nO
the gardens at Lower Post were not very promising.

At the Fort Nelson end of the road, good gardens have been
raised near the Post for many years, and extensive areas of agricultural
land occur in the vicinity. By proper land selection and drainage,
small farming may be carried on locally as far west as mile 50, but
through the high foothills and mountains soil and climatic conditions
are rarely suitable for gardening or farming. Near the junction of
MacDonald Creek and Racing River; and again along Trout River below
Muncho lake, horses have been wintered for many years, probably since
the gold rush of 1898. Small gardens might be developed in these
Local ees a Audi

: Several areas of good land at mile 213, near “the hot springs,
Liard River, were worked as a garden by Ton stat, and others, and con-
siderable hay was cut off the neglected area in 1943. The region of the
hot springs has been called the Tropical Valley by feature newspaper
writers in the past, and while "Tropical" does not apply, "Garden Valley"
might be used in truth. The forest growth of white. spruce, black poplar,
birch, and white poplar is especially heavy at this point, but is
attributable to low altitude (about 1,500 feet), good soil, and suitable
yeinfall rather than to the temperature of the springs. There is some’
very local reaction on the ieee of plant life to the mineral content of
the spring water.

_ Forests

_ Sawmills have been operated at various places along the Highway,
to supply lumber for buildings and culverts. At we Tee white spruce
“was cut that averaged 14 inches on the stump. This timber is about
typical of that east of the mountains. In Liard, Valley, spruce and
black poplar grow to.2 feet at the base,. with heights. of .100 feet or.
“more. There’ are stands of fair-sized white birch and some small larch
in the low lands and some fair jack pine on the gravelly plains and’.
‘ridges, especially west of Smith River. The buildings of the Smith -
Valley Air Port are construcved of jack pine squared on three sides.
Firewood is available everywhere. So far loss of forests by fire has
been moderate, but the risk remains to be faced during dry periods... -)

Scenery, Fur, , Fish, pepe Game

The route from Fort Nelson to Watson lake traverses a land
made alluring by fur trader, gold seeker, and a very few hardy ex-
plorers. In 1887 Dawson and McConnell entered Liard Valley by Dease
River, Dawson going north to Watson Iake and into the Yukon, and
McConnell surveying Liard River to the Mackenzie. Many Yukoners made
their way to the Klondike along this route and their old-trail has
remained in use ever since, and for the most part has controlled the
route of the Bae ye

Major G. B. Hart of Williams Lake spent’ some 3 years in this
region, mapping much of it single handed, for the eee ge British”
Columbia .

Tom Smith and his young daughter. Jane made a comfortable home
for themselves at the hot springs on Liard River, and from there set out
on their ill-fated voyage, rafting, the Liard toward Fort Liard. Devils
Canyon claimed Tom's life and Jane was rescued from an island, where she
had made land, by the aid of Indians. Trappers have carried on their
hardy calling in the mountain valleys, taking 6 ‘weeks by pack train to-
transport their furs fron Liard River to Fort St. John.

The airplane changed:all this, and pre-war lending fields es-.
tablished at Fort Nelson and Watson Lake superseded the landings for
hydroplanes on nearby waters. The Highwey has provided an easy supply