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6

Canadian Agriculture. — Fart IL

THE

EASTERN PROVINCES

BY

PuoFEssou VV. FREAM, B.Sc. Lond., F.L.S., F.G.S.,

COLLEGE OF AGUICLLTIIKE, DOWNTON, SALISBUUY.

■I*

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Af.

L 0 N D 0 N :

riiiN'rKi) in- william cr.owES and sons, limited,

STAMl'OliD STREET AND CllARINQ CROSS.

1885.

KUOil THE

JOURNAL 01- THE ROYAL AGKICULIUKAL SOCIKIY OK ENGLAND

VOL. XXL-S. S. lAKI' IL

THE EASTERN PROVINCES.

Eastern Canada, comprising^ Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime
Provinces, is much better known in England than the great
prairie region to the west, and it does not therefore appear
necessary to enter, other than briefly, into the physical features
of the older Provinces. The climate of Canada does not in
different parts vary so much as might be anticipated when the
great geographical range of the Dominion is considered. There
appear, however, to be seven definable belts or zones of climate,
each tolerably distinct in its temperature, rainfall, and general
meteorological characters : (1) the extreme eastern, embracing
Newfoundland and part of Quebec; ('2) the Clulf area, in-
cluding Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and part of New
Brunswick ; (li) the St. Lawrence area, embracing the Province
of Quebec ; (4) the Lake region, including Ontario and Hudson
Bay south ; (5) the great inland or prairie region extending
ver Manitoba and the North- West Territories ; (6) the Rocky

over

Mountains ; (7) the Pacific range.

The following remarks on climate refer chiefly to Eastern
Canada : — *

" Owing to the dry, oU'nr, bracint; atmosphere which generally i>revails,
the sense of discomfort produced by the raw easterly winds and dau\p fogs of
an English spring suggests an idea of cold, such as is rarely thought of in a
Canaduin winter, 'Jliere are, indeed, every winter a few days of intense cold,
as in the summer there are brief periods of equally intense heat, when the
thermometer ascends, or descends, through a scale unknown in the more
equable English climate. But throughout the greater ]>art of the winter
season in Canada the sky is bright and clear, and the weather thoioughiy
enjoyable. (>pen sleighs are in use by all. Sleighing parties of ]ileasure are
arranged for the period of full moon, that tliey may nturn home over the
snow.^after an evening's enjoyment at some appointed rendezvous; skating,
snow-shocinir and other out-dot)r cvercises are in universal favour ; and the

• ' Encyc. Brit.' 0th edition, 187G. Art. " Canada."

■Aj

fi

Canadian A,/nailture.

sound of the sloif^h-boUs in the open thoroughfares adds to the exhilnratini:;
st'iiso iinxlucod iiy tlio luiiv hraciii^ ;itiii('S|ihi'ri'. Snow a< ronlin^'ly hriii<;s
witli it no siK'h ideas ol" disconitort as are associaifd with it in Knijland,
wliilc h\ the iarnier it is haik'd as altoi^otlier henelioiah In the Provinee of
Qnebeo tlie simw he^ins to lie early in Nnveiiihcr ; in Ontario it is I'lilly a
month later; and it diflers ('iirres|toiidin,::!y at varions localities throu<ihont
the Dominion. lUit everj'where the apiiearaiu'e of the snow is liailed a8
.seasonable and henelieial. It prnteets the whi'at sown in autumn from the
frost, alTords ficilities to the tanner lor lirinjiiii': hi;i produci' to inaiket, aids
the lumberer in coUeotin;: the fruits of his hihour in the forest at suitable
]ioints for transport by water with the sprinj:; freshets, and so contriltules
alike to business and pleasure.

" -January and February are the Coldest moiiths of the year. ']'hroujj;hout
the whole of (".uiada steady slei^^hini; is reckoned upon diirini:; those montlis.
In Qufbee and Manitoba a longer period (if slci^hiirj; can be relied njion. In
Nova Scotia, New IJrunswick, ami I'rince I'ldward Island, and also the Pacific
coasts, the temperature is modified both in summer and winter accordinj^ to
vicinity to the sea. Abrupt chanues of temiierature occur both in summer
and in winter. A jxritidof tireat cold early in the month of .binuary is so fre-
quently followed by a complete change, that its jieritHlieity is reckoiad upon
under the name of the January thaw. Snow limdly disappeiu\s in Quebec
about the ndddle of April. In (hitario it is j^enerally ^one a month earlier.

" riouj^hin:; usually ctnumences in Ont.irio abo\it the middle of Ajiril, and
in favourable seasons is prolonged into the month of IKcember. Hut
throughout the Doniiiuon, stret<'hin<4 as it does across the continent, and
cmbracine; an area nearly eipial in size to Kuroix', the [)eriod varies with the
locality, and is atfected by the vicinity of tlie great lakes or other local
inllueiices. ("attle are turned out to ura/.e in April, leedin^ in part upon the
tender shoots of the sjirinii forest growth, luitil the appearance of the young
]iasture with the disappearance of tlie snow. Before the end of July harvest
begins; and witli the rajiidity of 'growth under the warm Canadian skies, the
hay, urain, ami root-crofis follow in swift succi ssion ; the cleared land is
broU'_dii again under the plough, and the autunm .sowing of wheat is carried
on till another abrujit change brings the season to a dose. In this way the
Canadian climate is marked by ttie striking contrast of two seasons — summer
and winter, — bringing with them alternations of fruitful lal»our and of reiH)se,
intermingled with protitalile industry and pleasure. This characteristic
prevails with slight variations throughout the greater part of the Dominion.
. . . Winter begins with crisp clear weather, whiidi grows increasingly cold
and iloudy. The wind wheels to the north-east, and with it comes the snow,
and the long steady winter of the Canadian year."

The general ch.aracter of the climate in Eastern Canada may
be still further indicated by the following tables, containing a
summary of the weather statistics for the year lb82 at four
stations, in as many separate j)rovinces. These tables are
made up from the ' Report of the Meteorological Service of the
Dominion of Canada for tlie year ending December 31, 1882,'
which was published last year.

It is to be regretted that, although this is the twelfth annual
report, it contains no summary of the results of the eleven
preceding years' observations, which would undoubtedly have
enhanced the value of the publication, besides affording useful

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Canadian Agriculture.

9

fjfjurps l)<»th for comparison and for the foundation of general
statciiirntii.

