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 BRITISH COLUMBIA 
 
 — AND ITS- 
 
 AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES. 
 
 -A BRIEF- 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE PAMPHLET 
 
 ISSUED BY THE — 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 THE GOVERNMENT OF 
 THE PMVmCE OF BRITISH DgUO/st^ 
 
 VICTORIA, B.C : 
 Printed by Richard Wolfendbh, Printer to tlie King's Moat Excellent Majesty. 
 
 1902. 
 
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 Library 
 
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 the Cornell University Library. 
 
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 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
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BRITISH COLUMBIA 
 
 -AND ITS- 
 
 AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES. 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE PAMPHLET 
 
 -ISSUED BY THE 
 
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 VICTORIA, B. C. : 
 Printed by Richard Wolfendek, Printer to the Kind's Most Excellent Majesty. 
 

 (f //^^^ 
 
Department of Ageiculture, 
 
 Victoria, November 18th, 1901. 
 Hon. J. D. Prentice, 
 
 Minister of Agriculture, ]'ictwia, B. C. 
 
 Sir: 
 
 I have the honour of presenting herewith a pamphlet descriptive of the Province, princi- 
 pally in relation to its agricultural capabilities and possibilities. This information is prepared 
 at the instance of the Agent-General, and is intended for distribution from his office. 
 
 Ic is, of course, impossible in a short description, such as this pamphlet contains, to enter 
 into many of the details which are so necessary to intending immigrants. For such infor- 
 mation I must refer to the more extended Report of this Department. 
 
 I have the honour to be. 
 Sir, 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 J. R. ANDERSON, 
 
 Deputy Minister of Agriculture. 
 
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BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
 
 ITS AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITIES AND POSSIBILITIES, 
 
 British Columbia, although not, strictly speaking, an agricultural country, has nevertheless 
 large areas of arable land of great fertility, and capable of producing much more than is 
 required of its present or prospective population. The mining and other industries in the 
 earher historj' of the Province so completely occupied the attention of its inhabitants that 
 British Columbia came to be considered by them, and naturally by outsiders, as a country 
 quite unfit for agricultural pursuits ; and so much was this the case, that when the subject of 
 Confederation was first mooted, not only was British Columbia designated by one of the 
 leading statesmen of the East as " A Sea of Mountains," but it was actually looked upon as 
 utterly worthless, " the derelict of Canada," by many people who should ami perhaps did 
 know better; and even after the wonderful resources of the Western Province had developed 
 to such an extent as to wring the acknowlegment of its richness from its detractors, the belief 
 still existed, and does exist among many, that although rich in minerals, timber, fish and coal, 
 there is not agricultural land sufficiently extensive or good in the Province to produce enough 
 to feed its own inhabitants, to say nothing of the possibilitj' of its production ever reaching 
 such a point as to contemplate exportation outside its confines. 
 
 !Now, whilst it is quite true that British Columbia is not, strictly speaking, an agricultural 
 country, never did a greater fallacy exist than that the agricultural area of land is so circum- 
 scribed and poor as it has been depicted. 
 
 Another fallacy is that of climate. The very name of Canada is associated by very many 
 people with the idea of "Our Lady of the Snows"; and since British Columbia is part and 
 parcel of the great Dominion, it has come to be regarded as identical in climate to the Provinces 
 in the East. Amongst our friends to the south of us also, divided only by an imaginarj' line, 
 the idea is quite general that, climatically, British Columbia is unfit for agricultural pursuits. 
 
 A great deal of misconception regarding the Province is undoubtedly due to ill-informed 
 writers, who, after viewing the country through the window of a Pullman car, or from the 
 deck of a steamer, forthwith undertake to write a book, all about the countrj^ 
 
 On account of its topogr&phy and extent, ranging as it does from the 49th to the 60th 
 degrees of latitude, and intersected as it is by immense mountain ranges, with the warm Japan 
 current setting over to its shores, it may easily be understood that the climate of British 
 Columbia is varied in its character, that its products, as a natural sequence, are also very 
 varied, embracing those of the semi-tropical as well as of the temperate zones. The apple, par 
 excellence, is the fruit of the country, which with the pear, plum, prune, cherr'y, and all small 
 fruits, attains great perfection in most of the settled portions of the Province. Peaches, apricots, 
 nectarines, grapes, and such fruits, are naturally not so wide in their distribution, but are suc- 
 cessfully cultivated in many parts of the southern portions of the Province. Melons, tomatoes, 
 ChiU peppers, egg plant, and all vegetables of this character, are also grown to perfection in 
 many parts. In the matter of nuts — almonds, walnuts, filberts, hazelnuts, cobnuts, chestnuts, 
 ,tc. — these produce well wherever grown. It is impossible at the present writing to give any 
 statistical information, even of an approximate character, of the number and kinds of orchards 
 in the Province, nor the amount of fruit produced. This may be said, however, that whereas 
 a few 3'ears ago most of the fruit consumed was imported from the neighbouring States and 
 California, now most of the fruits coming to the Province from these sources are early fruits, 
 which come before the home production is ready for the market. 
 
British Columbia. 1^^ 
 
 The exportation of fruit, likewise, to the North- West Provinces and the Yukon is^^®"'^^^^ 
 large proportions, and the quantity is increasing year by year, as the young orchards 
 have been set out come into bearing. The area under fruit has been increased greatly ""'"^^.g 
 the last five or six years, and people generally are adopting methods more in accordance w^ 
 the well-understood successful principles of fruit culture, profiting by the lessons 8^^°^ ^-^^ 
 experience and avoiding the mistakes which are generally made by beginners. Alt oUo^^ ^^^ 
 area under prunes is quite extensive, the orchards are quite young, and since a rea y ^^ ^ 
 been found for the green fruit, none has, so far, been cured. The production ot wne ^^ 
 
 country where the area of cultivated land is comparatively limited, and where it can p ^^_^^ 
 much more profitable use, is, as a matter of course, not prosecuted to any great exte , , 
 
 large quantities are produced in what is known as the Upper Country or Dry J^elt, anu 
 siderable quantity of the flour used in the Province is manufactured from wheat S^°^^ . 
 
 Okanagan country. Irrigation is practised in the Upper Country, and available ^a^^i is 
 fairly abundant for the purpose except in certain localities ; in the other portions o 
 Province irrigation is not necessary, the rainfall being suffitient. ■ „f„ „„^ 
 
 It is needless to say that, under the conditions named, all the other grains, roots and 
 vegetables ordinarily grown in these latitudes attain the greatest perfection, and the production 
 
 is in many cases above the average. . , . , * *^„ v,»c,;^«,= 
 
 The opportunities for dairying in the Province afford particular inducements for, besides 
 the excellent market now available, and those in prospect of which mention is made elsewhere 
 the equable climate affords facilities unequalled for winter dairying (the most profitable of all 
 dairying) in any other Province in the Dominion. In that portion of the Province lying to 
 the westward of the Coast Range, green food is to be obtained practically all the year round. 
 In that portion known as the Dry Belt, however, the conditions for dairying are not as favour- 
 able, on account of the colder winters and the drier climate, necessitating irrigation in most 
 sections In those parts where the precipitation is sufficient, and where water is available tor 
 irrigation, the growth of leguminous plants, such as clover and vetches, is simply marvellous, 
 and no difficulty is experienced in providing green succulent food in abundance during the 
 summer months. For winter dairying, however, outside green food cannot be depended upon, 
 and roots and silage will have to be resorted to for the successful production of milk. It must 
 not be inferred, however, from these remarks that sufficient green food is to be obtained during 
 the winter months for the successful prosecution of winter dairying ; on the contrary ; for 
 whilst green food is available during most of the winter months, it is a well-known fact that 
 cows in milk cannot be allowed to roam about the fields on cold, wet days, and substitutes, 
 such as are spoken of, must also be provided. Nevertheless, dairying is a branch of agricultural 
 industry which in British Columbia is capable of great expansion, and, moreover, one of the 
 branches which presents more opportunities for profitable investment than most others. The 
 home markets offer all the necessary inducements in that direction. The deficiency of butter 
 is being gradually reduced by the establishment of creameries at various points, but the general 
 run of° ranchers are slow to adopt co-operative measures, and many manufacture butter on 
 their own account ; and whilst it is but natural that there are some good butter-makers, there 
 are many who are not, and the price of butter, therefore, of this class, which is put on the 
 market, is ruled, except in a few cases, by that of the poorest quality. 
 
 The importation of dairy products from other countries and from the other Provinces 
 amounted in the one year ending 30th June, 1900, as follows :— 
 
 Value. Duty Paid. 
 
 Butter ....(fts.) 2,821,913 $691,341 .... $20,522 96 
 
 Cheese •' fts.) 918,155 95,040 .... 2,311 23 
 
 Condensed Milk _^01^0 .... 40.799 71 
 
 11,087,991 $63,633 90 
 
 It will therefore be readily seen that with the markets ready to hand, and those 
 nrosnective markets- which there is every reason to believe will be developed with the advance- 
 ment of the Province-an advancement which it is fully anticipated will be very great in the 
 near future-it is reasonable to expect that prosperity will reward the efforts of the agricul- 
 turist the stock-raiser, and all those engaged in any branch of this all-important industry. 
 The price of butter seldom falls to 18 cents, and it often goes as high as 35 and 40 cents; 
 probably 25 cents may be quoted as an average price. 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agricultural Capabilities. 
 
 The production of poultry is another industry which will well repay intelligent prosecution 
 at points within easy distance of the large towns. The importations, as mentioned in the case 
 of dairy products, for the same period were as follows : — 
 
 Value. I^uty Paid. 
 
 Dressed poultry 8 64,221 S 3,239 05 
 
 Eggs, dozens, 1,573,017 241,367 10,332 00 
 
 8305,588 $13,571 05 
 
 To which should be added the importation of live fowls, included amongst other live stock. 
 The vicinity of the large towns is, of course, preferable for the successful prosecution of this 
 industry, as there is a market always ready to hand. On account of the distance from the 
 larger towns and the prevalence of coyotes, the Upper Country is not recommended for poultry- 
 raising. Barnyard fowls fetch from 35 cents to 75 cents each, the former price being excep- 
 tional; an average price of 50 to 60 cents may be quoted. Eggs are seldom lower than 25 
 cents per dozen, and often as high as 75 cents. Ducks, which can and should be sold at nine 
 weeks in order to be profitable, find a ready market amongst the Chinese, who are inordinately 
 fond of them, at profitable prices. 
 
 Horned cattle are profitably produced in large numbers for beef in the Upper Country, 
 where they are pastured over the extensive ranges covered with wild grasses. Although large 
 numbers of cattle are produced in the Province, the demand is considerably in excess of the 
 production, as the following will bear witness, being the importations for one year, viz. : — 
 
 Value. Duty. 
 
 Cattle on foot (head) 7,776 8229,077 $1,841 40 
 
 Beef (fts.) 2,715,563 190,208 .... 162 66 
 
 8419,285 .... $2,004 06 
 
 The ranges still in the pubHc domain are so eaten down as to be valueless for cattle-raising 
 unless supplemented by privately-owned ranges. These are not to be obtained in the older 
 settled portions of the country, but large tracts are still to be had in the northern part of the 
 Province, viz., the Nechaco and Bulkley valleys. The current price of beef cattle on foot at 
 the present time is 4J cents per pound. Judicious systems of cold storage at convenient 
 points in the cattle-producing sections of the Province have been advocated, which, it is 
 believed, would greatly benefit not only the stock-raiser but the ranges. Such establishments 
 should be of sufficient capacity to accommodate all the cattle fit for beef, which should be killed 
 at a time when they are in their prime and sent to the markets as they are required. Thus 
 not only would the consumer have the beef in prime condition, but the stock-raiser would sell 
 when the cattle were heaviest, the ranges would have an opportunity to recuperate, and the 
 transportation charges greatly lessened. 
 
 The production of swine ofiers particular inducements if intelhgently prosecuted ; the 
 local market for this class of live stock, on account of the numbers of Chinese, who 
 practically use no other flesh, if we except fowls and ducks, to say nothing of the demands of 
 the white population, is exceptionally good. Those farmers who are following the industry 
 systematically are all doing well, but there is room for a great many more. The following 
 statistics of importations for the period previously alluded to speak for themselves : — 
 
 Value. Duty. 
 
