He was a pioneer in Canadian agricultural science, led the establishment of the Experimental Farm System and served as its first director for almost 25 years.

In 1855 when he was only nineteen, Saunders opened his own pharmacy which he eventually expanded into a wholesale pharmaceutical business that specialized in medicinal extracts made from plants.

[3] Saunders' interest in plants and their medicinal properties led him to the study of entomology with a focus on applications in agriculture.

[2] In 1883 he published Insects Injurious to Fruits, which served as the standard text on the subject in North America for 25 years.

[1] Consequently, in 1885, when the Canadian government was considering ways to improve agricultural output, they asked Saunders to investigate the feasibility of implementing an experimental farm system similar to the model used in the United States.

In particular, the experimental farms produced improved varieties of grain, livestock and fruit trees that were adapted to the Canadian climate.

[3] Among the high-profile individuals who reviewed his experimental farms are included Peter Kropotkin, the author of Fields, Factories, and Workshops.

He was one of the original members of the Royal Society of Canada, the recipient of honorary degrees from Toronto and Queen's Universities, and in 1905 was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St.