for agricultural operations. The snow fall is not generally heavy, seldom exceeding eighteen inches, and, as with the rainfall, is uniform.”
As to agriculture, actual and possible, in Green lake district, Mr. Crean reports:—“At and around the Hudson’s Bay Company’s post on the north end of Green lake there is a considerable settlement of half-breeds. A Roman Catholic mission is established here. Revillon Frères have also a post. The priest has a good garden having all kinds of vegetables, and also a small fruit garden growing currants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries. These all thrive and mature. Green lake is important as a stopping place for freighters in winter and consequently large quantities of hay are stacked. Some oats and barley are grown but no real effort has been made to farm. Father Teston of the mission says that he has grown oats and barley for fifteen years in succession and so far has not had a failure. I interviewed a native named Morin, who said that he had grown potatoes, oats and barley in small quantities for thirty-five years and could not recall having ever had a failure. He has never kept a record of when he sowed or when he harvested, neither has the Reverend Father. Morin owns thirty-five head of cattle and twelve head of horses. He has sown wheat on six or seven occasions and it always ripened. In his opinion there is no doubt that wheat could be raised anywhere in the locality. The ice in Green lake goes out early and it is generally very late before it freezes. The summers are always warm and there is ample rain. The gardens, which I saw here, were certainly fine although they were not cared for as they should have been. Weeds were allowed to grow in profusion.”
In his report of his explorations in 1909 along the west side of Green lake, Mr. Crean wrote:—“The crops were not very far advanced when I was there, nor indeed did any resident sow grain to any extent. There was a small field of oats, a small field of barley and the usual gardens. The gardens, as is customary in the fur country, are neglected; but yet the vegetables seem to grow in profusion. Lettuce and radishes in fourteen days grow from the seed to a size fit for table use. On Sunday, July 14, I saw some radishes one and one-half inches in diameter, fourteen days’ growth.”