 On foot 8 62,159 .... $ 1,022 53 
 
 Bacon, hams and lard.... (fts.) 7,360,783 814,324 .... 67,669 29 
 
 Fresh pork (lbs.) 868,557.... 69,477 .... 119 14 
 
 8945,960 $68,810 96 
 
 All parts of the Province are well suited for this industry, if, as we have said before, it is 
 followed intelligently. Clover, one of the very best foods for pigs, grows most luxuriantly, as 
 well as all kinds of grass, which, if judiciously fed down by pigs, give larger returns in many 
 cases than if harvested and sold. The price of pigs on foot is, at the present time, 6|c. per 
 pound; bacon, 15|c. ; hams, 15c.; lard, 12|c., and fresh pork 12|c. 
 
British Columbia. 
 
 1901 
 
 Sheep, although in good demand, are not produced in large numbers. This is ow ° ^ 
 several causes, viz. : In the Upper Country the objection of cattle-breeders to ^'^?®P, ^^^g^ 
 pastured on the ranges, the prevalence of coyotes in the same section, the oircumscn ^^^ 
 
 of open land in the Lower Country, and pests in the shape of panthers, Indian dogs, / ^^^^^ 
 most favourable portions of the Province for the prosecution of this industry are ^^^ 
 
 of the Gulf, which are free from wild animals, and being fairly open, afford goo ^^^ ^^^ 
 sheep. Good profits are made by those engaged in sheep-raising, especially '"^^^^^^ j^jjj'g ^re 
 markets with spring lambs, which sell at $4.50, whilst sheep on foot at the presen ^^ 
 
 worth from 5c. to 6c. per pound. The last statistics of importations for one yea 
 follows : — ^ , 
 
 Value. I»"*-y- 
 
 On foot (head) 52,685 .... |116,254 .... «19'27« 80 
 
 Mutton (lbs.) 756,808.... 31,661 .... b,472^ 
 
 $147,915 $27,751 78 
 
 Wool being practically of no value, owing to the absence of manufactories, only those 
 breeds principally esteemed for mutton are produced in any numbers. 
 
 Except for stock-feeding, the production of wheat is discouraged in those portions of the 
 Province where the areas of open land are limited, and where the climatic conditions are such 
 as to render harvesting somewhat precarious, especially as lauds so situated are capable of 
 being put to much more profitable uses. In the Upper Country, however, where there are 
 large areas of open land, milling wheat of fine quality is produced profitably in large quanti- 
 ties, both with and without irrigation, depending upon the locality, and the product is 
 converted into flour at the several grist mills, which take all that is produced. For milling 
 purposes, the price of wheat is about $26 per ton of 2,000 pounds, whilst for feeding fowls 
 and such purposes it fetches $24. The last statistics of importations are as follows : — 
 
 Value. Duty. 
 
 Flour and meal .... (barrels) 130,661 .... $565,780 .... $12,723 30 
 Wheat (bushels) 135,135 .... 102,101 .... 2,972 28 
 
 $667,881 $15,695 58 
 
 The average yield of wheat is about 41 bushels per acre, and the weight about 63 pounds 
 per bushel. There are cases, however, when the yield is as high as 60 bushels and the weight 
 67 pounds. 
 
 Oats are grown all over the Province, and since the yield is large and the market always 
 good, it is probably the most profitable of any of the cereals grown, and the production is, 
 therefore, comparatively large. Large, however, as the production is, it does not nearly meet 
 the demand, as will be seen by the following statistics of importations for one year, viz : — 
 
 Value. Duty. 
 
 Oats (bushels) 596,339 .... $212,468 .... §2,238 70 
 
 Oatmeal (fts.) 4,776 .... 272 ... . 54 40 
 
 $212,740 $2,293 10 
 
 The price of oats for feed at the present time is $24 per ton, and for milling $25. The 
 average yield is put down at 63 bushels per acre, and the weight 43 pounds per bushel. "" One 
 hundred and fifty-four bushels have, however, been taken off an acre on the delta land of the 
 Fraser, and the yield frequently runs up to 80 and 90 bushels per acre, and the weight up to 
 47 and 50 pounds. , ,. , 
 
 Barley is produced principally for horse and cattle feed, little or none for malting, the 
 malt used for beer-making being all imported. A very high grade of barley is produced, 
 o-rain that has been pronounced by experts to be equal to the best malting barley that is used 
 fn England. The quantity imported in one year, according to the last statistics, is :— 
 
 Value. I*^ity. 
 
 Barley (bushels) 22,340 .... $ 9,135 .... $ 177 68 
 
 Malt.' " 77,945.... 66,378 .... 11,284 55 
 
 $65,513 $11,462 23 
 
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1 Ed. 7 Its Agricultural Capabilities. 
 
 All parts of the Province are suitable for the production of this grain, but as most of it 
 is used for feeding animals engaged in hauling and packing into the mines, the production is 
 principally confined to those sections which are nearest to lines of communication with the 
 mines. For malting purposes, probably that produced under irrigation is best, being brighter 
 in colour than that produced under natural conditions. The average production is about 52 
 bushels per acre, the weight 57 pounds per bushel, but the production frequently runs up to 
 60 and 65 bushels per acre, and the weight to 65 pounds. The price of barley at the present 
 time for feed is S22, and for milling (pearling) $27 per ton. 
 
 Beans are used largely as an article of food by miners, prospectors, packers, teamsters, 
 lumbermen, and others ; this class forming, as it may be supposed, a large proportion of the 
 rural population of the Province, and in consequence the consumption of this article is large 
 and increasing. It is successfully produced in considerable quantities in certain parts of the 
 Dry Belt, notably along the Fraser in the -vdciriity of Lytton, Lillooet, etc., and along the 
 Thompson in the vicinity of Spence's Bridge, and it is susceptible of being successfully 
 produced in other parts of that section. The importations for one year were as follows : 
 bushels, t<, -195 ; value, S12,404; dut}', $1,. 3.36.34. The price of beans at the present time is 
 about 3c. per pound. 
 
 Peas are used in considerable quantities, principally for the fattening of swine; they are 
 produced successfully in the Upper Country, the high lands of the Lower Fraser, and the 
 Islands, but are not a reliable crop on the delta lands. The importations for one year were 
 2,373 bushels, valued at $2,033 ; duty $237.30. The average yield is about 45 bushels per 
 acre, and the weight about 62 pounds per bushel. The price at the present time is from $28 
 to $30 per ton of 2,000 pounds. 
 
 Rye is grown principally for hay in those portions of the Dry Belt where water for irriga- 
 tion is scarce or unobtainable. In such places it is sown in the fall and cut green. A limited 
 quantity is raised for the grain, but the consumption is limited. 
 
 Buckwheat is also produced, though only in limited quantities, there being but small 
 demand for the grain, the principal value being the honey contained in the flowers for bees. 
 
 Indian corn is produced successfully in some districts for ensilage, and in every part for 
 table use, but it is not anywhere cultivated for the grain. The successful cultivation of this 
 plant in many parts has not yet been fully demonstrated, but the belief is that much more can 
 be done with it than has hitherto been attempted. Some samples grown at Okanagan, now in 
 the Department of Agriculture at Victoria, measure about fourteen feet in height. 
 
 Broom corn is also successfully produced in Okanagan, as can be seen by specimens in the 
 Department. Provided the raw material could be utilised by broom factories, this is an 
 industry which might be successfully prosecuted. 
 
 Grasses and clover may be said to grow almost naturally and in the Lower Mainland and 
 Islands keep green the winter through. Timothy, although giving little or no aftermath, is 
 mostly grown for hay. This is owing to the fact that it is practically the only hay known to the 
 ordinarj' dealer in the cities. It unquestionably makes good horse hay, and the yield runs up 
 as high as four tons to the acre on some of the delta lands. For dairying, however, and general 
 use on the farm, other grasses are justly coming into favour. All classes of clover and legum- 
 inous plants attain to wonderful perfection. The ordinary red clover and alfalfa frequently 
 give three crops during the season. 
 
 Flax, of excellent quality, has been grown in the Province. The report obtained from a 
 linen firm near Belfast, of a number of samples sent to them by the Department of Agriculture 
 to be scutched, is of a most encouraging nature, and there is every reason to believe that the 
 product of British Columbia is equal in every respect to the best Irish or Belgian flax. 
 
 Potatoes and all other root crops and vegetables are, of course, produced with the greatest 
 ease and A-ield very largely ; and this remark is true of every part of the Province. Even in 
 those parts in the mining districts which, owing to natural causes, such as altitude and situa- 
 tion, are generally considered to be beyond the limit of successful production, many of the 
 crops named do well and give large profits to those who undertake their production. 
 
 Experiments in sugar beets carried on by the Department have resulted in demonstrating 
 that the sugar-bearing properties of the roots grown in the Province are very great. Chicory 
 is another article of economic value which has been grown successfully, but to a limited extent 
 only. 
 
 Honey in the drier portions of the Province, owing to the absence of flowers in the late 
 summer, has not thus far been produced in any great quantity in those parts, but in the 
 
10 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 moister parts, on delta lands, etc., where white clover keeps in flower, a good flow of honey of 
 excellent quality is obtained, and bee-keeping in such localities is prosecuted with profit and a 
 considerable quantity of honey is produced. The production, however, does not nearly equal 
 the demand, as the following figures will testify, being the imports for one year, viz.: 58,339 
 lbs., valued at $5,876 ; duty paid, $1,605.72. The price of honey at the present time is from 
 18 to 20 cents per lb. 
 
 Such fruits as apples, pears, plums, prunes and cherries are all grown in abundance, but 
 still not in sufficient quantities as yet to supply the demand of the markets which particularly 
 belong to the Province, viz., Manitoba, the North- West Territories and the northern mines. 
 The young orchards which are coming into bearing, however, will in a few years considerably 
 alter the complexion of affairs as regards production ; nevertheless, as the demand is steadily 
 increasing in the markets named, and as the markets of China and Japan are opened up for 
 such products, there need be no fear of over-production, and so long as the fruit is of good 
 quality and it is packed as it should be for the market, so long will the production of fruits be 
 a profitable industry in the Province. 
 
 Owing to the topography and climatic conditions of a country like British Columbia, it is 
 but reasonable to expect that all the varieties of fruits named do not succeed equally well in 
 every part, and it is of the utmost importance that intending orchardists should bear this in 
 mind, and before planting out an orchard they should ascertain from the Department of Agri- 
 culture what particular kinds of fruit suit the locality in which they propose to establish them- 
 selves. All the best known and favourite English and American varieties of apples, and some 
 of the hardy Russian varieties, do well in one section or another of the Province ; and this is 
 true of the other fruits, and it is only by experience that the knowledge has been attained as 
 to the best varieties for the different parts. PeacheSj apricots, nectarines, grapes, and such 
 fruits, although succeeding well where their cultivation has been attempted, have not so far 
 been produced in quantities sufficient for commercial purposes. 
 
 Agricultural labourers. Whites, Indians, Chinese and Japanese, are to be had at rates 
 ranging from $2 per day, and even higher for the best skilled labour, to $1 and board for the 
 lowest. 
 
 Climatically, British Columbia may shortly be described as temperate. On the Coast the 
 thermometer seldom falls as low as zero, and then only for a few hours, and seldom rises to 
 above 75 or 80 degrees. The rainfall is heavy in winter, but the snowfall is often nil. The 
 climate of the interior is naturally more diversified — colder in winter, hotter in summer, less 
 rainfall and more snow. 
 
 Now, in connection with the climatic conditions of the country, it maj' be appropriate to 
 digress for a little, in order to dispel, if possible, the prevailing idea that British Columbia has 
 a very wet climate. In point of fact, taking it as a whole, the climate resembles that of Eng- 
 land and Scotland very closely, and a comparison of the total precipitation of the Eastern 
 Provinces goes far to show that it is altogether in favour of British Columbia. The difference 
 is that the precipitation in the latter Province is almost altogether in the shape of rain and it 
 occurs almost entirely during the winter months, whilst in the East more rain falls during the 
 summer months, and more snow during the winter months. 
 
 Note. — The amount of duty quoted in the foregoing pages does not represent in every case the amount 
 of duty on imports of products from foreign countries during that particular period, but it represents the 
 duty paid during that year. 
 
 The opening chapter of a series of excellent articles on British Columbia, published by 
 the " Colonist " newspaper, is as follows : — 
 
 " British Columbia. 
 
