APPENDIX A 

 THE NEW NORTH-WEST 



"WHO cares for a few acres of snow?" said the flippant French 

 statesman, when he found that through him Canada was lost to 

 France; and our country has suffered ever since from this 

 libellous jibe. 



It was commonly said that no part of Canada was fit for agri- 

 culture except the extreme south of the Ontario Peninsula. 



It was a surprise when the Ottawa Valley was found suitable 

 for settlement. The Red River region was looked on as Arctic. 

 It is not thirty years since wheat was considered a doubtful crop 

 in what is now the banner grain-field of America. And all of 

 this misconception was the result of a few malicious but far- 

 reaching jeers. 



How are we to get at the truth about our new North-west? 

 How are we to make sure that we are leading none into disaster 

 by unduly lauding a new region, and yet avoid the other extreme 

 of ignoring a veritable Land of Promise? 



There are three sure sources of light the natural growth of 

 the country; the scientific study of its climate and soil; the re- 

 sults of actual experiment. 



1. The natural growth is nature's experimental farm. My 

 notes, made while travelling through the northern part of the 

 Peace River region, show that even near Great Slave Lake, 

 White Poplar (Populus tremuloides) , Balsam Poplar (Populus 

 balsamifera) , White Spruce (Picea canadensis), Black Spruce (P. 

 mariana), Tamarac (Larix americand) , Jackpine (Pinus bank- 

 siand) and Canoe-birch (Betula papyri f era) grow to perfection. 

 Here, indeed, are great forest trees, affording the finest timber 

 and a commercial asset of the highest importance. 



311 