TIm^ flora of Kastcrn Canada, and ind(>e<l of the Atlantic
honh'is of North America jj^cnorally. presents a similarity to
that of the other siih- of the orean which cannot fail to attract
notice, hut, in receding; westward or southward, the similarities
are found to he overshadowed hy th<^ din'erences. As hearing
on this inten'stiiig suhject, [ take; the following remarks from
Professor Asa (iray's pa])<'r on the ' Characteristics of the North
American I'lora ' : —

" In tlu- fields atiil alnti;.^ open ruadsMeH the likeness (to the flora of Western
Eiiriipe) seems to he i^reater. lint much of lliis liketiess is the unconscious
work of man, nitlier than ol iiatnrc, tlie n'sisnii of wliich is not far to seek.
'I'his \v.\s a rej^ion of forest, upon whicli thc^ ahoiij^ines, although they here
and th'Te opened patches of land fur cnltivntinn, had made no jtermanent
oiuToachnietit. Not, vciry mncii of the horhaceous or other low undergrowth
ot this forest eoulil hear exposure to the fervid summer's sun; and the change
was too abrupt for adaptive mo lification. The plains and prairies of the
greiit Mississippi Valley were then too remote for their vegetation to compete
for the vacancy which whs made here when forest was changed to grain-fields
and ihen to nioa<low and pasture. And so the vacancy came to be filled in a
notable measure by agrestial (ilants Imm F'iiirope, the seeds of which came in
seed-grain, in the coats and llecce and in the imported fodder of cattle and
sheep, and in the various but not always apparent wavs in which agricultural
and commercial people unwittingly convey the j)lant8 and animals of one
country to another. So, while an agricuUural peojde displaced the aborigines
which the forest sheltered and nourished, the herbs, puriiosely or accidentally
brougiit with them, took possession of the clearings, and prevailed more or
less over tiie native and rightful heirs to the soil, — not enoui;h to supplant
them, indeed, hut enough to impart a certain atlventitious Old World aspect to
the lields and other open grounds, as well as to the precincts of habitations.
In s|iring-tini(; you would have seen the fields of this district (Montreal)
yellow with Kuroptan lUitlerciiiis and Dandelions, then whitened with the
( >x-eye Daisy, and at midsummer hriuliteiied by the ca-rulean blue of Chicory.
I can hardly name any naiive herbs whicli in the fields and at the reason can
vie witli these intruders in floral show. The common Barberry of the Old
World is an early denizen of New Kngluid. 'J'he tall Mullein, of a wholly
alien race, shoots up in every jiasuire and new clearing, accompanied by the
common Thistle, wiiile another imported Thistle, called in the States ' the
Canada Thistle,' has become a veritable nuisance, at which much legislation
has been Itjvelled in vain. . . .

"Opportunity may count for more than exceptional vigour; and the cases
in wiiich foreign plants have shown such superiority are mainly those in
which a forest-destroying people liave brought upon newly-bared soil the
seeds of an open-gruund ve'Ctation. . . .

" That it is opportunity rather than spcv-ially ac(piircd vigour that has given
Old World weeds an advantage may be inferred from the behaviour of our
weeds indigenous to the country, tlie plants of the unwooded districts —
prairies or savaimas west and south — wliich, now that the way is open, are
coming in one by one into these eastern parts, extending their area continually,
and holding their 'jroand tpnte as pertinaciously as tlie immigrant denizens.
Almost every year gives ne.v examples of the immigration of campestrine
western plants into the Eastern Slates. They are well up to the spirit of the
age : they travel by railway. The seeds are transported, some in the coats of

10

Canadian A(jriciiUure.

cattle uiul slioop on tho way to market, others in tbe food which supports
tlum on tho jinirnoy, and many in a way which yon niij^ht not suspect, until
you cunsiilcr that these great roads run tast and west, that the jirevalent
winils are from the west, that a freipht-train left unguarded was not long ago
Mown on for more than one hniulred miles Ix-fore it could he stopped, not
altogether on down grades, and that the bared and mostly unkempt borders
v^ these railways Ibrni capital seed-beds and nursery -grounds lor such jilants."

As rejjards the composition of the arboreal vegetation of
British North America, the same high authority adds : —

"The Couilera? native to the British Islands are one Pine, one Juni|ier, and
a Yew ; those of Canada ]iro[>er are hmr or five Tines, four Firs, a Larch, an
Arbor-Vila', three JuTiipers, ainl a Yew ; Rmrteen or fifteen to three. Of
Amentaceous trees antl sl>rnbs, Great Britain counts one Oak (in two marked
lornis), a lieecli, a Hazel, a llornl)eani, two Birches, an Ahler, a Myrica,
eighteen AVillows, and two Poplars — tweuty-eiglit spox;ies in nine genera, and
under four natural orders, in Canada there aro at least eigiit Oaks, a Cht.'st-
nut, a Beech, t\V(j Hazels, two UoinlH-ams of distinct genera, six Birches, two
Alders, about fiurteen Willows and tivf I'oplars, also a Plane tree, two
Walnuts, and four Hickories; say torty-eight species, in thirteen genera, and
belnniiinir to scvon natunil orders. 'I'lie roinparison may not hv. altogether
fair ; for the British liora is excei>tionally poor, even lor islands so situated.
But if we extend it to Scandinavia, so as to have a continental and an
equivalent ana, the native Conil'eia' would be aiigmciiteil only by one Fir,
the Amentacea' by several more Willows, a Poplar, and oiie or two Birches;
no additional orders nor genera."

The extent of land under cultivation in Canada is at present
about 22,()()0,()00 acres, besides about 7,0(K),()()() acres under im-
proved pasture. The average size of Canadian farms is, according
to Professor Brown, of Guel])h, a little under 150 acres. The
average annual gross value ol j)r()duce is Al. \2s. per acre over
all the Provinces, the extremes being H/. \2s. and 3/. Clear
profit, after pacing for labour, maintenance, interest on capital,
and other charges, may be put at an average of over 12.v. per acre.
The average farm carries live-stock to the value of 1/. Vis. per
acre. The annual taxes upon land consist of a township rate, a
school rate, and a county rate, amounting in all to an average
of bd. per acre. Land is Ix'ing actually occu])ied at the rate of
380,000 acres per annum, and reclaimed at the rate of 100,000
per annum. Within recent years wheat-j)roiluction has in-
t;reased at the rate of 70,000 acres per annum. The population
is still essentially an agricultural one, for there are not many
large aggregations of non-farming classes in any part of the
Dominion. The annual value of produce per acre is very
considerably less than from the older cultivated lands in
I^ngland, and the annual expenditure per acre, including
labour and fertilisers, is remarkably low.

The general characters of Canadian farming are somewhat
distinct in the difTerent Provinces. Ontario agriculture is of
quite a British type in cropping and stock farming, but with

Canadian Ayriculture.

