Mr. McKenzie of Craigflower Farm held Sec. XX1 which consisted of 213 plus 606 acres. In 1853, 10 of these acres were roads, 135 were 'rocky', 50 were Indian Reserves and 411 acres were noted as 'available'. Craigflower Farm/B.C. Archives (G_05652)

Establishing Craigflower as a farm was not easy. In 1855, the colonists had cleared 70 acres. There were still 830 acres in forest.

By 1854, the emigrants had fenced some of the land with 'rood' (rude) fences. Fences were "sawn slabs and rails, 5 or 6 rails high with posts 6 feet apart. There were 600 lengths of fence.

They also built 100 sections of log fence and 54 sections of brushwood fence.

Classroom Activity: How many feet were fenced? Answer

Robert Melrose, a Craigflower Farmhand wrote about life on Craigflower Farm. Here are a few entries:

Alexander Grant Dallas was sent by the Hudson Bay Company in 1858 to check on the operations at Fort Victoria and the Puget Sound Agricultural Company Farms. He inventoried Craigflower in this manner:
  • 80 acres in cultivation,
  • 70 acres open pasture,
  • 432 acres rock and timber
    •
All the land in cultivation is fenced, partly with Logs and partly with Posts and Rails of Split and Sawn Timber.

The portion ... not bounded by water is fenced with logs. There is a scarcity of water.

The soil is light loam, clay and holds water in winter and dries out in summer.

Classroom Activity: Look at Melrose's Diary for 1854 and 1855. Make notes of the dates and farming work he writes about. Hint: look for information about fencing, planting, sowing, and harvesting.
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