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This Knn is fliiMd at tlw raduetion nrtio dwekad balow / C« doeuinwit wt filmt mi tnix d« rMuetion incllqii* ci-dMMW. lOx 14x 18x 22x 26x 30x y 1 12x ita 20x 24x 28x n9v iHv 99^f^ fMM9fl RCfS IMB TiM •ftlw wMi B wMi s prinMd TlwlMt TIMUID'-Kortha syfiwoi ^^ Iiii90fiiii0 "COM. iNO"|. MMftti MB«t HMy to fMnMd m Mfrafwit fsduetion ratiM* ThOM too loffo to bo ontHOly inolMdod in ono oopoonfo oio flbnod t^MVim^n^ N( mv iippsr ivn nana cofiMrt mr lo Hgfit ond top to bottom. •• mony framoa at roquifod. Tho foNowring dlog row Muotroto tho L'oaomploiro fNind fut ropioduit grieo i lo oo N notiotA porlo flOffI tflmi lo •uivontoo ont 4ti roprodultot avoe lo ioki. eomoto tonu do lo eonditlen ot ' do I'oKOi w pl o I r o film«. ot on owoe loo oo wd W on o du eontrot do OMmpMroo originoux dont lo eouvorturo on "^ yjwp rtmdo oom fNmdo on eommon^ont pvomlor plot ot on tormlnont oolt por lo — pogo qui eomporto uno omprointo -''M ou dUkiotrotion, aoft por lo toeond lo 000. Touo loo OHtroo OBomploiroa oont fNmAo on oommon^ont por lo Dooo qui oompoffto uno om p roin to ou dHhiotrotion ot on forminont por pofo qui oemporto uno toNo Mn lo ■ymLolo ▼ •uivonts opporohro sur lo do ehoquo ntferofldio. solon lo -^ aignifio "A tUIVRE". lo olgnHio "PIM". pl onch o o . toMooua, otc.. pouvont *tro Wmdi i doo toua do rdduetion dHMronts. Loraquo lo documont ott trop grond pour Atro roproduit on un aoul eNchd. U oot filmd A portir do ronglo supdriour goueho, do gouctM i drofto. ot do hout on boo. on pronont lo nombro dimogoo ndcoaooiro. Loo diogrommoo suivonta Hhiatrontlo mdthodo. 1 2 3 12 3 4 8 6 MKMOorv MMumoN ran chait (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) i& |25 ^ ■ 2.2 16 ■iB iS. ■ 2.0 L8 I ii 1.6 ^ /1PPLIED IM/GE Ine ^^ 1653 East Uain StfMt Rochmtvr. Ntw Yorti 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phon* (716) 3U-59C9-Fax /o<^ GEOLOGICAL SURVET OF CANADA ROBIRT BILL, D.Se., (Culab.), ED^ LLO., rJL&, L&O. iOriHft LIRICTOa. REPORT I ON TRB PEACE RIVER REGION %T JAMES M. MACOUN I OTTAWA PRINTED BY S. E. DAWSON, PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1904 15— K No 855. Dr. Robert Bill, P.R.8., Acting Director, Ucologioal Survey, OtUwa. Sib,— PunuMt to your instructions I left OtUw» on the 4th of M»y and travelling by the usual routes reached Edmonton on the 1 1 th I was joined there by Mr. WUliam Spreadborough who acted as my Msistant during the summer and togeUier we drove to Athabasca Landing where we remained untU May 23rd, when we were enabled to Uke passage on a Hudson's Bay Company", York boat bound for Lesser SUve lake. After a short delay on the lake, caused by the ice not yet having broken up, we reached the trading post at the head of the lake on Juno 2nd. Horses and wagons having been hind ther«, we drove to Peace River Landing where I expected to be able to buy hones, but finding none for sale I was very glad to hire a pack-train for the sum merat a reasonable rate. In the report which follows, the route travelled until I arrived again at Lesser Slave lake in September is described in deUil. Prom lesser Slave lake to Ottowa I travelled by the same route as that by which I entered the country. A large ooUection of natural history specimens was made during the summer. These include most of the plante and insects seen, as well as a very fine representation of the birds and small mammals collected by Mr. Spreadborough. I have the honour to be. Sir, Your obedient servant^ JAMES M. MACOUN. Ottawa, 15th December, 1903. 15— ■— IJ REPORT THE PEACE RIVER REGION PrutiMllj ftll the glowing reporU on the Peace river region here been beaed on crope grown in the Peeoe river valley between Peeoe River T-Mirftng and • point about fifteen miles up atream on the north tide of the river. " The Settlement," aa it ia called, haa grown up around the Church of England and Roman Catholic miaaiona and very little unoccupied land remaina. The valley of the Peace river, thouf^ R^eT^ey. from two to three mitea wide, from the level country above the river on one aide to the edge of the plateau on the other, containa very little land auitable for agriculture, none at all worth diaouaaing in thia report, except in the part under conuderation. Between the water and the upper " bench," the mile or ao of country ia ateep and broken by ravinea and ooul^ee and except for grasing purpoaea ia of little value. Oppoaite the mouth of Smoky river, however, there ia a fertile flat of aeveral thouaand aorea and here agriculture haa been carried on luoceaafully for many yeara. Wheat and other cereala ripen every year and vege- tablea of all kinds attain perfection. There are occaaionally light sum- mer froata, but theae do little damage and, except for a srare aeaaon when drought preventa growth, magnificent crop* -« harviwted. The grain ia uaually all out beforo the end of Augus and earl^ ^ulwnri froeta do no damage except to auch planta aa Inuan com, toidatoe9 am0- heana. At Dnnvegan, furt'.er up the river, there is a mwch small« flat where the conditiona are about the aame. In the valley pr r very little la*>d remaina that haa not been settled upon by either wh#' men or half-breeda Aa will be explained in detail in another part of the present repi thia ia the only part of the upper Peace River country in which rut} continued systematic attempta at agriculture have been made and nearly all the reports on the climate of thn Peace river country and the fertility of the soil have been based on observations made in the • l nMU MVia RMION CrotMffowii ia valbjr. '^Wy. Good erap. b«ir* bNn mM b olW dImm umI it ».. 1.. ^.fTT ' '^ »"i«-«<« «d oo. which hM d«Srb»-ih! Slo^li^^^^!^'^'*'*""*^ »ortholth.P^ri^.^ f~t of ^Ul«d. rtfccf a oon.id.r.bl. oh«„. |„ cH».Uo oondlSUL 8« muoh h*i **•" "'**»•" •»«»* »»»• " wonderful " crop. «t)wn in th.IWRirTr.ll., th.tth., r«,ui« no d^criptirUr Th. JZ^tl^ .TT ^ "'•'°" '*'*" ^ "•" ^*'*«>»* fonnd.tion, but not more thwi.down vln« .r.er.r oultir.trf .nd . dngl. m.lon in rwl y..™ u.oon.id.r«i worth, ol not.. In 190S.Ught f^t^ Jun"^ touch^l b«uu «d poUto« «, th.t .r„ thi. lavt. JtStr dJL^ .ntin,ljr «c»p. W. Th. f.ct th.t " Thr 8.ttl.m.nt " i. iXbottl^ .n.rrow r.ll.r ...„« „,v.r b. let «ght of. .nd th.r. i ^^^.^1 for applying t.. ,^ult. of .gricultui^ln th^ .^l.X" ZnTZ Cbamctrr of ■oU. COOUTRY NORTH OT PRACR RIVtR. After luring " Th. Settlement " th. tr«l to Dunreg.n wm followed v.IIey the ao.l u somewh.t better thui ne.,er the bottom, wd thou.h hght .t „ not gr.r.11. After .,«,hing che pl.te.u the ^o^^ Ukt ''' l^ " •^;'°*"' ''"'* '' " °' ^'^^ »»'*~<'»«r until Old W°!^ with the greeteet difficulty. The vegeUtion w« ererywhere ll^X ueora. oouirriiT WORTH or nuoi rivm T ■ Mit, l«gvmiwNW pUaU prMloaiin»ting. Aaoag IhtM Vieim Amtriemftm (Vcteh), laiy-ui oc/»»o/«M !■ Mttled. To the north of tbo trail the timber is bonviwr. Hny ooiild be made nlnioet aaywhera In ordinary «e«M>na on the open prairie, but this year lb* dry weather prevented growth. Old WiTes lake is about one mile long and a third of a mile wi<'-, •rirrounded by a marsh where a great quantity of good hay oan ^ de In the autumn. About two miles south of the lake there Is » .uk spring known as CoU spring. It gttshee from a small depr«s»nt " to both ends of Bear lake. This sheet of water is larger than shown on the map, beinff at least eight miles in length and three or four in wir h in plaoee. It is bordered by a fringe al ood on s swamps and marsh for about three miles, when it emerges on a beautiful piece of country, much the finest seen on the north side of the Peace river and unexcelled anywhere in the region examined in 1903. The soil is a rich black loam, deeper than that further east and not nearly so heavy ; the country is slightly rolling and the drainage good. This area may be roughly delimited as being bounded on the west by the meridian US'' 30, on the east by Burnt river, on the north by the forest and on the south by Peace river. The area of prairie or '' blu£Fy " country between Peace River Land- ing and Dunvegan may be roughly estimated at 400,000 acres. The soil varies somewhat in character, but it is everywhere fertile and well suited to the growth of cereals, the only drawback being the scarcity 10 R PKACK BITIR RIOIOW Former re fwrti. «;! I!? . <«'«'''«»<"' that wheat at Ie«.t can never be condd- The ^ J * T '" '^'"^ "'^ *^* "''*"«=»•' «' the vegetation, on thereconl.of«verefro.U.nd the experimenU which haTe al»^y been made in growing cereak on the plateau. The region under consideration w« Bmt reported upon by Dr G M fol^Tr'^M'"'- ""r "''"■ '"'''' «•" » everywhere exceedingly fertile and the general aspect of the country exceedingly beautiful."* The •^'•ntry north from Dunvegan to Battle river was described by iIa i" ^"^"'"''" »" »»>« -"""e y«"-. This report may be summar- ized m Mr. McConneU's words as follows :t *^ ' "For several miles after reaching the plateau (north of Dunvegan) the country passed through was somewhat rolling and dotted with -pen coppices, but gradually the rolls ce«KKl and ata distance of about MX muea from the river became almost perfectly level. