noxious weeds are Oxeye daisy, making its appearance in imported seed. Early Rose and Burbank Seedling are the favourite potatoes, Early Horn carrots for garden, Long Blood beet, Timothy grass (it grows three to four feet high here), and Alsike clover are the best varieties for this district. Any kind of spring and fall wheat and barley do well if the land is well prepared ; hops grow to immense size. Stark, Spy, etc., apples are the best; I have nearly every variety, and as yet cannot say which will take the lead. I can't say which are the best pears, as frost has killed blossoms for the last two years; plums and prunes were killed by frost; peach blossoms were killed in March ; frost killed grapes, but otherwise they grow a large crop. I prefer Holstein cattle for dairying, and Black Spanish poultry for eggs ; I think the latter may be called non-sitters. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was abundance of rain ; not much cold weather. Spring was late ; seed-time was not good ; it was wet. In the summer there were showers up till July. The autumn was dry ; harvest weather was good. Frost in April and early in May killed peach, plum, and pear blossoms. The yield of crop was very good, generally, and were saved, I think, generally in good order. Mb. J. W. Stoney, Webster's Corner, says :—Fern is a noxious weed. The following I consider to be the best varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, etc., for this locality :—Scarlet Runner and Butter beans, Early Rose and Imperial Rose (English) potatoes, Yellow Danver, Multiplier, and Top onions, King of the Pippins, White Ball, and Northern Spy apples, Winter Nelis and Bartlett pears, Imperial Gage plums, Wagner and Bell cherries, Early Crawford peaches, and Concord grapes. Plymouth Rock poultry are the best. Mosquitoes are a pest. Last winter there was no snow worth mentioning ; it was very rainy, anil there was no cold weather. The spring was late, but was good for seeding. There was some rain last summer, but a good summer after. The autumn was fine ; harvesting weather was very favourable. There were two nights' frost about 10th of May ; if it had not been for the frost, I should have had some fruit, Crops were saved in good condition, and yielded very well. Mr. Origen Martin, Webster's Corner, says :—The animal pests are blue jays, mice, and rabbits, also a few bear; the three former are an intolerable nuisance. In some parts of the municipality, Canada thistle and Oxeye daisies have made their appearance, the former being sowed about the stations from the C. P. Ry., also along the side tracks where box-cars have been swept out. All kinds of wheat will mature here; no fall wheat is raised here. The best varieties for here.are Canada Field peas, Canada Early or 90-day corn, Red Valentine, Broad Windsor, and Dwarf Wax beans, Peruvian (a late kind without disease) potatoes, Steele Bros.' White Field carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver and Red Wethersfield onions, Eclipse beets, Timothy grass, Giant Red or Mammoth Red, Alsike and Alfalfa clovers, Baldwin, Golden Russet, King of Tomkins, and Rhode Island Greening apples, and Bartlett, and Flemish Beauty pears. Any American-Russian apples will grow, but they are no good. Mr. J. J. Wilson, Port Haney, says:—My stock are graded. Insect pests are lice on apple and plum trees. The following varieties of cereals, roots, and fruits are the best for this section:—Colorado Bearded wheat, Rosedale oats, Gold Vine and Mummy peas, Large Reel mangolds, Large White carrots, Purple Top swedes, Red Wethersfield onion, Timothy and Blue Joint grasses, Alsike and Red clovers, Yellow Transparent, Red Astrachan, Duchess of Oldenberg, Gravenstein, Wealthy, Fameuse, Canada Red, Greening, Golden Russet, Northern Spy, and Ben Davis apples, Bartlett and Idaho pears, Pond's Seedling, Hungarian, and Fellen- burgh plums, Silver prunes, Black Republican, Rockport, Yellow Spanish, and Governor Wood cherries, Alexander and Crawford peaches, Orange quinces, and Niagara grapes. I 836 Report on Agriculture. 1893 think the following are the best breeds of stock for this locality :—Clyde horses, Ayrshire cattle for dairying, Durhams for beef, Leicesters for wool, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. The following is the report of Mr. G. W. Henry, correspondent for Port Hammond and Pitt River : — WTheat (sp •ing), 25 bush. pei acre , S35 per ton Oats, 60 „ it 30 Peas, 40 „ 11 30 Hay, 2 to 3 tons ,, 12 i, Potatoes, 6 „ it 15 Mangolds. 25 „ ,, Carrots, 20 „ ,, Turnips, 25 „ 11 4. The following are the average prices obtainable : -For apples, $1 ; pears, $2, per box of 50 fts.; plums and prunes, 3 cents per ft.; cherries, 6 cents per ft.; peaches, 10 cents per ft ; quinces, 5 cents per ft.; grapes, 12A, cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop was poor on the whole. 4b. The quality of the fruit was only medium. 4c. Good loamy bench laud gives the finest fruit; all kinds want good cultivation in this part, and but little fertilizing. 4d. Peaches and apricots are grown with fair success ; nectarines are not much grown ; grapes are good some seasons, and sometimes not; melons are not successful ; tomatoes do fairly well. 4e. Apples do well when properly cared for in the way of cultivation, pruning, etc.; plums all do exceedingly well; the sweet varieties of cherries, especially, do wonderfully well. 5. Linseed is not grown. 6. Sugar beets are but little grown ; they did very well as far as tested. 7. Rape is not grown. 8a. Dairying is carried on without much system, but would be very profitable if properly carried out. 8b. The average price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. 9a. This part, I should think, was rather too wet for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep are not raised in any great numbers. 9c. The wool raised here is of fair quality. 10a. People are slowly going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The following I consider the best breeds for this locality :—Clydesdales for draught, Shorthorns for beef, Shorthorns, Jerseys, and Holsteins for dairying, Shropshires and Leicesters for wool, Shropshires and Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Brahma poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is very little carried on. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents per doz. 12. Some bees have been tried, with fair results. 13a. There was a great variety of weather last winter. 13b. The spring was rather moist and frosty. 13d. There was a fairly good autumn for harvesting. 14. The pests and diseases are : Black spots on apples, causing a percentage of loss; trees should be sprayed with ammoniacal carbonate of copper. Woolly and green aphis both bothered tt little; should be sprayed with kerosene emulsion. Pear and cherry tree slugs very bad ; dust with air-slacked lime, or spray with arsenites when not in fruit. 15a. As a rule, labourers are easily procurable. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 837 15b. Chinese, principally. 15c. The average wages are $1 to $2 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. . /. The ploughing is principally done in the spring. Mr. John Trembath, Port Hammond, says :—The following tire the best varieties of cereals and fruit:—Six-rowed barley, Canadian Triumph oats; Northern Spy, Baldwin, American and English Russets, Gravenstein, Kentish Pippin, Orange Pippin, Astrachan, Maiden's Blush, Rhode Island Greening, Wagners, Snow, and Ben Davis apples; Bartlett, Bonne de Jersey, Duchesse d'Angouleme, and Beurre d'Anjou pears; Washington, Greengage, Imperial Gage, Marianna, Weaver, Bradshaw, and Golden Drop plums ; Black Tartarian and Canadian Preserving cherries, Early Crawford and Shoemaker peaches, Concord and White Niagara grapes. The following I consider the best breeds of stock for here :—Suffolk Punch horses, Holsteins for dairying, Cotswolds for mutton, Berkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock hens, Toulon geese, and Black bees. Potato blight affected my crop slightly ; the leaves turned black, and the tubers rotted in the ground. There was not much snow last winter; there was a good deal of rain ; there was not much cold weather. The spring was late and unfavourable for seeding. The summer was damp, with an average kind of autumn. Harvest weather was not good. There was a slight frost last May. Crops yielded, I consider, very well, and were saved in first-class order. COQUITLAM. This municipality comprises all the country on and about the river of that name. The main line and the Westminster branch line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad pass through it; the principal point is the junction, distant eighteen miles from Vancouver and nine from New Westminster. About thirty-five settlers live here. Part of the land lies low, and is mostly covered with a dense undergrowth of vine maple, salmon-berry bushes, and such like ; the large trees are cottonwood, spruce, alder, etc., the soil being a light sandy loam in places, and of a light peaty nature in others. Other parts are high ridges, covered with large fir and cedar trees, many of which have been destroyed by fire, and their places are being filled with a thick undergrowth of small trees of the same varieties, the soil being a red gravelly loam. This soil makes the best fruit lands, especially for apples, provided they are mulched to keep the moisture in, pears and plums doing better on the lower lands ; the high lands also produce the best potatoes, although perhaps not so abundantly as those lying lower. The average annual rainfall is between 68 and' 70 inches, and the snowfall probably 24 inches, and generally lying but a short time. The altitude is very little above sea level. Aphides, potato blight, flies, mosquitoes, pear tree blight, and Canada thistles, are the principal pests complained of. The returns were small, but these go to show that 14| per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 55 per cent, is woodland or forest, 6A per cent, is swamp or marsh, and 24 percent, is pasture. Mr, W. R. Austin says :—The insect pest here is the green aphis or leaf louse, especially on apples ; coal oil emulsion is an effectual remedy, but must be used cautiously. Potato blight is a disease of plant life. All kinds of cereals do well, except barley, which failed three successive years on dry land. Swedes, timothy and alsike clover are well suited to this locality. I think the best breeds of stock for here are : Heavy draught and cross-bed horses, so as to have good movement with strength ; Shorthorns for dairying on rough pasture land; Plymouth Rock fowls, as I am near to market, to sell for table use; and Italian bees. Last winter there were three days' snow ; there was lots of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late, heuce the seed-time was late ; the summer was pretty dry ; there was lots of rain in the autumn ; harvest weather was pretty good ; there were late spring frosts. I had excellent hay without ploughing the land; seeding down clover and just harrowing and manuring the land. All early crops were saved in good order; late crops were not well saved. Crops yielded well, but mine were necessarily light, except hay and clover, which was excellent on high gravelly land. 838 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. John Douglas Smith says :—My bull is a pure bred Holstein ; my cows are mixed Durhams and Holsteins. Mosquitoes and flies are insect 23ests. It is too wet here for fall wheat. Short White oats, Timothy grass and Red clover are the best varieties for this locality. Any kinds of apples do well. Peaches, quinces, apricots, and nectarines, are not suited to this locality ; grapes don't ripen very well. The following are the best breeds of stock for here : Any good light horses about 1,500 fts. ; Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Plymouth Rock and Brown Leghorn chickens. Mr. John William Stein says :—My stock are grades and thoroughbred Jerseys; I have a thoroughbred Jersey bull. Diseases of plant life are : some little blight on leaves of several pear and plum trees ; there were green lice on a few pear and apple trees. Noxious weeds were a large number of Canada thistles ; this year I rooted them up and burnt in a special fire, so as to eliminate the seeds. The following varieties of roots, grasses and clover are well suited to this locality : Yellow Danver onions, Kentucky Blue, and Timothy grasses, Big English Red and Alsike clovers. I consider, for butter, Jerseys ; for beef, Holsteins and Shorthorns ; for poultry, Cochin China and Brown Leghorns ; and for honey, Italian bees are the best breeds. PORT MOODY AND BURRARD INLET, The former being at the head of the South Arm of Burrard Inlet on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, thirteen miles from Vancouver, the rest being scattered along both shores of the Inlet down as far as Vancouver, have about seventy-five ranchers. The country- is all densely wooded with huge fir, cedar, and spruce trees, and a thick undergrowth of smaller trees and shrubs. The soil is however good, especially about Port Moody and the estuaries of some of the streams debouching into the Inlet, that on the ridges being the red gravelly soil peculiar to this part, and which makes excellent fruit land. A good deal of fruit is produced, which finds a ready market in Vancouver. Root crops and dairy products, especially milk, are also raised in fair quantities for the same purpose. Grain and hay are not produced to any great extent, the quantity of cleared land being so limited. The precipitation in all this region is excessive, the average rainfall being 69.12 inches, the wet season of 1891 having raised the previous average of 68.43. The snowfall averages 28.2 inches, sometimes remaining on the ground but a few hours. The temperature is very equable, seldom going below zero nor above 90°. No particular pests are reported, although no doubt some of those affecting the surrounding settlements are also here. It is impossible to tell from the meagre returns what the proportion of cultivated land is. It is safe to say that it is very small in comparison to the area owned. The following is the report of Mr. John T. Scott, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (spring), 30 to 35 bushels per acre, $35 per ton. Barley, 35 to 40 „ „ 1.50 per 100 fts. Oats, 45 tt „ 1.50 „ Peas, (limited quantity), 1.75 n 2. Hay.—2 to 3 tons per acre. 3. Potatoes.—10 to 12 tons per acre, $15 to $20 per ton. Mangolds.—20 tons per acre, $8 per ton. Carrots.—12 to 20 tons per acre (as to quality), $14 per ton. Turnips.—20 tons per acre, $8 to $12 per ton. Beets.—8 to 10 tons per acre. Cabbages.—Large quantities, $15 to $20 per ton. Market gardening is profitable where followed. 3a. The yield of above was very goocl on high as well as low lands. ■\p. The following are the particular varieties which are best suited to this part:—Early Spring wheat, Timothy, Red clover, Early Rose potato, Long Red mangold, Garden and Field carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, and Late and Early cabbage. 2 to 3 ce its per 3 to 4 , 5 to 6 i 10 to 20 i 3 10 to 15 , 10 , i 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 839 4. The following are the average prices usually obtainable for- Apples, Pears, Plums and Prunes, Cherries, Quinces, Grapes, Strawberries, Raspberries, 4a. The crop was not as good as last year. 4b. The fruit was of good quality. 4c. Dry sandy loam is the best soil for small fruits ; higher lands are better for larger fruits, such as apples, pears, peaches, and plums. 4d. Some years peaches are very successful. G rapes are very limited. Melons are grown in large quantities. Tomatoes are plentifully grown. 4e. The following particular fruits give the best results :—Gravenstein, Baldwin, Gloria Mundi, Wealthy, and Early Harvest apples; Bartlett, Duchess of Oldenberg, and Winter Nelis pears, Magnum Bonum and Greengage plums 5. No flax is grown. 6. Only a small quantity of sugar beet is grown. 7. No rape is cultivated. 8a. There are only a few settlers who make butter for market. 8b. Butter sells for 25 to 30 cents per pound, and cheese is only made for home use. 9a. The country is not well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are no quantity of sheep here. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The following I consider are the best breeds of stock for this district:—Percheron horses for draught, Provincial horses for harness, Shorthorns for beef, Holsteins for beef and milk, Shropshires for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is largely carried on, and is made very profitable. 11b. The average price of eggs is 40 to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is very successful. 13a. Last winter there was very little snow, plenty of rain, with late frosts. 13b. Spring was dry with frosts. 13c. Summer was pleasant. 13d. The autumn was good harvest weather, with early frosts. 13e. There was no loss from bad weather. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages are from $25 to $30 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried so far as I am aware of. 17. There is quite a large acreage ploughed in the fall. 18. A general improvement has taken place through the district. 840 Report on Agriculture. 1893 LULU ISLAND, SEA ISLAND, AND NORTH ARM, All in the Municipality of Richmond, at the mouth of the Fraser opposite to the Delta, have about one hundred and thirty ranchers. There is good water communication to all parts, a goocl road leads from Vancouver, which crosses the North Arm to Sea Island and thence to Lulu Island by two fine bridges ; a road also leads from Westminster down the North Arm, crossing the first-named road at its crossing to Sea Island and continues till it comes out on the gulf. A third road, partly finished when I was there in September, crosses the North Arm at the upper end of Lulu Island by a fine bridge. Roads are laid out within the municipality intersecting it everywhere, some of which are good and some unfinished. The same conditions exist here as at the Delta regarding making and maintaining roads which, on account of the nature of the soil, the heavy rainfall, and the absence of material are both difficult and expensive. Lulu and Sea Islands lie low and require dyking and draining, the land being formed of alluvial deposit of the Fraser is, of course, of the richest description; it is for the most part open, but there are clumps and belts of timber, especially along the river. On the mainland side of the North Arm the land is higher, and as a rule thickly covered with large timber and underbrush. Crops of all kinds and fruit attain great perfection. A large quantity of wheat, oats, root crops, hay, fruit, and dairy products are raised and marketed in Vancouver and Westminster. Swine and poultry are only produced in very limited numbers. Principal diseases and pests reported are potato blight, caterpillars, aphides, bot-flies, gad-flies, mosquitoes, and Scotch thistles. The precipitation is probably 50 inches of rain ; snow light, perhaps 15 or 20 inches, generally thawing almost immediately; the temperature is very equable, 80° being probably the usual hottest weather, and seldom very cold in winter. From reports received from the whole district it appears that 35 per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 23 per cent, is woodland or forest, HA^ per cent, is swamp or marsh, and 30J per cent, is pasture. Mr. Kidd's estimate of cultivated land for the south side of Lulu Island it will be seen is only 12A_ per cent. The following approximate data was supplied by Mr, Thomas Kidd for the south half of Lulu Island :— Quantity of land owned south half Lulu Island 12,000 acres. ti ii cultivated 1,500 n Number of tons of hay produced 1,000 tons. ti ii grain n 600 n tt tt roots ii 800 ii ii ti fruit ti 4 it I. cattle owned 500 head. n horses 125 n . ii sheep it 30 n ii swine n 125 n The following is the report of Mr. Thos. Kidd, correspondent for the south side of Lulu Island :— 1. Wheat (fall), \\ tons per acre, $28 per ton. i, (spring,) \\ ii tt 28 u Oats, 1 i. i, 22'i 2. Hay, 2 to 3 „ ,, 11 3. Potatoes, 5 to 8 n n 12 to $14 n Mangolds, 15 to 20 .. ,, 8 n Carrots, 15 to 20 u » 9 Turnips, 20 to 30 m n 6 n 3a. The yield of above was an average one, or slightly below the average, except potatoes, which were a good deal below the average. 3b. The following particular varieties are best suited to this part:—Red Fife wheat, Egyptian oats, Timothy grass for hay, mixed grasses for pasture; Early Rose and Late Rose potatoes; Mammoth Red mangold, Belgian and Vosges (white) carrots, Swede and Purple Top turnips, and Yellow Danver onions. 4a. The season's fruit crop was an average one. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 841 4b. Cherries, plums and pears were of good quality; apples were not good. 4d. Peaches and apricots are grown in sheltered places with fair success. Tomatoes are grown, but it is difficult to ripen them. 8a. Dairying is carried on extensively with goocl results ; butter and cheese can be made, but very little cheese is made. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. 9. Sheep are not raised here to any extent. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The best breeds for this district, I consider, are :—Clydesdales and Suffolk Punches for draught, Durhams for beef, Grade Durhams for general dairy purposes, Jerseys for butter, and Holsteins for milk ; Berkshire pigs ; and Leghorn, Houdan and Plymouth Rock poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is not extensively followed, except in a few cases it is not carried on with any system. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 to 30 cents. 12. Apiculture has not been tried by people with any experience. 13a. Last winter was rainy and excessively wet. 13b. The spring was wet, with no frosts. 13c. The summer was an average one. 13d. The latter part of the autumn was wet ; early harvest was good, the latter part was wet. 13e. One-half of the oat crop was spoiled from bad weather. 14. A blight on potatoes, and the caterpillar on fruit, are the most noticeable pests and diseases. The Bordeaux mixture has not yet been tried here for the former,; several mixtures have been tried for the latter, with some success. Animals are remarkably free from disease. 15a. Labourers are generally easily procurable. 15b. Whites, Chinese and Indians, but not many Indians, are employed. 15c. The average wages are $30 per month for whites, with board ; $25 to $30 for Chinamen, without board, for spring, summer and autumn. 16c. 1 don't know of ensilage having been tried. 17. The ploughing is done in the fall to a considerable extent. 18. Old buildings are being improved and cultivation extended, but few new farms are being started. The farms now occupied are being improved as fast as the means of owners will admit of, by clearing, draining, fencing and building, and the prospects generally are fair. The high prices asked for land is likely the reason of so few new farms being started. A large portion of Lulu Island, the eastern end, is being dyked, under the provisions of the Municipal Act, but it will take a number of years to prove the wisdom of the undertaking. A great deal of the land is peaty, and it will take a long time to rot down before it can be used for general farming purposes. Mr. A. Harding, Lulu Island, says:—My bull is a full bred pedigreed Durham. Fire weed and chick weed are noxious weeds. Red Fife Spring wheat, Manchester Fall wheat, and Beauty of Hebron potatoes are the best varieties for here. The best breeds of stock for this locality are Clyde horses, Jersey crossed with Durhams for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Brown Leghorns crossed with common barnyard fowls for poultry. I lost about $100 on two acres of land from potato disease. Last winter there was no snow ; there was a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late, but not good for seeding. The summer was not very good, the autumn was good. Harvest weather was good. Our grain crops averaged a ton to the acre. Mr. Thomas Kidd, Lulu Island, says :—The only disease which affected crops this year was potato blight. (See Mr. Kidd's remarks under " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) Last winter there was not much snow; there was a lot of rain; there was not much cold weather. Oats, l 2 2, Hay, 3 3. Potatoes, 6 Mangold, 20 Carrots, 15 Turnips, 20 Onions, 10 842 Report on Agriculture. 1893 The spring was rather late, and there was an average seeding time. The summer was goocl, and the autumn was very wet; the early harvest weather was goocl, the latter part was very bad ; there were no frosts to speak of till 1st of December. The vield of crops was fair. Hay was saved in good condition ; grain also was saved before the rain came. After the rain it was in bad order. A good deal of oats was lost. The following is the report of Mr. O. D. Sweet, correspondent for north side of Lulu Island : — 1. Wheat (spring), 1 ton per acre ; $30 per ton. ii 25 n 12 „ it 6 it it 8 it 6 18 „ 3a. The yield of above on the whole was very light. 3b. The following varieties are best suited to this part : Timothy grass, Alsike clover, Egyptian oats, Early Rose jjotatoes, Long Red mangolds, Swedes, and Danver onions. 4. The average prices obtainable for the following are : For apples, 3 cents per ft.; pears, 5 cents per ft. ; plums and prunes, 4 cents per ft. 4a. The crop of hay was good ; oats were light; plums were good, and apples were a failure. 4d. Peaches are grown, and occasionally yield well. Tomatoes are grown, but did not ripen well this season. 4e. The following particular varieties give the best results : Baldwin, Ben Davis, Greening, Duchess of Oldenberg apples, Bartlett and Olapp's Favourite pears, Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, and Pond's Seedling plums. 5, 6, and 7. Linseed, Sugar beet, and Rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying is gone in for considerably, with the best of results. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. 9. This part is not suitable for sheep, it is too low and damp. 10a. A few farmers are improving their breeds of stock. 10b. The following are the best breeds in this district : Clydesdales for draught, Grade Durhams for beef, and Holsteins for dairying. 11a. Poultry-raising is only in a small way attempted, and without any particular system. 11b. The average price of eggs in summer is 30 cents, in the autumn 50 cents, per dozen. 12. Bees have not been sufficiently tried yet to give any useful results. 13a. Last winter there was very little snow or frosty weather ; there was plenty of rain. 13b. The spring was very wet. 13c. The summer was short, and cold rain set in early in the autumn. 13d. The autumn was very wet; the late harvest was damaged. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites and Chinese. 15c. The average wages paid are $30 per month and found. Otherwise, $1 to $1.25 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There was not much ploughing done this fall, it was too wet. 18. The great need here is a more thorough system of draining. Some have done a good deal, while others are very far behind in this important work. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 843 Mr. Robert McBride, North Arm, says :—The weed known as the Scotch thistle is getting troublesome. Egyptian oats, American Rose potato, Oxheart and Large White carrots, Mammoth swede, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy and Red Clover are the best varieties for this district. Large red and dark plums of every species do very well here. I believe a mixed breed of horses for general purposes are better than heavy draft horses. Yorkshire pigs are the best. The Chinese I consider a pest, as they raise heavy crops of potatoes, vegetables, etc., and undersell the farmers, who cannot compete with the Celestials in the market garden line. Last winter there was a little snow, but not enough to carry a sleigh. There was a considerable amount of rain during October, November, December, March and April. There was not much cold weather last winter. The spring was a medium one; it was a good seeding season in the latter part of April. It was wet during June and part of July, otherwise good weather. The autumn was good. The weather up to the middle of September was good. There were a few nights' light frost in November and January. Crops were saved in good condition. Oats yielded lighter per acre than they usually have done in this locality. Hay yielded well. Other crops were of medium yield. Mr. B. W. Garret, North Arm, says :—There was no snow last winter; there was an average amount of rain ; there was very little cold weather. The spring was a medium one, and the seed-time was favourable. The summer was wet. Crops yielded well and were harvested in fair condition. Mr. Alexander Lochore, North Arm, says:—I have a pedigreed Holstein-Friesian bull, one pedigreed Chester White sow, and ten full-bred Chester White pigs. My cattle are graded Durham and Holstein. I prefer the Holsteins, as they are the best milkers, and dairy cows pay best in this section. I have also a pedigreed Jersey cow, and two half-bred Jersey heifers. Our potatoes have been blighted and have rotted badly this season. The land is river flats and is pretty dry ; I don't know the cause. Colorado White Spring wheat, English Pedigree barley, Irish and Egyptian oats, Rosedale, Daisy, Burpee's Extra Early, and Early Rose potatoes, Long Red mangolds, Half long and Short White carrots, Swedes, Timothy for hay, Rye for pasture, Alsike clover for hay, and Dutch clover for pasture are the best varieties for this district. T consider the following are the best breeds for this district: A cross of a Clydesdale stallion and a common mare, so as to get horses weighing 1,200 to 1,400 fts., are the best for farming; Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, White Chester pigs, and Plymouth Rock and Leghorn poultry. Mr, J. R. Rowling, North Arm, says :—Diseases of plant life are blight and rot some years. This community is free from diseases of animal life. Caterpillars, grubs, and aphis are insect pests, but they are not bad; also bots, gad-flies, and mosquitoes. Almost any kind of wheat, corn, beans, and hops do well here. The best varieties of grain, roots, and grasses are the following :—Egyptian or Surprise oats, Marrowfat peas, Early and Late Rose potatoes, Large White or Short Red carrots, Purple Top swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Lentz beans, Timothy grass, and White Dutch and Large Red clover. Clyde horses, Durham cattle for dairying and beef, and Berkshire and Suffolk pigs are the best for this locality. HOWE SOUND. Bo wen Island, at the entrance, is about thirteen miles from Vancouver, the sound running up about twenty-seven miles further. It is accessible by water only, the rugged nature of the country between it and Burrard Inlet rendering road making an almost impossible undertaking. About forty ranchers live on the islands and on the mainland of the sound. The country is generally heavily wooded with fir and cedar. The land is good, principally for fruit growing; root crops and cereals also do well. The precipitation, owing to the proximity of the mountains, which in the vicinity rise to a great height, is undoubtedly great, probably even heavier than on Burrard Inlet, where, in 1891, it went up to 77 inches of rain. Pests reported are sorrel, wire-worms, minks, wolves, and bears. Mr. W. G. Mitchell writes as follows :—This district is so young that we have mostly been experimenting to find out what will do best. Spring wheat, barley, and peas have been tried with success, and oats and buckwheat did pretty well, though not as well as expected ; hops did well, but were not harvested ; experts expect 2,500 to 3,000 fts. per acre. Carrots, 90 or IOC acres. 20 tons. 50 i, 70 tt 75 head. 9 „ 844 Report on Agriculture. 1893 turnips, onions, beets, and cabbages did well, but I cannot estimate the yield. Our orchards are too young to give any returns about fruits. All the trees planted in all parts of this valley are in a fine healthy state, and are doing well, and I have great hopes of this place for all kinds of fruit. Mr, W. G. Mitchell, correspondent, furnishes the following approximate, data and report:— Quantity of land owned, exclusive of timber limits and reserves, 8,500 acres. ti it cultivated Number of tons of grain produced ii hay it it root crops ti fruit (small fruit only) cattle owned horses n sheep it ti swine n 15 11 2. Hay, 3 tons per acre; $10 to $20 per ton. 3. Potatoes, 9' ,, ., 15 to 30 3b. Egyptian Mummy peas, Timothy grass, Early Rose potatoes, and Prize Taker onions give the best results for this locality. 4a & b. The crop and quality of the fruit were goocl. 4c The soil best adapted for fruit in this valley is a light sandy loam. 4d. Peaches have been tried by one or two, and have failed; apricots, nectarines, and grapes have not been tried ; melons have been tried, with partial success : tomatoes bear a very heavy crop, but do not ripen thoroughly. 5, 6, & 7. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying is not extensively carried on, but it pays well. 8b. The average obtainable price for butter is 25 cents to 35 cents per ft. 9a. This part is not suitable for sheep. 9b. There are no sheep here of any sort. 10a. People do not trouble about improving their breeds of stock. 10b. The following are the best breeds for this district:—Durhams for beef and dairying, Merinos for wool, Southdowns for mutton. All kinds of pigs and chickens seem to do well here, but light chickens are preferred to heavy birds. 11a. Poultry-raising is neglected. 11b. The average price of eggs is from 25 cents to 35 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have not been tried. 13a. Last winter was snowy, with high cutting winds. 13b. The spring was dry and frosty. 13c. There was a loss of about eight per cent, of cattle. 14. The only pest here at present is the wire-worm in the potato (it cuts the top from the set), but it is not here to any extent at present, and I am watching its movements very carefully. 15a. Labourers are to be procured easily. 15b, Whites and Indians. 15c. The average wages are $2 per day of ten hours. 16. Ensilage has not yet been tried. 17. There is no ploughing done in the fall. Mr. George W. Gibson, Jr., Howe Sound, says :—The following varieties of fruits are best:—Gravenstein, St. Lawrence, Baldwin, and Ben Davis apples; Bartlett, Winter Nelis, and Flemish Beauty pears; Italian prunes; Royal Anne, Black Republic, and Black Heart cherries ; and Concord grapes. Peaches are a total failure, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 845 Mr. Nils Frolander, Froak, says :—I have only this year commenced clearing land and opening up my claim. Mink, porcupine, wolves, bears, <tc, are the animal pests. Mr. William Joseph Davis, Bowen Island, says :—My stock are graded. Sorrel is a noxious weed. The following are the best varieties of roots, grasses, fruits, &c, for this locality:—Golden Wax beans, Chili and Burbank potatoes, Shorthorn Nanthus carrots, Purple Top swede, Red Wethersfield onion, Egyptian beet, Timothy grass, and Alsike clover; Wealthy, Red Astrachan, Gloria Mundi, Rhode Island Greening, and Red and Yellow Bell- flower apples; Bartlett and Sheldon pears; Yellow Egg, Washington, Peach, Damson, and Yellowgage plums; Royal Anne, Early Black, and Yellow Spanish cherries, and Alexander peaches. The best breeds of stock for here are a cross between the Canadian French, and the Clyde for horses, Cotswolds for wool, and Berkshire pigs. Last winter there was not much snow; there was not much rain, and there was the average amount of cold weather. Spring was late, and not good for seeding. The summer was wet and dry, to the extremes. The autumn was very rainy. Harvest weather was very favourable, There were two frosts in May, which killed the fruit crop. Crops were saved in good order, but the yield was not good. SOOKE, Situated on the southern end of Vancouver Island, is the most southerly settlement in British Columbia. It has a fine harbour, about 22 miles from Victoria, by water or road. About 60 ranchers are here and at Otter Point, a few miles further. The country is mostly hilly, the valleys generally covered with timber and the hills partly open, affording good runs for sheep. Immediately about the harbour there is a quantity of level land, the soil being of excellent quality, and on which are grown cereals, root crops, hay and fruit. Dairying is not entered into to any extent, nor with any system ; and the same may be said of poultry- raising. Some swine and sheep are raised, but not a great many. The precipitation is not heavy, probably about 37 inches of rain; snow is very uncertain, sometimes none at all, and at others two or three feet, and it does not generally lie on the ground more than a few days at a time. The highest point the temperature usually attains is probably about 80°, and the lowest usually a few degrees above zero. Situated as it is on the confines of a perfectly wild country, it is not to be wondered that there are many wild animal pests, such as panthers, or rather pumas, wolves, bears, and raccoons. About 12|- per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 68| per cent, is woodland or forest, 12| per cent, is swamp, marsh and rock, and 6\ per cent, pasture. The following approximate data is furnished by Mr. John Muir, correspondent:— *Quantity of land owned 5,500 acres. ii ii cultivated 700 n Number of tons of grain produced ...... 90 tons. ii it hay ii 300 ti it ii root crops 240 n it it fruit 20 ii it cattle owned 300 head. it horses n 50 ii ii sheep it 340 n ti swine n 200 n The following is the report of Mr. John Muir, corespondent:— 1. Wheat (spring), 30 bushels per acre, $35 per ton. Oats, 40 ii ii 30 ,i Peas, 1 ton n 40 n 2. Hay, 3 „ „ 15 3. Potatoes, 7 n n 15 n Carrots, 4 n n Turnips, 10 n n *There is more land owned, but I cannot form an estimate of it. 846 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Onions, beets, parsnips, cabbage, and other roots and vegetables.—As these are only grown by all for home and local use, I don't know what the yield was per acre ; but I can say the crop was good of all kinds, and the yield was good. 3a. The above yielded well; nothing extra, but those I have talked with were well pleased with the yield. 3b. The following particular kinds are best for this part: Red and White clovers, Red and White carrots, White Rutabaga turnips, Yellow Danver onions, and Hollow Crown parsnips. 4. The following prices were obtainable for fruit:—Apples, 1 to 1{ cents per ft.; pears, 1 to 1|- cents ; plums and prunes, 1A; cents. 4a. The fruit crop was a good average crop. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4d. Peaches are planted to a limited extent, with fair prospects. No apricots, nectarines, grapes or melons are grown. Tomatoes are grown, with fair success. 4e. All kinds of ajiples, pears, plums and cherries appear to do well, and in some cases are larger than guaranteed by the original stock. 5,- 6, 7. Linseed, sugar beet and rape are not grown. 8a. Dairying, so far, is only tried in a small way, good hands to handle cows and milk being hard to get. 8b. The average obtainable price for butter is from 25 to 30 cents per ft. 9a. This part is well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Only a small number of sheep are kept. 9c. The quality of the wool is good. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 4 to 5 fts. 10b. I consider the following are the best breeds of stock for this locality : A cross from a Clydesdale and native mare for draught; for saddle and harness, a cross between a trotter and native mare; for beef, a cross-bred Durham and native cow; for dairying, a cross between Ayrshire and native cow ; for wool, crosses of Leicesters and Southdowns; for mutton, Southdowns; Berkshire pigs. 11a. Poultry-raising is limited, but, so far as I can learn and judge, the results are good. 11b. The average price of eggs tlie year round is 30 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is not tried. 13a. Last winter there was light snow and frost, with heavy rains. 13b. The spring was wet. 13c. The summer was in the early part wet and cold, later it was good growing weather. 13d. The autumn was goocl weather for harvesting, later the usual fall rains. 13b. There was a slight loss in apples from unfavourable weather in the early summer. 14. The principal pests are panthers, wolves and bears, for sheep, lambs and calves ; and coons for chickens and the orchards. 15a. Labourers are not easily procured. 15b. Indians. 15c. The average wages are from $25 to $30 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is very little ploughing done in the fall. Mr. Samuel Morrow, Sooke Road, says:—My bull is a full-bred Durham ; the remainder of my stock are the common stock of the country. Last winter there was one inch of snow on the ground for a short time. From September to January, 1892, there was a great deal of rain, there was not much cold ; the grass was green all winter. Mr. J. Poirier, Sooke, says :—Last winter there was no snow, there was lots of rain. The spring was late and there was too much rain at seed-time ; the summer and autumn were very fair ; harvest weather was good. The yield of crops was pretty fair, and they were saved in good condition, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 847 Messrs. Weeks and Sons, Jordan Meadows, say :—Last winter there was about four feet of snow; there was a great deal of rain, and not much cold weather. There was a medium spring. The summer was wet. Harvest weather was not good. There was no summer frost. Mr. John Muir, Sooke, says :—My cattle are a mixture of Durhams, Jerseys and Ayrshires ; my horses are cross-bred, and my poultry are a cross. Frosts in early spring are injurious. There is a poisonous weed that stock sometimes eat; after eating they swell and die in four to six hours. I don't know the name of the weed. Wolves, bears and panthers are animal pests. I don't think wheat has been tried. All kinds of peas and oats do well. Red and White carrots, White turnips and Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Rye and Timothy grasses, and Red and White clovers, are all suitable for this locality. The following breeds of stock are best for here :—Cross between Clydesdale or Percheron and native mares ; they are more hardy and not so heavy as thoroughbreds ; Jerseys or Ayrshires for dairying ; cross-bred cattle for beef ; Leicesters for wool and mutton, and black Berkshire pigs. From wolves, panthers and bears, my first loss was 16 sheep in one night; by straggling afterwards, 12 more. Last winter the snow was light ; there was a medium amount of rain and cold weather. The spring was late, owing to cold rains in April, and it was unfavourable for early seeding. The summer was good growing weather; the autumn was fair, and good for harvesting; there were no frosts up till the 12th of October. Crops were saved in good condition, and, as far as I can learn, yielded above the average. METCHOSIN, Which includes Rocky Point, Pedder Bay, and Hajspy Valley, has some fifty ranchers. Metchosin is accessible by water and by road from Victoria. Part of this district is open country, dotted over with beautiful oaks ; there are many alder bottoms near the margins of the lakes and streams, and a good deal of heavily-timbered land ; some rocky hills also run through the district, which are partly open, and on which there is good feed for sheep. The soil is varied ; on the oak land it is generally a black loam with gravel subsoil, in the alder bottoms and swamps a heavy clayey loam, and on the ridges it is generally a rather heavy red soil. The precipitation being light, crops are apt to suffer from drought in many parts unless put in very early. A great deal of fruit and root crops are produced, and a considerable quantity of grain. There is not much dairying done; a fair number of sheep and swine are produced, and a comparatively large quantity of poultry. The climate is much the same as at Esquimalt and Victoria; rainfall about 35 inches, and snowfall uncertain, sometimes none at all. Greatest heat usually about 81°, and greatest cold a little above zero. Diseases and pests reported are aphides, fruit blight, camomile, sorrel, buckwheat, and thistle. The following is the report of Mr. W. Fisher, correspondent :— 1. Wheat (spring), 23 bush, per acre ; $30 to $35 per ton. ., (fall), 25 ,i Barley, 30 „ Oats, 35 ti n Peas, 25 tt M 2. Hay, 1| tons ,, 3. Potatoes, 6 n t> Mangolds, 20 „ Carrots, 30 n n Turnips, 25 n n Onions—3 cents to 6 cents pei1 ft. 3a. The yield of the above was a medium one. 3b. The following are considered best suited to this locality and give best results : Red Fall wheat, Chevalier barley, White oats, Grey peas, Cocksfoot and Timothy grasses, Red clover, Late Beauty of Hebron potatoes, Long Red mangolds, White carrots, Carter's turnips, and Danver onions. 4. The following were the obtainable prices : For apples, 2|- cents to 4A cents per ft., according to time of year ; pears, 2 cents per ft. ; plums and prunes, 2 cents to 3 cents per ft. No cherries, peaches, quinces, apricots, nectarines, or grapes are grown for sale. 4a. The crop of apples was good ; of other fruit, fair. 30 to 35 30 25 to 30 30 15 to 20 15 to 30 5 to 8 7 to 10 5 to 8 848 Report on Agriculture. 1893 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4d. Peaches, nectarines, apricots, grapes and melons are not grown. A few tomatoes are grown, they do not ripen well. 4e. Lemon Pippin, Duke of Tompkin's County and Gravensteins are the best apples for this locality. Bartlett and Sekel pears. 5 and 6. Linseed and Sugar beet are not at all cultivated. 7. Rape is only cultivated to a small extent. 8a. Dairying is neglected. 9a. This part is not well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are not many sheep raised here. 9c. The wool is of poor quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 2| fts. 10a. People are only to a very small extent going in for improved stock. 10b. The following I consider the best breeds for this district: Shorthorns for beef, Jerseys for dairying, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock poultry. Ua. Poultry-raising is only done to a moderate extent. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents to 30 cents. , 12. Apiculture has not been tried. 13a. Last winter it was very mild, and there was no snow. . . 13b. The spring was rather wet. 13c. The summer was cool and moderately wet. 13d The autumn was good in the early part and wet later. 13e. There was no loss of consequence from bad weather. 14. There was no loss to stock or crops from disease. There was a small loss of fruit from the aphis. 15a. Labourers are easily procured. 15b. Whites or Chinese. 15c. The average wages paid are $20 to $25 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Fall ploughing is only done for fall wheat. Mr. W. Fisher says :—I have a Jersey cow and bull. There was an amount of pear and apple blight or fungus. There was no disease of animal life of any consequence. The aphis is an insect pest. There are no animal pests of any consequence. Noxious weeds are wild camomile, which is on the increase, and wild buckwheat, sorrel, and thistle, which are not very bad. Last winter there was no snow ; there was lots of rain ; not much cold weather. A medium spring with a fairly good seed-time. The summer was good. The autumn was good, with rain enough to start the grass. Harvest weather was good. There was no early or late frosts. Crops were saved in good condition, and there was an average yield of grain. Potatoes were not so good ; other roots were better. Mr. Fisher also furnishes the following approximate data :— Land owned—Very nearly the whole of the land in this district is owned. I can't give an idea of quantity. Land cultivated From 900 to 1,000 acres. Grain produced 300 tons. Hay produced 100 u Roots produced 200 n Fruit produced 20 n Catte owned . . . 350 head. Horses owned 140 n Sheep owned 1,000 n Swine owned 175 n The above is as near as I can get for the District of Metchosin. 56 Vict. . Report on Agriculture. 849 ESQUIMALT AND HIGHLAND, Adjoining Victoria District, have about fifty ranchers. There is a good deal of open oak land in Esquimalt District, and a fair proportion of rocky hills; in Highland the latter predominate. There are numbers of lakes, streams, and swamps, about which there are patches of land covered with small brush, and alder, maple, etc., the soil of which is of excellent quality and produces well. The hillsides are generally clothed with heavy timber, and the tops partially open, forming fair ranges for stock. The whole of these districts is well adapted to fruit-raising and the culture of root crops. Grain also does well, but the circumscribed area of cleared land naturally limits the production of cereals, but a large quantity of the two first-mentioned is produced. Butter is not produced in any quantity, and it is much the case with poultry. A good many sheep and pigs are raised, the country being particularly well adapted for the former. The Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railroad passes through the district, also the Nanaimo waggon road. The precipitation is small, and the temperature very equable, as will be seen by the Meteorological tables. The aphis on apples is about the only pest reported. The following is the report of Mr. A. H. Peatt, correspondent:— 1. Wheat (fall), 30 bush, per acre ; 90 cents per bush, (spring) 25 n n 90 M n it 80 it ti 60 „ 90 „ $18.00 per ton. 18.00 „ 10.00 i, 12.00 „ 9.00 „ 60.00 ,, Beets, parsnips, cabbage, and other vegetables are only raised for garden purposes. 3a. The yield of above was very fair. 3b. All cereals and roots can be grown with very good results. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable : For apples, 2 Ay to 4 cents per ft.; pears, 2 to 4 cents per ft.; plums and prunes, 2 to 4 cents per ft.; cherries, 3 to 10 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was very fair. 4b. The quality of the fruit was very good indeed. 4c. The soil in this district is very well adapted to fruit-raising. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes don't do very well, as the weather is rather cool in the summer. 4e. All kinds of apples give goocl results. Bartlett pears do very well indeed, and any kinds of plums and cherries. 5, 6, and 7. Linseed, Sugar beet, and Rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying, although not extensively carried on, has very good results. 8b. Butter fetches from 25 cents to 50 cents per ft. Cheese, from 25 cents to 30 cents per ft. 9a. This part is very well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep are not raised on an extensive scale. 9c. The wool is of very good quality indeed. 9d. The average weight of fleece is from 4 to 5 fts. 10a. People occasionally go in for improved stock. 10b. The following I consider to be the best breeds of stock for this locality :—Percheron horses for draught, Cleveland Bays for saddle, Hambletonians for harness; Shorthorn cattle for beef, Holsteins for dairying, Leicester sheep for wool, Southdowns for mutton, and Bershire pigs. Barley, Oats, Peas, - 30 i, 25 „ 30 „ 2. Hay, 1^ tons 3. Potatoes, 6 „ Mangolds, Carrots, 10 „ 8 „ Turnips, Onions, 10 „ 4 „ 850 Report on Agriculture. 1893 11a. Poultry-raising is not attempted to any great extent, but the results are very good indeed. 11b. The average price of eggs is from 25 cents to 60 cents. 12. Apiculture has not been tried. 13a. Last winter there was a great deal of rain with very little frost or snow. 13b. The spring was very favourable.. 13c. The summer was moderate and very favourable for crops. 13d. The autumn was very good, and harvest weather was very fine and dry. 13e. The loss from unfavourable weather was very small. 14. Animals of all kinds are very free of all disease. Apple trees are often troubled with aphis, but can be kept free by spraying with tobacco water. 15a. Labourers are easily to be procured. 15b. Whites and Chinese. 15c:. The average wages are $25 per month with board. 16. Ensilage has been tried and with very good success. 17. Fall ploughing has been done to a moderate extent, 18. These districts are very well suited for agriculture, as the climate is very mild, and high prices and a ready market is obtained for all kinds of produce and meats. VICTORIA DISTRICT Has about one hundred and ten farmers. A great deal of the country within a radius of five miles from the town is open oak land, interspersed with belts of fir, alder, maple, &c. The soil is a rich black loam, except on pine land, where it is generally a heavy red loam, which grows good crops of peas and red clover, and makes excellent land for apples and plums. The principal industries are fruit, root, vegetable, and milk producing, all of which find a ready- sale in Victoria City. Grain and hay of a superior quality are also raised in fairly large quantities. The cultivation of small fruits is largely entered into, especially strawberries and raspberries, for both of which this district is particularly well adapted. The production of butter is, of course, limited, owing to the milk being all sold in the town. Some sheep, pigs, and a good deal of poultry is produced. More attention is probably paid to the latter industry than in any other part of the Province, many going in for the best breeds of fowls. The ordinary precipitation is very light, somewhere about twenty-seven inches. The extraordinary wet season of 1891, however, when 41.12 inches fell, raised the average to 36.06 inches. The snowfall is usually trifling, none falling for some years, and then a heavy snow storm bring up the average. The temperature is very equable, the monthly mean ranging from 58.51 to 37.41. The principal pest is the Scotch thistle, which has assumed formidable proportions. The other diseases and pests reported are turnip flies, cut-worms, caterpillars dandelion, plantain, oxeye daisy, and sorrel. The aphis on fruit trees is also very bad, and blight on apples and pears. Several nurseries are carried on, where fruit trees and bushes of all kinds are to be had. The following approximate data was supplied by Mr. S. Pollock :— Quantity of land owned 5,000 acres. ii ii cultivated 1,150 n Number of tons of grain produced 350 tons. ii it hay produced 600 n ti ti root crops ^Impossible to make an ii ii fruit J estimate at this date. ii cattle owned 300 head. n horses owned 120 n it swine owned 100 h it sheep owned '...'..' 300 ii 25 bushels pei ' acre $30 per ton. 30 ,'. n 30 „ 40 ,, ti 28 „ 45 M 25 to $30 per ton 40 „ ir 30 per ton. 1A „ tt 15 to $20 per ton 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 851 The following is the report of Mr. S. Pollock, correspondent :- 1. Wheat (fall), Wheat (spring), Barley, Oats, Peas, 2. Hay, 3. Potatoes, 300 to 500 bushels per acre ; $25 to $30 per ton. Mangolds, "j Carrots, A These are chiefly consumed on the farms where grown. Turnips, | Onions yield well, but not grown extensively. Beets grown on a small scale only. 3a. The yield of above is generally very good. 3b. The following particular varieties give the best results :—American Banner oats, Timothy grass, Mammoth or Red Clover, White Elephant potato, Mammoth Long- Red mangold, White Vosges carrot, King of Swedes, Yellow Danver onion, and Drumhead cabbage. 4. The average price obtainable for apples is 3 cents per ft. 4a. The season s crop of fruit was good. 4b. The quality of the fruit was excellent. 4c. 1 consider a light sandy soil best adapted to fruit culture with a south-western slope if possible ; in order to receive good returns good and thorough cultivation is necessary. 4d. Peaches are grown on a very small scale. Apricots are grown less than peaches, and I believe with very good success. Nectarines I think are not grown. A few grapes are grown. Melons and tomatoes are grown with good success, but chiefly by Chinese market gardeners. 5. Linseed is not grown. 6. Sugar beet is not grown extensively, but with good success. 7. Rape is not grown with success. 8a. Dairying is followed, but not to any great extent, but, I believe, with good results to those thus engaged. 8b. Butter is worth from 30 to 40 cents per 1b. 9a. This part is not well suited to the production of wool. 9b. There are not many sheep kept. 10a. People are going in for improved stock. 10b. 1 consider the following are the best breeds of stock for this locality : Clydesdales and Shires for draught; Irish Hunters and Cleveland Bays for saddle ; Scotch Shorthorns for beef; Jerseys for dairying; Berkshire pigs; and there are many- good breeds of poultry, such as Brown Leghorns, Plymouth Rocks, Cochin Chinas, each fancier considering his own particular breed the best. 11a. The poultry business is largely carried on, and, though I don't know as to system, I believe in most cases it is very successful. 11b. The price of eggs is very variable, sometimes being as low as 20 cents per doz., and under, and again as high as 60, 65, and 75 cents, but I think the average is about 30 to 35 cents. 12. Apiculture has not been tried, to my knowledge. 13a. Last winter was very mild. 13b. There was a medium spring; no frosts. 13c. The summer was moderately dry. 13d. The autumn rather wet. 852 Report on Agriculture. 1893 14. In this section much loss occurred through the ravages of the wire-worm on the potato crop, a great many losing one-half, and others even more, 15a. Labourers are generally easily procurable. 15b. Whites and Chinese. 15c. The average wages are : for whites, $1.50 and $2 ; for Chinese, $1 to $1.25 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried, to my knowledge. 