The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-13
SOME FARM LANDS.
DOMINION SURVEYOR oGILyIE's
FINE REPORT.
He Investigates the Agricultural
Possibilities of the Yukon Basin
What Timber Was Found Along
the Route-The supply OF Big Game
Fishing Is Good.

I ne SUPPLY OF 4aEEe game - lUlllcC n
/ Alaska and the Northwest Territories. or
/ fur-b bearing animals there are the black
f fox. bear, otter and mink. The fur o. the
black fox IS worth as high as S25e There
+ Is considerable small game. Rabbits.
i geese. ducks and river birds are plentiful.
+ The moose. caribou. muSk-ox are rare. ex-
/ cept further inland and toward the Nc
Kenzie basin.
/ Horses and cattle are being constantly
/ shipped from Seattle. 10 be driven over the
Dalton tran. They are fed on bunch
/ grass" which is nutritious and grows ex-
| tensively.
| Small timber is plentiful. such as spruce
and pine, but large timber is scarce.
Fishing is good in the Yukon river and
/ its tributaries. Salmon is plentiful. Farm
I vegetables are scarce, but there are small
/ farms and gardens on the small islands and
/ gardening Is INDUCED IN from May Is 10
about September Is.
/ The agricultural possibilities OF the Yu-
/ kon basin are thus reported by Dominion
/ Surveyor Ogilvie:
THE agricultural capab ilities Of the
/ country along the river are not great, nor
I IS the land which can be seen from the
+ river OF good quality.
When We consider further the unsuita-
bic climatic conditions which prevail in the
/ region, Il may be said that as an agrlcul-
/ tural district this portion of the country
/ Will never be Of value.
My meteorological records show over
| eight degrees Of frost on the 1st OF August,
/ over ten on the Sd. and four times during
/ the month the minimum temperature YVES
[ below freezing. On the 18th of September
/ the minimum temperature was Is degrees.
and all the minimum readings for the re-
! mainder Of the month were below freezing.
Along the east side Of Lake Bennett
| opposite Chiikoot or western arm, there
| are some flats Of dry grayelly soil which
would make a few farms or limited extent.
On the west side, around the mouth or
Wheaton river. there is an extensive fiat
| OF sand and gravel, covered With small
! pine and spruce OF stunted growth. The
/ vegetation is poor and sparse, not a. all
/ what one would desire 10 see on place
/ upon which he was thinking OF settling
/ At the lower end OF the lake there is an
/ other extensive nat OF sandy soil. thinly
/ clad with small poplars and pines. The
! same remarks apply TO this dat as TO that
/ al Wheaton river.
| Along the westerly shore OF Tagish lake
/ there is a large extent OF low, swampy
| fats, a part of which might be used for
| the production OF such roots and cereals
| as the climate would permit. Along the
west side OF Marsh lake there is also much
| flat surface OF the same general character.
/ on which l saw some coarse grass which
would serve as food for cattle. Along the
|
| terraced. and Is probably less suited TO the
| requirements of the agricuturist. Along
| the head Of the river. for some miles below
| Marsh lake there are flats on both sides.
| which would as far as surface conforma-
| ton goes, serve for farms. The soil is or
| much better quality than any heretofore
/ seen, as is proved by the larger and thicker
growth Of timber and underbrush which it
| supports The soil bears less the charac-
/ ter of detritus, and more that Of alluvium.
/ than that seen above.
LAS We approach the canyon the banks
| become higher and the bottom lands mar
mower. with some escarpments along
| on the west side rises two hun
| dred feet and upwards above the
| river, and the soil is light and sandy.
| On the east side the bank is not so high,
| bat the soil is of the same character and
the timber small and poor. being nearly all
| stunted pine.
/ Between the canyon aud Lake Lebarge,
as far as seen from the river. there is not
| much land Of value. The banks are sener-
| ally high. and the soil light and sandy. Al
| the head OF the lake there is an extensive
| fat partly covered with timber, much
| larger and better than any seen above this
! point. Poplars and 10 inches In diam
| eter were not uncommon. and some spruce
| OF Is and l6 inches and many OF upwards
| OF a foot in diameter, were also noticed
| The soil. however. is light. and the vege-
tation. especially the grass. thin and poor
Some miles down the lake an extensive
| valley joins that OF the lake on the west
side. This valley contains small stream.
! Around this place there is some land that
| might be useful. as the grass and vegeta-
! tion Is much better than any seen so far.
| ION the lower end OF the lake. on the
! west side. there Is also q considerable plain
| which might be utilized; the soil IA parts
| Of Il is good I saw one part where tho
! timber had been burned some time ago;
here both the soil and vegetation We're
| good.
| "Northward from the end OF the lake
| there Is a deep. wide valley. which Dr.
| Dawson named 'Ogilvie Valley In this the
| mixed timber. poplar and spruce, IS OF a
| size which betokens q fair soil; the herb
| age too, is more than usually rich for this
/ region. This valley IS extensive.
Below the lake the valley OF the river IS
| not as a rule wide. and the banks are often
steep and high. There are, however many
fats OF moderate extent along the river
/ and at its confluence with other streams
! The soil OF many ot these Is fair.
| About 40 miles above the mouth OF the
/ Pelly river there is an extensive fiat or
/ both sides OF the Lewis. The soil here IS
| poor and sandy. with small open timber
/ A. Peiiy river there is fat Of consider
/ able extent on which the ruins OF Fort Sci
I kirk stand. T. Is covered with a small
/ growth OF poplar and few spruce The
/ soil Is a gravelly loan OF about eight
inches IN depth. the subson being gravel
evidently detritus This fat extends up
/ she river for some miles. but IS all covered
| q ky With timber. except a small piece
/ around the site az the fort.
ION the east side OF the river there Is
/ also a large plateau but II IS two or three
/ hundred feet above the river and the SOL
appears 70 be poor, Judging from the thin
ness ard smallness OF the trees This
/ plateau seems % extend up the Pelly Tor
| some distance. ard down the Yukon for 10
/ or 2 miles. and might yield fair pasturage
/ should such ever be required.
| "A serious objection 20 e. however for
| that purpose. Il & IS rot watered on the
/ surface by ponds Is that the river Is Diff
| cult % access as the plateau on the SIDE
| towards the river IS bounded BY q per
| pendlcular basalt elf. which. without art
| fetal arrangement. would con- pletely bar
/ approach % the water. Tbs elf IS more
/ than So Feet high az The confluence. and
{ becomes lower as We descend the river
/ unel al The lower end Il Il not more than
! 60 to 50 feet high.
+ ''Bscween Peny ard waite r1ysrs there
/ are no fats q any extent A. White river
( there IL a fat o. several thousand acres
! bar 4 81 a. tmberea ard he surface q
/ the soil 81 severed With a thick growth OF
I moss which prevents n frost ever leav-
/ ing the ground. This has SO preserved
/ fallen timber ard the foliage q the trees
/ chat muca % Il f. lying On ths surface
/ nearly as sound as waeu e feU On iris
/ ao-ount the vegetable mould on TIE gravel
/ - thin ard poor The standing timber also
/ bars witness 70 the colauess ~ the SOL