strata, laid horizontally against the sloping su "to the lack THE DRYDEN OBSERVER Agricultural Conditions in Kenora District Surveyed for the purpose of a Building Programme. (Preparec. by M. F. COOK, Agricultural Representative) Note---The figures in this report in most cases have been taken from the census report of 1920 and are the most accurate available. INTRODUCTION ; IN preparing a report on Agricultural conditions for the purpose of building a work programme, one of our first considerations is our location, which is the farthest west and north districts in the Provirce of Ontario in which Ag 1 ture is being carried on. On the south we are bounded by the district of Rainy River, 2 ately the 49th parallel, and on the north the English Rive approximately the 50th Parallel; on the east by the Dis at 91 degrees longtitude; on the west by the Manitoba 1 longtitude, and are approximately nine hundred (900) city of Toronto. i{AREA--This District is roughly one hundred ar width by one hundred and eighty-four (184) points and comprises a total land that 800,000 acres of this is present time 118,000 acres are J This agricultural area is div rock about fifty (50) miles in w the town of Kenora and running to about z Bay. 00K This agricuitural area is divided into two separate parts by a ridge of The land around Kenora is divided into nine (9) townsl whicl are organized as one 'Municipality. The farms in this sec ily cv up with rocks and numerous small lakes and streams. The soil is very productive and splendid f grain and hay can be grown, and a few market gardeners are abl e, on a small scal a few of the hardier varieties of some of ' Mixed farming is carried on here, as w ng for the whole mil} ion of about 7,000 rich Dryden is the central place « trade to supply the town of The eastern section of the business, is comprised of twenty-five (25) townships, seventeen, (17) of whic! are open for settlement, or have been settled; the balance has not as yet beer opened, or is held for veteran claims only. SOIL--The soil for the most part is a good patural drainage. There are also areas of s cropping of rockin some of the clay soils fairly well marked. From direction, following the Wabigoon River to about three miles south of Quibell, on the G.T.P. to a south-eastern direction about two miles north of Waldhof, clay loam, sufficiently roll'ng fo nd & rock, with occasion 1 out- The divisions of these soils ar the sand runs in a north-western Eagle River then continuing through the outhern part of Aubrey and Van $ Jorne Townships. Th's ghiy ides the rocky ¢ ndy land from the posedly an old lake shore, vas the old lake bottom, which The clay in this District lies in rfaces of the rock. At Quibell on the G.T.P. there is quite an area of clay sail, but farther north the rocks again predominate. Prospectors whe have travelled northward from this paint to Lac Seul, report 'arge : most of which the; claim still has the rich black surf, forest fires, The rock and soil arc ~e~~--ated very thorough tones are very rarel, four. The predemi bly the sae, 2:'eading down in m ase soil is undoubtedly of an alluvial nature for i to half inch in thickness. It is very rarely shallow and fields can be cultivate right to the edge of ry st y dij ver so'l though a fairly heav; 1 to the action of the frost and ai far as plant food is concerned, i The higher knolls appear to be clay land north-east of it. This sa during the glacial period, while the \ has since been elevated to its present altita clay with a clay sub-spil. Th's sail ¢ e &s CT vespend te a remarkable extent by this Th in its virgin state is covered with spruce, a vears ago severe forest fires have occurred z timber as well as plant food. However, there aj un ply of mineral constituents where legures do well Wherever red clover and alsike a years gained excellent reluris =n Ww er on vated fields, red clpver seed has ni een selting nt ¢ e very prefitable crap. This would lead ene tp believe it there is a phosphates in the soil. The lower laying soil of ithe Distriet has not as n of drainage. In order to do this svould be necessa e is plenty of fall in c been plenty of i ee c S e neglected. It is estimated th fi n e e. f n Dryden area is of muskeg ns ive per ¢ c cropping of rock. POPULATION--The first step towards creati rg 8g lines around Dryden, were taken in 18 35. At Hon. Je I who was Minister of Agriculture, making a ti n t 2 off here noticed that clover was giow.ng y S push. The next year he induced a few se ct uf ed a demonstration farm adjoining the town of D n. S n th