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ The soil displayed where the trail has been worn somewhat deeply was a heavy clay covered with rich blaJ>k mould often over a foot in depth , „. * "^h" **y'* °* country continued for a distance of about fifteen mUes from the river and then commenced gtudually to change for the worse." Mr. McConneU's description of the country between Hay lake and White-mud river is similar to my own. Of the region about White- mud nver he says : « It flows in an easterly direction and the country we descended into appeared to be its valley. If so it is from north to south, where the trail crosses it, about fifteen miles in width but appears to narrow westward, another range of hills running from the south-east seeming almost to close it up. Between these two ranges of hilla and stretching eastward and south-east ward as far as the eye rould reach is a large area of magnificent country, slightly rolling and dotted here and there with clumps of aspen and willow. This reach of country according to half-breed report follows White-mud nver to its mouth and bears the same character throughout. This would make it about fifty miles in length with probably an average width of twenty miles." As already stated, the country along the Battle river trail is open and near the crossing of the White-mud river there are patches of praine land but the open country to the east described on page eight is •Report of ProgreM, Geol. Surv. Can., 1879-80, p. 58 B. ■^Report of Progresii, Geol. Surv. Can., 1879-80, pp. 68-60 B. i i IMCOD>.] COUNTRY NORTH OF PKAOI RIVER 11 E at turf. of s very different character. There is very little real prairie north of the White-mud. It may be added that the forest is encQMching upon the open areas and much of what Mr. McConnell reported to be poplar coppice is now forest. Mr. W. T. Thompson, D. T. S., who surveyed the 6th initial raeri- dian and the 22Dd base line in 1882 says ■* ' The country in the vicinity of the trail from Peace River Landing to Dunvegan, a distance of 65 miles, is mostly prairie, dotted with bluflfs of poplar and willow ; the soil is very fertile and appears to be well adapted for agricultural purposes. Between Little Burnt river and Dunvegan, a distance of about 20 miles, the country is very fine ; extensive prairie openings are separated by bluffs of large sized poplar, the approximate area of prairie and bluff being 300,000 acres.' The only places at which any attempt at agriculture has been made Attempu on the plateau are Old Wives lake, the east end of Bear lake and at "«""'""' " the waterhole " about 9 miles from Dunvegan. At Bear lake a small patch of potatoes had been planted in 1903. When I arrived there, July 9th, the field was examined and it was found that the vines had been frozen tw ce within the prevous week or ten days. They were again frozen during the night of July 9-10 when there was five degrees of frost. Between 1882 and 1887, farming on a small scale was attempted at "the waterhole," at first by settlers, afterwards by the Hudson's Bay Co. I was told at Dunvegan that a crop was harvested only once, but no one who was there in 1903 could tell me of what it consisted. No attempt at farming has been made thei-e since 1887. The Rev. J. G. Brick, for many years an Anglican missionary at Dunvegan and the Smoky River Mission, cultivated several acres at Old Wives lake between 1884 and 1889. His son Mr. A. Brick who has now the largest farm at " The Settlement " told me that in the six years he had harvested but three crops. One of these amounted to very little, the other two were good. Mr. Brick did not remember what kinds of grain were grown. Mr. Wm. Ogilvio spent several seasons surveying in the vicinity of Mr. Ogilvi^'s the Peace river and in 1891 prepared a special report on the resources ""■"'*• of that region. Of the part under discussion he says :t 'In the summer of 1883, while I was engaged surveying on the plateau in the vicinity of Dunvegan, we had frost three or four times in August severe enough to destroy any grain at the stage of develop- *Report of the Department of the Interior 188i», p. 68. fReport of the Department of the Interior 1892, Pt. VII. . 12 B PIACI BIVKB BMIOir Plateau not suitable for settlement. meat it would be in at that date, and, wane still, there were severe frosts in July. It appear* from this data that though farming in the immediate vafley of the river has always met with a large share of success, on the pUteau the experience is far from satisfactory, that u what little there is of it, and, as both places tried were selected for their favourable location, it is reasonable to assume that it is a fair test of the capacity of the pUteau. The difference in altitude between the river-bottom and the plateau being about 1,000 feet generally, this alone would account for the different results of a frost. In addition to this, the presence of a large body of water in the valley at a tem- perature of 55° must have a beneficial eflfoct, also the condensation of moisture in the valley emits heat during the evening, so that a frost cannot have the same effect there as on the plateau. 'To conclude on this subject, I would not advise anyone seeking a home in our great North- West to think of Peace river. There is but a limited area in the valley, which is the only place success can he reasonabl f c^xpected, and even there success is merely an assurance of a living, its there is no market at present. * * * l rogret that I have to ;)resent such an unfavourable account of a region of which much has been said and written. That the soil is excellent and much of it avaikble for immediate use cannot be denied, but the occurrence of severe frosts on the plateau when the grain is not far enough ad- vanced to resist its effects may be, as fai as our experience goes, con- sidered a certainty in the majority of seasons. It may be that, when the necessities cl sf ttlement require it, early seeding and early varie- ties of grain may materially alter conditions, but at present I would advise no one to think of farming there except in the river bottom, in which there are flats extensive enough to locate a few score homes.' In 1893 Mr. H. Somers Somerset travelled through the Peace river country and in 1895 published "The Land of the Muskeg," from which his estimate of the country quoted below has been extracted. Were Mr. Somerset's opinion based on his own observations alone it might not be of any great value, but he spent several days at "The Settle- ment" with the Rev. J. G. Brick, referred to above, and Mr. H. B. Round, who was in charge of the H. B. Oo.'s post at Dunvegan for four- teen years, was with him during the whole season, and it was upon information given by these gentlemen that his esti:iiate of the country was chiefly based. He says : 'The notes to be found on the maps of the country are emphatic in their praise of the soil, which is undoubtedly fine, but, if the experi- ence of the inhabitants is to be relied upon, the whole area fit foi cul- I I MAOOVS.J COURTBT SOOTH ur PIACB RITBR 13 S tivation only compriMS m few small riverside flats in many thousands of square miles. There has lately been a great "boom" about the Peace river. Mr. Pike has already done his best to prick the bubble, but I have heard so many ignorant people aver that this is a K>°eat farming country that I think the facts cannot be too often repeated. It is a dreadful thing to think of the wretched emigrants who toil to this promised land only to itnd a useless country, and who are often unable to return to civilization, but are enforced to endure all the severities of the winter in a latitude where the thermometer has often fallen to 60* below zero.' I was told by those who had been longest in the country and knew Rummer it best that there was no month during the year when frosts might not be expected on the plateau and such frosts occurred in every year for which we have reports. Mr. Oinnell savs in explanation of the leaves having turned yellow near the Battle river :t ' Th's appears to have been due to the cold of the night of the 20th August, when the thermometer registered 12° of frost. This frost, according to the experience of the Hudson's Bay Company's people, was quite exceptional in its deverity at so early a season, but besides it, two other light frosts were experienced on the trip,' (between Dunvegan and Battle river). A leference to the table of lemperaturea in another part of this report will show that in 1903 the thermometer fell below 32° on only two occasions in July, bet the available information affords abundant warrant for Mr. Ogilvie's belief that the occurrence of severe frosts muy be considered a certainty in most seasons. COUNTR ' 801 OF PEACE RIVER. The Peace river was crossed at Dunvegan on the first of August and the whole of this month and the early days of September were spent on the south side of the stream. There is great need of a ferry at this point, as the only means of crossing the river is a skiff, the * Reixjrt of the Deimrtmeiit of the Interior 1889-90, Pt. II p. 71. t Report of Prognas, Geol. Surv. Can., 1879 p. 6lB. Spirit river. I Condition of the crops. 14 I PIAOB BIVKR RIOIOIT ~3?v !t ^.''^''^''^y^ "d though the officer, of th. rSinthr;;^ «ncc,nveaieac to th.n..rive^ ^t « f.rryu.e„. thi. .t^m Z "'TT'' " "^ """'• *" '»"« boat drift down .tre.m The« „ no other bo.t within fifty miles of this point. Hones mu-tl-ays ,wim the river and th. landing on the^uth ride J dangerous whe the water ia high. of «!!!"'r'*°'!rr*^ '"" ^"""'«" »° Spirit river a di.Unce of fifteen mile.. The a«»nt from the river-valley is gr«»,.a, th" d»unce to the plateau by the trail bein, about Jven m^e. Cm the edge of the phtteau to Spirit river (Ghost river on the map.) Z trail runs through an aln,o.t level country. Two days were ^Lll Spint nver at this time and four day, nir the end of IJgu sT The LwarSsL . r' to it f,«m the south and finally left it going ri* ; ? T *=''!'^ '•'■"' "«* P'««* «' '>"«k.ng was visited an5 I was fortunate enough to meet and Ulk with nLly every settler The area of the Spirit river prairie is diflicult to determine^ as [, Tr: an~d t?