On upper Cowan river there are small hay meadows; the rest of the land is poor and hard to clear. Approaching Reed lake the soil is a clay loam which could be farmed if drained. The country about Herb lake and river is rocky, with patches of fair land, suitable for raising vegetable and garden produce. When the rapids of Grass river are passed the country becomes low, but in places there is good soil of clay loam with sand, and towards Setting lake there are good hay meadows. Although the country between Setting and Paint lakes is very rough and rocky, there is some good land. To the north of Paint lake there is a limited quantity of good land; about Methy lake Mr. McLaggan considers the land of little value for farming. Between Reed lake and Elbow lake there are some small spots of good land, but as a general thing the country is rough, rocky and swampy. The country between Elbow and Cranberry lakes is mainly muskeg. There are some patches of good land towards the lower end of Cranberry lake. There are some small hay meadows between Cranberry and Athapapuskow lakes, but the ground is generally rocky with some muskeg. There are some stretches of fairly good land along the lower part of Goose river but the country generally is rough and rocky. The country about the upper end of Goose lake was found to be boggy and of very little use.
Along Goose river, Below The Lake,
there is quite a tract of fairly good land, and there is another on the Sturgeon, between the mouth of Goose river and Cumberland lake. The soil is a clay loam mixed with a little sand. It is covered with brush and small poplar and would be easy to clear.
Mr. McLaggan, after his trip, stated that the growing season seemed to be satisfactory, “and where good land is found there should be no trouble to raise good crops of all hardy grains and vegetables, but the greatest drawback to farming would be the difficulty of making waggon roads from place to place, as the country between the spots of good land is rough and rocky.”
The climate seemed good to Mr. McLaggan. In the first week of September the foliage was green; there was no sign of severe frost, and butterflies, hornets and other insects were numerous and active. The first frost noted was on August 31, “but not enough to damage wheat.” The weather was fine in the morning and it rained in the afternoon. On September 13 he noted that the weather was fine but cold, with a heavy frost in the morning; that the leaves were falling, and that it began to look like autumn. Considerable rain followed, which, on October 4, gave place to snow, to be followed again by rain. The night of October 7 is noted as the first really cold one of the season, but the morning brought rain. There was snow again on October 8 with high wind and ice on the water along the shore of Goose lake. It was “fine and warm” on October 11, and “clear and cold” on October 13 when he reached The Pas on his return.
W. Thibaudeau, C.E., states in his report (See p. [23]):—“At Churchill, potatoes, turnips and other vegetables have been successfully raised at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s fort. For many years cattle and horses have been successfully kept and bred at the Hudson’s Bay post; excellent butter was also made. Splendid pasture and hay meadows are found on both sides of the river above the harbour for a known distance of thirty-five miles. At the head of Button bay there is an area of two thousand acres upon which
Good Hay Can Be Cut,
which has been pronounced by Professor Macoun as affording excellent forage. Wild black and red currants and gooseberries are found in great quantities, and are equal, if not superior in flavour, to garden produce. Barrels of black currants can be picked around Fort Prince of Wales. Cranberries exist in great abundance everywhere. Other berries which are indigenous to the climate abound.”
As to the region examined in his exploration trip from Churchill to The Pas, Mr. Thibaudeau states:—
“About thirty-five per cent. of the country travelled through is marshy and swampy; more or less hay is grown. Under marsh or swamps the soil is generally clay. I have no doubt that when the swamps and marshes are drained, and the moss is stripped, they will be susceptible to farming operations between Churchill and The Pas, and at a later period, after the northwest is settled, this land will become valuable.”