 " The magnitude of British Columbia and the extent and diversity of its resources are 
 such that few people, if any, are able to take them in as a whole and form an adequate con- 
 ception of what are the possibilities of Provincial development and the greatness of the task 
 involved in properly opening the country to enterprise and colonisation. We shall endeavour 
 in a series of articles, to present in succinct form the salient facts bearing upon this subject' 
 and shall be very glad if any readers who may follow what is said and may have any additional 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Acricultueal Capabilities. 11 
 
 information to offer, ^vOl kindly communicate it. Our desire is to collect in convenient com- 
 pass the facts which influence British Columbians to form the opinion that we not only have 
 here the richest Province in Canada, but one of the most favoured regions on the globe. 
 
 " At the present time capital and enterprise are seeking out every corner of the world, 
 where there are available openings. Especially are British capital and enterprise going every- 
 where. Climatic conditions, no matter liow adverse, do not deter them. The lack of settled 
 government and the presence of unfriendly nati\ e tribes are alike unable to keep them back. 
 All they seem to ask is that there i.s a Reasonable chance of profit. Risk does not count. 
 ■\^ hen we see what is done in other parts of the world, we sometimes think that if British 
 Columbia were more difficult of access, if deadly diseases haunted our coasts, if hostile natives 
 swarmed along our rivers, if a merciless climate rendered life here scarcelv endurable, British 
 enterprise would be more attracted in this direction. The spice of danger, the element of 
 romance, would attract the decendants of the adventurers of Elizabeth's day. But conditions 
 here are prosaic. The country is easily reached. It is one of the healthiest regions on earth. 
 There are no hostile natives. The climate is in many parts ideal, and nowhere too severe for 
 comfortable li\-ing. The seeker after wealth does not have to array himself in the parapher- 
 nalia of war and carry with him an arsenal as well as a bank account. It is simply a splendid 
 country to live in, with a settled Government under the British flag, where life and property 
 are as safe as in the heart of the Empire itself. It does not lend itself to blood-curdling 
 magazine stories, and the illustrated press finds no sensations here. There are no ' natives ' 
 with imaginary trade possibilities concealed about their otherwise naked persons. Hence it 
 does not attract the attention that less favoured parts of the world do. To many people it 
 seems unreasonable that a part of the globe, so rich in natural wealth and so blest climatically 
 as British Columbia, should remain unoccupied. Such people do not take account of the 
 vastness of North America nor of the comparatively recent date within which the potentialities 
 of this Province became known. Under these circumstances, we suggest that all who are 
 interested in the future of this Province should engage, to the best of their ability, in a cam- 
 paign of education. It is with this object that the series of articles, of which this is the first, 
 will be published. There will necessarily be stated in them many things which are familiar to 
 many readers, but perhaps even the best-informed among the latter will not object on this 
 account, but, on the contrary, will follow what is said, and when they can will add what of 
 interest may occur to them. We hope to point out the way of making the Province better 
 known, trusting that others better equipped for the work will give us their hearty co-operation 
 in a labour which, to be well done, will call for much research, and which no single individual 
 can hope to do thoroughly. 
 
 " The area of British Columbia is approximately 400,000 square miles. The latest official 
 statement on the subject is as follows : — 
 
 " ' The total area of British Columbia is about 382,000 square miles, of which 285,000 
 square miles are estimated to be wooded.' 
 
 " A very large portion of the Mainland and many of the Islands have not been surveyed, 
 so that an accurate statement of the area is impossible. For purposes of comparison, we may 
 take it to be the figure first stated, namely, 400,000 square miles. The area of the British 
 Isles is 121,483 square miles, that of Germany is 208,738 square miles, that of France 207,801 
 square miles, and that of Spain 197,000 square miles. From its south-eastern corner, near the 
 Kootenay Pass, to the north-western corner near Mount St. Elias, the distance is 1,250 miles, 
 or as far as from John O'Groat's House to Madrid, or from London to St. Petersburg, air lines 
 being taken in each case. 
 
 " British Columbia lies between the 49th and 60th parallels of north latitude, with the 
 exception of the southern portion of Vancouver Island, which extends to within 20 miles of 
 the 48th parallel. In this connection it maj' be mentioned that Victoria, the capital of the 
 Province, lies 20 minutes south of the latitude of Paris, and Bennett, the most northerly 
 town in the Province, is in the latitude of St. Petersburg. Between these latitudes in Europe 
 the oreatest material and intellectual progress of mankind has taken place, and in point of 
 natural wealth, and all the other elements which go to make greatness and prosperity possible, 
 British Columbia is at least equally well endowed with the corresponding portion of Europe. 
 What it may lack in one respect it makes up in others. We do not wish to push the compar- 
 ison too far, and must not be understood as claiming that this Province is ever likely to sustain 
 as great a population per square mile as is crowded into Central Europe. The point which we 
 wish to make is that British Columbia is all within habitable latitudes, and those in which 
 
12 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 men are at their best. This is a consideration of the greatest importance when the geograph- 
 ical position of the Province as regards Asia and the British Empire generally is taken into 
 account, for it shows that here may be built up a British community of the highest type, and 
 that here the greatest triumphs of civilisation are possible." 
 
 Roughly speaking, the Province may be divided into three great parts, viz. . the Dry 
 Belt, or Upper Mainland, by which is meant that part to the eastward of the Coast Range ; 
 the Lower Mainland, being that part between the Coast Range and the Sea ; and the Islands, 
 viz., Vancouver, Queen Charlotte, and the Gulf Islands. 
 
 UPPER MAINLAND. 
 
 The general appearance of this part of the Province would indicate that at some remote 
 period it was covered with water, in fact, a large lake, and with the subsidence of the waters, 
 by reason of the cutting through of the mountain ranges by such rivers as the Eraser and 
 Columbia, the country was left in what is known as benches, that is, level prairie land running 
 back in successive stages until the foot-hills are reached. This is strikingly illustrated in the 
 upper reaches of the Fraser and of the Columbia, where, starting from the river level, which 
 may here be likened to a deep ditch with sloping sides, the first bench is reached after a climb 
 of perhaps 200 feet. This bench may run back for a mile, or thereabouts, when another bank 
 is encountered, running still further towards the foot-hills, and so on. These bench lands are 
 nearly all of the same nature, being either a sandy, clayey, or a mixture of both, alluvial 
 deposit, for the most part of extraordinary fertility, when moisture is in sufficient quantity. 
 The general altitude of the lower bench lands is from 1,000 to 1,200 feet. On these benches 
 most of the ordinary productions of the temperate zone can be successfully cultivated, but as 
 the altitude increases, so is the possible range of production circumscribed, until when the 
 highest points are reached the production of live stock is alone possible. 
 
 The timber on the higher points consists of black pine {Pinus Murrayana), hemlock 
 (Tsuga Pattoniana), spruce (Picea Engdmanni), mountain balsam [Abies suhalpina), whilst 
 lower down the larch (Larix occidentalis) makes its appearance, and then the Douo-las fir 
 (Pseudotsuga Douglasii), intermixed with such deciduous trees as aspen poplar (Populus 
 tremuloides), cottonwood (P. trichocarpa), and birch (Betula Papyri/era) ; and, lastly, what is 
 locally known as bull pine (Pinus ponderosa) and red cedar (Thuya gigantea), the former 
 occurring on dry, open plateaux, and the latter in damp, wooded sections near streams and 
 lakes ; and these constitute the principal timber trees of this portion of the Mainland those 
 first named gradually giving way to the last-named varieties as the lower le\-els are reached. 
 The principal grass, and one which is justly esteemed for its great value as a fodder plant is 
 known locally as bunch grass, rather an indefinite term, seeing that there are a number of 
 bunch grasses throughout the country. This particular one, however, is known botanically as 
 Agropyrum teneruni, and its range extends from the valleys to the tops of the mountains 
 affording magnificent feed for live stock, having great nutritive properties. It will, therefore' 
 be recognised that the capabilities of this section of the Province are exceptionally 'favourable 
 for the production of live stock ; hence, great numbers of beef cattle are raised on the lar^e 
 areas of bunch-grass country, and find a ready market in the Coast cities and at the mining 
 centres. The principal drawback in prosecuting this industry profitably is the necessity of 
 feeding stock, even in ordinary winters, to keep them up in flesh, and often, in very severe 
 weather, even to keep- them alive. As previously mentioned, cold storage is perhaps the 
 solution of the difficulty. 
 
 Whilst the production of sheep would, perhaps, under ordinary circumstances, be more 
 profitable, the existence of the coyote nuisance renders the prosecution of this industry too 
 hazardous, and it is therefore not entered into to any extent. Another factor militating 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agricctltcral Capabilities. 13 
 
 against the industry is the objection of cattlemen to the presence of sheep on the ranges. 
 Horses are produced to a considerable extent, but the local demand is soon satisfied and the 
 number produced is, therefore, restricted. The production of swine is probably the most profi- 
 table of all Jive stock, and is carried on successfully in some parts of the Okanagan. A great 
 deal of the country is admirably suited for the production of poultry, but on account of the 
 prevalence of predatory wild animals, the industry is not capable of being profitably prosecuted. 
 Hops are successfully grown in the Okanagan country, under irrigation, and produce heavy 
 crops of exceptional quality. Tobacco, of a very good quality, is also successfully produced at 
 -Kelowna, where a cigar factory is established, the product being disposed of at profitable rates. 
 Ihe quality of this tobacco for cigars is pronounced by experts to be of a very high order, and 
 the industry is apparently capable of great expansion. No doubt there are other portions of 
 the Mainland equally adapted to the production of tobacco. 
 
 ihe following is from a pamphlet descriptive of Kelowna and its surroundings : — 
 
 "Mission Valley. 
 
 " The tourist who elects to travel from Vernon to Kelowna by road will scarcely notice 
 the fatigue of the journey of thirty-five miles amid the varied beauty of the scenery along the 
 way. About eighteen miles from Vernon the Mission Valley begins. The town of Kelowna 
 is beautifully situated on the eastern shore of Okanagan Lake, about forty miles south of 
 Vernon, and is the shipping point for the Mission Valley, one of the finest farming districts 
 in British Columbia. Looking from the lake, the tourist sees the little town with its sur- 
 rounding fertile and well-wooded lands, whilst away to the east and south rises the range of 
 pine-clad hills which separate the Okanagan from the Kettle River and Kootenay. No more 
 charming bits of scenery are to be found in the Province, and travellers say the exquisite and 
 ever-varying tints remind them of Loch Lomond or the Swiss lakes. The climate is dry and 
 bracing. There are feiv places in the Province possessing more attractions for the holiday 
 maker or health seeker, such as boating, bathing, fishing, good roads for driving or bicycling ; 
 and for the more adventurous, deer, caribou, mountain sheep and bear in the neighbouring 
 mountains." 
 
 Apples of finer quality than in the other portions of the Province are produced in many 
 portions of the Dry Belt ; pears are also successfully grown, as well as plums and cherries ; 
 grapes do well in the hot, contracted valleys of the Upper Eraser, and in the Okanagan and 
 the Similkameen country. The last-mentioned section also produces a very fine quality of 
 peach, this fruit being produced ■sery successfully on the Okanagan Lake as well. With 
 reference to the suitability of the country in the valley of the Similkameen and Okanagan for 
 the production of peaches, I may mention that peaches have been produced at Keremeos for 
 many years past, and justly bear a reputation for unexcelled excellence, and the only reason 
 they have not been put on the market is for lack of transportation facilities. 
 
 The following excerpts of letters from Mr. J. JI. Robinson, Peachland, on the Okanagan 
 Lake, speak for themselves : — 
 
 " By same mail I am sending you a limb of a peach tree that is growing wild on Mr. 
 Barcla}''s ranch at Trout Creek. The tree, or cluster of trees rather, is about 7 feet high and 
 is heavily laden with fruit. It is 3 J miles back from the lake and 1,000 feet above the lake 
 level, or 2,200 feet above sea level. The tree is growing on a gravelly knoll or ridge, and must 
 be fully 50 feet above the level of the little lake close by. I am more convinced than ever 
 that we are quite likely to become a good deal more than small potatoes in peach production. 
 If we have 60 miles of a valley strip 3 or 4 miles wide that can produce such peaches as 
 are now being shipped from Lambly's, Gartell's, etc., I do not see why British Columbia should 
 not aspire to do .something in peach-raising. I thought you would be interested in this wild 
 peach tree, and hence my shipping this branch. 
 
