LIST OF DISTRICTS. 







(1.) Vancouver Island South-east Section. 



(2.) Vancouver Island West Coast. 



(3.) Mainland Coast. 



(4.) Northern Coast Valleys. 



(5.) Lower Mainland. 



(6.) Lytton, Lillooet, Spence's Bridge. 



(7.) Kamloops-Walhachin. 



(8.) Southern Central Plateau. 



(9.) Shuswap Lake. 



(10.) Upper Okanagan Lake. 



(11.) Lower Okanagan Lake. 



(12.) Similkameen. 



(13.) Kettle River. 



(14.) West Kootenay. 



(15.) East Kootenay. 



(16.) Central British Columbia. 



(1.) VANCOUVER ISLAND SOUTH-EAST SECTION. 



This district, roughly speaking, comprises the cultivable areas included in the 

 boundaries shown on the map. The principal settlements of the district are those 

 around Victoria, along the line of the E. & N. Railway, at Comox, and on the Guif 

 Islands contiguous to the east coast. A considerable proportion of this area, which 

 is about 180 miles in length, may be cultivated, and much has already been cleared. 

 The rural population at present might be estimated roughly at 15,000, and the 

 principal industry is mixed farming, with dairying as its basis; poultry-keeping; 

 and fruit-growing, the latter being largely restricted to the sections having reason- 

 able transportation facilities. 



The climate is essentially mild and moist, due to the influence of the Japan 

 Current. The growing season is long, but cool, and the winters are damp and mild, 

 with occasional frosts and rare freezes. The precipitation varies from an average 

 of 28 inches annually at Victoria, 40 at Duncan, 42 at Nanaimo, to 70 at Alberni, 

 the greater part occurring in the winter months. In the greater part of the 

 district, precipitation in the summer is light, that for Victoria in June, July, and 

 August being the lowest recorded for any point in Canada. The summer drought 

 characteristic of the entire district is modified by the prevailing dampness of the 

 air; the blooming season extends over a long period, and the blossoms, as in all 

 Coast districts, are more subject to frost in consequence. 



The soils of the district are very diverse in character, but are similar in being 

 largely of glacial origin. Except in the lowlands, they are usually medium to light 

 in character, and are often underlaid with hard-pan at a depth of 18 to 30 inches 

 from the surface. A red, sandy, gravelly loam is the most usual upland soil, and 

 the one on which most of the fruit-growing is conducted. Most soils are deficient 

 in lime, but have fair amounts of nitrogen, potash, and usually phosphoric acid, 

 and respond readily to applications of manure and fertilizers. 



The Douglas fir is the principal forest tree, and with it are associated more or 

 less balsam, spruce, and cedar. The only British Columbia oak (Quercus garryana) 

 is a characteristic feature of many landscapes around Victoria and the Saanich 

 Peninsula. 



The markets for the produce of this district are practically altogether local. 

 Up to a few years ago, when the rapid expansion of the Coast cities began, it 

 was expected that the Prairie would be the eventual outlet for fruit, but the 

 rapidly increasing local population has now far outstripped the production of 



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