17. Fall ploughing is largely done. 18. The general prospects of agriculture in this district are very good. Much of the land requires underdraining, more thorough cultivation, and the use of commercial fertilizers, and liberal application of barnyard manure. Mr. A. Casanave says :—Last winter there was not much snow, lots of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was early, the autumn dry, and the harvest weather very good. Crops yielded well, and were saved in first-class order. Mr. B. W. Pearse says :—The diseases of plant life are very few. Flies eat the turnips at times; cut-worms are sometimes troublesome; caterpillars, in vast numbers, attack the oaks and spin.webs, which kill spruce and fir trees at times. Epizootic is a disease of animal life; it is found only very rarely amongst horses. The noxious weeds are dandelions of late years, plantain and sorrel. The following are well suited to this locality, and are most profitable : Timothy grass, which, however, soon runs out; Italian rye; Cocksfoot makes good hay, and has a fine aftermath for this dry climate during the summer months; White and Red clovers. All kinds of fruits do well. I do not know the best kinds, as my orchard was planted in 1860, when the market was ill supplied on the coast; we got them from Puget Sound, in Washington Territory. Last winter there was no snow; there was a little on a hill 390 feet high, which disappeared in a few hours. There was 40 inches of rain, 11 inches in December. The usual fall here is 25 inches. There were about four days mild frost in all. The spring was early, no rain from January till March, but more cold north-east winds than usual. Seed-time was very favourable. The summer was very changeable and generally with a low temperature. The highest in the shade for two clays was 80° Fahr. Crops yielded very well, and were harvested in very fine condition. Mr. J. D. Pemberton says:—Thistles are at present a long way the worst weed in the country. Timothy and Alsike clover are very well adapted to this locality. Clydesdale horses, and Durhams for beef, are the best breeds of stock for this section. Mr. S. Pollock says :—We have no pedigreed or pure bred stock at present, our herds being composed of graded Jerseys and Holsteins, which we find very well adapted to our present needs, all being first-class milk and butter cows. Red Fife wheat does very well; a good many varieties of fall wheat do well. The following are the varieties best suited for this locality : Carter's Prolific barley, Egyptian Side oats, Mammoth Long Red mangolds, White Belgian and Long Red carrots, Aberdeen turnips and Swedes, Timothy and Cocksfoot grasses, Mammoth Peavine and Red-top clovers. Almost all kinds of potatoes seem on a par, all doing very well when the ground is well prepared and fertilized. The kinds of apples adapted to this section are too numerous to mention, all kinds seeming to grow perfectly and to be of good size and flavour. The Bartlett pear is well suited here, and almost all varieties of cherries, plums and prunes The best breeds of stock for here are : Shire, Cleveland Bay and Clyde horses, Jerseys for dairying, Holstein-Fresians for beef, Leicesters for wool, Shropshires for mutton, and Berkshire pigs. All kinds of poultry do very well. LAKE Is a district adjoining Victoria District to the north, and is reached by the Saanich roads, which pass through it, It has about fifty ranchers. Much of it was originally heavily timbered, but there was some open oak land on that side nearest Victoria. Probably about twenty per cent, of the land owned is now under cultivation. The soil generally is a heavy loam, which yields large crops of roots and hay ; a considerable quantity of cereals also is raised. Dairying and market gardening is also carried on largely, as well as poultry, sheep, and swine- 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 853 raising for the Victoria market. The climate is very similar to the rest of this peninsula, possibly more rain than about Victoria and Esquimalt, owing to more high land and heavy timber. Diseases and pests reported are aphides, borers, caterpillars, sorrel, thistle, and ox- eye daisy. I append the following letter from Mr. Geo. W. Anderson, M.P.P.:— " Lake, December 23rd, 1892. " Sir,—1 have the honour to receive a copy of your first Agricultural Report, and beg to say that I think it a credit to the Department, as it imparts much useful information from many parts of our magnificent Province, and amply proves its adaptability to the pursuits of agriculture, horticulture, and dairying. Those industries are taking a front rank in the country. This district is looking up ; the old farmers are busy clearing the land, and ditching- it to more thoroughly drain it than ever before ; many are subdividing their land into suitable sized lots, which is a good sign, as most of them have more acres than they can subdue and properly cultivate. Many new settlers are coming in and starting gardening, orchards, dairies, kc, for which the land and situation are well adapted. There is no reason why many times its present population should not find profitable employment in the fertile soil. lam glad to be able to report that crops have been good, and prices fair again this year. WTages range from $25 to $30, with board, per month, according to ability. " I am, &c, "Geo. W. Anderson. " James R. Anderson, Esq., "Statistician, Victoria, B.C." Mr. G. W. Anderson says:—My stock are grade Jerseys. Caterpillars, green flies on apple trees, and some borers are insect pests. There are no animal pests. There are many noxious weeds, such as sorrel, thistle, chickweed, and many others that I cannot name. We keep them under as much as possible. Last winter there was no snow ; there was an average amount of rain ; there was very little cold weather. The spring was rather late, and seed-time was fairly favourable. The early summer was wet; it was good later on. The autumn was fairly good. The weather was very good for early grain, but wet for late grain. Some grain was damaged in low undrained places by late rains. Crops were generally saved in good order, and they yielded well. Mr. J. R. Carmichael says :—My stock are full bred Jersey and graded Jersey. Apple tree borers have shown themselves in my young orchard. I have had to cut them out and apply lime-wash to prevent more coming. Noxious weeds are thistles, which are very numerous all over the district, and I don't think care enough is taken to cut them along the roads. Early Rose and Flourball potatoes, Orchard grass on light and dry soil, Rye grass on heavy soil, if drained, and Red clover are the best varieties for this district. Jerseys for dairying, Polled Angus and Durhams for beef, and Plymouth Rock poultry, as good layers and early maturing chicks for market, are the best breeds of stock for this locality. SOUTH SAANICH, Adjoining Lake, is reached by two roads from Victoria, distant about twelve miles. The proposed Victoria and Saanich Railroad, now in the course of construction, will also pass through this district, as well as Lake. It has, with James Island, which is close to, about seventy ranchers. The country is generally wooded, with some hills of no great elevation. It is well watered throughout by springs and streams. The soil is good, most of it black loam, on which fruits of all kinds flourish, and of which a considerable quantity is produced. The greater part of the lower lands are devoted to growing grain and hay, both of which give good crops. Many orchards are being set out on the higher lands, which are found to be the best for the purpose, and which in times past were much neglected and thought worthless, but are now considered to be very valuable, although the cost of clearing them is somewhat great. Dairying is carried on quite extensively, with the best of results. A considerable quantity of poultry and pigs is also produced. The climate is about the same as that of Lake. The usual weeds, such as thistle, oxeye daisy, &o., give much trouble; wire-worms and blue jays 854 Report on Agriculture. 1893 are also reported amongst the pests, and, of course, the aphis, which seems to have overrun the whole Province within the last year or two. I regret that, in consequence of the apathy of the farmers in this district, I am unable to give any statistical information regarding it. Mr. Thomas Graham, South Saanich Road, says :—Wire-worms and blue jays are insect and animal pests. White spring wheat, Chevalier and Two-rowed barley, White Side oats, White Marrowfat peas, Late Rose potatoes, and Swedes are the best varieties of cereals and roots for this district, The best breeds of stock for here are : Cayuse horses (common small breed), common cattle for dairying, China-Poland and Berkshire pigs, and common poultry. James Island, says :—There are no diseases of animal life at present, There are no insect pests, except that the few bushes of black currants were wormy, but they were gobbled up by the hens. The following varieties of cereals, roots, and fruits are the best for this district:—Old Canadian oats, White peas, Early corn, Early Rose, Flourball, and Elephant potatoes, Long Red carrots, Seed onions, Red clover, and Blue and Egg plums. Holsteins I consider to be the best cattle for dairy use here. NORTH SAANICH, Probably the richest and most productive settlement in this part of the Province has, I regret to say, made such meagre returns that I cannot do justice to so fine a district. It is at the extreme end of the Saanich peninsula, so it is surrounded on three sides by water. There are two roads leading to Victoria, about eighteen miles distant. Sidney, the terminus of the proposed Victoria and Saanich Railway, is situated on the, east coast, about the centre of the district. Much of the country is open oak land ; there is also a great deal covered with small trees and brush, which is easily cleared ; and lastly, there is some heavily fir timbered land, principally on the ridges. It is generally very level ; a low range runs partly across the peninsula, dividing it from South Saanich, and some, low rocky hills at the northern end being the only parts of any elevation to speak of. The soil is principally a black loam of great richness, which produces all the hardy and semi-tropical fruits to great jjerfection. It is probably the best hop-growing district in the Province, the hops being of a very fine quality and ranking with the Kent hops in the English markets ; it is to be regretted that the inroads of the aphis last year curtailed the crop very materially. The Saanich hay is considered the best that is put on the Victoria market. Root crops and cereals of all kinds yield well. Dairying, and the sheep and swine industries, are all prosecuted to some extent. The precipitation is possibly a little greater than that of Victoria, but I do not think it is much more. The average temperature is no doubt higher, the nights being warmer. The following approximate data and report are furnished by Mr. J. T. McIlmoyl, correspondent :— Quantity of land owned 9,830 acres. Quantity of land cultivated 2,905 n Number of tons of grain produced 660 tons. Number of tons of hay produced 530 n Number of tons of root crops 450 m Number of tons of fruit 35 n Number of cattle owned 350 head. Number of horses owned 147 n Number of sheep owned 565 n Number of swine owned 1,055 h I have used every effort to get as accurate replies to your questions as possible, yet in some instances they are approximate, but on the whole I think they are pretty reliable. The old hop fields that have been producing for some years consist of about twenty acres; in addition to those, nearly as much more were planted in 1892. The crops and quality have been good until last year, when the hop louse did such serious damage that some of the fields were almost a total failure. All are prepared this year for spraying, with the hope of preventing, at least in part if not in whole, the ravages of the aphis. There is no butter packed in the district ; quite a quantity of fresh butter is made and marketed, but I could get no information with regard to quantity, whereon I could base a statement. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 855 1. Wheat (fall), 20 bush, per acre ; $30 per ton. Wheat (spring), 25 „ it 30 t Barley, 30 ,i ii 25 Oats, 40 tt n 25 Peas, 25 ,i ti 28 i 2_ Hay, 1J tons „ 15 3. Potatoes, 3 „ tt 15 4a & b. The season's fruit crop was a medium crop and was of medium quality. 4d. Tomatoes are successfully grown. 5, 6 & 7d. Linseed, sugar beet and rape are not tried. 8a, Butter is made in small quantities. 8b. The price of butter ranges from 25 cents to 40 cents per lb. 9a. This part is very suitable for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep are not raised to any extent. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of a fleece is 5 fts. 10b. I consider the following are the best breeds of stock for this country :—A cross between the Suffolk Punch and mares of a lighter character make an excellent general purpose horse; Norfolk down sheep, if you wish to combine wool and mutton, and Berkshire pigs. 11a. Poultry-raising is carried on to a considerable extent, but without any system. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 13c. There was no loss from unfavourable weather. SHAWNIGAN. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railroad runs through this district; also the Victoria- Nanaimo waggon road. The principal points are Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill, and McPherson's, the first being twenty-eight miles from Victoria, and the last thirty-five miles. Roads also connect Cobble Hill and McPherson's with Cowichan Bay. There are some semi- open patches of low-lying land, but the majority of the country is wooded, the bottoms principally with alder, maple, and willow, and the higher lands with fir. There are large extents of swamp with deep rich soil, which require draining, the expense of which retards their reclamation. The higher portions make goocl fruit lands, whilst the lower parts are well adapted to root crops and hay. Very little fruit is produced (most of the orchards being- young), and little or no grain, the area of cleared land being too limited. Dairying, although this a favourable locality, is not much followed. Poultry-raising is prosecuted to some extent, but the prevalence of wild animals prevents the production of any large number of sheep and swine. The number of ranchers is in the neighbourhood of seventy-five. Panthers are a source of great annoyance and loss. The other principal pests are aphides, borers, wire-worms, blight, oxeye daisies, and thistles. It is hard to say what the precipitation is, certainly heavier on account of its altitude and heavy timber than Quamichan, some ten miles away ; the altitude of Shawnigan Lake being 430, Cobble Hill, 356, McPherson's, 175 feet, and that of Quamichan, about 70 feet. I dare say the average annual rainfall is about 40 inches ; the snowfall is also heavier and lies longer. The usual temperature ranges probably between 90" and a few degrees above zero. According to returns received the area of cultivated land is about 9 per cent, of the whole amount owned, the rest being 53 per cent, of woodland or forest, 30 per swamp, marsh, and rock, and 8 per cent, pasture. The following is the report of Mr. J. T. Porter, correspondent:— 2. Hay, Small yield per acre. 3. Potatoes, n n Onions, n n Cabbages, n n 856 Report on Agriculture. 1893 3a. The crop of above was medium, there were no returns to speak of. 4. The following are the average prices obtained :—For apples, 3 to 5 cents per ft.; for plums, 2 to 4 cents per ft. The orchards are principally young, hence there are no returns to speak of. 4a. The fruit crop was only a medium one, 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, and melons are not grown. Tomatoes are grown in limited quantities. 5, 6, and 7. Linseed, Sugar beet, and rape are not cultivated. 8a. Dairying is not followed to any extent. 9a. This part is suitable for wool-raising if carefully done and with proper fencing. 9b. There are no large numbers of sheep here. 10a. People don't trouble about improved stock. 10b. Berkshire pigs, Leghorn, Plymouth Rock, and Black Spanish poultry are the best breeds for here. 11a. Poultry are raised to a considerable extent, and with success. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents to 35 cents per dozen according to the season ; 25 cents is the lowest ruling price. 12. Bees have not been tried yet. 13a. Last winter there was but little snow, there was a great deal of rain, and no frost to speak of. 13b. The spring was late and wet. 13c. The summer was good. 13d. The autumn was mild and favourable for farmers. 15a. There is no demand for labourers, except for cutting cordwood. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Fall ploughing is not done to any extent. 18. Building, fencing, and draining is being steadily pushed forward ; there is plenty of room in this district for energetic men with a little capital. Mr. John Nelson, Cobble Hill, says :—I lost three apple trees from borers, which are a pest. Last winter there was very little snow. There was lots of rain, and it was very mild. The spring was late, seed-time wet and late. The summer was favourable, the autumn mild, and harvest weather favourable. There were frosts about the middle of June. I consider that crops yielded well and were saved in good condition. Mr. A. W. Rogers, Cobble Hill, says:—Young fruit trees have been affected with aphis and borers; consequently, there was an almost total loss of crop. Last winter there was scarcely any snow, a great deal of rain, and not much cold ; it was mild throughout. Early spring was favourable ; April and May were cold and wet. Early seeding time was good; afterwards it was too wet and cold. The summer was variable, but fair on the whole. The haytime was wet; afterwards it was good harvest weather. There were frosts in September and later. The yield of crops, I think, was good. Some hay was slightly damaged by the wet; otherwise, crops were saved in fair order. Mr. Henry Smith, Cobble Hill, says:—I have one bull pure Jersey, and one pedigreed Ayrshire. My cows are graded Shorthorns, ■ and heifers are graded Jerseys. My pigs are Berkshires and graded Berkshires. I lost two good cows at Victoria of puerperal fever. The loss in Victoria and District is very heavy every year. Horse-flies are a nuisance in Shawnigan District for about two months, June and July. I only tried oats and peas; they crop very well. We have plenty of manure, and mangolds, carrots and turnips grow very heavy crops. Timothy, Alsike, Red and White clover do first-rate and crop very well. My orchard is only two years old. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 857 Mr. James Farnsworth, Cobble Hill, says :—Last spring was late, and the seeding season was not good on low lands. The summer was a beautiful growing one. Last autumn there was plenty of rain for all purposes, with fine weather for harvesting roots. There was rain at commencement of haying, with beautiful weather afterwards. There were no summer frosts. I consider the yield of crops was very fair, according to circumstances. Crops were saved in good order. Mr. Richard Bazett, Cobble Hill, says:—The green aphis gave a good deal of trouble all summer to young apple and plum trees; spraying with an emulsion of kerosene and soapsuds destroyed them. Crows are a great nuisance here on the shore, attacking peas, tomatoes, etc. Last winter there was no snow to lie ; there was a great deal too much rain ; seven or eight degrees of cold was the lowest. The spring was early, but rather too wet to take advantage of. In the summer there was no extreme heat, and there was rain at short intervals. The autumn was wet at commencement; subsequently it was fine. The weather was good for harvest for early sown crops, but not for those sown late. There was no frost between 1st April and 15th October. Being so close to the sea insures an immunity from both late spring and early winter frosts. I consider the yield of crops was first-class, and that crops, with the exception of losing some late sown oats, were saved in good condition. Mr. E. II. Forrest, McPherson's, says :—My stock are graded. Panthers are taking all the profits of sheep-raising from the farmer in this district (see " Diseases and Pests."—J. R. A.) Oxeye daisies and thistles are the worst weeds, and are increasing every year with alarming rapidity. About one per cent, of the farmers try to keep them down, and they get their places seeded down again from their neighbours' surplus. Shropshires and Southdowns are the best sheep here for mutton. I have lost five apple trees, two pears, two plums, and seven cherries, from some kind of blight, I think. Wire-worms ruined about half of my potatoes. Last winter there was very little snow, a great deal of rain, and not much cold weather. Spring was late; there was fine weather for getting the land ready from New Year's Day till the middle of March; from then it rained almost continually till the middle of May. The seed-time was good for those who had their land ready. The summer was very favourable for everything. The autumn was very dry up till 3rd September. The harvest weather was good. The yield of crops, I think, was very good, and they were saved in splendid order. COWICHAN, Under which I include the districts of Comiaken, Cowichan, Quamichan, Somenos, Sahtlam, and the Lake. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railroad and Victoria-Nanaimo waggon road pass through it; good roads also lead through the settlement to Maple and Cowichan Bays, and another through Sahtlam to the Lake, distant from the railroad about twenty miles. The centre of these districts is about forty miles from Victoria, with which it also has communication by water. A portion is open oak land, and bottoms covered with alder, maple, etc., part swamp and brush land, some of the usual fir-timbered high lands, a good deal of rock in that part fronting on the sea, and low-lying meadow lands, sometimes subject to inundation, at the mouth of the Cowichan River. Towards the lake the country is almost altogether heavily wooded. In Sahtlam the land most cultivated is swamp land, the ridges being dry and gravelly. As may be imagined, there is a great variety of soil, and on which a great variety of crops and fruit are produced. As is usual in this part of the Province, fruit succeeds better on the higher lands. A large quantity of hay and root crops is produced, and a moderate quantity of grain and fruit, the fruit trees being mostly young. Sheep do well, and are raised in fair numbers; but few or no swine. With the exception of Comox, there is probably, in proportion to the number of settlers, as much butter produced as in any other coast district, and of a very excellent quality ; nevertheless it is not carried on with any degree of system. Poultry-raising is also carried on in a desultory sort of way. Including the lake there are about one hundred and seventy-five ranchers. The climate of the first four districts (where the altitude ranges from 70 to 100 feet) is probably very much alike, viz., average rainfall, 35.41 inches; highest temperature, about 90°, and lowest about 6° (see meteorological reports for Quamichan); towards Sahtlam and the Lake, however, where the land rises greatly (I have not got the altitudes) and the timber increases in density, the 858 Report on Agriculture. 1893 precipitation is without doubt much greater. The whole district is well watered with streams and lakes. From returns received, I find that about 11 per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation in the first-named four districts ; 57 per cent, is woodland or forest, 14 per cent, is swamp marsh and rock, and 18 per cent, is pasture land. The principal diseases and pests reported are aphides on fruit trees and hops, bark louse, borers, currant worms, wire worms, cut worms, smut, thistles, sorrel, oxeye daisy, panthers, coons and minks. The following approximate data and report were supplied by Mr. John S. Shopland, correspondent for Comiaken : — Quantity of land owned 3,000 acres. ii ii cultivated 355 n Number of tons grain produced 25 tons. it it hay ti 365 n it it root crops 100 h it ii fruit 2 it ii cattle owned 125 head. ti horses n 30 n it sheep ti 350 m ii swine n 30 h 1. Wheat (fall), 25 bushels per acre, 2 cents per ft. Wheat (spring), 30 n n $30 per ton. Barley, 25 n' n Oats, 40 it „ 25 Rye, very little grown, 3 cents per ft. Peas, 20 bushels per acre, $40 per ton, 2. Hay, 2 tons per acre, 16 u 3. Potatoes 6^ to 7 tons per acre, 15 to $16 per ton. Mangolds, °nly small patches grown. Carrots, 6 tons per acre, 10 per ton. Turnips, 10 n n Onions do well. t, '. !- for garden use, do very well. Barsmps, j Cabbages, on low land, yield well. 4. The following are the average. prices obtainable :—For apples, 2^ to 3 cents per ft. ; pears, 5 cents per ft. ; plums, 3 to 5 cents per ft. ; cherries, 10 to 12| cents per ft. 4a. The season's fruit crop was medium. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4c. I find a light loam with a clay bottom grows the best fruit. 4d. Peaches, with some, do well. I believe that grapes will grow and pay. Tomatoes are very prolific, but do not ripen well. 4e. The best pears for here are Bartletts. The common Blue plum is the most grown ; but there are a great lot of fruit trees being set out in this district and after two or three years we shall have something to judge from. 5. Linseed has been cultivated here for the seed and gave very good returns. 8a. Dairying is considerably followed here. Some farmers do very little but tend their cows, pigs, and calves, and some make it pay. 9a. This part is not well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are no extensive flocks of sheep. 9c. The wool raised is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 5 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The general purpose horse is the best. Dairy cattle are the most useful, and sheep grown for mutton are the most profitable. There are good Berkshire pigs. Each farmer keeps from three to six dozen chickens. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 859 11a. Poultry is not extensively raised. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents per dozen. 13a and b. Last winter there was a little snow, some frost, and considerable rain. The spring was wet. 13c. There was a medium summer. 13d. Harvest weather was rather bad, being wet. 14. We are troubled with the wire-worm. It gets into potatoes very bad, and eats the young roots of clover. I find that working the ground is the best way to get rid of them. There is a weed called wild buckwheat, or bell vine, which is very bad. 15a. Labourers are not easily procurable. 15b. Whites, Chinese, and Indians. 15c. The average wages paid are $2 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. About 2| per cent, of the ploughing is done in the fall. 18. This district is a good one, and the settlers are at work draining and fencing and putting up new buildings. New machinery is coming into the district all the time. Mr. Ulric Lemon, Comiaken, says :—Last winter there was not much snow, a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was early. I consider that the yield of crops was good. The following is the report of Mr. G. T. Corfield, correspondent for Cowichan and Corfleld :— 1. Wheat (spring), 30 bush, per acre; $35 to $40 per ton. 25 to 30 ti 30 to 40 it 15 to 18 20 No market. Onions, beets, parsnips, cabbages, etc., only grown in small quantities in gardens. 3a. The yield of hay and roots was good. Grain was medium. 3b. All kinds of cereals, roots, grasses, and hops do well, but there is not sufficient attention given to know which kinds give the best results. 4. The following are the average prices obtainable :—For apples, 2 cents per ft.; pearsj 2 cents per ft.; plums and prunes, 3 to 5 cents per ft.; cherries, 5 to 7 cents per ft. Peaches, quinces, apricots, nectarines, and grapes, only a few trees for home use. 4a. The season's fruit crop was bad. 4b. The quality of the fruit was poor. 4c. Orchards should be well cultivated, but not too deep near the trees to cut the surface roots. Root crops are best. Almost any soil is good if well drained. 4d. Peaches and apricots are only grown a tree here and there. Nectarines are not grown. Grapes are not grown in any quantity. Melons and tomatoes do very well if started in hot-beds and planted out as soon as all danger of frost is past. 4e. The following fruits give the best results :—Astrachan, Gravenstein, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Duchess of Oldenberg, and Wealthy apples; Bartlett, Winter Nelis, and Keifer pears; all the large varieties of plums; cherries all do well, but the crows and robbins take all the crop. 5, 6, 7. Linseed, sugar beet and rape have not been cultivated here. 8a. Dairying is not followed to any extent; one or two ranchers milk 15 to 20 cows. 8b. The average price of butter is 25 to 30 cents, No cheese is made. Oats, 50 ,i Peas, 50 „ 2. Hay, 1A to 2 tons 3 Potatoes, 4 to 6 ,i Mangolds, 25 to 30 i, Carrots, 25 to 30 ii' Turnips, 25 to 30 „ 860 Report on Agriculture. 1893 9a. This part is well suited for wool-raising, but the price is low. 9b. Sheep are not raised to any great extent. 9c. The wool is not very good, but if the price was higher it would be improved. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 8 fts. 10a. A few people are going in for improved stock. 10b. The following, I consider, are the best breeds for this district:—Percheron and Clydesdales for draught; the native mares bred to a thoroughbred for saddle; Percherons make good saddle and harness horses; French coach for carriage use ; Shorthorns and Herefords for beef, Jerseys for butter, Holstein-Fresians for milk ; Leicesters for wool, Shropshires and Oxford Downs for mutton ; Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs ; Leghorns and Spanish fowls for eggs, Plymouth Rocks for table use and winter laying. 11a. Poultry are not raised to any great extent' or with any system, but most of the so-called farmers keep from 20 to 100 fowls. 11b. The average price for eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. No bees are kept; flowers are too scarce, and what there are are deficient of honey. 13a, b, c, d. Last winter, December was very wet; there was very little frost. January and February were very fine and dry, quite spring weather. The spring was very wet; there were no frosts. June was dry and hot; later on it was wet. The beginning of the autumn was wet, the middle dry, and the end wet; there was no frost-. 13e. Early grain was considerably damaged with rain. 14. Diseases and pests are the following : Panthers are very destructive to sheep, and raccoons and minks to chickens. Grain is affected with smut and rust. Borer and bark louse are bad on fruit trees (see "Diseases and Pests."—J. R, A.). 15a. Labourers are easily procurable. 15b. Whites and Indians. 15c. The average wages paid is $25 a month and board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is no fall ploughing done. Mr. G. T. Corfield says:—I have a pedigreed Percheron stallion, a Jersey and a Holstein-Fresian bull. My other cattle are Jerseys, Holstein-Fresians, common and native bred. My mares and colts are half-bred Percheron. Occasionally horses have distemper and epizootic ; I have heard of no case for over twelve months now. Noxious weeds are thistles, oxeye daisies, and ferns. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, and fruits : Early Rose potatoes, Long Red and Yellow Globe mangolds, White Belgian carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy for hay and Cocksfoot for pasture, Red clover; Blue Pear- main, Wealthy, Gravenstein, Northern Spy, Fall Pippin, Golden Russet and Ben Davis apples ; Bartlett and Sheldon pears ; Yellow Egg and Red Magnum Bonum plums ; White Heart cherries; Percheron horses; Holstein-Fresians for dairying, Shorthorns for beef ; Oxford Downs for wool and mutton; Berkshire pigs; Leghorn, Spanish and Plymouth Rock chickens. Last winter there was no snow, not much rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was early. All through February and up to the 20th of March it was good for seeding; from then until the middle of May it was very wet. The autumn was fairly good. A good deal of early grain got wet, but later the weather was very good. I consider crops yielded well, and were mostly well saved. Messrs. Thos. & Mat. J. Marshall, Corfield, say :—Our cattle are the common stock of the country. Diseases to plant life here are : frozen sap, blight in apples, and codlin moth. Thistles are numerous, but not now increasing. Oxeye daisy is increasing very much in hay- fields and pastures, and promises to be great trouble to farmers. I may say all kinds of weeds are brought here by many buying cheap wheat for chickens. I may add that grain vine is one of the worst weeds, and is spreading all over; there are very few places free of it, and I see nearly all the chicken feed is full of it—I mean that which is bought. Oats and peas do 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 861 well here; White and Perennial Red clovers do very well. The best varieties of apples and pears for here are the following: Canada Reinette, Rhode Island Greening, Northern Spy, Gloria Mundi, Swaar, Keswick, Codlin and Gravenstein apples, and Bartlett pears. Cleveland Bay horses and Black Spanish poultry, I think, are the best for here. The following is the report of Mr. Jos. Drinkwater, correspondent for Somenos :— 1. Wheat (spring) Oats, Peas, 25 35 25 bush. it per acre; 2 cents per ft 1-1 „ l-i- „ 2, 3. Hay, Potatoes, 2 6 :ons " $16 per ton. 1 cent per ft Mangolds, Carrots, Turnips, Onions, 15 6 15 10 ii tt ti ti ti tt 1 „ 1 it ■fj- II M 2A. „ ■ „ 3a. Roots yielded well. Hay was an average crop. Grain was one-third short. 4a. Last season's fruit crop was a failure. 4e. The following are the particular kinds of apples and pears that do best here : Baldwin, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Gravenstein, Red Astrachan, and Waxen apples, Bartlett pears. 5. Linseed grows very well ; I have grown a small plot of it. 8a. There are no large dairies. About twenty cows is the largest. The results are satisfactory. 8b. The price for butter is 30 cents per ft. 9a. This part is well suited to wool-raising. 9b. There are no large quantities of sheep here. 9c. The quality of the wool is good. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 6 fts. 10a. People are not going in for improved breeds of stock much. 10b. The following are the best breeds of stock for this district: Suffolk Punch horses for draught, Shorthorns for beef, Southdowns for wool and mutton, and Berkshire pigs. Ua. Poultry are not raised to any great extent. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Bee-raising has not been tried. 13a. Last winter was very wet. 13b. The spring was very wet. 13c. The first part of the summer was cold and no sunshine; the latter part was good weather. 13d. There was a loss of about one-third from unfavourable weather. 15a. Labourers are not easily procurable. 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages are $1.50 per day with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is not very much fall ploughing done here. 18. The prospects are good generally. There is a good average quantity of fencing, ditching, and draining. Buildings are good, and implements are of the latest pattern. Mr. Alex. Blyth, Somenos, says :—The following are the best roots, grasses, clovers, and fruits for this locality : Early Rose potatoes, Shorthorn carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Long Red beets, Timothy and Orchard grasses, Red clover, and King of Tompkins County apples. Ayrshire cattle for dairying, Durhams for beef, and Brown Leghorn poultry 862 Report on Agriculture. 1893 are the best breeds of stock for here. There was not much snow last winter, considerable rain, but not much cold weather. The spring was late ; seecl-time too wet to be good ; the summer variable ; the autumn very good, and the weather generally good for harvesting. The yield of hay was good. Some crops were damaged by rain. Mr. Angus J. Bell, Somenos, says :—I have a Durham bull; the rest of my cattle are graded. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, grasses, and fruits : Potato oats, Beauty of Hebron (early) and Rural New Yorker (late) potatoes, Yellow Danver onions, Long Blood Red beets, Timothy for hay, Large Red clover for dry and Alsike for wet land, Gravenstein and King of Tompkins County apples, Bartlett pears, Red and .Yellow Egg plums, and Governor Wood cherries. The following are the best breeds of stock for here : Percheron and Clydesdale horses, half-bred Jerseys for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn poultry. Last winter there was not much snow, a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was early, but very wet. Seed-time was very unfavourable on account of the wet. A lot of my grain got flooded, and I only got half a crop. The summer was rather damp ; the autumn was very nice, indeed ; harvest weather very favourable. There were no late frosts, but we had frost in the spring which killed nearly all the fruit about the end of April. I consider the yield of crops was not very good, and that crops were saved in very good condition. Mr. John Watson, Somenos, says : —My stock are graded. Oats, peas, Timothy and Orchard grasses, and Red Top for wet ground, and Red clover are well suited to this locality. Last winter there was not much snow, a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late, and seed-time was not favourable ; the summer and autumn were good ; harvest weather was good. I consider that crops were saved in good condition, and that there was an average yield. Mr. Joseph Drinkwater, Somenos, says :—My stock are the common stock. Noxious weeds are oxeye daisy, rib grass, thistles, and dandelions. The best varieties of cereals, roots, clovers, fruits, etc., for this locality are—Champion spring wheat, Exhibition oats, Whitetield peas, Early Maine and Rural New Yorker No. 2 potatoes, Oxheart carrots, Carter's Elephant turnips, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy, Red-top and Orchard grass, Red Alsike and White clover, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Baldwin and Waxen apples, and Bartlett pears. The best breeds of stock for here are : Suffolk Punch horses, Southdown sheep and Berkshire pigs. Last winter there was not much snow, very rainy, and not much cold. The spring was very late and wet, and the seed-time the worst we ever had. The first part of the summer was cold, the last part was good weather. The autumn, up to the 13th October, was good. There was good harvest weather. The crops were saved in good condition, but the yield was about one-third short. Mr. Wm. Drinkwater, Somenos, says :—My cattle are supposed to be part Shorthorn; as to the sheep, I have had Southdown and Leicester rams, and now I have a grade Shropshire, the ewes were of no particular breed that I know of. The worst weed that we have is the oxeye daisy ; there are imported thistle, with sorrel, dandelions, and some native weeds. The last mentioned are not nearly so bad as the imported. Mr. James Evans, Quamichan, says :—The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, etc., for this locality : Welcome oats, Early Rose and Burbank's Seedling, Rural New Yorker and Late Rose potatoes ; Sutton's, Sharp's and King of swedes ; Orchard, Timothy, Meadow, Tescue and Rye grass, and Red, Alsike, White Dutch and Trefoil clovers. I think the following breeds of stock are best for this locality : Clydesdale or English Shire horses, some prefer lighter horses ; good Grade Shorthorns for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, and Berkshire pigs every time. I lost a few pigs, one by overfeeding with milk, others probably by disease, and some by Railroad accident, through bad fences. Last winter was the finest winter ever known ; there was not much rain and not much cold weather. Spring commenced early and was followed by frequent heavy rain. Seed-time was good only on light sandy soil; it rained rather later than usual in the summer ; the autumn was fine up to 5th September ; the weather was not good for early haying. I find cows and pigs are the most profitable; grade Shorthorns and Berkshire pigs. I consider the yield was good, excepit on heavy clay land, where the late rains in spring prevented proper seeding. Crops were saved in good condition, except early hay. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 860 Mr. H. O. Wellburn, Comiaken and Somenos, says :—My stock are a full-bred Shorthorn bull; my cows are graded and selected scrubs; my pigs are half-bred Berkshires ; poultry are Plymouth Rocks, and horses are ordinary roadsters. Disease and pests are: Mildew on gooseberries, scab on apples, blight of pear leaf, rust of rose leaf, smut of wheat and oats and rarely of barley, currant worms, borer in apple and other trees, sun scald of fruit trees, bursting of bark of cherries and plums. Insect pests are : Wire and cut worms, wasps as to apples and plums ; green, black and blue or slatish aphides ; caterpillars of several kinds, a very small brown variety often perched on the top of the midrib of apple leaves, very destructive this year ; leaf hoppers of several kinds, ox bot, horse bot and ticks on sheep. The animal pests are : Panthers on sheep, raccoons and mink on poultry. The noxious weeds are : Scotch thistles and other kinds, sorrel, wild buckwheat, plantain, oxeye daisy, chess or cheat grass, horsetail in moist lands, brackens and ferns. Bird pests are : Robins and blue jays for cherries and small fruits ; woodpeckers and crows as to apples. The best varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, etc., here are : Chevalier Two-rowed barley, Thorburn, Beauty of Hebron, Late Rose and Empire State potatoes, Short White and Belgian carrots, Yellow Danver and Red Westersfield onions, Eclipse turnips, and Half Long Dark Red beets ; Timothy and Cocksfoot grasses, Cow grass, Alsike clover, and Lucerne, on a dry deep sandy loam ; Winter Red Pearmain, Blue Pearmain, Red Canada, Blenheim Pippin, Red Astrachan, Gravenstein, and Alexander apples ; Bartlett, Lawrence Beurre d'Anjou pears; Lombard, Rivers' Early Prolific, Bradshaw, Reiue Claude and Yellow Egg plums ; Silver and Italian prunes; Royal Anne, Governor Wood, Elkhorn, Montmorency and Ordinary English Morello cherries; Crawford Early, Cooledge's Favourite, Oldmixon Freestone, Hale's Early and Alexander peaches; Rea's Mammoth quinces ; Royal and Breda apricots; Rivers' Orange and Hardwick nectarines ; Concord, Worden, Barry, Niagara, Morres, Diamond and Lindley grapes. The best breeds of stock are : Suffolk Punch and Clydesdale horses, Jerseys and Holsteins for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, Southdowns for mutton; Berkshire and Poland-China pigs ; Plymouth Rocks, Brown Leghorns, Black Spanish and White Leghorn poultry. The green aphis are very numerous on apple trees, and to a minor degree has attacked the pear and quince. The black aphis has been troublesome, infesting cherry trees ; pear leaf blight is spreading, and the scab on apples is becoming more general. The necessity for spraying is becoming more urgent. Last winter there was not much snow, a good deal of rain, and not much cold. The, spring was late and rainy, the seed-time not good ; summer not quite so dry as the average; the autumn fine and open, and harvest weather good. The yield of hay was good ; grain fairly good. Fruits generally, except cherries and plums in favoured localities, were a poor crop. The crops were generally well saved ; grain was particularly well saved. The Rev. David Holmes, Quamichan and Somenos, says :—Last winter there was not much snow, only about eighteen inches ; one week of sleighing. I think there was more rain than usual. It was rather wet for spring planting, and made some crops late this summer. The spring was rather late. More under-draining will obviate the difficulty of getting crops in early. Seed-time was unfavourable for low land. The summer was good for growing ; there was rain at intervals. The autumn was very fine and open till late ; roots were growing into November. It was rather wet in the end of September, and injured late crops. I don't remember any frost before October. It is a fact that the Government must pay great attention to the development of agriculture, the raising of stock, sheep, pigs, etc., if we are to progress as a Province. Only that will save the Province from the periodical depressions. Much land on the Island is fitted for sheep. If farm implements could be reduced in duty, and modern implements used, the high price of labour might be met ; and, on the other hand, with a protective tariff kept up, farmers would receive encouragement. The yield, in my opinion, was very good, and hay and grain were saved in good condition, except the late grain, which was caught in the rain. Mr. Charles Jordan, Sahtlam, says :—My stock are native stock. Mildew on English gooseberries is here a disease of plant life. Insect pests are bark lice on fruit trees. There are no bad noxious weeds. The following are the best varieties of cereals, roots, grasses, fruits, &c.:—White Russian wheat, Two-rowed barley, Potato oats, Mummy peas, Early and Late Rose potatoes, Intermediate carrots, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy, Red Top, and Orchard grasses, Mammoth Peavine clover; King, Belle Fleur, Spitzenberg, Newton Pippin, Boston Russet, Gravenstein, Baldwin, and Astrachan apples; Doyenne and Bartlett pears ; 864 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Yellow Egg and Jefferson plums ; Early Richmond and Oxheart cherries. The best breeds of stock for here are : Cleveland Bays, Holsteins for dairying, Devons for beef, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Spanish and Leghorn fowls. Mr. William Kingston, Quamichan, says:—My stock are graded Jerseys and Shorthorns. The hops are attacked by a minute parasite in July for the last two years ; the leaves are covered with them, and the leaves get black at the end of August, which totally destroys the hops for use. I have been here sixteen years, and my hops were always free from the animals up to 1890. Early Snowflake and Medium Rose potatoes, Garden Favourite carrots, Swedes, Danver onions, Timothy grass, and Red clover are the best varieties for this locality. The best breeds of stock for here are: Jersey cattle for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, Berk shire pigs, and Plymouth Rock poultry. Mr. Thomas Anthony- Wood, Quamichan, says:—My cattle are half-bred Jerseys. Horses and cattle are free from disease ; poultry are liable in summer to an unknown illness. (See "Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) Insect pests were green flies (aphides) in August. The' noxious weeds are thistles and sorrel. All kinds of potatoes do well here. Timothy is the best variety of grass for sale, but mixed grasses and clovers are best for home consumption. Giant Red and white Dutch clovers, King's, Red Astrachan and Baldwin apples, and Keifer's Hybrid pears are the best varieties of clovers and fruits for this locality. Suffolk Punch and general purpose horses, Jerseys crossed for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, Southdowns for mutton, and Leghorn and Plymouth Rock poultry are the best breeds for this locality. Mr. Nicholas May, Somenos, says :—My stock are all native bred. Common red clover grows well, and late red yields abundantly. I have lost apple and plum trees by borers. Last winter there was very little snow, but a great quantity of rain ; the winter was the mildest in eight years. The spring was fairly early, and the seed-time was very favourable. The summer was not very hot, and very dry; the autumn wet. Harvest weather was not generally favourable; there was considerable loss. I consider the yield of crops was fair. My crops were well saved ; many others were not so fortunate. The following is the report of Mr. Chas. Bayly, correspondent for Cowichan Lake:— 1. Oats (cut for hay), 3 tons per acre ; $25 per ton. Peas (used as hay), 3J 2. Hay, 3 3. Potatoes, 7 Carrots, 8 Turnips, 15 Onions, 5 Cabbages, 15 3b. The following particular varieties are best suited to this district:—Timothy and Cocksfoot grasses, Alsike and White clovers, Early Rose potatoes, Long Red carrots, King swedes, Spanish King onions, and London Market cabbage. 4. The fruit orchards are too young to bear. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are not grown. 5. 6, & 7. Linseed, sugar beet, and rape have never beeii tried. 9a. This part is well suited for sheep if panthers were banished. 10. No live stock are kept; oxen for work. 12. Bees have never been tried. 13a. Last winter was very fine; there was no frost or snow worth noticing. 13b. The spring was wet. 13c. The summer was favourable. 13d. The autumn was rather wet. 13e. There was no loss through unfavourable weather. 14. I consider blue jays very great pests ; they are the only pests here worth speaking of. 15a. Labourers are easily procurable. ms per acre; $2o i 11 25 1 M 30 1 II 20 1 '1 20 1 M 60 t II 30 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 865 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages are from $2 to $3 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. Ploughing is done in the fall to the extent of ten acres. 18. Agriculture has made very little headway here, as the country is heavily timbered, and there is a market for only a limited quantity of produce, and uncertain and unsatisfactory. CHEMAINUS, Including Thetis and Kuper Islands which adjoin it, have about thirty-five ranchers. It is on the line of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, about fifty miles from Victoria. It is also reached by water. A large proportion of the country is heavily wooded with maple, alder and such trees on the bottoms, and fir trees on the ridges; there is also some half open land on the islands. Fruit is being a good deal cultivated, but the orchards are generally young. Some hay is produced, and root crops. A good many sheep are raised on the islands. I regret that owing to the absence of returns 1 am unable to give any definite data and more particular information respecting this section. The area of land under cultivation is small, probably not more than 6 to 8 per cent, of the quantity owned. The high ranges of hills in the vicinity have, no doubt, the effect of increasing the precipitation, it being somewhat heavier I am told than that of Cowichan. The following is the report of Mr. G. R. Porter, correspondent for Chemainus and Oyster Bay :— 2. Hay.—One-half to 2 tons per acre ; $18 per ton. 3. Potatoes.—2J tons per acre ; $18 to $20 per ton. 4. The average prices obtainable for fruit are as follows :—For apples, 5 cents ; pears, 5 cents; plums and prunes, 3 to 5 cents ; cherries, 10 cents. 4a. The season's crop was a medium one. 4b. The quality of the crop was medium. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are grown with not very good results. 4e. The following particular varieties of fruit give the best results : —Gravenstein apples, Bartlett pears, Victoria and Egg plums, and White Heart cherries. 5. Linseed is not cultivated in this district. 6. Sugar beet is very little grown. 7. No rape is grown. 8a. Dairying is not much followed. The stock around are very poor. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 33 cents per ft; for cheese, 10 to 15 cents per ft. 9a. This part is not suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are no large numbers of sheep raised here. 9c. The quality of the wool is very good. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 3 J pounds. 10a. People are going in for improved stock. 10b. The following are the best breeds for here :—Clydes and Sampson horses for draught, Shorthorns for beef and dairying, Leicesters for wool and mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Black Spanish poultry. 11a. Poultry-raising is in some places extensively followed. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have been tried with unsuccessful results. 13a. Last winter was mild. 13b. The spring was wet with late frosts. 866 Report on Agriculture. 1893 13c. The summer was warm. 13e. There was a loss of 25 per cent, from bad weather. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages paid was $30 per month and board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is a fair amount of fall ploughing. SALT SPRING ISLAND Is about 15 miles long, lying close to the coast of Vancouver Island and extending as far as Chemainus. Burgoyne Bay, about the centre of the island, is about 45 miles by the steamer route from Victoria, and about 35 from Nanaimo. The principal points are Vesuvius Bay, near the northern end; Burgoyne Bay, near the middle, on the west coast; and Beaver Point, on the eastern side, near the southern end. A good road runs through the island, connecting these places and the farms in their vicinity. It has a rugged appearance, having several high, rocky hills on it, generally bare of timber on the tops, but heavily wooded at their bases. The fact that nearly 100 farmers live on the island, goes to prove that there is a great deal of good land in the valleys. These valleys are for the most part wooded, in some parts lightly, and are of great fertility, the soil being a red sandy loam and a somewhat heavy black loam, according to locality. This is a section peculiarly adapted to fruit-growing of all kinds, the high hills affording great protection to the valleys, where fruit matures to great perfection. I believe it will be found that the hot hill-sides, if terraced, will produce fine grapes, and I am in hopes that the experiment will soon be tried. Most of the farmers having turned some of their attention to the fruit industry, there is a comparatively large quantity produced, but, the orchards being generally young, the production is not in proportion to the number of trees which are planted. A fair quantity of root crops and hay are also produced, and some grain, all of which do well. A good many sheep are raised, but not many pigs : and poultry only on a small scale. Dairying is not prosecuted to any extent. The precipitation, like all the islands hereabouts, is light, and surrounded as they are by water, snow seldom lies long, and the temperature is very equable. According to returns received, 7 A per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 58A is woodland or forest, 18 per cent, is swamp, marsh and rock, and 16 per cent is pasture. The principal diseases and pests complained of are the aphis, borer, apple blight or scab, minks, coons, blue jays, and deer. The following approximate data and report are furnished by Mr. R. A. R. Purdy, correspondent for Vesuvius Bay and vicinity :— Quantity of land owned 20,000 acres. it it cultivated 600 n Number of tons of grain produced 50 tons. ii ii hay produced 250 n it ii root crops 100 n ii ii fruit 15 it ti cattle owned 150 head. it horses owned 25 n it sheep owned 1,200 n tt swine owned 200 n 1. Wheat (Spring), 20 bushels per acre, 2 cents per ft. Oats, 30 i, „ 11 „ Peas, 20 „ „ 2" „ „ 2. Hay, 2 tons n $15 per ton. Potatoes, 4 n n 15 to $20 per ton. Carrots—No large quantities Turnips—12 tons per acre. Onions, beets, parsnips, cabbages, etc.—No large quantities raised. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 867 3a. The yield of hay, grain and roots was good ; potatoes were poor. 3b. Ninety-day wheat is the best for here. 4. The following were the average prices : For apples and pears, 2 to 4 cents per ft.; plums and prunes, 3 cents; cherries, 10 cents. 4a. The crop of apples was fair; the other fruit was short. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4c. A rich moist loam soil, not wet, is best for apples, and a dry loam for plums, cherries, etc. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are grown in small quantities with fair success ; they require much attention. 4e. The following particular varieties give the best results : Gravenstein, Selina and Brandy Pippins, Wealthy, Maiden's Blush, and King of Tompkins County apples; Bartlett, Le Conte, and Jargonelle pears; Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, and Japan plums; Black and White Heart cherries. 8a. Dairying is carried out on a small scale; it pays fairly. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is from 25 to 35 cents. 9a. This part is not suitable for sheep ; it is too heavily timbered. 9b. Small flocks only are kept, and for mutton pay fairly. 9c. The quality of the wool is poor. 9d. The average weight of the fleece is 3 to 5 pounds. 10b. The following are the best breeds for here :—Herefords for beef, Jerseys for dairying, Southdowns are the best all round sheep, being hardy and productive, Berkshire pigs, and mixed poultry. 1 1a. Poultry is kept on a small scale and pays fairly. 11b. The average price of eggs is from 25 to 40 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture is a failure from want of pasture. 13a. Last winter was very rainy. 13b. The spring was wet with late frosts. 13c. The summer was moist with a few hot days. 13d. There was excellent harvest weather. 14. The pests are blue jays, minks, and raccoons. A small bounty should be placed on these to ensure their destruction. Green aphides affect the apple trees and black aphides the cherry trees. Ferns and thistles are troublesome weeds. 15a. Labourers are not easily to be procured. 17. A little fall ploughing is done. Mr, Wm. E. Scott, Vesuvius Bay, says :—My sheep are Southdowns graded with Merinos and pure Southdowns. My pigs are Berkshires. Diseases and pests are borers in apples, woolly aphis and scab in apples. Apples were somewhat blighted and plums exuded a resinous substance. Lice on pigs, and Twitch grass, which is a noxious weed. The following varieties of cereals, roots, grasses, fruits, etc., are the best for this locality :—90-day wheat, 2-rowed barley, American Banner oats, Burbank Seedling potatoes, Swedes, Aberdeen turnips, Timothy and Red Top grasses, White clover, Dutch Alsike, and Mammoth Red, King of Tompkins, Wealthy, Brandy Pippin, Duchess of Oldenberg, Smith's Cider, and Gravenstein apples, Louise Bonne de Jersey pears, Vicar of Winkfield, Ribson and Pound pears, and Yellow Egg plums. The.best breeds of stock are medium draught horses, Jerseys for dairying, Shorthorns for beef, cross-bred Merino and Leicesters for wool, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Leghorns and Plymouth Rock poultry. Last winter there was no snow, plenty of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late and rainy, seed-time unfavourable. The summer good and dry. The autumn fair, and harvest weather good. There were frosts in the early spring. The early frosts affected the fruit crops considerably. Plums and apples were a short crop. The yield of crops I consider was fair, and crops were saved as a rule in good order. 868 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. J. P. Booth, Vesuvius Bay, says :—Blight has been very bad this season among apples, pears, and peaches. It was the worst I have ever known, it almost destroyed the crop. Green fly, bark louse, and tent caterpillar are the insect pests. The animal j^ests are mink, raccoons, and sometimes wolves and panthers. The following are the best varieties of fruits for this locality :—King of Tompkins, Canada Reinette, Swaar, Lemon Pippin, Red Astrachan, and the Russet apples, Bartlett, Vicar of Winkfield, Early Butter and Flemish Beauty pears. All kinds of plums, prunes, and cherries do well. The peaches are all blighted. The following breeds of stock are best for this locality :—Common horses, Shorthorns for beef, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and mixed poultry. Last winter there was very little snow, a lot of rain, no cold weather. The spring was late and very wet, the summer wet and cold, the autumn fine, and harvest weather fair. There was a slight frost at the end of May. I consider that the yield of crops was an average one, and they were mostly saved in good condition. Mr. R. A. R. Purdy, Vesuvius Bay, says :—Green aphides retard the growth of tipple trees. Black aphides have the same effect on cherry trees. Blue jays and wasps destroy and eat the fruit. Last winter there was not much snow ; there was a great deal of rain ; there were cold winds and light frosts. Spring was late and wet. February was mild and dry. March and April were cold, wet, windy and frosty. May was warm, with frequent and heavy showers. Seed-time was unfavourable. Last summer was good ; it was moister than other summers ; there were frequent showers and a few hot days. The autumn was fair, and harvest weather very favourable for dry lands. There were slight frosts in October and November, and heavy and continuous rain and a little snow in November. I consider that the yield of crops was fair. The following is the report of Mr. Alex. Wilson, correspondent for Burgoyne Bay :— 1. Wheat (fall), • 200 bush. ; $30 per ton. ti (spring), 850 n 30 n Barley, 160 „ 30 Oats, 1,350 n 30 ,i Peas, 500 „ 40 2. Hay—$12 to $18 per ton. Mangolds, carrots, and turnips.