 "Referring again to the matter of that wild peach tree growing at the back end of Mr. 
 Barclay's ranch. In company with Mr. Henderson, manager of the Bank of Montreal at 
 Vernon, and Mr. Barclay, I visited the tree again on Monday last, and we all had the pleasure 
 of eating the peaches, which are now ripe, and I found them, if anything, larger and better 
 
14 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 flavoured than the seedling peaches on the Lambly ranch. I thought I would let you know, 
 so that you can keep the fact in mind, that peaches can be grown in this district even under 
 most unpromising circumstances, four miles back and 1,000 feet above the lake. I am desirous 
 that this district be noted for its peach culture." 
 
 Tomatoes, melons, corn, egg plant, and a variety of similar products, are also grown in 
 many portions of the hot dry valleys of the interior. Root crops are grown most successfully 
 on the irrigated lands, especially potatoes, of which the finest quality is produced in this 
 section and of a prodigious size. Wheat is grown in large quantities in those portions where 
 milling facilities exist. Oats and barley are grown largely, principally for home consumption, 
 at the mines, for teams used in transportation. Beans are also grown for the market, prin- 
 cipally in the valley of the Thompson. The principal grass grown is timothy, but Austrian 
 brome grass is now coming greatly into favour, and where it has been tried it is most success- 
 fully grown and fully bears out all that is claimed in its favour. Red clover gives large crops, 
 in some places as many as three in the season. Alfalfa is also grown, but not in large 
 quantities ; the same maj^ be said of Sainfoin. Both of these fodder plants have their 
 champions, and very justly, in view of the returns they give. 
 
 Dairying is not prosecuted on a co-operative basis, the only attempts at butter-making 
 being confined to individuals. It is, however, profitably conducted in those parts where a good 
 local demand with the mines, etc., exists. 
 
 The average temperature for the six months from April to September, inclusive, in those 
 sections which are described as susceptible of cultivation, ranges from 55° to 61°. Highest 
 temperature during the year 1900, 100.5° in July; lowest, 22° below zero in November; these 
 extremes being of but short duration. Average rainfall during the six months April to Sep- 
 tember, inclusive: Lowest, 5.66 inches; highest, 11.30 inches. Average annual rainfall: 
 Lowest, 8.48 inches ; highest, 10.25 inches. This precipitation is supplemented by an average 
 snowfall of from 28 to 87 inches annually. 
 
 The Boundary Country. 
 
 The following excerpts culled from an excellent letter to the "Colonist" by Mr. T. L. 
 Grahame, Nanaimo, give a good description of the Boundary counti'y : — 
 
 " However vivid and minute the description which may be given of the southern portion 
 of the Kootenay, Coast people, or those who have not actually viewed that glorious country 
 with their own eyes, can form but a faint conception of its wonderful fertility, its delectable 
 climate, its boundless stores of mineral wealth, its interminable forests of magnificent timber. 
 When dealing with the practical side of the matter, it may be as well to spare the reader any- 
 thing more than a bare reference to its marvellous scenery, its streams and lakes leaping with 
 fish, that fight valiantly with the lucky angler; or of its birds, and animals of the chase. 
 These, of course, have their ^place in the calculations of the most practical persons, when 
 seeking an arena for life work. Even the shrewd railway projector is not altogether unmindful 
 of the hard cash value of them to his railway ; what time the tourist and the sportsman come 
 in their legions seeking pastures new. 
 
 " To the observant traveller through that wonderland of the West, nothing is more obvious 
 than the fact that very much remains to be done by the railway companies in the matter of 
 extending and adding to their lines in all directions. It is true that none has been more apt 
 to seize upon this fact than the great Canadian Pacific Railway, which, it is understood has 
 projected lines upon all the more feasible routes, and has included in its policy the gradual 
 extension of its system so as to ramify the Southern Kootenays in the most effectual manner. 
 With the struggle!" of smaller concerns to obtain a foothold in this territory, the people of 
 British Columbia are familiar. It is ooe of the most romantic chapters in the railway history 
 of the Dominion. While many have been keenly disappointed at the failure of those competing 
 companies to achieve their object, the Canadian Pacific Railway has given the strongest pledges 
 that the lines of communication which are to solve the problem of ' what to do with the 
 Kootenays,' will be built all in good time. 
 
 " Perhaps the most interesting of all the railway lines in the Upper Country is the Colum- 
 bian and Western, which extends from West Robson, on the Columbia River, to Midway, 
 and has been sur\eyed much further west. 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agricultural Capabilities. 15 
 
 "Across the divide quite another kind of scenery awaits the traveller. Leaving the 
 mountains with a rush, the train brings one in sight of the far-famed valley of the Kettle. 
 ^^ ell has it been named the garden and granary of the Kootenays. Experts will tell the 
 visitor that the soil is of a sort which is admirably suited to what may be termed garden- 
 larming; that is, mixed farming, in which fruit and vegetable-raising take a conspicuous place, 
 u' aspect of the country reminds one strongly of certain parts of Western Ontario, or 
 
 or the dales on the borders of Scotland. Everywhere are to be seen the trim cottages or more 
 pretentious dwellings of people who are evidently well-to-do. One might search far to feast 
 his eyes upon a more pleasingly tranquil landscape than that of the Kettle Valley toward 
 evening, when the sun is mellowing into the west, and the blue smoke ascends from cottage 
 and farm-house straight into the sapphire sky; the lowing of the kine from the river shallows, 
 the bleating of sheep softened by distance from the green hillsides, the call of the driver to his 
 team, all blending into a tune which sets one murmuring instinctively Gray's ' Elegy in a 
 Country Churchyard.' J J hJ 
 
 ' ihe land which can offer such scenes to the traveller is not likely to remain long 
 untenanted. Nor is it ; most of the land, at all events the best of it, has been long in occu- 
 pation. As to the products of the soil in this favoured strip along British Columbia's southern 
 frontier, the available area is by no means worked yet to its full capacity; so far it can raise 
 enough to supply the numerous mining camps in the mountains north and west. It is a 
 question, though, whether in the event of those mines being worked to their full extent, and 
 large towns and even cities springing up around the valley, if the farmers and fruit and vege- 
 table-growers of that locality could produce enough to supply the demand. 
 
 " This is a portion of the great peach belt, and the peaches of the Kettle are celebrated. 
 For it is fervently warm in that long vale in the dog days, though every day the cooling airs 
 from the surrounding mountains come to soothe panting humanity, and bird and beast. The 
 apples, plums, pears, melons, pumpkins and the small fruits all attain astonishing proportions, 
 while retaining the lusciousness of the best of their kind. The various fruits and vegetables 
 are presented to the consumer at an earlier date, probably, than anywhere else in the Province. 
 The wheat, oats and barley raised in the Kettle Valley are too well known to require more 
 than reference. 
 
 " Xear Grand Forks there is one of the largest, and most productive fruit ranches on the 
 Pacific Coast. The enterprising owner has so much faith in the future of the country that he 
 has lately more than doubled the area under cultivation, and set the new portion out with all 
 the choicest fruit trees and bushes. This ranch is situated at the mouth of the great canyon 
 leading up to Greenwood, a little west of the town of Columbia, the lively rival of Grand 
 Forks for the title of metropolis of the Kettle River Valley. As a district for raising live 
 stock, it would be hard to beat. The sheep and cattle, horses and swine, and the poultry to 
 be seen there will challenge the admiration of the expert. Year by year the valley is becoming 
 more populous; the operation of such great enterprises as the Granby smelter, the prospect of 
 the early building of a line to connect the Southern British Columbia mining centres with the 
 big mining camps in Northern Washington; the thriving timber industry up the north fork of 
 the Kettle — all these serve to attract energetic men with their families to settle in that locality. 
 The class of people who are filling up that important section of the Province would do credit 
 to any British colony. They are mainly good Canadian stock with a large intermixture of 
 British immigrants. There are, of course, many Americans in the population, as would 
 naturally be expected, seeing that the boundary line is only a mile or two south. 
 
 " Whilst the Kettle Valley is the main lowland along the boundary, all the minor valleys 
 possess the same fertile soil, the same prodigality of returns for the labour expended, and offer 
 the same advantages to the settler. On the line of the Columbia and Western, going up to 
 Greenwood, there is plenty of evidence that the country is not given up altogether to the miner 
 and timber men ; prosperous looking farms dot the valley everj^vhere, and ' the cattle on a 
 thousand hills ' denote a flourishing state of the pastoral calling. 
 
 " It is needless here to dilate upon the exquisite panorama that unfolds itself in majestic 
 pictures as the train follows the course of the valley ; suffice it to say that artist and photog- 
 rapher have there a happy hunting ground which offers inexhaustible riches of form and colour 
 — grotesque pinnacles, castellated crags, fantastic ornamentation as nature in her latest throe 
 left it forever ; blue distance, gaudy stripings and splashes of brilliant colour — in short, a place 
 once seen never to be forgotten. Since the railway was pushed through that wild but rich 
 and fertile valley there has been a wonderful increase in the population, and the prospects are 
 
16 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 that within a few years that part of the Province will be noted for immense mineral develop- 
 ment. 
 
 " Leaving the flourishing City of Greenwood, the railway goes on to Midway and beyond, 
 and there, if possible, the finest of the agricultural development is met with. This may 
 possibly be due to the fact that one is then approaching the famed Okanagan region. The 
 salubrity of the climate makes one feel the spirits rising and lassitude disappearing. It is the 
 easiest of predictions to make that the dwellers in this favored region, in the days to come, 
 will be remarkable for go-ahead enterprise and great energy ; they will have the finest climatic 
 conditions in the Province to hearten them." 
 
 Further Information relating to the Boundary Country. 
 
 (Province, J/th November, 1901.) 
 
 The returns which are to be obtained from the agricultural industry, if properly pursued 
 in this Province, are indicated by the result of this season's operations on one ranch in the 
 neighbourhood of Grand Forks. W. H. Covert, a pioneer rancher of the Kettle River 
 Valley, pre-empted 320 acres of land in 1885, long before it was known that the district was 
 rich in mineral. He proceeded at once to cultivate his ground on thoroughly business-like 
 principles, and of the entire farm he devoted 140 acres to the cultivation of fruit. Whenever 
 necessary, he put in a system of irrigation, and by this means he has made every foot of his 
 land highly fertile. He has now 1,000 prune trees, 400 peach, 400 cherry, 400 pear and plum 
 trees, and several thousand apple trees, bearing large crops annually. In addition to this, he 
 obtains immense returns from his small fruit trees and vines. The rest of his farm is devoted 
 to raising the ordinary crops of roots and cereals, and providing fodder for his stock. The 
 gross revenue from the sale of his fruit, grains and roots this season will amount to about 
 $17,000. With the continued prosperity of the district and the increase of the population, 
 the annual revenue from his land will become larger, and no gold mine in the district could 
 ofi^er any more certain return. Of the produce from his farm, Mr. Covert does not ship a 
 dollar's worth, finding the local demand greater than he can supply. As a matter of fact. 
 Grand Forks and the other towns in this district import largely from the adjacent State of 
 Washington, although there is still much uncultivated land in that valley which could be 
 brought into as high a state of perfection as that owned by Mr. Covert. 
 
 This is simpl}' an example of what can be done in numberless places in British Columbia. 
 All through the Province there are valleys containing land of the most fertile character, which 
 is awaiting the labour of the husbandman to yield its fruits for the consumption of the people. 
 In almost all cases where this land is found, the conditions exist for placing the productions 
 of the soil on the market promptly and inexpensively, and the market is one which is rapidly 
 becoming greater and more assured. It is a matter of regret, almost of reproach, that so 
 many of the inhabitants of the Province who are now earning a bare subsistence, in some 
 cases a precarious one, in the cities and towns, as employees in the vaTious manufacturing 
 industries, should not have the enterprise to locate upon these unoccupied lands, where they 
 could very quickly acquire for themselves homes and competencies and assist materially in 
 developing the native resources of the country. 
 
FALLS, KANAKA CREEK, MAPLE RIDGE. 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agriculturai, Capabilities. 17 
 
 LOWER MAINLAND. 
 