\"?t^'"" "' ^•"^'' "'^ thickerc^Tr^^c^^ nZn?' , r ^.* '" '"""•^'•'^ '^"''""•''t and the quantity is Ttw" *!:; '" *•?' "*""«>-*• «P'rit "river" is a smaJcreekLo withm a mile or so of the creek and north in the direction of Peace T^oTz^tt' r' •"' ""' *•'• ""^ •« •^'^'-- .nd"ht dr age not «> good. About twenty homesteads have been located all but two or three on the creek, though no surveys have yet bTn mLie Mr. Charles Bremner has been settled r-here for many yean, brth!; has confined his farming operations principally to rllg^Ttl' oat and vegeUbles. as there is no grist-mill within reach aoLuchwh^ as has been planted ha. only been by way of experiment. Part of W wheat was f^n in 1902 and I wa. told that In 1901 his small cl When I left Spirit nver, August 27th, Mr. Bremner's grain was riper than any other in the vicinity, barley 6.,.wed, 2.row^ and hull C Z n . T "'^ ?" "*'"'' *"™''« y«"°- ' ""'^ -«" -^-riy ripe Ta one or two farms but with these exceptions no other grain simS as hat tZ r'\T:"^'y- ^ -ther dry June delfyed growth a that time and a cold cloudy August with frequent rain prevented the npening of gram. With the exception of Bremner-s field and two o hree others near it. all the grain planted in 1903 v-~, on new "breaking". Altogether there were perhaps 200 acres under cultl macook] OOOKTBT aOUTH OF PIAOI RITIB 16 B vation in that region. Veg.tobl«, such a« poUtoM, turnip., beeto \>^uU,* •nd carroU were a good crop. PoUtoea at the end of August were '~*°- full-grown but very wet ; the atalka were atill green. Garden peae had ripened, but beana, cabbage and cauliflower amounted to nothing aa they were planted late. The condition of the oropa at Spirit river in 1903 could hardly be uken aa a fair teat of the oapabilitiea of the region, for or there ia no market, moat of the planting waa only done for seed and fodder, ao that there waa very little careful farming. The aoil iu the vicinity of the Spirit River prairie ia in general lighter and deeper than on the north aide of Peace river, but the elevation ia about the aame, and I could diacover no reaaon why the climate ahould be better here than on the plateau a few milea to the north. That it M better ia the univeraal belief of thoae who have lived in the country and thia belief muat be accepted until it has been proved to be unfounded. It waa hoped that reporta on this j^r's srop that were to be aent to me by settlera would have been received in time for inclusion here but only oi.e of theae has reached me.* My correa- pendent i* abaolutely trustworthy but prefers that liia na-.ne should not be uaed. He says : "We are in a bad way here. Littio hay and less grain. Hard frost on the 4th of September. We were encamped at Saddle mounUin on our way to Grande prairie. There waa about an inch of ice in our tea- kettle. Rained on the 5th, snowed on the 6th ami 7th Rained every day until the 13th, then it snowed again. It was a terrible week. On the 14th (at Spirit river) we had 12° of fiost. All waa over with the grain. The crop at Burnt river still sUnda, or lies flat. Condition of The continued rain and the dillydallying of the halfbreeda has lost my '^'"^J^ crop for m& It was ripe before the apell of bad weather came on." The crop referred to here conaiated of about 20 acres of wheat, oato and bariey on new "breaking" on Burnt river, about aeven milea S.E. of the main aettlement at Spirit river, and though not so far advanced when I saw it aa others nearer Spirit river, waa in other respects the b* ♦ looking crop in the region. That this crop waa fit to cut before September 4th u satisfactory evidence that the more advanced crops were harvested before that time. Most of the settlera at Spirit river have a few head of cattle and horaea— Mr. Breraner more than a hundred, I was told. Sufficient hay must be cut to feed these cattle for more than four months. Every one at Spirit river in 1903 agreed that this waa abaolutely neces- sary. In rare Stsasons the cattle may be able to run longer than usual in the autumn, but hay for t he full season roust always be cut. It is * Set- later letter on jmge 4S. , -j i ij"j..i ■! jj ji'ja"'i>ij 16 ■ PIACB MTBR ■lOIOK oamntly raportwi »t Edmonton that 80 or 90 Amja is the period for which fMding ia naoemrjr, and I was told in Edmonton by a man who had wintered at S|rfrit rirer that hie cattle had been fed for only 80 day*. However thia v y be, the fact remains that the tuual period ia between four and fiTe months. The Chinook winds, so often apoken of aa prevailing here and at Orande prairie, do no doubt aometimeo occur, but their influence ia very slight, and they usually do more harm than good. They are seldom strong enough to take off all the inow, and the wet grass when froxen is not relished by the horses, which run out most of the winter. When cattle are allowed out after a Chinook they alwaya get in poor condition, and the general belief ia that they equire more hay to reatore them to their former condition than if they had not been allowed to run at all. Hay nakiog. When I waa at Spirit river towards the end of August every one was engaged in hay-making. Some of the settlers were cutting upland hay while others were cutting " pea-vine " which growa very luxuriantly in open spots between thickets. There are few hay marshes within reach. In most years upland hav may be obtained anywhere, but this sort of grass cannot be cut to advantage more than two years in succession on the same ground. On the prairie itself and in the open woods in its vicinity, there is ample h;;/ fui *.he needs of settlers, but if it were made a ranching country large herds of cattle running free would destroy much grass that is now available. In 1903 the months of August and early September were so wet that it i.°< doubtfu*. whether the settlers succeeded in caring enough hay for their need/>. Throughout the Spirit River country, and indeed neariy everywhere south of the Peace river, the subsoil is an impervious clay. The soil above this is generally four or five inches deep ; sometimes a very little deeper and at Bremner's place at least, three years cropping has exhausted its fertility. Grain planted on this soil in 1903 was not worth cutting, while immediately beside it on new breaking there was a tine crop. The analysis of thia subsoil made by Mr. Shutt would indicate that if worked into the soil by degrees it would prove pro- ductive, but so far it has been untouched, the settlers contenting themselves with cultivating the loamy surface soil. Leaving the settlement at Spirit river, August 3rd, we travelled westward toi about five miles across prairie; the trail then enters a forest of spruce and poplar. It is from this place that most of the house-logs used at Spirit river are procured. The prairie is less than a mile wide when the trail leaves it. The trail continues through the forest to Rat creek but as one goes westward the spruce becomes Character of KtU. COUNTRY BOUTll 01" PEACE RIVKR 17 E Mcarcer unci at lost almost disappeara. For eight miles went of Kat creek to where w<» camped, the trail was for nearly the whole distance through bruit', on the remains of what was prol)ably a spruce swamp, as the ground was everywhere wot. This was due in part to recent rains, but the plants showed that the ground is naturally damp. The soil was a shnllow clay-loam with a clay subsoil. Travelling west- ward from our camp, the trail now used by Indians is north of that shown on the maps, the route having evidently been changed on account of burnt and fallen timber which blocked the road. AVith the exception o£ small patches of poplar woods the whole country has been burnt in recent years, some of it several times and as the amount of fallen timber will increase with every strong wind there will always be a considerable amount of chopping neces-nary in travell- ing by this trail. About 10 miles east of the British (-olumbia ix)und- ory the trail crosses to the south side of Bear creek, ro-crossing to the north about six miles further on. The soil over which the trail pi " was thin and wet, though it will of course be di-icr when it is tnmsfui'med into prairie. There were nVj bogs or muskegs, but the cluiroclcristic plants were all those that grow in cold undraiiird soil, XarUosmia, Epilobinm and Heracleum bein>; abund- ant everywhere. We camped at the last crossing of Bear creek From this point to the junction of Bear creek and Pouce Coupt' or ivIU',' tv| ' TEohafaud river, a. distance of about ten miles, the trail for the pf''''' greater part of the way kept close to Bear creek, the banks risin:; from about 2.5 feet at our camp to over 200 at the junction of the two streams. Near the edge of the valley and for a very short distance back, the country was dry, but as soon as the bank was left the ground became wet and m ir.