—Only a few raised. 2a. The yield of the above was good. 2b. The following particular varieties are the best for this locality : Red Fife wheat, Chevalier barley, early varieties of oats, Red clover, Crown Jewel potatoes, Vosges carrots, Red Top swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Turnip beets, Hollow Crown parsnips, and Dutch cabbage. • 4. The following are the average prices obtained per hundred-weight : For apples, $2 ; pears, $2 ; plums and prunes, $1 to $2. 4a. The season's crop was a medium one. 4b. The quality of the fruit was medium. 4c Any goocl dry and rich soil annually mulched around the trees ought to give good results. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, and melons are not grown. Tomatoes are grown with moderate success. 4e. The following fruits give the best results : Gravenstein and Canada Reinette apples, Bartlett, Pound, Flemish Beauty and Winter Nelis pears, any grafted variety of plums, Black Republican, Governor Wood, Royal Anne and Oxheart cherries. 5. Linseed does well, but was only grown in small lots by myself for home use. 8a. Dairying is not extensively followed. 9a. This part is not particularly well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are a considerable number of sheep here. 9c. The quality of the wool is good. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 2 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved stock as they can afford it. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 869 10b. All the horses here are scrubs. Cotswold sheep are the best for wool, Southdowns are best for mutton. Berkshire and scrub pigs, and Plymouth Rock, Leghorn and Dunghill fowls are the best varieties. 11a. Poultry are not raised to any extent. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 cents per doz. 14. Apple trees are infested with scale, lice, and borers. I apply a thorough wash every spring of concentrated lye, which is very efficacious so far as the trunk is concerned, but dangerous if applied amongst the limbs and buds. 15a. Labourers are always procurable by paying .good wages. 15b. Whites, and half-breed Indians, if wanted. 15c. The average wages paid are $1.50 per day with board. 17. A good acreage is ploughed in the fall. Mr. Theo. Trage, correspondent for Beaver Point, supplies the following report and approximate data :— Quantity of land owned 6,500 acres. cultivated 280 ,i Number of tons of hay produced 220 tons. ti it grain n 20 n ii ii roots ti 150 it ii n fruit it 30 it tt cattle owned 90 head. n horses n 23 n ti sheep it 650 n ii swine n 65 n 1. Wheat (fall), 20 bush, per acre ; 2 cents per ft. Wheat (spring), 15 n ,, 2 n n Oats, 40 „ „ 11 „ Peas, 40 „ „ If „ 2. Hay, 2\ tons n $14 per ton. 3. Potatoes, lj » n 1 cent per ft. Carrots, ' 12 n n I n n Turnips, 20 n n 4. The average prices obtainable pei' ft. are : For apples, 2\ cents; pears, 3 cents; plums and prunes, 3 cents. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was bad. 4b. The quality of the fruit was middling. 4c. A rich sandy loam is the best for fruit culture. 4d. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, melons, and tomatoes are not grown. 4e. The following particular fruits give the best results :—Gravenstein, Baldwin, Falla- water, Canada Reinette, and Gloria Mundi apples ; Bartlett and Vicar of Wink- field pears ; Japanese and Magnum Bonum plums ; Governor Wood and Luelling cherries. 12. Bees have not been tried. 13. Some rain and snow in winter, spring wet, summer wet, and autumn dry and good. 14. There is every year of late a certain blight which attacks fruit trees, particularly apples; it destroys more than half the crop. Several remedies will be tried this year, with what success, time will show. 15a. Labourers are not easily procurable. 15b. Whites and half-breeds. 15c. $1 per day. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is very little fall ploughing done here. 870 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr, Samuel John Beddis, Beaver Point, says:—The following varieties of roots, grasses, clovers, and fruits are the best for this locality : Early Rose potatoes, Yellow Aberdeen turnips (thev can be planted later than others), Timothy for hay, Cocksfoot, Bluegrass and Fescue for pasture, Alsike and Red clover, Keswick's Codling, Duchess of Oldenberg, Wealthy, Winter, Maiden's Blush, English Golden Russet, Blenheim Orange, Canada Reinette, Lord Derby apples ; these are all reliable apples, early and heavy bearers, having no off years ; the Blenheim is a moderate but regular every year bearer. Bartlett pears are the best, Jargonelle is a little later and requires to be ripened indoors, but the tree is a vigorous though crooked grower and is not affected by blight or other pests ; it is a heavy bearer. The Le Conte is a vigorous healthy tree, but blossoms so early that there are no bees moving to fertilize the fruit. The Peach plum, for early, is the best; we have a delicious plum, which comes next, it is a greenish yellow, some call it a Yellowgage, but I think it is a local seedling; it cannot be beaten for flavour. A Japan plum, variety unknown, is my favourite for late plums, being very large and well flavoured ; the, tree is a wonderful grower. My best results in cherries have been from a seedling which seems to be a cross between Governor Wood and Royal Anne. The Snelling does very well, also Governor Wood and Royal Anne. Seedling peaches seem to do the best, the fancy sorts none of them seeming to succeed ; the Wager and Canning peach is doing well with me. Quince trees do well, but the fruit does not hold on. Moorpark apricots are the best, but they must be trained on a wall. The best breeds of stock for here are : Jerseys for dairying, Herefords for beef, Berkshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn or Andalusian fowls ; I find best results from crossing back and forth with these and Plymouth Rocks ; I get thoroughbred cocks and change them every year. Bees are not a success ; the wasps are too numerous for one tiling. The worst pest I have to complain of are the deer; they have destroyed for me 500 young trees in five years. The wire-worm is pretty bad in spots, especially on shell land. The turnip fly, or flea, has visited me. this year for the first time. Blue jays (see " Diseases and Pests "—J.R.A.) Last winter there was a little flurry of snow which lay on tbe ground about two hours ; the rain was almost incessant. The spring was late; seed-time fairly favourable. The summer, in my opinion, was very good, and the autumn also For my part, the weather was good for harvesting, though some of the wet land that could not be sown till late, was not harvested by the 1st of October. There were no late or early frosts. Being right on the sea shore, we are rather favoured in the matter of frost, our crops being untouched when those a little back from the water are cut down. My own crops were very good, except potatoes. My first tomatoes failed, but the second planting are yielding well. Crops were all saved in good condition. THE ISLANDS, Comprising Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, Pender, and adjacent Islands, all situated in the Straits, between Vancouver Island and the mainland, have about seventy-five settlers. The general characteristics of these islands are very much alike, high rocky ridges running through the centres, on which there is good feed for sheep, thickly wooded with fir about the bases, and lightly wooded or bare on the tops, the bottoms covered with a thick growth of alder, maple, and willow, the soil of which is a rich black loam. There are also semi-open patches, covered with a rank growth of fern, and on the higher parts with sallal. There is no lack of water, springs being found in every part, and frequently little lakes or pools. Any ordinary crop and fruit succeed well ; the principal things grown are oats, hay, and fruit. Like all of this region, the latter, both large and small, come to great perfection, and the industry is being entered into by most of the ranchers. Another branch that is extensively carried on is sheep-raising, for which these islands are particularly well adapted. A little dairying, swine and poultry-raising is also done. The temperature and precipitation are not excessive, probably similar to the climate in the vicinity of Victoria and Esquimalt (see meteorological tables). Roads run through most of the islands, of a very fair character. The principal diseases and pests reported tire borers, aphides, apple blight, caterpillars, thistles, and oxeye daisy. According to returns received, the cultivated land amounts to 7 per cent, of the whole owned, the woodland or forest to 59 per cent., the swamp, marsh, and rock to 21J per cent., and the pasture land to 12J per cent. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 871 ndent, per Jacob The following is the report of Mr. W. H. Mawdesley, correspo Heck :- 1. Wheat (spring), 1,800 to 2,000 fts. per acre $35 pei ton. Oats, 1,500 to 2,000 „ ,, 30 ii Peas, 2,000 to 3,000 „ ii 28 to $30 per ton. 2. Hay, 2 to 3 tons ii 10 to 15 ii 3. Potatoes, 5 to 7 n Mangolds 8 to 9 ,, 1! 20 12 II Carrots, 5 to 7 n II 15 11 Turnips, 8 to 10 n It 9 II Onions, 2 to 3 n || 50 II 4. The following were the average prices obtainable per ft.:—For apples and pears, 2| to 3 cents ; plums and prunes, 2 to 3 cents, according to quality ; cherries, 5 to 8 cents. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was an average one. 4b. The quality of the fruit was not as good as usual. 4c. High land well drained, with a rich soil and clay bottom, does well here for apples, pears, plums, and cherries. 4d. Seedling peaches do well and bear in abundance. Grapes do well, Concords ripen at the latter end of September. Melons do fairly well on choice land. Tomatoes do well, but ripen late. 4e. The following particular varieties of fruit give the best results : Bartlett and Winter Nelis pears, and White Oxheart and Black Tartar cherries do well. I only mention those kinds that I grow myself. 5. Linseed has not been attempted. 6. Sugar beet, I planted a few of, and they did well. 7. Rape is not grown. 8.B. The price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per pound. No cheese is made. 9a. Sheep do fairly well here. 9b. There are not many sheep kept here. 9c. The wool is of good quality. 9d. The average weight of fleece is from 5 to 8 pounds. 10a. Some people are going in for Jersey stock. 10b. I consider the following breeds are best for here : Shorthorns for beef ; Southdowns are the best for mutton, and they are free of disease; Berkshire pigs do best; all kinds of poultry do well. 11 a. The poultry industry is much improved. I think it pays well. There is always a ready market for chickens and eggs. 11b. The average price of eggs is 30 cents on the farm. 12. Bees have not been tried. 14. Caterpillars are the only pests known, and they don't often come. 17. No ploughing is done in the fall. I have had Fall wheat on dry ground that yielded 70 bushels per acre, but I find it safer to grow Spring wheat, on account of the wet winters we have. Beets, cabbages and till roots doing remarkably well when saved in time ; never have failed for 23 years I have been on this island. Potatoes are a sure crop, and of the best quality. I think the Early and Late Rose the best, although other kinds do fairly well. We grow from 5 to 8 tons per acre. We grow roots only for home use. Tomatoes and melons do fairly well, but are not much grown for market. All grasses do well. Red clover brings the heaviest crop, and is usually cut twice; but Timothy is the leading hay we grow here, and always sells at the highest price. Barley does well, but is not much grown, while other grain sells better. Small fruit of till kinds grow abundantly. Strawberries, currants, and gooseberries never fail to bring a crop. Stone fruit, cherries, and plums grow very vigorously and are not subject to disease. 872 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Apples and pears do well, but the apple tree is subject to a disease called borer, which is very injurious if not attended to in time. The ground should lie sloping, and should be well drained to succeed with fruit-growing. Mr. W. H. Mawdsley, Mayne Island, says :—My stock are Jersey cattle, and Suffolk pigs. Noxious weeds are a few thistles. The following varieties of roots, grasses and fruits are the, best for this locality : Kidney,. Ashleaf and Abundance potatoes, Early Gem carrots, Italian onions ; Orchard, Timothy and Red Top grasses; Red and White clovers; Bartlett and Louise Bonne de Jersey pears; Black Tartarian and Elton cherries, Amsden apricots, and Niagara, Concord and Moore Early grapes. The best breeds of stock are : Jerseys for dairying, crossbred Durhams for beef, Cotswolds for wool, Shropshires and Southdowns for mutton, and Suffolk or cross-bred pigs. Last winter there were two falls of snow, which melted at once. There was not more rain than usual ; there was not much cold weather. The spring was late and unfavourable for seeding ; the summer was good, and there was good harvest weather. I consider that crops yielded well and were saved in good order. Mr. Wm. T. Collinson, Mayne Island, says :—My stock are Grade Jerseys and common stock. Red water, a disease here in aged cattle, is rather more prevalent than it should be. Insect pests are : a colony of web caterpillars, common wasps in great numbers, at times eating large quantities of plums, destroying the fruit for market; and there has been a great quantity of horse flies this season, we have not had such a visitation for twenty years. Animal, pests are minks and coons, occasionally raiding the chicken roosts. Noxious weeds are Scotch thistles, which through careless neighbours have got quite a hold in places on the Island, and unless stringent measures are adopted they are going to give great trouble. The following- are the best varieties of grain, roots, grasses and fruit for this part of the country : Two- rowed barley, Mitchell's Early corn, Carter's London swede, Yellow Danver onions, Long- Blood and Turnip beets ; Orchard, Timothy and Mesquit grasses ; Red, Yellow and Alsike clovers ; Twenty-ounce and King of Tomkins County apples ; Bartlett and Winter Nelis pears ; Columbia, Washington, Egg, and Damson plums; French and Italian prunes, and Red, Black and Yellow Spanish cherries. All varieties of spring wheat and mangolds ; all the ordinary varieties of apples, except Northern Spy, which don't yield at all, do very well here, There are only two apricot trees on the island, these produce to perfection ; a few grapes are grown and they ripen fairly well; peaches do fairly well, but there are not many grown; quinces don't yield heavily. The best breeds of stock for here are Jerseys and Grades for dairying ; Southdown sheep and a few white-faced crosses for wool and mutton ; and Leghorn, Spanish, Houdans and Brahma poultry. Some of my neighbours complain of having their plums stung by some insect, causing the gum to ooze out of the fruit, spoiling it. There were good yields of gooseberries. Currants (red and black), raspberries, blackberries and dewberries yield well. Mr. J. A. Seabrook, Galiano Island, says :—My stock are Shorthorn grades, with pedigreed bull at head of the herd. The pests here are apple tree borers and tree lice. Mr. Robert Shaw, Galiano Island, says:—My stock are common native stock. A disease of plant life here is a species of mildew which covers the foliage of apple trees, which causes the trees to dry up and shrivel in appearance, besides affecting the yield of fruit. Two years ago our milch cows were troubled with a disease of the hoof which was offensive to the smell, besides making them lame, but it has entirely disappeared. Mountain daises and Canadian thistles are noxious weeds. The following varieties are the best adapted to this locality : Black Field peas, Burbank's Seedling and Red Canadian potatoes, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy and Cocksfoot grasses, and Common Red clover; Gravenstein and Blue Pearmain and Baldwin apples, Red Egg and Yellow Ball plums, and Black Republican cherries. The best breeds for here are, Leicester sheep for wool, and white collared Black Spanish poultry. Mr, Washington Grimmer, Pender Island, says :—My stock are graded Shropshire sheep with thoroughbred Shropshire rams. My lambs are marketed in New Westminster, as better prices are obtainable there. Ruta Baga turnips are the best; mixed English grasses and Red White, and Alsike clovers are the best. Shropshire sheep are the best for here, and common poultry. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 873 GABRIOLA ISLAND, Including DeCourcey, Mudge and Valdes Islands, on which there are some thirty-five ranchers, lie close to the Vancouver Island shore, and extend as far as Nanaimo. The country on these islands is not generally heavily wooded, a great deal of it being partially open, making good ranges for sheep. The valleys are mostly covered with small trees and brush, not difficult to be cleared. The land is good, and grows excellent crops of roots, grain and hay. It is also a good fruit-growing section, but terribly infested with pests. All the products find a ready market in the adjacent City of Nanaimo. The precipitation is not heavy, but it is impossible to say exactly. Judging from that at Nanaimo, however, I should put it at about 30 inches of rain and very little snow, which seldom lies for more than a day or two. A good many sheep are raised and a few pigs. Some attention is paid to poultry- raising, but very little to dairying. The principal diseases and pests reported are the aphis on apples and hops, scale bug, blight, borer, deer, coons, and minks. The following- approximate data and report are supplied by Mr. McLay, correspondent:— Quantity of land owned, about 16,940 acres. Quantity of land cultivated 593 n Number of tons of grain produced 275 tons. Number of tons of hay produced 225 n Number of tons of root crops 275 n Number of tons of fruit 32 n Number of cattle owned 196 head. Number of horses owned 33 n Number of sheep owned 630 n Number of swine owned 40 tt 1. Wheat (spring), 30 to 35 bushels per acre, $35 per ton. Oats, 30 to 50 ,i ti 30 ,. 2. Hay, 1 to 2 tons, n 13 n 3. Potatoes, 3 to 7 n n 20 n Turnips, 10 n n 3b. The, following particular varieties are the best for this part: Welcome oats, Timothy grass, Red clover, Peach Blow potato, Purple Top Swede, and Yellow Danver onion. 4. The following were the average prices obtainable : — For apples, 3 cents per ft.; pears, 5 cents ; plums and prunes, 4 cents ; cherries and peaches, 12J cents. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was poor. 4b. The quality of the fruit was poor. 4c. I should not put apples on a clayey subsoil, unless the stocks are of native crab-apple; crab-apple stocks then do splendidly. . 4d. Peaches are only grown with indifferent success. Apricots have not been properly tested. No nectarines are grown. Grapes are only grown with poor results. Melons grow well. Tomatoes grow well in hot, dry seasons. 4e. The following particular fruits give the best results : Gloria Mundi, Gravenstein, Baldwin, and Rhode Island Greening apples, La Couce, Bartlett, and Flemish Beauty pears, Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, and Greengage plums, Bigarreau, Napoleon, and Red Oxheart cherries. 5. 6, and 7. Linseed, Sugar beet, and Rape have not been tried. 8a. Dairying is only carried on for home use. 9a. This locality is fairly well suited for wool-raising. 9b. There are a considerable number of sheep kept here. 9c. The wool raised here is of a medium quality. 10a. People are improving their breeds of horses. 874 Report on Agriculture. 1893 10b. For this district I consider the best breeds are : Horses from common mares and Clydesdale sires for draught, Shorthorns for beef, Ayrshires for dairying, Berkshire pigs, and Leghorns and Plymouth Rocks crossed for fowls. 11a. Poultry are raised to a considerable extent, and quite systematically in several instances. 11b. The average price of eggs is 25 to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Apiculture has not been tried. 13a. Last winter was very mild. 13b. There were no frosts, nevertheless it was a backward spring, the weather being cold and damp. 13c. The autumn was fine, with no frosts. 13d. There was a loss of about 1 per cent, from unfavourable weather. 14. There was a loss of about 50 per cent, of the fruit crop from aphis. We have no diseases, unless it is a little blight, on apple trees, but we are amply supplied with insect pests, of which, to the fruit-grower, aphides are the chief. The scale, borers, fungi, etc., tire bad enough, but these leave you without the loathsome feelings you must naturally have when coming in contact with the aphis plague ; with these I have found nothing yet of much effect except crushing them, but I mean to get about it in earnest next spring. 15a. Labourers are easily procurable. 15b. Whites. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 18. The prospects of agriculture are good, and being so near market we incline to raise a miscellaneous class of products, as paying better than any particular branch. Mr. Jas. McLay, Gabriola Island, says :-- My stock are mixed breed. Insect pests on fruit trees have been very destructive with me this year, viz., the green insect, and another that is hatched in a sort of white frothy matter. This last is an abomination. From diseases no loss whatever. Animal pests are deer—if I may be allowed to call that noble animal a pest—minks, coons, and hawks, likewise blue jays. Deer, raccoons, and minks have, as usual, caused considerable loss ; of these, deer is the chief offender. Fruit trees of all kinds have suffered much this season from aphis ; also hops, willows, and even pines, in fact, all trees, and especially those on where the ground has been much enriched has fairly swarmed with the above pests. The following varieties of roots, grasses, and fruits I consider are the best for this locality : Peachblows and Early Rose potatoes, Yellow Danver onions, Timothy grasses. I have turned most of my apples into Rhode Island Greenings, Gravensteins, and Baldwins— these seem to pay best. The Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, and Goliah plums give good returns. I think that pure White Leghorn cocks put with any mixed breeds of healthy hens produce good layers and hardy chickens. Last winter there was no snow worth mentioning-; there was considerable rain, much as usual ; adding the usual snowfall, very mild. The spring was early for well drained ground, it was late for damp or springy ground, according to nature of the soil. The summer was exceedingly fine, and the autumn was fairly good. Harvest weather was favourable, except in one spot. I consider that the yield of hay and grain was good, of fruit poor. Crops were saved in good condition. NANAIMO, Including Cedar, Cranberry, Mountain, and Wellington Districts has about one hundred and twenty-five ranchers. Nanaimo, which is about the centre of these districts, is seventy- three miles from Victoria, communication with which is had by railroad and water. It is also connected with the different parts of the districts named by excellent roads. The country is almost without any exception wooded, in some parts very heavily; on the low lying lands and in the vicinity of lakes and streams, which abound in this region, the timber is of a lighter description, sometimes only thick brush. Much of it is mountainous, rocky, and poor gravelly soil; nevertheless there is a great deal of good soil in the valleys, which produces largely, and 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 875 that on some of the higher benches, making good fruit and clover land. Little in the way of cereals besides oats is grown, but a fair quantity of roots, and on some of the older places some fruit. Poultry, sheep, and swine are only raised in limited quantities. Dairying, especially in the matter of milk, is carried on to some extent. All of these products find a ready sale in Nanaimo. From returns received it would appear that 11 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 53 per cent, is woodland or forest, 16 per cent, is swamp, marsh and rock, and 20 per cent, is pasture land. The altitude of Nanaimo at the railway is 172 feet, but the land rises at the back very considerably in places. It will be seen by the meteorological reports that the precipitation is very light, more in summer and less in winter than at Esquimalt, and the annual mean temperature slightly higher. The only pests reported are the aphis and blue jay, though, as a matter of fact, I was told of many others whilst passing through the district, notably bears and panthers, and I also noticed Scotch thistles in some places. The following is the report of Mr. E. Quennell, correspondent: 1 Oats, 35 bushels per acre, $30 per ton 2. Hay, 1| tons ti 20 „ 3. Potatoes, 5 tt 20 ■■ Mangolds Carrots, . 20 „ 12 „ ;; 12 Turnips, Parsnips, 25 10 ,, ,, 10 „ 15 „ 4a. The season's fruit crop was good. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4d. Peaches grow fairly well. Tomatoes grow well. 6. Sugar beet yields a good crop. 9a. This part is not suitable for wool-raising. 9b. The best horses for here are Clydesdales. 13d. Last autumn was fine. 15b. The labourers are white, Chinese, and Indians. 17. There is very little fall ploughing done here. Mr. William Sinclair, Nanaimo, says:—There was no snow whatever last winter; a great deal of rain in December, and not much after; there was no cold weather. The spring was early. Mr. C. N. Young, Departure Bay, says :—I have one pedigree Jersey cow and one half- bred Jersey calf. The following varieties of cereals, roots, and grasses are the best suited to this locality :—Red fall wheat, Chevalier barley, Banner oats, Early Rose potatoes, White Dutch turnips, Yellow Danver onions, Rye and Orchard grasses, and Red clover. The best breeds for here are : Jerseys for butter, Ayrshires for milk, Durhams for beef, Yorkshire pigs, and Leghorn- poultry. There was no snow last winter, a lot of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late, seed-time not favourable, and the summer was wet. I consider the yield of crops was good, and they were saved in good condition. Mr. James N. Algar, Cranberry District, says:—My mares are three-quarter bred Clydes, and my bull is very nearly pure Shorthorn. The following varieties of cereals, roots, &c, are best adapted to this locality :—Black-eyed Marrowfat peas, Early Rose potatoes, Golden Fleshed Tankard mangolds, Half Long White carrots, Champion swedes, Timothy grass, and Alsike clover. The best breeds of stock are : Canadian French crossed by Cleveland Bay horses, Ayrshires for dairying, Cotswolds for wool, Berkshire or Suffolk pigs, and Brown Leghorn poultry. Mr. George McGregor, Oyster District, says :—My stock are graded, and my sheep are common. There has been no disease among my animals so far. My plums and peaches are nearly a failure, on account of insect pests ; both fruit and leaves are infested with them. The blue jay is the worst pest we have to fight against here, both on small fruits and large. 876 Report on Agriculture. 1893 NANOOSE. The centre of this district is about twenty-five miles from Nanaimo, with which it is connected by a good road. Most of the country is wooded, some pretty fairly open, some of it, especially along the sea coast, rather rocky, and some swamp land, covered generally with small dense brush. The soil is naturally much varied ; on some of the higher ridges it is very poor and gravelly, the porous nature of it causing it to be very arid in summer. The swamp land is of a peaty nature and is very rich. In the bottoms it is a deep stiff loam, and on the benches a reddish sandy loam. The difficulty of getting produce to market and most of the places being quite newly settled, no great quantity is raised; hay, oats, and root crops being the principal productions. There are a good many fruit trees, but as they are nearly all young the production of fruit is small. The other branches of agricultural industry are almost altogether neglected. The precipitation was 34.68 inches of rain in 1892, and 14.6 inches of snow, the latter not lying long. It is no doubt somewhat colder in winter than Nanaimo, but not much, the summer temperature being about the same. The principal pests reported are panthers, bears, blue jays, and blight on fruit trees. There are some fifty-five ranchers in the district. The following approximate, data and report were supplied by Mr. W. H. Lee, correspondent, Nanoose :— Quantity of land owned, about 13,000 acres. ii it cultivated, about 1,000 n The quantity of grain, hay, root crops, and fruit produced cannot be ascertained at present; 3 fts. oats from the Experimental Farm produced 101 fts.; 3 fts. barley produced 96 fts. Crops suffered from rain during April and May. I enclose a letter from Mr. Saunders, Director of the Dominion Experimental Farrtis, referring to the sample sent him last fall. Number of cattle owned, about 2,000 head. ti horses ii 200 n it swine ii 500 n (The following is an extract from Mr. Saunder's letter :—" The samples of grain sent by you last fall were very good and quite creditable to your island."—J.R.A.) 1. Wheat (fall).—$40 per ton. Barley, 30 Oats, 40 ti 3. Potatoes, 15 n Turnips, 10 n Onions, 3 cents per ft. Cabbages and other vegetables are chiefly grown for home consumption. 3a. The yield has been an average one; the unusually wet season has to a certain extent injured the general crops. 4. The fruit trees in this district as a rule are too young to bear; some apple orchards of the old settlers, however, bore well this year. The price was variable and very poor. 4a. The season's fruit crop was good. 4b. The quality of the fruit was fair. 4c. The best orchards in this district are on sandy and gravelly soil. 4d. Tomatoes are grown for home consumption. 6. A very small quantity of sugar beet has been grown here. 8a. There are some small dairies. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 25 cents per ft. 9b. There are not any sheep here on account of panthers. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. I consider the following breeds are best for this district :—Shorthorns for beef and dairying; Berkshire pigs ; Houdan, Brown and White Leghorns, and Plymouth Rock poultry. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 877 11a. Poultry-raising is not carried on to any very great extent ; each rancher keeps from twenty-five to one hundred fowls. 11b. The average price of eggs is three dozen for $1. 1 3a. Last winter there was very little snow and frost; there was a good deal of rain. 13b. The spring was wet. 13c. The summer was hot. 13d. The autumn was very wet; it was bad for late crops; there was no frost. 15a. Labourers are plentiful. 15b. Whites. 15c. The average wages are $30 per month and board. . 17. About 200 acres were fall ploughed. " I beg to submit to you my report for Nanoose District. Owing to our distance from a market, and also the small extent of most of the farms under cultivation, it is hard to determine the prices, and, except by guess work, the yield per acre. I have in the autumn circular given you, as far as I can ascertain, the ruling prices and the names of the crops most grown. * * * * Still I trust you will obtain information enough for your report. Fruit growing, as you saw during your visit in the summer, is still in its infancy. Indeed I may say that with the exception of the older settlers the time of all is taken up clearing and draining, and, as a rule, only raise enough for their own wants. The number and quality of horses, cattle, and pigs has very much improved. The land is much more cleared. Fencing and draining continues to advance, and I may say without fear of contradiction that the district has vastly improved during the last year. There are very few pests noticed, except the panther." (For further remarks on this head see " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) Mr. Thos. Cooper, Nanoose Bay, says:—The following varieties of cereals, roots, and clovers are best :—Black oats, White Field peas, Early Rose potatoes, White carrots, Swedes, Yellow Danver onions, Sugar beets, Timothy grass, and Red clover. The best breeds of stock are Clydesdale horses, Jerseys for dairying, Sussex for beef, Berkshire pigs, and Black Spanish poultry. The spring was later than usual. There was a continuation of rain nearly all summer. It was bad for hay making generally. On October 14th there was a heavy fall of hail, followed at night by frost; it was unusual weather for this island. Mr. James Louary, Parksville, says :—Blue jays, bears, and panthers are animal pests here. Six-rowed barley is the best variety for here. Mr. G. S. Plummer, Parksville, says :—My stock are Shorthorns. Cut-worms are insect pests. Panthers, bears, wolves, and blue jays are animal pests, and sorrel is a noxious weed. Berkshire pigs and Leghorn poultry are the best varieties. Mr. Uttrick E. Dickinson, Notch Hill, Nanoose, says :—My stock are Shorthorns. Apple trees were affected this year with blight. Small fruits were a small crop, although well manured and pruned in the spring. - HORNBY, DENMAN, AND LASQUETI ISLANDS, Near the coast of Vancouver Island, the latter about twenty-five miles, and the two first named about forty-one miles north of Nanaimo and eleven from Comox, have about fifty-five settlers on them. They are fairly open, with patches and belts of timber here and there. Sheep thrive well, and a good many are raised, especially on Lasqueti Island. Fruit, grain, root crops, and hay are also produced in fair quantities, principally for the use of the Union Coal Mines, nine miles distant on the Vancouver Island shore. I have no means of ascertaining the precipitation and temperature of these islands; probably a little more rain than at Nanaimo, and much the same temperature. According to returns received, I find that only 3 per cent, of the land owned is cultivated, 61 per cent, is woodland or forest, 14 per cent, is swamp, marsh, and rock, and 22 per cent, is pasture land. The principal diseases and pests complained of are potato blight, grasshoppers, currant worms, mice, deer, sorrel, thistle, fern, and hog cholera, 878 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. Joseph Cameron, Hornby Island, says :— There is a blight on potatoes; grasshoppers are an insect pest, and there is a little bird which nips the early peas as they sprout out of the ground. The following varieties of cereals, roots, fruit, cfec, are best for this locality :—Stratagem peas, Black Wax beans, Rural No. 2 potatoes, Shorthorn carrots, Swedes, Egyptian Red beets, Alsike clover, Early Harvest, and Yellow Bellflower apples, and Bartlett and Louise Bonne de Jersey pears. Last winter there were three inches of snow ; there was a regular deluge of rain ; the winter was a warm one. The spring was not at till good ; seed-time was unfavourable. The summer was showery, and a lot of hay was ruined. The autumn and harvest weather was wet. There was frost on the 1st of November. I consider that crops yielded well. Potatoes rotted on account of the wet fall. Mr. William Ford, Hornby Island, says:—The insect pests are worms in black currants, blue flies, horse flies, and ticks on sheep. Sorrel, Scotch, Canadian and milk thistles, and ferns are noxious weeds. The best varieties of cereals, roots, clovers, and apples are : Stratagem peas, Cory corn, Rural No. 2 potatoes, Oxheart carrots, Swede turnips, Yellow Danver Globe onions, Eclipse beets, Timothy grass, Lucerne clover; Yellow Newton Pippin, Alexander, Yellow Transparent, and Early Harvest apples, Bartlett pears, Damsom plums, Royal Anne cherries, Globe peaches, Chinese quinces, Green Mountain grapes. The best breeds of stock are : Jersey cattle, Berkshire pigs, Brown Leghorn poultry. Potato rot, caused by wet summer and a delicate variety of potatoes, caused a loss of 12A per cent. For wet weather the best variety is Bliss' Red Triumph potato. There was no snow last winter ; there was a great deal of rain ; the winter was very mild and warm. The spring was rather wet and late ; seed-time was not favourable. It was the wettest summer yet for ten years. The autumn was rainy ; the harvest weather was too wet to be good. The first frost was on the 1st of November. It was the best year I ever saw for grass growing, trees, crops, ifec. Some crops were well harvested, others were not. Mr. John Scott, Hornby Island, says :—Fern is a noxious weed. The best breeds of stock for here are : Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Leicesters for wool, Southdowns for mutton, Berkshire pigs, and Spanish poultry mixed with Brown Leghorns. Last winter there was not much snow, quite a lot of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late, seed-time good, summer and autumn wet, and harvest weather favourable. I consider that crops yielded well, and were saved in good condition. Mr. John Skinner, Hornby Island, says :—Mice and deer are pests; the latter are useful, and are kept fairly under control as the island becomes more settled. Fern and common bracken are noxious weeds. Spring and fall wheat, barley, oats, rye, and peas are not grown ; corn is only grown in small quantities ; White Haricot beans do well; White Elephant and Early Rose potatoes do well; it is too dry for mangolds, but carrots, turnips, onions, and beets do fairly well; Timothy, all the clovers, and hops do well. I think the best varieties of apples and pears are : Red Astrachan, Keswick's Codlin, Wealthy, Alexander, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Yellow Bellflower, and Gloria Mundi apples, and Bartlett and Buerre Easter pears. The best breeds of stock here are : Southdowns and Shropshires for mutton (wool is cheap here), and Berkshire pigs. There are no bees on the island ; I think they would do well. Last winter there was very little snow ; very wet, and not much cold weather; it was wet and warm. The spring was late ; too wet and late for good seeding weather. The summer was good for grass and crops in general. Wet weather set in rather early, in the middle of September, and it was very wet and damp after for a month. Harvest weather was favourable, but the earliest crops had the best chance; very little was damaged on the island. Slight frosts in spring took part of the fruit blossom. The yield of wheat, peas, oats, and grass I consider was good. Potatoes were, some good, and some not. Crops were not saved in such good order as usual, but they were not in bad condition. Mr. W. Cheney, Denman Island, says :—Bees do well here. I lost 210 hogs from hog c-holera. (For further remarks on hog cholera see " Diseases and Pests."—J.R.A.) All cereals, roots, grasses, clovers, and hops can be grown well here. The following varieties of fruits are the best for this district:—Crab, Transcendent, Siberian ; Summer—Duchess ; Autumn— Wealthy; Winter—Ben Davis, Fameuse, King, and Early Strawberry tipples ; Bartlett pears, Egg and Weaver plums, and Niagara grapes. The following breeds are the best for this locality :—Clydesdale horses, Jerseys and Durhams for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, and Plymouth Rock and Leghorn fowls. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 879 COMOX. This beautiful district on the East Coast of Vancouver Island, about one hundred and twenty-five miles by water from Victoria, and fifty-two from Nanaimo, has about one hundred and fifty settlers. The principal points are Comox town, Sandwick, and Grantham, which are all connected by good roads, the last-named being the furthest outlying point, and is about ten miles from Comox. About Sandwick, in the vicinity of the Courtenay River, the country is very picturesque, a great deal of it being open land, dotted over with oak trees. Towards Grantham one enters a forest of magnificent firs, cedars, &c, intersected with low-lying and swampy land of great'richness. These swamps, as a rule, are easily cleared and drained. There is very little elevation in going towards Grantham from Comox, and the same character of country exists, 1 am told, for something like thirty miles in the direction of Campbell River to the northward. The soil, taking it all round, is good, most of it being a heavy black loam, even in the forest; on the higher ridges, like most of the other districts, it is in places a red gravelly soil. Large fruit does not appear to be as successfully cultivated here as in most other places, on account, it seems, of the liability of late spring frosts injuring the bloom ; nevertheless a good many orchards are planted, and the quality of the fruit is good. Root crops and hay are extensively cultivated, and some grain, principally oats. Not many sheep and swine are raised, but a fair quantity of poultry. The principal industry of the district is dairying, for which it is exceedingly well adapted, the majority of the home-made butter placed on the Victoria market coming from here. There being no meteorological station nearer than Nanaimo, and from which I believe the weather of Comox differs materially, I am unable to speak definitely on this important point. The precipitation is undoubtedly heavier, the snow lying longer. The summer heat is probably as great, and perhaps a little colder in winter. According to returns, 13 per cent, of the land owned is under cultivation, 65 per cent, is woodland or forest, 11 per cent, is swamp, marsh, or rock, and 11 per cent, is pasture land. The principal diseases and pests reported are green and woolly aphis, borer, onion maggot, thistle, sorrel, red water in cows, and potato rot. The following approximate data and report was supplied by Mr. A. Salmond, correspondent for the upper part of Comox :— Quantity of land owned 4,960 acres. it it cultivated 580 m Number of tons of grain produced . . . 90 tons. ti t. hay produced 300 n it ii root crops 140 n ti i. fruit.—None put on the market as yet, to speak of. Number of cattle owned 400 head. n horses owned 32 n ti sheep owned 100 n ii swine owned 200 n 1. WTieat (spring), 25 bushels per acre, 2 cents per ft. Oats, 40 ,i „ li- „ 2. Hay, l-i- tons „ $15 per ton. 3. Potatoes, 5 ii n 15 n Carrots, 20 n n 25 n Turnips, 30 n n 8 n Onions, 800 bushels n 2 cents per ft. 3a. The yield of the above was good. 3b. The following varieties are those best suited to this part: Timothy, Red Top and Orchard grass ; Red, White and Alsike clover; White Elephant potato, Purple Top Swede, Yellow Danver onion, and Winningstadt cabbage. 4. Apples and pears usually fetch 3 cents per ft. 4a. The season's crop of fruit was bad; frosts in May nipped the blossom. 4b. The quality of the fruit was good. 4n. Tomatoes planted here 3 feet apart yield from 10 to 20 fts. per plant. 5. 6, 7. Linseed, sugar beet and rape have not been tried. 880 Report on Agriculture. 1893 8a. Most of the farmers make butter, averaging from 125 to 170 fts. per cow. No cheese is made. 8b. The price obtained for butter is from 25 to 40 cents per ft. 9a. This part would be well suited for wool-raising, if it were not for panthers. 9b. Sheep are not raised to any extent. 9c. The quality of the wool raised is good. 9d. The average weight of fleece is 7 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of live stock. 10b. The best breeds of stock for here are: Durhams for beef, crossed Jerseys and Ayrshires for dairying, Berkshire pigs, and Brown Leghorn poultry. 11a. There is one man here who makes a specialty of poultry. 11b. The average price of eggs is from 25 to 50 cents per dozen. 12. Bees have been tried, but have proved a failure. 13a. Last winter was mild, with little snow or frost. 13b. The spring was wet, and there were frosts as late as the middle of May. 13c. The summer was cold and wet. 13d. The autumn was rather wet, and there was indifferent harvest weather; there were frosts towards the end of September. 14. The green aphis, woolly aphis and borer are the principal pests, and to these alone must be attributed the fact that there is in this section scarcely an apple, pear or cherry tree of bearing age that is thoroughly healthy. I find an application of fish oil to the trunk in May prevents the borer, and the same in the fall destroys the woolly aphis. 15a. Labourers are easily procurable. 15b. White. 15c. The average wages are $25 to $30 per month, with board. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. No ploughing is done in the fall here. 18. This section, as yet, is in a backward state, but there is every appearance of steady improvement. Mr. William T. Grieve, Grantham, says :—Last winter there was not much snow, but lots of rain. The spring was late ; seed-time very wet; summer and autumn wet, and harvest weather very wet. Mr. Joseph Stuart, Oyster Bay, says:—My cattle are of no particular breed, except the bull, which is a graded Jersey. I have noticed a few of my potatoes get black on the stem at the tops and then rot, and in a week or so the potatoes rot also. The onion maggot is a pest, and has destroyed about one-eighth of my onions this year. Sorrel, chickweed, lamb's quarter, and a few thistles, are the principal weeds I have to contend with. Oats and peas are the only grain I have tried, and they have clone well. Potatoes pay better with me than any other root crop, because there is a better demand for them than for other roots. Timothy is the best grass for hay. The following is the report of Mr. A. Urquhart, correspondent for Lower Comox :— 1. Barley, 2,000 fts. per acre. Oats,' 2,500 „ „ $25 to $30 per ton. 2. Hay (timothy), 2 tons n 15 n 3. Potatoes, 5 n n Turnips, 20 n n 3b. Swedes are well suited to this locality. 4a. Last season's fruit crop was poor. 4b. The quality of the fruit was poor. 4d. Very few peaches or tomatoes are grown. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 88i 8a. Dairying is the chief industry here. I milk about 30 cows here every summer, and I make about 5,000 fts. of butter. 8b. The price obtainable for butter is 30 cents per ft. 9a. This part is very well suited for wool-raising. 9b. Sheep are kept by a good many farmers. 9d. The average weight of the fleece here is 3 fts. 10a. People are going in for improved breeds of stock. 10b. The best breeds for here are : Clydesdales for draught, grade Shorthorns for beef, Jerseys for dairying, Southdowns for mutton, and Berkshire pigs. 15a. Good dairy hands are scarce. 15c. The average wages paid is $25 to $30 per month. 16. Ensilage has not been tried. 17. There is very little fall ploughing done. 18. Farm buildings are good in this district. Mr. Walter Harvey, Comox, says :—The noxious weeds are Canada thistles and another variety cf thistle, and a small indigenous sorrel. Last winter there was not much snow, a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was very late. Mr. W. E. Harmston, Comox, says :—Apple trees are liable to the borer, and gooseberries are liable to mildew. Red water is a disease in cattle here. Mr. A. O. Hellan, Comox, says :—The following varieties of grain, roots and grasses are the best for this locality :—Early soft Oregon wheat, Rural New Yorker No. 2 potato, Yellow Danver onion, and Alsike and Red clover. The blossom on early fruit trees will, as a rule, get hurt on frosty nights in spring, so the late varieties are best for here. Leghorns and Houdans are the best fowls. ALBERNI, On the West Coast of Vancouver Island, or rather at the head of Alberni Canal, which debouches into Barclay Sound on the West Coast. Alberni itself being really nearer the East Coast, has about eighty settlers. It is reached by a good waggon road, about fifty-five miles long, from Nanaimo. The road is very level except for about ten miles before reaching Alberni, when it crosses a mountain range and where the gradients are very heavy. By water from Victoria, really the only practicable way of taking produce to market, the distance is about one hundred and thirty-five miles. A very fair road leads from the village of Alberni up the Somas River, on its northern side, into the Beaver Creek district, and another, which crosses the river by a good bridge, leads up its southern side to Sproat Lake. There is some fine open meadow land at the head of the Canal, and a good deal of lightly wooded fern land, but the majority of the country is densely wooded, in parts with a young growth of fir, and in others with maple, cottonwood, and such trees, the latter class of land being near the river bottoms and on the low-lying lands. A paper mill, in the course of construction on the Somas River above Alberni, purposes, I am told, making pulp out of the cottonwood for the manufacture of paper. Oats, peas, potatoes, and hay are the principal products, all of which do well. A good many fruit trees are set out, but they are mostly young; the few which are in bearing, yield well. Sheep, swine, poultry, and dairying are not much attended to. The country, by reason of its wildness and consequent number of predatory animals, is probably not well adapted for the first named three industries, but its adaptability for dairying is unquestionable. It is hard to say anything definite about. its climate. That it is wetter than Nanaimo is certain, but that the precipitation is anything like that of Carmanah (86.88 inches in 1892) I do not believe ; it is probably between the two. The temperature is not excessive either way. The area of land under cultivation is, according to returns received, only 4 per cent., that of woodland or forest 77 per cent., of swamp, marsh or rock 12^ per cent., and of pasture land 6| per cent. The only pests reported are cut-worms, blue jays, oxeye daisy, dock, thistle, and sorrel. 882 Reiort on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. William Leesen, Alberni, says :—My stock are graded Berkshire hogs and common cattle. The noxious weeds are yellow docks, thistles, and ground sorrel. Orchard grass does well in this locality. There was very little snow last winter, and not a great deal of rain ; the winter was warm. The spring was backward, and seed-time fairly favourable. The summer was cool and moist. The autumn very good, and harvest weather fair. The yield of crops was fairly good. Crops were saved in good condition. Mr. Edmund Gill, Alberni, says :—Part of my stock are graded Durhams, and part are graded Jerseys. Red clover does well here. Last winter there was not much snow, a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather. The spring was late ; seed-time not favourable; summer wet and cold ; autumn very wet; harvest weather favourable. There was a slight frost in May. The yield of crops was fair, considering the season. Hay was saved in poor condition. Mr. A. Cameron, Beaver Creek, says :—Last winter there was very little snow, only a slight covering on three different occasions, a great deal of rain, and not much cold weather. Seed-time was not favourable, it rained pretty much till the middle of May. The summer was changeable. The weather was fairly good for harvesting in August. 1 consider that there was a pretty good crop, and that crops were saved in good condition. Mr. Francis H. Stirling, Alberni, says :—My stock are thoroughbred Durhams and graded Durhams and Ayrshires. Timothy, Rye, and Orchard grasses and all clovers do well here. The best breeds of stock for this locality are : Clydesdales, though they have one fault, the hair is too long, in wet weather this is bad ; Ayrshires for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Yellow Leghorns, which are the most profitable for laying, and Italian bees. Mr. F. P. Saunders, Alberni, says :—Cut-worms are insect pests, and oxeye daisies are a noxious weed. The best varieties of cereals, roots, grasses, and fruits for this locality are the following : Two-rowed barley, Surprise oats, and Royal Anne cherries. The cherries are 30 years old and bear a full crop every year. Peas, beans, all kinds of grasses and clovers do well. Any kind of jJotatoes if well manured and taken care of do well. Mangolds and carrots do well on bottom land, and turnips do well when not troubled with bugs. Mr. Henry- Hills, on Somas River, says : There was not much snow last year, a good deal of rain, and not much cold weather ; only two degrees of frost. The spring was very late, and seed-time too wet to be favourable. The summer was very wet; the autumn very good. The weather was good for early harvest. Hay crops were very heavy ; other crops were light. Crops were saved in very good order. VALDEZ ISLAND. On reference to the report on Gabriola, it will be seen that a " Valdez Island" is there included; that is another island of the same name which lies to the south-west of Nanaimo. The one now under consideration is about eighty miles to the northward ; the narrow channel between it and Vancouver Island forming Seymour Narrows, the proposed place of crossing of the British Pacific Railroad to the mainland. There are about twenty-five settlers on this and some of the adjoining islands. Having been unable to visit it, and the returns being very meagre, I am unable to say anything about its capabilities, products, topography and soil. It may be taken for granted that the precipitation is far heavier than that of Nanaimo, and the cold more intense in winter. Mr. G. W. Joyce, Cape Mudge, says :—Thistles here are noxious weeds. The best varieties of cereals and roots for here are : Black Tartar oats, White Elephant and Late Rose potatoes, Long Red Surrey carrots, and Carter's Elephant swede. Any kind of onions do well. Berkshire and White Suffolk pigs crossed are the best. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 883 RUPERT, Comprising all that part at the northern end of the Island, is practically unsettled and the capabilities unknown. About fifteen settlers, possibly more at Alert Bay. Grasses and clovers do well; so do barley, oats are in the country, p , root crops, and sm -incipally all fruits, but I cannot say about large fruits. A great deal of the coun ^ry is mountainous ; Iiere are some large tr acts of level country, but as a rule it is all heavily- wooded. NORTH-WEST COAST AND QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS Have a few settlers, those on the latter mentioned bein g principally engaged in stock- raising, for w hich it is said these islands are well adapted. It will be seen on reference to the meteorologica 1 tables that the precipitati m at Port Simpson is excessive, that on Queen Char- lotte Islands is I imagine less. KAMLOOPS-OKANAGAN INDIAN AGENCY. Through the courtesy of J. W. Mackay, Esq., Indian Agent, I am enabled to give the following data :— Lands— .... 2,399 acres. Yield of Woodland and forest.... .... 104,144 ., crops, grain, etc.— Wheat (spring) 310 tons. Oats 5 ,i 146 ,, Peas 55 ,, Corn 37 .i 45 „ Hay 1,268 ii Roots and Vegetables— 780 ii 20 ,, • Onions 10 „ Beets 15 ,, Cabbages 16 „ 10 i, Numbet of Fruit Trees— Yield of Apples Plums and prunes 201 20 Fruit- Live Stc Plums and prunes 200 fts. 60 i, Small fruits 300 n ck— Horses .... 5,518 Cattle Pigs 1,253 727 884 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Agricultural Machinery and Implements— Waggons 47 Ploughs 189 Harrows 80 Mowers 16 Threshers 1 Horse rakes 16 Seeders 1 Fanning mills 21 Total value $10,050 Buildings and Improvements— Dwelling-houses 585 Barns and stables 262 Other buildings 22 Fencing, miles 112 Irrigation ditches, value . . $10,170. Total value. . $38,306 I regret to say that the rest of the Indian Agents did not send me any reports. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 885 DISEASES AND PESTS. The last year has witnessed a terrible increase in some of the worst of our jiests, notably the aphis, which has invaded the whole of the Province, causing such fearful loss in hops and fruit that one wonders where they all come from and whether, in the event of their not being destroyed by artificial means, they would increase to such an extent as to consume all vegetation. Providentially there is generally some enemy in the shape of a parasite or disease which come to the rescue. This fact, however, should not cause us to relax our efforts to combat them by those means which, thanks to the efforts of entomologists and scientists, are now so well known to be so efficacious in most cases. The insignificance of the appearance of some of the worst enemies of the agriculturist has frequently been the cause of their immunity from instant and uncompromising extermination, resulting sometimes in great loss and years of unremitting labour for their suppression. It therefore behooves everyone to use the utmost vigilance, and when any well-known disease or pest shows itself to instantly resort to those means which may be most available to combat them. Of course not everyone has the necessary scientific knowledge to immediately recognize an enemy or a friend, and it is therefore requested that any strange disease or insect be reported, with, if possible, specimens, to this department and they will be submitted to the best experts available. For the information of those sending specimens of insects, I append the following instructions from Mr. Fletcher, Dominion Entomologist:— Specimens of insect pests should be preserved in a mixture of alcohol and glycerine, or even in pure alcohol, the former being, however, much better. Or, in some cases when it is not necessary to put the specimens in spirits, they may be rolled in paper or cotton and placed in a small tin or wooden box, so that they will not get crushed. Or, if sending live specimens, they can be placed in a tight box with some of the food plant. Air holes in the box are not necessary. Send by mail. The losses inflicted upon a country by these agencies is incalculable, and not in the least recognized by the majority of people. The following extract is from the inaugural address of Mr. James Fletcher, president of the Association of Economic Entomologists, on 17th August, 1891, at Washington, D. C. :— " But I have said the change for the better has even now set in. Already the most highly civilized nations of the world nobly headed by the Government of the most practical and energetic peoples on the face of the globe, the inhabitants of the United States of America, have seen the advantage of appointing specialists who can devise means for the prevention of enormous losses of revenue due to the attacks of injurious insects. Germany, England and her Colonies, notably Canada, and particularly the Province of Ontario, France, Italy, and other nations all have followed the lead, and our favourite science has now changed from a study and amusement of the few to one of the most important branches of practical agriculture, the elements of which must be known to the tillers of the soil or they will surely suffer." (Insect Life, Vol. IV., Aros. 1 and 2, p. 9.) Mr. Fletcher further on points out the enormous losses sustained through injurious insects, in connection with which he says :— " Now we find upon investigation that accurate estimates of damage done by insects are exceedingly difficult to arrive at, and the figures are so large that we are afraid to quote them ourselves, lest it should prevent rather than encourage investigation ; and it has been the custom of entomologists to minimize the estimates for fear they should not be believed." By the foregoing it will be seen how much importance is attached to this most fruitful source of loss to the agriculturist, and to the necessity of some knowledge of the habits and appearance of injurious insects. Scarcely less important is a knowledge of those insects of a predacious and parasitic nature which help to keep down the former by preying upon them. The following is a copy of " The Ontario Agricultural Bulletin, No. LXXXVIL," (1st March, 1893), entitled Remedies for Common Plant and Insect Foes, by J. H. Panton, M.A., Professor of Natural History and Geology, which is of so useful a nature, and so concise, that I reproduce it in full, for general information :— Fungicides. Fungicides may lie defined as chemical compounds or mixtures used for the purpose of destroying such injurious forms of plant life as live upon other plants by absorbing their juices, whereby they affect their vitality. The rusts, smuts, mildews and blights are examples of such parasitic forms of plant life. Among the mo.it common fungicides are the folio u'ing : Bordeaux Mixture. There are various forms of this mixture, the following being most commonly used : (1.) Consists of (ift. of copper snip ate, 4tti. lime and 22 gals, of water. This may be prep ired as follows': Dissolve the capper compound in 16 gals, of water ; slake the lime in 6 g ds. of water, and when the latter is cooled pour it into the copper solution and mix thoroughly. (2.) A modified form is made by taking 4 ft». of copper sulphate, 4 ft), of lime and 50 gals, of water (Green's formula). (3.) Another form is made by taking (i ft), of copper sulphate, 4 lt>. of lime and 50 gals, of water (Weed's formula). These diluted mixtures have been proved to be very successful, and are now commonly used. An advantage is gained by using Bordeaux mixtures, since Paris green may b.; added so as to combine insecticide and fungicide. So far experience indicates the Bordeaux mixture lo lie one of the best fungicides known. Pan Odette. Consists of 2 ft. of copper sulphate, 1 quart of ammonia and 50 gals, of water. Dissolve the copper sulphate in 2 gals, of hot water ; as soon as cool add the 1 quart ammonia and dilute to 50 gals. A modified form has been very successful, viz. : 2 ft), copper sulphate dissolved in 2gals, of water, 2£ ft. of sodium carbonate (washing soda) dissolved in another vessel. Mix these and when chemical action has ceased add 2 quarts of ammonia and dilute to 50 gals. Copper Sulphate. 