MAY 10, 1858

Extent	752 1/2 acres - less 170 1/2 allotted to retired servants. 582 divided as follows:
In cultivation	Fenced and brought under plough at heavy expense	80 acres
Open pasturage	Some trees, but not susceptible to cultivation.	70 acres
Barren	Rock & heavy timber affording little pasturage for cattle & sheep on acct of fallen timber and dense growth of underwood.	432 acres
Boundaries	On south end S.E.. by Constance Cover farm - (separated from it by a log fence) from s. to s.w. by Esquimalt Harbour, the Indian reservation fafter mentioned, and farm known as Capt. Cooper’s - from S.E. to North and thence to west, by a winding arm of the sea. On other side of htis arm are 36 acres still belonging to farm after giving allotments to retired servants consisting of rock and wood.
Fences	All land in cultivation, partly with logs and partly with posts & rails of split and sawn timber. Rest is mainly fenced with logs.
Scarcity of Water	Unduces cattle to wander in summer - causing much trouble & expense & frequent loss from accident.
No Commonage	All surrounding lands are bought & mostly overstocked - but have secured the pasture farms of Braodmead & Lakehill - distant resp. 4 and 3 miles, containing respectively 825 acres & 457 acres.
Livestock	As of 31 October, 1857: Sheep	966 head
	Cattle	96 head
	Horses	29 head
	Pigs	95 head
Nature of soil	The soil in cultivation is a light loam, with close, retentive subsoil.
Crops	Wheat, Oats, pease, Potatoes, Turnips. This year some barley will be attempted.
Four shift - Green crop or fallow,k wheat, grass, oats and barley. Five shift - green crop or fallow, wheat, 2 years grass, oats & barley.	No regular rotation has yet been established, the land not being thoroughly cleared, but a four or five shift rotation will be entered upon as soon as practicable.
Seed per acre	Wheat, Oats, and Pease is 3-4 bushels; for potatoes - about 20 bushels, & for turnips 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. Returns very 25-30 bushels wheat, about 30 bushels Oats, 30 - 35 bushels pease, about 100 bushels of potatoes and 25-30 tons turnips.
Manure	Farmyard & lime - about 15 tons/acre of former and 100 bushels per acre of latter. Soil, being light, needs a top dressing in spring of guano - but none in Island.
Mode of Reaping and Thrashing	Crops cut with scythe, and thrashed by a machine driven by a small steam engine.
Consumption	Mostly by farm, small quantities from time to time to HBC and other farms. Flour milled here is excellent; oats given to Horses and working bullocks (oxen).
Servants	Number of regular: 14 in last year. Since August last, when contracts expired wages of ordinary labourers have been from 30 lbs to 35 lbs/annum with rations, superior servants - 50 lbs/annum with rations, at $2.00/day.
Indians	Usually about 14 employed - 2 blankets/mo & rations at 3/6 per week.
Indian Reservation	Cuts into farm & subjects it to much pilfering and loss of stock from indian dogs..
Public Road	Victoria to Esquimalt divides part of the arable land, which increased the quantity of fencing required. Damage suffered by roaming cattle and pigs

(From Hudson’s Bay Company Archives, F26/1: Folio 207)

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