Disirict has gradually increased until at the present time, according to the 1 2 census, there are 19,659 of a population; 8,280 urban i 10,779 rural [he en, an people are for the most part from the British Isl colony of Germans at Waldhof. , These people have made geod settlers in this new courtry. Of late years a nu mber of settlers o west apparently more for the purp taking off wood than for actually making homes and fare. Any cf "hese who intended making {heih have made excellent showing in the short time they have been here. CLIMATE--Our climate here has a very great bearing on the Agriculture that is carried on, and in selecting crops to grow, earliness is one of the chief factors that must be considered. Most early varieties of grain while many of the later varieties, ave frequently caught by the early t. Potatoes, Peas and Clover do. exceptionally well and are our chief cash crops. The following table gives the average dates of the last and first frosts for the years 1922-23 and 24: g The average date of last frost, Kenora, May 22; Dryden, June 1st, The average date of first frost, Kenora, September 17; Dryden, September 6th, making the average growing season for these thre years, for Kenora 118 days and for Dryden 98 days. The average rain fall for these two places is 24.9 for - Kenora and 24.5 for Dryden, while the snow fall for Kenora is 53" anr for Dry: den 55". : ROADS--At the present time there is no road leading out of the Kenora Dist- rict neither is there a road between the western section of the District at Ke- nora and the eastern section at Dryden, however, around Dryden there are «several miles of first class road, the main road being about seventy (70) miles in length, and runs practically through the whole agricultural area, with the have come In- ITO £ S€ Of frost exception of about ten.miles, which it is expected, will be finished this summer. There are numerous cross-roads as well, leading to the farms on the back con- : cessions, and several more require to be built, as there are instances of farmers i who have been living here some years, who have been unable to get a threshing ¢ } machine in to thresh their grain. Work in this line is being rapidly pushed and it is expected that withina few years this work will be completed. There are numerous gravel pits, which makes road building comparatively easy, as a coat of gravel is put on the roads as soon os they are built, which t helps to keep them in shape. AGRICULTURE--Mixed farming is the general practice being carried out, : with dairying on the increase. This has been greatly encouraged by the build- ing of a Creamery in Dryden, and the co-operation of the Department in ship- good cattle on easy terms. Clover seed and seed potatoes are the principal cash crops. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS OF KENORA DISTRICT, 1921. Total 1 area 11,616,000 ping in Area 0 117,693 In 46 In 0 84 In farms, 11-50 acres 1,232 In farms, 51-100 acres _____________ 7,145 farms, 101-200 acres... To es 62,501 oR ares re Te 20,409 0 26,276 ¥ a i -------- i ox TH, 850) 0 Manager . REE ERE Se La Tn Tk re CAR GIST © 1,415 Jal REP seinem ei seo eS itt ts ms So ism ---- 2,412 be yparleownerypartlenant o_o o_o. _ 2 3,416 yr managed oo 114,310 h homes here ! do well and ripen. | 3,383 17,766 * 3,008 Mdleorfallow io oc = ou Cope aa ie : 643 Field Crops wii ~ 2191.39 Market Garden... = =) = 17 Orchard ___ a i ee Se ert ei 1 Small Fruits ____.. 2 Unimproved 99,927 Woodland - 50,183 Prairie or natural pasture --____ 28,618 Marsh or waste land 21,121 farm Values, 1921 Total -- 2,312,572 Land _ EES _ 1,067,636 Buildings = 631,264 Implerents and Machinery __ '276,435 Live Stock 337,237 "arm Expenses, 1920 - Expenditure for Feed ___..__..__.__. = $ 80,005 Expenditure for Seed _ 16,679 Expenditure for manure and fertilizer 1,807 Farm Labour--Cash s 63,392 Farm Labour--Board 11,747 Value of Farm Produccts, 1920 Field Crops o.oo... a $ 335,825 Ve bleg o_o ity 682 Fruits and Maple Syrup 682 Forest Products __.._ aE 148,197 Stock Sold Alive __.._ - 26,070 52,397 Anima! Products, total valve __.__.__.._ $143,367 Total Area of Crop Fields _______ FR ---12,739 acres Fall Wheat ......... i 7 178 393 3,583 27 28 6 83 7,721 150 36 P 465 Turniy 49 Other Field Craps oo a dim eta 13 rea & )f Seed Potatoes, Roots, Hay and other Forage Crops for 1920 Flax for Seed--®6 acres yielded __.----. Epes 35 bus. Seale eae 204 IDS SE hom Sn Sn 309,360 Ibs. 6,267 tons. Si La 11 tons. acres ee 288 tons. 98 tons. 40,919 bus. Grains cut for Hay ___ 32 € ps iE BLPLS oe center i tene EE A ARE Se hd £9 a pp ---- *o ACIS 39 tons Sf a3Cres er ---------------- Ireducts of Farm in 1920 1 Value = 2148. 