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, 6