^hy — not boggy — and the whole country from the trail north to the Peace river is probably of this description. It has all been Ijurnt over. When cleared and drained, most of it will bo suitable for such agriculture as the climate will allow of, but it is not attractive now. In the valley at the junction of Bear and Pouce Coupe creeks there are about 100 acres of open or bluffy land which would make a fine homest?ad. Though the country was very wet between Spirit river and Pouce Coup^ river, this was due in part to recent rains and even in wet seasons loaded pack animals can be taken over the trail. A wagon road could not be made without great expense, as there are wide stretches where the passage of a few loaded wagons would make tho road unfit for further travel. im|»' l.j— E- 18 I r>ACR RIVKK RKGIOX H»y. Climatp. Three d^yi were .pent in thoroughly exnmining the Pouce Coup*; pr«irie which lie. alnct altogether we«t of the British Columbia boundary. It is irregular in shape, itretohing about three mil«*s north of the junction of B*ar and Pouce Coup«J creek*. Though in the im- mediate vicinity of the creek-north of the junctlon-tho country i. wooded, southward along Pouce Conp^ creek it i» open prairie. To tho west, the prairie extends about six miles and about Ave miles to the «uth of the junction. The country slopes up gently from all direc tions to a central plateau which is perha|>s 200 feet above the top of the river bank nnd about 2.400 feet above tho sea. Sloping toward, the Houth from the plateau toward* a branch of the creek, tho country w more than half-wooded. i. e. covered with poplar and willow coppici- or with full-grown trees. On the southwest of the creek referred to above there i« also considerable prairie which slopes towards the -i.,000 acres and about the same of bluffy country. The most open part almost wholly prai.ie, i. directly west of the junction of Bear and P..uca Coup.', creeks. This i, cut by a creek in which is the only water in this part of the prairie. Towards tho south and west there are several small creeks running in ileep valleys. The largest marshes around which hay could be cut arc at the north- west corner of the prairie, but there are a few very small marshes on the plateau, each an acre or two in extent, and one small lake Hay could have been cut in 190.1 almost anywhere on the prairie The quality and quantity vary in different seasons. In a very dry seasen but little hay could be cut on the uplands. A fine view of the country which surrounds the Pouce Coupe prairie could be obtained in every direction from the pUtcau. Patches of puune show everywhere and a few more fires would transform the whole country into prairie, but on the other hand, a few years without hres would change much of the prairie into coppice. Half-breeds and old settlers living in the Peace river valley Ix^lieve that the climate of the Pouce Coupe prairie region is much warn.er in both winter and summer than at either Spirit river or Grande prairie and so far as can 1« judged from one season, there seems to be founda- tion for this belief. The saskatoon berries which were only beginning to npen at Spirit river and north of Dunvegan. August 1st, were at Pouce Coupe prairie, a week later, perfectly ripe and the half-breeds and Indians who were drying berries told us that they had begun gathering the fruit a week before, so that in 1903 the season w,« « week or ten days cariier there than at the places referred to This tlAnmt coiJCTur itoiTii or pbacb kivkk 19 R n..r h*v. b«.n due to » drier July, but wh.f ver the cm«. m.y l«, it . probable that the climate i. more temperate there. A. thi* prairie in in British Columbia it will never t>e made available for .ettlement in any other way than by purchase. Dr. O M. Daw,on cr.«^e,| the Pouce Coup.'- prairie in 1879 and w,.„t l»r. I»»*««'. eanward toward. Spirit river. He detcril^e, the «,oil of that prairie i.. "'""*• 'The platoau itwif u u.UHlly a wid-ly exionded tori.ice level. The so,l in th« valley, i, very deep and rich, while th»t of the plateau is Himilar but not «, deep, and re«t. on a .illy deposit, which when it come. U, the .urface give, the M,il a pale a-pect. Even the .ilt. how- ever. ... a nch «>il a. evidence,! by the luxuriant gr..wlh found upon It.' The trail followe.1 eastward by Dr. Daw.son wax near that tro^el!ed 1.V m. goins to the Pouce Co«p«5 prairie. Of the country traversed he Hays : .. 's^7'*^/"*7"' """■ '''" P'*'*'"" ^''^ • R«'»'™' elevation of -380 feet, for a .li.tance of fourteen mile.. Small cpen meadow, and pra.r,e« aH,K,n grove, and thicket., willow coppice and tall wellgrown woort of ProRres.,, (;t.jl. Hmy. Can., 1«7!». p. 49 B. ' 1.5_E— 2.1 20 B PIAOI mVRH HKOIOX thinb of whioh ia praiiif. ThU i* covered with flno ( ww, and ii littlt) work in ciMrtug out logi whan the graw in abort in apring would Dwke It ecay to run a mower over it. A^iout four roiloa up tbi« atreani it WM orosN'id to the north aide, Mid though there wu no trail the route Country ^niith to Swan lake waa not ditticult. The country paaaod through and Mten 11^ imirii'. from the aumniita of the hilla haa been ao frequently burnt over that there are few atanding treea and the ground ia cncuiul>eted with fallen logx. Ui.-fore Swan lake ia reached there are acveral large uieadowa, and around the woat aide of the lake there ia a atrip of open ground about 100 yards wide on which the graaaes and vetchca wore nlioulder high. Swan lake i» raid to teem with Huckent, but n^^ otiiCr kimU uf flah are caught there. Dwan Ukc Around the anuth end of 8wan lake and ordering the crcekn which run through the riat there are perhapa u thouoand acrea of mauniflcpnt hay-land covered witii grnuea and cnricea breiiat hi>;h, Calatnuyrwd* C-'nad«ntii (Blue joint) predominating. Thia waa the iincitt meadow Hcen during the summer except that deacrilied on MaoAllititer creek. Swan lake would In> an iueal place for wintering atock. It wan my intention to ascend the creek to the height uf land and then to descend Beaver L<>. The distance from Swan lake to Grande prairie in a straight line is about thirty-five milea — by the trail nearly fifty. The trail for the whole distance follows ridges when this is possible. These arc separ- ated by low ground, marshes or Ijogs, which must be crosst-d. The Soil on tlio ridges is yenerolly poor. I^ow and then a view could be obtained from the top of a ridge, aid the character of the country to the north and scnth was the same as that passed through. It has nearly all been burnt over at different periods, nnd very little stand- ing timber of any k'nd was noted. Ver^ little good land was seen, and that always in small patches. A little later, in going from Grande prairie to Spirit river, the cir- cuit of the plateau which lies north of the Grande prairie was com- pleted. The elevation Of the plateau has been estimated to be 2,.")00 feet and its area about 800 square miles, Its elevation alone would THB CiHAilDI PRAIHIK SI ■ b<' DUtfirient to •xclude it (n>iii «ny n.ttiruutn that amy h» ium1« (.r ajfrioultural Und, but, judging froin what wm tei*!!, very liltl* of it would be of v»Iua when olimred. On the northern and raatern alope* there iit Monie cpruce, perhap* MUtlioient for adding purpoM* in that rPKion, but it iit in coD'ttaDt dnnger uf dettruciion by firv. Till fIRANDR PKAIUIK. No pnrt of tho Ponce river ountry i.-< more fjKjken of than the TIib iimnlv (•rnnde prairii« and a woeic wiw spent in riirefully exiimining it frrnn '' '""'' « v«ry point of view, A complete circuit of the pridrie wai made and it will cro'swl in two directions. It wiiii found tha» iiiniv tho lino allowing tlie uppro\iiui\te area uf tlie (irande prairie wan laid down by Dr. Dawson twenty-four yearn ma,o, the forrst ha« in many place- encroached upon the prairie «o that it i.^ not now of lo grtiat extent as was then reported. At a rough estimate, 200,000 "cre» may be given as tint area of prairie land. It varies little in character, except that on a few ridgos a littlo ^jravel appears ; otlK'rwise, the soil is a rich black loam on n clay subsoil. Thi-i loan), as 1 saw it, varies from four to six inclie? in depth. It tnay l)o deeper in places but if so, such soil has not bec>n seen by anyone whom I met in the country and on the Uronde prairie, as elsewhere, freijuent holes were dug, for the purpose of ascertaining tho depth of the soil. Dr. Dawson'ii des- cription of the general character of the country is as follow.s ; — ♦ 'The surface of (Irande prnirie is not monotonously undulating but may be characterized as forming a series of gently sloping ridges or swells between the various river und stream courses which are here not found to cut de«p gorge-like valleys. Much of the country is park- ClmractiT of like witl- :. C» z^ S':^ ;:' '^°' 7""'; ^* •'•'" "'"-^ "■• drier and ^ o7lL and "'"^ *'"* ""^^ ''''' P'''^'^^ '^-«'"« anu more rolling and m every way better suited for asriculH,™ than the country to the northwest agriculture b^^fit to cu alK,ut August 23, if the weather continued wa m H s until .une 10. hut ..th l^Z^ TI ^O! Z Z^^ field was planted principally in wheat and oats. The oats wouW probably mature, but the wheat, on August 16 was onlv ^1 and could hardlv rinnn w; • j ^ "* blossom MlCOtSI. I THE OKANDE PRAIRIE 23 E frozen. The oats were not spoiled for planting and were the seed used by Mr. Monkman in 1903. No wheat had ever been planted before 1903, so that there is not sufScient data upon which to base any con- ' elusions as to the future of this part of the Grande prairie for wheat growing. It may be said, however, that though the farms at Saskatoon lake are beautifully .situated, the conditions there are not such as would make the results at Mr. Monkman's place a fair test of what can be done on other parts of the Grande prairie. The soil is a rich loam lying upon the impervious clay subsoil already spoken of and there is no underdrainage. AVithin a few feet of Mr. Monkman s breaking, the clay sub-soil shone with moisture when the soil was lifted oflF, though there had been no heavy rain for two we.