214 BOTANY OF THE RED RIVER. \July, 



BOTANY OF THE EED EIVEK. 



Extracts from a Paper read before the Botanical Society of 

 Canada, bearing the following title: — On the Botany of the 

 Red River Settlement and the Old Red River Trail. By John 

 C. ScHULTz. [Read Wth January, 1861.) 



"The Red River Settlement of late years attracted much atten- 

 tion in Canada, on account of its isolated position and the many 

 and vague reports that were in circulation regarding it, some 

 describing it as a land of milk and honey, and others as a cold 

 barren waste. But little was known of the real resources of the 

 country till the years 1857 and 1858, when the attention of our 

 Government was directed to it, and they ordered two expeditions 

 to be fitted out, one under the charge of Mr. Hind, and the other 

 under Mr. Dawson. These gentlemen, on their return, after an 

 absence of eighteen months, submitted their reports, accompanied 

 by maps and a geological description of the country traversed. 

 These were published and widely distributed, and many of you, 

 no doubt, have seen them. Therefore any account that I give of 

 the settlement will be as short as possible. 



" It is situated on the Red River, near its entrance into Lake 

 Winnepeg, occupying both banks of the Red River and the As- 

 siniboine, which empties into the Red River at the Hudson^s Bay 

 Corapany^s post Fort Garry, the centre of the settlement. The 

 settlement extends from the mouth of the Red River up about 

 forty miles, and on the Assiniboine river about twenty miles. The 

 distance of the settlement from St. Paul is said to be six hundred 

 miles, and from Lake Superior about three hundred. The popu- 

 lation is estimated (rather high, I think) at ten tliousand, inclu- 

 ding the roving population, who live altogether by hunting. The 

 climate resembles that of Montreal in the length and continued 

 cold of the winters, and the rapid vegetation in the spring after 

 the snow is off the ground. All the cereals are raised in abun- 

 dance, the average produce to the acre exceeding that of Canada. 

 Garden vegetables are also grown in abundance. Indian corn, 

 however, is not so successful, being nipped by the early frosts. 



"While residing last summer at Fort Garry, (the Hudson's Bay 

 Company's post in the settlement,) I had an opportunity of collect- 

 ing specimens of plants, some of which are now exhibited to the 