 ■ f u ^°^^'' ^'^'^inland, except the delta lands formed by the streams flowing into the sea, 
 IS tor the most part hea-v-ily wooded with the Douglas fir, red cedar, poplar and birch previously 
 mentioned, with the additions of another spruce {Picea sitchensis), balsam fir (Abies grandis), 
 emUxk. {Tsuga mertensiana), large-leaved maple {Acer macrophyllum), vine maple {A. cercina- 
 ^(m) red alder {Alnus rubra), and some others. The high lands are generally wooded with 
 ougias far and hemlock, growing to an enormous size and consequently very expensive to 
 c ear. The soil on such tracts is usually a red, gravelly loam, with a gravel subsoil, and is 
 eminently fitted for the production of such fruits as apples and cherries, and of leguminous crops, 
 especially red clover. On the low lands (not delta lands) the other trees I mention appear. 
 Ifaose parts overgrown with cedar and spruce (always of large growth) are naturally expensive 
 to clear, a,nd draining is indispensable. The top soil is mainly composed of decayed vegetable 
 matter, nch m nitrogen, and yielding enormous crops of roots and cereals. This land is 
 not recommended for apples and cherries, but pears and plums do well on it. Responding 
 readily to the husbandman's call for fodders, it is, above all, fitted for dairying. The equable 
 \^™r!f ^ ■ '^^ luxuriance of growth of fodder plants render this portion of the Province an 
 ideal dairying country, and, as a natural consequence, the industry has been prosecuted to some 
 extent, but not nearly to the extent that the facilities afford, nor in proportion to the demand. 
 This is the one industry, above all others, that this part of the Province is best suited for, and 
 without doubt the most profitable, if conducted as it should be. Cheese is not manufactured, 
 but the production of milk for the supply of the cities in the neighbourhood is a large and 
 increasing branch of the dairying industry. 
 
 Accessory to dairying is the production of swine, which also is carried on with consider- 
 able success, but not on a sufiiciently extensive scale to meet the demand for this class of live 
 stock. The one drawback is the liking the pigs have for the salmon which annually ascend 
 the streams and die in myriads at the headwaters in the autumn ; pigs, therefore, at such 
 times, must be kept away from the temptation. In the Fraser Valley proper the depredations 
 of predatory animals are not of a serious character, and, therefore, the production of pigs and 
 .sheep in not materially affected by that cause. Further north, however, along the Coast, the 
 conditions are not so favourable. The favourable conditions generally existing in this part of 
 the Province for the prosecution of this profitable industry at once bring home the realisation 
 that it is capable of great expansion. 
 
 The delta lands form a very large proportion of the cultivable portion of the Province, and 
 inasmuch as they are purely alluvial deposit of great depth, it can well be understood that 
 their fertilitj- is practically inexhaustible. Lying low, as they do, the chief expense attached 
 to bringing them under cultivation is the necessity of dyking the land against floods which 
 occur about the end of Ma}', when the warmth of the sun melts the snow on the lofty moun- 
 tains of the Interior. This description of land is naturally covered with a heavy growth of 
 grass and sedge, affording rich pasture during the summer and making excellent hay for the 
 winter. The Valley of the Fraser, from Hope to the mouth, a distance of about 100 miles, 
 and of varying breadth, has an enormous quantity of this description of land, the largest areas 
 being ChiUiwack, Matsqui, Pitt River, Lulu and Sea Islands, and Delta. 
 
 Whilst this section cannot generally be classed as a sheep country, on account of the 
 dense forests along the Coast line, those parts of the Fraser Valley where there is a sufficiency 
 of cleared land, such as the Delta, ChiUiwack, etc., the production of some choice sheep is most 
 successfully carried on, sheep which have taken high prizes at agricultural shows and which 
 have excited the admiration of experts. The raising of poultry, except of geese and ducks, is 
 not prosecuted in this part very extensively. In the matter of cereals, oats easily take first 
 rank, the rich lands ensuring large returns and the local markets being always good for this 
 class of grain. Wheat produces heavily, but the conditions naturally prevent its production 
 on a large scale, the land being capable of being put to a much more profitable use. Barley, 
 rye, peas and Indian com are grown in some quantity. Indian corn, peas and oats mixed, as 
 well as clover, are grown chiefly for ensilage, which is here carried on more extensively and in 
 
18 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 a more systematic manner than elsewhere. Roots, as a matter of course, produce most abund- 
 antly, especially in the lines of dairy foods, such as mangolds, beets, carrots and turnips. 
 Grasses also and clovers, if given a modicum of chance, repay the agriculturist by immense 
 returns, frequently giving yields as high as four tons of cured hay to the acre. Hops of a 
 superior quality are produced at several points, and command a price equal to the product of 
 Kent in the London market. Large quantities of fruit are grown, principally apples and plums, 
 and sent to the markets of the North- West and Manitoba. Prunes are also being produced in 
 increasing quantities. 
 
 The average temperature for six months, April to September, inclusive, in the Fraser 
 Valley ranges from 56.1° to 61.2°. Highest temperature during the year 1900 was 90° in 
 July ; lowest, 9° in February. Average rainfall during the six months, April to September, 
 inclusive, at different points: Lowest, 16.64 inches; highest, 26.62 inches. Average annual 
 rainfall at different points : Lowest, 48.64 inches; highest, 77.92 inches. 
 
 Bella Coola. 
 
 The following notes regarding Bella Coola, a settlement on Bentinck Arm, about latitude 
 52° 20' N., are furnished by Mr. C. W. D. Clifford, M.P.P. He says that there are over 
 80,000 acres of agricultural land in the valley. It is wooded for the most part; some portions 
 are, however, comparatively clear. The soil and climate are exceedingly favourable for fruits 
 of all kinds, especially apples and cherries. The Gravenstein apple produced there, Mr. 
 Clifford declares to be the very best he has ever seen; and this remark applies equally to 
 potatoes. There are probably 250 settlers, mostly Norwegians, who have taken up land for 
 about 26 miles up the valley. The climate is exceedingly mild, 5° above zero being the coldest. 
 There are no summer frosts (say from the 1st of April to the 15th of October). The rainfall 
 is sufficient for the production of crops, but not excessive. The snowfall is sometimes as much 
 as two feet, and occurs usually in December and January. The valley is from one-half to two 
 and a half miles wide, well watered and covered with Douglas fir, poplar, spruce, birch and 
 alder. The greatest drawbacks at the present time are the facilities for transporting produce 
 to the markets, there being no regular means of conveyance, and, as a consequence, the pro- 
 duction is limited to the wants of the residents. A road now being constructed to the salt- 
 water landing will give access to the various mines and sea-coast markets. 
 
 (From the Colonist, 15th November, 1901.) 
 
 The apples which Mr. Clifford, M.P.P., brought down from Bella Coola are better than 
 pages of matter describing the agricultural possibilities of that part of the Province. But as 
 they cannot be sent around for every one to see, we may add that those shown to the Colonist 
 were splendid specimens of the Gravenstein, large, firm, well-coloured and highly flavoured. 
 There will be a market in this Province and the Yukon for all the apples of this kind that 
 can possibly be grown in Bella Coola, even if the whole 80,000 acres that Mr. Clifford describes 
 as magnificent were planted to fruit. The Bella Coola Valley does not depend upon its 
 arable land only for prosperity. Behind the tillable area are wide extents of pasture, 
 although they may not be very near the farming district. In the mountains of the neighbour- 
 hood are promising indications of minerals. In short, this section of British Columbia would 
 probably, if good means of communication were provided, become the seat of a thriving 
 population which would number at least as many people as now live in the City of Victoria. 
 
 (Times, l^th November, 1901.) 
 
 The Government is constructing a bridge at Bella Coola to the north side, where there is 
 a wharf and where the Government has a townsite reserve of 160 acres. This townsite, it is 
 toped, will be put on the market. The proceeds from such a sale would more than pay for the 
 road which is being built. The bridge will cost about $4,000. A road has been almost com- 
 pleted from salt water up through the district for a distance of about 22 miles. There are 
 two good schools in the district, one four or five miles from Bella Coola, and the other about 
 13 miles from Bella Coola, the attendance at which is about 22 pupUs daily during the winter. 
 There are about 250 whites at Bella Coola, most of them being Norwegians. 
 
^ Ed. 7 Its Ageicultueal Capabilities. 19 
 
 Excerpts from Report of Government Surveys in the 
 Bella Coola Valley. 
 
 The highest water, as a rule, occurs there during June and July and the latter part of 
 September, while the lowest occurs during the winter months. 
 
 -'■"^ valley in the main will run from one to three miles wide, and the soil consists of a 
 iight, sandy loam a few inches in depth, covering a very rich loam, making the finest soil for 
 root crops. This was proved to us later on in the summer bv the samples of potatoes and 
 other vegetables obtained from Mr. Clayton and the Indians. "The soil in the valley, though 
 apparently a light, sandy loam, is very productive. 
 
 n\ ^^"^"^S t-lie Coast Bella Coola is noted for its potatoes, and certainly those grown by 
 ■ '^^^y*<'D and the Indians are very fine, as also are all root crops. Fruit and berries grow 
 in profusion at the mouth of the river, and if the growth of wild berries is a sign that the 
 ^^ if K P™duce well, then the production is an assured fact, for wild gooseberries, currants, 
 mgh-bush cranberries and huckleberries are very plentiful in their season. 
 
 Jrart of the soil in the valley is gravelly, especially where the mountains close in towards 
 ^Ij^j.'^T®'"" ^*'^'^' * 8°°"^ portion of this could be brought under cultivation for the production 
 of fruit. The larger portion of the best agricultural land is easily cleared, the timber on this 
 land bemg light and readily removed. 
 
 Timber. 
 
 The valley in many places is covered with a dense growth of small, thickly-tangled under- 
 brush, such as salmonberry, gooseberry, elderberry, hardback, willow and crabapple. Of the 
 large timbers along the river we find : Cottonwood, alder, both red and common cedar, and 
 spruce. The cottonwood and cedar grow to an enormous size, the former often reaching 6 and 
 7 feet in diameter, the latter as much as 10 and 12 feet in diameter. The cedar is, as a rule, 
 much knotted and twisted. All along the valley we find quantities of Douglas fir, but more 
 especially along the foot of the mountains and on the benches of some of the streams flowing 
 into the river. 
 
 Fish and Game. 
 
 Spring and cohoe salmon run in quantities up the river, but the sockeye are not very 
 plentiful. Trout also run in the spring. The principal run of fish is what is known as the 
 "humpback" salmon. The waters literally teem with them during the summer months. 
 Deer are very scarce in the valley; in fact, are very seldom seen. Bear, both black, brown 
 and grizzly, are very plentiful; also marten, and in the lakes at the head of the tributary 
 streams are great quantities of beaver. Mountain goat are numerous on the mountains. In 
 the flats and sloughs, duck, geese and grouse are to be had in numbers. 
 
 Gardner Inlet, 
 
 On the north-west coast of the Mainland, about 500 miles north of Victoria. A descrip- 
 tion of the country by Mr. H. H. NewiU, from notes made during a survey for railway 
 purposes in 1901, under Mr. J. H. Gray, C.E. : — 
 
 "KiTIMAT TO KiTSILAS (ACROSS COUNTRY). 
 
 " The abrupt and broken scenery of Gardner Inlet and Douglas Channel changes some- 
 what as the steamer enters Kitimat Arm. The parallel mountain ranges on either side have 
 here a more regular and gentler slope, though still rugged, with snowy peaks and icy hollows 
 even in July. 
 
 " The Indian village of Kitimat — a sub-mining record station — hes on the eastern shore 
 of Kitimat Arm, some three miles southward of the point where the Kitimat River empties 
 itself. From this point the arm, narrowing considerably, runs a few miles to its extremity in 
 a north-east direction. 
 
 " To the west of the river mouth, and at the back of a wide, shallow bay, lies a consider- 
 able area of good timbered flat land, probably river wash. Here the soil, for a depth of 
 several feet, is a rich silt dumped on a gravelly subsoil. The most accessible portion of this 
 
20 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 land has been taken up by a rancher named Anderson. He has built himself a log house for 
 living in, a log store and outhouses, and has proved the capability of the soil for growing 
 vegetables and cereals ; and several home-bred horses and a small herd of cattle seem to thrive 
 well in his meadows. He has a machine mower at work, much to the astonishment of the 
 local Indians. A little judicious dyking in this neighbourhood would add a large acreage of 
 cultivable land. 
 
 " It was from a point some four miles pouth-west from Anderson's ranch (measuring round 
 the curve of the bay, and down the west shore of the arm) that our expedition started. Our 
 landing place was a rough, boulder and log-strewn, shingly beach, from which the mountain 
 side rose steeply, covered thickly with spruce, hemlock and cedar bush. The view from here 
 was picturesque. Eastward, across the inlet (here about a mile and a lialf wide), the little 
 village of Kitiraat spread along the shore, showing whitely against a dark background of 
 towering mountains, capped by snowy heights ; southward, the sea entrance to the arm was 
 shut out by rugged and lofty bush-covered islands ; and to the north, the reedy bay curved 
 eastward to a prominent point, which just hid the foaming debouchment of the Kitimat 
 River. 
 