11

a larger proportion of grain and less pasture, and with fewer
cattle and sheep per acre. In Quebec, the mode of farming is
suggestive of a large market-gardening system, with live-stock
suited to French requirements. And in the Maritime Pro-
vinces, where barley, oats, and potatoes constitute the staple
crops, there exists, or did exist till recently, a somewhat
general indifference to improved live-stock.

As the Provinces of Eastern Canada are well defined, and as
their collective area is very large, it seems desirable to enter
somewhat into detail concerning the agricultural features of
each. Before doing so, however, and as it may save a con-
siderable amount of repetition later on, it may be well to give
some account, first, of the cattle trade, and, secondly, of the
dairy industry of Canada.

The Canadian Cattle Trade.

The cattle trade of Canada is increasing with very great
rapidity. It has passed out of the tentative stage and has
grown into an enormous business, in which hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been invested by shrewd practical
men. it embraces, on the one hand, the importation of pure-
bred animals with the object of improving Canadian stock ;
and, on the other, the exportation of cattle and sheep to supply
the English meat-market. The number of the former is, as
might be expected, very insignificant as compared with that of
the latter. And yet it was so recently as the year 1874 that the
exportatii)n of Canadian cattle across the Atlantic was com-
menced, the shipment that year numbering 455 head, since
when the quality of the stock has undergone material improve-
ment, and the prices realised have fully met the expectations of
the dealers interested in the traffic. To Mr. John Dyke, the
Canadian Government Agent at Liverpool, belongs the credit
of having initiated this tr.ide. The following figures show the
ofiicial returns of cattle and sheep exported to Europe during
the? last eight years from Canadian ports : —

Year.

Cattle.

Sheep.

1877

(J,J)40

9,504

1878

18,055

41,225

1879

25,009

80,332

1880

50,905

318,143

1881

45,535

<;2,401

1882

35,738

75,905

1883

55,625

114,352

1884

(i 1,843

G7,197

1»,

12

Canadian Agriculture.

The total annual value of the cattle shipped from Canada
seven or eight years ao;o was less than tSO,()()()/. The value of
the imports of live-stork from Canada into the United Kinji^-
dom durinji^ tlie last two years, is returned by the Bc^ard of
'IVade as follows: —

Oxen aiui Bulla

CoWH

Ciiivoa

Shi cj) and Lnnibs ,
SwiiK'

1883.

£

1,115,470

24,I5'.>

1:57

215,742

(5

£1,355,514

1884.

1,200,405

40,351

122

125,841

14!)

£1,420,028

Althou«;h I was in Montreal only for a week in August, I
noticed nearly every day large droves of cattle on their way to
the wharves on the banks of the St. Lawrence for shipment in
the Athmtic steamers, and it is hardly possible in the summer
to cross from Liverpool to (Quebec without sighting one or more
steamers laden with cattle for Glasgow or Liverpool. The
folhjwing statement presents another view of the export trade
in Canadian cattle, as it specifies the port of shipment, and
shows the number and value of horned cattle shipped at the
several ports mentioned : —

Year.

Montreal.

Quebec.

Halifax.

No.

Value.

No.

Value*.

No.

Value.

1879

17,010

£

280,. 500

2,710

£
28,425

22

£
252

1880

27,474

401.033

4,313

35 , 377

913

15,913

1881

33,005

4.')0,290

11,701

107,205

2.408

47,925

1882

30,243

397,003

7,385

71,030

3,290

64,318

1883

33,940

580,020

1,593

20,755

1,004

20,493

1884

57,552

1,438,800

080

17,000

3.011

90.275

Total

200,490

£3,555,578

28,448

£280,3'J2

11,314

239,170

Whence is derived the following summary (p. 13) of the
number and value of the horned stock shipped from the ports
specified during tho six years 1879 to 1884.

IJrc-Stock Quaraiititie. — The privilege that Canada enjoys in
the immunity of her live-stock from disease is one that she does
well to guard with the utmost jealousy, and all cattle entering

Canadian Agriculture.

13

No.

Value.

Montreul

Quebec

Halifax

Total

200,496
28,448
11,314

£

3,555,578

286,392
239,176

240,258

£4,081.146

the Do

minion are subiet;t

ed to a rip-if

1 fiuarantine.

I liave ^

already given some account of the reg^ulations respecting the
admission ot cattle from the Western States of the Union into
Manitoba and the North-West, and this seems an appropriate
place in which to sketch briefly the history of the live-stock
quarantine in Kastern Canada. The terrible outbreak of foot-
and-mouth disease and of pleuro-pneumonia in England, in the
year 1875, led the Canadian Parliament to pass an Act pro-
hibiting the importation of cattle from the mother country.
Notwithstanding this prohibition, Mr. Whitfield, a wealthy
West India merchant, possessing an extensive stock farm at
Rougemont, Province of Quebec, tried to import some thirty
tlioroughbred cattle from Liverpool, hoping his plea of im-
j)roving Canadian live-stock would lead to an exceptitm being
made in his favour. But the Department of Agriculture re-
mained firm, and Mr. Whitfield had to remove his cattle to
Newfoundland, whence they were re-shipped to England and
sold at an enormous loss. It is pleasant to be able to record,
however, that Mr. Whitfield has now upon his Rougemont
estate, which lie has recently placed at the temporary disposal
jbf the I'rovincial Government as a model farm, upwards of
|()(),()()()/. worth of carefully selected and imported pedigree
live-stock.

The case just mentioned was brought under the notice of the
authorities at Ottawa by Dr. McEachran, of Montreal, who
rt^presented that it was a serious drawback to the cattle raisers
and breeders of Canada to be prohibited from importing live-
stock from across the Atlantic. The result was the establish-
ment, in 187G, of the first live-stock quarantine station in
Canada. An .idmirable site was chosen in the interior of the
Government fort at Point Levis, on the south shore of the
St. Lawrence, oppo^jite Quebec. The a(;c;ommodation, small at
first, has been extended, till now some fifty acres of land inside
and outside the fortifications are occupied by the station ; there
are eighteen sheds, and as many as TOO head of cattle can be
accommodated at one time. For the first three years the qua-
rantine was limited to the insufficient period of eight days, but

I'll

14

Canadian Agriculture.

this was changed in 1879 to ninety (la\s, at which period it
has since stood. Dr. McEachran, of Montreal, is Dominittn
Inspector of quarantine, and Dr. (\)uture, of Quebec, is the
h)cal assistant, and the object of the (juarantine is to prevent
tlie introduction into Canada of all or any of the foUowing
diseases : rinderpest, contagious pleuro-pneunionia, and foot-
and-mouth disease, in the case of cattU» ; foot-and-mouth disease,
foot-rot, and scab, in the case of sheep ; and hog-cholera in the
case of swine.

