“Though the prairies are most immediately available from an agricultural point of view, the regions now covered with second growth and forest, where the soil itself, if not inferior, will eventually be equally valuable. The largest tract of poor land is that bordering the valley of the Athabaska on the north.”

Professor Macoun was examined before the Senate committee of 1888 and gave a considerable amount of information, all valuable at the time, and much of it still so, as to the character of Peace river country from Macleod in latitude 55°, to Lake Athabaska, up the Athabaska to the Clearwater, and up the Clearwater to its head.

Starting from the Parsnip and through Rocky mountains, the good country for agriculture commences, according to Professor Macoun, at Rocky mountains portage at Hudson Hope (in British Columbia) or The Hope of Hudson, as Capt. Butler puts it. From that point down the country is suitable for agricultural purposes, the whole distance; on the prairie, not on the slopes of the river, but on the prairie above. The north bank of the river, that is the one facing south, has hardly any wood, but is covered with berries, and witness found the cactus growing there. The other side of the river, facing the north, was covered largely with spruce down to the river’s edge, the whole upward slope. It was only the banks of the river that were wooded; above, all was prairie, with poplar and willow in clumps. It was of the same character as the North Saskatchewan, but with much taller grass.

Said Professor Macoun:—“While at Fort Vermilion, on Peace river, in latitude 58° 24′, I was informed by old Mr. Shaw, who had charge of that post for fifteen years, that

Indian Corn Would Ripen

well every year there, and at Battle river corn ripened three years in succession, and that frost never injured anything on this part of the river. The whole country at Fort Vermilion is a plain, not elevated at its highest point more than a hundred feet over the river, but the greater part of it is less than fifty feet. The soil is wonderfully like that of the second prairie steppe, in the prairie region, as the surface is composed of black loam, mixed apparently with limestone gravel. From Fort Vermilion, Caribou mountains are visible about forty miles off. These may have the effect of keeping off the cold winds from Great Slave lake, and hence the country is permanently warm. Both days and nights have been warm down on this part of the river, whereas on the upper parts, where high banks are, the cold was even felt at night in August.

“The grain at Fort Vermilion was sown on May 8 and 20, and was cut on August 6. Wheat growing among the barley and by the fences was almost ripe August 12, when I was there. At Rocky mountain portage (British Columbia), where Peace river issues from Rocky mountains, latitude 56 degrees, we found a first rate garden with vegetables far advanced, July 21; new potatoes, onions, and carrots were part of our bill of fare. That was in 1875. Five days later, at Fort St. John (B.C.) vegetation was even further advanced, and all kinds of garden stuff were in the greatest perfection. Nigger Dan’s barley was colouring on July 26, and would be cut the first week in August. His potatoes were large, and enough for fourteen men were dug on August 2.

“I may mention that strawberries were fully ripe on July 6, at Hudson Hope (B.C.). At Dunvegan, barley was almost fit to cut August 4. Cabbage in the priest’s garden were closing, and all his garden vegetables far advanced.

“At Battle river pease were getting ripe August 8. At Fort Vermilion potatoes were very large and many heads of barley contained sixty grains, others many more. I never saw such fine barley before. Barley was sown on May 8 and cut on August 6—that is at latitude 58° 24′. At Red river (a small fort, fifty or sixty miles below Fort Vermilion), they have no ploughs, and the ground was broken up with a spade or hoe. The garden stuff

Was Wonderfully Luxuriant,