The Unexploited West: A Compilation of all of the authentic information available at the present time as to the Natural Resources of the Unexploited Regions of Northern CanadaChambers, Ernest J.
History
The Unexploited West: A Compilation of all of the authentic information available at the present time as to the Natural Resources of the Unexploited Regions of Northern Canada
Chambers, Ernest J.
Canada -- Economic conditions; Northwest, Canadian -- Economic conditions
At the Roman Catholic mission at Providence, the residence of the
bishop, one year he had one thousand four hundred and forty barrels of
potatoes—(one barrel, ten gallons)—from sixty kegs of seed, but this
was a very favourable year. They had been greatly favoured by the heat
and by rain at opportune times. On two or three occasions they had had a
thousand and twelve hundred barrels of the same roots.
At the Providence mission there was an excellent clay, which was very
good for cultivation. Throughout the country in general the bishop found
all sorts of land, black soil, loam, clay, sand, marl, etc. Generally
they harvested their potatoes at Providence from September 20 to 30.
Turnips, carrots, beets, etc., they harvested a little later. Wheat on
the banks of Peace river and Liard river was ripe towards the end of
August; at Athabaska and at Providence from September 15 to 25. Barley
was ripe a little sooner throughout. Rye does not ripen any sooner than
wheat, but witness had not made many experiments, for the reason that
they like wheat better than rye. Oats they harvested at the same time as
wheat, but they had sowed them only once. Potatoes they harvested at
Athabaska and at Providence, from September 20 to 30. Turnips, carrots,
beets, radishes, etc., they harvest later. Indian corn generally cannot
get ripened below Athabaska or on the Mackenzie. Strawberries commenced
to ripen towards July 15; gooseberries ripened towards the end of
August, and at the commencement of September. Raspberries and currants
come after the strawberries. There were also in places many blueberries,
cranberries, and other small fruits, such as poires sauvages
(Saskatoon), etc. Barley ripened at Fort Norman, at the mouth of Great
Bear lake river. Consequently it grew at Fort Wrigley, Fort Simpson, and
at Fort Providence. In Liard river and Peace river countries it
succeeded also very well. Brother Kearney and the Hudson’s Bay Company
had grown potatoes at Fort Good Hope (Arctic circle). At the mission at
Providence, and at all the Roman Catholic missions on Mackenzie river,
Liard river, Peace river and Slave river, etc., potatoes and other
vegetables were
CULTIVATED VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
Wheat grew, according to the Bishop’s evidence, at Providence mission,
and at Fort Simpson, but it rarely arrived at perfect maturity. It
ripened much better on the borders of Liard river and Peace river. At
the mission of the Nativity (Chipewyan at Lake Athabaska) they had often
grown fine wheat. At the mission of the Nativity (Athabaska), at Fort
Resolution (Great Slave lake), at Fort Smith, at the mission of Fort
Providence, they sowed from the time the land began to thaw, that is to
say, from May 15 until June 8 or 10. Throughout the length of Liard and
Peace rivers, sowing began a little earlier. At the end of August they
had already harvested barley and wheat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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