The (iovernment possess sufficient land to enlarge the quaran-
tine station to 15() acres, if necessary. The sheds are so
arranged that each one is surrounded by from two to three acres
of land. Cattle arriving by one vessel are kept quite isolated
from those arriving by another, a space of 10 feet to 14 feet
being fenced off between the grounds occupied by the different
shipments. The sheds are of various sizes, and contain single
rows ot stalls, each stall being 8 feet wide, and allowing 4 feet
for each of its occupants. The sheds are 1<> feet wide, If) feet
high in front, and 8 feet behind, and are well ventilated both in
summer and in winter. Scrupulous cleanliness is observed both
in the }ards and in the sheds. Importers pay no charge for
quarantine, but they pnride food, attendance, and litter, either
straw or sawdust. The buildings and fences have hitherto cost
from 4000/. to oOOO/. The fences are all movable. The annual
cobt of maintenance of the station is about H)00/.

It is obvious that the Government of Canada are determined
to spare no effort or expense to keep the cattle of the I)omini(m
pure and liealthy, and Iree from all contagious disease, and the
ste])s which have been resorted to for this purpose cannot but
conunand the sympathetic admiration of Knglish farmers. The
Canadian argument on tlu; suijject is simple enough : " If we
let disease find its way into the Dominion, the cattle we export
will be liable to carry it with them, and our country will be
schedule«l by the authoriti<'s in I'mgland." Much of the effi-
ciency of the present system of (juarantine is due to the energy
of the Dominion Minister of Agriculture, the lion. John llt;nry
Pope, who very soon after he entered otiice sent an official into
the New Kngland States to in(|uire into the truth of rumours as
to \.\\v. diseased condition of many American animals. These
rumours were verified, whereupon American cattle were pro-
hibited from entering Canada, and Mr. Pope, having informed
the Ikitish Government of this fact, and demonstrated further
that no disease existed in the Dominion, had the satisfaction of
seeing ('anada removed from the schedule, since when Canadian
cattle have had free access to the English markets, both at the
iieapurts and at inland stations. Exporters of Canadian cattle

Canadian Agriculture.

15

have practically abandoned the New England ports as places of
shipment, and now utilise to the fullest extent the facilities
offered by the St. Lawrence route. All cattle and sheep sent
from Canada are submitted to veterinary inspection before ship-
ment. Further proof of the extreme care which is taken to
keep Canada out of the schedule is afforded by the fact that, on
this side of the Atlantic, the High Commissioner for Canada,
the Hon. Sir Charles Tupper, K.C.M.G., has maintained a
rigid inspection of all live-stock passing either way between
this country and the Dominion, and Mr. John Dyke, the able
and courteous agent of the Canadian Government at Liverpool,
exercises a watchful supervision over all cattle which arrive
there from, or leave there for, Canadian ports.

So highly appreciated is the system of quarantine at Quebec,
that a very large proportion of the cattle destined for the
United States now enter by this route, and it is estimated that
of cattle imported for States west of Ohio, fully 75 per cent, go
by way of Quebec. The following statement not only illustrates
the rapid growth in the importation of live-stock from Europe,
but serves to show the number of animals which have been
landed at Quebec since the establishment of the quarantine in
187(3;—

Cattle.

Sheep.

PigB.

Total.

1876

109

805

17

431

1877

• •

124

38

162

1878

45

113

17

175

»

1879

114

369

6

489

1880

396

400

, ,

796

iH

1881

701

1100

40

1841

1882

1209

1124

22

2355

188:{

1867

603

41

2511

1884

1607

473

26

2106

An analysis of the imports at Quebec in 1882 gives the

1

following result? : —

^

Cattle.

Sheep.

rigs.

For Canada

574

998

22

For United States . .

635

126

••

1209

1124

22

The Canadian import was distributed among the various

f
1

provi

nces thus :-

—

1

16

Canadian Atjriculture.

Ontario

Qik'Ih'o

Nortli-West Tirritorii'8

i\ltuiit()l>a

N'dva Sootiii
Now IJiuutfwick ..

Cattle

214

'j:t

12
8
1

r)74

Sliocp.

878
117

\)\)6

I'itfH.

11)

22

The following is a summary ol" tin; breeds iinportod in

1882 :—

Cattle.

E

c

1

^ c

•d

£

a

•0 i f

c

M

? s

—

>.

QJ

^

1

n

= «>' =

o

>

S

^

^n

For Canada . .

90

31

323

56

7

10

19

5

17

IG

574

For Unittil Statca

14

142

2G3 ItiG

1

••

••

■•

no

G35

All these eattle underwent a quarantine of ninety days from the
date of sailing from the Kuropean port, and no disease of a
contagious nature was found to exist amongst them.

SlIEEP.

4;

d

0

«■

"-

•0

U

•0

II

t
1

•5
1

9.

ri —

.0
0

X

5

0
*

0

s

1

•J

For Canada

1G3

512

33

10 110

12

17

50

91

998

For United Statea ..

84

22

••

••

20

••

••

••

126

Thus, almost a thousand pure-bred sheep, many of them prize-
winners, were imported in 1882. Ontario takes the lead both
in importation and in exportati(m.

* The cattle called " Ilol-tein" on tlio Anicripim Continent arc rtiilly Dutch.
The true Ilolstein brecdH are kt pt on the Mart<ht'« of H(il.>itcin, and very much
reaemble our unimproved and uni»edigretd 8hortliorub. — Edit.

Canadian Agriculture.
Pigs.

17

Iterksbiro,

Suffolk.

Total.

For Canada

18

4

22

This is less than half of the import of the preceding year, and
indicates tiiat hoj;;-raising is not pro*:^ressinjtj in Canada. Eoth
sheep and pi<>^s are allowed to proceed to their destination if,
on inspection at (Quebec, they are found to be free from disease.
The live-stock imported in 1884 through the Quebec quarantine
were distributed as follows: —

To Canada . .
To United States

Total

Cattle.

323
1284

1(;07

Sheep.

303
170

473

Tigs.