 " Skirting the bay aforesaid, we soon left the base of the mountains and passed into an 
 extensive flat country, full of swamps and creeks, tangled bush and devil's clubs. The waters 
 of one creek where we drank tasted strongly of sulphur, and the gravelly beds of nearly all 
 were worth a prospector's attention. A number of shallow water-courses, running nearly 
 parallel to one another, seemed to be but branches of a creek of considerable size flowing from 
 the westerly mountains, and finally reaching Kitimat Arm in numerous streams, which 
 could be traced at low tide spreading across the exposed mud and sandy bottom of the shallow 
 bay we had skirted. Beaver dams were numerous, and in this neighbourhood we found our- 
 selves confronted by one which must have measured the best part of a mile in length. Moss 
 grew everywhere, and in many varieties, including the so-called staghorn. 
 
 " Hemlock, spruce, balsam and cedar shaded huckleberry bushes and other berries, some 
 red like large haws, others black and glossy like beads. Alders and skunk cabbage were in 
 their element in the swampier ground, with crab-apples here and there, and devil's clubs with 
 their pretty clusters of red berries, their poisonous prickles and clinging limbs everywhere. 
 Enormous quantities of blue huckleberries were ripening. 
 
 " Our way was soon barred by a long, lofty hill spur, which stretched nearly at right 
 angles from the mountains to the river. Rounding this at the base of an immense gravel 
 slide, we came to a bend of the Kitimat River, some three miles north from Anderson's. We 
 were now fairly in the Kitimat Valley. The river, either way, on account of its tortuous 
 course, was soon lost to view. Its current was rapid and its stream full, washing mud banks 
 five to fifteen feet in height, and two to three hundred feet apart. We soon found it difficult 
 at times to know whether we were standing on a bank or an island of this river, so numerous 
 were its sloughs here and throughout the valley. A low-lying bench of thick bush intervened 
 between the river and the opposite mountain ranges, which ran in a general direction parallel 
 to it. This feature also appertained on our side (the right bank) of the river. Beyond the 
 gravel slide the high ground rapidly fell back again, so that the river bench extended in width 
 three and four or more miles in places before it touched the foothills. Spruce and hemlock 
 were the principal timber trees. The soil was generally a dark, clayey loam. This country, 
 owing to its uniformity of growth and natural features, was the easiest place in the world to 
 get ' turned round ' in. 
 
 "We saw but little game. Grouse were scarce and shy. Bear signs, however, were 
 numerous, and we evidently interrupted many an ursian feast of salmon. Salmon, indeed, 
 were a positive nuisance, spawning and dying in the shallowest creeks until the very atmos- 
 phere stank of them. They were of the ' hunch-back ' species. We caught a few trout in 
 the Kitimat, and saw a straggler here and there in a clear creek. Hornets and yellow- 
 jackets, however, provided us with some excitement, and, especially in the moist weather 
 (which was nearly always), sand-flies and mosquitoes lived their inglorious days pretty actively. 
 Sand-flies swarmed in millions, and were the worst pests we had to contend with. The mos- 
 quitoes were large and fairly numerous, but rather slow and lazy. Big, black ' bull ' flies 
 were extraordinarily quick to bite, and generally caused inflammation. 
 
 " With regard to weather, we were fairly lucky. Generally speaking, when the wind 
 blew from the coast, rain was incessant, but during intervals, when it blew from inland, the 
 weather was fine and sunny, and the hotter the day the colder the night. The pity of it was 
 
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'^^- "^ Its Agricultural Capabilities. 21 
 
 hat the fine weather intervals did not last long enough. If the country could only have had 
 ime to dry up properly, camping out would have been a delight. 
 
 , -bearing the Widena Valley, we touched the foothills again, and occasional outcrops of 
 
 lock granites and diorites— showed the changing character of the country. The soil for the 
 
 s part was a fertile mould, carpeted with moss. Cranberry and alder swamps were a 
 
 ure; also patches of bog-land covered with moss three feet in thickness, springy to walk 
 
 ' ^°^*^'^^*^|''^s of its hold. Deep water-holes gaped wherever this bog surface was broken. 
 
 ihe vVidena River, flowing in an easterly direction, empties into the Kitimat about 
 
 wn mUes up-stream — an island being formed at the junction of the two rivers. Like the 
 
 / '<^'^*' *^®.^"^®'^*^ is also a river of many islands, formed by a bewildering number of 
 
 oi^hs. It is naWgable for two or three mileji by canoes, but log-jams are numerous. The 
 
 Dush along the banks is thick and tangled, and difficult to penetrate, but the high bush behind 
 
 was tairiy <^n, and much of it looked promising land for agriculture. Cottonwood and maple 
 
 rees now began to put in an appearance, and red — also some vellow — cedar became more 
 
 ptentitul. In some of the swamps we found a sort of fly-plant with petals tipped by a sticky 
 
 su ^stance. It was a tiny plant growing not more than a couple of inches above ground, and 
 
 we noticed that flies instinctively avoided it. Little birds like wrens hopping about in the 
 
 bush were so tame as to come within arm's length. Grouse, also ja3's, owls, and a few hawks 
 
 and eagles, made a scanty show of bird life. Squirrels darted up and down the trees, the 
 
 ^ems of many of which were bored, evidently by woodpeckers — but we rarely heard them. 
 
 \\ e came across a good many holes where bears had been scratching out bees' nests. 
 
 " Landmarks here were the peaks of a lofty mountain range with snow-covered valleys, 
 and a few small glaciers to the west. Eastward, two prominent, round-topped mountains 
 stood out boldly on the other side of the Kitimat. One of these (the more northern one) 
 still bore traces of snow (in August), and both rose somewhat steeply from the river bank. 
 They were summits of the mountain range which bounded the Kitimat Valley, eastward. At 
 no point in this country, however, could we get anything like a complete view. 
 
 " Between the Widena River and Cecil Creek — some nine miles further north —numerous 
 streams crossed our path, emptying themselves into one or other of these rivers. The flat 
 ground was mostly swampy, but the foothills intruded, closing in towards the ri% er. The 
 Kitimat Valley, at one time six or seven miles in width, here narrowed considerably. The 
 whole country was rising perceptibly in elevation. Up in this higher country the blue huckle- 
 berries, so common hitherto, gave place mostly to the red species. Cranberries became in- 
 creasingly plentiful, both the 'bush' and the 'ground' varieties. Balsam was abundant, grow- 
 ing in dense groves with sparse undergrowth. Of birds we saw only a few crows, an eagle or 
 two, and here and there a fool-hen or blue grouse. Salmon, of course, were all over the place; 
 every creek was foul with their rotting carcasses. Bear signs continued all round. An old 
 she-bear and her cub were shot near the mouth of Cecil Creek. Bright-coloured lichens, here 
 and throughout our journey, had assumed many curious and beautiful forms. 
 
 "In the valleys of the AVidena River and Cecil Creek together there must be many 
 thousands of acres of valuable agricultural land, not too difficult to clear. Potatoes in especial, 
 but probably also oats and barley, might be prolific crops. 
 
 " And now, still travelling northward, we traversed a country entirely cut up by abrupt 
 and rocky foothills and deep, narrow creeks, some containing water, but more dry. The soil 
 here was distinctly clayey. The bush was not difficult to travel through. A feature of it 
 was an abundance of splendid straight-limbed cedar. The graduaJlv rising ground was lifting 
 to a plateau, the south-eastern corner of which rose abruptly from near the head of naviga- 
 tion on the Kitimat River. The course of that river, which, from its source to this point, 
 had been flowing roughly east to west, here makes a great bend and takes a wider way nearly 
 north and south towards Kitimat Arm. As we approached the plateau water became scarce. 
 Just on the edge of it we came on a 'cached' wooden sleigh, and a little further on found a 
 blazed tree, and a notice that seven feet of snow had lain around it in January, 1900. 
 
 '• From the edge of the pleateau we obtained a fair view down the valley. Hundreds of 
 feet below we could hear the roaring river, but could not actually see it, although' we could 
 trace its course by the frasher foliage for many miles. Now an encroaching hill-spur would 
 abruptly turn its course; anon, a wide plain would open out before it and its interminable 
 sloughs. 'Wherever the eye ranged it met a dark mass of forest spreading even to the snow- 
 covered mountain heights, and far away in the distance the river's silverv gleam became 
 distinguishable, winding through the dark foliage, now in sight, now out of sight, until finally 
 lost to view behind the bluff gravel slide where we had first beheld it. 
 
22 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 "The country on the plateau was comparatively open. The soil was a brown, gravelly 
 loain, with much moss on its surface. It supported a scanty growth of underbrush, but large 
 timber. There were no great outcrops of rock, but quantities of what looked like glacier-worn 
 pebbles were to be seen embedded in the roots of the trees wherever exposed. The elevation 
 here was over 600 feet, and the distance from our starting point about 25 miles. 
 
 " We did not long continue on the plateau, but took the downward slope northerly towards 
 the lakes. Here the bush was good land, with considerable undergrowth. The soil was a 
 dark, friable loam over clay. Much of this country would be fairly valuable, both in timber 
 or for cultivation. There were no evidences of mineral. 
 
 " Round Lake (some four miles from the divide) lies in a cup-like hollow in the mountains 
 amidst thick bush. It is perhaps three-quarters of a mile across, and, as its name suggests, 
 nearly circular. The water was warm and pleasant to bathe in. The banks were mostly 
 bristling with half-sunken snags, but at the outflow of a little swampy creek in one corner 
 masses of reeds grew in shallow water. These reeds were fine, spear-like growths, pale green, 
 and they readily cut the hand if pressed or caught up. 
 
 " Passing round to the south and east of this lake, we struck an essentially granite coun- 
 try, and ■worked our way along rocky side-hills, which in places were simply dense thickets of 
 pine or hemlock. On the flat, however, the timber was large and the growth fairly open. 
 Hemlock and spruce were prominent, but cedar more so. Many towering rock bluffs gave us 
 fine views over the extensive Lake Lakelse, which we were now skirting on its eastern side. 
 Its northeast corner, where we presently struck it, was about 40 miles from our starting point. 
 
 " Viewing the lake from this point, Williams Creek entered it to our right (its northern 
 extremity), with sandy bars. Snow-capped mountains towered two or three miles away on its 
 opposite (western) shore. At the back of these flowed the Skeena River. To our left (south- 
 ward) the lake stretched some eight miles in a long, sheeny waterway, and near its further end 
 the river of the same name flowed outward. This Lakelse or Trout River eventually finds its 
 way round the mountains towards the Skeena, into which it empties. Its valley was noticeable 
 as a dip in the heavy mountains to the south-west. A feature of this outlook was a markedly 
 precipitous valley, cleft deep in the mountains round southward. It was .all a continuous mass 
 of forest at every height. Snow lay piled in hollows and on some few slopes. The shore of 
 the lake was very shallow, with patches of thin-grown reeds. Ducks and geese were very 
 plentiful; grouse were also to be had. Had the weather been fine this might have been a 
 charming spot; as it was, everything was rotting and sodden. Bear were all over this coun- 
 try, and occasionally we found traces of caribou or mountain goat. Skunks were a species of 
 animal whose presence we did not greatly appreciate. 
 
 "The country along this, the north, side of Lake Lakelse basin was exceedingly rough 
 and broken. The bottom lands were swampy in places, but generally contained good alluvial 
 soil (somewhat sandy), with a moderate growth of underbrush beneath large timber — hemlock, 
 spruce, Cottonwood, maple, birch and cedar. The cedars, especially, in this region and through- 
 out the upper part of the Kitimat Valley and its northern dividing plateau, were of excep- 
 tionally fine growth, and would be of great commercial value if in touch with a market. We 
 must have passed through tens of thousands of acres, in every acre of which might be counted 
 one to two dozen fine straight cedar stems, four to eight feet through at the butt, and with a 
 spring of 80 to 100 feet clean without a limb. The surface ground was mossy, with growth 
 of ferns and devil's clubs, also cranberry bush, and was very much encumbered with fallen 
 logs. The hill sides, as before in this basin, were difiicult to travel, being rocky and precipi- 
 tous, and more or less densely thicketed. 
 
