iEPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 13 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



company with Mr. Galbraith, District Representative of the Provincial Department 

 of Agriculture, who drove with us through the best parts of the local farming area. 

 The soil is a heavy clay, apparently fertile, but rather difficult to handle. There 

 were many signs of late spring frosts; in fact there had been 8 degrees of frost on 

 June 23. 



On the morning of the 28th, we took train again for farther north. The coun- 

 try passed through is well-suited for agriculture, but will, of course, require great 

 expenditure for roads, clearing and draining before it can be expected to prove 

 vei^y profitable. The last two operations will apparently prove rather difficult. 



About 50 miles north of Now' Liskeard, we crossed the divide, and after that tlie 

 streams flow north into James bay. Some 30 miles short of Cochrane is Montoith, 

 where the Provincial Government has a demonstration farm supervised by Mr. 

 Galbraith, who had accompanied us. The soil here was quite similar to that farther 

 south and, while crops were somewhat more backward than those at Ottawa, they 

 were quite as promising. 



Sunday was spent at Cochrane, where soil and crops appeared much the same 

 as in the more southern portions visited. On Monday, after some local inspections, 

 some 7 miles westward, we went by motor speeder along the railway eastward, cross- 

 ing the Abitibi river and going almost to the northern extremity of Abitibi lake. 

 The country is very uniform in appearance. The surface is slightly undulating. 

 The higher parts are covered with strong growths of fir, spruce and popiar, the clay 

 coming practically to the surface. The lower or really level parts are covered with 

 from G inches to 2 feet of black muck or Sphagnum moss, with a fairly strong growth 

 of spruce thereon, while the lowest parts are waterlogged and covered deep with muck 

 and moss, forming what is called muskeg. This is the character of the country, 

 we were informed, from 150 to 160 miles east of Cochrane, or for some miles into 

 the province of Quebec. 



On Tuesday we started from Cochrane westward, along the railway, crossing 

 Frederick House river. Conception creek and Driftwood river. At Mattagami river, 

 31 miles from Cochrane, two townships have been ceded to an American company. 

 This company agrees to bring in and locate on this land at least twenty-five settlers 

 a year. The company gets all the wood but owns no land, and has cleared about 

 150 acres, built a large saw-mill and is building a large pulp mill on Poplar rapids. 



From this point to Ground Hog river is 19 miles. The first 31 miles frtm 

 Cochrane to Jacksonboro on the Mattagami was similar to east of Cochrane. The 

 next 19 miles was hardly as good on the average. 



From Ground Hog to Ivapuskasing river, 20 miles, was again quite similar in 

 character. The highest parts seldom or never rose over 10 feet above the grade level, 

 while practically never did the grade level stand more than 6 or 8 feet above the 

 lowest stretches. 



From Kapuskasing to Echo lake is 9 miles, to Apazatika is 11 miles farther, 

 to Crow creek is 10 miles farther still, and ]\Iissinaibi, the greatest river of them all, 

 is 10 miles beyond. From Missinaibi to Hearst, 21 miles, completes the first stret'-h 

 of 130 miles, west of Cochrane, Hearst being a divisional point. 



From Kapuskasing to Hearst was over a most remarkably uniform stretch of 

 country, drained by numerous rivers and small streams, well wooded and yet easily 

 cleared. In fact, it is a region of great agricultural possibilities. Of the whole 

 stretch from 20 miles east of Cochrane to Hearst, or 150 miles, one might safely 

 say that from 20 to 25 per cent would be easily cleared, from 30 to 40 per cent fairly 

 tfasiTy cleared, some burning of muck and some drainage being necessaiy, and from 

 20 to 25 per cent more possible of being cleared but, being a little more difficult of 

 drainage, would come under cultivstion later and so cost more. That is, probably 

 80 to 85 per cent of the country could be brouirht under the plough. 



At Hearst, we were fortunate in meeting ]\Ir Wilgar, District Engineer of the 

 N.T.R., and obtained from him much information about the country and assistance 

 in our journey. 