20
6

26

The (Quebec quarantine has attracted so much notice in the
United States, that in August, 1882, it was visited and inspected
by the American Treasury Cattle Commission, whose function
it was to establish and maintain a proper system of cattle
quarantine for live-stock imported from Europe under the
supervision of the Treasury Board at Washington, which
controls all matters connected with the imports and exports
of the country. The Sundry Civil Appropriation Bill of 1881
granted 1(),()0()/. for the establishment of cattle (juarantine
stations at such ports as New York, Boston, Baltimore, and
Philadelphia. But American importers, having got used to the
(Quebec route, like it so much, and the Grand Trunk Railway
gives such facilities by running fast through cattle trains to
Chicago, that it will require very considerable inducements to
bring about a change. The cost, too, at Quebec (21. to SI.)
is less tlian at the United States ports. Not only is Quebec the
cheapest port for this trade, but it commands a shorter route,
and the infected districts of the United States, east of the
AUeghanies, are avoided.

It is necessary to add here that, for breeding purposes exclu-
sively, American cattle are allowed to enter Canada, under
strict quarantine, at Point Edward and one or two other places.

Canadian Breeders. — At this stage 1 may appropriately in-
troduce a brief summary of the leading breeders of cattle in
Canada. Commencing with Shorthorns, or Durhams, as they

»

'^1
■X'T

18

Canadian AyrUmlture.

are morn commonly termed in the Dominion, the Hon, M. II.
Cochrane, ot Hillhurst, Compton, Province ot (Quebec, is the
foremost breeder, not only in Canada, but in America. He
achieved a jjreat success with his celebrated cow," lOth Duchess
of Airdrie," ten animals, all issue of this cow or of her daufj^hters,
having: been sold by Mr. Cochrane for an aggreg.atc of 32,900/.
The principal importers of Shorthorns during recent years have
included Mr. J. J. Davidson, Balsam, Ont. ; Mr. Gibson,
Ilderton, Ont. ; Mr. Geo. Whitfield, Rougemont, P.Q. ;
Mr. Attrill, Goderidge, Ont. : and the How Park Co., Rrant-
ford, Ont.

During the four years, 1880-83, fully one-half of all the cattle
imported by the St. Lawrence route were llerefords. Mr. Stone,
Guelph, Ont., was about the first importer of this breed into
Canada ; while Mr. R. Pope, Cookshire, P.Q., now owns one of
the largest and best herds in the Dominion. Rather more than
thirty years ago, Mr. Killam, a farmer in the ILastern Townships,
imported a Hereford bull, which was the first appearance of the
breed in the t'lwvince of (Quebec. The principal Hereford herds
belong to the Hon. M. H. Cochrane ; Mr. Dawes, Lachiiie, P.Q. ;
Mr. C. C. Bridges, Shanty Hay, Ont. ; and Mr. Geo. Whitfield.

Passing on to Polled Aberdeen- Angus, in 1880 Mr. Cieorge
Whitfield imported a very good lot of these cattle, including
"Judge," a bull bred by Sir George McPhcrson Grant, of
Ballindallock, Scotland, and two or three high-bred heifers.
In the fall of the same year the Hon. J. H. Pope imported a
bull and three heifers, and in 1882 this gentleman made a
fresh importation of the finest specimens that could be got in
Scotland. When Polled Angus were first sent as far west as
St. Louis, a few years ago, the report spread that some niyyer
cattle had arrived I

The success which followed the introduction of the Polled
Angus into Canada served to bring the Galloways into notice,
especially as the demand for the former had very much hardened
prices. Consequently, in 1882, a few Galloways were imported,
though the first introduction of this breed into Canada was
effected more than thirty years ago by Mr. McCrae, Guelph,
Ont. Mr. Whitfield, Mr. D. Morris, St. Therese, P.Q., and
Hon. M. H. Cochrane, Compton, have made recent importations.

Sussex and Devon cattle are practically unknown in Canada,
as they are only to be seen on the model farm of Mr. Whitfield,
at Rougemont, P.Q., and on the Ontario Experimental Farm,
at Guelph, and there are a few in New Brunswick.

Ayrshires have been and still are very popular in Canada ;
but, so far as Ontario is concerned, the opinion is gaining ground
that they are not suited to that Province. Up to the present

Canadian Agriculture.

19

tirno, however, they may be seen in all the dairying districts
both ol Ontario and (Quebec.

Jerseys are making rapid headway, both in Canada and in
the United States. In 1883, Mr. V. E. Fuller's grand cow,
" Mary Ann of St. Lamberts," 11770, secured an ofiicial record,
mad(? under the auspici^s of the Canadian Jersey Breeder's Asso-
ciation, of 24 lbs. 13 oz. butter in 7 days, and for 3^ days of the
same week 13 lbs. 4 oz., being at the rate of 26 lbs. 8 oz. in
7 days. She was subjected to a continuous test of 93 days, and
^iehh'd lOG lbs. 12^ oz. in the first 31 days, 102 lbs. for the
second 31 days, and 102 lbs. 10.^ oz. for the third 31 days,
making a total of 311 lbs. 7 oz. for 1)3 consecutive days, an
average; of 3 lbs. b% oz. per day ; this celebrated cow is again
referred to below. In his report to the Dominion Minister of
Agriculture, for the year 1884, Mr. John Smith, the Govern-
ment Agent at Hamilton, Ontario, says that last year there was
«a large demand for Jerseys on American account, the Canadians
having established for themselves a reputation superior to that
of any other breeders, either in the States or upon the island of
Jersey itself. The Canadian herds are noted for their fine
forms, great substance, and grand constitutions, and, as butter-
makers, stand unrivalled, having never been approached by
those of any other country. At the head of the tribe are the
great " Stoke Fogis," " Victor Hugo," and " St. Helier " families,
a combination of whose blood has developed a typical family
possessing wonderful prepotency, as exhibited by the public
tests made by the American Jersey Cattle Club at Oaklands,
in the herd of Mr. V^alancey E. Fuller. Some of the following
figures will, no doubt, astonish English readers: —

PuicES obtain(3d in 1884 for Jeksey Cattle from the Herd of
Mr. V. E. FuLLEii, Oaklands, Hamilton, Ont.

Salo of fijiflit oi»\v9

Hale of iivo bulla

Salo of eif^ht bull oalvea

Sale of livo iieifera aud litdftr calves .

Edit for services of live bulls

Total.

Avcrapo per
Head.

V

3; 150

3,180

3,070

833

£ 8.

303 15
636 0
.383 15
166 12

d.
0
0
0
0

£10,233
1,400

£393 11

6

£11,633

All the foregoing purchases were made for export to the
United States. The bulls were likewise rented by American
I 0

20

Canadian A(/ricnlturc,

brooders, tlio lowost roiitiil lor \\\o. soason bcinj; 100/,, and tlio
liijjliost r)0()/., lor " Prince l'oj,'is," u son of " Marv Ann," the
service lu-ini; llniiteil to live cows. In addition to the Oaklands
sah's, American buyers h;ive purcliased Ireelv Ironi other Cana-
dian h<'r<ls ri( li in the bhxxl ol" the St, Landxrts laniilv, Mr.
Gcorjje Smith, ol' (ilrimsby, Ont., liavinjj; <d)tained 1000/. lor a
"Stoke Po<;is " and "Victor llu<;o" cow. The IbMowin^
extraordinary fij^ures were obtained in ollicial tests made on the
Oaklands I'arm, in 1<581, by the American Jersey Cattle Club,
as mentioned above : —

Name of Cow.