 " The summit, or pass, from this basin to the Skeena Valley, lying at an elevation of 700 
 feet, crossed the lower extremity of a long, narrow plateau, where it was abruptly terminated 
 by contact with the precipitous mountain ranges to the east. An enormous white rock bluff' 
 rising sheer some 2,000 feet above our heads, with yawning chasms and clefts in which a few 
 trees struggled for existence, was one of many fine sights that met us. The abounding rock 
 was chiefly granite, with some diorites, limestone and quartz, and 'float' that we picked up in 
 some of the' numerous creeks was mineralized. A large proportion of the ground here was 
 burnt and overgrown with fire bush. The little black flies that seem to breed in charred tree 
 stems were a positive curse. Considerable areas of timber, too, were dead or dying, for no 
 immediately apparent cause; their barren stems bore no marks of fire. From the immense 
 numbers of leech-like inch worms, or measuring worms, so called, that we found upon them, 
 we came to the conclusion that these worms must have been instrumental in eating off the 
 foliage, or in some way killing the trees. 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agricultural Capabilities. 23 
 
 " Ten miles from the north-east corner of the lake, by the circuitous route we took (but 
 little more than half that distance in a direct line), we obtained our first view of the Skeena 
 River. We had worked round the edge of a rugged mountain spur ; steep and rocky side-hills 
 rose above us ; a swamp spread below, and beyond it the river benches, with the livid line of 
 green of the river banks, and beyond again an autumn-tinted range of hills — yellow, green 
 and brown — with the snowy heights of further mountain ranges behind. As we descended 
 the Skeena valley, poplars, alder and birches made up no small percentage of the forest growth, 
 and the leaves of these, yellowing in their decay, made a bright and cheerful contrast with the 
 sombre verdure of hemlock and spruce. 
 
 " It was now the latter part of October, and with shortening days and frosty nights winter 
 made its approach felt. From time to time flights of little lark-like ' snow-birds ' flitted on 
 their southward journey — heralds of the snow. The fine days at this period were beautiful, 
 with a brisk, sharp atmosphere, warm sunshine, and lovely, clear blue skies. On the other 
 hand, the wet days were correspondingly wet and miserable. 
 
 "The slope of the valley took us down in well-defined benches to the river itself, which 
 we struck at Dave Stewart's ferry, and still following up its left bank, and crossing in succes- 
 sion Copper River and Gold Creek, we arrived at our destination — Kitsilas Canyon. There, 
 at the telegraph station and steamer landing, we once more came into touch with civilization, 
 having accomplished some 62 miles of pretty rough travelling. 
 
 " Copper River is a wide, swift-flowing stream, draining what seemed to be a considerable 
 valley. The bar formed at its entrance to the Skeena is a wide sand and shingle flat, very 
 pretty, with the variegated foliage along its banks stretching in well-defined lines edging the 
 partly moss-grown boulders and stones of the beach. 
 
 " Gold Creek is a clear, rocky stream rarely more than three feet deep, but with a mean 
 and treacherous current. Its valley comes to a narrow neck at the Skeena, but runs back 
 extensively, widening out in the far distance. A newly-made waggon road crosses it. This, 
 when completed, will lead from Singlehurst's new wharf on the Skeena up to his mines in the 
 mountains, some six or seven miles. In the creeks and along the river banks about here we 
 picked up much quartz and conglomerate 'float,' also serpentines, nearly pAsry specimen 
 mineralized with iron or traces of copper, and looking a Ukely enough proposition for gold, but 
 we were unable to do much prospecting. 
 
 " Most of the better riverside lands were Indian reservations, and Indian cabins and 
 graves were numerous on the river banks. ISIany areas here could be easily cleared and might 
 be valuable for cultivation. Potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables simply grew to riot in 
 Stewart's garden, a few miles down stream. 
 
 " Besides the ubiquitous hemlock, spruce and cedar, the prevalent trees were small birches, 
 bull pine, alder, cottonwood, maple, willows and some hazel. Rabbits, bear and grouse were 
 numerous, and goats up in the mountains. 
 
 " Mounting the river benches behind us, timbered side-hills and rock bluffs climbed to 
 steep and rugged mountains, 1,500 to 2,000 feet high. These are now being prospected to 
 some extent, with very promising results. On the opposite side of the river a lofty peaked 
 mountain loomed up some 3,000 feet, with deep clefts and rocky ravines, and snow lying 
 perennially in its crevices. Here, where the mountains thus press together, is formed the 
 narrow canyon where the curbed waters of the river boil and eddy as they sweep imperiously 
 through the two or three channels they have cut, apparently, out of the solid rock. Here, 
 too with just a distant glimpse of snow-covered ranges in the far interior, our journey ended. 
 
24 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 VANCOUVER, QUEEN CHARLOTTE AND 
 OTHER ISLANDS. 
 
 The length of the former is about 280 miles, of the Queen Charlotte group about 180 
 miles, and the many smaller islands of various sizes. Viewed from the deck of a steamer, they 
 all present a rugged and unpromising appearance, but this is quickly changed on closer acquaint- 
 ance, and many a valley is soon discovered on investigation. The timber is very similar to that 
 of the Lower Mainland, with the addition of the oak (Quercus Garryana), which occurs in 
 patches on the southern end of Vancouver Island and for about 150 miles north, and on the 
 Gulf Islands. The undergrowth is not as dense as it is on the Lower Mainland, rendering; the 
 problem of clearing more easy of solution. The character of the soil on the ridges is a gravelly 
 loam, good for leguminous crops and for fruits, if kept well cultivated and mulched. The dry, 
 hot hillsides produce fine grapes, peaches and such fruits when tried, but they are not much 
 cultivated, and the production is, therefore, small. There are numerous swamps, many of them 
 of considerable extent, sometimes open or covered with buokbrush [Spircra Doufflasii), and 
 sometimes with a larger growth, generally crab (Pirus rivularis), none of which is difficult to 
 clear, and when drained the land is very fertile. The land covered with oak trees is a fine 
 black loam, and the trees not being close together, it is easily brought into cultivation, and 
 produces almost any crop or fruit of these latitudes. The bottoms are generally covered with 
 a thick growth of alder and willow, which is easily cleared. The delta lands of the different 
 streams form a considerable portion of the cultivable land, and are similar to those previously 
 described on the Mainland. 
 
 The general characteristics of the larger islands are high mountain ranges in the interior, 
 which form innumerable lakes in the depressions, from which flow numerous streams to the 
 sea. The valleys of these streams, the delta lands formed by them and the large tracts of 
 thickly-wooded level country, are all available for agricultural purposes, the higher mountainous 
 country aiFording, in many places, good summer pasture for stock. Practically, only the Gulf 
 Islands and the east coast of Vancouver Island, from its southern end for about 150 miles, 
 may be said to be settled. The west coast, cut up by innumerable fiords with scenery of un- 
 surpassed beauty ; the northern part, with the exception of Quatsino and Cape Scott, where 
 there are colonies of Scandinavians, and all of Queen Charlotte Islands, are sparsely inhabited 
 by traders, miners, the aborigines and a few tillers of the soil. 
 
 The average temperature for six months, April to September, inclusive, is at the southern 
 extremity 55.2°, and 150 miles to the northward 55.27°. Average rainfall during the same 
 period, 7.13 inches and 9.12 inches respectively. Highest temperature during 1900, 79.6° at 
 the southern extremity in July, and 88° in July at the other point. Lowest temperature, 18° 
 and 14° in November, respectively. Average annual rainfall, 31.61 inches; average annual 
 snowfall, 16.1 inches. 
 
 The smaller islands are well adapted for sheep, the short herbage on the open hillsides 
 affording suitable pasture. The entire absence of predatory animals being quite exceptional, 
 and the principal markets being all accessible by water, the industry is carried on more exten- 
 sively and with more profit in these parts than elsewhere in the Province. 
 
 In the unsettled parts of the Island of Vancouver the panther, so-called, really the puma 
 (Felis eoncolor), the black bear {Ursus Americanus), and wolf (Canis occidentalis) abound, and 
 are naturally attracted by the presence of sheep, pigs, &c., to the settled portions, rendering 
 the profitable production of these animals more precarious than on the smaller islands. Never- 
 theless, with a modicum of care and trouble, they can be, and are, profitably produced, and 
 give large returns to those farmers who carry on the industry with circumspection. 
 
 Cattle, in the equable climate of these islands, also give a generous return for the care 
 bestowed upon them, and dairying, now carried on in the line of butter-making both by 
 creameries and individuals, is capable of great expansion. The lucrativeness, however, of 
 winter dairying is by no means fully realised, inasmuch as but little provision is made for 
 winter feeding, in the shape of ensilage, roots, (fee. During the months of April, May, June 
 
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1 Ed. 7 Its Agricultural Capabilities. 25 
 
 and July, the luxuriant growth of -wild vetch, clover and grasses afford unlimited food for 
 dairy cattle, and during that period butter is at the lowest, only the very best creamery and 
 the product of one or two well-known private manufacturers fetching remunerative prices. 
 After July, with the exception of some favoured localities, the pastures get so dried up that 
 feeding to some extent with succulent food must be resorted to, and it is then that butter 
 begins to rise in price until the highest point is reached. 
 
 The swine industry is not prosecuted to the extent that its importance demands. The 
 same may be said of poultry, although the natural advantages for its production are probably 
 greater than in any other portion of the Province. This is especially true as regards fowls and 
 turkeys in the high, dry, open country, which, on account of its aridity, is not of great value 
 for any other pursuit. 
 
 Hops are successfully produced in the district of Saanich, and probably would succeed 
 equally well elsewhere. Apples, pears, plums and cherries do well in most of the settled dis- 
 tricts, more particularly pears and plums. Root crops produce largely in all the lower portions 
 and alluvial bottoms. Wheat is not produced to any extent. Oats are grown extensively, and 
 some peas, barley and rye. The principal grass grown here, as elsewhere, is timothy ; clover 
 and other leguminous plants grow naturally, so it goes without saying that the cultivation of 
 these fodders is marked with success. 
 
 From an excellent little brochure descriptive of the Cowichan District the following is 
 quoted : — 
 
 "Farming in Cowichan. 
 
 " The farming areas in Cowichan are as yet small in comparison with the unbroken forest 
 which extends practically all over Vancouver Island ; but the land, when cleared, is fertile, 
 and prices generally are good. By the aid of improved methods of clearing, it is now possible 
 to clear land at reasonable figures. Mixed farming is the general practice, though dairying is 
 the principal business. A co-operative creamery at Duncan has now been in existence about 
 six years, and turned out last year 71,111 pounds of butter, sold at an average price of 27 J 
 cents per pound. The farmer received this, less a charge of about 3 cents for making and 
 selling. 
 
 " The Klondike trade and the new home markets, together with the general improvement 
 in trade, have increased prices all round for farm products, and with the constantly increasing 
 population of British Columbia and the North- West, they are not likely to go lower to any 
 extent. 
 
 " Dairying, fruit-growing and the care of sheep, swine and poultry — in short, intensive 
 farming — is the practice recommended here." 
 
 " Life in Cowichan. 
 " By Clive Phillips- Wolley. 
 
 " To the student of human nature, British Columbia presents a curious anomaly. A very 
 large proportion of those who migrate to this colony come for greater freedom and an outdoor 
 life at an expense less than such a life would entail at home ; and yet, when they arrive here, 
 most of them crowd into the towns. Country houses in the vicinity of Victoria are almost 
 unknown. The Cowichan or Duncan District contains most of the exceptions to this rule. 
 It is the district par excellence of leisurely country life in British Columbia. 
 
 " A great many people will tell you that farming does not pay on Vancouver Island, and 
 if you have to clear the land to be farmed, I think there is some truth in it; and yet we can 
 show substantial farmers who started without capital. The truth is that farming at a profit 
 requires experience and hard work ; perhaps the two things are not always found in com- 
 bination. A very large number of our farmers were never brought up to farm. Even if you 
 can buy bush land at $1 an acre, it may cost you $100 to clear it ; and at present farm labour 
 costs from $10 to $15 per month and board, if it is Japanese, and $20 and board if it is white. 
 But you can buy cleared land for less than it cost to clear it, and off such land you can make 
 a good living — perhaps even a small income — and, by adopting the simple habits of your 
 
26 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 neighbours,, you can get more fun, sport and good living here for $1,000 per annum than you 
 can get for £1,000 per annum in the Old Country. This is essentially the right country for 
 men with pensions, with small incomes and country tastes. An Indian can live here on 
 nothing bat the bounty of nature ; a white man on the islands of the Gulf can live here for 
 very little more. 
 
