88 



EEPORT OF THE 



No. 3 



In order to make tlie survey more permanent, 25 iron posts were planted, in 

 addition to iron posts planted on previous surveys. The iron posts are each 11^4 

 inches in diameter, and were planted at the following points: — 



The lines are all well cut out and blazed, and every precaution taken to see 

 that the instructions were properly carried out. As the survey was not completed 

 until the end of January, difficulty was experienced in some cases, in getting the 

 posts firmly planted in the ground. The chainmen carried a double-bitted axe, and 

 a hole for each post was chopper below the frost line. 



The Township of Idington, as a whole, should be a good one from an agri- 

 cultural standpoint. It is conveniently located, as the National Transcontinental 

 Railway runs through the middle of it from east to west, and there are two stations 

 within the township. Harty station is near the east boundary, and Opazatika 

 station is near the west boundary. The whole township is gently rolling or level 

 clay land, resembling that in the best parts of the Clay Belt. The lower portions 

 are rather swampy, being covered with deep moss which retains the moisture. 

 There is a great deal of fairly high land, however, sufficiently rolling to afford 

 natural drainage. The Opakatika Eiver runs through the north-westerly portion 

 of the township. The banks of this river are low, and the land for a distance of 

 half a mile to a mile back from the river is very wet, and so low and flat that 

 drainage will be very difficult. The line between Concessions 14 and 15 runs 

 through low swampy country for almost its whole length, and the portions of the 

 township most suitable for immediate settlement are south of this line and east of 

 the Opazatika River. The timber plan accompanying this report shows this fairly 

 well, as the approximate location of the swampy portions and of the higher lands 

 are shown in colors. A considerable portion of this township has been burnt over. 

 These portions are also indicated on the plan referred to. The north-westerly 

 portion of the township was over-run by fire about two or three years ago, and the 

 timber is now beginning to fall. The burnt areas near the railway were probably 

 burnt over during the construction of the railway, and are now covered with an 

 almost impenetrable mass of windfalls. In Concessions 1, 2 and 3 there are 

 some burnt areas which are apparently the result of earlier fires, as the timber is 

 nearly all down, and much of it rotted away, so that these portions could be 

 easily cleared. These areas are probably extensions of the large brule which is 

 reported to exist further to the south, where fire is said to have swept a very large 

 area some years before the railway was built. 



The township is well timbered with spruce and balsam on the low ground, and 

 spruce, balsam, poplar and birch on the higher areas. A large part of this town- 

 ship appears to have been burnt over ninety years ago, and is covered with a 

 matured second growth. This old burn is fairly distinct from the rest of the town- 