!Mary Ann of St. baniborts
Ida of St, 1 ftmlxTts
IMcrniiiiil ol St, Laniborts..
Naiad of St. Laniborts
Niolx' ol St. Liimberts

Total ,.

Qiinntlty <'f Huttir i>ri(lii(i(l liy
piiili t'lAv in S< vi'ii njiisccutivo days.

Ills.

at;

oz.

12}

ao

2i

25

VM

•»•»

2i

21

1>J

lacii.

y ( >'/..

This gives the remarkable average of 27 lbs. 5 oz. of butter
per cow per week. Those figures are ollicial, and 1 take upon
myself no lesponsibility in reproducing them ; 1 am unabh? to
state what treatment the cows received before being submitted
to the test, what was the condition of their health at the time,
or what yields they gave in the weeks preceding or following
the one recorded.
, The llolstein or Dutch Friesian cattle are beginning to
attract considerable notice, and some authorities incline to the
opinion that these ponderous animals may ere long prove to be
serious rivals to the Jerseys. The principal breeders and im-
porters are Messrs. Lord, Cook and Son, of Aultsville, Ontario,
Professor Ikown, in a letter to the Select Agricultural Com-
mittee of the Dominion House of Commons, maintains that one
of the chief disadvantages (Canadian stock-keepers labour under
is the want of better pasture, and he advocates the establishment
of permanent pasture such as has been formed at the Ontario
Experimental Farm, and which is able to keep one and one-
fourth beast per acre, while three acres of the ordinary kind are
required for the support of one beast. There is further a need
of better tree-shelter, a want of a greater number of pure-bred
males, and a lack of knowledge of the adaptability of different
breeds to the various conditions throughout the Dominion.
Professor Brown is quite satisfied as to the suitability of
different parts of the Dominion, both in the Eastern Provinces
and in the North-West Territories, to the production of mutton
and wool on a large and cheap scale.

Canadian AyricuUure.

21

Store Caftia for KiKjIaml. — Tim proposal to snnd store cattlo
ovor to I'ln^jland that they may b(? iattciH'd in this country must
not be ov(nl()ok('(l. The? subject has been discussed somevvliat
fully in th(? Canadian press by Professor Hrown, who writes on
tin? assumption that a market should (!xist lor jj^raded Shorthorn,
llerelurd, Aberdeen Poll, or (lalloway steers, scalinjj lOOO lbs.
to llOl) lbs., to b(* delivered in Liverpool or Ciilas;j;ow, and fit
for fattenin}; off in six months. In Ontario they cannot produce
a store steer wci^'hin^ 1().')() lbs. when 18 or 20 months old at
less than 8/., and om? hallpenny per pound more would be
re(juired to make a certain profit, so that stores could not pass
into shij)pers' hands at less than JO/, per head. Experience
shows that it costs 4/. per head to send (;attle across the Atlantic
and land them at Hritish ports, and, presuming; the steers on
arrival to be worth ll!/. j)er head, this leaves a marj^in ot" 2/.
profit to the parties who take all the risk. Tlien the (juestion
arises as to whether it would better pay the Canadian farmer to
export his cattle as stores, or as ready for the butcher seven
months later. In the latter case, instead of sellinj; the animal
as a store in September or October at 10/., it is stall-fed up to
M.iy in su{;h a way as to ^o out at 1400 lbs., worth, lor export,
not more than od. p(;r pound live-weight. Its value is then
17/. lO.v. to the feeder, or 75 per cent, more than the store price ;
but to effect this thert; has been an absolute cash outlay of
11. 10a\, which reduces the value to 10/., or actually no more
than could have been secured seven months previously. It is
concluded, therefore, that sellinjj; stores would be the more profit-
able, as the cattle would be converted into money seven months
earlier, there would be greater inducement to stock-breeding,
while more and better pasture would be brought into existence
to promote cheap production. On the other hand, the loss of
manure from the ex])orted stores is not to be overlooked ; never-
theless the opinion seems to be that the sale of stores to i3ritain
would be highly beneficial to Canadian stock-farming, and
Professor Hrown maintains that the goal they ought to aim at
should be to increase the exportation of beeVes to 100,000, and
at the same time to send Britain 50,000 stores per annum.

^ i

The Dairy Industry in Canada.

The unmistakable growth in the dairy industry at home
during recent vears has been reflected in a corresponding de-
velopment i'lsewhere, and in no country more than in Canada.
Professor S. M. l^arre, of Montreal, whom I recently had the
pleasure of meeting in Canada, has addressed to the Select
Airricultural Committee of the Dominion House of Commons a

^ c 2

f'

22

( \iHiitUitn .l</ricitltufr.

paper (Miiboch inj; his vit'ws as to tin* pn'scnt position and tlio
r(*<|iiinMiu>Mts of dairy taiiiiiii^ in Canada; and his extensive
kno\vh'(l«;e of dairvini*- as practisj'd in various l^uropean
eonntries, eoiiph-d with his pra<ti(al exj)erience in the nianajfe-
nient ol the Provincial Creanierv ol (^u<'l)ee, lends considerable
authoritv to his opinions, which I shall hriellv suininariso.

I)air\ln;; is now the most productive a<;ricultural industry
in Canada. Duriiii; the last lew }<'ars tlu' export ol" dairy
produce has represented an annual value ol" l,li()(),( )()()/. I''or
the M'ar endiny: ^)(>fh .June, lS<Si», Canada exj)ort<'<l to I'wijjiand
alone 57,l)7'2,'.».')l» Ihs. ol" cheese and ('./i.')*),! ".'I Ihs. ol" hutter.
As there is, j)resunial)ly, hoth in lln^dand and on tlu; continent
ol IOuroj)e, a larjje, i-onstant, and steadily increasinj; market for
Canadian cheese and hutti'r, the possible development ol" the
dairy industry in the Dominion is practically uidimited. Ol"
a<j;ricultural industries, tlairyinjj is the one which yields the
surest, most uniform, and most abundant results, and Irom both
the ajjricultural and the commercial point of view is the one
best suited to all the ohler Provinces.

