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Title

Sub-series consists of

89401 lower level description(s)

Arrangement structure

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Sub-series part of

Docket and letterbook registry system [textual record] (R194-39-7-E)

Accession

RECORDS OF THE MINISTER, DEPUTY MINISTER AND SECRETARY, GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE SERIES, REGISTERS AND INDEXES [textual records]

Bilingual equivalent

Correspondance générale [document textuel]

Date(s)

1852-1920

Place of creation

No place, unknown, or undetermined

Extent

141.9 m of textual records

Language of material

English

Scope and content

Sub-series consists of incoming correspondence received by the Upper and Lower Canadian Boards of Agriculture, 1852-1867 (with certain gaps) and the federal Department of Agriculture, 1867-1920. The correspondence was received in most cases from individual Canadians or officials and agents of the Department or of other government agencies. This sub-series has two very distinct parts, although the division between them is not a precise one. When the Department of Agriculture in 1893 lost its hitherto most important function of immigration, it reorganized its records system. Until that time, each letter received was given a sequential number (starting at 1 in 1865) as it was received in the Department and filed as a docket. Unlike modern file systems, therefore, if a correspondent wrote the Department ten times in one year, even if on the same subject, the ten letters are not on one subject file, but were individually registered and were placed in ten separate dockets. The replies by the Department to these ten letters -- or rather copies of the replies -- are not interleaved with the letters, but exist in an entirely separate sub-series of outgoing letterbooks and correspondence (see related records note). By the mid-1890s, however (around volume 760 of this sub-series), the Department began to create modern subject files, combining incoming and outgoing correspondence, although maintaining for these files the same sequential numbering system started in 1865. Despite this development for more important subjects, the old system of individual dockets was continued, also using the same sequential series of file/docket numbers. Thus, by the late 1890s, large subject files existed alongside the two and three page individual letter dockets of the earlier era. The subjects covered by this sub-series reflect the rich diversity of the functions of the Department of Agriculture, including such topics as archives, agriculture societies, exhibitions (local and international) experimental farms, animal, crop and food science, census records, every aspect of immigration, copyright, patents, cattle exports, quarantine, public health and some land matters. The files are fewer in number before 1865, but after that date a fairly complete series has survived. This sub-series was received by the National Archives of Canada in two parts: volumes 1-1366 (covering the years 1852-1920) and volumes 2729-2809 (covering the years 1889-1920). The more recent accession (Vols. 2729-2809) consists entirely of subject files; the earlier records (Vols. 1-1366) consist of both individual dockets and by the early 1890's, subject files as described above.

Conditions of access

Terms of use

Copyright belongs to the Crown. In order to protect the fragile originals, the microfilm copies of these records must be consulted rather than the originals.

Finding aid

Finding aid 17-1 is a computer generated file list. 17-1 (Electronic)

Finding aid 17-2 is a typed conversion list referring to volumes 1-1366 and reels T-4365 to T-4406. 17-2 (Paper)

Finding aid 17-3 is a typed conversion list referring to volumes 2729-2809. 17-3 (Paper)

Finding aid 17-4 is a handwritten register referring to volumes 1367-1486, 1488-1489, 3539-3544. 17-4 (Paper)

Finding aid 17-5 is a handwritten alphabetical list referring to volumes 1-1366, 2729-2809. 17-5 (Paper)

Finding aid 17-7 is a typed file list. 17-7 (Paper)

Finding aid 17-14 is a typed and handwritten file list. 17-14 (Paper)

Additional information

Source

Government

Related control no.

1. 1984-85/184 GAD
2. RG17

MIKAN no.

156172