1 fti. copper sulphate in 25 gals, of water ; spray early upon vines, etc., before leaves appear. Ammoniacal Solution of Copper Carbonate. Dissolve 3 oz. of copper carbonate in 2 quarts of ammonia, and when about to use dilute it to 50 gals. QaMoway's Mixture-No. 5. Equal parls ainmoniated copper sulphate and ammonia carbonate, used at the rate of 8 to 12 ounces in 25 gals, of water. Potassium Sulphide. Consists of 1 oz. potassium sulphide to 2 gals, of water. Insecticides. These are compounds or mixtures used to destroy insects injurious to vegetation. Paris Green. (Arsenite of copper, containing 50-00 per cent, of arsenic.) This is applied dry or in solution. In the dry form it should be mixed with 50 to 100 parts of plaster, wood ashes, flour or air-slacked lime, and dusted upon the affected plants. The form in solution is usually 1 ft), of Paris green to 200 gals, of water, but if the foliage is tender 250 to 300 gals, of water may be used. This is the usual strength applied upon the plum and peach. As the green powder does not dissolve it requires to be kept thoroughly mixed by constant stirring. London Purple. This is an arsenite of lime obtained as a by-product in manufacturing dyes. It is largely used instead of Paris green ; but being more soluble in water it is apt to injure the foliage, and besides, its composition varies considerably, so that when used it is not likely to give as uniform results as Paris green. These arsenites are excellent against all leaf-eating insects. Kerosene Emulsion. This is a mixture of coal oil and water. There are three formulas used to a considerable extent: (1.) Riley-Hubbard Emulsion. Consists of J ft. of hard soap in 1 gal. of water. Boil till dissolved, and then add 2 gals, of coal oil, and mix thoroughly for about five minutes. When properly mixed it will adhere to glass without oiliuess. This can be done by forcing it through the nozzle of a force-pump repeatedly until the mixture appears complete. It will then form a creamy mass which thickens into a jelly-like substance on cooling. In using, dilute with 9 parts of soft water. (2.) Cool's Emulsion (soft soap). Take 1 quart of soft soap and 2 quarts of boiling water, and while hot add 1 pint of coal oil; mix thoroughly as above. In using, dilute with an equal amount of water, either hard or soft. (3.) Cook's Emulsion (hard soap). Take J ft. of hard soap, 2 quarts of hot water and 1 pint of coal oil; thoroughly mix while hot. In using, dilute with twice the amount of either hard or soft water. Emulsions are successful against plant lice and scale insects. • Hellebore. This is the powdered root of a plant (Veratrum album). It may be applied dry, or in solution at the rate of 1 oz. to 3 gals, of water. Pyrethrum. M.ide from the powdered flowers of the genus pyrethrum, a plant of the sunflower family. It should be fresh, and hence ought to be kept in closed vessels. It may be used in dry form, 1 part pyrethrum to 5 or 8 parts of flour, or in liquid form in the proportion of 1 oz. in 3 gals, of water. Carbolic Acid Emulsion. Consists of 1 part carbolic acid to 7 parts of a solution consisting of 1 quart of soft soap or 1 ft. of hard in 2 gals, of water. Tobacco. The refuse from cigar factories is good, either dusted on in the form of a powder, or used as a solution in the proportion of 1ft. in 2 gals, of water. Whale Oil Soap. This may be used in the proportion of 2 oz. of the soap to 1 gal. of water. Alkaline Wash. A strong solution of washing soda mixed with soft soap until about as thick as paint. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 887 Carbolized Plaster. Consists of 1 pint of carbolic acid and 50 ft), of land plaster. Combined Mixtures. By the combination of an insecticide with a fungicide we are able at the same time to cope with injurious insect and plant life. A good example of this can be seen in the application of a combined mixture to potatoes, in which case the beetle may lie destroyed and the blight prevented. While combatting the " spot" of the apple the coddling moth may also be fought if a combined mixture be used. (I.) 4 oz. of Paris green added to Bordeaux mixture (No. 2 or 3) makes an excellent combination. (2.) The following is also recommended : 2 oz. of Paris green and 2 oz. of copper carbonate dissolved in 3 pint-, ammonia, h ft), of lime added to 32 gals, of water, and the whole thoroughly mixed. It is necessary to add the lime, or the foliage will be damaged. Precautions in Spraying. 1. Keep poisons labelled, and out of the way of children. 2. Do not spray so far into the season as to affect the fruit. 3. In making emulsions, remember the inflammable nature of coal oil. 4. Never spray trees in bloom. 5. Try solutions on a small scale if likely to injure foliage, and watch results. 6. Be careful and thorough in your work. Careful analyses show that there is no ground for alarm regarding the effect of spraying fruit trees with Paris green. The foregoing mixtures are usually applied by spraying machines, which can he procured through any responsible seedsman. As copper compounds act upon tin and iron, it is well to prepare such mixtures in earthen, wooden or brass vessels. The Bordeaux mixture is rather dirty to work with, and inclined to clog the jet. Nevertheless it is about as effectual a fungicide as has yet been discovered. If used too long in the season it is apt to affect the appearance of the fruit. This can, however, be washed off with a dilute solution of vinegar. Cost of the Mixtures. A fair idea of the cost of the various mixtures may be had upon an examination of the following price list of substances used in the different formulas : Ammonia, 25c. pel ft. Pyrethrum, 40c. per ft. Copper carbonate, 60c. per lb. Copper sulphate, 12c. per lb. Paris green, 30c. ,, Hellebore, 25c. ,, London purple, 15c. ,, Sodium carbonate, 5c. ,, Remedies fob Certain Injurious Fungi. 1. Apple Spot. (I.) Spray with Bordeaux mixture No. 2, making first application in spring before the blossoms open. Spray again as soon as the fruit is well formed. Now add 3 oz. of Paris green to the barrel and make three applications at intervals of two weeks. These last applications will destroy insects as well as the spores of the " spot " fungus. (2.) Copper carbonate ammoniacal solution referred to and Eau Celeste are also good remedies. With these the first application should bo made previous to blossoming, the second when the fruit is about the size of peas, and the third two or three weeks later. 2. Brown Pot of plum, cherry, and peach. Use the Bordeaux mixture in the same way as for apple "spot." Burn all affected fruit and leaves in tlie fall. If " rot " should set in make one or two sprayings with copper carbonate solution. 3. Pear Leaf Blight, which appears on both leaves and fruit, giving the leaves a spotted appearance and causing the fruit to crack. (1.) Spray with ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate as soon as the leaves begin to open, and repeat two or three times at intervals of two weeks. (2.) Use Bordeaux mixture as for apple "spot." 4. Strawberry Leaf Blight. Spray during July and August every two weeks with the following solution: 4 oz. of copper carbonate and two quartz of ammonia in a barrel of water. 5. Gooseberry Mildew. Spray with 1 oz. of potassium sulphide in two gallons of water. Begin as soon as the leaves are opening, and repeat about every three weeks. 6. Grape. Black Rot. Spray with ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate of Bordeaux mixture (No. 2 or 3) six times, every two weeks, commencing early in May. If the last two sprayings are with the copper carbonate the fruit will not be disfigured. 7. Grape Down Mildew. Spray with Eau Celeste about ten days before blossom ; give another application as soon as the berries are set, and a third about three weeks later. 8. Raspberry Cane Rust. Spray with Bordeaux mixture (No. 2) before the leaves appear and two or three times after ; but not after the blossoms open. 9. Potato Blight. Apply Bordeaux mixture (No. 2) three or four times, administering the first when the plants are about six inches high. If \ ft. of Paris green be added to the mixture beetles, may also be destroyed as soon as they appear. 10. Smut. (1.) Immersing seed in hot water of 135° Fahr. for five minutes will destroy the spores of smut. 5° above or below that point will fail. (2.) Put 1 Th. of copper sulphate in 20 gallons of water and allow the seed to remain in this for about 15 hours ; then put the seed for 10 minutes in lime water made by slaking the lime in ten times its weight of water. Remedies for some Common Injurious Insects. 1. All Leaf-eating insects, such as canker-worms, tent caterpillars, grape flea beetle, Tussock moth, fall web-worm, etc., are readily destroyed by spraying with Paris green, lib. to 200 gallons of water. 888 Report on Agriculture. 1893 2. Borers of the apple tree trunk and peach can be overcome by applying late in May or early in June to the trunks and large branches the following solution : 1 quart of soft soap, or 1 ft. of hard soap, in 2 gallons of water ; heat to boiling point and add 1 pint of crude carbolic acid. It is well to scrape off the rough bark first, and then rub the mixture well on. 3. Bark Lice. Scrape off the bark during the winter and early spring, and rub on a solution made by adding one part of crude carbolic acid to 7 parts of a solution of soft soap 1 quart, or hard soap \ ft., in 2 quarts of boiling water. As soon as the young lice are hatched and begin to move (about June) spray the tree witb a kerosene emulsion. 4. Codling Moth, or apple-worm. As soon as the petals have fallen, spray with a solution of 1 ft. of Paris green in 200 gallons of water ; ten days later give a second application, and, if necessary, a third spraying may be given later on. 5. Plum Curculio. Spray with 3 oz. of Paris green to 50 gallons of water as soon as the blossoms have fallen, and give two more applications at intervals of about ten days. Jarring the trees and collecting the insects as they fall upon sheets is also much followed. 6. Bud Moth. This insect destroys the flower bud of plums, pears, and apples. Spray with ordinary Pat is green mixture when the buds begin to swell, and again in about ten days, that is, before the blossoms open. Kerosene emulsion is also recommended. 7. Pear and Cherry Tree Slug. Spray with either Paris green, hellebore, or pyrethrum. Paris green in the proportion of 1 ft. to'250 gallons of water may be used for both broods if the trees are not bearing ; otherwise use the Paris green for the second and either of the other remedies for the first brood. 8. Potato Beetle. Spray the vines with Paris green, using 6 oz. to 50 gallons of water. 9. Squash Buff. The young ones can be destroyed with kerosene emulsion ; but those matured require to be hand-picked or caught under pieces of board placed among the plants where the bugs collect at night. 10. Cucumber Beetle. Cover the plants with netting so as to keep the beetles off. 11. Plant Lice. Use kerosene emulsion. 12. Pea Weevil. (1.) Sow unaffected peas. (2.) Heat affected peas, as soon as gathered for 1 hour at a temperature of 145°. (3.) Immerse affected seed peas, in hot water, adding almost at once cold water, and leave for 24 hours. 13. Strawberry Slug. Spray the first brood with pyrethrum and the second with Paris green. 14. Currant Worm. Spray with hellebore 1 oz. to 3 gallons of water. 15. Onion, and Cabbage Maggots. Use kerosene emulsion, and apply it in the vicinity of the plants. Carbolic emulsion has been very successful against the "radish maggot." 16. Turnip Flea Beetle. Dust upon the attacked plants while the dew is still on them 1 part of Paris green and 50 parts of land plaster. Tobacco dust is also effectual. 17. Ground Cut-worms, etc. (1) Surround the stem of the plant with heavy paper. (2) Sprinkle Paris green upon small bunches of fresh clover, and then scatter them about where the worms are working. They will serve as baits and poison many of the worms. 18. Common Cabbage Worm. Spray with a solution of 1 oz. of pyrethrum in 4 gallons of water. Kerosene emulsion may also be used on young plants. In order to make this bulletin as concise and simple as possible, many remedies have been omitted, and only the most successful noted. No description has been given, and only the common names of injurious plants and insects referred to have been used, as being sufficient for practical purposes. If further information is required it will be readily given on application to the writer. In conformity to the "Horticultural Board Act, 1892," a Board was appointed, with Mr. E. Hutcherson as Inspector of fruit Pests, who was, as will be seen by the accompanying letter, directed to proceed with his duties, and whose report here follows :— Victoria, B. C, 24th June, 1892. The Hon. J. II. Turner, Minister of Agriculture, Victoria, B. G. Dear Sir,—At a meeting of the Provincial Board of Horticulture held in Victoria this day, the following resolution was passed :— " That instructions be given at once to the Inspector of Fruit Pests to proceed with the execution of his duties, and that the Secretary notify him accordingly, and that a copy of this resolution be submitted to the Minister of Agriculture." It was also resolved upon—" That the scale of charges for spraying trees and eradicating insect pests by the Inspector be for the present %5 per day, in addition to the cost of the chemicals used." It was further resolved—"That this Board respectfully request the Government to cause to be printed a sufficient number of copies of the Act known as ' An Act to create a Provincial Board of Horticulture,'for distribution through the post amongst the fruit-growers and farmers; and that placards be printed, and posted on all the court-houses and post offices in the Province, notifying the public of the aforesaid Act, and that the Inspector of Fruit Pests has commenced his duties." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 889 It was resolved also—" That the Secretary notify the Inspector to apply to the Minister of Agriculture for a field spraying pump, with San Jose nozzle, and the necessary set of chemicals; and that a copy of this resolution be submitted to the Minister of Agriculture." In accordance with the above-mentioned resolution relating to the Inspector, I have notified him to commence his duties forthwith If you consider it necessary for the Lieutenant- Governor in Council to notify the Inspector to commence his work, will you kindly give him the necessary instructions. I remain, etc., (Signed) Henry Croft, Secretary, pro tern., for the Provincial Board of Horticulture. REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF FRUIT PESTS. Ladner's, February 10th, 1893. The Hon. J. H. Turner, Minister of Agriculture, Victoria. Sir,—I have the honour to submit, for your approval, an abbreviated account of my visits to the various Horticultural Districts of the Province, since June, 1892. I have, etc., (Signed) E. Hutcherson, Inspector of Fmtit Pests. It has been my endeavour to get a general impression of the condition of our orchards all over the Province, as far as the limited time at my disposal would allow. In my resume of each district, I have drawn attention to the existence of insect pests, as well as such points as may prove of interest. It has also been my object to become better acquainted with the fruit-growers of the Province, and to bring under the notice of all interested in this important industry the existence of insect pests, and the adoption of the best known methods in use for their extermination. The work of subjugation has been retarded greatly by the need of enlightenment on the part of the growers regarding fruit pests. The work of educating the fruit-growers in a knowledge of these important matters, thus creating that public sentiment which is essential to the enforcement of the law, is, to a great extent, in the hands of the Horticultural Board and the Fruit-Growers' Association of the Province. Fruit-growers and nursery men, with but few exceptions, have given me a hearty welcome, and I trust that my suggestions, based upon practical experience of many years, may prove of value to our people. From my observations I feel confident that fruit-growers need not feel despondent concerning the subjugation of the various insect pests. Although by no means have we perfect remedies, yet we have made great progress in our knowledge of them during the past few years, and in many instances may defy the insect wholly. In a subsequent report I shall deal with the most important insect and fungus pests, giving such information for their extermination as experience has taught us during the last year. 890 Report ox Agriculture. • 1893 First District, Comprising the Electoral Districts of Victoria, Victoria City, Esquimalt, Cowichan, and the Islands. Some of the oldest orchards in the Province exist in this district. My visit here was made early in the season, and my acquaintance with the section is not as thorough as I should have wished. A good many comparatively rare trees have been planted here, and are now showing their adaption to the climate. Among them are the Japanese plums, Medlar pears, nectarines, &c.; also all kinds of nut trees, such as Filberts, Spanish, and American sweet chestnuts, hard and soft shelled almonds, English and Japanese walnuts. The condition of orchards in and around Victoria is very bad. The woolly aphis (Schi- zoneura lanigera) is present to an extraordinary degree, and in every orchard and nursery that I visited I found them all infested more or less with this pest. It is the most destructive insect we have to contend with, and too long has the adoption of vigourous measures been neglected for their extirpation. Green aphis or the apple tree aphis (Aphis Mali) is common all over the Province, and it was particularly bad in this district this season, many of the trees being completely covered with the smut and debris caused by it, rendering the surroundings disgusting to both sight and smell. No system of fighting them has been attempted, although individual owners have tried their best. Orchards inspected this winter, that were badly affected during the summer with green aphis, were found to be entirely free from eggs. It may have been from some climatic cause, or that insect enemies such as larva of the golden-eyed flies and of the lady bug, the Syrphida, flies, and other friendly helpers in the good work, have increased in such numbers as to completely eradicate this pest. The black spot or fungus (Fusicladium dentriticum) has injured the pear and apple crop to a great extent, the damp, cold spring and comparatively cool summer being favourable to the growth of this disease. This fungus is sometimes called the Winter Nelis blight. Tt attacks the tree as well as the fruit. I found this disease very general throughout the first three, districts. It does not affect all varieties in the same manner. In some of the trees attacked, the bloom does not set; in others, again, the fruit grows to quite a size before showing any sign, and some kinds are entirely free from it. Those varieties mostly affected in apples are the Winter Pearmain, Snow Apple, Early Harvest, and Northern Spy ; those least affected, the Gravenstein, Wealthy, Yellow Bellflower, and Alexander, while the Yellow Transparent, Baldwin, and Golden Russet are almost altogether free. In pears, the Winter Nelis, Fall, Butter, and Flemish Beauty are most subject to it, and the Louise Bonne de Jersey, Bartlett, and Beurre d'Anjou were almost exempt. The codlin moth (Carpocapsa pomonella) is beginning to show itself throughout this district, but was not general this season. It is to be hoped that active measures will be resorted to to prevent it spreading to other districts. There also was found the round-headed apple tree borer (Saperda Candida), the flat-headed tipple tree borer (Chrysobothris femorata), the apple tree tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa Americana), the forest tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa sylvatica), the gooseberry midge (Cecidomyia grossularice), the currant fly (Epochra Canadensis). Later in the season, on visiting Victoria, I found the plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) had attacked the plums in some instances, but at that late season of the year it was impossible to get specimens of the insect. We are liable at all times to have accessions to our already too long list of pests brought into the Province from abroad, as apricots from California were put upon our market this season with living San Jose scale. The people here are just beginning to see the necessity for action. Those who have done thorough work have succeeded in checking the spread of pests through their orchards. It is evident that unless active co-operation exists, especially in thickly settled localities, certain insects will always remain a standing menace, and the diligent work of the enterprising will be thwarted in a great measure. To remove this evil, some organization is necessary in one form or another. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 891 Second District, Comprising the remaining Electoral Districts of Vancouver Island. Along the line of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway many fine young orchards are to be met with. The fruit interest of this part is undeveloped and in its early infancy, while the supply of choice fruit lands is almost inexhaustible. Apples, pears, plums, cherries, and prunes should be the staple production of the soil in this part of the Province, and by united, determined and persevering efforts resist the encroachment of insect pests. Nanaimo. A good many young orchards have been set out in this section, and with them, some of the insect pests have been disseminated, as the woolly aphis, green aphis, and black aphis. But few persons have waged war against their ravages in a thorough manner. I also found the black spot, or fungus, very bad, particularly on old trees of both apples and pears. Most of the young orchards were discovered to be in a clean and healthy state. Cedar District. In company with J. Davis, gardener for S. M. Robins, Nanaimo, I visited this division, which contains many old as well as young orchards. There I saw the Medlar in perfection, grown by E. Michael. With the exception of green aphis and moss, the orchards were in a healthy thriving condition. Third District, Comprising all Westminster Electoral District south of the Fraser River. Delta. The Delta boasts of many things, among others the largest Bartlett pear orchard, and the largest prune orchard that there is in the Province, and, if they do not, they should boast of their success in exterminating fruit pests, as this section to-day stands the peer of any in the Province in this respect. All honour to those who through persevering efforts saved to their families a valuable income, and to the Province one of its most promising sources of wealth. For years the crab-apple belts have been the home of vast armies of caterpillars. They multiplied in such numbers that in 1888, 1889, and 1890 they completely destroyed every vestage of leaf on many belts of timber. Having done this, they descended upon the orchards in millions. Then the fight began. Some fought them by digging ditches and filling them with water, or by the use of tar and other sticky substances to arrest their progress ; some by the liberal use of Paris green and London purple, while others used tins, strips of deer-skin and sheep-skin, hair side out, fastened around the trunks of the trees to prevent the ascent of the caterpillars. Some struck at the root of the nuisance and destroyed their crab-apple belts. Other belts have never recovered from the effect. The task has become less and less each year, for slowly but surely our native birds have come to our aid, and he who kills a bird kills a friend in my estimation, a fact that should be recognized by every farmer and fruit-grower. Other parasites have developed from time to time, until to-day the caterpillars in this section are a thing of the past. W. J. Henry, of Vancouver, brought forward this matter at a meeting of the Fruit Growers' Association held at Vancouver on January 26th and 27th, 1893, in the following words : "In regard to insect pests, what are you going to do about destroying the apple tree worm, or tent caterpillars, which infests the wild crab-apple, which are literally covered with these pests, on Sea and Lulu Islands, so much so as to clean the foliage entirely off the trees?" Green aphis made its appearance in this locality in 1889, but by the use of coal oil emulsion and tobacco water this pest is one of the past. The pear tree slug showed itself here this season. Some trees were badly infested. The foliage, being deprived of its substance by this pest, became a dark brown, as if scorched by fire, and soon afterwards fell from the trees. Paris green, London purple, and white hellebore were tried, each destroying the insects successfully. 89*2 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Surrey. Many large orchards are being planted here, the'greater part of Surrey Municipality being specially adapted to fruit-raising. No insect diseases of any kind have made any serious inroads, still the woolly aphis, green aphis, and borer exist in sufficient quantities to very soon infest a large area unless subdued. Considerable exertions have been made to prevent their spread, and it is to be hoped that it will be accomplished. I visited the large orchard of Dr. I. W. Powell, situated at Hall's Prairie, now a close competitor of the Aberdeen estate as to extent of acreage. I found the young trees in a healthy vigorous condition, green aphis being the only pest noticeable, Langley, Aldergrove, and Mt. Lehman. Having accepted the hospitality of D H. Nelson, in company with him I visited some of the principal orchards of these sections, the chief one being that of John L. Broe, of Shortreed. There we found seven acres of orchard, filled in 'between the rows with small fruits, mostly Black-cap raspberries and Black currants, the fruit of which is devoted to the making of wine. Mr. Broe is also interested in hops, having a yard of thirteen acres. The importance of spraying hops has been settled in a quiet way by Mr. Broe in the purchase of a double-acting force pump with four nozzles, taking four rows at a time. It does effective work on three acres per day, requiring seven men to operate it. In other parts of these districts I found the woolly aphis has been scattered to a great extent, while the green aphis was general. My attention was called to both the round-headed and flat-headed borers. These sections have a great future in store in respect to horticulture. Immense numbers of trees are being planted throughout the municipalities, and so far most of the trees are doing well wherever the soil is sufficiently drained. The peach in particular reaches fine size and flavour. Sumas, Chilliwhack and Popcum. At these places we find some of the oldest as well as most interesting orchards, embracing as they do all the fruits of the temperate zone, and especially are there many apple orchards, the trees being large and old. More than one person has proved here, as elsewhere, that the old orchards can be kept clean and made profitable. Quite a number of the old trees are of inferior varieties and are liable on that account to be neglected and become the homes for insect pests instead of being cut back and re-grafted with valuable sorts, thereby becoming a source of revenue to their owners. As yet no co-operation between growers has been effected, but I trust the coming season will witness a step in the right direction Owing to the close proximity of orchard to orchard, the owners, without this co-operation, will not succeed in keeping clean orchards. In no part of the Province is fruit-growing carried on to a greater extent than in the above-named places, and to the casual observer it would appear that they were almost free of pests. They exist in a certain degree, and little or nothing is being done to prevent their spread. In the yard of the Rev. Mr. Allan I found the fall web-worm (hyphantria textor) for the first time in my experience in this Province. The codlin moth has appeared in several parts. The plum curculio has plainly shown its work this last season, and I expect it will be general throughout Westminster District this year. The green aphis was not so destructive here as in other sections, while they seemed to be exempt from the woolly aphis. The black knot of the plum and cherry trees was discovered on prune trees in the grounds of Knight Bros., Popcum, which had been imported from the east. It may be expected that other trees in this section from the same shipment will develop the disease, and I would urge upon the people the necessity of vigilance in this matter. Black spot or fungus has done a great deal of damage to the apples and pears, with the result of poor crops. It is probably the greatest enemy they have to contend with. Two ounces of carbonate of copper to twenty-five gallons of water will furnish a solution, and three sprayings at different periods will save at least eighty per cent, of the fruit. Fourth District, Comprising all of Westminster District north of the Fraser River, the Electoral District of New Westminster and Vancouver cities, and the Electoral District of Cassiar. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 893 Vancouver. This flourishing section is not as yet largely devoted to fruit culture, though many orchards are being set out, yet the majority of them are too young to be annoyed with a very great number of pests, although the woolly and the green aphis are very troublesome. W. J. Henry, of Vancouver, brought to the notice of the Fruit Growers' Society, at their last meeting, a new pest in this Province. The following note accompanied the insects : " The cuttings handed you, infested with the white grub or currant borer, were cut from black Naples and Moor's Ruby currants, which were on my place when I bought it, and which are claimed to have been brought out from the Fonthill Nurseries, Ont. At present about one-tenth of all new wood is affected, including cherry and Versailles currants, also gooseberries. I find from one to three grubs in each stalk, and the only remedy I can find is to cut them off and burn the wood. Do any of the_ members know of any remedy or preventative 1" This is what is known as the imported currant borer (JEgeria tipuliformis). It is a very destructive pest on the currant, and no means have yet been devised to destroy it except the one mentioned by Mr. Henry, and also the trapping of the moth. Lulu and Sea Islands. Trees in these parts were in a fair condition, though some of the older orchards were in a neglected condition, and considerably overgrown with moss. I would recommend a liberal use of concentrated lye wash. The apple tree tent caterpillar and forest tent caterpillar are here in vast numbers, and practical experience will be required to prevent their encroachment on the orchards. New Westminster City. The woolly aphis is found in nearly all the old orchards of this city, a fact which most of the owners were not aware of until their attention had been specially attracted to it. The most difficult part of the work of eradicating insects does not lie with the large orchards, but with the small ones where the owners are not dependent on the crop for their living, and care not whether the trees are in a thrifty condition or eking out a miserable existence covered with insects that are using them as brooding nests, whence they swarm out to infest larger and more thriving orchards. Since writing the above, I have made other visits to this section, and was glad to notice a great improvement. Young orchards were, as a rule, in a healthy growing condition, noticeably those of Geo. Mead and Thos. Cunningham. Port Moody. On the north side of the inlet there are situated several orchards, the most extensive being that of N. Butchart, who has brought under my notice the presence in that section of the peach tree borer (JEgeria exitiosa), which he says is doing much damage to his trees. Hammond, Haney, Wharnock, and Mission. The fruit industry is the leading one in these parts, large quantities of large and small fruit being shipped each season over the C. P. R. to the mountains and North-West as far east as Winnipeg. The business being in the hands of active and intelligent horticulturists, knowing that if my services were required I would be called upon, I did not give these places a thorough inspection. The old trees are in a fair state of preservation, but their tendency to overbear is very great, while the young orchards, in most cases, show the effect of careful and judicious management. Pear tree slug and green aphis are the most obnoxious pests, while the tent caterpillars were complained of in some parts. Curled leaf on the peach has been destructive, the yield, from that cause, being almost a failure. Harrison River. While here I visited the young orchard of A. W. Ross, M.P. for Lisgar, which is under the management of T. Wilson. It comprises sixty acres, and of great variety of soil and fruits. This orchard is favoured by being isolated. The trees were in a healthy vigourous condition, green aphis being the only pest noticeable. 894 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Agassiz. In this district I visited principally the Dominion Experimental Farm. This orchard, with its large variety of fruit trees gathered from all parts of the world, it might reasonably be expected that its manager, T. A. Sharpe, would have some experience with insect pests. The plum aphis attacked the plum trees severely, and to prevent further damage tobacco water was used, the work being most thoroughly done. No insects could be found. Other places, not so wisely managed, showed their presence in a great measure. Fifth District, Comprising all the rest of the Mainland of British Columbia. For the want of time it was impossible for me to call at Yale, or on a short stay to visit all the valleys of Yale District, so it was thought best to call at what might be considered a representative section. I regret exceedingly that Nicola Valley had to be omitted. Lytton. In this section the orchards of any extent are few. The largest one, that of Thos. G. Earl, embraces apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes, with small fruits of all kinds. Grapes grow to perfection here, while tomatoes and water-melons are staple crops. Fruits of all kinds are of excellent quality, and their culture has become a profitable industry, quite large shipments of fruit being made from this place, principally to points along the C. P. R. and east of the mountains. Mr. Earl has procured a No. 2 Bean Spray Pump with which to do battle with the green aphis, the only insect as' yet that he has been troubled with, and which, on account of the isolation of the orchard, will be a comparatively easy matter. The orchard of Thos. Seward was also visited. The young apple orchard, though looking strong and healthy, was badly infested with green aphis. The Bartlett pears were magnificent, and the crop was enormous. The large melon and tomato patch showed clearly that Mr. Seward kept abreast of the times. Spence's Bridge. I inspected the orchards of A. Clemes, John Murray, and R. Curnow. The fruit was an excellent crop, bright and clean, admirably adapted for shipping purposes, being entirely free from fungus. Kamloops and Salmon Arm. I regret that I was compelled to pass the interesting orchard of Chas. Pennie. Orchards in this section are few and far between. Some of the largest I did not have an opportunity of visiting, but from observations made I find the green aphis prevails all over these parts, doing a vast amount of harm. Spallumcheen. The orchards of Geo. Paten, G. J. Wallace, and J. Thompson were found almost free of pests. Orchards in this district require special care and attention, with constant cultivation, thorough and often, to mature the later varieties of apples. Vernon and Coldstream. The orchard of Luc Girouard, the orchard of these parts, was, with the exception of green aphis, in a healthy, clean condition. Large orchards were planted here last spring, and many are preparing to plant this coming season. Okanagan Mission. An immense number of young fruit trees have been planted throughout the valley, and, so far, most of them have done well, although in some places, owing to the want of irrigation, a number have been killed. My stay in this fertile section was also shorter than I wished, and my visits were confined to the Mission merely, and to the lands in the immediate vicinity of Kelowna, including the Aberdeen estate, which was in a high state of cultivation. The round and flat-headed borers being very destructive on the young apple trees; otherwise, this 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 895 large orchard is almost exempt from pests so far. In company with Foreman Conklin, I visited several orchards in the immediate vicinity of the Aberdeen estate, and must add two more pests to our already too long list of destructive insects in this Province. Scurfy bark- louse (Chionaspis fnrfurus) were found in the orchard of A. B. Knox in such quantities as to kill the trees. In the orchard of James Crozier was found the work of the tree cricket (JEcanthus uricus), an insect that is more destructive on raspberries and blackberries than on larger fruits. In this case they were working on the smaller branches of the apples and plums. Borers, both the round and the flat-headed, are common. I would advise the use of the soap solution in the months of May and June. In the drier air here the black spot, or fungus, does not thrive as in the moist atmosphere of the coast. All the way from Lytton to Okanagan Mission I met with small plantations of grape-vines, which when planted on the higher and warmer knolls, with good attention paid them, make a fine growth. Where water is plentiful, the growth compares favourably with that of any part of the Province. The fruit is bright and clear, of large size and excellent quality, ripening early in September. The only clanger to vines is from frost. If they are protected the first two seasons and the warmer slopes selected, they may be considered safe. Such sites require, however, considerable local experience. Hop-plant Louse (Phorodon Humuli). During the latter part of June and the beginning of July I inspected the following hop- yards :—Those of J. L. Broe, Shortreed; T. Dunvill, Chilliwhack; R. Garner, Nicomin; and the yards of Messrs. Greene, Sich and Hamersly, of Agassiz, and in each case I found that the louse existed in a more or less degree. I called the attention of those in charge to it, giving information regarding the rapidity with which it multiplies. No arrangements had been made with respect to spraying, with the exception of Mr. Broe, who has done thorough work. During the months of August and September I spent several days in these sections, for the purpose of studying it and to find how serious the louse really was. I found it had increased to an alarming extent, doing very great damage to the hops. The growers, now fully awake to the necessity of spraying, had provided pumps and were doing what they could to stop the ravages of the insect, with but little success, as at this late season the louse had gone into the hop, where the spray could not reach it. The hop-yard of the Earl of Aberdeen was visited in September. At that time the louse was just making its appearance, being too late to do any material damage. Exhibitions Attended. I visited the following places during the time of their fall fairs, acting as judge in many cases, and giving such information regarding insect pests, what to plant in the way of fruit trees, and naming varieties of fruit, as it lay in my power :— Chilliwhack Exhibition, at Chilliwhack. Delta ii Ladner's. Industrial n New Westminster. British Columbia n Victoria. Inland n Kamloops. Spallumcheen and Okanagan u Vernon. Cedar District u Cedar District. Experimental Work. My duties as Collector of Exhibits for Chicago has prevented me giving this matter the attention it requires. The testing of Bordeaux mixtures on apples and pears for fungus has been satisfactory. I also experimented with Paris green, London purple and hellebore for killing the pear slug. These were also satisfactory. Arrangements have been made for the testing of different varieties of fruit in various parts of the Province, a piece of ground having been set apart here for the propagation of the same. Scions of several varieties of seedling apples, pears and peaches have been secured, while, through the kindness of T. A. Sharpe of the Experimental Farm at Agassiz, a great many scions of Russian and other new and hardy kinds have been placed at my disposal for that purpose. It is proposed to act in unison with stations at different points, viz.: Ladner's would show the coast climate; Thos. G. Earl, Lytton, the dry; while the Experimental Farm, Agassiz, the medium, showing the comparative value of the fruit for the different sections. 896 Report on Agriculture. 1893 REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. The following is the report of Mr. F. S. Roper, Inspector of Animals, " Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1891:"— Victoria, B.C., llth January, 1893. To the Hon. J. 11. Turner, Minister of Agriculture, Victoria : Sir,—I have the honour to submit the following report of my proceedings in connection with the inspection of animals under the " Contagious Diseases Act" from the date of my appointment until the 31st December, 1892, embracing as it does a period of thirteen months. Shortly after entering upon my duties the first case requiring my attention was that of a bay mare belonging to Mr. Henry Butler, Victoria, which was said to be suffering from acute glanders. Having made a thorough examination, in conjunction with a veterinary surgeon, I had no doubt that it was affected with that disease, and therefore I caused it to be immediately destroyed, ordering at the same time the quarantining of a gelding that had been stabled with the mare in question. At a subsequent visit I found that this animal was suffering also from the same disease. Having instructed the owner to destroy the animal, and upon his refusal to carry out my instructions, I was compelled to take the case into court, and after several adjournments the Magistrate decided that the owner should have three days allowed him for destruction of the animal. This not having been done within the prescribed time I was given possession of the horse, which I caused to be immediately destroyed Having received information on the Ith of January, 1892, that several diseased animals belonging to Mr. Carter, at St. George's Inn, Esquimalt Road, had been killed and sold in Victoria I proceeded to his premises and found eleven swine suffering from hog cholera. Upon informing Mr. Carter of the fact he gave permission to have the animals destroyed, which was accordingly done. On the following day I inspected the premises of Mr. John Parker, on Craigflower Road, and those of Mr. R. Porter, on Burnside Road, when I discovered that some of their hogs were affected with disease, but as there was a difference of opinion among the veterinary surgeons who were called in to report as to the nature of the disease the animals were not destroyed. A visit was paid to the ranch of Mr. Robert Lewtas, at Ross Bay, when 1 ascertained that a number of his hogs were suffering from disease. I at once ordered Mr. Lewtas to separate the sound hogs from the diseased, and the placing of the former in strict quarantine. Although convinced that my diagnosis was correct, still with a view to avoid any possibility of contention I requested Surgeon Tolmie to accompany me to the ranch. We made two postmortem examinations and found that the animals had died from cholera. I made several subsequent visits, and on finding that, notwithstanding all precautions taken, a large number were affected I caused the destruction of twenty-one hogs. The total loss to Mr. Lewtas from disease was forty-three hogs. Early in March I proceeded to Vancouver and visited several stables, but did not find any cases of horses suffering from glanders. Hearing of a suspicious case on Sea Island I visited the place on several occasions, but was unable to trace the horse for some time. At last, however, I found the Indian who owned the animal which, on inspection, was discovered to be affected with glanders. The horse was shot and its carcass destroyed by fire. During the same month I visited several ranches, but the only one in which there was disease was in that of Mr. Bowman's, where I found two hogs suffering from cholera. I ordered the destruction of same. During the month of April I visited Vancouver, New Westminster, Chilliwhack, Sumas, and Carter's Lake. Upon making enquiries at different ranches in New Westminster District I ascertained that a considerable number of hogs (in all 290) had been carried off by hog cholera. At Ah Poie's ranch I caused the destruction of four hogs, and gave orders for the quarantining of seventeen others. 56 Viot. Report on Agriculture. 897 In the months of May and June I made several visits to the farms in the neighbourhood of Victoria City, but more particularly to those in the Lake and Saanich Districts. In Burnside Road I found at a Chinaman's ranch (Kee Yeune's) that his hogs were suffering from cholera, On my return next day I learnt that two of the hogs referred to had died. After making a post-mortem examination I had not the slightest doubt that they had died of cholera. I then caused the destruction of five others belonging to the same Chinaman. Next day I visited Tan's ranch in Glandford Avenue, and finding four of his hogs affected with cholera caused them to be destroyed and buried. In the Saanich District I was pleased to find that the animals of the different farmers had escaped contagion. The only exception was that of a horse belonging to an Indian which appeared to be affected, but upon examination I came to the conclusion that it was suffering from nasal gleet, not contagious. I made my usual visit in Victoria District during the month of July, but the only case where it was necessary for me to exercise my authority was that of Hong Chop, of Edmond Road, whose hogs were suffering from cholera. I ordered the destruction of four and the placing of fifteen others in quarantine for twenty days. On my next visit a week later I caused the destruction of five hogs. Early in August I again visited Hong Chop's ranch, and finding the suspected animals free from disease ordered them to be released from quarantine. Learning that a horse belonging to Mr. H. Lapierre was suffering from what seemed to be an infectious disease, I visited the animal and found that it was affected with mange, for the treatment of which I gave the necessary instructions. After visiting the different ranches belonging to Indians in Saanich District early in September and finding no disease, I proceeded to James Island, where I saw a colt belonging to Mr. R. H. Jameson suffering from glanders. There was no course left to me but to order its destruction and burial. I also discovered a horse, the property of Ah See, similarly affected, which had to be disposed of in like manner. After my return I was called upon to proceed to Beecher Bay for the purpose of examining a horse belonging to Ah Suie, and as it was an unmistakable case of glanders I ordered the destruction of the animal. During the month of November I paid several visits to places where it was said disease had appeared among cattle, causing in some instances their death. On making a post-mortem examination I found that death had resulted from an attack of malignant catarrh, not usually contagious. I had no cases of disease during the month of December to report, although I made a strict examination of the various ranches in and around the City of Victoria. To this report I now append a short description of glanders and hog cholera, which I trust may be of some practical advantage to those who are interested in the study of these diseases. Glanders. This seems to be primarily a disease of the lymphatic and nasal glands, and confined to them ; but upon this my opinion is that all the air passages are affected, and that it is a kind of phthisic, or incipient pulmonary disorder, and that whether the ulcers appear on the membranes of the nose prior or subsequent to the formation of tubercles in the lungs does not invalidate the proposition that the earliest external manifestations are but the effects of pulmonary derangement. The most tenable conclusion, however, is plainly this : Inflammation of the membrane of the nose, and confined to that membrane, at last results in ulceration; that the matter discharged from these is poisonous and acts upon the glands by means of the absorbents with which it comes in contact, and is also inhaled into the lungs with the air as it passes through the nasal cavities, till at length both the circulatory and respiratory systems are generally diseased. Whence this poison is derived is not at all clearly defined. The disease is both spontaneous (bred in the horse) and contagious, but it is doubtless due far more frequently to predisposing causes than to contagion, and it will become a prevalent disease where neglect, filth, and foul atmosphere exist. I may add that poisonous inhalations, acting upon the delicate and easily irritated membrane of the nose, produce that incipient ulceration from which the subsequent general poisoning proceeds. In close stalls the carbonic acid given off from the lungs (which gas is of a deadly poisonous character) passes again and again into the lungs, mixed with other impurities of the stall itself ; this, acting perhaps more readily upon the nasal membrane than upon the other linings of the air 898 Report on Agriculture. 1893 passages, produces inflammation. This inflammation may long exist, and be unsuspected by the ordinary observer, till some intense action is set up, when ulceration takes place It will be produced by anything that injures and weakens the vital energy of this membrane, as violent catarrh, accompanied by long continued discharge from the nostrils, a fracture of the bones of the nose, and the too frequent injection of stimulating and acid substances up the nostrils. Everything that weakens the constitution may, under peculiar circumstances, produce glanders. Among the hurtful influences that may operate to this end, I may enumerate hardships and an exhausted condition, any interference with the due elimination or throwing off of morbid and waste matter from the system, want of regular exercise, sudden and violent exercise when the horse has not been previously prepared for it, placing a weak and worn out horse upon a course of diet that is too nutritious and stimulating, and hereditary predisposition to certain forms of disease. One point is deserving of special mention. It is sometimes present and contagious in animals apparently in fine condition. Other horses may contract the disease from such a one and die, while it is still difficult to discover unmistakable traces of it in the first. There may be inflammation and minute ulcers so far up the nasal passages as not to be seen. Those little hidden ulcers may discharge so small a quantity of matter as to escape notice, and yet the matter is so poisonous that when it comes in contact with any thin and delicate membrane by which it may be absorbed it will produce glanders. Weeks and months may intervene between the first existence of the inflamed membrane and the development of the disease. In this case there may be counteracting tendencies, requiring some violent action or sudden change to determine the issue. It must be observed that its infectious nature is not general, but particular, depending upon inoculation with the matter exuded from glanderous ulcers, or at least from poison received in some way from the glandered animal and communicated directly to a wound or to some delicate membrane of another horse, or a human being. The first stage of Glanders. The first signs are those of heaviness, dullness, followed by fever; the eyes are red and unhealthy looking, while the light is seemingly painful to them. The hair is one day dry, and the next, perhaps, it resumes its natural ttppearance, and so alternating, until after awhile it becomes staring and unnatural. The flesh wastes away rapidly for a time, then, and particularly if a change of food is introduced, showing some improvement, and so alternating, till at length he begins to show signs of permanently failing health and of a general debility. In this stage the discharge so much resembles that which attends some other nasal affection as sometimes to pass unnoticed, but examination will disclose a fact which has not been accounted for—it will be found confined to one nostril, and that, in the vast majority of cases, the left. Occasionally it is the right; very seldom both. This, however, must not be regarded as a peculiarity of the first only, as it is common to every stage of the disease. The second stage is an increased flow, and it also becomes more mucous and sickly, while its colour changes from an almost transparent clearness to a whitish or yellowish tinge. It often begins now to drop from the nose in stringy clots. Some of the matter in this stage, now more actively poisonous, being taken up by the absorbents, affects the neighbouring glands. If both nostrils are discharging, the glands within the under jaw will be enlarged on both sides; if from one nostril only, the gland on that side. As other diseases will produce these swelled glands, as catarrh, for instance, it becomes necessary to look for some peculiarity in order to determine certainly as to the existence of glanders. At first the enlargement may be spread over so much surface as not to make any distinctly marked lumps ; but these soon change, and one or two small swellings remain, and these are not in the centre of the channel, but adhere close to the jaw on the affected side. In the third stage, the ulcers have become larger and more numerous ; and upon jjlacing the ear to the horse's chest, a grating, choking noise will be heard at ever}' act of breathing. The air passages being obstructed, every breath is drawn with difficulty. The skin of the forehead will be found somewhat thickened, and peculiarly tender; the membrane lining the frontal opening of the nose will be not only ulcerated, but evidently inflamed ; the discharges are increased and become more sticky and of a darker colour, though still somewhat flecked with blood. The absorbents become more involved, and general ulceration has set in. If the disease is in its first stage when the horse is taken in hand for the purpose of employing remedial agencies, place him in a good, dry and airy stable, if in summer, or in an open pasture where most of his food may be obtained by himself, observing the precautions 56 Yict. Report on Agriculture. 