Cheese-makinjj is one of the best understood and most pro-
ductive industries of tin* country. The avera<;e (juality of the
cheese of Ontario is superior to that of (^uebi^c; and thouffh
the latter Province produces some cheese (juite e(jual to the
best Ontario makes, there is in both Provinces considerable
room for impr()vement. I'or cheese-makinjii:, Ontario has
carried of}' three first prizes in competition ajjainst the whole
world, at international exhibitions ; and ihouj^h the Maritime
Provinces, bcinjj nearer the sea-board, have jrreater facilities lor
export, thev are yet behind the premier l^rovince in the art of
makinj; cheese. In KS73 the export of cheese from Canada
was only about !.'),( )()(),()U() lbs., while for the entire year of
18«3 it had risen to nearly ()(),()()( >,()()() lbs. The leadin;^' defect
in the cheese industry in the Province of (Quebec is in the
mode of packinj;, the boxes used not beinjj; suited to the
purpose. The curing of the cheese is defective at the opening
of the dairy season, at its close, and durinj; the gr<?at heat of
summer, and this is attributed to the fact that the factories are
too slightly built, and are incapable of protecting the product
from the influence' of the atmosphere. The remedy suggested
is to impart to a suflicii-nt number of intelligent men the
knowledge of the best style of cheese-making in Ontario, and
to enyiloy them as instructors, and as inspectors of cheese
factories, wherever the manufacture is defective. Also, to
diffuse by means of the press the knowledge requisite for the
making of good cheese, and for the establishment of efficient
cheese factories.

CaiKtiiian At/ricii/furr.

23

lluttor-makinjj; is inmli loss .idvanciMl tlmn choeso-makinpf.
Tlu» clu'csc industry ^ot the start some fil'tcjui years nj^o by the
estahlisliinriit ol co-oiwrative or public clu-rsf! lartories, and it
i* only recently that attention has l)e<'n directed to the institu-
tion of public creameries. Moreover, tUo principles which
govern cheese-in.d<injr were early studied by such skilful manu-
facturers as Mr. Malliintyne, of Stratford-on-Avon, Ont., and
others, and a knowledj^i? of the art rapidly spread. The success
which ensued, and the hifjh price of cheese some years a<;o,
induced furmers, particularly in Ontario, to devote themsj'lves
t(» cheese-makinj;. Amonj^ other a«lverse inlluences ch(!ckin{f
the dev(>lopment ol the butter industry were the inefliciency of
the appliances, the want of the necessary knowhuljife for an
intelligent prosecution of tin* industry, the absence of methods
specially adapted to the circumstances and re{|uirements of the
country, and the poor reputation of Canadian butter on foreijjn
markets. The Provin(;ial Ciovernment of (Quebec havinj;; taken
the matter up, that Pri>vince is novv ahead of Ontario in the
cpiality of its butter. The census of 1><81 n-turns tlu; production
oi home-made butter in Canada as 1 02, ()()(),()')() lbs., from
.-V>0( ),()()( ) to 4,(M)0,()()() lbs. beinjr the output of creameries.
The total export of butter for the year endin<if JiOth June?, L'^iSO,
amounted to l*.*,S<S7,7n;i lbs., and tor the year endinj; .'3()th
June, ISSI), to ^»,l()(i,117 lbs., thus showiuj^ a decrease of
ll,7iSl,25() lbs. The avera<;e price of butter in Canada may
be put at \)</. per lb., but it varies from li^tl. or Hd. west of
Toronto, to \\</. at tin* <Teameries. Taking' the average price
of Danish butter on the Mnjjlish market at 15^/. to 17^/. per lb.,
it is thouf^ht that thouffh Canadian butter would not command
so hij;h a price as Danish, yet by improvements in manu-
facture and in means of transport, the average price of the Cana-
dian product might be increased by at least ',)(/. per lb. ; and an
increase in the price would bring about a considerable increase
in the production. The defective butter-making of most
Canadian farmers, especially those who have only a small
number of cows, is due to want of knowledge of the process
and to lack of time. The ordinary occupations of a farmer's
wife are too numerous and too varied to permit of her giving
the recjuisite time and care to butter-making, and the cost of
hired labour is too great for any relief to be obtained from this
source ; hence tlu? making of good butter for export is an
impossibility on seven-eighths of Canadian dairy farms. The
remedies suggested are to diffuse sound knowledge as to butter-
making by pamphlets and other means, and to establish public
dairies or creameries. Then, again, the butter that is made
cannot be relied upon for uniformity of quality, and this is due

ill

^(|

24

Canadian Afp'iadture.

to the jibsonrr ol uniformity in the nirthods of making and in
tlie gonrrally arcrptcd jirinciplcs ; inoroovcr, tlu? butter is too
iroquontlv mado hv inrxpcricnccd persons who possess neither
skill nor taste for the work. It is believed that this defect
niijjht be lessened by the a(l()j)tion of methods specially suited
to the reiiuirements of the country, an<l by the inculcation of
one sole theory, scientifically studied and practically tested by
intelli<;ent disinterested men, at an experimental station. It
is not ijenerally known that two kinds of butter are made in
Canada, both considered of first (piality but eacli servin<; a
diU'crent juirpose. J'he one has a \ery marked flavour, as
I'Vench and American butter, and keeps h»r a shorter time; the
other has a less pronounced flavour, as the Dominion butter,
but keej)s hmjjcr. 'I'he latter kind is in every way the better
suited to Canada, where the dair\iii<; season lasts only seven
months of th(> >ear, and it is, of cour.»e, only this kind which is
properly suited t(» foreifj^n exj)ort. Here, ajjain, the desirability
of an exju'rimental station is insisted on, as it is believed that
this would constitute the best means of diflusin^ a know"ledj>;e
of makiiiij butter witii lotiij-kcepin^ j)roperties. Anotiier difli-
culty presents itself when Canadian butter is brought into
competition with other butter on forci«;n markets, and this
arises from the fact that dairy farmers in Canada hold their
butter too long a time. 'JMius, while the breiu h, as a rule,
h.'nd their butter to Kn^Iand ei<;ht or ten »la\s alter it
is made, the CJermans within a fortnight, and the Danes
within three or lour weeks of its pnxluction, ('anadian l)utter
often remains lour, five, six, and even ei}j:ht months in the
farmers' hands. A remedy is once more su^rj^estj-d in the
establishment of creameries, the existence of whi<;h would,
<)win<]; to the (juantity of butter madt", render it possibh; to
efTect wcj'kly shipments, a proceedinj; which is out of the
(juestion when tlu? butter is only made in small (juantities by
each farmer. Suppositif": the article to be shij)ped from the
factory weekly, and allowing; two weeks lor the Atlantic voyajje,
and an interval of another week before the consumer is n'ached,
there is then nothinjj: to pn'vent Canadian butter beinjj in the
bands of the consumer within four or five weeks of the time of
its prtKluction.

brom what has been said, it is abundantly evid«'nt that,
in order to improve the (jualitv of Canadian l)Utt<'r, to ensure
uniformity in the product, and to facilitate immediate shipment
to foreifrn markets, Professor Barre advocates the general
estai)lishment of butter factories, as the most powerful lever that
could be broufiht to Ix-ar on the development of the butter
industry. Hut to make these factories a commercial success.