-ks. * In other parts of the Grande prairie, where there was better drainage, the condition of the natural vegetation proved that grain would ripen earlier than at Saskatoon lake. Between Saskatoon lake and Beaver Lodge creek the trail skirts is^avtr I.kIk.. the western limit of the prairie and the country between the trail and ""'*''■ the river is for the most part low prairie lanrl or is swan py. There is very little dry prairie until within a mile of the Beaver Lodge where, on the north side, there is a fine open country sloping towards the river. In the valley, a few feet above the river, there was a small piece of ground under cultivation. The oats looked well, but the wheat was birely headed out, August 17th ; the tips of the heads had been killed by frost and on nearly every head some of the grain enve- lopes were brown and dry. Potatoes were in flower and the ordinary garden vegetables looked well. This land had l)een bit)ken and abandoned by a settler who went with several others to Grande prairie in the spring of 1903. I met him with his family near Spirit river two weeks later and asked him why he was leaving. His reply was " Can't you guess ? " and nothing further could he got from him. He told me, however, that on June 25th, potatoes and beans had been frozen, though the young grain was not injured. Some twenty or twenty-five settlers went to Grande prairie during the winter and spring of 1903, but none of them remained. I met some half dozen or so of these during the summer and could get from none of them any satisfactory reason for not having remained. The country was not what they had thought it to be and they were going elsewhere. Between Saskatoon lake and a small lake about ten miles to the southeast, there is a beautiful piece of rolling country with clay-loam • It was from tliis place that tlie soil and sub.soil ifrK.rte,! ,ip<.n by ^ilTsii^vrp takHi l.„t tl,e char.ict,r uf the -subsoil varies little, l^in^ gonerally fine silt t,r clay. .See 24 E PEACE RIVER RKOION' in the hollows and sandy loam with gravelly subsoil on the ridges. Wh.Zt'uf '^'''' " *'^^ ^^^ farming land seen on Grande prairie and it can be MAalraFn/^n IVA.OnAr] Itv err\iw%t» o/Mitli fw£\wv% UnalvA^AAH 1^1. ^ A . «1 _J ^e 1.1.. J 1 Saakaftmn Uke. I reached by going south from Haskatoon lake to the edge of the wooded country and then turning east. In the valley of a small creek flowing south towards the Wapiti river many beautiful homesteads could be located, with absolutely no drawback, if the climate proves favorable for the growth of cereals. At the small lake referred to above, there are at least 1,000 acres of liay marsh. Travelling northeast from this lake to Bear creek, the coun'ry crossed i.s generally level, covered with willow sciab, the soil a stiff clay with abundant evidence of alkali. At the crossing of Bear creek, the soil as shown by the banks of the creek, was from fifteen to eighteen inches deep, but after leaving the creek it became shallow again. Between Bear creek and Kleskun lake there is a long ridge upon which there are about 20,000 acres of prairie land. This ridge is quite without water, no creeks nor marshes beipg seen ; but having a gentle slope, it is well drained, and t' a grasses and flowers were at least a week further advanced than ac Saskatoon lake. The soil and suljsoil were like those at Saskatoon lake, but being well drained and with a warmer aspect this area ij far better suited for agriculture than Kleskun lake, where the settlement has been made. Kleskun la' e is shiUow and is gradually changing into a marsh ; but in 1903 very little hay could be cut around its borders, as the water was very hi','h. All about the eastern and southern borders of the Grande prairie the forest has encroached on the prairie and the eastern end of Kleskun lake is now in the woods. Around this lake, as well as other lakes and ponds on Grande prairie, there is much lumpy, hard clay ground, over which it would be impossible to run a mower and which would be hard to break and cultivate The larger of these lakes is bordered by alkali flats and if Kleskun lake were drained much of wiiat is now marsh would become bare alkali ground. This lake received its name from the dangerous springy spots at the north-west end. At this piaci- there are numerous spots, apparently small springs in the clay flat, many of them covered by a thin coating of dry clay, which is not strong enough to support a horse and in some cases it would not bear a man. Beneath the crust, there is mud of unknown depth and a horse getting in with nil four feet is certain to be lost. Hail. i had been told that hail-storms were unknown in the Peace river country, but on Aug. 19th we had two thunderstorms accompanied by hail, either of which would have done damage to standing grain. One occurred at noon ; the other about seven o'clock in the evening. The MACOUK. J TUG GRANDE PRAIKIK 2S I hail was small, but the wind which accompanied the evening storm could be described as nothing less than a tornado. These storms were local and we siw no other hail during the summer, liurnt logs in various parts of the country were often seen siwtted where hail had fallen upon them so that such storms cannot be infrequent. They may, however, do little or no damage. The country between Kleskun lake and Bear lake requires no special description, as it is of the same general character as that already described. Travelling over any part of the Grande prairie is so easy, eithor with pack-horses or wng'ons, that an intending settler would be very foolish to locate anywhere without first having seen the whole prairie. In general terms it may be said that the Grande prairie is, as regards S<,il .-ind soil, well suited for agriculture, tliough even in this respect it has al- ^'""""■• ways l)een spoken of in exaggerated term«.. As regards the climate, there is unfortunately little data to go upon. No thermometer read- ings, of which we have any knowledge, were ever taken there before 1903, except those by Dr. Uawson in 1879. He was on the Grande prairie for a few days in August and on the 21st of that month noted six degrees of frost at Bear creek. This was quite cold enough to seriously injure grain, had any been growing there at that time. It has been cheerfully assumed by nearly everyone that the climate is good, but there seems to be absolutely no foundation for this l)elief, as agriculture was never attempted. Time and experience will alone show what the climate really is and whether it is suited to the growth of cereals. What is certain now is that the growing and ripeniii" season is short and that in some seasons, at least, there are frosts that do serious damage. It will (loubtless prove true that in some seasons, perhaps in most, grain will mature, but until this point has been de- termined it would be more than unwise for any one to settle on the G'.ii .'e prairie with the intention of grjwing wheat as a main crop. Between Grande prairie and Spirit river there is a wagon road which follows ridges and high ground. There is no good timber along this trail, though house-logs could be got out almost anywhere. The soil is only tv. - or three inches deep above the usup' silty subsoil. Where the trail first enters the open country it follov. a narrow strip of prairie, which gradually widens. Up to within three miles of the settlement at Spirit river the ground is level, the -oil thin, only two inches deep in some places, and Deschampaia, indicative of cold, damp soil, is the characteristic grass. We left Spirit river August 27th for Lesser Siave lake. Going eastward to Burnt river, there is much open country, even after the 26 PEACE BIVEll REGION Burnt rivpr. II! Eg(f lak.-. prairie ia left, und the soil is better than to either the south or west of the Spirit river prairie. Burnt river, at the crossing, is full of large boulders, which could be used for bridge piers or other construc- tion purposes. After leaving Burnt river the trail follows narrow prairie openings, broken by thin strips of poplar, and my guide told me that the country was of this character south ol the trail. These openings gradually became larger until we emerged on what I took to be Grizzly Bear prairie. Two openings (Grizzly Bear prairie and Fox prairie) had been described to me, but these names probably refer to the same pie » of country. This is as gmxl a tract of country as any we have passed through during the summer, if not the best. The prairie stretches from the trail to the Birch hills, aid I estimated that there was about 10,000 acres devoid of trees or bushes. How much more there may be I had no way of estimafing, but the whole country is there more or less open. Hay could I* cut anywhere on the prairie and in small marshes and low spots. It is an ideal cattle country. The Birch hills have not l)een burnt on the north side, and there is much fine spruce am mg the poplar, especially towards the eastern and weste. .. Bnds. The prairie described is all west of the 6th Initial Meridian. Between the meridian and Egg lake the trail ran in some places through unburnt poplar woods, in others through open spots or willow coppice. The ground was everywhere quite dry at that time, but in spring the trail would be wet in some sections, though there is no boggy or soft ground. The country from Burnt river to Egg lake is quite level, no part of it rolling, and no bridges would be necessary for either wagon road or railway. Even in the thickest woods grass grows luxuriantly and covers the whole ground. "Blue joint" is the principal species in woods and thickets, and the soil is everywhere good. There were heavy thunderstorms on the 28th, and rain fell all day the 29th, clearing about fi\e o'clock. At nine o'clock the thermometer, rrgis- tered 30°, and by eleven the wet tent was frozen stiff and there was ice on all water in pails and pans, The night was clear and bright, and this frost was doubtless general over a large r.ja. During the night the thermometer fell to 26°. At seven A.M., with the sun shining brightly, the temperature in the shade was still below freezing. The trail going towards Smoky river passes to the north of Egg lake. At this season the lake was almost wholly filled with grasses, sedges and rushes, only a few spots of open water being visible. It is completely surrounded by virgin poplar forest, with a few spruce trees interspersed. Between Egg lake and Smoky river the countvy MACOIJC.J THE GRANDE PRAIIUE 27 E 18 dotted with low hills, between which are small m^.