899 already laid down. If in winter, he should still have the dry stable, not too close, and supplied with clean litter, and care should be taken to guard him against severe cold, and exposure to any sudden change. The matter of food may be regulated by this : it must be nutritious without being inflammatory; and the condition of the animal as to previous treatment and present condition of flesh must regulate the quantity, as also, to some extent, the quality. Malignant and Contagious Diseases of Hogs. There are three principal forms of malignant diseases, called Hog Cholera. The first is malignant epizootic catarrh ; the second stage is pneumo-enteritis ; the third, anthrax and splenic fever. Closely allied to the last, if not identical with the same, I designate as intestinal fever, or hog cholera. This disease, if it does not originate in filthy yards and putrid pens is amazingly developed there. The poisonous germs find a congenial home in the mucous membrane of such hogs, and in those whose skins are so dirty that the natural perspiratory acts cannot take place. So if perspiration be checked during the prevalence of this epidemic, or the hogs be exposed to sudden changes, for instance cold nights or extreme heat, it will surely predispose them to attacks. The symptoms are as follows :—There is a short, hoarse cough, difficulty of breathing, with panting of the flanks. The head is held in a stretched and drooping position; there is fever; a stiff tottering gait; sometimes running at the nose ; frequent efforts to vomit; generally constipation, but at all times diarrhoea. In this form the disease is-shown in the dead animal by inflammation of the lining membrane of the nose and upper part of the throat, thence to the windpipe and lungs, which are more or less solidified. A second form of this disease has a short cough, not so pronounced as in the first form, and there is less oppression in breathing, but there is more decided paralysis in the hind quarters, and the gait is more tottering. There is at first constipation, followed by a profuse and fetid diarrhoea, the disease spending itself in the stomach and bowels, and the animal arching its back and especially the loins from the intensity of the pain. The brain is often affected, so that there is partial or total blindness, and aimless movements. So also the glands will be enlarged and sometimes scrofulous ulcers will show in different parts of the body. The dead animal shows the lining membrane of the intestines inflamed and degenerated, the spleen enlarged, dark and soft; the liver diseased, and often water exudation in the chest and abdomen. The duration of either form is from five to fifteen days. Another form of hog cholera, which is intestinal hog cholera in relation to this disease, is undoubtedly analogous to the one last described. I think it is a specific contagious fever of hogs, attended by congestion, exudation, blood extravasation, and ulceration of the membrane of the stomach and bowels—that is, fetid diarrhoea, general heat and redness of the surface, and on the skin and mucous membrane spots and patches of a scarlet, purple or black colour. It is fatal in from one to six days, or ends in a tedious, uncertain recovery. Symptoms. Incubation ranges from a week to a fortnight in cold weather, to three days in warm. It is followed by shivering, dullness, prostration, hiding under the litter, unwillingness to rise, hot dry snout, sunken eyes, unsteady gait behind, impaired or lost appetite, ardent thirst, increased temperature (103° to 109J F.) and pulse, with occurrence of heat and soreness of the skin. It is suffused with red patches and black spots, the former disappearing on pressure, the latter not. The tongue is thickly furred ; the pulse small, weak and rapid; the breathing- accelerated, and a hard dry cough is frequent. Sickness and vomiting may be present. The animal grunts or screams if the belly is handled; the bowels may be costive throughout, but more commonly they become relaxed about the third day, and an exhausting, fetid diarrhoea ensues. Lymph and blood may pass with the dung. Before death the patient loses control of the hind limbs, and is often sunk in complete stupor, with muscular trembling, jerking and copious and involuntary motion of the bowels. For these forms of hog cholera, I have recommended a disinfectant and medicine to a number of hog dealers, who had disease among their hogs. This disinfectant and medicine have proved successful where it has been used. Any person wishing to obtain this medicine and disinfectant can obtain them by applying either personally or by letter. The following is a summary of the number of diseased animals that I caused to be destroyed, viz., fourteen horses, one mule, and one hundred and sixty-three hogs. 900 Report on Agriculture. 1893 In conclusion, I may be permitted to say, without seeming to be egotistical, that had I not taken active and vigorous measures at the commencement of the epidemic, a much greater destruction of animals would have been rendered necessary. I have, etc., F. S. Roper, Inspector of Animals, Contagious Diseases Act. INSECT PESTS. Aphis, Green Fly or Plant Louse (Aphis Mali) Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Salmon Arm, Shuswap, Notch Hill, Duck's, Grand Prairie, Kamloops, Central Nicola, Southern Nicola, Ashcroft, Spence's Bridge, Lytton, Clinton, Dog Creek and Alkali Lake, Delta, Surrey Centre, Clayton, Hall's Prairie, Port Kells, Langley Prairie, Aldergrove, Upper Sumas, Chilliwhack, Sumas, Agassiz, Dewdney, Wharnock, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, North Arm, The Islands, Metchosin, Esquimalt, Victoria, Lake, North Saanich, Shawnigan, Somenos, Salt Spring Island, Gabriola Island, Nanaimo, and Comox ; in short, from every part of the Province. Woolly Aphis (Schizoneura Lanigera) Is reported from Aldergrove, Chilliwhack, Maple Ridge, Salt Spring Island, and Comox. Hop Louse, or Aphis (Aphis, or Phorodon Hamuli), Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Delta, Hall's Prairie, Aldergrove, Chilliwhack, Agassiz, Wharnock, North Saanich, and Quamichan. It will be seen by the foregoing how widespread has been and is the range of this most repulsive pest. Mr. Eustace A, Smith, Okanagan Mission, says:—"The aphis (green) in this district is very prevalent, but it, however, can be destroyed by spraying with tobacco juice and soap suds ; also Paris green. This latter has to be used with caution. There were lice on the hops, but not enough to affect the crop, which was prolific in the extreme." The following copy of a letter from Mr. J. H. Christie, Okanagan Mission, speaks for itself :— "J. R. Anderson, " Department, of Agriculture, Victoria. " Dear Silt,—Let me call your attention to the enclosed specimens of. wood and last season's foliage, cut from the orchards here. The present state of affairs, I can assure you, are serious indeed, regarding the outlook for the fruit industry in the Okanagan District, I address you on the matter, simply from the fact that one or two of the owners of orchards most affected are really indifferent on the subject, and do not consider it incumbent upon them to rid their trees of the parasites preying upon them, and it is my opinion that some of the most advanced orchards, if not carefully treated and guarded this season, will be a thing of the past; in fact, there are trees now standing blackened and ruined monuments of the owner's want of care and attention. . "I hope that you will not think from this that the state of affairs is in any way overdrawn. Although it is entirely beyond my powers of description to convey to you anything like a picture of some of the grand old trees, but if you can conceive anything in your mind like unto a tree that had received three coats of the blackest of black paint, and you will have the fact. This description I would not myself believe, but ocular demonstration cannot be refuted, and Government moneys cannot be better spent than in the visit of some officer in connection with your department to the district. " This opinion is given from five years' fighting these insect pests in the home of horticulture—California. " Remaining, etc., (Signed) " J. H. Christie." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 901 Mr. T. G. Kirkpatrick, of Ashcroft, says :—The apple aphis is the only thing worth mentioning. I use a strong decoction of tobacco of my own growing. Mr. R. Shortreed, of Shortreed, says :—The loss among fruit trees by the woolly aphis was small, as last season was its first appearance here. The hop louse caused a great deal of damage among the hop-vines last season, destroying nearly 50 per cent, of the crop. Mr. F. B. Day, of Shortreed, says:—Lice are coming on the hops. I am going to use whale oil, soap, and bearberry bark. Do you know of anything better ? Mr. A. Salmond, of Grantham, says :—The green aphis, woolly aphis and borer are the principal pests, and to these alone must be attributed the fact that there is in this section scarcely an apple, pear or cherry tree of bearing age that is thoroughly healthy. I find an application of fish oil to the trunk in May prevents the borer, and the same in the fall destroys the woolly aphis. Mr. L. A. Agassiz, of Agassiz, says :—The hop louse was bad, and I think it was conclusively proved that it does not breed on the plums. Rooted plants imported from England had them bad, while plants from cuttings had hardly any, and then not until late. There were plum trees near the cuttings, but none near the rooted ones. With reference to Mr. Agassiz's remarks, I reproduce the life history of the aphis by Mr. Fletcher, in order that the habits of this insect may be fully understood. I can only add that where there are no plum trees I imagine the aphis would not be very particular as to what particular tree she selected whereon to deposit her eggs, and she has a wide range of selection in British Columbia. Bearing upon the subject also are copies of my letter to Mr. Fletcher and his reply thereto, which I append. The paragraph referred to was copied from a paper published in the adjoining State of Washington, which stated that multitudes of aphides were found on the ground in the hop fields, and that harrowing was resorted to to destroy them. " The life history of this insect is not yet completely worked out. The usual cycle of life in this order is for them to pass the winter as eggs, from which viviparous females hatch in the spring; these, by a process of budding and without the sexes pairing (there are no males at this season), give birth to fully formed young, which in a few days mature and themselves bear young plant lice. There are several successive broods of females, until a certain time in the year (varying slightly in different species), when perfect females and also males are produced. This is the only time of the year when males appear. Some species of plant lice migrate at certain times of their development to some other plant than that upon which they had passed the summer months. Pairing now takes place, and, as a result, eggs are laid, which remain unhatched until the following spring. This is a general statement only of the life history of plant lice, to which there are exceptions, a notable one of these being the hop aphis (Phorodon humuli), the remarkable life history of which has been so carefully worked out by Prof. Riley, and recorded in his report of 1888 as follows : Of this species the winter eggs are laid by the perfect female upon plum trees in autumn ; from these hatch the next spring wingless females, which have been called ' stem-mothers ' ; these produce young plant lice by a process analagous to budding in plants, and known as parthenogenesis (from the Greek parthenos, a virgin, and genesis, production), which means the production of young from imperfect and unimpregnated females, without the intervention of a male. There are three broods of these parthenogenetic females produced on various kinds of plum trees, the third becoming winged. This last is known as a ' migrant,' and it instinctively flies to the hop plant, which has been free from attack up to this time; A number of generations of wingless females are produced upon the hop, until autumn winged females, known as the ' return migrants,' again appear. These return to the plum and produce some three or more young. These have no wings, but are true sexual females. Somewhat later upon the hop the true winged males, the only males of the whole series, are developed. These fly to the plum, and towards the end of the season may be found pairing with the wingless females, which afterwards stock the twigs with winter eggs. The above life history will show how complex and difficult to understand are the habits of some of our injurious insects. The importance, however, of this knowledge cannot be over-estimated. By the treatment of plum trees near hop gardens with a kerosene emulsion late in the winter, or very early in the spring, one of the most injurious insects which harass the English farmer can now, to a large measure, be kept in check."—(J. Fletcher's Report, 1889, p. 65.) 02 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Correspondence referred to. Sir,—I send you a copy of this morning's Daily News in which you will find a marked paragraph regarding the breeding of the aphis. While I am inclined to believe that it often breeds on or in the ground, I doubt the efficacy of harrowing to kill them. My reason for believing that they breed in the ground is that frequently they appear on the shoots of bulbs from Holland, Japan, and other places, as soon as they appear above ground, the young hatching out as soon as there is anything to feed on. I would like to hear your opinion on the subject. 1 have, &c, J. Fletcher, Entomologist, (Signed) James It. Anderson. Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa. Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, April 4th, 1892. My Dear Sir,—Many thanks for the hop aphis cutting. 1 don't think there is anything in it, and certainly harrowing would not have the slightest effect on it. The life history of the hop aphis has been worked out carefully, and although the discovery stated to have been made is possibly the case, I don't think it is likely to be so anywhere in Canada. With regard to the aphides which appear on Dutch bulbs, these are entirely different from those which occur on the hop. In fact, almost every species has its own food plant, and they are confined frequently exclusively to that plant. There are hundreds of different species of very various habits. Yours truly, ./ R. Anderson, Esq., J. FLETCHER. Victoria, 11. C. Of the habits of the Aphidse, Mr. Bethune says, p. 162, Ontario Agricultural Commission, 1881 :— " In the early part of the summer the aphiche may be found in great abundance, and they continue very numerons until towards the close of the season. It has been found, by close observation that the females require only to be fertilized by the male once during a very large number of generations, that is to say, one impregnation by the male will last through the descendants of the original female for perhaps twenty-five or fifty generations. The males, consequently, are not required very frequently, and they make their appearance usually towards the close of the season. The males possess wings. " The excessive fertility of this insect may be imagined when I mention that each female produces about four young ones a day, and these young ones are all females, and able to produce offspring in like proportion when three clays old, so that it has been calculated that, in twenty days, the progeny of one female, provided there were no disease or accident in the family, would amount to 2,000,000 individuals. If it were not for the various checks imposed upon them, in a very short space of time the whole habitable portion of the earth would be covered by these insects, and man would be quite driven off. There is probably no kind of vegetation that is exempt from their attacks. " Some few of these insects pass the winter in hiding places out of doors. The impregnated females lay eggs in the autumn that survive the winter, and these hatch out in the spring. It is my opinion that these eggs all then hatch females, and the series of females continues until about the close of the season, when the males make their appearance. " The insect's mode of life is the same from the time it is born until it dies. It has, as a rule, its proboscis inserted into the plant on which it lives, pumping out its juices; in fact, it needs a constant supply of food to live, and if it were detached it would die. This does not, •however, apply to the winged specimens ; their object is to establish new colonies, and to perpetuate their kind. " In feeding, this insect takes in such a supply of liquid that it cannot assimilate it all, and is consequently obliged to part with some of it. This, dropping upon the surrounding- leaves of the plant, is a sweet, sticky substance, called ' honey-dew,' and ants and other sweet- loving insects are excessively fond of it. " Ants are so intelligent that they make a regular business of looking after the aphidse, and getting them to part with their honey-dew, just as we obtain milk from a cow. They may be often seen pressing the body of the aphis at the hinder part of the abdomen, thus 56 Vict, Report on Agriculture. 903 forcing the latter to part with little drops of honey-dew, of which they immediately make use. Indeed, aphidie used for this purpose have been known to be enclosed in a regular pasture, over which the ants kept watch to ward off intruders." In answer to the several questions and suggestions contained in the foregoing excerpts from the reports of the different people mentioned, I would remind my readers that the aphis obtains its food by inserting its proboscis through the bark, and sucking out the juices of the plant it lives upon ; hence many poisons, such as Paris green, probably have no effect upon it. Any mixtures which have the effect of stopping their breathing pores will be found to be effectual, hence oil emulsions are used, and the following formula recommended by Prof. Riley is probably the best:— Kerosene (coal oil) 2 gallons.. Rain water 1 n Soap 1 lb. Boil the soap in the water till all is dissolved, then, while boiling hot, turn in the kerosene, and churn it constantly and forcibly with a syringe or force pump for five minutes, when it will be of a smooth, creamy nature. If the emulsion be perfect, it will adhere to the surfac of glass without oiliness. As it cools, it thickens into a jelly-like mass. This gives the stock emulsion, which must be diluted with nine times its measure of warm water before using on vegetation. The above quantity of three gallons of emulsion will make thirty gallons of wash. Insects breathe through small openings along their sides. The effect of kerosene emulsion is to suffocate them by stopping up these breathing pores. Mr. Fletcher, in his report, 1887, p. 28, mentions the following as the natural enemies of the aphis :— " These plant lice are so exceedingly prolific that, were there not some natural check imposed upon them, they would soon overrun all vegetation. We find, however, that they provide food for several kinds of predacious insects, and there is seldom a heavy visitation of aphis without a corresponding appearance of its enemies. Some of the most useful of these are the following :— " The larvse of the syrphicke, a class of beautiful and active flies, marked with yellow and black, which may be seen in summer around flowers, poised apparently motionless in mid-air for a few seconds, then darting a yard or so, stopping again, and dashing off suddenly in another direction. The larvse are elongated brownish maggots, with the front segments much smaller than the rest, and capable of being extended some distance to the right or left. These larv;e, which may generally be found crawling upon the stems of plants infested with aphides, destroy enormous numbers of plant lice. " Perhaps the most industrious and business-like destroyers of these ingenious insects are the numerous species of the lady-bird beetles (Coccine/lidce), also the soldier beetle (Tele- phoridce). Besides these beetles, there is a family (Aphidius) of small parasitic flies belonging to the Braconidce, which feed entirely on the green flies. In examining a colony of aphides, some will generally be found which are much larger, of a different colour, and with the body swollen and rounded. These, after a time, fasten themselves to the leaves and die, and a little later the parasite, a tiny four-winged fly, emerges through a hole in the back." In connection with the foregoing, I append the following letter from Mr. R. C. Garner, Dewdney :— Dewdney, B. C, June 5th, 1893. Mr. J. R. Anderson, Victoria, B. C.: Dear Sir,—In reply to your letter I beg to say that after the time I was talking to you about the aphis and other insects we have not been able to get a sample for your examination; however will give you a description of the three insects that are on my hops during picking time. The hop louse or aphis is the same as is found on plum trees. The insect that I think is the enemy of the aphis is a long dove-coloured insect in the shape of a lizard, with tail and legs, four or six I can't say, with three on a side. I think the longest about A of an inch long. Then there is a small black bug with a hard shell, nearly round, can run fast, will find it in 904 Report on Agriculture. 1893 the hop bur, seldom on the leaves. Whether it has anything to do with the aphis I can't say. The other insect, a person can see it eating the aphis with the natural eye. We will send you a sample of all those bugs next harvest. Please excuse me for not answering sooner, as I was trying to do something that would be interesting to you. Yours truly, R. C. Garner. Regarding the use of bearberry bark Mr. Fletcher says : "I hardly think it would be a very valuable addition to the whale oil soap, which itself is a powerful insecticide. The quantity of bark of this shrub which would be available in Canada, however, would entirely preclude its use on an extensive scale however valuable it might be." Borer. Only in one instance is the " flat-headed apple tree borer " (Chrysobothris femorata) distinguished from the " round-headed apple tree borer" (Saperda Candida). Reported from Okanagan Mission (the flat-headed borer), Clayton, Hall's Prairie, Chilliwhack, Dewdney, Maple Ridge, The Islands, Victoria, Sooke, Shawnigan, Cowichan, Salt Spring Island, Gabriola Island, and Comox. Mr, E. M. Wiltshire, of Clayton, says :—The borer in fruit trees appears to be an exceptionally bad insect when once it has got a foothold. But I believe whitewashing the trees two or three times will prevent them. Mr. G. T. Corfield, of Corfield, says:—The disease upon fruit trees is the worst we have to contend with, and the loss is incalculable. The diseases are numerous,, the borer and bark louse being the worst. A very good remedy, and which I think would save three- quarters of the trees that are killed, is to wash or paint the trunks of the trees from the ground to the forks, and a little above, from the 1st of May to end of July once a month with lye and coal oil mixed with clay to thicken. The flat-headed apple tree borer is described by Mr. Fletcher (Bulletin No. 11, May, 1891, p. 20), as follows :—" During June and July very active bronze beetles about half an inch in length may be found laying eggs upon the trunks and large limbs of apple, mountain ash, and other trees. These eggs soon hatch into curious flat-headed, or horseshoe nail, shaped grubs. These after a time eat into the trunk and bore broad flat tunnels, which seriously injure the tree. " Remedies.—Undoubtedly the best remedy for this and all other borers which, as a rule, confine their depredations to a certain part of a tree, is of a preventive nature, and consists of applying an alkaline or poisonous wash to the trees just before the time the eggs are usually laid." Round-headed Apple Tree Boker (p. 25). (Saperda Candida.—Fab.) " This borer nearly always works near the tree it infests. The grub is much thicker than that of the flat-headed borer, and takes three years instead of one to complete its changes. The beetle is pale brown, with two white stripes down the body about three-quarters of an inch long. "Remedies.—During.the first year the grub lives just beneath the bark in the sap wood, hollowing out a chamber about an inch or more in diameter. The bark becomes discoloured in a characteristic way, which is soon recognized. It is also betrayed to the experienced eye by the castings which it pushes out of its burrows. By cutting through the bark the grub can be destroyed. If it has penetrated into the wood it can, be killed with a piece of stout wire. The best remedy is undoubtedly a regular treatment every June with deterrent washes." Akaline Washes (p. 13).—"A wash largely used in Canada is that noted by Professor Saunders in his ' Insects Injurious to Fruits,' and consists of soft soap reduced to the consistence of thick paint by the addition of a strong solution of washing soda in water. If applied during the morning of a warm day this will dry in a few hours and form a tenacious coating not easily dissolved by rain. Soap suds made from whale oil soap, one pound to eight gallons of water, is a useful remedy for the destruction of plant lice." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 905 Carbolic Acid (p. 13).—"I have not found this substance so generally useful as I anticipated from its powerful odour. Prof. A. J. Cook, however, has experimented extensively ■ with it, and claims that no fruit-grower or lover of shade trees can afford to be ignorant of the carbolic acid emulsion. He says :—' I make it just as I do the kerosene emulsion, only stronger, one part of carbolic acid—I use the crude material—to from five to seven parts of soap solution (one quart soft soap, or one pound of hard soap, in two gallons of water) is of the proper strength. This is the best preparation I know of to protect against the apple tree bark lice and apple tree borers.' It is applied to the trunks and larger limbs by means of a stiff brush or cloth about twenty days after the trees blossom." Proper Tree Wash (From Canadian Horticulturist, December, 1891, page 869.)— Whitewash on trees is unsightly and less effective for expelling borers than common soft soap. Washed with soap three or four weeks after blossoming, they will show the treatment speedily in greater thrift and vigour. I have often used the following, which I think even better for trunks and larger branches of fruit trees than soap : Heat to the boiling point two gallons of water and one gallon of soft soap. When the soap is all dissolved, add one-half gallon good strong crude carbolic acid, and stir until all is thoroughly and permanently mixed. This, applied with cloth or brush, kills bark lice, keeps off borers, and invigorates the trees. — Col- man's Rural World. Oyster Shell Bark Louse (Mytilaspis Pomorum—Bouche) Is reported from Dewdney, Sahtlam, Cowichan, Salt Spring Island, and Gabriola Island, under the general name of " bark louse." This pest has become common, not only in the places reporting it, but in most of the places I visited on the Islands and the Lower Mainland. It is easily enough recognized by those conversant with its appearance, but easily escapes detection by many, who think it is simply a roughness of the bark. I have been several times asked the reason of the miserable appearance of apple trees, which, on examination, proved to be infested with bark lice. For the benefit of those who have not had experience, I would suggest a close watch on the young bark of apple trees, which should be smooth, and if any roughness appears, to immediately subject it to closer investigation. The Rev. C. S. Bethune, President of the Entomological Society of Ontario, in his address, November, 1891 (Twenty-Second Annual Report, p. 15), says:—"The oyster shell bark louse has become very injurious in orchards and gardens, but few fruit-growers seem to realize how much injury it occasions, because it is so inconspicuous. Scraping the bark of the trunk and limbs, or scrubbing them with strong soap suds, will be found useful, but when the insect covers the smaller branches and twigs, as it soon does when undisturbed, it becomes necessary to resort to some other method of treatment. Syringing with a kerosene emulsion just before the buds burst in the spring, or late in the autumn, immediatly after the fall of the leaves, will be found most effective." Mr. Fletcher says :—" Some might not at first recognize as insects the little roughness on the bark of apple trees; such, however, they are, and extremely injurious too. Their life- history is peculiar. About the 1st June minute white mite-like insects, with six legs, emerge from beneath the scales on the bark, and for two or three days run about seeking for a suitable place to attach themselves. They then pierce the young bark with their beaks and live on the sap of the tree They never move from that place again. The waxy scale is gradually secreted, and by August the insect has transformed itself into a scale covering a cluster of eggs. These remain unchanged through the winter, and the young do not hatch again until the next June. "Remedies.—This insect, like many others, thrives most on unhealthy trees. When detected, therefore, measures should be adopted for inducing a vigorous growth, as well as for the removal of the scale insects. Spraying just before the buds open with the kerosene emulsion (as used for aphis) will destroy many of the scales, and again at the time the young lice are active, for at this time they are most susceptible to injury. Scrubbing the trunks and branches of young trees with alkaline washes (such as are used for borers) during the winter or early spring, will also keep down the numbers of this pernicious insect."—,/. Fletcher, Bulletin No. 11, May, 1891, page 22. 906 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Codling Moth (Carpocapsa pomonella.) Is again reported from Cowichan by Mr. Marshall. Mr. Fletcher, in his report, 1887, p. 24, says of this pest: " The caterpillar is white or pinkish, about three-quarters of an inch long, boring into the centres of apples and injuring them considerably. These worms spin up and change to chrysalises inside close cocoons in the crevices of bark, or, when barrelled with apples, in any crack or crevice of the barrel. The moth is a beautiful little insect, easily distinguished by a bronze mark towards the end of each of its upper wings. I have no hesitation in saying that the most economical and certain remedy is spraying the trees with Paris green and London purple. As being of a more uniform strength, the former is preferred. For codling moth, plum curculio, and the young canker worm, not more than two or four ounces in a barrel of water (40 gallons), or, in a smaller quantity, one-eighth to one- fourth of an ounce in a pail of water ; to be applied as a fine spray by means of a force pump. The foliage must not be drenched, but the spray should only be allowed to fall upon the leaves until it begins to drop from the leaves. All washes containing Paris green must be constantly stirred to keep it in suspension, or it will sink to the bottom. For the codling moth, liquid application should be sprayed upon the trees as soon as all the petals have fallen from the flowers. "With the above, as with all attacks by injurious insects, the great secret of success is prompt action, and when making trial of this remedy let the spraying be done at the time and in the manner recommended. The spring applications are of the greatest importance. Prof. S. A. Forbes, State Entomologist, of Illinois, who was one of the first to systematically investigate these remedies, in comparing his operations for 1885 and 1886, writes to me: ' Our work of 1886 differed in the time and number of applications from one to three early in the, season. The general result was almost the same as the year before, going to show that these early applications are the only ones that are effective and necessary.' " Another remedy suggested is as follows :—By tying about the middle of the trunk a bandage of old cotton cloth, or even paper, a suitable hiding-place is presented to the larvse, which at once makes use of it by entering in and going into chrysalis there. If the bandage is applied to a tree on which there is a good crop of fruit, and tied in the middle, I have found, as a rule, that there will be as many or even more larvse above the string than below, showing that a large proportion of them leave the, fruit before it drops and crawl down the tree. The insect remains, during the summer months, about ten or twelve days or sometimes a fortnight in the chrysalis state, and the bandages ought to be examined once a week so as to make sure that none escape. In this way a very large number of pupse may be collected, and the trees preserved in a great measure from the visitation of a second brood, which otherwise would be shortly hatched."—(Report of the Ontario Agricultural Commission, 1881, p. 180.) Pear or Cherry Slug. (Selandria cerasi.) Reported from Port Hammond, Port Haney, and Wharnock. Common also in other parts of the Lower Country. Mr. Hector Ferguson, of Port Haney, says :—The only pests appearing with me this year are on fruit. Pear trees during August and September were thickly covered with the pear slug. The following description and remedy is from the Report of the Ontario Agricultural Commission, 1881, p. 182 :— "In the evidence now under review the peartree slug is the only one mentioned as particularly affecting the pear. It also visits the cherry and plum. It is described as a disgusting, slimy little creature, with the anterior segments enlarged, presenting an appearance something like a tadpole, and accompanied by an unpleasant odour. It destroys the leaves of the tree and thus impairs the maturing of the fruit. Mr. Saunders says :— " It is the progeny of a four-winged fly, of a blackish colour, with transparent wings, which is abroad early in the summer. The insect spends the winter in the chrysalis state in the ground, and the flies emerge early in the season, laying their eggs on the pear, cherry, or plum, which hatch out into slugs. From what I have seen of the insect, I believe it to be double-brooded, but I am not quite sure." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 907 Among many remedies, he has found that the use of hellebore is the most effectual. An ounce of hellebore in a pailful of water, applied with a syringe, will soon rid the tree of them. The following remedy is from the 22nd report of the Entomological Society of Ontario— President's address : " An effective remedy has been found in the application of a weak mixture of Paris green and water." Caterpillars. (Clisiocampa Americana—Harris. C. (Usstria—lLuhev.) Reported in most cases simply as caterpillars, and in a few cases as tent caterpillars, are reported from Salmon Arm, Lillooet, Upper Sumas, Chilliwhack, Agassiz, Mission, Maple Ridge, Sumas, North Arm, The Islands, Victoria, and Sooke. They were not numerous on the Islands, but quite so on some parts of the Lower Mainland. An effectual way of getting rid of them is to burn them when they are feeding, with a torch made of rags wired to the end of a long stick and saturated with coal oil. The stick should be long enough to reach the highest branches. The eggs are deposited under the branches of trees in winter in large groups, sometimes an inch in length, containing hundreds of eggs. Some of the bark washes recommended would no doubt be effectual in destroying them. Grasshoppers (Melanoplus femur ritbrum) Are reported from Salmon Arm, Grand Prairie, Kamloops, Upper, Central and Lower Nicola, Ashcroft, Venables Valley, Dog Creek and Alkali Lake, Chilcotin, Williams Lake, and Hornby Island. This species is often mistaken for the Rocky Mountain or hateful locust (M. Spretits). The most apparent difference is that M. Spretus hits much longer wings, and by this means it is able to fly long distances, while the common red-legged locust is usually confined to the locality where it is born. For this latter species, large broods of poultry are particularly useful in keeping down the numbers, and should form part of the equipment of every prairie farm. In addition to these assistants, all insectivorous birds, such as blackbirds, meadow larks, and particularly the different species of grouse, should be jealously protected by the farmer. I have dissected prairie hens, the crops of which were almost filled with the remains of locusts. Mr. Thos. Bulman, Stump Lake, says:—The grasshopper, a. local kind, is the worst pest we have had. I do not think it is of any use fighting them when they come in vast numbers. Wire-worms (Melanotus communis and Agriotes mancus, for it appears by Bulletin No. 4 of the Experiment Station of Washington that there are both species in that country, and therefore presumably in this) Are reported from Spalluiucheen, Notch Hill, Surrey Centre, Maple Ridge, Howe Sound, Victoria, South Saanich, Shawnigan, Comiaken, Somenos, and Salt Spring Island. This pest has occasioned severe losses, especially in potatoes. The best remedy seems to be well cultivated land, as it thrives best in sods when not disturbed. The following is from Report of Ontario Agricultural Commission, p. 164 :— " The wire-worm (Agriotes mancus)," says Mr. Bethune, " is sometimes troublesome to wheat. This insect lives altogether out of sight, underground, and hence it is not much observed by the farmers. It is a long, slender grub, with six legs under the anterior portion of the body, usually of an orange yellow or tawny colour, and is very hard, unlike our caterpillars, which are soft to the touch, consequently receiving its name, the 'wire-worm.' It feeds underground upon the roots of vegetation, and is looked upon in England as one of the very worst foes of wheat. In Ontario we have not been able to estimate its ravages as resulting in any great loss, though this may be because they are carried on out of sight. It is frequently observed in ploughing. " The wire-worm, however, does not cease to be troublesome when it quits its larval state, and appears in the shape of the spring-back beetle, 908 Report on Agriculture. 1893 " The perfect creature," says Mr. Bethune, " is very familiar ; it flies into the house at night, attracted by the light, and may be found creeping about sap exuding from trees, ripe fruit, or anything sweet." He recommends employing children to follow the plough and pick up the wire-worm, or to turn turkeys and ducks into the ploughed fields, as remedies for the too great numbers of this creature. Mr. Fletcher says (Report 1885, page 17):—"Most of my correspondents agree that the attacks from wire-worms (sometimes called yellow-worms) are much less severe upon well manured, highly cultivated, and well cleaned ground. Mr. William Miller, of Bridgetown, N.S., a gentleman of large experience and a successful farmer, tells me he can clear any ground from wire-worms by high culture and careful cleaning by the third crop. Where potatoes are grown he says they should be picked up immediately they are dug, and most of the wire-worms will be taken out with them and can be destroyed. He mentioned an instance of a piece of land he had just cleared which, when he took it, was so full of wire-worms that he had been able to gather them up by the handful from the bottom of the cart in which the potatoes were drawn from the field. In confirmation of this I give the following quotation from the report which has just been issued by Mr. C. Whitehead for the Agricultural Department of the Imperial Privy Council Office in England : ' First and foremost among means of prevention (of wire-worms attacks on crops) is the abolition of weeds from the land and from the outsides of fields. This has been recognized and adopted long ago by some agriculturalists, for we find the following passage in Vol. XV. of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, in an essay upon the farming of light land, which is always more liable to attacks of wire-worms. 'There is a farm in the neighbourhood of Guildford which presents an instance of a perfectly clean farm, and kept so by deep ploughing and unsparing use of horse and hand hoes. It has often been remarked that root crops and corn are unmolested by wire-worms upon this farm. The owner asserts that he starved them long ago by growing no weeds to sustain them in the absence of a crop.'" The following is taken from the "American Garden," December, 1891, page 776, and will do for horticulturists :— "Remedy for Wire-worms:—Add three or four pounds of unslacked lime to every bushel of soil. This will make the wire-worms so sick that they will give the seedling carnations a wide berth in the future; besides, the health and colour of the plants will be so much improved that we will think that they belong to a new race of pinks. The best way to use lime is to spread the soil in a flat heap ten or twelve inches thick, then place the desired amount of lime in lumps on the top. When the latter has become slacked and pulverised the soil should be turned over two or three times and thoroughly mixed. It is then ready for use."—American Florist. It is but fair to add that after three years experiment at the Cornell University by Prof. Comstock, no really effective way of getting rid of wire-worms has been discovered. The following is a description of the methods recommended by Prof. Comstock, taken from Bulletin No. 4, Washington Experiment Station :— " Wire-worms. (Melanotus communis and agriotes mancus). " Destruction of the larvse and the beetle. For much of the information now possessed concerning the life and habits of this pest, the agriculturists of this country are indebted to the careful researches and valuable experiments conducted by Prof. J. H. Comstock, the entomologist of Cornell University, New York. " Professor Comstock has conducted some specially interesting experiments with reference to the destruction of the larvse, the pupa?, and the mature beetles, and has arrived at conclusions that are noteworthy, as being of essential value to the farmers wherever the wire- worm has taken up its habitation. His experimentation extended over a period of about three years, employing three methods of action : First, protection of the seed ; second, destruction of the larvse; and third, the destruction of the pupa; and matured beetles. " Under the first head, the protection of the seed, experimentation was made by coating the seed with Paris green and flour, and by a coating of tar ; also by soaking the seed in solutions of salt, copperas, chloride of lime and copperas, kerosene oil, turpentine and strychnine. Without going into the specific results of these experiments which, while interesting, would extend this bulletin unnecessarily, we will say that none of the processes employed were, successful in preventing the worms from attacking the seed, 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 909 " Under the second head, the destruction of larvse, or worms, experimentation was made by the process of starvation, but it was found that the worms would remain healthy and active for eighteen months (and how much longer it is not known, as the experiment was not continued beyond that period) in soil where there was no growing vegetation. Destruction was also attempted by the use of insecticides, both by substances that act merely as insecticides and substances that act as fertilizers and incidently as insecticides, but both were without avail. " Then the destruction of the pupse and the, mature beetles was attempted, first by fall ploughing the ground, and second by trapping. The former method was intended especially for the pupse, and the latter for the click-beetles. The experiment of ridding the fields of the pupal and the beetles by these methods has proved in a large degree successful. " It has been ascertained that after the worm commences the process of pupation he loses his power of action as a worm, and the slightest disturbance or interference will operate to destroy him. This is likewise true of the pupa and of the young beetle. Assuming that the worm commences to pupate on July 1st, it is reasonably sure that any reasonable disturbance of the earth in which the cell is located up to perhaps the 1st of October will destroy a large proportion of pupse and young beetles. It is recommended that the ground be not only ploughed, but that it be frequently stirred, and also rolled, as the worms do not thrive so well in soil that is compact. " The process of trapping the mature beetles has also proven very successful, the best baits used being wads of green clover and pieces of cornmeal dough sweetened with sugar. It was afterwards ascertained that by clipping these baits into Paris green water and placing them under boards in various parts of the field, that the beetles were readily poisoned, thus saying the labour of collecting them from the traps. " It is therefore suggested that these methods of prevention and destruction so carefully worked out by Prof. Comstock be employed by the, farmers in Washington, as they will undoubtedly prove the most effectual treatment that can be used, unless it be found that the habits and operations of this pest are much different here than in other parts of the country. The latter is hardly possible." Cut-Worm (Agrotis Messoreia) Is reported from Spallumcheen, Williams Lake, Quesnelle, Victoria, Somenos, Nanoose, and Alberni. I give below a description of and remedies for this pest, taken from Mr. Fletcher's Bulletin No. 11, May, 1891, p. 27 :— " These troublesome pests, which are doubtless the cause of more loss to farmers in the spring months than any other insects, are the caterpillars of a number of different dull- coloured moths which fly at night. The worms, one kind, are smooth, greasy-looking, dark caterpillars, ranging from about half an inch to two inches in length at the time they injure crops. They feed at night and hide in the daytime. The eggs of most species are laid in autumn, and the young caterpillars make about a quarter of their growth before winter sets in. They pass the winter in a torpid condition, and are ready in spring to attack the young crops as soon as they come up. The full growth of most species is completed by the first week in July, when the caterpillar forms a cell in the earth and changes to a chrysalis, from which the moth appears about a month later on. " Remedies.—(1.) Clean Culture.—As the young caterpillars of many species hatch in autumn, the removal of all vegetation from the ground as soon as possible in autumn deprives them of their food supply, and also prevents the late flying moths from laying their eggs in that locality. Fields or gardens which are allowed to become overgrown with weeds or other vegetation late in the autumn are almost sure to be troubled with cut-worms the next spring. " (2.) Traps.—Large numbers may be destroyed by placing between the rows of an infected crop, or at short distances apart on infected land, bundles of any succulent weed or other vegetation which has been previously poisoned by dipping it, after tying in bundles, into a strong mixture of Paris green. The cut-worms eat the poisoned plants and bury themselves and die. In hot and dry weather these bundles should be placed out after sundown, and a shingle may be placed on each to keep it from fading. "(3.) Banding and Wrapping.—(a.) It will be found to well repay the trouble and expense to place a, band of tin around each cabbage or other plant at the time of setting out. 910 ■ Report on Agriculture. 1893 These may very easily be made by taking pieces of tin six inches long and two and a half wide and bending them around a broom-handle; the two ends can be sprung apart to admit the plant, and then the tube should be pressed about half an inch into the ground. I have found this a useful means of disposing of empty tomato and other cans. To prepare these easily, they need only be thrown into a bonfire, when the tops and bottoms fall out and the sides become unsoldered. The central piece of tin can then be cut down the centre with a pair of shears, and forms two tubes. " (b.) Wrapping a piece of paper round the stems of plants when setting out will also save a great many. "(c.) Hand-picking or digging out the cut-worms whenever a plant is seen to be cut off should, of course, always be practised. " Natural Enemies —There are two enemies which deserve special notice, and from the good service they do should be known by sight to every cultivator. They are the fiery ground beetle or cut-worm lion (calosoma calidum—Fab.) and the black ground wasp (ammophila. luctuosa). Both of these are desperate enemies of cut-worms, the former feeding on them in all of its stages; the latter digging them out and storing its nest with them as food for its young grubs." Onion Maggot (Phorbia ceparum—Meigen.J Is reported from Salmon Arm and Comox. This pest, which has not previously been reported in the Province, I take to be that above mentioned, and regarding which I take the following from Mr. Fletcher's report, 1885, p. 35 :— " This maggot is the larval stage of a small fly belonging to the Authomyiidte, to which order also belong the injurious flies that produce the maggots which commit such havoc amongst both radishes and turnips, and cabbages when first transplanted. * * * For an intelligent application of remedies, it is necessary to know something of the life history of the insect we wish to subdue, and it not infrequently happens that it would be a great advantage to know exactly to what species of any genus the marauder might belong. There are, I believe, two or three of the Anthomyian flies almost identical in size and appearance, the grubs of which destroy onions in all their varieties, and at all stages of growth, from the seedling to the mature bulb. But, although the perfect insects are so similar, the habits of the grubs are different; the eggs of one species are laid at the base of the leaves, and those of another on the bulb itself, the grubs attacking it from beneath. It is impossible to say for certain, after the attack has progressed so far, to which species the insects under consideration belong, but they will most probably prove to be the true onion fly (Phorbia ceparum). There are several broods during the season, so that constant vigilance is necessary. The parent fly, which lays the eggs of the first brood, passes the winter in the earth as a pupa, or chrysalis, and emerges as a perfect fly just about the time that the young onions are coming up ; the eggs, five or six in number, are then laid at the bases of the lowest leaves, and about a week later hatch out as white grubs, which eat their way down to the bulb between the stem and the sheaf of the leaf ; they soon destroy the young bulb entirely, which, of course, is very small at this time, and then pass on from one root to another, their presence being made manifest by the leaves turning yellow and fading. As soon as this is noticed every affected onion should be removed by means of a broad-bladed knife and burnt, so as to destroy the grub inside it. The importance of raising the whole grub and a portion of. the ground round it, by means of some broad instrument, is very great, because if the plants are simply pulled up it is most likely the grubs will be left in the ground, for they are not always inside the bulb, but lie just outside in the earth. It is also most necessary to destroy the injured onions, as the following will clearly show : Miss Omerod, the entomologist to the Royal Agricultural Society of England, cites an instance of one of her correspondents who noticed that some of his onions showed signs of flagging, while still only about the diameter of a knitting needle. Every onion so affected was carefully taken up and burnt. The beds were treated this way every two or three days for three weeks, and the result was there was no further damage during the summer, and the crop of onions was the only good one in the neighbourhood. One of the gardeners employed on this work had an onion bed in his own garden, and followed the plan so far as to pull up all the faulty onions, but threw them down a short distance from the bed, and the consequence was he lost his entire crop. * * * After many experiments 56 VicT. Report on Agriculture. 911 with these insects I have come to the conclusion that the best remedy is hot water. This can be easily applied by means of an ordinary pot with a spout, and should be heated almost to the boiling point and poured along the rows with the nozzle close to the roots, so that the hot water may go directly on the bulbs but not on the leaves. It has baen found that this does not injure the onions, but kills the grubs, and does not require any large expenditure of labour or time. After this treatment the onions should be hoed, and the earth well drawn up over the bulbs so as to prevent further attacks. With reference to the earthing up of onions, most satisfactory results have followed in England, where Miss Omerod has advised for some years that the onion bulb should be covered up with earth up to the neck, or even higher, so that the fly could not get at the bulb to lay its eggs upon it, When mature, the eggs must be laid, and if the bulbs are well covered up they are laid too high on the foliage to do any injury, or are dropped on the earth and perish. This plan has actually been carried so far as to grow onions in a trench, and as the bulbs grew the earth was worked down upon them so as to keep them buried throughout the season. The crop was found to be very fine, the onions large and sound, with scarcely any attack of the fly. " When there has been a severe attack of'any insect which passes the winter in the ground, a useful remedy is gas-lime. This is a waste product from gas-works, and should be easily obtained. It is of a most poisonous nature when fresh, both to plants and insects, but becomes after some months' exposure, to the air a valuable fertilizer, and is harmless to vegetation. A dressing of this substance after the crop of the year has been removed would undoubtedly be of great service in killing all the pupa3 or hibernating larvte, and at the same time enrich the soil. " I may, in conclusion, mention that good results have been obtained this season in Sfcewarton, near Ottawa, by sowing along the rows in onion beds sand saturated with coal oil every two or three weeks, whilst the onions were small and until they were hoed up, the odour of the mineral oil evidently keeping off the flies when they came to deposit their eggs. Gas-lime sown in between the rows would also answer the same purpose. This preventive remedy is, of course, the best means of securing a crop, and care should be taken at the time the rows are thinned out to draw the soil well over the plants to prevent the deposit of eggs on the bulbs. Any plant with a strong odour, as an onion, is doubtless more susceptible of an attack when being hoed or thinned out, for two reasons—not only does the odour of the broken plants attract insect enemies, but the vigour of the plant being- temporarily impaired by the root fibres being disturbed and broken, it is less able to withstand such injury." Currant Worms, Reported from Hornby Island. I cannot find an accurate description of this in any of the Entomological Reports before me. That reported I believe to be a white worm which principally infests the black currant and is found inside of the berry. I know of no remedy ; but probably hellebore used before the fruit has set would be found effective. Insect in Frothy Matter, An insect hatched in a sort of frothy matter, which Mr. McLay reports from Gabriola Island, and describes it as an abomination. This is a common pest on strawberries and speedily kills the plant; it keeps near the base of the stalks and surrounds itself in a white frothy substance. On referring to Mr. Fletcher, I got the following reply :—"Your letter enclosing figure of the insect you describe is to hand. These are the larvae of some kind of homopterous insect, probably an Aphrophora. I think syringing with kerosene emulsion or strong soap suds would probably be the best remedy. They are seldom troublesome here." Potato Bug, (Probably Epicauta metadata,) Reported from Keremeos, Penticton, Spallumcheen, Kamloops, Ashcroft, and Big Bar. I take it that all those reported are of the above named ; but as the descriptions in some instances are somewhat vague, I may be wrong. It is not found to the westward of the Coast Range, but is confined to the dry belt of the, interior. Although designated as "Potato Bug," it by no means confines itself to potatoes, but eats anything green in a garden. Mr. Fletcher describes it as a long, slender, gray beetle, with tiny black spots all over it, and he recommends as a remedy 1 lb. of Paris green to 100 gallons of water, or 1 11). to 50 11)8. of ashes or other fine powder, sprinkled over the foliage. 912 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Turnip Fly, or Flea, ('Phyllotreta vittata. —Fab.y Reported from Victoria and Salt Spring Island. Mr. Fletcher says of this, in his Report, 1885, p. 10:— "There appear to be two or three species of Haltica which attack the turnip on Vancouver Island. A black one (much like H Pubescens), which is troublesome in this part of Canada, occurs in large numbers and is very destructive in some localities. There is also a striped flea beetle much resembling if not identical with Phyllotreta striolata. " The treatment most successful in England with these insects appears to be to manure and plough the land in autumn, leaving the frosts of winter to reduce the surface to a fine tilth, which forms a suitable seed-bed. The surface, of course, needs cultivation in the spring, to destroy the weeds ; but ploughing should not be done at this time for turnips, as it only opens up the soil, allowing the necessary moisture to evaporate and leaving harbours for the insects. The farmers who have been most successful say, ' manure well, disturb the surface as little as possible in spring, and put in plenty of seed. " Changing the time of sowing from that usually practised is said to be successful in some localities ; but evidence is rather contradictory on this point, as the following extracts will show, and seem to indicate that each one must be guided by experience according to the conditions which hold good in his own district. " When turnips are badly attacked by the flea, I have in one or two extreme cases advised the sprinkling of a weak Paris green wash over them, so as to keep the beetles in check while the rough leaves were forming. This has been effective in garden cultivation of early turnips. A useful dry application may be made by mixing one part Paris green with forty of common flour or plaster of paris. Dusting with lime and ashes in the early morning while the dew was on the leaves is reported from different quarters as having been successful." June Bug (Lachnosterna fusca—FrShlj. Reported from Upper Nicola. Mr. Fletcher, in his Report, 1885, p. 49, says of this insect:—The June bug, sometimes called the May bug, which is the perfect condition of the white grub, is so plentiful sometimes as to be a great nuisance, from so many flying into houses at night. Vast numbers of these may be destroyed by suspending a light over an open pan, half filled with water, upon the top of which has been placed some petroleum, flying against the lantern, fall into the pan beneath. Mr. Thos. Bulman, Stump Lake, says:—The June feeding mostly on wild bean and peavine or wild vetches, leaves about the latter end of August. The beetles, bug is a very destructive insect, It comes early in the summer, and Various Insect Pests. The following are also reported, in some cases so indefinitely that it is impossible to identify the pests :—Insects on black-currant bushes—Clinton. Something stinging gooseberries, making a hole in them and causing them to drop off- -J. Maynard, Chilliwhack. Insect injurious to turnips, destroying the leaves ; not the black fly, but more like lice; worst on dry ground—G. A. Bothwell, Clayton. A small, dusky, brown beetle appears in large numbers upon the willow leaves, which it eats ; it has not attacked any other vegetation yet —C. J. Sim, Riverside. Young orchards suffer very much from a small green bug, which gets on the new wood of the trees and eats all the leaves of the tree, sometimes killing the tree— W. F. Bouvette, Okanagan Mission Something destroyed my onions, turnips, and other root crops just as they were appearing above ground; supposed to be very minute grasshoppers and also a worm or grub—H. C. Fraser, Salmon Arm. Some of my neighbours complain of having their plums stung by some insect, causing the gum to ooze out of the fruit, spoiling it —Wm. T. Collinson, Mayne Island Plums exuded a resinous substance—Wm. E. Scott, Vesuvius Bay, Salt Spring Island. Wasps Are reported from Keremeos, Lillooet, Clinton, The Islands, Somenos, and Salt Spring- Island, doing great damage to fruit. I saw numbers of apples in Mr. Trage's orchard on Salt Spring Island completely destroyed by these pests. