160 



EXPERIMENTAL FARMS, 



BEITISH COLUMBIA. 



Beginning on the west or Pacific coast, attention is first directed to the statement 

 of the composition of certain typical British Columbian soils, as set forth in the 

 following table. 



TABLE L 



ANALYSES OP SOILS (wATER-FREE) — BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



o 



S 



29' 



Locality. 



Victoria, Vanr. Isd 



Albemi n 



II II 



Cowichan n 



Ladners, N. Westr 



8{S<}uainish n 



" Pitt Meadows n 



9 

 10 



11 Agassiz 

 12 

 13 

 14 

 15 

 16 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 20 

 21 

 22 

 23 

 24 

 25 

 26 

 27 

 28 



Chilliwack 



II 

 Misflion, Yale. 



II It 



Guisichan i< . 



Quesnelle, Cariboo, 

 II tt 



Cottonwood Biver 

 II II 



II Hoose 



Surface 



or 

 Sub-soil. 



Character of SoiL 



Surface .... 

 Depth, 12 to 



18 in 



Depth, 18 to 



24 in 



Surface .... 



Valley soil, black loam. 



Sub-soil 

 Surface . 



Sub-soil 

 Surface . 

 Sub-soil 

 Surface . 



Sub-soil 

 Surface . 

 Sub- soil 

 Surface . 

 Sub-soil 



Dark red clay loam . 



II sandy loam. . 



" II b'ch soil 



Alluvial gray blk. loam 



Valley soil 



Alluvial black loam. 

 Grayish yel.sandy loam 



First bench 



Second n ...... 



Valley 



" soil, alluvial. 



Light gray clay loam. . 



Light gray sandy loam. 

 Dark gray n 



Light gray 

 Dark gray 



Yellowish sandy loam . 



Very sandy 



D. gray sandy loam.. . . 

 Yellowish gray 



a 



o 



bo 



I— I 



s 

 o 



10 



m 



C 



15-69 



13 



4 



10 

 11 

 7 

 17 

 3 

 31 

 6 

 6 

 4 

 6 

 7 

 7 

 5 

 3 

 8 

 2 

 6 

 6 

 7 

 2 

 12 

 4 

 8 

 8 

 13 

 3 



61 



63 

 79 

 32 

 10 

 25 

 38 

 14 

 37 

 87 

 34 

 92 

 12 

 72 

 90 

 96 

 85 

 66 

 18 

 59 

 13 

 02 

 01 

 60 

 28 

 03 

 04 

 02 



These include three well marked groups : 



1. Deltaic Soils. — These have been formed by the accumulation of detritus, as at 

 the mouths of the Fraser, Pitt, and other rivers ; very rich in plant food. 



2. "Valley Soils. — Largely alluvial as regards origin; rich, as a rule, in both 

 mineral constituents and organic matter. 



3. Bench and Plateau Soils. — At varying altitudes on the sides and summits of 

 elevations and mountains ; variable, but usually light and sandy ; of medium fertility, 

 though sometimes very poor. 



Possibly there may be other classes of soUs in the pro'vince, but our investigation 

 has as yet only included those now referred to. 



Soil No. 1. — Taken from a valley near Victoria, Island of "Vancouver, and repre- 

 sentative of a large area that is considered good farming land. When air-dried, it is a 

 dark brown, almost black loam, of excellent texture, homogeneous throughout, and con- 

 taining clay and humus in good proportions. 



