BRITISH COLUMBIA 21 THE THOMPSON RIVER VALLEY

is practically the western centre of the province, with a large territory tributary to the city of Kamloops, a divisional point on the ‘nair line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is at Kamloops that the Norct Thomp- son River flowing from the Northern Interior, a distance of 300 miles, between two ranges of mountains, joins the South Thumpson, the natural outlet of the Shuswap Lake, and the combined waters convinuing west- ward fall into the Fraser River 94 miles distant. The immense area tribu- tary to Kamloops is the oldest settled district of the interior, owing the larger share of its development to the advent of the Canadian Pacific Railway 24 years since. The large valley of the North Thompson, with many smaller ones debouching upon it and many thousands of acres to the south of the main river have, during the last six years, proved to be valuable agricultural land producing heavy crops of first grade grain and ve- getables. The general climatic conditions of this district are expressed in the title by which it was well known as “the dry belt of Kamloops.” The rain and snowfall of the main valley is the lightest in the province—combined it does not exceed 14 inches— and irrigation is necessary. Forty-seven ‘miles west of Kamloops is Ashcroft, a small trading town, the starting point of many freight wagons and vehicular traffic passing over the Govern- ment road to the mining town of Barkerville and adjacent country, in- cluding the growing settlement of Fort George.

Lytton is another small trading town at the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers, the western end of a valuable fruit district.

Agassiz, seventy miles east of Vancouver, is the station for the hot sulphur springs on Harrison Lake so much favored by sufferers from rheumatism. The Dominion Government also maintains at Agassiz an extensive experimental farm where every variety of fruit, grain and pro-

British Columbia Corn. Quality is as high as its growth.