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 913 Horse Fly or Bulldog, Reported from Kettle River, Spallumcheen, Kamloops, Venables Valley, Dog Creek and Alkali Lake, Williams Lake, Quesnelle, Mud Bay, Sumas, Wharnock, The Islands, and Shawnigan. Mosquitoes, Reported from Spallumcheen, Central Nicola, Clinton, Dog Creek and Alkali Lake, Quesnelle, Surrey Centre, Port Kells, Upper Sumas, Chilliwhack, Sumas, Dewdney, Mission, Wharnock, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, St. Elmo, North Arm, and Nicomin, Mr. L. O. Howard read a paper at the fourth annual meeting of the Association of Economic Entomologists at Rochester, N. Y., 15th August, 1892, in which he recommended the use of coal oil sprinkled on the surface of stagnant or small pools of water (or, as he puts it, "restricted and Ashless breeding ponds"), where the mosquito breeds, and which he says he has found effective in destroying large numbers. Insects on Black Currants. An unsigned report from Clinton :—Among the insect pests are insects on black currant bushes and apple trees. At first sight they are a whitish green, and then turn black. I applied with a brush a mixture of 1 quart water, 1 quart milk, and 1 pint coal oil, which almost entirely rid the trees of the pests. Green Worms. Mr. Hector Ferguson, Port Haney, reports a considerable number of green worms on the leaves of cherries, which began at the points of the branches, eating the leaves, leaving nothing but the fibres. Black Flies. Reported from Kettle River, Spallumcheen, Lillooet, and Surrey Centre. Buffalo Gnats. Reported from Clinton, Williams Lake, and Quesnelle. Sand Flies. Reported from Dog Creek and Alkali Lake. Gad Flies. Reported from North Arm. Bot Flies. Reported from Spallumcheen, North Arm, and Somenos. Mr. Fletcher, Dominion Entomologist, in an address before the Dairymen and Creameries Association of Ontario, Sixteenth Annual Convention, said regarding bots :— " The kerosene emulsion will effect a cure. The simplest way is to begin wherever you see them and squeeze them out one by one. In England cattle seem to suffer more than they do here. When they attain a certain size you can squeeze them out, but if you take the kerosene emulsion that would be better now at this time of year, because they are not large enough to be squeezed out. If you use the emulsion it will kill them, and then they will suppurate out and the wound will heal." Sheep Ticks. Reported from Spallumcheen and Maple Ridge. Mr. Fletcher, during the address mentioned above, also said :— * * * "I might mention, too, that kerosene emulsion is a good sheep-dip. Most farmers use a large quantity of sheep dip at $2 a gallon, and this quantity will make you fifty gallons of wash. Now this receipt that I have given you will do the work just as well and much cheaper." * * * " I mentioned that it had been successfully used for that purpose (ticks). It can be used advantageously against every insect. There is one important thing to remember, and that is : no insect, however small, ever came by chance. It came from a male and female before it, just like every other animal and plant. The greatest man and the 914 Report on Agriculture. 1893 most learned man cannot produce life ; he cannot make something from nothing. A learned man named Bastien has given his whole life trying to prove that he could produce something from nothing, and he has failed. These insects do not come by chance, and if a man clears his stock of them thoroughly he will bo rid of their injuries. The best way is to be constantly on the watch and ready to apply the remedy its soon as the insects appear. These insects multiply very rapidly, and, as soon as they appear, their increase must be checked. The work must be clone thoroughly, and it must be kept up until a cure is affected." How to make and use the Emulsion.—At page 903, under "Aphis," will be found the formula for making kerosene emulsion. Regarding the use of it, Mr. Fletcher says in the same address as that last mentioned :— * * * " When you want to use it, take as much of the emulsion as you desire and add to it first of all three times the quantity of hot water, and it will dissolve ; then add twice as much more water—that is, in all, nine parts of water to one of emulsion. Three quarts is enough to treat a single animal. Using it in the way I have told you, it will cost you one cent and one of the fractions you talk about for each animal. Call it even two cents. By using it you can destroy every fly or parasite on that animal and save money. If you are using it in the winter, or at any time, the best way to apply this emulsion to cattle is to use a spray pump." PLANT DISEASES. Potato Blight and Rot, Reported from Delta, Clayton, Upper Sumas, Mud Bay, Chilliwhack, Sumas, Mission, Wharnock, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, St. Elmo, Lulu Island, Hornby Island, and Comox, in some instances as affecting only the tops, but stopping the growth, and in others as affecting the tubers also. It will be observed that it is not reported from any point to the eastward of the Coast. Range, showing pretty conclusively that the humidity of the lower country is very favourable to the development of the disease. Mr. George Proud, of Mission City, says :—"A blight of some kind is coming over my potatoes. At first I thought they were just ripening, but the last few days the tops have been dying, too rapidly, I think, for that. I have found none of the potatoes diseased yet. Many of the tops take on black spots before dying down ; I enclose a few leaves herein. Potatoes are early Rose and White Elephants. Will you please say whether you can form an opinion as to whether it is the common potato disease, and I shall feel greatly obliged." And in answer to a letter enquiring how the potatoes turned out the following answer was received:—"The foliage I sent cannot be of much service now, but at the time I sent it I thought that with the aid of a microscope, and in more scientific hands, it might be. I should not have made the enquiry but for the fact that I had seen little of potato disease in this country, and the blight came on so early in the season and spread so rapidly. From what I had seen in the Old Country, I expected my potatoes to go bad in the fall and winter, if it was the ordinary potato disease. The tubers seemed to cease growing after the blight, but have kept well. They were pitted in the ground, a light covering of ferns, a foot of soil, and a few loose boards to shoot off the rain. Since writing to you I have seen some statements in a lecture from a Professor of Agriculture in the States. He says there are two diseases which attack the potato; one early, which takes the top only, and a later, which causes the tubers to rot. I suppose he is right, and that it was the early disease which affected my potatoes, and, I think, a good many in this neighbourhood, last year." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 915 Mr. A. G. Selby-Hele, Wharnock, says :—One potato disease has become quite prevalent around here the last year or two. Black spots come on the leaves, and after that the plant soon fails, and the tubers do not grow any more, but do not seem to rot, probably because of our high, dry soil. Mr. C. F. Pound, St. Elmo, says:—Potatoes, about the 1st August, began to wilt, and the stalk died in about two weeks, as if killed by frost. Some potatoes are rotting in the ground. There will not be a goocl crop. Mr. Thomas Kidd, Lulu Island, says :—The blight came on rather early, and checked' the growth of late potatoes, reducing the yield by fully one-third, and injuring the quality. I think the Bordeaux mixture mentioned in your report will be used next year in this locality. Mr. Daniel Johnson, Mud Bay, says :—My potatoes, raised in the flats, have black, lumps in them, and the longer I keep them the worse they get. Potato. The blight of the tops and the dry rot of the tubers are simply different manifestations of one and the same disease. This disease is caused by a parasitic plant or fungus, of which the botanical name is Phytophthora infestans ( Peronospora infestans). We may trace the life history of the fungus briefly as follows :— " Examine a tuber affected with dry rot carefully under the microscope, and the mycelium of the fungus may be found running through it. The dry rot is simply death of the tissues of the tuber from exhaustion, as a result of this mycelium feeding upon them. As soon as the tuber dies the mycelium of the fungus dies ; but until the tuber is killed the fungus lives and spreads through it. If the tuber is stored in a cool cellar the fungus may not grow fast enough to kill the tissues of the tuber; hence, although the mycelium of the fnngus is within the tuber, there may be no indications of its presence. Let the tuber affected with dry rot be planted, or even such a tuber as just described, which contains the fungus but does not show any signs of its presence. Very many such are planted every year. As the potato sprout grows the mycelium of the fungus grows and penetrates stem, branches and leaves of the potato plant. When the conditions of the weather are favourably warm and moist, the mycelium sends fruiting branches out through the breathing pores (stomata) on the underside of the potato leaves, and upon these branches, spores are produced in countless profusion. These spore-bearing branches and spores form the whitish patches which look like frost on the underside of the blighting leaves. The mycelium of the fungus makes an especial drain on the tissues of the plant for food at the time of ripening its spores, and soon kills the leaf at the spot where the spores are produced. " These black spots on the loaves in July and August are a familiar sight to every potato grower in the State. They are an indication that blight is present and ready to spread rapidly if the weather favours the rapid production and germination of the spores. The spores from a single affected plant are enough to carry the blight to a whole potato field in a short time. Striking proof that blight does spread in this way from a single plant, or a few plants, is often seen in the Experiment Station potato field. In 1889 the blight broke out first in one corner and spread diagonally across the field, following the direction of the wind. It is plain now that if any mixture is sprayed upon the potato leaves which will kill the spores, the spread of blight will be checked. It has been demonstrated by repeated trials during the last few years that the mixture of copper sulphate (blue vitriol or blue-stone) and lime, known as the Bordeaux mixture, is a very effective remedy when used in this way. The Bordeaux mixture consists of four pounds of copper sulphate (blue vitriol), six pounds of freshly slacked lime, and twenty-two gallons of water. Full directions for making and applying this mixture have been published in Bulletin No. 24. (Fourth Annual Report of the Vermont State Agricultural Experimental Station, 1890, p. 181.) Mr. Fletcher, in his examination before the Select Standing Committee of the House of Commons, 4th July, 1891, says :— "A serious plant disease, that has now been brought within control through the studies of scientific men, is the potato rot. The experiments in connection with this murrain, which has caused more than one famine in Ireland, have been most satisfactory, and consist of 916 Report on Agriculture. 1893 treating the plant with copper mixture. What is known as the Bordeaux mixture has been used extensively in France, and this year I read that the English Government is trying it both at home and in Ireland. In the United States it has also been used successfully at some of the Experimental Stations. I have arranged a series of experiments at the farm, for treating both the scab and rot of the potato. The Bordeaux mixture consists of 6 lbs. of copper sulphate dissolved in 16 gallons of water, and 4 lbs. of fresh lime dissolved in 6 gallons of water, dissolved separately, but afterwards strained and mixed, and then sprayed over the foliage. For the treatment of the potato beetle and potato rot at the same time, the article known as " London Purple," is to be used for mixing with the Bordeaux mixture, in preference to Paris green, on account of its chemical nature." The following tire excerpts from " Diseases of Field and Garden Crops," by Worthington G. Smith, p. 15 : — " (Peziza postuma, Berk, and Wils.). In the beginning of the month of August, 1880, Mr. Ambrose Balfe, Secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland, reported to us a disease then invading certain crops of potatoes in the West of Ireland in a manner hitherto unknown to him. The potatoes had been bought as " Champions," and planted in land which had been reclaimed from bog eight years previous to the outbreak of the disease. When the ground was reclaimed a coat of clay was spread over and incorporated with the soil. For the first three years potatoes were grown, followed by a year of oats ; next the ground was sown with grass and meadowed ; and lastly " Champion " potatoes were planted. In preparing the ground for the potatoes seaweed was first spread over the grass, and ten days afterwards it was covered with farm-yard manure. The potato sets were laid on the manure and then covered. Ridge planting was adopted. No doubt the mode of culture was defective, as it is bad in practice to place potato sets in immediate contact with decaying vegetable matter and farm-yard manure ; such materials always contain an immense number of disease germs, both of animal and vegetable origin. The manure used for potatoes should always be old and thoroughly decayed, and it is perhaps best that the cut faces of the sets should be allowed to dry before they are planted. Some planters pass the cut surfaces rapidly across a hot iron with good effect, but others maintain that it is better to place the freshly cut sets in the soil immediately after cutting and whilst the wound is still quite fresh. Planting in rank undecayed material is not only destructive to the material which is stored up within the tuber or set (material which is the food of the future plant), but it is also injurious to the young- shoots and rootlets, for any hot, fermenting material acts its a poison to these growths and diminishes the vigour of the infant plant. The conditions of planting in the instance here adverted to may, however, have had nothing to do with the disease which followed in the summer. " Until the attack now under description, the potato plants, as far as outward appearances went, were free from any taint of the fungus of the potato disease proper, named Peronospora infestans —Mont. The disease was first noticed in the beginning of July at the time the potato flowers were opening ; but there can be little doubt that it was in or upon the plants several weeks previously, as by its nature it would not attract much attention at first. It is strange that other potatoes named "Protestants," growing close to the "Champions," were not attacked. The appearance of the diseased plants was peculiar ; they were covered within and without with a thick felt of white fungus spawn or mycelium. The growth of this spawn was so rapid and profuse that in a week or two the whole of the steins and leaves were reduced to tinder, the entire moisture belonging to the stems and leaves being exhausted by the fungus. Leaves are of such vital importance to plants that the destruction of them is synonymous with a cessation of a plant's growth. " Remedy.—The remedy for this state of disease is obvious. No infected stems should be allowed to rot in the fields, but all should be carefully gathered together and burnt. If the stems are allowed to rot on the ground the disease is almost certain to recur; but if they tire burnt not only will the Sc'erotia of the Peziza be destroyed, but the spawn, germs, eggs, and spores belonging to numerous other parasites perhaps equally as bad with the Peziza itself will be destroyed at the same time. If on examination of the potato stems it is found that many of the Sclerotia have dropped from them, the top surface of the ground should, if possible, be raked and burnt. Nothing is more common than to find hibernating reproductive bodies falling readily to the ground. This is clearly a natural provision for their preservation. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 917 Disease of Potatoes. (Fusisporium Solani.—Mart.) "When potatoes are destroyed by parasitic fungi in the, autumn it does not always happen that the parasite is the dreaded putrefactive fungus of the murrain, named Peronospora infestans—Mont. Another highly destructive fungus, named Fusisporium Solani—Mart., is sometimes equally damaging to pptatoes with the Peronospora, itself. * * * * " It often happens that Fusisporium grows in company with Peronospora on potatoes ; at other times the two fungi grow apart. "(Fusisporium Solani—Mart.) is not peculiar to decaying potatoes, for it grows with rapidity on potatoes which are apparently undiseased if bruised or cut. To the unaided eye its growth bears such a close general resemblance to Peronospora that it might readily be mistaken for it. Indeed the use of a lens, even with practised observers, is often necessary to distinguish between the two. " The destruction of potatoes is complete when the Fusisporium works in company with the Peronospora, and when the spawn threads of both fungi are interlaced, a condition very often observed in the midland and southern counties. "In experimenting on the growth of this fungus, it is very easy to transfer the flocculent or semi-mucilaginous spawn from a diseased potato to a thin slice cut from an apparently sound one. If a very thin transparent slice of a sound potato is placed on a glass slide, and some of the spores and threads of the Fusisporium placed near the edge of the apparently healthy living slice, the rapid progress of growth in the fungus can be observed with ease if the material under experiment is kept moist. The growth of the Fusisporium is extremely rapid, and the production of the compound spores most profuse. The small hibernating spores burst and produce a perfect Fusisporium in six hours. The mycelium appears to have the property of breaking up the cell walls, of injuring the contained starch, and of speedily reducing the potato to a loathsome mass of putridity. In certain instances, the presence of the Fusisporium appears to cause the substance of the invaded potato to rot and become dry. The fungi found under Fusisporium are not generally considered to be capable of producing putrescence of tissues, but F. Solani (Mart.) is an exceptional species; the mycelial threads of the spores differ from typical species of the genus. A profuse growth of Fusisporium solani (Mart.), when seen under the microscope, looks like the surface of a field of corn, the ears being represented by the closely-packed Fusisporium, spores. For lessening the attacks of this fungus, the only known plan is to destroy all affected material with fire, and not allow any decayed potato refuse to remain in the fields. "Smut of Potatoes. " (Tubercinia scabies.—B.) " The smut which produces one form of scab in potatoes is carried by an olive-green or brownish fungus of subterranean habit, named Tubercinia scabies—B., from tuber, an ancient Roman name for fungus; cineres, ashes ; and scabies, the itch. " The presence of the fungus may be detected by discoloured blotches on the bark. As in the disease caused by the Peronospora, it often happens that no trace of the fungus is to be seen at the time of harvesting. It frequently shows itself during the winter in stored potatoes, which, at the time of digging, were apparently quite sound. In bad cases, small discoloured spots first appear on the bark of the tuber; these increase in size and become confluent, till at length the entire skin of the potato is discoloured. The cuticle then bursts in many places, and the olive-green spores are liberated. Like many other plant diseases, potato smut is in some seasons rare; at other times it is very common and destructive. No potatoes showing traces of smut should be planted as seed. " Scab and Cracking of Potatoes. " The brownish scab on the skin or bark, and the cracking of the bark in potatoes, are probably due to one and the same cause, and that a mechanical one. Scab and cracking are often confounded with smut in potatoes ; but whereas the latter ailment is invariably caused by a fungus, there is seldom any fungus present (unless it be one of the species which so commonly follow injuries) in scab and cracking. Cracked and scabbed potatoes are not marketable, and as the fissures in the bark expose the inner substance of the potato to the earth, it is 918 Report on Agriculture. 1893 generally said that tubers so injured possess an earthy and disagreeable taste foreign to uncracked and unscabbed examples. " Scabbing and cracking begin at a very early stage of growth in the tuber, and both are at first seen as small corroded spots or minute open pustules ; in bad cases the spots and cracks become confluent, and the whole bark of the potato presents au unsightly appearance. When the inner substance of the potato is once exposed, minute insects, and sometimes fungi, add to the injury. If such fungi as Peronospera or Fusisporium light on the exposed places, destruction of the tuber is soon complete. Scab and cracking are said, in the first instance, to be due to the presence of some irritating or corrosive substauce in the soil. Continued drought, and possibly sudden and superabundant moisture, will also cause one form of scab. A natural effort is made by the potato to repair the injury, and so a hard scab originates; when insects and fungi light on the injured parts, repeated efforts are made to repair the damage, and so the bark is brought into a scabbed and cracked condition. Lime rubbish, builders' refuse, refuse from ashpits, and other materials of the same class, are said to cause corrosion, scab, and cracking of the bark of potato tubers by contact. When the bark is carefully removed, small depressions are clearly seen, answering to the scabs removed with the bark. Iii bad cases, the pits beneath the scabs tire excavated deeply into the substance of the potato, and when the bark is removed, the substance of the tuber, though frequently slightly discoloured, is left intact. " It generally happens that a portion only of a crop of potatoes is scabbed, and this portion can often be distinctly traced to one part of the field whence the potatoes were derived. On visiting this position, the irritating substances in the. soil will usually be seen. When scab and cracking can be thus traced, the remedy is obvious." Smut in (train Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Grand Prairie, Kamloops, Lower Nicola, Chilcotin, Chilliwhack, Agassiz, St. Elmo, and Cowichan. Mr. H. S. Cleasby, of Coldwater, Lower Nicoia, says :—Fall wheat some years, especially if wet, inclined to smut, although treated as usual with blue vitriol. Oats also inclined to smut; have not used anything upon them. Have seen as much as five per cent, smut in wheat, and nearly ten per cent, in oats. Mr. Corfield, of Cowichan, says :—Grain is affected with smut and rust, but if the seed is wetted with a solution of sulphate of copper (not iron), say 2 oz. to the bushel, I find it never fails to prevent it. Mr. Eustace A. Smith, correspondent for Okanagan Mission, says :—As regards grain crops, smut was very bad indeed, and wild oats thick, but by the judicious use of bluestone on the seeds, we expect to have no smut next year; it never fails to act in England. The appearance of this fungous disease is so well known that I do not repeat a description. I give the following remedies from Mr. Fletcher's Bulletin No. 3, p. 12 :— "1. Sulphate of Copper—also called '■Bluestone' or 'Blue Vitriol.' " This substance can usually be procured in any part of Canada from druggists or general storekeepers, at about 10 cents per lb., so that the cost of treating seed with the strongest solution recommended below would not exceed 2^ cents per bushel. The different methods of applying this substance to the grain vary slightly, but the differences are merely with regard to the extent to which it is deemed advisable to wet the seed. Some advise soaking the grain; but it would appear from the results of many experiments that this is not necessary. Mr. Worthington G. Smith advises the following :—' 1 lb. of bluestone dissolved in five quarts of boiling water is sufficient for a sack of four Imperial bushels. The wheat is soaked for ten minutes, or the ten pints of solution may be poured over till all is absorbed.' "Mr. S. A. Bedford, of Moosomin, N. W. T., who has had considerable experience as a farmer in Manitoba and the North-West Territories, tells me that the following method has proved successful in his district:— " 'One pound of sulphate of copper is dissolved in a pailful of hot water, which is then sprinkled by one person over ten bushels of wheat placed in a wagon box, while someone else keeps the grain well stirred. Should a large amount of smut be detected in grain required for seed, the solution is made stronger, double the quantity of bluestone being used ' 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 919 " The chief advantage claimed for this method is that in a few hours the grain is sufficiently dry to sow with the drill. "Mr. C. S. Plumb, of the New York Experimental Station, used 4 oz. of sulphate of copper in one gallon of water, and reports that 'seeds soaked 17|- hours in this solution were found to produce a slight amount of smut. Soaked 40 hours, all germs of the fungus were killed.' " It is to be noted that Mr. Plumb's experiments were with oats, in which, from the fact that the seed is contained inside a comparatively loose husk, there is much more difficulty in removing or destroying all the smut spores than is the case with the smooth and naked grains of wheat. "2. Brine or Lime. " A remedy generally available at country farm-houses, and from which good results have been secured, is to soak the grain for ten or fifteen minutes in brine of the ordinary strength used for pickling pork (i. e., in which a fresh egg will float). If well stirred, many of the smut spores, smutty and imperfect grains, <fec., will rise to the surface, and can be skimmed off and destroyed. After the brine is poured off, the wheat must be dried by dusting lime over it until all the grains are white. " It is claimed that sprinkling the brine on the grain instead of soaking it as above, before dusting it with lime, has been found successful, but I have never tried this method. " 3. Alkaline Water. " It might happen that none of the above-mentioned materials were obtainable, and in such case the mere washing of the seed would be beneficial. Mr. Smith says : ' As the spores are lighter than water, steeping in brine, or even pure water, is often effectual, as the spores float and are easily washed away. Some alkaline ley should be added if water is used, as the oil on the surface of the spores combines with the alkali and forms a soapy substance which is fatal to the effectual spore germination.' " An alkaline ley suitable for the above purpose may be made by adding to three or four gallons of boiling water, in any suitable vessel, one gallon of hard-wood ashes, and stirring frequently until the alkaline properties of the ashes are extracted; or an alkaline solution of sufficient strength may be made by dissolving about 2 lbs. of ordinary washing soda in a pailful of water." Peach Yellows. Reported from Chilliwack by Mr. Eugene F. Smith. In reference to this disease 1 quote from the twenty-fourth report of the Fruit Growers Association of Ontario, 1892, p. 81, as follows:— " Another problem in horticulture, which, as yet, is unsolved, is the cause of the yellows in the peach. This mysterious disease originated in the peach orchards of some of the Middle States a good many years ago. It has gradually spread from State to State throughout the larger part of the Union, and across the borders into the peach orchards of our own country. Periodically its visitations seem to be more severe in character, destroying orchards by wholesale. Then, after peach-growers have given up peach-growing for some time, they find themselves able to begin again with some fair hopes of success. The Department of Vegetable Pathology of the United States has taken this matter up and spent an immense amount of money in investigating into this disease, and to this work have appointed Professor Erwin Smith, who has made elaborate reports of his work. But, although a large amount of money has been spent in this direction during the last three years, as yet no definite results have been obtained." A year ago last summer I had a call from Professor Burrill, of Champaign, TIL, who was delegate to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, then meeting in Toronto. He was looking up cases of yellows, which, he said, were not common in his State. He is a man of most careful research, and his opinions are worthy of consideration. He believed that the disease was caused by bacteria, and in this most scientific men are in accord with him. One thing we do know about the yellows, and that is that it is of an infectious character, in which respect it equals scarlet fever and small-pox. It may be carried from tree, to tree, either by bees in their searches for honey, or by instruments used in pruning the orchard. 920 Report on Agriculture. 1893 From the American Garden, November, 1891, p. 695, Professor B. F. Galloway says of this disease :— " The cause of peach yellows is yet a mystery. The disease is transmissible. It cannot be cured ; it can only be eradiated by means of the axe and fire." Black Knot on Plums (Ploivrightia morbosa) Is caused by a fungus, according to Bulletin LIL, Ontario Department of Agriculture, by J. Hoyes Panton, M. A., F. G. S., who recommends the remedies mentioned below. This disease is reported from Okanagan Mission and Chilliwhack. In connection with Professor Panton's recommendation to destroy wild choke cherry trees near orchards, I may mention that I saw numbers of these trees in several parts of the Upper Country affected with the disease. Remedies.—1. Hitherto most orchardists have found the best thing to do is to cut off affected limbs and destroy them. Where the tree is badly attacked, destroy the whole tree. 2. Some experiments in applying linseed oil to the knots with a small brush so as to saturate the knot have been effective. This is done three or four times during the summer as soon as the knots appear. 3. Coal oil may be used, but it must be applied carefully. If it runs over the branch it will kill it. 4. Wild'choke cherry trees near orchards should be destroyed. It is unfortunate that so little regard is paid to the law, which requires affected trees to be destroyed. These trees are scattering millions of spores yearly, and thus spreading disease to all parts of the Province. Blighted trees stand as monuments of the indifference and ignorance of those who should co-operate in fighting against a common foe. Gooseberry Mildew Is reported front Venables Valley, Ashcroft, Comox, Cowichan, and Sahtlam. Mr. W. V. Kirkpatrick, of Venables Valley, says :—It is impossible to raise the English gooseberry, it mildews so badly. But the mildew does not bother the American varieties. Mr. John Craig, Horticulturist of the Central Experimental Farm, Bulletin No. 10, April, 1891, says of this disease :— " The great drawback to the successful cultivation of the European gooseberry in Canada has been the annual loss occasioned by the prevalence of this disease (Sphoerotheca mors-uvce, B. and C). The external appearance of the fungus is well known, showing on young woods, leaves and fruit as a whitish downy coating, usually appearing soon after the leaves have fully expanded. " Treatment.—Successful results are reported by Prof. Goff, of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Wisconsin, by the use of potassium sulphide (liver of sulphur) at the rate of one ounce dissolved in four gallons of water. Spraying was commenced when the leaves were partly expanded, and repeated seven or eight times during the summer." Without actual experiment it would not be wise to recommend the unrestricted use of any remedy for this disease, but from our present knowledge of the general efficacy of the ammoniacal copper carbonate, it seems safe to advise a trial at any rate of this remedy in the same proportions as those given for the apple. The effect on the foliage of the first application should be carefully noted, and if at all injurious the amount of copper carbonate should be lessened to 1^ ounces. The following remedy is recommended in the report of the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association, 1892, p. 85 :—" Early and frequent applications of flowers of sulphur are useful, but not so effective as in the case of the grape vine mildew. Experiments at the Geneva Experiment Station, conducted last summer, have resulted in the discovery that the most successful treatment of gooseberry mildew is with sulphuret of potassium. The bushes were sprayed at an early date with a solution of one-half ounce of this substance dissolved in a gallon of hot water. It is, therefore, recommended as the best known remedy for this evil." Mildew in Peas (Erysiphe Martii— Lk.), Reported from Pavilion Mountain. From " Diseases of Field and Garden Crops," by Worthington G. Smith, p. 267, I give the following: "This destructive blight of peas invariably invades the late varieties, and is especially virulent in dry seasons. In small gardens the 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 921 attack of the fungus may be prevented by keeping the peas well supplied with water. This treatment, however, cannot be adopted in the fields, and watering favours the growth of the Peronospora. Sometimes late peas are so badly attacked by this fungus that they appear as if thickly dusted with powdered chalk, and on the white surface thus formed the innumerable black conceptacles of the Erysiphe may be readily seen with the unaided eye. An attack of this fungus generally stops the growth of the invaded plants, and makes the production of pods impossible. The mycelium is provided with the minute suckers termed haustoria, and these haustoria pierce the epidermis of the attacked plant and cause decay. We have seen this fungus growing with its conceptacles inside the pods of the peas. " It unfortunately happens that this parasite is not confined to peas ; it sometimes grows on beans and melilot, plants belonging to the same family with the pea. It is, however, able to support itself on plants of St. John's wort (Hypericum), some unbelliferous plants, and the meadow-sweet (Spiraea Ulmaria—L.). It is thus capable of growing effectually upon plants belonging to plants of four different natural orders. " The only known preventive against attacks of this pest is the destruction by fire of all invaded material. The fungus is preserved in decaying refuse ; in this material the little brown conceptacles remain intact during the winter, and in the following summer they burst, and each example discharges about fifty little living transparent spores ready to grow on the leaves of peas, weave a spider-web-like mycelium over the surface, and pierce the epidermis." Pear Leaf Blight (Micrococcus Atnylovorus) Is reported from Chilliwhack, Wharnock, Maple Ridge, Metchosin, Cowichan, and Somenos. Pear Blight.—Professor Galloway, in reply to a question about the nature of pear blight, says that it is caused by the work of a micro-organism which enters the tree through a growing tip, or through a flower. These microbes are easily obtained, and can be bred like insects or plants. What to do for their destruction is another thing. We do not yet know much about it. The leaf blight can be prevented by spraying with copper mixture, but this does not effect fire blight. Black Scab (Fusicladium dendriticum) On apples and pears is reported from Mission, Cowichan, Gabriola Island, Nanoose, Surrey Centre, Ladner's, Agassiz, Maple Ridge, Somenos, and Salt Spring Island. Mr. E. Hutcherson, Ladner's, Inspector of Fruit Pests, says :—The black scab on the apple and pear is our greatest pest or disease at present. We used the following as a spray last season, and succeeded in checking its ravages. I sprayed three times ; once before the blossom, once just after, and a third application two weeks later : Four lbs. copper sulphate, 4 lbs. fresh lime, 50 gals, water. This disease has been a great source of loss in the lower part of the Province. It will be observed that, like all fungus diseases, it does not seem to affect the trees in the Upper Country, not an instance being reported from there. Fungicides Recommended.—The following mixtures are recommended:— 1 ammoniacal copper carbonate, Carbonate of copper, 8 oz. Ammonia, 1 gal. Water, 100 gals. How to prepare :—In an ordinary vessel, capable of holding a gallon or more, put 2 oz. of carbonate of copper and 1 quart of ammonia (ask your druggist for strong ammonia); when the copper is completely dissolved, pour the mixture into a barrel and add 25 gallons of water. The solution is then ready for use. Medium-sized trees will take about one gallon each, and large trees from one to two gallons. A convenient method when using this formula is to prepare the carbonate of copper by dissolving it in the ammonia at once in the full quantity ordered above, and keeping it ready for use stored away in ordinary quart glass jars, these to be diluted with water as needed.—J. Craig, horticulttwist, Central Experimental Farm, Bulletin No. 1. 922 Report on Agriculture. 1893 From the fourth annual report of the Vermont State Agricultural Experiment Station, 1890, p. 142, I take the following :— "Black scab on apple is caused by the fungus (Fusicladium dendriticum). The spores are produced in olive green patches upon the fruit and leaves, and even upon the younger branches of the trees. We found a luxurious growth of the fungus producing myriads of spores upon Greenings several weeks after they were stored in our cellar last fall. It is possible that conditions may be such that these spores may germinate and spread the disease to the uninfected fruit after storing. If so, this may explain in part the spotting of the apples after they are barrelled." Mr. Goff, of the Wisconsin Station, recommends, as the results of his experiments, the following treatment :—Dissolve one ounce of copper carbonate in one quart of ammonia (strength 22° Baume). Keep corked tightly until ready for use, then dilute with 25 gallons of water. Spray once just before the flowers open, a second time just after the petals fall, and repeat at intervals of two or three weeks until midsummer. Wait a few hours after spraying with this before spraying with Paris green for the codling moth. The following are also reported : — Mr. H. D. Green-Armytage, Lower Nicola, says :—I have lost some of my currant crop from curled leaf. Messrs. Eugene F. Smith and A. Mennell, Chilliwhack, and L. A. Agassiz, Agassiz, report peach leaf curl Mr, H. O. Wellburn reports rose leaf rust from Somenos. Mr. M. Sullivan, Shuswap, says :—Some apple trees showed symptoms of fire blight, but it may have been occasioned by the excessive heat which prevailed at that time. Mr. A. Mennell, Chilliwhack, reports a bark disease on plums. Suggestions regarding Spraying, For those who wish to do their own spraying, or who cannot bo reached by the Inspector of Fruit Pests, I give the following from The Canadian Horticulturist, April, 1893, p. 124 :— How to Spray. As the treatment is entirely preventive, in order to make spraying effective it must be commenced early. All parts of trees or plants must be reached with the preventive agent. Drenching is not necessary, and is expensive. A film or coating of the fungicide deposited upon the foliage will prevent the development of the spores as well as a complete soaking ; but it is important that all the leafy surface should be wetted at least on the upper side. For orchard work a good force pump, which may be fitted into a barrel—side or end—will give satisfaction. Tt must be of sufficient strength, and fitted with a nozzle which will project the spray in a fine state of division, yet with sufficient force to enter the deeper recesses of the foliage. More expensive pumps drawn and operated by horse power may be purchased, but are seldom necessary except for large orchards. The Vermoral nozzle is a very satisfactory instrument for distributing the liquid. Co-operative Spraying. Some factors which act as deterrents to the progress of spraying may be enumerated as follows : This work, like the introduction of spraying for the prevention of insect enemies, on account of involving new lines of thought and action, is sometimes regarded by the farmer as impracticable on a large scale. It involves the purchase of implements and material which ■ire sometimes difficult to obtain just when required. The success of the work also depends on intelligent adaptation of the treatment to the climatic conditions existing during the spraying period. To obviate some of these difficulties I would suggest the adoption of a co-operative plan of spraying. First, where orchards are not large, a few farmers might combine and purchase a spraying outfit, which would serve the community, and if it were possible to have it continuously operated by the same individual, whom practice would lend superior facility in using it, an additional advantage would be gained. Another arrangement could be made as follows:— 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 923 A complete spraying outfit, including chemicals, might be purchased by a person who would be prepared to spray under contract, by the acre, or at a stated figure per tree. If this system of combating fungus and insect enemies was introduced, it would obviate much of the prejudice and inconvenience now connected with the work, and spraying would probably in a few years, to the great benefit of orchardists, become the general practice. Spraying Mixtures. 1. Diluted Bordeaux mixture:— Copper sulphate 4 lbs. Lime : . . . . 4 ii Paris green , 4 oz. Water 50 gallons. This may be prepared by dissolving, in a barrel, 4 lbs. powdered copper sulphate. In another vessel slake four pounds of fresh lime with as many gallons of water ; spread a piece of coarse sacking, held in place by a hoop, over the top of the barrel in which the copper sulphate has been dissolved ; strain through this the creamy mixture of lime and water. Paris green may then be added, after which the barrel should be filled with water. This forms an excellent insecticide as well as fungicide, and therefore useful to destroy codling worm, bud moth, and canker worm. It should be used soon after being prepared. 2. Ammoniacal copper carbonate :— Copper carbonate 5 oz. Ammonia 2 quarts. Water 50 gallons. This is more expensive than the former, is more easily applied, and is used as a substitute, especially in the case of grapes, where the Bordeaux mixture might, by adhering to the fruit, injure its sale. It is prepared by dissolving the copper carbonate in the ammonia and diluting with water ■ to fifty gallons. The concentrated solution should be poured into the water. Care should be taken to keep the ammonia tightly corked in glass or stone jars. Treatment of Apple and Pear spot. 1. Before growth begins in spring, spray with a solution of copper sulphate, 1 lb. to 50 gallons of water. On no account should this be applied after the foliage has appeared, as it will severely injure it. 2. Just before the blossoms open, spray with diluted Bordeaux mixture (No. 1). Repeat this after the blossoms have fallen, and make a third application two or three weeks afterwards. Tf the season is wet and rainy a later application may be advisable. 924 Report on Agriculture. 1893 DISEASES OF ANIMALS. HORSES. Distemper and epizootic are reported from Kettle River, Grand Prairie, Venables Valley, Ashcroft, Chilcotin, Williams Lake, Sumas, and Victoria, but not in a bad form in any instance. Some cases of glanders in Victoria, Sea Island, James Island, and Beecher Bay, and some cases of minor diseases, were discovered and attended to by Mr. Roper (see his report). I also call attention to his description of glanders, which will be found of use. Mr. R. Hoey, Lillooet, says : "There was a slight disease amongst horses, but it was not fatal about here." Mr. Ernest Spraggett, Kettle River, says: " Quite a few good horses died here last fall, in good condition ; sick about 24 hours ; could not find any cause. They were all from the U. S. side of the line." CATTLE. Red Water Is reported from Port Kells, Wharnock, Maple Ridge, The Islands, and Comox. Mr. F. M. Webster, Webster's Corner, says : " Troubled in this section of country with a disease in cattle called bloody water; no known remedy. Water, in advanced stage of disease, seems to turn all to blood. Have lost four head from said cause. Calves also die from a disease, name and remedy unknown; affects head; nozzle, swells; blood will oose through skin on body. They die in from two to three days Have lost ten from this cause." Mr. A. C. Henry, Wharnock, sends the following on the same subject: — ./. R. Anderson, Esq., " Department of Agriculture, " Victoria, £. C. 'Wharnock, B. G, 9th January, 1893. information respecting evalent in this district. the cattle run in the trike me as being prob- giving any information " A. C. Henry." J. W. Robertson, Dairy be found to cover the " Dear Sir,—I shall feel greatly obliged if you can give me any the disease known amongst the farmers as red water, which is very pn It is attributed by some to the use of clover hay as stall feed ; but as bush during the summer, and are only fed in winter, this does not s able, and you will be doing a great service to myself and others by upon the subject. " Yours truly, (Signed) In answer, I beg to reproduce the following, sent to me by Prof. Commissioner, Central Experimental Farm, which, I think, will ground :— Extract from " The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser," by Prof. Jas. Law. "WpoD Evil—Red Water of Cattle, Sheep, and Pigs. " Under this name we designate a malady generally described as bloody urine (hcema- turia), but as the liquid does not usually contain blood globules or clots, and as the liver is almost invariably enlarged and softened and the blood elements are largely destroyed, it must be conceded that the affection is more intimately associated with disorder of the hepatic functions than of any other. The cause, which may be stated as feeding on irritant and unwholesome food, is such as is calculated to disorder the digestive organs and liver. The blood seems to suffer secondarily, though it is by no means disproved that other blood-forming functions besides those of the liver are involved. The blood itself is usually thin, watery and comparatively incoagulable, with a deficiency of fibrine, albumen and red globules—the last named 56 Vict, Report on Agriculture. 925 elements being smaller than natural and irregularly notched around their margins. The urine varies in colour from a simple reddish tinge through the various shades of red and brown to black. It contains albumen and various albuminoid agents, excess of urea, cholesterine and phosphates, implying hepatic disturbance and destructive changes taking place in the blood. " This is essentially a disease of unimproved localities, and attacks animals fed too exclusively on products of such land, which are naturally stimulating to the digestive organs and liver. Turnips and other saccharine roots, though perfectly safe from ordinary soils, are dangerous from these, and in the natural meadows and woods the young shoots of resinous trees (coniferce) and the acrid plants of the ranunculus, colchicum and asclepias families, etc., are held to produce it. Its prevalence in woods and uncultivated meadows has procured for it in almosf all European countries some name equivalent to wood, disease. An important element in the causation is the existence of soil, rich in organic matter and soured by the stagnation of water, owing to a clay or otherwise impervious subsoil. Cows are very susceptible just after calving, and often perish. "Symptoms.—Dullness, languor, weakness, especially of the hind limbs, trembling, surface coldness, staring coat, dry muzzle, hot mouth and horns, and diminution of the milk, which is white and frothy and may throw down a reddish sediment; appetite is lost, thirst ardent, pulse small and weak, beats of the heart tumultuous, amounting to palpitation in the parturient cases; bowels at first relaxed, afterward costive ; abdomen tender; urine passed frequently in small quantity, and often with suffering. Colicky pains are often a marked symptom when the irritation of the bowels is extreme. Delirium even will set in in bad cases, and death usually supervenes on a state of extreme prostration. "Prevention may be sought in thorough drainage; in restricting the allowance of objectionable food and supplementing it with sound dry grain and fodder; in the avoidance of damp, woody and natural meadows in spring until there is a good growth of grass, and in the rejection of hay from faulty pastures containing an excess of acrid plants. " Treatment.—At the onset of the disease nothing succeeds better than a free evacuation of the bowels and depletion of the portal vein and liver by an active purgative. When there is no abdominal pain or other sign of inflammation of the bowels, salts or any other active purgative will suffice, but with colic and tenderness of the abdomen, we must restrict our choice to olive oil and other bland materials. In advanced and weak conditions, decoctions of linseed should be resorted to. The animal is to be. supported by diffusable stimulants and iron tonics, with chlorate of potassa, and the bowels sheathed and protected by infusions of slippery elm, or mallow, decoctions of linseed, eggs, milk, or mucilage. Diet should consist of linseed decoctions, well boiled gruels, bran mashes, and other nutritive and easily digested food." Big Jaw- Is reported from Keremeos, Kamloops, and Upper Nicola. Mr. Thos. Bulman, Stump Lake, says big jaw in cattle is the worst disease we have to contend with. It sometimes begins in between the skin and the flesh, which if cut out right away, mostly proves successful, but I have never cured a case when it has reached the bone. I often think it is caused by a bruise. Me. A. Noble, North Thompson, Kamloops, says :—There is another disease in cattle which is common. A swelling forms under the lower jaw, and in all cases to my knowledge has proved fatal. Other Diseases. The following are also reported— Mr, J. Parks, Clayton, says :—I have two cattle troubled with hard lumps the size of a large cup, one in the neck and the other in the thigh. There is no matter coming from the same, neither does the lump grow from the bone, as it can be grasped in the hand. The cattle have been brought up on the low- land. Would it be advisable to lance these lumps ? Mr. Andrew Noble, Kamloops, says :—There is a disease among the cattle. The animal- attacked looses its flesh and strength, and becomes weak and unable to travel. Should it recover, the hind quarters are often affected. It appears to be like spavin in a horse. Thos. Bosomworth, Port Haney, says he is troubled with some disease which kills cows when calving. They run at the nose and the head swells, Daniel Johnson, Mud Bay, says : —For the last twelve years I have lost over fifty per cent, of my calves from a disease of the lungs in the wet weather of the fall and winter. They take a wheezing cough, and towards spring it gets worse and the scours set in and they die soon. I think it is brought on by the damp climate. I never lost a calf that was sucking the cow. Mr. William Scorey, Hatzic, says there is a disease amongst calves there which proves fatal. They run at the nose, with bleeding and heavy snoring, and refuse food Mr. B. Watkins, Clayton, says :—My calves are troubled with a swelling in the throat. One died, the others got over it. The symptoms are similar to quinsey. Mr. L. A. Agassiz, Agassiz, says :—Ringworm amongst cattle for the first time last winter. They caught it from the neighbour's cattle. Mr, Hector Ferguson, Port Haney, reports lung-worm in calves. Mr. Henry Smith says :— I lost two good cows in Victoria from puerperal fever. The loss in Victoria District is very heavy every year. SHEEP. Fluke Is reported from Clayton and Maple Ridge. Mr. E. M. Wiltshire, of Clayton, says :—There are but few sheep here, but they seem to do well and are free from fluke or liver roots, which I hear is showing itself in other parts. This disease is one of the worst to which sheep are liable, and it is a subject on which further information is greatly needed, as there are so many different opinions as to the causes of the disease. In the old country it has been found that sheep turned out on wet meadows in the fall of the year are sure to be affected, but this is not the case on land subject to overflow from the sea, and therefore the salt is considered a preventive. In a further report Mr. Wiltshire says :—In my report I stated that fluke in sheep had not made its appearance round here, but since that date a neighbour informs me that his sheep are affected. Mr. H. Ferguson, of Port Haney, says :—Seventy-five per cent, of the sheep here have died of liver fluke. Scab. Mr. L. A. Agassiz, Agassiz, reports some scab in his vicinity. Mr. D. G. Cumming, Spallumcheen, says he has lost two sheep from an unknown disease. The following extracts are taken from Randall's Sheep Husbandry, pages 248 and 249 :— " Leenweirhock says that he has taken 870 flukes out of one liver, exclusive of those that were cut to pieces or destroyed in opening the various ducts. In other cases, and where the sheep have died of the rot, there were not found more than ten or twelve, * * * "Then, is the fluke worm the cause or effect of rot? To a certain degree, both. They aggravate the disease ; they perpetuate a state of irritability and disorganization, which must necessarily undermine the strength of any animal. * * * Notwithstanding all this, however, if the fluke follow the analogy of other entoza and parasites it is the effect and not the cause of rot. * * * " The rot in sheep is evidently connected with the soil or state of the pasture. It is confined to wet seasons, or to feeding on ground moist or marshy at all seasons. It has reference to the evaporation of water, and to the presence and decomposition of moist vegetable matter. It is rarely or almost never seen on dry on sandy soils, and in dry seasons ; it is rarely wanting on boggy or poachy ground, except when that ground is dried by the heat of the summer's sun, or completely covered by the winter's rain. On the same farm there are fields on which no sheep can be turned with impunity. There are others that seldom or never give the rot. The soil of the first is found to be of a pervious nature, on which wet cannot long remain. The second takes a long time to dry, or is rarely or never so, * * * L 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 927 " Some seasons are far more favourable to the development of the rot than others, and there is no manner of doubt as to the character of those seasons. After a rainy summer or a moist autumn, or during a wet winter, the rot destroys like a pestilence. A return and a continuance of dry weather materially arrests its murderous progress. Most of the sheep that had been already affected die; but the number of those that are lost soon begins to be materially diminished. It is, therefore, sufficiently plain that the rot depends upon, or is caused by, the existence of moisture. A rainy season and a tenacious soil are fruitful or inevitable sources of it. * * * The mischief is effected with almost incredible rapidity." Of the treatment of rot Mr. Youatt says :—"If it is suited to the convenience of the farmer, and such ground were at all within his reach, the sheep should be sent to a salt-marsh in preference to the best pasture on the best farm. There it will feed on the salt incrusted on the herbage, and pervading the pores of every blade of grass. A healthy salt-marsh permits not the sheep to become rotten which graze upon it, and, if the disease is not considerably advanced, it cures those which are sent upon it with the rot. * * * Are there any indications of fever-heated mouth, heaving flanks, or failing appetite ? Is the general inflammation beginning to have a determination to that part on which the disease usually expends its chiefest virulence ? Is there yellowness of the lips and of the mouth, of the eyes and of the skin ? At the same time, tire there no indications of weakness and decay ? Nothing to show that the constitution is fatally undermined? Bleed—abstract, according to the circumstances of the case, eight, ten, or twelve ounces of blood. There is no disease of an inflammatory character at its commencement which is not benefitted by early bleeding. To this let a dose of physic succeed—two or three ounces of Epsom salts, administered in a cautious manner, so frequently recommended ; and to these means let a change of diet be immediately added good hay in the field, and hay, straw, or chaff in the straw-yard. " The physic having operated, or an additional dose, perchance, having been administered in order to quicken the action of the first, the farmer will look out for further means and appliances * * * Two or three grains of calomel may be given daily, but mixed with half the quantity of opium, in order to secure its beneficial and ward off its injurious effects on the ruminant. To this should be added—a simple and cheap medicine, but that which is the sheet anchor of the practitioner here—common salt. * * * In the first place, it is a purgative inferior to few, when given in a full dose, and it is a tonic as well as a purgative. * * * A mild tonic, as well as an aperient, is plainly indicated soon after the commencement of rot. The doses should be from two to three drachms, repeated morning and night. When the inflammatory stage is clearly passed, stronger tonics may be added to the salt, and there are none superior to the gentian and ginger roots ; from one to two drachms of each, finely powdered, may be added to each dose of the salt, * The sheep, having a little recovered from disease, should still continue on the best and driest pasture on the farm, and should always have salt within their reach. * * * The rot is not infectious." SWINE. Hog Cholera Is reported from Chilliwhack, Dewdney, Mission, Hatzic, and Denman Island. Mr. W. Cheney, of Denman Island, says : - Last year I lost 210 hogs. I supposed it was hog cholera. They would commence vomiting first, then turn red and get weak, and then they would go for water and die in a few minutes after they took the drink. Mr. Richard Brett, Dewdney, says :—I have lost a number of hogs with cholera, some of them would break out with sores and smell worse than rotten carrion before they died ; others would die in a few days from first taking sick. As will be seen by Mr. Roper's report, he had numerous cases of the disease in all parts of the Lower Country, which he attended to. I wish to direct particular attention to his description of this malignant disease. 928 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Treatment.