The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-10-15
BRITISH COLUMBIA FARM NEWS

ana WnlteTSn, ana winch TEEN WlCn
wild ducks and geese in the fall. Deer,
caribou, partridge, grouse, pheasant
and other game are numerous.
Portions of the land are covered
with small thickets of poplars with
here and there few spruce. There
are numerous fine open meadows of
considerable extent which give a park
like appearance to the landscape. These
meadows are covered with great va
riety of nutritious grasses, pea-vine
and vetches predominating, giving
splendid grazing for stock of all kinds.
Even in the wooded portions this for
age grows to a height of over five
feet and yields bumper crops of the
finest kind of hay without prelimin-
airy cultivation.
The Nechaco River-one of the most
beautiful streams in the North Amer
lean continent-fiows through the Ne
chaco Valley from west to east for
distance of about thirty-six miles.
From 500 to 1000 feet in width and
deep enough to carry light draft
steamers, swifter than the Missouri at
Omaha, it winds gracefully between
high wooded banks and among it's
many islands. The water is cool and
clear as crystal, the bottom of fine
gravel.
Into the Nechaco from all directions
flow numerous smaller streams, chief
among which are the Stony and Tsin.
kut Rivers in the eastern part of the
valley. Lying south of the Nechaco
and tributary to it are a number of
h f,,J 1o1y A
Tsinkut Lake, about two and one-half
miles in length by one in width; Noolki
Lake, something over twice as large;
and Lake Tachic, about ten miles long
by two or three wide. These are very
attractive bodies of water, having high
wooded shores rising abruptly from
the waters edge.
The climate of this Northland Eden
is one of it's most marvellous and at
tractive features. The winters are
short and mild, the thermometer sell
dom falling below zero and then only
for few hours at a time. The snow
fall is light and does not drift owing
to the shelter of the mountains which
surround the valley. Cattle have good
grazing as rule as late as Christ
mas and as early as March. The sum-
mer temperature averages about rs to
SIS degrees, but even at the latter point
the heat is not oppressive, as there
always is a refreshing breeze from the
west that makes it's cooling effect felt
on the hottest day. The rainfall is
ample for all crops, and fortunately
comes during the growing season. An
other good feature is the absence of
heavy winds, and storms of any sever
ity are unknown.
A glance at the map of this part of
British Columbia will at once show
why the Nechaco Valley has such
moderate and even climate While
fully protected and sheltered by the
surrounding hnls, it is remote from
snow-clad mountains and only 125
miles from salt water. Ample moisture
is assured by the fact that the altitude
of the intervening country, between
the ocean and the Nechaco Valley, is
lower than at any other point on the
British Columbia coast This low belt
of land allows the warm south winds,
which blow steadily the year round,
to moderate the temperature and pre-
vent extremes of either heat or cold.
Another influence in making this Sec
ton unusually temperate in winter is
the fact that the Japan Current, which
plays the same part in the Pacific
Ocean that the Gulf Stream does in the
Atlantic, swings in toward the coast
at point due west of the valley, be-
ing nearer the land here than at any
other place.
Ito be concluded)