The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-11-01
THE NECKLACE VALLEY.
Concluded from last issue

Inc SOIL OF Cn6 N6C0dCO valley Is
of two kinds: silt or deposit soil,
and black loan. The former is the
most in evidence, and in most places
is from thirty to forty feet in depth.
Both it and the loan are very rich
and of the finest quality, and entirely
free from sand, gravel and stone.
Some idea of the fertility of this
the government experts and others who
have visited the place. A short time
ago the Dominion Government report,
issued by authority of the legislative
assembly at Victoria, B. c., and COM
piled from reports made by the gov
eminent experts, A. l.. Poudrier, D.
L. S.; Fleet Robertson, P. M, and F.
H. Gray, G. E., contained articles from
which the following are extracted:
"All available reports go to show
that this district is one of the most
greatly favored by nature in the whole
province. * The Nechaco, with
it's level valleys and rich silts or de-
post, offers special inducements to
the land is level the soil is rich; and
to great extent open; the climate is
mild; the principal crops can be grown
without trouble; and the general alti-
tude is much lower than that of the
surrounding country"
1.-THE climate is all that could be
wished for; no extremes; the days dur
ing the summer months, though hot,
never are uncomfortably so, whilst the
nights generally are so cool tnat
blanket is acceptable. During the win
ter the snowfall is light and the eli
mate mild"
"The opportunities for profitable
diversified farming are practically un-
limited The demand for every product
of the farm is great and ever inCreas-
ing, the present supply being wholly
inadequate for even the local market.
Under system of small land holdings,
with diversified field culture, every
object of cultivation is highly profit
able"
"The soil everywhere is of the rich
est quality. Not only is the grass
very luxuriant on the prairies, but
even in the wooded portions pea-vines
and vetches of different species grow
to such a height that it renders travel
ing very difficult"
Mr.. S. T. Elford, of Byron, Mime
sofa, who recently bought land in the
Nechaco Valley, said, after making
trip of inspection: Il am enthusiastic
about that country. 1t beats anything
that l ever saw in the middle west.
I went in by way of Ashcroft, going
the full length of the valley and re-
turning via the Skeena River and
Prince Rupert. The Nechaco Valley
Is the best agricultural section by far
through which l passed | kept
notebook on what l saw and the con-
ditions of everything, but am almost
afraid to show them to my neighbors
back home for fear they will not be-
lieve all the wonderful things. Among
other things that astonished me was
some of the crops raised under the
most primitive conditions by Mr.. Pc
ters, the Hudson's Bay agent at Fort
Fraser in the Nechaco Valley. Mr..
Peters planted three-quarters of an
acre in potatoes, from which his yield
was 1900 pounds, which he sold at
cents a pound, or $680.00. He
sowed five acres to oats and threshed
out-by the simple means of driving
horses back and forth on his barn
floor, method that of course entailed
a considerable percentage of loss
10000 pounds which also sold at 4
cents a pound-making his total in
come from less than six acres $1,88000
in one season. These oats weighed
per measured bushel 81 pounds, which
speaks we'll for the Nechaco Valley as
a grain country, especially when you
take into consideration the fact that
32 to "a pounds is the usual and stand
ard weight per bushel of oats.
"The vegetation of all kinds struck