BRITISH COLUMBIA 41

the least known districts are capable of supporting thousands of farmers,
manufacturers, mechanics, lumbermen and miners without the necessity
of importing a single line of produce. That the demand for these soil
products exists at the present time is manifest from the large quantities
daily shipped into the province from outside points. The agricultural
area is not a restricted one.

The extent of these fertile lands has been roughly estimated at one
- million acres, but without doubt the area is far larger. They are located
as follows:—

Acres
Okanagan Valley io loe aie cn tie ls pr este aus 250,000
North and South Thompson Valleys.......... oe 75,000
Nicola, Similkameen, Kettle River Valley....... 350,000
Peace River Lillooet and Cariboo Districts...... 200,000
East and West Kootenay Districts............. 125,000

West of the Coast range are several extensive tracts of rich arable
land lying in the Lower Fraser Valley, Westminster district, Vancouver
Island and adjacent islands in the Gulf of Georgia. These sections of the
province are fairly well settled, but much of the land is still untilled.

GRAIN GROWING.

Wheat is grown principally in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Spallum-
cheen, and in the country around Kamloops in the Thompson River
Valley, and is ground into flour at Enderby, Armstrong and Vernon.
Until the northern interior of the province, including the Peace River
district, is brought under cultivation through the construction of railways,
the wheat area will not be largely increased. Wheat is only grown on
the mainland coast and Vancouver Island for fodder and poultry feeding.

Barley of excellent quality is grown in many parts of the province.

OATS THE PRINCIPAL CROP.

Oats are the principal crop, the quality and yield being good. The
quantity grown is never equal to the demand. Rye is grown to a limited
- extent, and is used for fodder.

The average yield of grain and prices are as follows:—

Wheat, 25.62 bushels per acre, price, per ton........ $33.15
Oats, 39.05 bushels per acre, price, per ton.......... 27.00
Barley, 33.33 bushels per acre, price per ton......... 28 .00

These averages are very much exceeded in many cases, according
to the nature of the soil and local conditions. In the matter of oats, as
high as 100 bushels to the acre is not an uncommon yield.

ROOT CROPS.

Potatoes, turnips, beets, mangolds, and all other roots grow in pro-
fusion wherever their cultivation has been attempted. Sixty-eight tons
of roots to a measured acre is recorded at Chilliwack. The Province of
British Columbia this year won premier honors for potato growing at the
American Land and Irrigation Exposition, New York City, gaining the
Stillwell thousand dollar trophy against all competitors. The competition
was open to the world.

The Dominion census places the average yield of potatoes for Canada
at 162.78 bushels to the acre. This is considered very meagre in British
Columbia. The average price of potatoes is $14 to $16 per ton, while carrots,
turnips, parsnips and beets sell at an average of about 60 cents per bushel.