—As a preventive, the following will be found valuable:—Flowers of sulphur, six pounds ; animal charcoal, one pound ; sulphate of iron, six ounces ; cinchona, pulverized, one pound. Mix well together in a large mortar ; afterwards give a large tablespoonful to each animal, mixed with a few potato peelings and cornmeal, three times a day. Continue this for one week, keeping the animal at the same time in a clean dry place, and not allowing too many together. POULTRY. Mr. G. G. Lynn, of Spallumcheen, says :—There is a disease called black comb amongst chickens here. They die before they are two years old. I can't find any cure. Mr. H. D. Green-Armitage, Nicola, says :—Wide-spread disease this summer among barndoor fowls ; they dying shortly after showing symptoms of weakness ; much reduced in flesh at death. Also among turkeys, swollen head, and inside mouth granular matter; thought it glanders, and killed and burnt them. Mr. Thomas Anthony Wood, Quamichan, says:—Poultry liable in summer to an unknown illness. They seem unable to keep their heads still, and cannot get down to their food, but keep moving their heads over their backs and all about. The following extract is from the Experimental Farm's report, 1891, p. 227 :— " Diseases of Poultry. " Except in the case of a very valuable fowl, it is not desirable for a farmer, or anyone else, to lose time in attempting to doctor a sick fowl. In a case of roup it is better to at once kill the bird and burn its remains, as the disease makes rapid progress, and if once established in a flock is almost impossible to get rid of. Roup is known in its first stages by the fowl sneezing, wheezing, or snuffling, sometimes accompanied by a discharge from the nostrils. Later on the discharge becomes thicker and has a very offensive odour. Sometimes the head swells so as to completely close the eyes, the fowl refuses to eat, and eventually dies in a very emaciated condition. There are several forms of roup, all of which are infectious or contagious. Should a fowl be running at the nostrils and escape detection, the virus is conveyed to the others by the sick one dipping its beak into the drink water and so contaminating it." The following is from the report of the Poultry Associations for the Province of Ontario, 1890:— " Turkeys are particularly subject to cold in the head, causing swollen faces and sore eyes, which rapidly develops into roup, a most infectious and troublesome disease. Care must be taken, therefore, not to allow the hens to wander with the young birds early in the morning before the sun has dried the grass. Although delicate when young, turkeys are particularly hardy when old, and may be allowed to roost in the trees, where they do much better than in houses. For the market, it is not necessary to shut them up, but they may be fed on soft food mixed with skim milk, two or three times a day. In France, flocks of young turkeys are frequently put under the care of a young girl, who drives them with a long pole on to the stubbles, where they feed on the corn which would otherwise be wasted. This method of using the waste corn which is always knocked out in harvesting is very much neglected in England, although some farmers, by having moving poultry houses on wheels, endeavour to carry it out. The rearing of turkeys is hardly to be recommended in damp localities, more especially where the soil is heavy and clayey ; but in suitable situations, where sufficient amount of attention can be given to the birds during the first few weeks of their lives, there is no form of poultry that pays better, as they always, about Christmas time or before, realise very high prices in the market, and can usually be sold privately, when the profit does not go into the hands of the middleman." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 929 ANIMAL PESTS. Coyotes. In spite of the heavy bounty placed on these destructive pests last year, their numbers do not seem to diminish sensibly, and they continue to be, in the words of a correspondent, " the terror of the sheep-raiser " in the Upper Country. They are also reported as destroying- many newly-dropped calves. On the Upper Fraser, in the vicinity of Soda Creek, they are reported by Mr. Dunlevy to be suffering from a description of mange, which is doing good work in carrying them off. They are reported from Okanagan Mission, Keremeos, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Salmon Arm, Kamloops, Upper Nicola, Dog Creek and Alkali Lake, Chilcotin, Lac La Hache, Williams Lake, Soda Creek, and Kootenay. Mr. Thos. Daly, Keremeos, says :—Notwithstanding the bounty on coyotes, they still continue very numerous, and are the terror of sheep-raisers. Mr. J. T. Steele, Spallumcheen, says : —In regard to pests, coyotes are the greatest ; they are very hard on poultry, young pigs, and sheep. Tf they could be exterminated, it would be a great benefit to the community. Mr. Thos Bulman, Upper Nicola, says :—Coyotes are very destructive among sheep and newly-dropped calves. Mr. Dennis Murphy, Lac La Hache, says :—Coyotes, the only pest, killed thirteen sheep last year, worth $65. They kill more prairie chicken, when they are young and unable to fly, than all the guns in this neighbourhood. The Government have offered a bounty for the destruction of coyotes, which will work well. Messrs. Postill Bros., Okanagan Mission, say they have lost a number of young pigs by coyotes. The Government bounty of $2.50 will do away with them. Mr. R. Munson lost some sheep by coyotes at Okanagan Mission. Mr, It. S. Pelly, Otter Lake, Spallumcheen, says : —Sheep would do well if the coyotes were killed off. With reference to the extermination of this pest, T append the following correspondence on the subject, which I trust will be of use :— " Keremeos, Similkameen Vallev, B.C., " 16th January, 1893. " J. R. Anderson, Esq., " Department of Agriculture, Victoria. " Sir,—Knowing that you will be glad of tiny information regarding the destruction of our greatest pest, the coyote, I write to say that, owing to want of experience in poisoning, and also to the inferior quality of the strychnine to be obtained in the local stores, we, in this district, have not been as successful as we could wish and, so far, very few have been killed. " May I suggest, that your Department would greatly help the work if it were — " 1. To endeavour to obtain information from countries where coyotes have been successfully dealt with—say California or Oregon —as to the best means of destroying them, and to publish the facts in our Provincial papers for the general good; and " 2. To keep a supply of really reliable poison, to be supplied at cost price on application. Since it is very evident that, once the .$2.50 bounty is being paid by the Government, it is the best economy to get rid of as many coyotes as possible in the shortest time, I feel sure that my suggestion will not be out of place. " The Indians, I may add, in this, the Similkameen, Valley, who should be our greatest helpers, will not buy strychnia if they find it of poor quality, as what they have got so far proves to be. " I am, <fec, " Edw. Bullock-Webster." " Washington Agricultural College and School of Science, "Pullman, Washington, May llth, 1893. " Mr. J. R. Anderson, " Victoria, B. C. " Dear Sir,—Your enquiry of April 20th concerning coyotes has been handed to me to answer. This section of the state was formerly fairly overrun with coyotes, but as it is now very closely settled, but very few are now seen. I have seen only one in the past year. " From enquiry, I find that they were exterminated here mainly by being shot, and that poisoning was but seldom resorted to. Formerly many sheep were raised here, but now the whole country is sown to wheat, and this, I presume, has much to do with the disappearance of the brutes. " Is it not possible that your ranchmen use poison injudiciously, that is, use too much ? The following method is recommended by an old frontiersman who has had much experience in poisoning wolves, etc. : Take a piece of tallow the size of a walnut, punch a hole in it and put a few grains of strychnine in, and plug up the hole with tallow. It is well to make a sqent trail to the bait by using a bloody sheep-skin or something similar. Care should be taken that the bait is not too thickly placed, as three or more of the tallow balls would nauseate the coyote. If a carcass is used for bait, poison in about the same proportions in the spots on which the coyote would be more likely to feed. " Trusting the above may prove of some use to you, I am " Yours truly, "Chas. V. Piper. "I should be pleased to learn if the above recipe proves effective or not.—C.V.P." Wolves Are reported from Spallumcheen, Kamloops, Upper Nicola, Chilliwhack, Howe Sound, Sooke, Salt Spring Island, and Nanoose. Mr. Thos. Bulman, Upper Nicola, says :—The most destructive animals are wolves. I have known of a number of calves and young stock being- killed by them. Jos. Zink, Kamloops, says wolves were troublesome with calves. Bears Are reported from Spallumcheen, Chilliwhack, Hall's Prairie, Port Kells, Riverside, Maple Ridge, Howe Sound, and Sooke. Smith & Mitchell, Okanagan, say :—Bears have taken away fifteen hogs. This animal seems to have a great predilection for pork, especially young, and does a great deal of mischief in the outlying settlements. A story is told of one rancher at Similkameen, whose pigs came rushing into the house, followed by a huge black bear, so fearless do they become when in search of their favourite diet. The rancher got out of a window, but subsequently shot the bear. Lynx, Reported from Port Kells as being troublesome. Wild Cats, Reported from Dewdney and Maple Ridge (probably the same animal as the last). Panthers (or more properly the Puma), Reported from Sooke, Shawnigan, Cowichan, Cowichan Lake, Salt Spring Island, Nanoose, and Comox. Mr. W. H. Lee, French Creek, says:—Very few pests are noticed by the settlers, except their old enemy, the panther. I would strongly advocate that the bounty be raised on panther heads by the Government, as it may induce skilled hunters to spend more time in banishing the terror of the Nanoose settler. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 931 Mr. E. H. Forrest, McPherson's, Cowichan, says :—Panthers are taking all the profits from the sheep farmer in this district, from ten to fifteen panthers have been killed within the last twelve months inside a radius of two miles. Would suggest the bounty be raised to $25 or $30 a head for a few years, to encourage sheep-raising. These destructive animals do not seem to occur much on the mainland. I heard of a few at Rock Creek and at Similkameen ; at the latter place they were designated as mountain lions, there being I am informed some marked differences. The predatory nature and feline habits of the puma makes it especially difficult to deal with, and in my opinion it would be a good thing to increase the bounty on it. • Skunks Are reported from Okanagan Mission and Dewdney. Mr. Postill, of Okanagan Mission, says :—Skunks have been very destructive in hen roosts. I lost two hundred fowls by them. The only way to prevent damage by them is to build hen houses that they cannot get into. Other enemies of the hen roost are— Coons, Reported from Dewdney, Sooke, Sahtlam, Cowichan, Salt Spring Island, and Gabriola Island. Weasels, Reported from Salmon Arm. Minks, Reported from Salmon Arm, Howe Sound, Salt Spring and Gabriola Islands. Hawks, Reported from Salmon Arm and Gabriola. All of the above named getting ayvay with a large number of fowls. Gophers Are reported from Kettle River, Spallumcheen, Grand Prairie, Central Nicola, Ashcroft, and Kootenay, as doing great damage to pastures and fruit trees. Mr. T. G. Kirkpatrick, Ashcroft, says :—Gophers were bad in my orchard, but I got rid of them by placing poisoned parsnip in their runs. Mr. Harold Baker says they destroy large quantities of crops at Cranbrook, and recommends wheat soaked in a solution of strychnine to poison them. Moles Are reported from Ducks, Upper Sumas, and Maple Ridge. They are very destructive to fruit trees, potatoes and other things. In England they are got rid of by means of traps placed in the runs. They could probably be easily poisoned in the same manner as gophers. Moles or Gophers, So reported by Mr. A. Postill and R, S. Hall, of Okanagan Mission. The former says :—Moles or gophers have been particularly busy in meadows this year. Carrot or parsnip cut into pieces about an inch long, split, and a little strychnine put inside each piece, the baits then put into the mole holes and carefully covered, will prove effective, Mr. Robert S. Hall, Okanagan Mission, says:—The hooded mole, or gopher, which destroys the roots of the apple tree, is a bad pest, for which as yet we have no effectual remedy. Rabbits, (I believe properly the Arctic Hare), Reported from Notch Hill, Kamloops, Ashcroft, Aldergrove, Maple Ridge. Mr. W. V. Kirkpatrick, of Venables Valley, Ashcroft, says:—Rabbits are very numerous, and girdled or barked a good many of my apple trees last winter, several of which died. 932 Report on Agriculture. 1893 The arctic hare is to a large extent migratory, and if this is the animal reported I do not think there is any fear of its ever becoming a very bad pest. Deer Are reported from Salt Spring Island, Gabriola Island, and Hornby Island. They are very destructive to fruit trees, peas and garden crops. No ordinary fence can keep them out, and as they get to be very knowing, they only come out in the open to feed at night, keeping in the thick bush during the day. Many people shoot them at night by the aid of a torch or miner's lamp, by which means the position of the deer is betrayed by its eyes. This plan has its disadvantages, however, as one cannot always be sure that the eyes belong to a deer. In one case at Alberni last year a man shot a calf by mistake. The best plan js to place barbed wire above a fence, which itself should be very high. Deer are very numerous on Vancouver and all the Gulf Islands. In addition, the following are reported :— Mice From Spallumcheen, Maple Ridge, and Hornby Island. Bush-tail Rats From Spallumcheen. CllIPMONKS From Spallumcheen, Ducks, and Venables Valley ; and squirrels from Spallumcheen. The following birds are reported as mischievous :— Crows From Okanagan, Shawnigan and Cowichan. Robins (properly American Thrush) Magpies Blue .Jays From Cowichan. From Central Nice Are reported from Upper Sumas, Chilliwhack, Maple Ridge, South Saanich, Shawnigan, Cowichan Lake, S.ilt Spring Island, Gabriola Island, Nanaimo, and Nanoose. Mr. Thos. Bosomworth, Maple Ridge, says :—The blue jay is one of the greatest pests we have. They destroy till kinds of fruit, especially the best kinds of apples ; they are very fond of good-flavoured and well-coloured fruit ; they destroy a great quantity every year ; they peck holes in them, and then they decay. They are also good at digging potatoes, they destroy tons in this district every year ; in fact they are always in mischief. Mr. A. Mennell, Chilliwhack, says:—The animal pests are blue jays. I am troubled every year with these birds stealing seed grain when sown. Mr. Samuel John Bedims, Salt Spring Island, says:— * * * Other insect pests we are not much bothered with, as we allow no small birds to be killed on the place or nests destroyed, so we have birds enough to keep them down ; the small amount of fruit the birds may-take I think they fairly earn, and so do not begrudge it to them (the blue jays are the one exception) ; we shoot a few of them while the peas are ripening, and I am not sure but they destroy cut-worms and other grubs enough to pay the damage they do. Mr. J. McGregor, Oyster District, Nanaimo, says :.—The blue jay is the worst pest we have to fight against here, both for small and large fruits. Mr. It, A. R. Purdy, Vesuvius Bay, thinks a small bounty should be placed on. them to insure their destruction. For my own part, whilst not doubting the mischievous propensities of these birds, I think the extermination of any bird is a dangerous experiment. I commend Mr. Beddis' remarks to the careful consideration of everybody ; he seems to think that even the execrated blue jay may be capable of some good. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 933 Wild Horses . . Are reported from Keremeos, Okanagan Mission, Okanagan, Clinton, Dog Creek and Alkali Lake, and Chilliwhack. In view of the many complaints which reached the department of this greatly increasing pest, and the desirability of legislative, enactments for its suppression, I addressed a circular letter to some of -the ranchers of the Upper Country, a copy of which follows. From the answers received, which I hereunto append, I do not think there is any doubt that it is a great and growing evil in some parts, and that restrictive measures should be adopted without delay. Some idea of the nature of these measures can probably be formed from the opinions expressed in the correspondence. I should imagine that if a certain time were given, say two years, for people to get in their horses and keep them away from the worthless hordes of cayuses, that then those worthless horses might be allowed to be shot or otherwise disposed of. In the Kootenay country, Mr. Baker tells me, they got rid of them by all combining to round them up ; after which, any that escaped were shot; and so the nuisance has been abated. The measures adopted were certainly drastic, but they were effectual, and when everyone interested was willing, there was no harm done. In certain parts of Australia the evil exists very largelj', I am informed, and measures have been adopted for its suppression, but I am unaware of the nature of them. Gopg of Circular Letter. The question of the wild horse evil in the Upper Country having been repeatedly brought to the notice of the department, your opinion is solicited on the matter, with the view of legislation for its mitigation. . The following are the questions which should be considered :— 1. Is the evil a great one ? 2. Is it growing ? 3. What relative influence have these horses on ranges as compared to other animals- cattle, sheep, &c. ? 4. As to the effect of wild stallions on tame mares ? 5. What -means do you recommend should be adopted for the suppression of the evil ? I have, &c, ■ (Signed) J. R, Anderson. ■■'•' C. F. Cornwall, Ashcroft, says:— .1. I believe the evil is, in parts, a considerable one. 2. It is probably growing, although a long winter like the last has probably thinned them out a little. 3. By keeping to the lightly wooded lands of considerable altitude they do not very much interfere with the pasturage of other stock, excepting with the summer pasturage. 4. Wild stallions may have a very deleterious effect on the breed of horses in any neighbourhood, tending to diminish in size the progeny, wild stallions often inveigling and driving off tame mares, which thus become as mischievous and difficult to catch as any. 5. Any Whites or Indians claiming to have horses running at large might be required to assemble, on certain dates and round up the' wild stock under the directions of a capable "captain," and, when corralled, the owners, by payment of so much per head, to take their stock, those stock with no proven owners to be destroyed. For this the middle of April would be the best time of the year. J. D. Prentice, Dog Creek, says :— 1. The evil is a great one, destroying feed and interfering detrimentally with tame bands. 4. The wild stallions not only get to the gentle mares and so deteriorate the band, but they frequently run them off, when it is difficult and sometimes impossible to recover them. J. S. Place, Dog Creek, says :— 1. The evil is certainly a great one, as the wild horses come in large bands on the cattle ranges in the spring of the year and feed and tramp out the young green grass. , 2. It is growing. There are some 500 wild horses on Dog Creek Mountain, and the increase will be 1*25 head or more per annum. 934 Reiort on Agriculture. 1893 3. They destroy more grass by trampling over the range than cattle, but they are not so destructful as sheep ; but wild horses have no market value, whereas sheep and horses have. We consider them as worthless, and they depasture land that ought to be utilized by saleable stock. 4. It is impossible to have tame mares on the range, as they are sure to get in the wild bands, when we always consider them lost, as it costs more than their-value to recapture them, and they get away again on the first opportunity. 5. The Indians have taken the chief interest in these wild horses, corralling and branding the unbranded ones occasionally. The Whites would cause no trouble, and would all agree to the total extermination of them. By fencing the ranges and excluding the wild horses, those running stock inside the fenced range to pay a tax per head of stock, the wild horses could be kept back in the timber, where they would be harmless. Let the Government buy the horses and then control them by legal measures by passing- laws that bands of horses running on public ranges should be corralled at least once per month. Before any stringent laws are passed, giving interested parties twelve months to dispose of them and get them out of the country. We are all of one opinion, that they ought to be totally exterminated It, L. Cawston, Keremeos, says : 1. I consider wild horses a very great evil, causing great destruction to the ranges. 3. They are much worse than cattle or sheep ; they not only clip the grass very short, but also paw it out. 4. The stallions are a great nuisance, often running off' tame mares, which it is impossible to recover. 5. The gathering up of all wild horses and shipping them to the North-West or some other large grazing country, and T think sufficient would in this way be realized to defray cost of gathering. J. J. Mackay, Ashcroft, says :— 1. The evil is a considerable one. 2. It is growing, as the wild horses are good foragers and are inclined to monopolize the best feeding ground on the range, and they realize little more than cost of catching and bringing them to market, and eat what would support a better class of animal. 4. Catch colts resulting frequently, propagating inferior animals, besides losing the owner a season, who has good mares, and has imported at considerable expense good stallions. 5. The evil might be mitigated by some reasonable and practical regulations as to wild colts and stallions. As these regulations would chiefly affect the Indians' horses, they should tie plain, brief and not too harsh. A. Postilt, Okanagan Mission, says : — 1. The evil is a great one, wild horses being unmitigated pests. 2. I am of the opinion that it is growing. 3. As bad as domestic animals, and not compensating with any returns. 4. The demoralization of the horse-breeding business, 5. Their destruction as quick as possible, giving Whites and Indians fair notice and reasonable time to secure any of their horses running with the wild ones, after which take measures to kill them off till the last one. J. Clapperton, Nicola, says : — 1. I don't doubt their existence, but they confine themselves to high ranges where settlers' stock seldom go, and the stealing of horses is often laid to the account of the wild horses. 2. My idea is the evil is not increasing, but my knowledge is only from hearsay 3. They are more destructive to plant life than sheep or cattle, digging grass up by the roots where the ground is soft. 4. The cross-breeding is bad. ■ 5. Kill or capture them. Try walking them down, keeping them moving till exhausted by relays of men, when they can be corralled ; castrating the stallions, killing the scrubs, domesticating those of any value. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 935 C. F. Costerton, Vernon, says :— 1. Only a part of this district is troubled by wild horses ; they both eat down the ranges and trouble those running a better class of animal, as it is hard to prevent contamination with the deteriorated wild stock. 2. It is doubtful if they are increasing, a severe winter reducing them, and a mild one allowing them to increase. 3. They are not as bad as sheep, but more injurious than cattle, as they crop closer. 4. The wild stallions drive off tame mares into their bands, which are with difficulty, if ever, recovered. If served by wild stallions, the colts are valueless. The stallions even driving off tethered and hobbled mares. 5. By allowing no redress to Whites or Indians when their horses, if running in the wild bands, are shot or otherwise destroyed. M. Sullivan, Shuswap, says :— 1. As far as this part is concerned, the evil is not a great one. 2. Neither is it growing. 4. Wild stallions, where existing, would be bad, but I hear no complaints here now. Formerly this country was overrun with horses, more or less wild, but they have been mostly sold and got rid of since the C.P.R. opened a market in the North-West and Manitoba, and are now almost stamped out of existence. Mr. R. Hoey, Lillooet, says :— 3. Wild horses are of no benefit, even to those that claim them, and they are injurious to the pastoral ranges. 4. Stallions are the worst kind of a nuisance, as they run off tame animals, which in a short time become wild. 936 Report on Agriculture. 1893 WEEDS. The great increase of noxious weeds reported from all parts of the country, all, or nearly- all, not indigenous to the soil, seems to point out that restrictive measures should be adopted by the country generally, and by the municipalities particularly. At the present time the only public Acts provide as follows :— Thistle Prevention Act, 1877. " 2. This Act shall not apply to the Mainland north and east of the Cascade Mountains. " 3. Any person may, by notice in writing, require any owner, agent, occupier, or holder of any land not within the limits of a municipality, or any person bound to keep in order any private road or by-road, to cut and destroy, between the 20th of June and the 1st of August, all thistles growing on the said land, or public road, or by-road ; and all thistles growing on the public road abutting on land owned or occupied by any person aforesaid : Provided that, in the case of any owner of real estate being absent from the Province, a notice requiring him so to cut and destroy said thistles, affixed on some conspicuous place on the land, shall be deemed good service. "4. In case of refusal or neglect, any Justice of the Peace may, eight days after the notice has been given, condemn the delinquent, upon complaint supported by the oath of one credible witness, other than the complainant, or upon the confession of the party prosecuted, to a penalty of fifty cents for every day he so refuses or neglects, over and above the costs and charges incurred in obtaining such judgment, and such judgment shall be rendered in a summary manner." Noxious Weeds Act. " 2. Any person who imports and offers for sale any grain, grass, clover, or other seed, or any seed grain, among which there is seed of Canada thistle, oxeye daisy, wild oats, rag-weed, charlock, sorrel, burdock, wild mustard, or any other foul seeds, or who shall knowingly convey from one farm to another any of the above-named noxious seeds or grains, upon conviction, be liable to a fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, to be levied and recovered on summary conviction before any two Justices of the Peace having jurisdiction in that locality. "3. This Act shall not apply to that part of the Province lying to the east of the Cascade Range of Mountains." All or many of the municipalities also have, I believe, laws bearing on the subject, but in many cases either they are not put into force or they are inoperative or ineffectual from several causes, such as adjoining municipalities not taking joint action, or large extents of waste lands either within or adjoining the municipalities on which weeds have a chance of seeding, and so neutralizing the efforts made to overcome them. Hence it would appear that the public Acts respecting weeds should be amended so as to make them more general in their provisions and ^scope, and that there should be some concerted action on the part of the municipalities. As matters stand now the weeds have it all their own way. I was particularly impressed with this fact during my journeys last year ; large areas which a short time ago were covered with wild grasses, ferns and bushes, all comparatively harmless, are now overrun with thistles, oxeye daisies, and other interlopers, ousting with scant ceremony the native plants. Most of the correspondents seem to agree that summer fallowing is the best preventive in fields. It is asserted that many noxious weeds heretofore unknown in this Province are spread by sweepings from the cars bringing produce from the east. The following are some opinions and experiences in the destruction of weeds, well worth studying. The remedies are taken from Experimental Farms Reports, 1891. The. following is taken from Experimental Farms Reports for 1891, pp. 213 and 214. " Weeds of the Farm.—There has been considerable enquiry for information concerning weeds of the farm, and farmers generally seem to be alive to the necessity of stamping out a new pest as soon as it appears. There are certain principles which must be borne constantly in mind by those who wish to clear their lands of noxious weeds. In the present age of good and easy communication with all parts of the globe, there are frequent opportunities for seeds of weeds being introduced into previously uninfested districts. This is, as a rule, with 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 937 other seeds, or in hay and straw, used as packing. Perhaps the, most fertile source of weeds upon a previously clean farm is bought manure. Notwithstanding all efforts to the contrary, weeds will however be constantly introduced from outside sources, either with seed, manure, or carried by the elements, and it is well that farmers should understand a simple classification of all weeds by their modes of growth. "Plants may be divided into the following classes: annuals, biennials, and perennials. In eradicating weeds it is all important to know under which of these heads they come. "Annuals.—Are those plants which complete their whole growth in a year. As a rule, they have small fibrous roots and produce a large quantity of seed. Examples of this class are found in wild mustard, penny cress (called in Manitoba stink-weed or French-weed), lamb's quarter, wild buckwheat, purslane, rag-weed. There are also some annuals which are biennial in habit, that is, of which seeds ripened in the summer produce a certain growth before winter sets in, and then complete their development the following spring. Of these may be mentioned shepherd's purse, penny cress (mentioned above), and chess. "Biennials.—Are those which require two seasons to complete their growth, the first being spent in collecting and storing up a supply of nourishment, which is used the second season in producing flowers and seeds. Examples of these are burdock, wild parsnip, mullien, evening primrose, and viper's buglos or blue-weed. " Perennials.—Are those plants which continue growing for several years. Perennial weeds are propagated by various methods. The most troublesome are those which extend long shoots beneath the surface of the ground, as sheep's sorrel, Canada thistle, perennial sow- thistle, chicory and couch grass. Some perennials extend, but very slowly, from the root by means of short stems or off-sets, but produce a large quantity of seed. Of these oxeye daisy, dandelion, golden rod, and perennial groundsel are examples. "In adopting a method of extermination, the nature of the plant to be eradiated must first of all be taken into consideration. Any method by which the germination of the seed in the soil is hastened, and then the young plants are destroyed before they produce fresh seed, will clean land infested by annual weeds The seeds of some annuals have great vitality, and will continue appearing for several years as fresh seeds are brought to the surface. Wild mustard and wild oats have been known to germinate after lying deep in the ground for twenty years. Biennials must be either ploughed up or cut off previous to flowering. Where ploughing is impracticable, they should be cut off below the crown of the root. For this purpose a large chisel in the end of a long handle (to obviate the necessity of stooping) is as convenient a tool as can be used. Perennials are by far the most troublesome of all weeds and require very thorough treatment, and in some instances the cultivation of special crops to ensure their eradication. Imperfect treatment, such as a single ploughing, frequently does more harm than good, by breaking up the underground and stimulating growth. " There is no weed known which cannot be eradicated by constant attention, if only the nature of its growth be understood. Farmers should be constantly on the alert to prevent new weeds from becoming established on their farms. There are some general rules which all should remember : 1. Weeds do great harm by robbing the soil of the plant-food intended for the crop. 2. They crowd out and take the place of more useful plants. 3. They cause great loss of time to eradicate, and frequently compel the farmer to change the best rotation of his crops, and perhaps grow crops which are not the most advantageous for his farm. 4. Weeds of all kinds can. be eradicated by constant attention along the following lines : (I.) Never allow them to seed. (II.) Cultivate frequently early in the season, so as to destroy seedlings while of weak growth. (III.) For perennial weeds, the only means of destroying them is to prevent them from forming leaves and storing up nourishment in their roots. This can be done by constant cultivation." Canada Thistle. (Cnicus Arveusis.) Are reported from Okanagan Mission, Lower Nicola, Surrey Centre, Hall's Prairie, Riverside, Chilliwhack, Sumas, Dewdney, Mission, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, Hornby Island, and Cowichan. Mr. Geo. W. Chadsey, of Sumas, says :—There are a few bull thistles and also a few Canadian thistles in the settlement of Chilliwhack. Corporations should have! by-laws enacted for the destruction of foul weeds, and the by-laws put into force. The burdock has 938 Report on Agriculture. 1893 also made its appearance. If the Canadian thistle is allowed to get a hold on the land it will be a serious drawback to the agriculturist. The Canada thistle is perhaps the most difficult plant to conquer that the farmer has to contend with ; but with determined persistence the worst patch may be killed out entirely. The chief effort should be made by frequent hoeing or cultivation, to prevent the plant from forming leaves. In this way the roots soon become exhausted and the plant must die. In heavy land, of course, it is more difficult to destroy both thistles and couch grass, but two hoed crops well cultivated will generally be sufficient. Scotch Thistle Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Hall's Prairie, Chilliwhack, Lulu Island, The Islands, Victoria, Lake, Nanaimo, and Hornby Island. Thistles, Not particularly distinguished, are reported from Spallumcheen, Delta, Surrey Centre, Clayton, Aldergrove, Upper Sumas, Sumas, Agassiz, The Islands, Metchosin, Shawnigan, Hornby Island, Cowichan, Somenos, Salt Spring Island, Comox, Alberni, and Valdez. Perennial Sow Thistle, (Sonchus arvensis.) When this plant is established in a piece of land, it can only be eradicated by constant cultivation or hoeing. Foxtail (Setaria glanca ?) Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Quilchena, Upper Nicola, Lower Nicola, Central Nicola, and Chilcotin. Mr. Thos. Bulman, of Stump Lake, says :—The worst weed or noxious grass is foxtail ; there seems to be no way of getting rid of it unless by ploughing, which is not always convenient. It grows from seed and matures very early, consequently the seed is always good. Sorrel (Rumex acetosella ) Is reported from Surrey Centre, Aldergrove, Upper Sumas, Chilliwhack, Mission, Howe Sound, Hornby Island, Metchosin, Victoria, Lake, Somenos, Nanoose, Comox, and Alberni. Fern (Pteris Aquilina var Lanuginosa) Is reported from Clayton, Aldergrove, Upper Sumas, Chilliwhack, Sumas, Dewdney, Mission, Maple Ridge, Cowichan, Salt Spring Island, and Hornby Island. Burdock (Lappa officinalis) Is reported from Chilliwhack, Somenos, and Agassiz. The burdock is a biennial, and is easily eradicated by cutting it off below the collar, or by continuous mowing to-prevent the plant going to seed. Millet Is reported from Spallumcheen. Dock (Rumex Crispus) Is reported from Spallumcheen, Surrey Centre, and Alberni. Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) Is reported from Spallumcheen. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 939 Nettles Are reported from Notch Hill. Crab Grass Is reported from Chilliwhack. Fire Weed (Erechthites hieracifolia) Is reported from Lulu Island. Cheat Grass (Bromus Secalinus) Is reported from Somenos. Salsify and Chicory Are reported from Venables Valley and Ashcroft. Mr. W. V. Kirkpatrick, of Venables Valley, says :—Both the salsify and chicory, which have gone wild, are becoming very troublesome weeds on my place. As they are hardy perennial plants, they are hard to exterminate. Wild Chicory. (Chicorium Intybus.) This perennial has strong, spreading root-stocks, but it is not a difficult plant to overcome by constant hoeing. Wild Buckwheat (Gonvolvolus arvensis) Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Kettle River, Keremeos, Spallumcheen, Kamloops, Quilchena, Central Nicola, Lower Nicola, Ashcroft, Venables Valley, Lillooet, Pavilion Mountain, Chilcotin, Lac La Hache, Williams Lake, Soda Creek, Surrey Centre, Metchosin Comiaken, and Cowichan. Wild Oats (Arena fatua) Are reported from Okanagan Mission, Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Duck's, Grand Prairie, Kamloops, Quilchena, Lower Nicola, Chilcotin, Lac La Hache, Soda Creek, and Chilliwhack. This is an annual grass, and is propagated entirely from seed. The seeds are said to have great vitality, and to lie dormant in the soil for many years if they be buried too deep to germinate. Any method adopted to clean land of this pest must ensure that no seeds are allowed to ripen. Sowing fall rye as a soiling crop, and following with a crop of buckwheat to be ploughed in, and then following the next season with a hoed crop, may be suggested. Sir William Hooker says :—"The use of the wild oat, with its brown hairy seed and twisted awn, as an artificial fly is well known, the uncoiling of the awn when wetted causing those contortions by which it imitates a fly in trouble. It is of common use with rustic fishermen." Chickweed (Stellaria media) Is reported from Chilliwhack, Lulu Island, Lake, and Comox. Pigweed (Amarantus retroflexus) Is reported from Okanagan, Spallumcheen, Ashcroft, and Williams Lake. Wild Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) Is reported from Kamloops, Williams Lake, Soda Creek, Quesnelle, and Sumas. Wild Parsnip Is reported from Okanagan Mission, Surrey Centre, Port Kells, and Chilliwhack. Oxeye Daisy (Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum) Is reported from Maple Ridge, Shawnigan, Cowichan, Somenos, and Alberni. Few pests of the farm are better known than this. It is a pernicious weed which has become well established in many parts of the country. This is chiefly in hay fields and pastures. To clean these, the sod must be turned under, and the land put into alternate husbandry. A great deal of good may also be done by digging up all plants found along the sides of farm roads &c. Mr. E. H. Forrest, McPherson's, says :—Oxeye daisy and thistle are the worst, and are increasing every year with alarming rapidity. About one per cent, of the farmers try to keep them down, and he has his place seeded down again from his neighbour's surplus. Wild Sunflowers Are reported from Okanagan Mission and Kamloops. Lamb's Quarter (Chenopodium album) Is reported from Kettle River, Kamloops, and Comox. Tumble Weed. (Sisimbrium Sinapistrium) Is reported from Okanagan Mission and Spallumcheen. Cockle (Lychnis githago) Is reported from Pavilion Mountain. Stink Weed (Thlaspi arvense) Is reported from Williams Lake. It belongs to the Cress family, and has great vitality There are two large successive crops of seed ripened in the summer, and frequently many- plants will be found in the autumn which pass through the frosts of winter unharmed and ripen their seeds early next spring. It is an exhaustive weed, of a rank, unpleasant odour. It is an annual, and should be destroyed whenever seen. It can at once be recognized by its small white flower, its large flat pods, frequently over half an inch across, and its pungent odour. Thorough cultivation and hand pulling will destroy it. Daisy Chinese Turnip Is reported from Clayton. Is reported from Quesnelle. Plantain and Dandelion Are reported from Victoria and Somenos. Camomile Is reported from Metchosin. Wild Carrot and Golden Rod Are reported from Okanagan. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 941 IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Importations from other Provinces in Canada and from other countries, and exportations to countries outside of Canada, of such products of agriculture and its branches as can be produced in the Province, for the two fiscal years ending 30th June, 1892, I am enabled to present through the courtesy of the Collectors of Customs and of the officials of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. These show not only the raw material, but such articles as can be, and in many instances are, manufactured in the Province. By the following tables it will be seen that in the year ending 30th June, 1892, we imported— Agricultural products to the value of $2,483,540 Duty paid was 176,158 Total $2,659,698 For the same period ending 30th June, 1891, the sum was $1,908,381 Increase $751,317 While in exports, which at the best are insignificant, there was an increase of , $26,522 It is but fair to say, however, that the figures for fruits and other products sent over the Canadian Pacific Railroad to other Provinces were not procurable, and are therefore necessarily omitted. This would materially swell the exports. In almost every line there has been a material increase in the importations. In cattle the increase was 2,565 head, principally from the North-West Territories, and this in face of the fact that there are plenty of beef cattle in the Province. It is high time our cattle men devised some means for their protection (I suggested cold storage in my prefatory remarks), or put the ranges to more profitable uses ; say the production of sheep, in which there was an increase of 5,553 head, we having imported 45,025 head, besides some mutton. Of swine we imported to the value of $27,502, against $9,850 the year before. Pork, bacon, hams and lard, 3,558,935 lbs.; value, $401,745; against 3,107,813 lbs., value $319,065, the year before ; in all for the year ending 30th June last, $429,247 ; or an increase of $100,332 over the year previous in swine and its products alone. Of poultry we imported about 218,000 lbs.; value, $21,795; against 145,000 lbs., $14,488, the year before, or an increase in poultry of 73,000 lbs., $7,307. Of eggs we imported 661,205 dozen; value, $102,510 ; against 379,702 dozen, $57,659, the year before, or an increase in eggs of 281,503 dozen, $44,851. Of plums and prunes we imported 150,148 lbs.; value, $8,961; against 56,636 lbs., $5,681, the year before, or an increase of 93,512 lbs., $3,280, in plums and prunes. Of butter we imported 1,677,970 lbs.; value, $409,372; against 1,424,297 lbs. $351,439, the year before, or an increase of 253,673 lbs., $57,933, in butter. Of cheese we imported 387,470 lbs.; value, $41,043 ; against 243,250 lbs., $26,096, the year before, or an increase of 144,220 lbs., $14,947. And so it goes on, almost everything showing an increase; a much greater increase than the probable increase of our urban population would warrant, for I take it for granted the rural population raises at least enough for its own wants. In any case it will be seen at a glance that there is an unnecessary drain on the country for the necessaries of life, which should be stopped without delay. 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Apples, green Fruits, canned Other fruit Potatoes All other Vegetables . Year ending 30th June, 1891. Quantity. ... (lbs.) .'('bush.) Hay Trees and Bushes . . (tons.) 31 64 1,648 104 20,102 37,300 205 4 145 900 4 556 2 10 25 37' Dairy Products. Butter (lbs.) 3,188 Cheese „ 6,214 254 Value. 4,230 705 597 70,248 10 183 13 11,055 3,739 82 10 105 729 21 1,945 15 32 85 25 45 18 795 802 973 2,701 106 $99,269 Year ending 30th June, 1892. Quantity. 24 10 13 403 425 360 43,596 1 1,687 271 6,501 2,450 61 5,050 440 62 Value. 8,781 531 ' 115 97 72,276 55 58 33 18,566 2 648 183 7,801 10,967 295 3,181 3 3 1,472 53 589 81 1125,791 946 Report on Agriculture. 1893 DAIRYING. It will be seen from the table of imports that we last year imported from all quarters 1,677,970 lbs. of butter, valued at $409,372 ; of cheese, about 387,670 lbs., valued at $41,043 ; and condensed milk, 8,256 cases, valued at ¥42,466. The duty paid during the year on such of these articles as came from foreign countries amounted to $12,767.26. We therefore imported dairy products, including duty, to the value of $505,600. This is exclusive of cost of transportation, which in itself amounts to a very large sum ; enough, one would imagine, in connection with the duty which is paid on foreign importations, to leave a fair margin to the provincial manufacturer. Of course he also would have to pay for transportation to the markets, but that in most cases would be but trifling in comparison to the charges from Manitoba and Washington. Now there is no doubt that we have in our own Province a country most eminently fitted for dairying ; a country where in many seasons there is little or no snow, and very little cold ; where cattle can have the richest of grasses to the end of the autumn, and good grazing or browsing during the winter; which, supplemented with such other food as may be necessary, should in my opinion be a much better country for dairying than many of those from which we import. I allude now particularly to the Lower Mainland and many parts of Vancouver Island. But what do we find ? Instead of these sections supplying the whole of the Province with dairy products, there are over half a million of dollars worth imported. Condensed milk, it is true, is an article which might be left out, as I presume it requires a special manufactory, but after all it is but trifling in comparison to butter. The fact is, that, with the exception of Mr. Wells at Chilliwhack, no cheese (to my knowledge) is manufactured. Mr. Wells, also, probably turns out more butter than any one man, and a good deal is turned out in the aggregate in the lower country and on the Island ; however, it is a mere drop in the bucket, after all, as compared with the requirements of the country, and nowhere is it carried on with any system, many people being probably ignorant of the art of making and curing butter properly. In connection with the matter of educating the people, the subject is considered of such paramount importance in some of the Australian colonies that they have started travelling dairies, with competent instructors, and the results have been of a most satisfactory nature. In a recent letter from Mr. Peter McLean, Under- Secretary of Agriculture, Queensland, he says : " Dairying—This is made a special branch, the Department having a fully equipped dairy plant of the latest manufacture, with an experienced manager and staff, travelling from place to place, and giving a course of instruction wherever sufficient interest is shown by the farmers. I send you a copy of the conditions under which the dairy works, and also a copy of my last annual report, in which you will find a full detail of the operations for the year. You may possibly wonder why the pupils at a course of instruction is limited to ten. The explanation is, it has been found that this is the greatest number that can be actually permitted to handle the machinery without interfering with the movements of the staff. The general public are welcomed, and every inquiry they make is answered, but only ten are allowed within the barrier. * * * * F. W. J. Mooke, Esq., Secretary for Agriculture, Tasmania, says :— "****.* For instance, dairying has been very much neglected here, and we decided to send out a Travelling Dairy, under an expert butter and cheese maker. The cost of this we estimated would be £700 for 12 months working, and we recommended the Government to adopt the scheme. ***** Our dairy has been out just six months, and has worked at eleven different places. Result:—Upwards of 150 persons of all ages and both sexes have received ten days' practical instruction in butter and cheese making on most modern principles. Three co-operative dairy factories have been started, and three more are in process of formation. We have been importing dairy products for years; the movement initiated by this Department will put a stop to that, and we shall export instead * * * * " With the foregoing facts before us we should be up and doing, and if we cannot afford to start dairy schools to educate the masses, we can at least start creameries and cheese factories at such centres as would be most convenient and to where milk could easily be taken. Lulu Island, Delta, Surrey, Langley, Sumas, Chilliwhack, Cowichan, Saanich, and Comox, are all 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 947 good points I imagine for such a purpose. Then probably many people would turn their attention to what I conceive to be one of the industries, I may say the industry for which this part of the country is best adapted, and it is my belief that it would not be many years before we could stop one great leak to the wealth of the Province, and perhaps be in a position to export as well. J. VV. Robertson, Esq., Dairy Commissioner for Canada, in an address at Shoal Lake, Manitoba, 21st August, 1890, said, in reference to Co-operative Dairying:—"As soon as possible more co-operative creameries and cheese factories should be established. Detailed information, sketches of plans for buildings, particulars of equipment and management, will be furnished free on application to the Dairy Commissioner, Ottawa. When the butter is made in creameries, it will have a uniform quality and excellence, which will enable it to become an article of commercial importance. The making of butter, by skilled workmen in factories, will solve the problem to some extent of keeping more cows, while domestic help is scarce. Cheese factories should succeed well in localities where the settlements are close enough to permit the economical gathering of the milk." Besides education in the art of practical dairying, such subjects as the effect of food on milk and butter, the proper housing and treatment of milk, cattle and calves, the breeds of cattle most suitable to the country for dairying, are all subjects requiring great consideration, and on which education is required. Mr. Robertson, in the address at Shoal Lake aforementioned, also said :—" Too much care cannot be given to the selection of males. It will pay the community for agricultural societies to introduce thoroughbred bulls from milking strains of cattle, where private enterprise has not already done so, or is not likely to do so. The value of inherited good qualities is so great that no farmer should use a sire which has not both good points and good breeding." Mr. Thomas Cunningham, of New Westminster, writes as follows :—"I shall be able to furnish' you with some information re Jersey cattle, of which I am breeding extensively at present. I own the following :—'John Rioter,' a magnificent Jersey bull who took first prize at the Kansas State Fair; was bred by Richardson Bros., Davenport, Iowa, U. S. Also, ' Dolly's John Bull,' the last son got in Canada by the great ' Canada's John Bull,' who was valued at $15,000. This young fellow, now rising three years, took first at the Toronto Industrial last year, and is said to be the most promising young bull in the Dominion. I have also two grandsons of ' Stoke Pogis III.,' who is regarded as the best Jersey that ever walked American soil, and was sold to his last owners for $17,500. So that British Columbia will soon show up in first-class dairy stock, which is a matter of great, yes supreme, importance, for we have the finest dairy climate and soil on this continent. I purpose doing my share in this line, which fits in very well with horticulture." From the First Annual Report of the Dairy Commissioner for Canada I take the following memorandum of arguments in favour of dairying as an industry, presented by a deputation from the Dairyman's Association of the Dominion of Canada, who had the privilege of waiting upon the Right Honourable Sir John A. Macdonald, G. C. B., Hon. John Carling, Hon. Mackenzie Bowell, and Hon. John Costigan :— ******** " Since it is the farmers' special sphere, in the following of their occupation, to provide food and the raw material for clothing for the rest of the race, whatever enables them to do these best thereby operates for their profit and benefit. " (a.) Dairy farming increases the available food supply per acre. Taking, for illustration, the wheat crop, it is evident that not more than half the possible life-sustaining value of the crop resides in the flour prepared for human food. The other parts of the crop—the straw, the chaff, and the bran—which are unpalatable, unsuitable, and indigestible for man, can be profitably fed to dairy animals, and by them transformed into milk, butter, cheese or beef. In that way, from the one crop, largely by the use of cows, the farmers are able to provide both bread and butter. "(b.) Dairy farming enables farmers to sell their labour and their skill to more advantage, while retaining the substances of plant food in the soil. When wheat, to the amount of one million of bushels, is exported, at least $240,000 worth of the fertility of the fields has been removed in the grain. Whereas when fine butter, to the value of one million of dollars, is exported, not more than $750 worth of these valuable elements of plant food has been taken from the country. 948 Report on Agriculture. 1893 " (c.) Dairy farming provides remunerative occupation for a larger agricultural population. Since population alone gives value to property, dairy farming, when generally engaged in, increases the value of all properties in the locality. " (d.) By means of dairy farming, the fertility may be restored to exhausted soils, and those of virgin richness may be saved by it from becoming barren or impoverished. Instances of that beneficial result, from the method of farming that is being recommended, may be cited from those counties in Quebec and Ontario that have extensively engaged in dairying. The condition of the lands in many other sections, where a sufficient number of cattle to consume the fodders and course grains have not been kept, is full of admonition and warning for the settlers in the Western Territories and Manitoba. " (e.) Dairy farming enlarges the earning power of land per acre. By it the farms are made to be more of the nature of mediums through which the farmers are able to dispose of their labour and skill to advantage, and less of the nature of mines, to be bagged up piecemeal and their virtue shipped off to other lands. "(/') Additional marketable value is thus also put into the lands devoted to such uses. Already it is safe to state that a suitable farm situated within three miles of a cheese factory, or butter factory, will sell for $10 per acre more than the same farm, or one like it, would bring twenty miles distant from either of these factories. 11 (g.) The direct cash income of the farmers is added to from milk, butter, cheese, beef, and pork, without any lessening of the possible receipts from sales of cereals. A smaller acreage under cultivation will give a larger return in grain. The thoughtful improvement of dairy cows will make it possible to grow steers and produce beef at less cost. When a cow leaves a fair profit direct from the sales of her milk product, her calves can be reared at less expense than when the whole milk of the cow of inferior milking power is consumed by her offspring. " (h.) Dairy farming encourages and promotes co-operation among the farmers for their mutual profit. The confidence thus inspired in each for the others begets a desire for the exchange of information and judgments on all other matters relating to agriculture. The farmers' institutes, which are now so popular all over this continent, are largely the outgrowth of the co-operation of dairymen, and they are everywhere found at the very front in that work. " (i.) In the rearing and feeding of stock, there is offered scope for the application of the highest order of intellect to farm work, and thus a love for agricultural pursuits may be generated in the minds of boys, who would otherwise flock to join the ranks of the city denizens, who are less sure to aid in their country's development and in the securing of a competence for themselves. " (k.) Dairy farming can be a hopeful means towards consolidating the factions of the Dominion into one prosperous, contented, progressive people. " (I.) The dairy industry has done more to adequately and successfully advertise the nature of our country as one desirable to live in than all other exports or advertising matter. ******** " (m.) While dairy farming had in it such capabilities to serve our country well, both at home and abroad, it languished until Provincial Dairymen's Associations were formed to foster its development. These associations in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia, through means of conventions and the employment of experts, have sought to bring to light a knowledge of better methods of how to make richer fields, more suitable fodders and crops, more productive cows, and improvement in the ways of managing, feeding and caring for stock, as well as in the processes of manufacturing and handling the product. By contributions of information, encouragement has been given to backward districts, and enthusiasm in the extention of the business has been created." