Revisions and Additions
by Kathleen Epp, 1992 and John
Richthammer, 1996.
University of
Manitoba Archives & Special
Collections
Winnipeg
MB
(1996)
Joseph Henry Ellis was born on February 11, 1890 in Coventry, England and emigrated to Canada in 1907. From that year, until 1914, he worked on a farm at Glenboro, Manitoba and at the Brandon Experimental Farm. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from the Manitoba Agricultural College in 1918, and following graduation accepted a position as experimentalist and lecturer in soil management in the field husbandry department. In 1927 he received a Master of Science degree from the University of Minnesota and became the first head of the soils division (later to become the Department of Soil Science), a post he held until 1955.
Throughout this period Professor Ellis lectured and participated in soil surveys to map and classify the soils of Manitoba. Elements of his classification system were later incorporated into the Canadian soil classification system. Many of the published and unpublished reports of these investigations are contained in this collection.
Following his tenure as head of the Department of Soil Science, Professor Ellis acted as a consultant for the Federal Department of Mines and Natural Resources, and the Manitoba Department of Agriculture.
Ellis was married in 1918 to Beatrice Carruthers. They had six children: James Ellis, Hugh Ellis, Majorie Josephine Ellis (1924-1991), Jane McTavish, Constance MacDonald and Elnora Marie Ellis (1928-1954). They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at 952 North Drive in Winnipeg, their home of many years. Dr. Ellis died at the age of 83 on December 6, 1973 at Victoria Hospital and was buried in the family plot at Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg. His widow, Beatrice Carruthers Ellis, survived him until 1987 when she died at the age of 100.
The fonds consists of biographical material, correspondence, land inspection reports, special project reports, course materials, awards, surveys, financial records, maps, charts and graphs, and photographs. Many of the published and unpublished reports and mappings related to Ellis' soil investigations into the soils of Manitoba.
This collection is organized into 4 series.
No restrictions have been placed upon the collection. It is available to all those who wish to consult it on the condition that they abide by all copyright laws and regulations as passed by the Parliament of Canada and exercise proper care of all contained therein. Any excerpts or quotations from the Collection must not be used without acknowledgment and source attribution.
The first accession of the Joseph Henry Ellis fonds was donated by Dr. R.A. Hedlin of the Department of Soil Science in 1980. The second accession was originally donated to the Provincial Archives of Manitoba, but in view of the fact that the University of Manitoba held the majority of the Dr. J.H. Ellis collection, it was transferred to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by J. Ellis in 1992.
BoxFolder
11 Biographical data on Dr. Joseph Henry Ellis
2 Report of land inspection of Summerberry and Grand Rapids areas
3 Land inspection of the Minago River area
4 Inspections of: east of Lake Manitoba, south-east of Lake Manitoba, south of river at Portage la Prairie, and land adjacent to west shore of Lake Manitoba
5 The Delta Marsh area and the weed problem
6 Using alfalfa to reduce flooding in the Red River Valley
7 Report of the reconnaissance soil survey, municipality of Armstrong, 1939
8 Summary report to Dr. L.B. Thomson on stream bank erosion work in Manitoba
BoxFolder
21 Saskatchewan River reclamation project, #1-10 1956, 1965
2 Riesen, H.G. P.F.R.A. projects in Manitoba - Annual Report, 1953-54
3 Gill, C.B. Willows in Manitoba
BoxFolder
31 Brodrick F.W. and S.E. Chernick. Preliminary report on the Carrot River survey, 1946
2 Report on Carrot River reclamation project
3 Ellis, J.H. Papers in connection with the Pasquia land settlement project
4 Ellis, J.H. Whither--Why and How--? The Pasquia land settlement project
5 Pasquia area meetings of the co-operative committee on field crop experiments and demonstrations
6 Ellis, J.H. Pasquia land settlement project report #1-4
7 Ellis, J.H. Report of the reconnaissance soil survey of the soils of the Red River Valley in Manitoba
8 Ellis, J.H. Report of the reconnaissance soil survey, Julius area, Manitoba
9 Manitoba Agriculture and prairie farm rehabilitation activities
BoxFolder
41 Report on preliminary land inspection, south-eastern Manitoba
2 Tree planting and soil conservation, meteorological research, Pratt motion and other papers, to 1934
3 Report on the economy of south-eastern Manitoba, 1957
4 Preliminary soil survey of the Green Lake Settlement, 1951
5 Preliminary report - Assiniboine River Development, 1945
6 Land use and the federal wheat acreage reduction program
7 Beraking experiment - thesis material, W.A. Ehrlich
8 Ellis, J.H. Southern Manitoba grasslands and forest zones, 1968
9 Ellis, J.H. et al. Progress report of mineral analyses of hay samples made in connection with provincial pasture studies, 1949
