soured the soil it requires aeration, and the use of
lime, wood-ashes, or other fertilizers tend to correct
the sourness. Cost of preparing the land varies.
With drainage, aeration, and cultivation, these
lands, where worked, have been shown to be fertile.

In 1913, when the Royal Commission on Agricul-
ture visited Graham Island, a number of witnesses
were examined. The consensus of their evidence
was that it was cheaper to drain the muskeg than
clear the timber land. They estimated clearing
costs at $300 to $500 an acre. One man said he
could improve the muskeg for $125 an acre.

A committee of Graham Island Farmers’ Institute,
in a circular issued in 1922 following statements
made that the island was at present unsuitable for
settlement, said advantages of the islands are great
timber resources to be exploited; a growing fishing
industry; many square miles of level land, mostly
timbered, requiring only intelligent effort to make
it most productive; a mild winter climate and rain-
fall not excessive from an agricultural standpoint.
Proven successful field crops are oats, barley, prob-
ably wheat and rye, though proper field experi-
ments have not been made of these last two;
grasses—timothy, red-top, orchard-grass, tall
meadow-oat, English rye-grass, brome-grass, red,
white, and alsike clover, and alfalfa also has done
well in small experimental plots in some places and
failed in others; forage-crops—kale, rape, chard,
generally wintering out, though sometimes the frost
is sufficient to kill them; garden crops—turnips,
cabbage, beets, carrots, onions, rhubarb, potatoes,
peas, scarlet runner beans, broad beans, parsnips,
and sometimes in favoured localities, tomatoes,
cucumbers, and white and butter beans; small
fruits—raspberries, currants, gooseberries, dew-
berries, and strawberries do well and loganberries
sometimes ripen full crop. No doubt proper varieties
of apples will do well and have done well, as ex-
perience of Mr. Evans, Nadu; Mr. Beitusch, Tlell;
Richardson Bros., and others prove. There are
about 650 cattle and 300 sheep on the islands. All
the Indians, numbering 750, and a number of the
white settlers engage in fishing in summer. There
are a number of nice farms, and settlers have places
they could be proud of in any community. Hotels
are found at Masset and Queen Charlotte. Sports-
men can find good fishing, trout, salmon, ete.; ex-
cellent shooting, grouse, ducks, and geese, also
black bear.

Queen Charlotte Islands are included in Skeena
Land Recording District. Pre-emptions must be
recorded at the office of the Government Agent,

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