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 949 FRUIT. On reference to the tables of imports, it will be seen that a large quantity of dried apples and other fruit, plums and prunes dried, fresh apples, small fruits, cherries, cranberries, peaches, plums, canned fruits and vegetables (not distinguished), jams and jellies, melons and tomatoes, were imported, amounting in the aggregate in value to $149,096, the duty on that portion from foreign countries being $14,340, making a total of $163,436. In the item of fresh apples, I dare say that a proportion of the 7,701 barrels from foreign ports were imported from California at a time when our own were not ready for use. I find, however, that about 75 per cent, came in between 1st September and 31st March, these being the months in which I can, I believe, safely say that our apples are better than those of California. Therefore, it is evident that at least 5,775 barrels from foreign ports, and 1,624 barrels from other Provinces, should not have entered the country. This is a matter which will, no doubt, in the course of time right itself, as the young orchards come into bearing; still, a large quantity of apples are imported when there are plenty of local ones in the market, the dealers preferring them, even with the duty and transportation charges to pay. One has not to go far for an explanation, and it is this : The apples from California, Oregon and Washington are graded : all under-sized, misshapen, scabby, or otherwise unmerchantable fruit being rigour- ously excluded ; and then they are carefully packed (not thrown in) in clean, sightly boxes of a uniform size (four of which are called a barrel); whereas most of our fruit is sent to market ungraded, and often in packages of all descriptions, many of them not of the cleanest; and, therefore, naturally, a dealer, who, as a rule, does business for anything but patriotic motives, prefers the foreign fruit, even if it costs a little more. In addition to fresh apples, there were 332,000 lbs. of dried apples and other fruit imported, and of dried plums and prunes 150,148 fts. Of the culture of the prune I take the following from the Canadian Gazette; I regret to say I have not the report itself:— " A report on the prune industry in California, by Mr. Moore, British Vice-Consul at San Francisco, which has been issued by the Foreign Office, should be read with profit in British Columbia. It is based on the annual report of the State Board of Horticulture. The prune appears to have been introduced to California from France in 1856, but little attention was paid to its culture until 1881, since which time the growth of the industry has been phenomenal. Santa Clara County has from the beginning been its centre, and it is estimated that when the trees now growing there shall have matured, the annual product will be over 40,000,000 pounds of dried fruit. The prune tree is hardy, and will thrive in a wide range of soil and climate, and at various elevations; it can be grown wherever the greengage grows; but the prune with the prime requisites of solid, firm flesh, a rich fruity flavour, and a keeping- quality that will stand the test of months or years without serious loss from shrinkage, can be grown only in places possessing peculiarities of soil and climate. The best soil, again, depends upon the stock used, light soil suiting one kind, heavy soil another, and so on. Similarly the preparation of the soil varies in its character. Mr. Moore describes in detail the methods of cultivation, the different systems of planting, the modes of propagation and irrigation, the pests affecting the prune and the remedies, the process of gathering, of grading and curing, and of packing. The principal markets for the _prunes of California are Chicago and New York, especially the former. They fetch already Id. to ljd. per pound more than the French prunes sold in competition with them. ' The proportion of pit and skin to meat in the California fruit is much less than in the French article, while the proportion of saccharine matter is much greater.' The French prune of California is, in fact, a different article from the imported French prune. The former are much like dates. It will be years before the demand in the United States can be supplied, for the quantity of prunes consumed there is enormous. The importation of prunes into the country in 1890 was nearly 62,000,000 fts., valued at £600,000; while the production of California last year was 27,000,000 fts., valued at £424,480." The climate and soil of this Province are well known to be highly favourable to the cultivation of this fruit, and, although at the present time a large number of trees are set out, there is room for many more. There is no fear of flooding the market, we have the whole of the North-West to supply, as well as our local demands. Of canned fruits and vegetables, 950 Report on Agriculture. 1893 1,542,352 fts. were imported, the latter not being distinguished from the former. Of jams and jellies, 57,525 fts. The factories for the manufacture of preserved fruit at Victoria, Vancouver, Chilliwhack, and Vernon will no doubt have the effect, as soon as sufficient fruit is offered, of making a great change in the importation of that article. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, and grapes, of which large quantities are imported, can be successfully grown in many parts of the country, but they are seldom or never attempted. The failure of or indifferent crops of fruit in the Province of late years is no doubt largely attributed to the prevalence of diseases and insect pests, and I would earnestly impress upon all fruit growers the necessity of taking vigourous measures for their suppression. Under " Diseases and Pests" will be found remedies from the best authorities. To intending orchardists I would recommend that they should study, and so profit by, the experience of others. In the first place, to find out what kind of apple, pear or other fruit does best in the particular locality where they are ; which are the most saleable, and above which are good carriers and good keepers. As an illustration, the Greengage is acknowledged to be one of the best of plums, but its appearance is not in its favour in a shop window, and it is a very- poor carrier. The same may be said of the Black Tartarian cherry, and, in fact, of most black cherries. Very late fruits, since we cannot compete with California in very early fruits, always command better prices in our own and in the markets of the North-West. Take, for instance, that beautiful bright red cherry, locally known as the Belle de Choisy (but which I believe to be wrong), which ripens about September, and that yellow plum called, I believe, Coe's Golden Drop, which comes in about October ; both are good keepers and command the very highest prices. In planting an orchard, it is well to avoid having too great a variety of each kind of fruit, and this generally happens to the uninitiated when a fruit agent induces them to give an order. In this connection, Mr. G. W. Chadsey, of Sumas, says : " We should try and educate the people who intend to raise fruit not to try every miserable tree agent's new kinds, as in most cases they are no good." People do not need to go out of the Province for good fruit trees, there are goocl nurseries at Victoria, Delta, Westminster, Port Hammond, Spence's Bridge and other places, where all kinds of acclimatized trees are to be had, and where the principals are always at hand in case the trees are not such as they are represented. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 951 THE NEW FODDER PLANT. lathyrus Sylvestris Wagneri. Mr. F. E. Clotten, of London, Eng., has written several communications to this Department on the subject of this Fodder Plant, which he avers is of great value. It might be, judging from his description of it, that it would be a valuable addition to the fodder plants of this country, and I therefore give some extracts from his letters. It is but fair to say that it has been tried on the Experimental Farm at Agassiz, and, by Mr. Sharpe's account, the cattle and horses would not eat it. This is, however, explained by Mr. Clotten, as will be seen. Mr. Sharpe, in his report of 1891, says :—" One hundred plants of this new fodder plant were received and planted in the fall of 1890. Only about 60 plants lived through the winter, owing to the heaving of the ground, but these made a strong, vigorous growth and fruited this year, and the plants being now thoroughly rooted are not likely to suffer from frost this winter. Owing to the scarcity of the plant and seed, it was thought best to leave ours to mature the seed, and we have now about 20 ounces of seed. " The straw was still green and succulent when the seed was harvested, and we cut it and offered some to our cattle and horses, but they would not eat it, and we were unable to cure it owing to continued rainy weather. Next year it is proposed to try it in a silo. If it makes good ensilage it will be valuable, on account of the large quantity which can be taken off the land. The vines this year averaged from 4 to 6J feet in length." In report, 1892 :—"This plant has made a vigorous growth again this year, and as there has been considerably inquiry for seed, we let it ripen, so that there might be a quantity of seed for distribution. "The seed raised last year was distributed in small quantities throughout the dry grazing lands of the interior, and as far east as Calgary, in the North-West Territories. " A small quantity of seed was sown on the farm in April; it came up, but has only made a growth of about ten inches. " Reports have been received from two parties in the Territories, to whom were given a few seeds, Mr. W. Pearce and Mr. Oscar Moorehouse, both of Calgary, and in each case a growth of from six to ten inches was made." The following extracts are from a letter from Mr. F. E. Clotten, dated Dec. 30th, 1892 :— " It is gratifying to me that this most important agricultural acquisition has not been overlooked by you * * * * » "Dominion of Canada: Since spring, 1890, this Lathyrus has been growing in the various Dominion Agricultural Experimental Stations, including that of Agassiz, B. C. Prof. Wm. Saunders sent, in autumn, 1890, a number of young Lathyrus plants, grown from the seed sent him in spring, 1890, at Ottawa A. E. Station, to Mr. Sharpe, the superintendent at Agassiz. These plants, as could only have been expected, and as I distinctly told Prof. Wm. Saunders, did not produce a fodder crop during summer, 1892, using their entire energies towards the root development in the soil and sub-soil. But Mr. Sharpe reported in August last (1892) to Prof. Wm. Saunders, Ottawa, as follows (published in "Farmers' Advocate," London, Ontario, and Winnipeg, September, 1892, issue) : 'This year the vines (that is upper' growth) of the Wagner's Lathyrus Silvestris made a very strong and vigorous growth, and they produced seed quite freely ; but I was unable to induce either the cattle or horses to eat it.' " The latter part is fudge, pure and simple, as I shall explain : " The great richness and succulence of this Lathyrus fodder in a green, fresh cut state, is such that cattle, horses and sheep find themselves entirely unaccustomed to it, and, like all strange things, they only smell at the fodder first, and finding a new, unaccustomed flavour, leave, it alone. Moreover, this Lathyrus fodder assumes after it has been cut a day or two, through its great richness in sugar, a smell and flavour of the liquorice plant, which adds to the objection ordinary fed^ cattle and horses have to it, when put before them at first. The short of it is : The domesticated animals must in most cases be taught the flavour of this, the most nutritious, naturally grown fodder; and this must be done so that about one-eighth part of a Lathyrus feed is mixed with the ordinary feed given to the animals. A few handfuls of 952 Report on Agriculture. 1893 cut Lathyrus, or of Lathyrus hay, should be cut up in small pieces, or chaffed and mixed with the other fodder. This quantity of Lathyrus, chaffed, should gradually be increased until the fourth day fully one-half of the feed is Lathyrus fodder, green cut or hay and chaffed. " After that, the animals will eat it out, aye, pick out clean every particle of Lathyrus fodder in preference to the other feed ; and whenever after that Lathyrus fodder is given them they will eagerly devour it. * * * * " In Ireland and Scotland, and in the south of England, the largest and most successful Lathyrus growers are located, and in Ireland Lathyrus sweet ensilage has proved a great success ; and the Irish dairy farmers are beginning to realize that this Lathyrus, as sweet ensilage, is indispensable, and indeed the great salvation of Irish dairy farming, giving them that essential for that industry, namely, a first-class home-grown, bulky and succulent and most nutritious winter feed. For sweet ensilage making, to serve as winter feed, this Lathyrus has absolutely no equal, both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view amongst perennial leguminosce, and, as already stated, corn silage cannot compare as regards feeding value. " It is a most remarkable fact, observed by all those Lathyrus growers who made ensilage, of it, that in that form cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs pounce down upon it at once, voraciously devouring it. And for making milk of the very first quality, for making fine flavoured and fine coloured butter, this Lathyrus sweet ensilage is easy ' champion' feed. * * * In conclusion, I wish to say a few words concerning the cultivation. The best results, both in quantity and quality, are obtained if the Lathyrus is grown in a rich, deep loam, with an open, well drained sub-soil. Like all leguminous crops, it likes plenty of light and air, plenty of sun, and if such rich, loamy land or good quality sandy loam is situated on a slope looking towards south or south-west, crops are materially increased. This is a general experience." * * * * " Any land to be brought under Lathyrus cultivation should be ploughed up some nine to fifteen inches deep, thoroughly harrowed and cleaned from any weeds either in January or February, so that the newly turned up soil may yet have a chance to get frosted and decomposed and mellow and friable, so to offer by early May a mellow, clean seed-bed of fine tilth, such as all peas like it thrive best in. " Land which was last year under turnips or potatoes, and is in good heart, may also be used with great advantage, particularly if it has been ploughed up last autumn, and is now lying fallow and frosted. Full instructions for sowing are sent along with the seed, that is after orders for seed have reached me. " The seed is drilled in drills fifteen inches apart from each other-. Sowing must be shallow." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 953 METEOROLOGICAL. Through the courtesy of Mr. Chas. Carpmael, Director of the Meteorological Service at Toronto, I am again enabled to give the statistics of the weather in those places where there are stations. Other stations are much needed in some parts of the Province, and Mr. Carpmael will be glacl to get the assistance of volunteer observers at such points as he may consider necessary. Many new points of observation have been added recently, the reports from which will appear in the future. It was my intention to have issued a small map with the present report, showing the different points where there are stations of observation, but time forbids. From those parts of the country where there are no stations I have endeavoured to elicit the opinions and observations of some of the residents, which will be found further on, and which, as far as they go, are of interest and value. In order to avoid misapprehension, I will repeat that what I mean by greatest cold, or heat, is what usually occurs every season, not the extraordinary temperature of a day or two. In explanation of a foot-note of my own in last year's report of the snowfall at Esquimalt, Mr. W. A. Stewart, the compiler of the statistics, writes as follows : " I would desire to call your attention to a note to Table X, in your report for 1891, in reference to the snowfall at Esquimalt in December of that year. In the abstract received from the observer there is entered on the 5th December, 1 a.m. ' sprinkle of snow'; on the 12th, under the head of rain and wetted snow, at 1 p.m., 0.47 ; 5 p. m., 0.37 ; 9 p.m., 0.23 ; on the 13th, at 1 a.m., 0.06 ; 5 a.m., 0.10 ; 9 a.m., 0.09; 1 p.m., 0.02 ; making a total of 1.34 inches of water ; and in his remarks are, 9 a.m., sleet; 1 p.m., snow ; 5 p.m., snow ; 9 p.m., snow; 1 a.m , snow; 9 a.m., snow ; on the 31st, 1 a.m., sleet. " It was assumed that this was almost entirely snow and used as such. Since seeing your note I have made an alteration, and assumed that only one inch of snow fell, and called the balance rain, altering the averages to agree. " I may add I have used only the Esquimalt returns in comparing that station." Climatological Statistics of British Columbia for- 1892, and comparison with the results of former years :— Temperature, Rain, and Snow. Esquimalt, Mr. E. B. Reed. Port Moody, Mr. W. Elson. Nanaimo, Mr. H. L. Good. Quamichan, Mr. W. H. Lomas. Abbotsford, Mr. S. N. Baiss. Carmanah, Mr. W. P. Daykins. Keremeos, Mr. E. Bullock-Webster. Agassiz, Mr. J. A. Sharpe. Spence's Bridge, Mr. J. Murray. Port Simpson, Mr. C. W. D. Clifford. Griffin Lake, Mr. W. G. Draper. Donald, Mr. J. A. Blythe. Chilcotin, Mr. M. G. Drummond. Loch Erroch, Lower Nicola, Mr. T Wilson. Sunshine. Esquimalt, Agassiz. Clouded Sky and Direction of Wind. Esquimalt, Fort Simpson, Agassiz, Spence's Bridge. Rain and Snowfall. French Creek, V. I., Mr. W. H. Lee. Nicola Lake, Mr. E. Dalley. 954 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Contents. Table I.—Temperature for each of the six months constituting the growing period, 1892 (April to September inclusive), at ten stations in British Columbia, together with the average for the group of years. Table II.—Precipitation of rain and snow during the five winter months for nine stations in British Columbia for the year 1891-2, and average for the group of years. Table III.—Comparison of the rainfall at nine stations in British Columbia in the months April to September, 1892, with the averages for the same stations derived from a group of years. Table IV.—Number of hours the sun was above the horizon, lat. 48°; the number of hours registered ; the number of days completely clouded, with the maximum daily amount during 1892 at Esquimalt and Agassiz. Table V.—Extent of sky clouded a,t the principal stations, with the average derived from the group of years. Table VI.—Showing for each month the highest, lowest, mean highest, mean lowest, and mean temperature at the principal stations in British Columbia, with the annual mean for each station. Table VII.—The same data as in Table VL, derived from a group of years. Table VIII.—Monthly and annual amount of rainfall in inches at stations in British Columbia reporting for the year, with the averages for the stations derived from a group of years. Table IX.—Monthly and annual number of days of rainfall at the stations in Table VIII. Table X.—Monthly and annual amount of snowfall in inches at the stations in British Columbia reporting for the year, with the average for the stations derived from a group of years. Table XI.—Monthly and annual number of days of snowfall at the stations in Table X. Table XII.—Abstract of -observations made at Keremeos, Similkameen, B. C, during the year 1892. Table XIII.—Abstract of observations made at Carmanah Light-house during the year 1892 ; abstract of observations at Griffin Lake in the year 1892 ; abstract of observations at Loch Erroch, December, 1892; abstract of observations at Chilcotin, December, 1892. Tables XIV. to XVI.—Number of times the wind blew from each of the eight points, from observations made tri-daily at Port Simpson, Agassiz, Spence's Bridge, and six times daily at Esquimalt, B. C. Abstract of periodical events at stations in B. C. during the year 1892. 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 955 TEMPERATURE. Table I.—Temperature for each of the six months constituting the growing period (April to September inclusive) at ten stations in British Columbia, together with the average for the whole group of years up to 1892, inclusive:— April. 1892 Average to 1892 May. 1892 Average to 1892 ■Tone. 1892 Average to 1892 July. 1892 Average to 1892 August. 1892 Average to 1892 September. 1892 Average to 1892 Average for six months. 1892 Average to 1892 46.35 47.05 52.26 52.47 55.48 55.40 57.00 58.47 58.81 58.51 54.26 54.04 54.04 54.32 45.1 56.35 60.17 60.24 66.49 Port Moody. sS t> i 3 44.52 46.45 47.89 47.22 54.47 57.53 55.83 60.81 59.75 59.68 59.51 62.26 63.98 63.11 63.12 65.22 62.63 57.22 56.74 55.64 57.39 58.15 57.35 45.99 48.40 53.80 55.61 69.82 59.05 60.66 62.63 62.81 61.89 58.45 55.95 56.92 57.26 3 < CD 6 5 46.28 48.42 28.83 47.82 61.92 33.14 54.28 60.92 56.66 62.60 46.13 59.94 69.21 52.93 58.43 67.04 50.98 60.80 68.22 50.96 62.36 73.55 54.10 62.99 69.83 53.42 64.11 72.24 55.04 58.18 63.63 49.69 57.28 62.30 47.60 57.08 63.37 57.78 64.94 47.83 o - a r. o 1 3 O 38.62 39.20 41.43 47.99 48.54 56.52 52.72 56.96 . 58.59 55.72 56.99 59.25 56.39 52.87 51.22 53.29 52.14 51.35 Table II.—Precipitation of rain and snow during the five winter months for nine principal stations in British Columbia for the year 1891-2, and the average for the whole group of years:— November. 1891 1890 Average to 1891 . December. 1891 .... 1890 Average to 1891 . January. 1892 1891 Average to 1892 . February. 1892 1891 Average to 1892 . March. 1892 1891 Average to 1892 . Total. 1892 1891 Average to 1892 . Rain Snow 7.19 1.74 3.76 12.41 8.28 5.51 4.58 5.22 4.90 0.80 1.60 1.20 3.05 3.30 3.17 28.03 20.14 18.54 o.o 0.6 1.0 0.0 1.2 0.0 10.2 5.1 0.0 1.2 0.6 1.0 11.4 6.9 Port ^ Rain Snow Rain in. in. in. 13.91 3.8 7.40 4.34 0.0 1.39 9.54 0.8 4.26 15.39 26.8 9.77 15.18 0.0 10.29 13.09 10.6 7.60 7.9.) 1.0 5.OS 11.37 0.0 2.88 7.71 9.7 3.96 5.46 * 1.26 0.80 22.4 1.30 4.57 5.8 2.76 6.31 0.0 2.10 7.30 * 3.35 7.33 1.3 2.62 49.02 31.6 25.61 38.99 22.4 19.21 42.24 26.9 21.20 1.0 0.0 0.2 4.5 0.0 6.1 3.2 0.8 13.9 0.0 11.5 11.2 0.0 0.0 0.4 8.7 12.3 31.4 3 "o < Rain Snow in. in. 10.53 0.0 2.56 0.0 6.63 0.0 10.31 4.0 8.43 0.0 7.26 9.9 4.42 2.6 7.47 0.0 4.70 6.1 S.14 0.0 0.77 16.0 2.46 6.7 4.88 0.0 6.51 0.0 6.64 33.28 6.5 25.74 16.0 25.60 22.7 12.77 3.52 7.35 15.53 9.37 9.34 3.27 0.64 2.70 6.01 4.34 5.51 0.0 0.0 0.0 24.0 o.o 22.5 2.5 0.0 10.7 0.0 17.0 9.3 0.0 0.0 0.4 26.5 0.0 42.5 0.81 0.83 0 60 0.55 1.79 0.89 0.43 0.00 0.46 8.00 10.00 8.00 4.2 0.0 4.5 0.00 0.0 0.00 4.8 0.13 3.7 | 0.151 0.0 0.67 0.7 0.37 0.4 1.94 3.29 2.45 12.2 15.5 16.2 1.23 36.0 1.65 15.0 0.74 26.7 0.00 42.0 0.17:43.5 0.0437.1 0.20 0.50 0.35 0.00 0.00 0.30 0.07 0.00 0.15 1.50 2.82 1.58 62.0 21.0 28.9 10.0 16.0 21.7 10.5 23.0 21.6 160.5 118.5 116.4 17.89J 4.5 19.25 0.0 16.44 0.9 13.3 34.1 12.7 12.04 11.69 8.2] 5.75 4.47 6.32 7.67 7.37 7.61 62.17 52.47 47.13 2.8 0.0 13.6 20.0 17.2 13.8 0.3 4.2 4.5 40.5 55.5 41.0 0.86 0.67 0.46 0.42 0.44 0.29 0.00 0.03 0.11 0.00 0.00 0.20 0.64 0.44 0.44 1.92 1.58 1.50 2.5 0.0 12.5 10.0 9.5 4.0 0.0 11.7 1.0 8.0 0.0 0.8 2.2 20.0 18.8 95G Report on Agriculture. 1893 Table III.—Comparison of the rainfall at nine principal stations in British Columbia in the months April to September, 1892, with the average for the, same stations derived from a group of years:— April. 1892 Average to 1892 May. 1892 Average to 1892 June. 1892 Average to 1892 July. 1892 Average to 1892 August. 1892 Average to 1892 September. 1892 Average to 1892 Total. 1892 Average to 1892 2.53 2.62 1.95 1.37 0.60 0.93 0.87 0.44 0.72 0.77 4.09 2.90 10.76 9.03 6.11 5.02 2.83 1.88 2.11 4.39 19.6i' 4.09 3.18 2.26 1.67 0.40 1.16 1.10 0.86 0.80 0.82 3.60 2.69 12.25 10.38 3 j§ o -O rO < in. in. 4.69 4.26 4.43 5.22 4.71 5.16 3.23 3.80 1.88 3.20 4.32 4.41 2.38 3.27 1.67 2.28 1.47 2.78 1 1.97 2.74 6.43 5.92 5.33 4.88 21.52 24.59 20.87 23.33 0) Si ■a E0 t» Spence in. 0.18 0.46 0.42 0.86 0.35 0.84 0.17 0.33 0.22 0.61 0.52 0.72 1.86 3.88 . 3 — ft MS > 3 J tii ^ m a r5 in. in. in. 0.20 1.05 0.64 7.47 0.64 0.62 2.24 4.18 1.06 2.22 1.09 3.00 4.08 1.39 7.40 6.29 0.64 3.75 5.22 0.95 3.72 13.23 0.37 3.50 9.20 0.74 6.73 8.29 0.44 3.91 11.16 0.71 4.21 17.04 41.31 5.38 Table IV.—Sunshine. Number of hours the sun was above the horizon in latitude 48°, the number of hours registered, the number of days completely clouded, with the maximum daily amount during 1892 at Esquimalt and Agassiz, B.C.;— hours hours hours Sun above horizon, latitude 48° 273.0 296.5 371.0 Esquimalt. Hours registered 57.6 87.9 112.7 Number of days completely clouded ... 13 8 10 Maximum daily amount in hours 7.3 9 | 9.8 Agassiz Experiment/ad Farm. Hours registered 55.7 78.3j 75.5 Number of days completely clouded 13 8 i 10 Maximum daily amount in hours , 6.0 3.51 9.7 ft < i a >"3 August. rl r= ft o tfi u J o O r- <L> a > o hours hours hours hours hours hours hours hours 412.6 472.5 480.3 483.4 441.8 375.5 328.6 275.5 157.3 3 11.8 197.7 7 11.9 236.9 2 12.7 236.4 3 12.3 276.9 1 12.2 156.4 8 10.9 111.2 5 9.7 37.7 17 7.8 79.0 8 11.6 154.9 8 11.6 190.3 5 14.2 179.7 7 12.5 208.5 1 11.4 118.8 7 9.8 107.8 10 7.5 4.7 23 1.8 hours 256.0 38.7 18 5.8 Table V.—Extent of sky clouded at the principal stations, with the average derived from the whole group of years :— Esquimalt, average Do. 1892 Spence's Bridge, average Do. 1892 Port Simpson Do. 1892 Agassiz Experimental Farm, 1892 u P it a 'u ft 6 a jj 33 3 be 3 rl 0) rO s tt, a ri <o O o a > o »"S fc S < s *9 "t < tfi O r5 X X X X X X X X X X Z 76 68 67 69 48 54 40 34 51 69 79 70 67 72 64 55 46 49 36 60 69 84 59 54 51 46 52 52 42 42 51 60 68 59 52 59 56 62 42 50 47 43 71 74 67 61 72 74 59 72 62 70 73 77 76 73 75 79 80 70 44 78 54 74 71 82 63 81 89 % 80 80 53 71 71 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 957 Table VI.—Showing for each month the highest, lowest, mean highest, mean lowest, and mean temperature at the principal stations in British Columbia; also the annual mean for each station :— January. Highest Lowest Mean highest.' Mean lowest... Monthly mean. February. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest. .. Monthly mean. March. Highest lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest. .. Monthly mean. April. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. May. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. June. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly moan. July. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. August. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. September. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. October. Highest Lowest...... Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. November. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. December. Highest Lowest Mean highest.. Mean lowest... Monthly mean. Annual mean . 55.0 28.9 44.0 34.4 39.49 59.9 29.0 47.5 35.4 41.12 61.9 31.5 51.6 40.3 45.50 65.6 30.0 53.2 39.8 46.35 69.6 37.9 60.3 45.0 52.36 74.0 42.5 63.8 45.6 55.48 74.2 45.7 65.2 50.4 57.00 75.7 47.2 69.2 51.1 58.81 70.2 40.5 62.9 48.0 54.25 61.1 35.2 55.0 44.3 48.85 53.1 30.3 45.8 38.4 43.91 51.4 18.7 42.9 35.2 39.21 48.53 51.8 24.5 44.0 31.5 37.74 56.6 26.8 47.5 33.4 40.44 63.2 30.8 54.5 38.9 46.67 65.8 29.7 54.1 36.0 45.06 76.8 34.0 67.0 45.7 56.35 89.3 38.8 70.8 49.5 60.17 81.2 42.1 69.9 51.6 60.24 87.0 45.9 77.0 55.9 66.49 82.6 36.2 67.8 48.1 57.95 67.5 31.6 55.6 42.8 49.17 55.2 28.4 46.6 38.1 42.35 45.8 14.5 39.2 30.7 34.95 49.80 49.0 17.0 39.5 29.2 34.32 55.0 25.0 45.9 32.0 65.0 30.0 52.1 37.7 44.89 69.0 27.0 52.6 86.6 44.52 84.0 41.0 69.9 49.1 59.51 52.0 20.0 42.7 28.5 35.59 57.0 20.0 49.9 29.4 39.64 68.0 26.0 57.4 35.7 46.53 72.0 29.0 58.4 34.5 46.45 84.0 29.0 67.6 41.3 64.47 92.0 38.0 75.1 46.5 60.81 90.0 39.0 77.4 47.1 62.26 86.0 42.0 78.6 47.7 63.12 85.0 32.0 71.1 41.3 57.22 70.0 29.0 63.9 38.3 51.1 60.0 25.0 51.9 36.7 44.32 59.0 25.0 51.7 31.8 41.74 50.27 53.0 21.0 41.6 29.8 35.71 59.0 24.0 46.3 31.4 38.89 67.0 20.0 53.0 37.4 45.21 71.0 29.0 54.4 37.6 45.99 85.0 35.0 63.6 44.0 53.80 87.0 39.0 70.5 49.1 59.82 86.0 42.0 70.9 60.4 60.66 84.0 41.0 74.9 50.7 62.81 85.0 39.0 67.9 49.0 58.45 76.0 32.0 57.7 41.5 49.62 55.0 21.0 44.9 25.1 40.0 50.0 12.0 38.4 29.0 33.73 48.72 57.0 17.0 40.7 31.1 35.72 61.0 28.0 48.9 34.6 40.18 74.0 31.0 58.6 43.6 46.33 77.0 30.0 55.8 39.1 46.28 90.0 37.0 65.4 46.2 54.28 90.0 38.0 71.9 49.5 59.94 90.0 38.0 72.0 51.1 60.80 90.0 47.0 77.9 51.3 62.99 90.0 43.0 71.1 50.4 58.18 79.0 33.0 61.6 43.8 50.58 56.0 16.0 42.9 35.2 46.0 8.0 26.9 28.8 32.76 48.1 44.0 8.0 29.6 15.1 22.70 59.0 10.0 39.6 22.3 65.C 27.0 57.1 34.1 45.25 74.0 23.0 59.6 34.9 48.42 87.5 31.0 72.7 44.5 60.92 101.0 42.0 82.4 52.1 69.21 101.5 46.0 82.3 54.1 68.22 93.0 60.0 83.4 65.6 88.5 39.0 76.2 52.2 63.63 84.0 30.0 58.0 42.6 49.57 62.0 2.0 41.2 27.6 34.44 50.0 12.0 28.4 15.0 21.71 48.1 36.0 23.0 21.8 8.6 15.21 42.0 3.0 45.0 10.0 37.8 23.8 30.79 52.0 10.0 39.4 18.2 82.0 30.0 66.0 30.0 52.93 84.0 31.0 62.9 39.0 50.96 87.0 33.0 67.2 39.6 53.42 87.0 22.0 64.6 34.8 46.69 73.0 13.0 53.5 30.6 42.05 66.0 15.0 30.7 14.9 22.82 43.0 29.0 30.1 11.0 20.65 56.0 13.6 41.7 30.4 36.31 49.5 19.6 41.9 31.5 57.0 27.6 47.5 35.4 40.89 54.0 29.6 49.0 35.1 38 62 74.5 44.0 62.3 49.1 69.5 31.0 62.2 49.9 67.5 34.0 58.4 45.2 52.87 63.5 28.0 55.3 43.0 48.52 64.5 7.0 44.7 32.2 37.21 54.5 17.0 42.2 30.8 36.6 37.0 30.0 19.2 0.7 9.94 47.0 11.0 33.1 10.7 21.89 58.0 12.0 48.8 23.7 36.78 67.0 16.0 50.9 27.7 39.30 80.0 23.0 62.4 93.0 31.0 73.5 39.6 56.52 91.0 32.0 72.2 45.0 58.57 90.0 35.0 74.9 43.6 59.25 84.0 29.0 65.9 36.6 51.22 74.0 18.0 52.4 30.2 41.26 48.0 4.0 31.6 21.0 26.30 33.0 38.0 17.3 2.2 9.74 38.16 958 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Table VII.—Showing for each month the annual average of the highest, lowest, mean highest, mean lowest, and mean temperature at the principal stations in British Columbia, derived from the group of years and the average annual mean at each station for the same period. January. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. . Monthly mean . February. ' Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest... Monthly mean March. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean April. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean Mat. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest,. Monthly mean June. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean July. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean low'est.. Monthly mean Auoust. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean September. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean October. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean November. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean December. Highest Lowest Mean highest. Mean lowest.. Monthly mean Annual Mean. . . Esquimalt. 54.7 29.7 45.0 36.3 40.86 54.0 26.0 43.1 32.4 37.41 60.7 25.7 49.6 37.6 43.32 63.9 31.0 53.9 40.4 47.05 69.4 37.2 60.9 44.9 52.47 73.1 41.0 63.4 47.2 55.40 81.4 44.8 68.1 50.8 58.47 76.6 46.8 68.9 61.2 58.51 70.3 40.7 62.5 47.4 54.04 63.4 36.5 55.2 44.0 49.06 55.3 31.5 48.6 40.2 45.06 54.8 26.4 45.0 Port Moody. 50.2 14.5 37.2 27.4 28.79 49.4 14.8 41.1 27.3 34.18 57.3 23.2 48.9 33.8 41.34 70.6 29.2 57.2 38.6 47.89 84.5 37.5 68.0 45.7 67.53 83.8 41.0 70.6 48.9 59.75 85.4 42.3 75.4 50.7 63.78 85.4 46.4 74.3 52.2 63.22 79.2 38.0 66.3 47.1 56.74 68.0 32.2 56.6 43.5 50.04 56.2 24.0 47.7 36.5 42.11 52.2 19.4 42.3 33.5 37.89 48.60 Quamichan. Abbotsford. 53,0 16.2 44.3 27.7 35.23 54.0 6.6 46.3 21.2 35.47 65.0 19.0 54.7 31.8 43.77 72.6 26.2 59.7 35.2 47.22 86.6 33.2 70.4 42.0 55.83 92.0 34.2 73.7 44.8 59.68 92.8 38.2 79.0 46.7 63.11 89.5 39.0 78.3 47.7 62.63 32.0 70.6 41.4 55.64 28.4 60.5 38.9 49.03 62.6 22.0 53.4 34.2 43.06 57 2 20.2 48.1 31.2 39.73 51.7 13.1 39.9 28.2 34.01 61.4 16.0 40.7 27.7 34.21 49.23 62.7 23.0 51.5 34.9 43.20 73.8 29.0 58.1 38.2 48.40 84.5 35.0 67.0 44.1 55.61 82.1 40.3 69.5 48.6 59.05 89.7 41.7 75.2 50.0 62.63 84.8 41.5 73.8 50.0 61.89 80.7 35.0 66.7 45.2 55.95 71.0 31.3 58.3 41.9 50.10 61.0 25.0 50.2 37.3 43.79 55.0 18.5 42.7 31.4 36.41 48.77 Agassiz. Spence's Bridge. 51.0 9.0 48.7 1.7 29.2 15.7 30.88 22.34 48.7 15.3 54.0 1.8 32.5 16.1 34.99 23.68 63.7 24.0 66.5 16.7 53.5 43.96 31.4 41.09 76.3 31.3 81.8 27.0 37.7 47.82 51.92 86.0 36.3 92.6 37.2 75.8 47.5 56.66 62.60 84.3 39.3 58.48 94.0 45.0 80.5 62.9 67.04 90.3 41.3 101.6 49.2 87.0 57.6 62.36 73.55 88.3 48.3 95.2 51.1 64.11 72.24 86.0 40.3 70.4 49.0 57.28 89.6 38.8 75.0 50.7 62.30 75.3 34.3 62.7 43.9 49.86 77.3 31.8 60.6 42.4 50.23 64.3 35.0 45.8 36.9 42.57 61.0 15.4 46.3 31.0 37.44 50.5 19.5 38.6 31.2 36.49 55.1 5.4 36.0 23.4 29.41 48.78 49.49 Barkerville. 38.7 17.1 27.0 13.2 20.43 37.6 14.6 24.7 8.7 16.70 48.3 0.7 37.0 20.1 28.57 60.8 8.3 43.0 21.6 33.14 76.0 25.7 58.3 34.0 46.13 76.2 31.8 62.7 39.2 50.98 82.4 34.2 66.3 41.8 54.10 82.2 32.6 67.9 42.2 55.04 75.6 23.8 58.8 36.4 47.60 67.6 16.0 49.7 30.8 40.28 55.6 2.0 35.4 17.0 27.66 42.4 11.0 27.3 12.2 19.78 36.70 Port Simpson. 53.3 9.9 38.5 26.5 33.49 47.3 10.5 38.3 25.0 82.64 54.2 20.2 45.5 30.9 39.36 57.0 26.4 48.4 34.7 41.43 71.4 30.5 56.5 39.8 48.54 68.9 38.6 59.4 44.9 52.72 72.4 40.9 62.0 48.1 55.72 70.1 39.9 62.4 49.7 56.39 67.6 36.3 58.9 46.1 53.29 62.4 30.5 53.4 41.2 47.42 59.3 20.2 46.3 34.6 40.68 53.7 15.2 40.6 29.1 35.82 44.80 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 959 Table VIII.—Monthly and annual amount of rainfall in inches at the stations in British Columbia reporting for- the year, with the average for1 the stations derived from the group of years. Esquimalt, Do. Port Moody, Do. Quamichan, Do. Abbotsford, Do. Agassiz, Do. Spence's Bridg Do. Barkerville, Do. Fort Simpson, Do. Nicola Lake, Do. Nanaimo, French Creek, Carmanah, average 1892 . .. average. 1892 .... average. 1892 .... average. 1892 .... average. 1892 .... e, average. 1892 .... average. 1892 .... average. 1892 .... average. 1892 .... I p d >-3 r. cS r, rO 01 Ir 'C a < i r3 0.44 3 bo <i 0.77 r< tl r= S 01 "ft o la rl XI a ti 01 n r, d 01 r- 4.90 1.20 3.17 2.62 1.37 0.93 2.90 2.96 6.39 8.41 36.06 4.58 0.80 3.05 2.53 1.95 0.60 0.87 0.72 4.09 1.56 10.25 4.54 85.54 7.71 4.57 7.33 5.02 2.87 3.24 1.88 2.11 4.39 7.87 9.54 13.09 69.12 7.95 5.46 6.31 6.11 2.83 3.96 2.76 2.62 3.18 1.67 1.16 0.86 0 82 2.69 3.72 4.45 7.20 35.39 5.08 1.26 2.10 4.09 2.26 0.40 1.10 0.80 3.60 1.80 5.60 4.80 32.89 4.70 2.46 5.64 4.43 3.23 4.32 1.57 1.97 5.33 5.82 6.69 6.99 53.15 4.42 3.14 4.88 4.59 4 77 1.88 2.38 1.47 6.43 4.75 9.90 6.18 64.79 4.43 2.70 5.51 5.22 3.80 4.41 2.28 2.74 4.88 7.08 9.11 8.27 60.43 6.87 3.27 6.01 4.26 5.16 3.20 3.27 2.78 5.92 6.35 14.40 5.04 66.53 0.46 0.18 0.37 0.46 0.86 0.84 0.33 0.61 0.72 0.59 0.57 0.71 6.65 0.43 0.00 0.15 0.18 0.42 0.35 0.17 0.22 0.52 1.03 0.43 0.00 3.90 0.35 0.30 0.16 0.64 2.24 3.00 3.76 3.50 3.91 1.52 0.95 0.05 20.37 0.20 0.00 0.07 0.20 2.22 7.40 3.72 6.73 2.36 1.78 0.00 8.21 6.32 7.51 7.47 4.18 4.08 5.22 9.20 11.16 12.87 14.43 9.85 12.04 5.75 0.20 7.67 0.44 6.29 0.95 13.23 0.74 8.29 0.71 14.25 0.90 8.39 0.49 11.01 0.27 0.11 0.54 i.06 1.39 1.80 0.00 0.00 0.64 1.05 0.62 1.09 0.64 0.37 0.44 1.65 0.90 0.00 7.40 2.20 1.38 2.28 3.42 3.67 0.54 2.02 0.86 3.83 1.44 7.18 4.93 32.65 2.21 0.57 2.98 3.36 2.75 1.24 1.82 0.63 5.26 2.70 7.91 3.25 34.68 9.76 5.79 13.13 8.90 4.68 1.67 3.18 3.53 4.65 7.15 14.37 10.07 86.88 Table IX.—Monthly and annual number of days of rainfall at the stations in Table VIII. Esquixnalt, Do. Port Moody, Do. Quamichan, Do. Abbotsford, Do. Agassiz, Do. Spence's Bridge, Do. Barkerville, Do. Fort Simpson, Do. Nicola Lake, Do. Nanaimo, French Creek, Carmanah, average 1892 .. . average 1892 ... average 1892 . . average 1892 ... average 1892 . .. average. 1892 .. . average 1892 ... average. 1892 average. 1892 18 17 13 10 9 8 12 8 12 15 1 2 1 1 15 17 2 0 13 16 19 11 14 10 12 1 0 2 0 15 15 3 0 8 20 19 17 19 9 10 17 14 17 21 4 6 1 2 23 20 6 8 8 15 16 20 21 16 12 8 11 16 20 17 22 3 3 8 1 19 8 7 12 19 21 14 16 12 6 6 13 16 11 16 6 4 8 3 10 15 12 12 6 11 9 13 ! y 7 6 3 13 11 14 12 6 6 12 13 7 10 5 4 4 6 11 10 14 3 3 14 25 13 19 3 5 9 12 10 otember. £1 e 1 rl < OQ * Q > 6 12 19 23 24 190 7 11 16 28 23 197 0 9 17 19 20 156 3 8 10 11 13 92 3 7 6 9 7 81 6 10 19 13 17 157 4 14 17 24 16 168 6 . 12 15 17 20 161 9 14 14 19 14 182 4 0 e 5 3 47 4 6 6 6 0 46 12 11 6 4 1 75 18 13 7 6 0 17 20 20 21 18 22 19 28 18 19 7 9 11 6 4 85 6 6 9 7 0 58 4 10 9 19 16 126 6 12 13 23 17 160 6 7 13 26 19 165 960 Repobt on Agriculture. 1893 Table X.—Monthly and annual amount of snowfall in inches at the stations in British Columbia reporting for the year, with the average for the stations derived from the group of years. -■' P a oi i-o . if c3 P 1 6- st o r. Ci a i ■"3 be < u Or s p- m October. November. u 01 s 01 01 R 3 9.7 1.0 13.3 8.2 6.1 2.5 10.7 2.5 4.5 4.2 28.9 62.0 13.6 2.8 11.7 5.1 0.0 5.8 9.3 0.0 7.1 0.0 9.3 0.0 3.7 0.0 21.7 10.0 13.8 20.0 5.7 0.6 0.3 0.9 0.8 1.5 3.4 10.6 7 5 Do. 1892 4 3 1.3 * 28 2 Do. 1892 Quamichan, average Do. 1892 0.3 0.4 1.5 1.2 5.0 1.1 4.5 5.3 21.3 25.2 17.5 1 6 6.4 2.0 7.5 0.0 12.0 5.5 9.4 11.2 37.9 42.0 11.8 29.7 6.7 21 9 Do. 1892 7.5 0.4 34 1 Do. 1892 12.5 0.4 21.6 10.5 4.5 0.3 2.2 0.0 0.0 20.1 10.6 3.7 10.5 6.5 23.3 Do. 1892 2.0 0.5 6.8 169.2 Do. 1892 , .... Do 1892 Nicola Lake, average Do. 1892 Nanaimo, n 0.1 4.1 2.5 3.4 1 10.0 12.0 16.0 2.3 0.5 5.5 ! 7.0 42.7 29.5 0.6 0.0 0.9 1.0 0.1 0.6 34.6 4.0 , 1.0 4.7 | 0.0 1.5 : O.li 26.5 1 4.5 * 0.0 34.0 7.5 14.0 4.7 4.2 0.3 7.5 1.7 121.2 ' ' "1 0.9 Table XI.—Monthly and annual number of days of snowfall at the stations in Table X. r? 1 r= 01 [ A rj ^ -, £ a, & 1 < 3 * 1 2 ! 1 3' S p < t-H rO s 01 gi Ol s r= tl o r, 01 X, s 01 > O r5 rl XO a 03 01 01 a ■i r- Esquimalt, average Do. 1892 Port Moody. average Do. 1892 Quamichan, average Do. 1892 1 6 1 2 1 3 4 6 14 10 20 4 5 3 3 2 4 2 5 3 13 15 8 16 10 4 2 2 10 9. 4 0 4 0 2 0 4 0 9 4 6 6 7 2 0 0 8 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 5 2 8 9 7 2 7 3 7 3 3 13 2 3 1 2 0 5 6 6 13 11 12 5 5 8 11 2 2 12 0 14 6 1 11 Do. 1892 Agassiz, average Do. 1892 Do. 1892 4 1 1 1 13 14 1 1 1 5 3 20 1 25 9 6 4 3 8 6 2 1 1 1 1 1 67 54 Port Simpson, average Do. 1892 3 1 * 1 33 0 0 1 1 1 25 7 1 1 4 52 6 .1 1 1 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 961 Table XII.—Abstract of observations made at Keremeos, Similkameen, B. C, during the year 1892. Mean temperature . Mean highest Mean lowest Highest Lowest Amount of rain.... Days of rain Amount of snow... Days of snow 26.8 0.2 7 38.1 olLO 0.4 2 53.5 64.5 0.21 4 2.0 47.45 57.9 37.0 67.0 25.0 0.44 10 r! 03 r! 01 to s 01 s i a 3 "a o 01 > o s *5 <! tn o r5 64.15 66.33 69.79 70.45 61.04 47.62 36.52 70.4 78.6 81.7 81.5 72.6 56.7 42.7 83.0 64.0 57.8 59.4 49.5 38.5 30.4 87.3 96.0 94.0 90.8 82.3 74.8 64.9 33.0 41.0 49.0 50.0 39.0 27.0 13.0 0.28 1.47 0.53 0.53 0.09 1.06 2.33 5 7 5 5 2 4 7 0.1 1 0.3 8 r! SI X3 a 01 i 01 24.43 30.7 18.2 40.8 96.0 -2.0 -2.0 0.02 6.96 1 50 1.3 4.3 8 23 January 29th, chinook wind. February 10th to 12th, warm wind. March 5th, song birds arrive; 7th, crows arrive, ; Sth, ploughing; 24th, hurricane. April 1st, trees in bud ; 2nd, spring grain up ; 3rd, flowers up ; 18th, trees in leaf; 28th, sand hill cranes. May 4th, humming birds; 6th, snow lying on ground; 10th, thunder storm; hardy vegetables up; 17th, young grouse ; 23rd, spiklen in bloom. June 2nd, snow on mountains; 12th, syringa in bloom ; 19th, wild strawberries. July 3rd, berries ripe ; 5th, hay cutting ; 27th, wheat ripe. August 2nd, harvest apples ripe; 23rd, tomatoes ripe. September 1st, melons ripe; 13th, grapes ripe; 16th, cranes migrating; 19th, 15th, leaving , 22nd, frost in parts of district ; 26th. time on which clew fell this summer. heavy dew, being the only October 16th, first night frost. November 24th to 26th, unusually cold portion of year; 29th to 31st, heaviest rainfall for month ever remembered in this district. Table XIII.—Abstract of observations made at Carmanah Lighthouse during the year 1892. Mean temperature Mean highest ,, Mean lowest ,, Highest ,, Lowest ,, Amount of rain (inches) .. No. of days ,, Amount of enow (inches) . No. of days ,, a to 1 . Xi r. fa g 39.3 40.5 43.1 43.3 44.8 47.9 35.3 36.1 38.4 52.0 49.2 53.0 30.0 30.0 31.0 9.76 5.79 13.13 18 12 16 * * 2 1 ! 43.1 49.3 36.9 57.0 31.0 8.90 21 0.3 1 r~. ti June. July. 'August. September. October. r-' 01 x, a 01 > O December. 49.9 53.7 54.4 57.9 55.2 49.9 43.4 40.2 56.1 60.4 59.8 63.9 60.8 55.0 46.7 44.2 43.7 47.0 49.1 52.0 49.6 44.7 40.1 36.1 64 0 78.0 68.5 74.0 76.0 60.0 55.0 48.0 38.0 41.0 42.0 44.8 40.5 34.0 32.0 20.0 4.68 1.67 3.18 3.53 46.5 7.16 14.37 10.07 12 5 10 6 7 13 26 0.6 2 W i 78.0 20.0 16.6 0.8 Griffin Lake, 1892. Mean temperature Mean highest ,, Mean lowest ,, Highest ,, Lowest (, Amount of rain (inches) .. No of days ,, Amount of snow (inches) . No. of days ,, 0.90 1 48.0 8 12.0 60.0 43.5 83.0 33.0 1.02 3 4.0 2 62.07 71.3 52.8 83.0 39.0 1.48 4 78.8 42.6 96.0 30.0 0.56 7 45.84 32.65 52.1 37.1 39.6 28.2 73.0 50.0 25.0 12.0 3.23 2.93 6 7 1.8 37.0 2 12 22.73 28.4 17.0 38.0 -12.0 24.0 9 962 Retort on Agriculture. 1893 At Loch Errocu, Lowek Nicola, Mr. Wilson reports that the mean temperature was, for December, 1892, 34.61°; mean daily range, 6.3°; highest, 45°, on the 1st; lowest, 12°, on the. 22nd; amount of rain, 8.01 inches, on eleven days ; amount of melted snow, 1.15 inches, on six days. At Chilcotin, Oakiboo, Mr. Drumrnond reports that the temperature of December was 11.26°; mean daily range, 17.90°—the highest on the 31st, 42°, and the lowest, 30°, on the 23rd ; no rainfall; amount of snowfall, 57.00 in. on six days. Table XIV.—Number of times the wind blew from each of the eight principal points, from observations made tri-daily at Fort Simpson, B. C, during the year 1892. N. N.E. E. 1 S.E. S. S.W. 5 9 7 W. N.W. Calm. April 5 6 1 1 3 7 4 3 9 15 12 17 11 3 1 1 2 1 57 57 49 29 July August 9 14 8 12 20 16 92 3 2 6 5 4 4 3 3 10 9 16 17 2 6 5 3 4 29 21 25 39 33 27 29 16 5 1 2 4 7 ■ 1 3 5 3 10 13 4 1 1 23 14 7 17 Total 36 69 38 229 82 25 ■ 32 254 Winds at Agassiz Experimental Farm. September 12 20 28 25 3 14 1 10 2 4 34 21 18 23 11 9 20 14 19 25 18 : ! 2 I 19 Table XV.—dumber of times the wind blew from each of the eight principal points from observations made tri-daily at Srence's Bridge, B. C, during the year 1892 :— January February March April May Jiine July August September October November December Total. N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. VV. N.W. 4 3 27 0 0 2 8 0 0 9 22 0 1 1 16 1 0 0 7 3 4 9 14 0 0 1 16 1 5 3 14 0 0 0 10 2 9 14 IS 0 0 0 3 2 17 11 12 1 0 0 7 3 7 6 14 1 0 0 12 2 4 10 13 1 0 2 14 2 2 5 19 0 0 3 32 i 2 5 4 0 0 1 24 3 2 3 11 0 1 4 27 0 3 3 3 0 5 10 201 19 56 77 141 4 Calm. 29 39 30 25 28 17 34 33 31 34 40 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 968 Table XVI.—Number of times the wind blew from each of the eight principal points from observations made six times daily at Esquimalt, B. C, during the year 1892 :— January February March April May June July August September October November December Total N. N.E. E. S.E. S. S.W. W. S.W. 85 4 15 7 ■,.? 6 13 1 62 12 9 5 35 7 15 1 23 11 17 11 51 10 12 0 38 0 0 1 38 46 16 11 88 0 1 7 90 8 9 1 6 0 1 1 100 7 15 2 2 0 4 7 110 6 12 0 6 0 1 2 68 20 9 1 14 4 9 10 21 5 2 0 20 10 9 17 28 6 30 2 29 7 19 11 35 23 14 7 65 23 10 10 11 17 12 0 386 71 95 89 6Q9 160 159 26 Calm. 33 28 51 31 82 48 45 79 116 64 35 10 Periodical events at stations in British Columbia during the year 1892. It a . A . i 5th April. 26th ,, c £ p f5 28th Jan . llth April M 03 V o XI 01 c 01 i. & Quamichan. Abbotsford. 'ho a -3 rd oi d 01 Barkerville. V a £ a 01 u 01 M Last snow llth Jan . 17th April 6th April. 16th May. 24th April 26th June 78"50' 13th Jan . 16th April 20th Aug. 73°00' 30th M'ch 7th April. 28th May . 19th Aug. 73°60' 27th Sept. 6th Nov.. 17th ,, 6th April. 22nd April 13th July* 7th June . 29th ,i 66W 12th Aug. 2nd Sept. 21st ,, 5th April. 2nd „ 12th June 6th May.. 14th April 1st Sept.. 14th Oct . 10th May. Warmest day.... Mean temp 9th Aug. . 63°50' 19th Aug. 70°80' 29th Jun. 82"00' llth Oct.. 7th Oct .. First frost First snow Humming- birds 16th Oct.. 16th Nov. 16th Oct . 24th Nov. 15th „ 25th Nov. 10th April 18th ,, 21st Sept . 26th Nov. 9th April. 9th March 27th Feb . 3rd March 15th Oct. . 25th Nov. 16th ,, 16th ,, 16th Oct . 7th Nov .. 4th May.. Fir6t frogs heard. 6th March 10th ,, 1 ^Thermometer, 31°; shower of hail. 964 Report on Agriculture. 1893 22 days fine. 16 i 19 i 21 i 22 t 30 , 24 , 16 ' 19 1 1 Mr. W. H. Bayley, of East Chilliwhack, supplies the following memorandum of wet and fine days :— 1892—January 9 days wet. February 9 n March 9 April 14 ii May 12 „ June 9 H July 9 August 1 ii September 6 n October 15 n November 23 n December 12 h In the above, cloudy days are given as fine, and showery are included with wet. There was frost from January 1st to 13th, ii n April 7th to Sth, ii ii November 24th to 28th, December 7th to 9th; 20th to 25th. Mr. Andrew Noble, Kamloops :—I cannot tell the amount of the rainfall. We have very little rain ; a few rainfalls in the spring, a very little in the summer, and not much in the fall. The average annual snowfall is about two feet, and it lies about ten weeks. The usual greatest heat in summer is 80° in the shade, and it generally lasts during July and August. The usual greatest cold is 10° below zero, lasting during January and February. , Mr. Edwin Dalley, Nicola Lake (lower end):—I do not keep a record of temperature, only of rain and snowfall, so I cannot state these accurately. The average annual rainfall is about 8 inches ; the average snowfall is about 35 inches. As far as my memory serves me, the average time the snow lies on the ground is 2o\ to 3 months. The greatest usual heat is about 85°, which lasts for a week or ten days at a time, alternating with cooler weather, during the months of June, July, August and September. It seldom reaches 90°. We have two or three cold spells in winter, lasting from one to two weeks, when the temperature ranges from zero to 35° below; on several occasions it has reached 40° below. Mr. Thos. Bulman, of Upper Nicola :—I cannot tell about the rainfall, but should judge it was about 6 inches, or perhaps 7. The snow, measured as it falls, averages about 2 feet 6 inches; after it is packed, about 9 inches; and it lies on the ground from the second week of January till the end of February. The usual greatest heat in summer is 75° in the shade, and it lasts from early in June until the last of August. The usual greatest cold is 25° below zero, and lasts from January till 22nd February. Mr. A. J. Palmer, Salmon Arm :—The average annual rainfall is 40 inches ; the average annual snowfall is 48 inches. The snow stays on the ground 90 days. The usual greatest heat in summer is 80° for 60 days. The usual greatest cold is 5° below zero for five days. In making the above estimates, I have tried to average the last seven years, in which I have an experience in the country. The estimate may be unsatisfactory in some particulars, but as the climate is very regular, I think I am not much out. Capt. Laing Meason, of Lesser Dog Creek :—The usual greatest heat here in summer is 90°, and it lasts two days. The usual greatest cold at this place during the winter is 40°, which lasts two days. Mr. Jas. T. Steele writes as follows:— " Grafton Farm, Spallumcheen, B. C. " J. R. Anderson, Esq., "Department of Agriculture, Victoria, B. C. " Sir,—I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 2nd inst., making- enquiry— " 1st. What is the average annual rainfall % " 2nd. What is the average annual snowfall, and average time it lies on the ground \ " 3rd. What is the usual greatest heat in summer, and what length of time it lasts ? " 4th. What is the usual greatest cold in winter, and what length of time it lasts ? 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 965 "I beg to preface my reply by saying that all my observations of the weather have only been taken for personal curiosity and comparison; that for a number of years^I would see the result of a shower or rainfall in the gauge, then throw out the water, without making a record of the quantity, and kept no record of it till last three seasons. Then, again, ever since I have been here (16 years) I have measured the snowfall as it came, commencing with first fall of the season, making no record (till last two winters), simply carrying along in my mind through the winter the quantity fallen, so could at any time say how much had fallen for the winter. " I have a thermometer (mercury) that I believe is pretty accurate, and take a look at it probably half a dozen times a day on the average, but have not kept a record of its readings except in a few cases. "I now reply to your questions in their order'. " 1st. In 1890, rain fell on 41 days, and in all 10.88 inches fell. In 1891, i, 58 ,, „ 14.41 In 1892, „ 55 „ „ 13 75 "I think both in 1891 and 1892 was more than average, and that of 1890 may have been a little less than average, and to take the average of the three seasons would be fully more than our rainfall was in previous years. "2nd. The snowfall in winter 1891-2 was 50-| inches; in 1892-3, 60 inches. In neither of these seasons was the snowfall up to average of previous years. I have several times seen the fall for the winter over 80 inches. One season—1879-80—110 inches fell; and I think an average fall for the winter would be over 70 inches. We generally get a little snow between 15th and 20th November; the winter creeps on very gradually; a little more snow comes, and then a little more, &c, and first thing we know we are into winter; and in a general way the snow accumulates through December and January, and perhaps a week or so in February ; then a gradual break with very little snowfall in February and March. The latter is generally a very fine month. By the 15th March some few are able to start the plow in favoured spots, but it is generally first week in April before all can get at it in full swing. "3rd. I think the average greatest heat in summer would be 96° to 98° Fah., the top notch lasting only a few days, but we often have it over 90° for a week or more at a time. Three times I have seen it over 100" in the shade; once it was 105°. " 4th. The usual greatest cold. To reply to this direct would be misleading. The coldest we had it in the past winter was 27° below zero—the coldest for several years—but several times in previous years I have seen it. from 30° to 37° below zero, and once, I believe, it was 43° below zero at Mr. Lumby's. My thermometer, being mercury, would not indicate truly such a low temperature. As an offset to this extreme cold, I may say the first winter I was here—1877-8—the lowest temperature for the winter was 19" Fah., or 13° of frost. Four or five days generally free us of the extreme cold snaps. " But statistics on the weather in this part of B. C. will not enable anyone to give a good guess as to what an ensuing season will be like, for, as far as my observation goes, no two seasons are at all alike; what happens in one year may not come again for a number of years, and that which is unusual always seems to come. But on top of all this is the bald fact that we have the finest climate, take it all round, that can be found in the Dominion, for pleasure, health, and agriculture. " I have, etc., (Signed) "James T. Steele." The following extract is also from a previous letter from Mr. Steele, dated 28th November, 1892:— " Our rainfall in season now past was about the same as last year, slightly less. Our first rainfall was 28th March, and latest 12th November. Total fall in that time was 13.73 inches, distributed as follows :—March, .46; April, 1.27; May, 2.04; June, 2.24; July, 2.33; August, .29; September, 1.13; October, 2.36; and November, 1.51. In the latter part of October, along with the rains, we had much more fog than usual—for instance, six days in succession we did not get a sight of the sun—but, on the whole, it was very favourable for fall ploughing and other work, and for closing up the season. On the whole, it was pretty well taken advantage of, and well that it was, for on 16th inst. came our first snow, and in a few days genuine winter was upon us ; since which we have had frequent light falls of snow— 20 inches in all to date. This is all with us, and apparently to stay. Since I have been here we have not before had such a touch of genuine winter weather so early in the season, neither have I seen so much snow so early. Present prospects are for a long winter." 966 Report on Agriculture. 1893 Mr. George R. Lawes, Enderby:—The average extreme heat is 95° to 96°; the extreme is 104° to 106°, it generally lasts three or four1 days; some seasons we have it twice, in May and July ; last 24th May it was 96° in the shade. The following record was kept by Mr. A. Postill, of Okanagan Mission, for 1887 and 1888; 1887—January 64 inches rain, 14| inches snow. February 79 March 27 n 5J April 22 May 1.83 June 2.22 July . 1.42 August 2.57 September 1.74 October 54 November 56 December 56 4 Total. 13.36 1888— January 11 February 72 March .' 1.42 April 10 May 1.21 June 40 July 2.53 August . .75 September 74 October 1.85 November 77 If 3| Total 10.60 Mr. C. F. Costerton, Vernon.—There is about half the average rainfall here that there is at Victoria ; never having been measured, it is hard to state what amount it would be in inches. The average annual snowfall in Spallumcheen is 1 ft. 6 in. to 3 in., towards the International Boundary at Osoyoos ; average time it lies at the former is 10 weeks, at the latter one month. The usual greatest heat in summer is 95°, in spells of a week at a time through July and August. The usual greatest cold is 25° below zero for from five to ten days, generally in January. Mr. Hugh Hunter, Granite Creek. -I cannot tell the average rainfall for this place, but it is slightly less than Nicola. The average snowfall is about three feet, and it lies from 15th of November to the 15th March. The average heat is 75°, from the 1st June to the end of August. The average cold is 25° below zero, from January 1st to February 15th ; during the remainder of the winter it varies from zero to 32° above. Mr. E. Spraggett, of Kettle River, gives the following :—The average annual rainfall is four inches ; snowfall is ten inches ; the snow lies on the ground ten weeks. The usual greatest heat in summer is 95° in the shade, and it lasts for ten weeks. The usual greatest cold in winter is 15° below zero, and it lasts about three weeks. itself The following letter was received from Mr. Smith, M. P. P., of Lillooet, which explains "Lillooet, 24th October, 1892. "James R. Anderson, Esq., Victoria, B. C. "Dear Sir,—I have received from the Government Printer' four copies of the first report of the Department of Agriculture. " I notice you have got Mr. Wm. Lee's meteorological report in for Lillooet. That is a great mistake. Mr. Lee is at Pavilion, 21 miles from Lillooet. Pavilion has a much colder season, as it is at a greater altitude. Twenty miles in a mountainous country makes a great difference in the climate. " Yours truly, "A. W. Smith." 56 Vict. Report on Agriculture. 967 Mr. Soues, of Clinton, supplies the following :—The average annual rainfall is from 2 to 3 inches. The average annual snowfall is possibly 3 feet in some winters, but never more than 18 inches to 2 feet deep at any one time ; it generally lies on the ground from the middle of November to the beginning of March in most winters. The average greatest heat in summer is 75° to 85° in the shade on the average—90° is a rare extreme—lasting three months, extreme limits. The average greatest cold is 10° below zero, and it generally lasts from the middle of November till the beginning of March. Mr. John Saul, of The Mound, near Clinton, says:—I have seen the report sent you by Mr. Soues, of Clinton, and as I reside within six miles of him, at an altitude 800 feet lower than Clinton, Mr. Soues' report would apply to The Mound with very slight variations. There are generally about 6° in favour of this place in cold weather. The snowfall averages about one foot, and this applies to the Bonaparte Valley, the snowfall decreasing as you descend to the Thompson Valley. The Mound is in an isolated valley. My nearest neighbours on the north, or up the Bonaparte, are 18 miles, and south 12 miles down the river. Clinton is 6 miles west, and lies between here and Pavilion Mountain. Mr. Wm. Abel, of 111-Mile House, gives the following :—The average annual rainfall is about 12 inches, I think. The average annual snowfall is about 2J feet, and lies on the ground about three months. The usual greatest heat is about 90°, and it lasts about two weeks. The usual greatest cold is 40° below, and it lasts 10 days to 2 weeks. I have given the above as nearly as I can judge, but, especially in the amount of rainfall, I am guessing. Mr. Wm. Pinchbeck, of Williams Lake :—I cannot give you a correct account of the weather, heat, rain, snow, etc., as I have not kept any account of it. The average annual rainfall is about 12 inches. The average annual snowfall is 18 to 20 inches, and it lies on the ground from three to four months. The usual greatest heat is 90° to 95° in the shade—most of the time the glass will show about 65° to 70°. The average cold for four months would be zero. The thermometer will register at times 50° below zero, and for some time 40°, 30°, and 20° below zero, and at times it will register above, zero for two weeks at a stretch. The following is a letter from Mr. F. J. Nightingale, of Alexis Creek, Chilcotin :— " Alexis Creek, Chilcotin, B. C. " J. R. Anderson, Esq., Victoria, B. C. "Sir,—In answer to your letter of the 3rd inst., I have answered your questions below as well as I am able to, but not having the meteorological instruments I cannot vouch for the correctness:— 1. What is the average annual rainfall t About 4 inches. 2. What is the average annual snowfall 1 About 18 inches, packed. Average length of time it lies on the ground ? About two months. (I think the last part of answer 2 is understated.—J.R.A.) 3. What is the average greatest heat in summer ? About 90° in the shade. What length of time it lasts 1 About one month. 4. What is the usual greatest cold in winter 1 From 35° to 45° below zero. What length of time it lasts " About two weeks. " I have, &c, " Fred J. Nightingale." The following letter was received from Mr. J. F. Hawks, of Soda Creek. "J. R. Anderson, Esq., "Soda Creek, B. C, May 20th, 1893. •" Victoria, B. C. " Dear Sir,— *.,*.*..' I should say the average rainfall is about 10 inches, but for the past two years I doubt if it has been one-fourth of that amount. "Average annual snowfall from 12 to 15 inches, and usually lies on the ground from three to four months. For two winters before the last I don't think it was one-half that amount, and for the past winter nearly double. "Usual greatest heat from 80° to 90°, seldom lasting more than a week or two. Sometimes it may go above 90°, but only for a few days. " Usual greatest cold 40° for three days, sometimes for ten days; just here it didn't exceed this the past winter, but between here and Cariboo it was 57° on February 2nd. "Yours respectfully, "J. F. Hawks." 968 Report on Agriculture. 1893 CONCLUSION. There are many subjects of interest and importance to the agriculturist and stock-raiser of British Columbia, prominent among which are the swine and poultry industries, on which much might and should be said, but as the season is now far advanced they will have to be deferred for a future report. For the same reason, a paper on hop culture, which was promised by Mr. A. J. Burrows, Kent, England, has to be laid over. Under " Diseases and Pests " will be found the report of E. Hutcherson, Inspector of Fruit Pests, and that of F. S. Roper, Inspector of Animals. Before concluding, I wish to express my acknowldgements and thanks for many valuable reports and papers from the. following gentlemen :— W. Saunders, Esq., Director Dominion Experimental Farm. Jas. Fletcher, Esq., Entomologist Dominion Experimental Farm. Hon. John. Dryden, Minister of Agriculture, Ontario. C. C. James. Esq., Secretary Bureau of Industries, Ontario. James Mills, Esq., President Agricultural College of Ontario. L. Woolverton, Esq., Secretary Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario. Alfred R. C. Selwyn, C.M.G.,LL.D.,F.R.S., Director Geological and Natural History Surveys of Canada. C. N. Riley and L. O. Howard, Esqs., Entomologist and Assistant Entomologist U. S. Department of Agriculture. J. R. Dodge, Esq., Statistician U. S. Department of Agriculture. John W. Hestrom, Esq., President State of Washington Agricultural College. F. J. W. Burgess, Esq., Superintendent Protestant Hospital for the Insane, Montreal. F. W. J. Moore, Esq., Secretary Department of Agriculture, Tasmania Peter McLean, Esq., Under Secretary Department of Agriculture, Queensland. C. L. Anderson, Esq., Director of Agriculture, New South Wales T>. E. Martin, Esq., Secretary for Agriculture, Victoria. R. Cecil Clifton, Esq., Under Secretary for Lands, Western Australia. James Bath, Esq., Secretary Minister of Agriculture and Education, South Australia. James R. Anderson, Statistician. VICTORIA, B. C: Printed by Richard Wolkesdrn, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty.
Legislative proceedings
J110.L5 S7
English
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Victoria, BC : Government Printer
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Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia
SECOND REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1892.
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