^hes and ponds caused by old beaver dams. The Smoky was crossed at a strong Crom.i..R of rapid about ten miles, by the river, below the Little Smoky. There is ^'""^^ """"• no difficulty in crossing, though the river is deep and swift, as gravel liars on both sides make a safe and easy landing for horses. We were fortunate enough to find K.n old canoe, but had we not done so there IS an abundance of dry wood from which a raft could have been made. From the crossiig of the Smoky river to Stinking lake there is a Hne winter trail, cut out for flat sleighs, but except for lightly loaded park animals it is hardly passable in the summer, as it crosses a ve/y wet country. For ^portion of arabit; land smaller than betwi-en Lesser Slave lake ard Heart river and for a fe-.v miles beyond that stream. Along the tniil, there is considerable pi-airio which begins about twenty-five miles from Pence river landin;;. This prairie is not very extensive, and all the open land has already been taken up by half-breeds. Oats have been plantid in several places and the more hardy garden vegetable.^. Most of the settlers have i-j good many cattle almut them, but not many horses. J>efor-e reaching the prairie, the country is similar to that lieyond Cypres creek, the soil fairly good but the need of dr-ainage is eveiywherc apparent. We camped on the northern edge of the prairie, about eighteen miles from Peace River Landing and during the night of .June 7-8 there was a scvei-o frost, ice, half ar^ inch thick forming on a pail t f water covered by a tight lid. The natural vegetation was uninjured, howsver. THE LOWEn PEACE RIVER. Having learned that the small steamer owned by the Roman Catho- ic mission was to go down to Vermilion, passage was secured on this boat, and I left Peace River Landing on June 11th, reaching Ver- milion on the 13th. For about fifteen miles below Peace River Land- ing the left side of the river valley has been denuded of forest by fire, but the banks, ai-e so steep that there is little land suitable for cuiti- •aatm 30 E PKACE RIVKR UKdlON 51 Country ttlKiiit VVrmilliiin. toVerniinoii **^*°"' ^^ *'8'»' ««■ *en P'»<»«* in the 280 mile* between Peace Uiver Landing and Vermilion there are points where the country is pniirie or partly open and level, and so is ready for immediate cultivation ; in all, there would not be more than 5,000 acres, probably not nearly so much. There are, of course, wooded flats, which will be ultimately cl.^ared and cultivated. No land is at pi-esent cultivated in the valley, except at Wolverine point, where half a dozen half-breeds have a few acres under cultivation. Except as noted above, the valley it licavily wooded until Prairie poini is reached, 25 miles above Vermilion. There is much tine spruce on the islanils in the riv»r, but not much on the banks. Twelve days were spent in the vicinity of Vermilion, when every farm was visited and expeditions were made into the country, both to the north and south of the river. At Vermilion there is no very well defined valley, the land rising by gentle slopes and steps until the general level of the country is reached, perhaps 100 feet above the river. The soil varies somewhat in character, that on the lower levels n-iir the river beinj; a rich alluvium of groat depth, while at higher levels it is sandy or clay loam, from one to two feet deep, generally on II gravelly subsoil. South of the rivor there is a strip of prairie about fifteen miles long and of vaiying width, and a great deal of blufly country broken by thicketo of willow and young poplar. North of the river there is, near the settlement, much open prairie, and on the route to Hay river the trail runs for at least forty miles thiough prairie country, broken only by narrow patches of thicket and forest. Time did not permit of a thorough examination of this region, but its appearance from the trail indicated that this strip of prairie was everywhere narrow, seldom more than a mile in width ; but T was told by those who knew the country that similar stretchss of prairie run parallel with the one I travelled over, and that on l)Oth sides of the Pjddle river, for its whole length, there was much prairie. The country seems to bo everywhere open, and the soil, wherever I exam- ined it, of the same general character. Where the season is short and the drainage of vital importance, such soil as is found in the vicinity of Vermilion is of far greater value than that of the upper Peace River plat«au, where water lies for a long time after heavy rains, causing growth to continue longer than is necessary or bene- ficial to growing grain. No estimate can be given here of the land about Vermilion that is ready for settlement, but there are at least 100,000 acres of prairie and blufly latid, and the wooded portions can be very easily cleared. MtCOi;!! ] TUB LOWRIt HKACE KIVKH 31 E AKricullure h». been followed in a .m.ll w.y for many year., and ,;„., „,„ two Hroall grist null, supplied mea] and flour for local needs. Two years ago, however, the Hudson'- Bay Company erected n fine roller mill, with the intention of grinding flour for the northern trade, and encouraged by the certainty of •» good market for all the wheat thoy produce.10 to .-JOO pounds of flour per hour, and l)eing lighted by electricity um be run day and night when necessary. The erection of such a mill in that latitude, where the transport of heavy machinery is so diflicult and expensive, is the best evidence that can be offered of the belief of the residents in the future of the Vermilion distriot. Frosts are felt at Vermilion as elsewhere, but they are there much I>-n. more local in their character than on the upper plateau above Peace River Landing. Sometin.es they are felt on one side of the river sometimes on the other, but some grain escapes nearly every year' Until the last few years the cultivation of grain was confined to a very small area, and the averajje number of vears that it ripened was three out of five. Now that farms have l«en .scattered over a larger area, some ne-ir the river, some on the prairie remote from it some grain will always escape, except in the rare vears when frost are general. In 190.3, the month of June was ve'ry ,lry and there was not much growth, but rains toward the end of the month supplied all the moisture necessary, and «ince my return I have rec ivetl a letter from Vermilion which tolls me that the crop wa.s a fair one. Mv correspondent says : "As you will remember, we had a very dry and late spring and that Cr..i». in I-h« crops looked very backward in June. Alwut June 22nd and for the following three weeks we had heavy showers with hot weather and this pushed the grain along very rapidly until the 20th of July when a light frast t«it quality of No. 1 hard to pig feed, and in yield from 8 to TiO buthelii to the acre. About SO acres of my wheat will run about 40 buaheU to the acre. There will lie in the neighbourhood about Ifi.OOO bushels of grain here, about half wheat. " Potatoes are of very good quality and yield about 250 to 300 bushels to the acre, (iarden stuff gave poor returns ; the cold «pring killea indioatod that Rad rivtr waa avan wanner than VarBilioD and all gardan ragaUbiaa were much more adTanevd. Whan Ht Cjr, who bad oharga of the post, knew I waa a botaaiat, bo aaked ma to look at a atranga plant ha had in hia garden. What waa my aatoniahment to find a bed of ououmbera, with a nnmbar of ripa onra on the vines and many green ones alsa 1 asked him if he raised the young pianu in a hot-bed, but he knew nothing of such things. Hia beans, (both Windsor and pole), cabbage, turnips, poUtoes and cucumb- ers are first class. Summer frosU never do any harm her* and the soil ia of first clau quality.' There are but a few hundred acres of prairie land at the mouth of the Red river, so that there cannot lie very extensive farming until the country is cleared, bat both soil and climate w good. Prof. Maoouni Of the country about Vermilion, Prof. Macoun wrote : t MpOft> ' I first examined the field and garden and found with the utmost astonishment that, although more than two degrees further north than Dunvegan or St.John the barley and vegetables were much furtb-r advanced. Barley was standing in shocks in the field, having been .jut on the 6th of Augu»t, while scattered ears of wheat which I found around the fence were fully ripe Aug. 12th. The barley waa sown on the 8th of May, having been in the ground just ninety days.. The headu averaged from four to six inches in length and were full of large grains o: a b ■» itjful colour. In fact, both wheat and bariey were the plumpest I ever saw. Turnips and Early Rose potatoes were quite large and both gave indications of a heavy crop. Mr. Shaw who had been postmaster at Vermillion for fifteen years told me that he had raised Indian corn both here and at Battle river without difiiculty. * ♦ ♦ Often a wl o!e season passes without u fi-ost occurring from early in May until late in October.' Of the country on the south and east sides of the Peace river between Peace River Landing and Red river, we have very scanty knowledge. The following extract from a report by Mr. R. G. MrConnell defcribe* a part of the region south of Vermilion : J • Report of Prngrew Oeol, Surv. C»n. 187&-76, p. 161. t Report of ProBreiw Gtwl. Surv. Can., IST.'i-TK p. 159. : Report of Profp-eH Orol. Surv. Can., 1890-91, p. 14-15 D. ■ •OM* ] OOllOLVUOIfS Ms • From Fort V«nBiIk)o. • trBvtm of about forty milM wm n»do ,..