DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1928 69* 



lake in the open swamp. This proved to be a grove of timber, composed prin- 

 cipally of poplar and birch which from the air in certain lights would possibly 

 resemble a lake in appearance. 



Soil 



The first twenty-seven miles of the base line passed through lands which 

 were mostly sandy loam with many boulders. From here west to the Wabaskang 

 Indian Reserve clay loam predominates and in many places the land is free from 

 boulders and rocks for distances up to three and four miles. Judging by the 

 stand of timber which this soil supports it must have some characteristics which 

 would make it suitable for agricultural purposes. In some places, though, the 

 clay bakes very hard and in some of the pits an axe had to be used to chop it out. 

 This area of clay loam is by far the largest we have seen in the northwestern part 

 of the province. West from the Wabaskang Reserve the land is of a more broken 

 nature and the soil is less free from boulders. 



Rock Formation 



There was an area of schist and greenstone noticed around Island lake and 

 Schist lake. This was the only area which appeared to warrant prospecting. 

 The formation passed through on the line was nearly all Laurentian. An outcrop 

 of magnetic ore was noticed between the 19th and 2Cth miles, but otherwise ncf 

 minerals of any economic importance were noticed. 



Timber 



A timber plan accompanies this report. On this is shown the areas of green 

 and burned timber as crossed on the line. About eighty per cent, of the mileage 

 passes through a green forest with timber around one hundred years old. Poplar 

 predominates in many of the areas and this ranges up to twenty-four inches in 

 diameter and is quite the largest stand of this species we have noticed in this 

 western district. Spruce and jack pine of sufficient size for cutting is found well 

 mixed in with the poplar, and also in many cases predominates over large areas. 

 These species are generally of good size. 



The burned areas shown on the plan are now growing up mainly with jack 

 pine and poplar in about equal amounts. Most of these areas were burned over 

 between 10 and 15 years ago and only a very small area of recent brul4 was 

 noticed. 



Very few open or sparsely timbered swamps were noticed and these were 

 usually indicated on the air maps. 



The birch trees were this season attacked by some insect. Eggs were laid 

 on the leaves and the worm stripped the trees of all foliage in many places in the 

 late summer. 



Routes, Etc. 



Going in to the point of commencement we used the route, about two miles 

 east of YclifT station. This proceeds north through Tewatinaw and Lewis lakes 

 to Island lake. The only portage of any consequence on this route is between 

 Lewis and Island lakes and this is about 45 chains long. From Island lake 

 supplies were taken westward into Schist lake and then northwest across the 

 small lakes and portages indicated, which were cut out by our packers. The 

 river flowing between the lake, which crosses our line in the ICth mile, and Dog 



