Archdeacon McKay stated that it is a peculiarity of that part of the country around Lac la Ronge that the frosts are very late. On a small island in the lake Archdeacon McKay has seen potatoes in the beginning of October with the
Vines Untouched by Frosts
at that late season. That was of course on account of the large body of water that equalized the temperature. On the mainland that would probably not be the case, but two years ago he was at Lac la Ronge when Mr. Chisholm, the Indian Inspector, came out to make treaty payments towards the end of August, probably August 20, and the potato vines were not touched at all either on the mainland or on the islands. The snowfall is not very heavy. It is generally a little heavier than in Prince Albert section of the country, but not always so. Three feet on the level would be considered deep snow. As a rule the first frosts come some time in September. In 1906 the potatoes were touched with frost about September 15, but not seriously. In the spring one can put in grain from May 5 as a rule. He used to sow wheat May 5 generally, and plant potatoes from May 20 on. The lowest temperature in winter, judging from his own sensations, was about the same as Prince Albert. In the summer time it is quite as hot at Lac la Ronge as at Prince Albert. It is farther north and the days are longer.
The weather at Lac la Ronge is moderately dry. Generally there is sufficient rainfall for the crops. In the summer of 1906 there was quite a long spell of dry weather, which affected the wild fruits. It was an exceptional spell of dry weather, but generally there is a good rainfall. The rainy season would be quite equal to Manitoba.
Richard S. Cook, Esq., Mayor of the city of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, was examined before the Senate committee of 1907. He stated that he had at the date of his examination by the committee been engaged in farming at Prince Albert for fifteen years. He had a large stock and dairy farm, operated it successfully, and had made it pay every year. Mr. Cook stated that he had travelled considerably over the country about Prince Albert, particularly to the north and northwest of that city. He had gone north from Battleford and down Beaver river. Little is known of that country. It has always been travelled by canoe. Stanley Mission was the farthest north he had been, two hundred and fifty miles north of Prince Albert, and about the same distance north of Battleford. The country in that northern district is fit to be an empire in itself, and a wealthy one. People knew little of it yet, but it was going to prove an excellent country for agriculture. It was such an immense country it was hard to grasp the possibilities of it. One might travel over it for years and know very little about it. There is very little open country there, except where the fire has gone, but about seventy-five per cent. of the soil in that country is good, capable of being cleared up and becoming good agricultural land. The area must be at the least about two hundred and fifty miles by two hundred and fifty miles. In travelling about the country, he had examined the region about Fort Pitt, Beaver lake, Moose lake and Cold lake. For a considerable distance immediately back from Saskatchewan river the soil is light; not a very good country. The country immediately behind Fort Pitt, however,
Is Fit for Raising Grain.
Oat field at Anglican Mission, Lac la Ronge.
The further north one goes in that country the better it is. The altitude is gradually getting less, and on Chipewyan reserve, south of Cold lake, there is as fine land as he had ever seen in his life. The grass is four and one half feet long, and people had been known to grow one hundred tons of hay the first season. Mr. Cook doubted whether wheat would grow the first year.
Around Cold lake the fires had been very destructive. There had been timber there, and where it had been burnt over the grass was good. The soil was all right and the pea vine growing, and good rich grass, so that he thought the country down the Beaver would be a fairly good agricultural country. This district is one hundred and fifty miles north of the Saskatchewan. It would be northwest of Battleford about one hundred and fifty miles. At Stanley and Churchill, two hundred and fifty miles north of Prince Albert, they were raising all kinds of stuff. There was a sheaf of wheat in the Board of Trade in Prince Albert which was brought from there, and it was certainly a very fine specimen. Mr. Cook thought that in the area he had visited in the north there was a country that would be settled up and sustain a large population. The fires had been very destructive in parts of the Stanley country. The soil throughout at one time was a good soil, but where the fires were very heavy and hot it burnt the top of the soil. He would judge that seventy-three per cent. of that country would have good agricultural soil as soon as it was cleaned out.