„„„„ ^ inUod to th* Baflblo HMd hilb. For Um flnt tm or twalvo ailM th« '•* v< miilkm. tr«U M MroM • partially wooikd and fortiU prairio and tbm throagh marabw altamatiog with woodod ridgM to BuflWIo lake, a umati sliMi of waUr from two to thrM milM long and about a mile wide. BaffaJo lake ia borderml by eitenaive meadow land*, ooverwl with luxHriant gnm. After leaving it, we paaeed throagh an aapen wood, oroMwd two ■mall itraamt flowing Into Bear river and then for tome milee travelled through a belt of partly wooded, partly open country which lie* at the foot of the BuflTalo Head hilla. The greater L)art of the land juH de» cribeii ia well fitted for tettlement.' From such information ae could be gathered from Indian.. «n or more old residents of that region with whom 1 talk*' i n 190.J there was not one who believed that the parts of the platei u cr nutry with which he was acquainted were fitted for wheat-growi p Some of them thought some other part might be, but not the j-at ..it'- which they were acquainted. The general altitude of the whole upper plateau, which includes Grande prairie, is about the same as that of Edmonton, two degrees further south. Wheat is grown at Edmon- ton but not always with success, and there is no good reason for supposing that the conditions are any better at the same altitude near the Peace river. Much has been made of the supposed prevalence of warm western winds, but whatever effect these winds may have in the winter, they are not noticed in the summer, and strange to say. Dr. Dawson noted that summer frosts usually occurred in calm nights following a high wind from the loeat. He says, after referring to frosts on August 13th and August 20th :* ' These frosts occurred in very fine weather, following a day of strong westerly winds, the result of which is to remove from the sur- face of the earth the whole of the lower heated layer of the atmos- phere. This succeeded by a calm and cloudless night with trans- parent sky causes the thermometer to sink below the freezing point before morning. When not preceded by strong wind, mere transpar- ency of the atmosphere seldom or never leads to frost in August, in this district. ' My own observations showed that whenever the night was calm and the atmosphere transparent ♦he thermometer fell to 35° or lower, but in 1903 cloudy nights were ti'e rule. It has been supposed also that the days are very warm, but \ hough no regular maximum tem- peratures were registered, the thermometer was frequently read when the temperature seemed very high, and it was never found on the plateau to reach 80°. A peculiarity noticed by both Dr. Dawson and myself was that the temperature fell very early in the afternoon, the average mean temperature for the 24 hours occurring about six o'clock, instead of at eight o'clock, as is the case in most places. Dr. •Report of ProgresH, (ieol. Surv. of Can., ls7t»-80, p. 73 B. COirCLU8ION8 Dawsun attributes this fact, and I think correctly, to ' the increased loss of heal by radiation due to the greater elevation and drier atmos- phere, ' and during the 'growing monthsi' in 1903 there were very few nights, even when cloudy, that the ihermometer did not fall below 50°. It will thus be seen that, though the hi>urs of daylight are long in latitude 56°, the days are not very warm ; the early and late hours of daylight are cool and the nights cold. Continued hot or ' muggy ' weather, so common in the east, is absolutely unknown, and it follows that there is constant interruption in the growing time. June is a very uncertain month, sometimes being very wet, and aga n so dry that growing crops suflfer from drought. July is, as it should be, dry, but unfortunately the month of August, upon which so much depends, is too frequently cold and wet. When that month is warm and there are no exceptionally heavy and long continued rains, a harvest may lie hoped for if a severe frost is escaped, but in years like 1903, when the whole month, and especially the la*t two weeks, was characterized by wet, cold weather, it is impossible for wheat to ripen before the frosts, that must certainly come during the first week in September. I was told that 1903 was an exceptional year, but others, who CIiin;it. reported the same conditions in other years, were told the same thing and there are enough of these ' exceptional ' years to warrant the lielief that they may be expected at any time. Conclu.sions drawn frn as 1903 would be an absolute impossibility. Horses will doubtless do better than cattle, as they ci .. procure food when cattle would starve. The snow-fall is not heavy in the Peace river region and the native horses run out all winter. Many of them die, however, and were it not that fresh horses are every year being brought in from the outside, the natural increase would not be sufficient for the needs of the country. Indeed as it is, it is almost impossible to buy horses anywhere. But while the Indian ponies manage to subsist during the winter without being fed, horset brought from the south must be fed for nearly as long as cattle and evau then many of them die. When considerable numbers of horses and cattle have been acclimatized and their young have grown up under the conditions which prevail there, the period of winter feeding may doubtless be somewhat shortened. ii UACODII I CONCLUSIONS 39 K It M a matter of great surprise to find that, except at Vermilion, Hog TM>mg. there was no attempt nay where to cure pork. There is a large and increasing demand for l>acon and pork and it certainly speaks poorly for the enterprise of the 'old timers' that they are content to pay high prices for Chicago or Edmonton pork when the conditions for raising hogs seem almost perfact. Several of the old settlers have a few pigs around them, but no bacon is made. At Vermilion hogs are allowed to run in the woods during the summer and are fed for a few weeks in the autumn on barley and shorts from the mill before they are Killed. In a country where there will always be a certain amount of frozen grain, there will be an abundance of feed for hogs. Peas have seldom been grown except as garden vegetables, but field peas will generally ripen. The whole north has to be supplied with bacon and this demand with an evergrowing local market will ensure large return- for the capital invested when any one has enterprise enough to go into pork-curing as a business. In regard to Vermilion as a region for settlement, it may be said that the lack of transport facilities confines the market for iljur and pork to the north and there are already enough settlers there to raise all the wheat that can be ground in the local mills, if larger areas are tilled. The methods of some of these farmers are however, very slipshod and antiquated and experienced careful farmer^ from the south would soon force many of them to return to trappini( and hunting, while others would have to go elsewhere. Over-production would be an al- most immediate result of increased settlement, however, and there would of course be a fall in the price paid for wheat. Very little has been said about the forests of the Peace river country TiuiU r and from this fact it may be gathered that timber to be used for any other purposes than for house-logs and fence-rails is very scarce. There is quite enough spruce in the country to furnish lumberfor housebuild- ing purposes, but it is scattered about among the poplar, often far from any stream that would float it to a mill and it will either have to be hauled to saw-mills or small portable mills must be moved about the country. To say that in the upper Peace River there is not more than 1,000,000 acres of prairie land is only another way of saying that what remains of that great area is covered with forest or has been so clothed within comparatively recent years. Unfortunately the country has been again and again swept by fire, until east of the mountains, there is now no considerable area of green timber left and whatremains is chiefly poplar. Reference has been made in a few places to green spruce having been seen and these are the only places where it is to be 40 ■ PKACK BITKB BBOION Koutes. found in other than the acaatiest quantises. Careful inquiry arnon^ those who know the country between Dunvegan and St. John and between Grande prairie and the Pine and Peace passea confirmed the reports that practically •» wh-'i of the forest haa been destroyed by fire, irast of the mouu.