June—56°-54°, with Scotland.
July—63°, with south of England.
August—57·5°-55°, with Scotland.
September—50°-45°, with northern Norway and Sweden.
Mr. D. B. Dowling, reporting (Part F. Annual Rep. Geol. Sur. Vol. VII) on his 1893 explorations (See p. [19]) states:—“The agricultural possibilities of the valley of upper Berens river seem to be limited, and the areas suitable for cultivation are only to be found in isolated patches. These are principally in the neighbourhood of the larger lakes. The Indian reserves have been located with this end in view as they seem to cover about the best land seen. The soil is a light grey clay with a little vegetable mould, and the gardens made by the Indians produce potatoes of fair quality, the only vegetable grown. In the southern part of the district, better land is found and in greater extent than in Berens river valley. On Lac Seul, at the mission and trading post, there are
Several Very Good Gardens
in a flourishing condition, with all the ordinary vegetables growing very satisfactorily. The Indians appear to care little for any gardening except a very primitive attempt at raising potatoes. Land suitable for gardening was seen at Mattawa, and indeed the best and largest extent for this purpose is to be found between Lac Seul and Shallow lake.”
Mr. Dowling, writing of the northern branch of Berens river, states:—“The land reserved for the Indians on the upper part of this branch of Berens river, is a small tract situated on the north side of a long arm or narrows, running to the eastward, from a lake to which the name Pekangikum is given. The river enters at the eastern end of this area, coming from Sturgeon lake by a short stretch of river half a mile in length, in which there are two rapids. The Indian reserve appears fairly well timbered—principally with Banksian pine of slender growth and some spruce. The Indians have been able, in building their houses, to obtain timber of suitable size for the walls and rafters, and spruce of a diameter of fourteen inches is fairly plentiful. The shores of the lake are rocky, but strips of country inland appear, on which there is probably a fair quality of soil, though the surface is generally sandy. On one of the islands in the larger part of the lake, soil of good quality (clay) was seen, on which the Indians were growing potatoes. No doubt there is better land for this purpose on the reserve they have selected, but as they make their summer camp on a small island near the deeper part of the lake for the purpose of fishing—by which they mainly subsist—they naturally utilize the nearest land for their summer gardens.”
Mr. Dowling, writing in his report of the country north of Lake Winnipeg and south of Burntwood river, says:—“As the area is situated so far north of the boundary of Manitoba, it might be presumed that much of it is unfitted for settlement, but it is discovered that over a large part there is good soil, and
The Evidence of Several Gardens