107 35,331 112,866 29 vaiued at .------ 2,191 er--=56,7195 valued eins 3,662 at ee i ------ ¥ 3s ta nt hae 165,281 SUNGEr ONE Year -- = oo BT from one JO VeRIS. a 21 i s two years and over ee rie OhL ! eldings two years and over SR TE A Stallions two years and over 8 Mules-- No., 3 Valued at. eee. $ 420 Cattle--No., 2,596, valued at __.__.. a --. 135,152 Under one year a 109 Heifers, one to two years -- 348 Steers, one to two years mmm meme 104 Cows & Heifers, two years & over ____...---1,302 Steers two years and over ----.. mmm mmmm RY 1 Bulls, one year and over Zi=81 Cowsinmilkorinecalf = ieee _1,180 Sheep--No., 279, valued at ----..._..-- = 2-$3,017 Under six months _ an118 ! Ewes, one year and OVer __.-- ome 146 Rams, one year and over Wethers, one year and over --.... imeem iee. 1 Swine--No., 803, valued at $14,441 Under six months 529 Sews, six months and over 121 Boars, six months and over 15 Other Hogs, six months and over __..._..__...138 Poultry--No., 20,287, valued at $15,951 Hens and Chickens--No., 19,678, valued at 14,309 Under four memths, No. 9,283 Four Months and over No. 10,395 Turkeys : No. 208, valued at _ $1,072 Under four menths__..__.. No. 144 Four months and over __.. No. 64 Ducks -No. 129, valued at cv nme$129 Geese No. 222, valued at .onmcivmemema-3437 Bees No. of Hives 165, valued at -- eee ..._$2,976 Stock Sold Alive, Stock Slaughtered and Animal Produce on Farm in this District, 1920-- 15,637 bus. $337,237. Sold alive off farms on which raised $26.070 Domestic Animals 24,899 Poultry : 1,11 Number of each himd-- ; Tom Horses 19 Colts 3 Other Horses 6 Cattle ...... 828 Calves 86 Cows in milk or in cal} 124 Other Caitle _ 118 Shesp? 12 Lambs _ 8 Other Sheep : 4 . Swine __._ a 290 : Poultry, total _ 864 Mens, old stock 371 Chickens of 1920 __. 444 | Turkeys ___ : 23 | Geese __.._ -- 26 ' Stock Slaughtered on Farms $52,397 Domestic Animals 47,791 Poultry ..... i 4,606 Number of each Kind-- 5 Cattle, total i we DBS Calves ... A 176 Other Cattle 407 Sheep 54 Swine 687 Poultry, total 4,092 Hens and Chickens 3,389 Turkeys : 187 Geese SS 61 Ducks 3b Number of Cows milked 1,006 Milk produced 4,418,089 1bs. Value of milk 'produced ---% commen - $109.949 Milk sold - : 836,140 Ibs. Cream sold 361 gals, Butter Fat Sold 260 Yes. Butter made en farms _____ « _..--------.. 85,225 bs. Butter sold off farms «me 34,262 Ibs Eggs Number of dozen produced --_..__..---.... 61,963--valued at ----.----..---.---$32,258 Number of dozen sold 92 781 --valued at™ iin 11,859 Chickens raised 8,86 Honey and Wax Honey produced --2,856 Ibs. Wax produced : 17 bs Value of Honey and Wax $ 865. Wool Sheep shorn 179 Ibs. Wool produced 1,376 bs. Value of Wool ; -- BSE - $291 Rural "rea Assessed-- Acres of assessed land 84,920 Acres cleared __._ & tenn S314 Acres of Woodland __.._ : 19,524 Acres of Slash Land _ 38,699 Acres of swamp, marsh or waste land en ne rie NS Percent cleared oe i Ca nr 10.36 This land total refers only to the organized territory for 1924. Im this District we only have three organized townships, namely: Van Horne, Machin and Jaffray & Melick. o Regarding the grading of Hogs marketefl in 192% In April 79 hogs graded 71 thick smooth ; 6 heavies, \ 1 extra heavy Wotal hogs... Jo. am 19 Thick smooth... oar Shop- ined 9 May MOZE-. commis Selects 8 Thick smooths__..--......---..18 Heavy 1 Shop Hogs = ras = Sows_- 3 These Hogs were practically all shipped from Oxdrift. ___ ___ ----. ---- _. Pure Bred Bulls :--Holsteins, 12; Ayrshires, 5; Short Horns, 4; Grades, 36; Poll Angus, 1; Jersey, 1. A number "of these sires, especially the Holsteins, are owned by the Dominias Government and are loaned to cattle Associations. At least three Association: will be formed this spring, which will do away with a number of grades. TESTING CATTLE FOR TUBERCULOSIS-- : A little over two years ago an attempt was made to clear up the District of TB. As we could not get under the Dominion Policy of a restrieted area, the wark was carried on under the supervised Herd Plan. Result of Townships Total Re Acters g Aubrey 164 Ril Bie Britton Dryden - =: 49 Bess, Eton_ BID i msn a-- ® Langton of ict 28 Lao 2 Mutvie. oo Sal oDS QO a ee ------ Melgund FR LAE, LR Sd ee ReAVOTS heli iiicn dosnt min BA ram ott etm i ptr coi W Sar®ord SR TO i in -- Sou hworth 9. : i Temple 18 _.b... ; Van Horne -- EE 108 Wainwright- BY 125 Wahigoon_ 46. Rugby. Br J - Zealand ; AD ni e---- em -------- Sioux Lookout_ i BE rare --