Forr Fraser Driyision. 23

located at the south-east of Lot 1170. ‘The settlers, many of whom raise cattle and
horses—wild hay being cut as winter feed at the rate of from 214 to 3 tons per cow—
haye experimented much with grains and vegetables. Oats, bearded and hull-less,
barley, radishes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, and beets all did well. Clover and alfalfa
have been grown. Practically all the roots stood the winter well. The native
vegetation grows profusely throughout the district on poor and rich soil, with close
or open subsoil, and dry as well as moist land. The growth is high and rank,
indicating the present richness of the top soil.

At some time a fire must have swept the whole area, the result being that there
is practically no standing timber here of any size, but numerous stretches are covered
with windfall, evidently of many years ago. There are several small lakes with
meadows around them, and the district has its fair share of creeks, which run
throughout the summer. The soil seems to have as much depth as in the poplar
country, and the wild hay is excellent for winter feed. The chief drawback is the
difficulty of clearing away the windfalls. ~

- Another settlement is located about twelve miles from the head of the lake.
The post-office is at Wistaria, at the south-east of Lot 848. The road which traverses
the district, entering from Burns Lake on the east and Houston on the west, runs
through these settlements and skirts the north of Ootsa Lake.

The prevailing winds on this part of the Interior Plateau are west and south-
west, and undoubtedly come from the Coast. Snow does not usually come to stay
before November 15th. In 1906-07 the snow averaged 3 feet deep, the following
winter was only about 15 inches deep, and again in 1909-10 was 3 feet. In 1910-11
it averaged about 2 feet in most of this territory. The ice generally goes out of
Francois Lake sooner than from Ootsa, it leaving the latter lake usually between
May ist and 10th. ‘The climate, however, seems much similar to that of the Bulkley
' Valley, both in temperature and rainfall. Possibly the Interior Plateat® with the
mountains more remote, becomes a little warmer in summer than the valley.

MrIxep FARMING BEST.

Mixed farming—that is, growing mostly coarse grains, as barley, oats, and rye,
vegetables and roots, hay and pasture, raising stock, cattle, sheep, hogs, and horses
in small numbers, and carrying on dairying to some extent—seems to be the line
of agriculture most promising. Summer dairying should be quite profitable on
account of the abundance of wild feed, but winter dairying is a difficulty, as corn
cannot be grown and clovers are only in the experimental stage as yet. This is not
a ranching country—that is, of large ranches—though each settler can keep a con-
siderable number of cattle. When the country becomes more closely settled cattle
will have to be fed about five months of the year.

BETWEEN OOTSA LAKE AND SKINS LAKE.

In 1915 surveys for pre-emption were made near Skins Lake and between it and
Ootsa Lake by A. W. Harvey, B.C.L.S. He said: “The country lying between Ootsa
Lake and Skins Lake is very rough and rocky, Lots 25388, 2545, and 2546 being
worthless. The eight sections lying to the west of Sections 2538 and 2543 contain a
considerable quantity of good land, the country being rolling and timbered lightly
with small poplar, pine, and spruce. The soil is similar over the whole area, being
a light clay loam, gravelly on the ridges. There are numerous small lakes and
swamps.

“Po the north along Cheslatta River I completed the survey of the sections
having this creek for the south boundary. ‘This stream, after leaving Skins Lake,
runs through two small lakes and is from 15 to 50 links wide, in a well-defined
channel, and contains running water throughout the year. I have used this stream
as the northern boundary of Lots 2542 and 2548.