SKEENA RIVER AND PORCHER ISLAND DISTRICTS. 



In accordance with your instructions, I visited the Skeena River district 

 and Porcher Island, leaving Victoria May 8th, returning June 7th. Dis- 

 tributed 620 trees among the settlers for experimental purposes, and upon 

 which a separate report is being submitted. 



The proper distribution of the trees entailed the greater part of the 

 mouth spent in the districts. On this account, and as the districts covered 

 were of such large extent and the transportation facilities rather uncertain, 

 it was impossible to cover as much of the districts as was desirable to make 

 a complete report, especially in regard to areas of different types of soil. It 

 was feasible, however, to obtain a good general idea of conditions in the 

 districts visited, and this information, along with that which was obtained 

 from interviews with the settlers, is respectfully submitted forthwith. 



Along the Skeena River for the first sixty-five miles or so from Prince 

 Rupert, there is a very small amount of available agricultural land. The 

 mountains rise directly from the river, except for a few hundred acres of 

 land in odd places. Most of this land is heavily timbered, so the clearing 

 will be fairly expensive. The soil is a loam with a large percentage of river- 

 silt apparently rich in organic matter. Where it is high enough above the 

 river to afford good drainage, the land will prove highly productive. Coast 

 climatic conditions prevail here, and on this account this section is not well 

 adapted to the growth of tree fruits. Small fruits will do well and might 

 prove profitable for local market or canning-factory purposes, but they will 

 lack in shipping qualities owing to the wet climate. Vegetables do especially 

 well on this type of soil. Grasses and cereals grow well there, and, providing 

 climatic conditions are favourable at harvesting-time, this might prove a 

 profitable branch of agriculture to follow on these lands. No extensive 

 development work has been done in any of these places, so that the possibili- 

 ties of these sections as mentioned above are largely problematical. 



After leaving the Coast district and coming into the vicinity of Lakelse 

 River, the mountains recede, and on the north side of the Skeena River 

 there is the Kitsumkalum Valley, and on the south the Lakelse Valley, each 

 of which has a large acreage of first-class agricultural land, and the climatic 

 conditions are well adapted for agricultural or horticultural pursuits. 



In reporting on these districts, it would mean much repetition to cover 

 them all fully and for this reason a full report will follow on the Lakelse 

 district, and reference will be made to this district where similar conditions 

 occur in the other places. 



LAKELSE VALLEY. 



Picture 1 shows a section of the Lakelse Valley taken from a point 

 near the Skeena River and looking towards the Lakelse Lake, some seven 

 miles distant. Lakelse Lake (which has hot springs in its vicinity) is a 

 fresh-water lake, and will, no doubt, prove a valuable adjunct to the district 

 as a summer resort. There is a large amount of land between the lake and 

 Douglas Channel I could not visit, and no mention of same can be made in 

 this report. 



