On the Cultivation of the Cerealea of North America. 123 



of this kind became altogether impracticable for the season ; and the pe- 

 riod at -which I travelled on the Mackenzie River this spring was too early 

 for the occurrence of recent land-slips or rents in the earth, by which 

 the question might have been resolved. I shall, however, avail myself 

 of the close of the summer to obtain the required information." 



No. 10. — Extract of a Letter from Mr Chief -Trader Murdoch M c Pherson, 

 dated Fort Simpson, Mackenzie River, 1837. 

 " I beg leave to send you the following report of a pit dug at this place 

 on the 19th of last October (1836). The pit was made at the distance of 

 eighty yards from the banks of the river, in a heavy soil of sand mixed 

 with clay, and in a situation free to the action of the sun during the sum- 

 mer. The result was 10 feet 7 inches deep of thawed soil, from the sur- 

 face of the ground to that which is permanently frozen, and 6 feet 3 

 inches deep of frozen soil (permanently frozen, as I believe) between that 

 which thaws during the summer and that which never freezes." 



On the Cultivation of the Cerealea in the High Latitudes of North 

 America. Comprised in the extract of a Letter from Peter 

 Warren Dease, Esq., Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company to Dr Richardson. Communicated by the latter. 



The following extract of a letter from Mr Dease (to whose 



intrepidity, skill, and intelligence, conjoined with the able 



assistance of his lamented colleague Mr Tbomas Simpson, we 



owe the completion of the survey of the northern coast of 



America from Back's River to Behring's Straits) furnishes o 



further illustration of the nature of the North American 



climate, and is therefore closely connected with the preceding 



and following articles. 



" In regard to the cultivation of grain on Mackenzie's River, I can onlv 

 say, that although we had nheat in perfection in 1828 from Fort anx 

 Liards (Lat. 60° 5' N. ; Long. 122° 31' W.), that was the only season out 

 of several in which the grain ripened ; and the culture of wheat is re- 

 ported to be equally precarious at Punvegan, Peace River (Lat. 5G° 6' N. ; 

 Long. 117° 45' W.). Most place; lying near the Rocky Mountains are 

 liable Bo Bummer frosts, and I observed the same thine during my resi- 

 dence at Fort St James (Lat, 54° 30' N. ; Long. 124° W.) on Stuart's 

 Lake in New Caledonia; though I understand that at Fort George (Lat. 

 54° 35' N. ; Long. 125° W.) on Frazer's Lake, and at Alexandria (Lat. 

 52° 58' N. ; Long. 123° W.) on Frazer's River, good crops of wheat are 

 l. The whole average about four months in coming to maturity. 

 Barley has hern cultivated to advantage at Fori aux Liards, Fort Simp- 

 son flat. 02° U' N. ; Long. 121° 32' W.), and Fort Norman (Lat. (54° 

 41' N. ; Long. 124 J 4.7 W.), and generally takes three months to ripen. 

 Oatt have come to perfection at Fort, aux Li.-irds, and at Fort Simpson, 



