Crops at Fort Vermilion in 1920 43

Wabiskaw river, where rich grazing lands and valuable timber areas are found.
This district has wonderful possibilities and a delightful climate. At present,
it is difficult of access, except in the summer time, and cut off from other
sections of the Peace River district and the outside world. It is reasonable to
expect that within a short time a good wagon road from Peace River will be
provided. With a mail and stage service operating on this road the year round,
this objection will be removed to a large extent. Railway explorers have been
looking over the various routes into the district, and even beyond, as far as Great
Slave lake.

Mr. Robert Jones, Superintendent of the experimental sub-station, reports
the season of 1920 as being somewhat backward. April, he says, was a cold
month, the temperature being well below zero during the first ten days and
well below the freezing point on each day during the rest of the month. Snow
did not entirely disappear until the 23rd. The first plot of wheat was sown
on the 30th, the weather being still quite cold. Young stock could not be turned
out to browse until the end of the month, and the feeding period for milch cows
extended well into May. The ground did not thaw out sufficiently to do any
ploughing during the month. This cold weather extended till May, and on many
mornings the ground was frozen so hard that no work could be done on the land
until well towards midday. A severe frost occurred on the 21st of May which
nipped all grains above ground.

Corn and beans planted on May 11 and 13 were cut down by frost a number
of times during the latter part of the month. The first transplanting from the
hot-beds was done on May 24.

June also was rather cool and backward, and frost occurred on fifteen nights
during the first part of the month. At the close of June, the corn and beans
which were left after the severe frost referred to above had made fair growth.
The grain crops were looking fairly well, and root crops were getting nicely
started. It was noted by the end of June that the crop of alfalfa had been badly
spring and winter-killed, as were also some of the grass plots. July was warm
and fine and growth was rapid. Grain that was just a few inches high at the
beginning of the month had by its close reached the height of fully four feet. By
the middle of the month, many of the annual flowers were in bloom, and garden
vegetables had been ready for use most of the month. The potato crop promised
well, and roots were coming along nicely. Cabbage were in use by the latter
part of the month and weighed some six or seven pounds. Cauliflowers weighed
about the same.

Haying commenced on the 2nd of August, the crop in the district being very
heavy and of excellent quality. The first plot of wheat of the Prelude variety
was cut about the 4th. Harvest was general throughout the district on the 20th,
all grain crops being very good, but badly lodged on summerfallow in some places,
due to rank growth and high winds.

September, usually the most pleasant month of the year, was the opposite
this season, it raining or snowing on twelve different occasions. This delayed
the finishing of harvesting operations and threshing as well. No heavy frost
occurred until the 17th. It was not until the fine weather of the latter part of