 " I know a family, consisting of two English ladies and a child, who built themselves a 
 house and cultivated a small garden upon one of the loveliest of our islands. They had their 
 piano and their boat, sea bathing, fishing and gardening ; and their first year's expenses for all 
 three, exclusive of their initial outlay, was £60, and for this they lived well. 
 
 " Let us go a step higher in the scale of expenditure. You can buy in the Duncan District 
 choice land, upon the sea or upon a lake, one-half cleared and one-half bush, for |50 an acre. 
 You can build a good house of the bungalow type, lined with choice wood, prettily finished, 
 and having, say, two sitting-rooms, four bed-rooms, bath-room, kitchen, etc., for $2,000 (£400). 
 For £200 you can buy 20 acres of land, of which at least 10 will be cleared. You can put a 
 house upon it for another $2,000 (£400), and buy yourself two cows, a horse and buggy for 
 another $300 (£60); and for another £140 you should be able to put in a good orchard and 
 garden, make and stock a poultry yard, buy a boat, and perhaps a few sheep. 
 
 " For £1,000 you have your home equipped in the Duncan District, and if you want to 
 increase your holding by the work of your own hands or the expenditure of small sums of 
 money as you make or save them, there is plenty of good land in the bush to be cleared. 
 
 " As to the life. In the Duncan District there is a very large element of English settlers, 
 including naval and military men, pensioned Indian civil servants, and gentlemen's younger 
 sons. The amusements are very much those of English country life, only that they cost you 
 nothing. 
 
 " There are towns now in British Columbia where people try to live as they think that 
 people live in England — where a dinner without champagne is not what it should be, and 
 dresses good enough for HurHngham are worn at little scratch cricket matches. They do not 
 do these things in the country districts. The dress here is simple; no one dreams of any 
 better drink than beer or whiskey and soda; the entertainments, small dances, picnics, bathing 
 parties, etc., replace champagne with high spirits, and cost next to nothing. If you are a 
 decent fellow, it does not matter twopence what your financial standing may be. 
 
 " As to sport. The fishing in the district is excellent. At Cowichan Lake, in the early 
 part of this year, I believe that the average was about 25 trout to the boat, running from 1 
 to 2 pounds. This was with a fly. In the summer, with a spoon, men get some very large 
 baskets of two-pounders. Capt. Finnis, R. N., caught 255 pounds of trout in three days with 
 fly and spoon. Capt. Salmon, 89 pounds of trout in one day. The Cowichan River some- 
 times affords excellent sport. In the early spring a big trout, running from 5 to 10 pounds 
 (known as the steelhead), gives good sport to the fly-fisher, and later on there are good runs of 
 sea trout; whilst in the bay, men who care for it can get superb salmon trolling. 
 
 " On one of the smaller lakes (two miles from Duncan, where many of the nicest homes 
 are), a resident killed with the dry fly 22 trout weighing 57 pounds, in two evenings' fishing. 
 This is work, however, for the skilled hand. 
 
 " Grouse of two kinds used to be plentiful, and in the mountains close to hand there are 
 still a fair number of blue grouse for the hard-working gunner. Seven brace to the gun is the 
 best I have heard of this year. The willow grouse has suffered heavily, disturbed, I believe, 
 in the nesting season by the imported pheasant, which has now become so plentiful as to 
 become a nuisance to the farmers. 
 
 " Deer are plentiful, and in the winter season ducks, teal and geese afford capital sport on 
 the coast and in the marshes round the lakes. 
 
 " Above all, to the man who can afi'ord it, Duncan offers a charming home within easy 
 reach of really fine wild sport; trolling for the giant salmon of the Campbell River; wapiti 
 shooting beyond Cowichan Lake, and on the West Coast of the Island; or sheep, bear, goat 
 and mule deer on the Mainland — all at points within a few days' easy travel, and all shooting 
 
 free. 
 
 " It would be easy, without exaggeration, to make this a much more alluring picture, but 
 the exquisite scenery must be left to do this, and I understand that this pamphlet aims at 
 telling the simple truth." 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agricultural Capabilities. 
 
 More about British Columbia. 
 
 The following is a further quotation from the articles on British Columbia published by 
 the " Colonist," previously alluded to : — 
 
 " Graham Island, of the Queen Charlotte Group, is the second island in size in British 
 Coliunbia. "We have approximated its area at 2,000 square miles. There is an extensive lake 
 in the centre connected with the sea at the northern end of the island. Moresby Island is 
 the second of the group in size. It lies south of Graham. Its greatest length is 85 miles, and 
 its greatest width 40, but in places it is not more than 5 miles across from shore to shore. Its 
 outline is so irregular that no close estimate can be made of its area, but it doubtless contains 
 over 1,000 square miles. Both these islands are mountainous, and the same holds good of the 
 smaller members of this group. At the northern end of both Graham and Moresby there are 
 small areas suitable for agriculture or stock-raising, but for the most part the whole group 
 must be classed as non-arable. The climate is very fine. The rainfall is less than on the 
 corresponding latitude on the Mainland, and the greatest cold ever experienced since records 
 have been kept was 8 degrees above zero, Fahr. During the past eight years the thermometer 
 has never gone below 18 degrees. This mild climate is due to the effect of the Japan current. 
 There is some snow every year, and the highest peaks in the interior are snow-capped through 
 the whole twelvemonth. 
 
 "The known mineral resources are coal, copper, gold and silver, but only limited prospecting 
 has been done for anything except coaL The latter is found both on Graham and Moresby 
 islands. The ascertained areas are extensive and the quality of the coal is good. Gold has 
 been mined by the Hudson's Bay Company to some extent at Gold Harbour, on Moresby 
 Island. Prospects have been found in numerous other places, but it is only very recently that 
 anything like systematic exploration has been undertaken. While it is too soon to forecast 
 results, it may be said that the outlook is favourable. If any persons desire an almost virgin 
 field for this sort of work, they can find it in the Queen Charlotte group, and the conditions 
 of life there are by no means arduous. 
 
 " Except on the highest levels and near the coasts, the islands of this group are well tim- 
 bered, principally with spruce and cedar. The wood is of good quality. 
 
 " Whatever doubt may exist on other points, there is none as to the values of these 
 islands from the standpoint of the fisherman. The most valuable fish found in the adjacent 
 waters is the halibut. They are not large in size, but are excellent in quaUty. They seem to 
 exist in inexhaustible quantities. They can be taken at any season of the year at some points 
 around the coasts. Salmon are present in all the inlets in incalculable numbers. Codfish are 
 also taken, but not so much is known as to their numbers, as little or no attention has been 
 paid to this fishery. Three factories have been set up for the manufacture of dogfish oil. 
 
 " As is the case in most of the islands along the north-west coast, wild berries — namely, 
 huckleberries, cranberries, and luscious and large wild strawberries grow in profusion. There 
 are about 600 Indians on Graham Island, and possibly a hundred white people on all tlie 
 
 group. 
 
 " Of the smaller islands of British Columbia, Texada attracts the greatest attention. It 
 is situated in the northern part of the Gulf of Georgia, between Vancouver Island and the 
 Mainland. It is 30 miles long with an average breadth of 6 miles. It has been described 
 as 'a mass of mineral.' It is known to contain copper, gold and iron in paying quantities, 
 also great deposits of Ume and marble. Mining for the three minerals named is being success- 
 fully" prosecuted. Great attention has recently been directed to this island by the discovery 
 of exceptionally rich free-milling quartz in quantity which warrants the institution of stamp- 
 mills. 
 
 " The principal scene of mining operations at the present time is near the north-east end 
 of the island, in the vicinity of Stuart Bay, where the town of Van Anda is situated. There 
 is a smelter here. The business of Texada Island is steadily increasing, and it is now safely 
 established as a growing mining centre. 
 
 " The island is well timbered and contains a considerable area suitable for agriculture. 
 On the whole, for its area, it would be difficult to find anywhere an island enjoying better 
 advantages than Texada. 
 
 " The scores of islands and islets, which lie along the British Columbia coast are almost 
 all mineralised. It is impossible to mention each particularly. On some of them, notably on 
 
28 British Columbia. 1901 
 
 Princess Royal Island, prospecting has been done, but for the most part they are virgin 
 ground. On Princess Royal a very promising copper deposit is now being opened. Almost 
 all the islands are well timbered, and on some of them there is land fit for farming, but except- 
 ing on the more southerly, agriculture is not likely to be an important industry. Mining and 
 lumbering will prove the chief sources of wealth. On some of the islands of the Gulf oi 
 Georgia farming is now prosecuted successfully, and there is considerable vacant land. The 
 climate of these islands is very agreeable. They are protected by Vancouver Island from the 
 winds from the ocean. The snowfall is light, and there is, in point of fact, no winter as it is 
 understood in the interior of the Continent, or in corresponding latitudes on the Atlantic 
 coast. 
 
 " Speaking generally of the Island section of British Columbia, one may say that it 
 contains very many elements of great prosperity. Its genial climate, the ease with which all 
 parts of it can be reached, the existing means of communication, the variety of resources and 
 the large area yet to be explored, combine to make it a portion of Canada that ought to com- 
 mand very much greater attention than it has hitherto received. The indications are that any 
 deficiency in this regard will be supplied in the near future, as the fame of the developed prop- 
 erties becomes more widely extended." 
 

 INNER -cut, 
 
 A FOREST SCENE. 
 
1 Ed. 7 Its Agetcultural Possibilities. 29 
 
 LEGISLATION AFFECTING LAND. 
 
 Pre-emption. 
 
 Crown lands, where such a sj'stem is practicable, are laid off and surveyed into quadri- 
 lateral townships, containing thirty-six sections of one mile square in each. 
 
 Any person, being the head of a family, a widow, or single man over the age of eighteen 
 years, and being a British subject, or any alien, upon his making a declaration of his intention 
 to become a British subject, may, for agricultural purposes, record any tract of unoccupied and 
 unreserved Crown lands (not being an Indian settlement) not exceeding three hundred and 
 twenty acres in extent in that portion of the Province situated to the northward and eastward 
 of the Cascade or Coast Range of ^Mountains, and one hundred and sixt)' acres in extent in 
 the rest of the Province. 
 
 The pre-emptor must, within thirty days after the date of the certificate of record, enter 
 into occupation of the land so recorded. 
 
 Occupation means a continuous bona fide personal residence of the pre-emptor, or of his 
 family, on the land recorded by him. 
 
 Price to be paid by pre-emptors is one dollar per acre, in four annual instalments of 
 twenty-five cents each, the first instalment to be paid in two years from date of record. 
 
 Purchase. 
 
 Crown land may be purchased in no greater blocks than six hundred and forty acres for 
 each person. 
 
 Lands which are suitable for agricultural purposes, or which are capable of being brought 
 under cultivation profitably, or which are wild hay meadow lands, rank as and are considered 
 to be first class lands. Lands which are suitable for agricultural purposes only when artificially 
 irrigated, and which do not contain timber valuable for lumbering purposes, as defined below, 
 rank as and are considered to be second class lands. Mountainous and rocky tracts of land 
 which are wholly unfit for agricultural purposes, and which cannot, under any reasonable con- 
 ditions, be brought under cultivation, and which do not contain timber suitable for lumbering 
 purposes, as defined below, or hay meadows, rank as and are considered to be third class or 
 pastoral lands. Timber lands (that is, lands which contain milling timber to the average 
 extent of eight thousand feet per acre west of the Cascades, and five thousand feet per acre 
 east of the Cascades, to each one hundred and sixty acres) are not open for sale. 
 
 The minimum price of first class lands is five dollars per acre, that of second class lands 
 two dollars and fifty cents per acre, and that of third class lands one dollar per acre : Provided, 
 however, that the Chief Commissioner may, for any reason, increase the price of any lands 
 above the said prices. 
 
 Leases. 
 
 Leases (containing such covenants and conditions as may be thought advisable) of Crown 
 lands may be granted by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council for the following purposes : — 
 
 (a.) For the purpose of cutting hay thereon, for a term not exceeding ten years : 
 (b.) For any purposes whatsoever, except cutting hay as aforesaid, for a term not exceed- 
 ing twenty-one years. 
 
 VICTORIA, B. C. : 
 
 Printed by Richard Wolfkndes, Printer to tiie King's Most Excellent Majesty. 
 
 1901.