10 Progress report of fertilizer trials in the Arborg district, 1934-35
11 Manitoba Crown lands--their acquisition, tenure and utilization
12 Proposed regulations governing the use of Crown grasslands
BoxFolder
51 Volume 1 & 2 - experimental data from field 2 & 8, 1915-26
2 Ellis, J.H. Revenue-bearing Crown grasslands in Manitoba, 1962
3 Ellis, J.H. Review of grazing leases on Crown land in Manitoba, 1962
4 Schreiber, K. Manitoba Sugar Co. Ltd.
5 Ellis, J.H. et al. Report of investigations into the occurrence of nitrate in waters used from domestic and stock-watering purposes; and in fodder produced in the Neepawa and adjacent districts, 1951, 1955
7 Jackson, M.L. Soils analysis. chemical and physico-chemical methods
8 M.A.C. balance sheet, 1915
BoxFolder
61 M.A.C. Bedford Demonstration Rotation Labour Report, 1914
2 Ellis, J.H. Historical Summary of conference held by Manitoba agronomists
3 Junior co-operative fertilizer experiments, 1929-31
4 Ellis, J.H. Report on south-eastern Manitoba from a land-use standpoint
5 Annual sanitary inspectors' institute proceedings and lectures, March 1952
6 Ellis, J.H. A review of the Manitoba land inspector's association, 1925-72
7 Framingham, Charles F. and James A. MacMillan. The Interlake Fact Digest. 1968
8 Organic Soils of Manitoba
9 Ellis, J.H. et al. Nitrates in water and fodder - Neepawa area
BoxFolder
71 Illustrations, south-eastern Manitoba; report, 1959
2 Report to Dr. L.B. Thomson on observations on flooding and erosion problems in the Riding Mountain district of Manitoba
3 Synopsis of land-use and land-use problems in Manitoba, 1957
4 Ellis, J.H. and E.A. Poyser. Report on Hazel Creek and land-use north of Craig Siding, 1960
5 Photographs relating to the Carrot River Settlement project, 1948-49
6 Carrot River reclamation project, 1946, 1949
7 Ellis, J.H. Confidential report on the Porcupine forest reserve in relation to the grazing of livestock, 1963.
8 Ellis, J.H. A study of grazing under permit - Turtle Mountain forest reserve, 1962
BoxFolder
81 Ellis, J.H. Land-use problems in the Interlake and Westlake high-lime region in Manitoba
2 Aerial Photography Methods
3 Miscellaneous data on high-lim region
4 Ellis, J.H. Land utilization in Manitoba and the need for a Provincial land-utilization advisory board, 1961
BoxFolder
91 Ellis, J.H. et al. Manitoba - lands, land-use, problems, surface waters and conservation
2 Ellis, J.H. The Pasquia land settlement project - outlines, results..., 1956
3 Miscellaneous maps and notes
BoxFolder
101 The Mitscherlich method - the determination of the manurial requirements of soils
2 Results obtained in the agricultural research work conducted by the Manitoba Sugar Co. Ltd., 1943
3 New P.F.R.G. set-up, 1938
6 Figures used in report on land-use problems in Interlake and Westlake high-lime regions in Manitoba
BoxFolder
111 Addresses - Lectures, papers (6) includes Table of Contents 1929-42
2 Addresses - Reports and papers (24) includes Table of Contents 1943-46
3 Addresses - Reports and papers (12) includes Table of Contents 1949-51
4 Addresses and papers (10) includes Table of Contents 1951-53
5 Addresses - Radio Talks (10) includes Table of Contents 1931-40
6 Addresses - Papers - Miscellaneous 1920-54
BoxFolder
121 Correspondence - Miscellaneous 1928-80
2 Correspondence and Papers - Personal 1950-69
3 Field Trips - Itineries, etc. 1954-69