toward southerly part of Babine Range, which occupies
much of the area between Bulkley Valley and Babine
Lake.

The Vanderhoof-Fort St. James Motor-road, 41 miles,
crosses the plateau, on which soil is generally lighter than
in Nechako Valley, mostly sandy loam with gravelly and
stony subsoil exposed on higher slopes and ridges and
black loam in meadows. In lower part, to northern part
of Nechako Valley, settlement is extending, reaching
northward. In Webber Lake vicinity (Fort George Dis-
trict) is an area reaching westward from Stuart River, of
bench with growth of small open poplar and scattered
pine, with few patches of fir on crest of the river bluff
and scattered meadows up to 30 acres at elevation of
2,300 feet, about 250 feet above Stuart River, where a
number of settlers have gone in during the past ten years,
largely Scots and Norwegians from Prairie Provinces.
Clearing is light. The. settlers mostly raise stock for
market and keep a number of dairy cows, some making
butter, others send cream to Vanderhoof Creamery.
Nearest post-offices are Chilko and Finmore, with schools
and store at latter, a school on Lot 5430, and portable
sawmill operating near Webber Lake.

At Vanderhoof Nechako Valley is about 15 miles wide
and all white silt soil. Widening eastward before it strikes
the rocky barrier at Isle Pierre, the wide valley at Stuart
is really four valleys. Not much farming is done along
the Nechako here. In the valley 10 miles south hay-
crops are largely grown, while on Stuart River there are
some notable mixed farms. The area contiguous to Lower
Stuart River, locally known as Stuart Flats, is largely
settled, and has many good farms producing excellent
root and grain crops. The road from Vanderhoof via
Chilko settlement, about 14 miles north-east, reaches
eastward to Stuart River, and crossing is made by a
pontoon ferry to a rolling plateau east of the river, broken
in places by hills and ridges, rising slowly to a low divide
separating it from similar plateau and lake country near
Chief Lake, near which there is considerable settlement
with access to Prince George by road.

North-west from Stuart Flats to about 10 miles south of
Stuart Lake the river drains rolling, lightly timbered
plateau with scattered meadows in depressions between
Pine-timbered ridges, 100 to 200 feet above general
surface at about 2,900 feet. Bottom land on Stuart
River on south side does not usually run far back and is
frequently broken by gulches and inlets from the river.
Soil is rich near the river and undergrowth thick. North
of the river a low rolling divide, timbered with jack-pine
and poplar, latter predominating near the rivers, separates
Stuart and Necoslie Rivers.