^i^ jk, is no white pine, though it is fre- quently stated that there is. What is in ignorance taken for it is jack pine, but even of this there is very little. While the country that has been described should, in the opinion of the writer, not be settled by either the rancher or the grower of wheat until there is more satisfactory evidence that it is suited for either of these pursuits, it may be safely prophesied that after railways have been built there will be only a very small part of it that will not afford homes for hardy northern people, who never having had much will be satisfied with little. It is emphatically a poor man's country, « country where any hard working man may, in a few years, gather around him a few head of stock— horses, cattle and hogs— where he will be able to grow vegetables and in most years bariey and oats and sometimes even wheat. But it will be many joars before anything can be grown for export, even with good transport facilities. The buUding of the railway will lead to the development of the mines in northern British Colombia, and these mines will afford a market for beef and pork at least ; but until there is some such market, cash will be very scarce. During the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, there will of course, be a ready market for any produce grown near the route it will follow, but such a market cannot last more than a year or two and the demand for food products will cease when the road is eompleted. ROUTES TO THE PEACiS RIVER. The route usually travelled in going to the Peace river either in winter or summer is from Edmonton to Athabasca Landing, thence up the Athabasca and Little Slave rivers to Lesser Slave lake and from that place by wagon or sleigh to Peace River Landing. If pack- horses are used, the upper Peace River district may be reached by more direct routes, but on account of the difficulties to be met with in the form of rivei-s to cross, fallen timber to be cut through and almost impassible muskegs, the traveller who desires to reach the Peace river with the least trouble and expense is advised to foUow the route out- lined above and under no circumsUncea to attempt to use one of the cros*l'' ing settler taking his supplies in with him should if possible arrange in Edmonton with the Hudson's Bay Co., or one of the other tiadini; companies who have boats on the Athabasca river, to hive his outfit sent in ahead of him, as to arrive at Athabasca Landing, without hav- ing made such an arrangement will almost certainly result in vexatious delays .it that place. There is no trouble in securing transport for freight either from Edmonton to Athabasca Landing or from Lesser Slave lake to Peace River Land'ug. The writer would, however, ftdvis'J no one to go to the Peace River country with an outfit without first having visited the district and satisfied himself that the conditions come up to his expectations. The Peace river can be reached so easily and cheaply by a man travelling without heavy baggage or by a party of men so equipped that no one should decide to settle there without having first visited the country and decided upon the place where he will locate. In winter, transport can he secured from almost any freighter. In summer there is a stage twice a week from Edmonton to Athabasca Landing. The fare charged in 1903 was but 87.00 1 if- which included ordinary luggage. On the York boats plying between Athabasca Landing and Lesser Slave lake the fare up stream was from 87.00 to ■*! 0.00, 150 pounds of baggage or camp outfit being carried free. Travellers must, however, cook their own meals or arrangements may he made to have them cooked for them, they pro- viding the food. i Lesser Slave lake to Peace River Landing the charge for a team is usually $20 . 00, but freighters are glad to carry passengers on their wago"' for §5.00. After crossing the rivet- at Peace River Landing there is a good wagon-road to Dunvegan and from Dunvegan to Grande prairie, and 42 R PEACE RIVEK RVOION ^^^^ J^'" ™'^ ^ ^'"^ •' *'^^ P'* • '««• »»>• round trip- In 1903 the Ronwn Ctholic Miwion put a small steamer on the Peace nver which carried paMenger. and freight up to St. John and down U> Vermilion, the charges being very reasonable, but its trips are made at uncertain dates and no definite arrangements for transport on this boat could be made until the Peace river is reached. The round trip from Edmonton to Grande prairie can be made in a month or five weeks if reasonably good connections are made. ♦Since this report was paged a letter has been received from Mr. Charles Bremner, who is referred to on page 14 as bein^ the settler whose gram was most likely to ripen when I left Spirit river, August 37th. Mr. Bremner writes as follows : ■ According to promise I write you with regard to the condition of the crops here at time of harvest. •The rainy weather which we were having when you left continued through September and October, giving the grain no opportunity to ripen. It was all frozen and useless for anything but green feed, with the exception of some of the barley, which, though frozen, will do for seed. ' Potatoes and other vegetables were all right, though they were all harvested between rains, so that there was some dilticulty in drying them out. We hope for better luck next year.' -lis !i APPENDIX I. Table showing minimum temperatures between June 12th and September 6th, 1903. The records of Pear^ River Landing were made in the river valley, those at Duntregan on the edge of the plateau about 700 feet above the river. All the other records were taken at about 2,300 feet above the sea, the average elevation of the country. In each case the date given is that of the morning following the night the mininiutn temper- ature was registered. The thermometer never registered above 40* when the night was clear. A constant check was kept on the thermometer by reading it whenever the temperature was low enough to freeze a damp cloth. This occurred in every instance when the thermometer registered 32', so that all these readings are a fraction too high. Placi.. iDtja Miniinuui teniiierature. Peac« River Landing Jiim 14. 15 lU" .. ..35' 28' ,. .. 33^ „ ,, IC »r „ „ 17 . .. 4«'' „ H IN. 44" „ „ lit. . ...W „ »» 33' 21 22. 41° „ ,, 44" „ ,, 23. 43° ,, ,, 24. 34° „ ., 25 47° 2ti 27. 37° ,, ,, 41° " ■' 2< 2)1. 30 40^ W 37" „ luly 1. 36° It „ 2 46° „ „ 3. 43° 4. 5. 44° H „ 46° Smoky River Miwiion 6 39° 7. s. 41° North of Smokv River Miueion 36° OW WivwiUke •1 35° 44 I PIAOI RITIR RRGIOir « P1m«. B«»rkke Betwetn BMr lake and White-mud river. . WhiUi-mud river 1008. Mao Allister oreek . Inland creek Little Burnt river. Dim vegan . Spirit river , Wfst i>f Rat crwk. Bear creek Pouce Cuii|ie prairie. South of Pouce Coupe prairie Swan lake Ten miln east of Sivan lake Twenty-five miles east of .Swan lake. Near head of Bear creek Bear creek Saskatoon lake East of Burnt river . Kgg lake Minimum temperature. ■Tuly 10 JT " 11 av <• 12 W " 1» 88' U IS. 16. 17. 18. 10. 30. 21. 22.. Aup, 24. 2S. 26. 27. 28. 39. 30.. 31., 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 7... «... 9 .. 10... 11... 12... 13... U..., 15.... 1«. . . . 17... 18.... 19... 20... 21.... Near Beaver Lodf^e creek Bear creek Kleskun lake Twenty miles north of Kleskun lake Spirit river ,^ ^ 23. 24 26. 26. 27. 28. 29. .. 30. 31 ..40" .4ft» . »V ..81' .aw ..43" ..3.V .xr ,.4«* ...44° . W ...**"■ ...il ...m' . .47° .. *!" ...HV ..M' ...i>V ...48^ ...4.5' ...35" . .3.V .40' ..31!" . 4!t' 4.-)' .3(1° ..Vr .3!!' . 2!»° .m- ..38' ..48° .35' . 34" .AT ..4fi' ..38" ..40" ..38" ,.4r 47" .45° 44° 45° 2r iiiiii iiAOoi'a.J APPINDIX I 45 K PUc«. KKH. Smoky river i^pt. 1 EMtuf Smoky river. •• 2 ., :i. Stinking lake ■■ 4 , Nvar lacaaer Slave lake •'> Miniuiuni tenip«r»tiirc. 86" 46' 88' . ,..2r 34' 46 B PIAOB Rivm BBOIOK APPENDIX II. 1>^^7L m. -•'*''*~'°«*-' «"— 'on. „«,. b. Dr. O. M. PUce. n't^hafKud river VUtaan eut of D'tcha/aud river I'Uteau 25 mile. ea.t of D'Kcluif.ud river IMateati ».,iitli-»>«t „( Duiivegan l>unveKan (80 fe^t above Pea<-e river).. Plateau iiortli of Ktt-U>ot Uke . . I-ower flat of ( ;rande prairie . Bear river {30 feet aU)ve water). '. Prairie aoiith of Me de Arontague. North bank Wapiti valley ... W«t l>ank .Smoky River valley, above Wapiti river Ten feet aU,ve Wap.ti river, at «,'„„tl, of Mountain creek Mmoky river (water level) 1903. Au». 13 " 14. IS. 16. 17. IM. 1». ao.. 21.. 32 . 23.. 24 Wmouth of Smoky river (water lev.) Peace river (water level) Lao de. Kemined, plateau l^-tween Smoky river and Dunvegan. l»un vegan (20 fe,.t alxne river) 2.-. 28. 27. 28. 29. • .TO. .. 31 Sept. 1. 2. 3. 4., (ihost river, on plateHU . Plateau U miie« north of Had Heart creek Plate.iu at Kle...kun ^trean, ...[..,'" Minununi temperature. 360 32 . 41 ft •■a ft . 47 . 4H ft 10 .Mr, . 38 .4S 3fi0 37.5 .13 ;« 400 .47 5 . ;«o .;<7 .<7 5 .:ti :m 6 .•13 .5 ■X 5 23 .m-y ..no :||: vM-ova APPBKOIX III 47 R APPENDIX II! Praliminarj Report, on Soil Md Snbaoil, oollectad near SMkatoon or Servioe-berr/ lake at the weat end of the Grande prairie, I^at., 85* 15*, Long, 119* 13 PeMw River Diatrict, by Prof. Frank T. Hbutt. Sur/oM Sotl. — A heavy clay loom, but containing a small percen- tage of fine sand black or very dark brownish-blaok, from presence of humus (vegetable matter). As received, in the airdrie . . OrguiioaiMl ■jUtUr mattw Per sent. .IK Nfit 174 The general. deduotioB, th.t I .u, enabled to ,n«ke froo. t preJ.min.ry ex.mio.lion are thM the .urfw. -rfl Th, ^ w«tin« in the ..e.- :. of fertility. thelSfl^whiL^nT reported. hdlowneu. With good drina... careful Tu^ttl-tl •r J, avoiding all working of the «il when wet-and favo^K .t.c condition, it ,hoold p.ve a .trong. productiv"^ ri.^t^^ of yielding remunerative crope. ^ FRANK T. 8HUTT, Chemist, Dominion Experimenul Farme. iS*r*-ff •nd nitrogan. «nt ke from thia >jr no mMoa wk being its re — (wrtioul- ourable clim- luite Mpable «I Farios. MIIKT ICU M.0,0 $e4HMtU.LL,'a., I»«4. 120" lift" ua" in" ~r m" Hi' Sft MAP 0(|uiil oC llw CouiiliT l>t'fwi»t>n lli«- PEACE AND ATHABASKA RIVERS To illuMiiJitc Hi'poii „(■ . JAMES M.MACOUN i CO.Sn,niil,fSA..Srj;fOfirnf>hrr*ri,irn)mii, flits al,^iiniRi of ^anaHa 05e*»«rti,iL,a,r«.»,*cni(« Dimcroii intvt. -fVjM,"! / lirr />T»„ /SnnmHicfi UV ic" III un" TV- iinom/inny I'.irli ./.»„„,/ /;, r;,/ .VI,' Priri- Ittt