Canadian At/riculfurc.

25

I

a staff ot skilful and experienced dairymen is a necessity, and
the only way to pet such men is to educate them, and for this
object the establishment of dairy schools throughout the
country is advocated. Further, to teach butter-making in such
schools, there must be a definite theory of the process, scien-
fically studied and practically worked out, and this, it is
maintained, involves the establishment of an experimental
dairy station of the kind at pn«sent existing in large numbers on
the continent of Kurope. The theory studied at the experi-
mental station would be taught in the dairy schools, practised
in the butter factories, and so be the means of diffusing a sound
practical knowledge of butter-making amongst the farmers
in general. In short, the system of teaching, both theoretical
and practical, which is advocated, is similar to that which is
in operation in Denmark.

Prolessor Arnold, of Rochester, New York State, who has
devoted his life to the studv of dairviny:, and whose name
is well known on this side of the Atlantic, gave some exceedingly
valuable evidence l)efore the Select Comuiittee. He attributes
the delects in cheese-inaking in Canada to a want of skill on the
part of tlie manufacturers, and to a deficiency in the (juality
of the rennet. \otwitlistanding the appreciation in which
Canadian cheese is held on the Fnirlish market, there is not
5 per cent, of it e(jual to what it might be; the difference in
price, however, is no criterion of the difference in merit, for
poor cheese is sold at a hiijher, and good cheese at a lower,
rate than its true value. In Professor Arnold's own district
ellorts are l)eing made to overcome the drawback associated
with inferior rennet, but they make only slow progress.
Numerous establishments are supplied with perfectly pure
"li(|uid pepsine," free from any other animal matter. It is
distributed by the (juart or the gallon to the dairymen, as they
prefer. In the pre[)aration of rennet, manufacturers are apt to
get it tainted, and it will even undergi) })utrefaction, in which
condition it injures the (juality of the cheese very materially.
I'he stuH" used bv some of the dairymen in Canada and the States
is surprising, and four inspectors reported that they found 75 per
cent, ol the factories they visited using rennet that was actually
putrid, while the rest were using good material (n* rennet
extract. As the extract costs a little more than the raw
stomacli, its introduction progresses but slowly. The («overn-
inent ini;;ht help to improve matters if they would find funds
to enable the dairymen's associations to pay in part for the
extract, so that the dairymen could procure it as cheaply as
they get the rennet. The dairymen woulil prefer the extract,
because it saves them a great deal of labour, and is not such a

r

If

26

Canadian Aqrinilture.

nasty moss to manipul.itp as the ronnot is. Tho main rause of
sourness in cheese arises from lettinjj the curd lie in the whey
while it is hardeninf;, until the whey ^vH sour. The aci<l then
counteracts the ellect of the rennet ferments, which should cure
the cheese, and as a consequence the <'heese <h)es not cure.

With rejjard to l)utter-makin<j, Professor Arnold is of opinion
that Canada is losinsj fully 1,0(H ),()()(_)/. per annum throug^h <lefec-
tive methods, chieflv want of care in the manafjement of the
milk, especially in settin«j it to obtain the cream, and in tho
manipulation durinjj the makinjj of butter. I'he more extenrled
the use of machinerv becomes the better, as it will leave less to
the skill and mani]>ulation of the workman. Canadian butter
does not fetch on the l^nj^lish market a lower price than
American batter, the reason bcifif^^ that the Canadian export is
mostly of the bi'^t {grades, wluMcas the j^ood American butter
is all consumed in the States, and only the very lowest trrades
are exported. The American makers never export any butter that
is worth more than Wd. per pound. The estal)lishment i)f
creameries is a step in the ri;;ht direction ; thev help to educate
d;iirv farmers, and thev turn out an article wiiose uniform
ijualitv <;oes a lontj way towards marketinj; it. In a sjiarsely
populated country creajncries are distinctly advanta<i;eous be-
cause th<' butter is all produced at centres where it can be
most favourably sold. If a purchaser can pjo to a creamery
and buv a thousand pounds of butter at once, he can aflonl
to pay a better price than he could if he had to travel about and
collect the same (juantity ; and the fact that i\\v butt<'r is all of
one (juality adds further to its value. Creameries are very
successful in the States, not tiiat there thev make better butter
than the private dairies, but they make all one (quality. The
creamery, however, does not divich* the proceeds «'(|ually, as the
milk is valued by the pound, so that rich milk from {generously
fed cows commands no bett<'r price than poor milk. In the
States, creameries are tin* most prosjierous, do the best business,
and fjive the greatest sjjti.sfaction in the West, when? butter-
making is just being introduced. Hut in the I'^ast they are not
now so much in vogue, as dairymen prefer to make their own
butter at home, and so get l)etter value from their milk. As
regards the drying up of pastures in the summer, Canada tloes
not suffer so much as the Unit<'d Stat<*s, there being more
summer rain in the former country, so that in the nortln'rn parts
of Canada the grass remains Iresh and green through most
of the summer. In tin* States it gets very dry, especially in tlie
West, where the middle of the season is marked by a long dry
spell, so that cattle hu k b«>th food and drink ; and when they
are once allowed to run down, the (piantity of milk is reduced,

Canadian Agriculture.

27

ord

I IK I

of

and the former flow is not recovered even if the cows are well
supplied with food afterwards. The cultivation of peas, oats,
millet, jrreen corn, or some other succulent food, is recommended
to make good the defect in the pastures during summer.

S(»me important features in the commercial aspects of
Canadian dairying were brouglit forward in a valuable paper,
read before the Western Dairymen's Convention, at London,
Ontario, on the 14th of February, 1884, by Mr. E. A. Barnard,
Director of Agriculture in the Department of Agriculture and
Public Works, (Quebec. In 1858 the exports of cheese were
purely nominal, but since then there has been an almost con-
tinuous increase down to 1883, in which year the largest export
took plac<\ Tlie history of the butter trade is very different.
In 18()'2, before confederation, the united Provinces of Ontario
and (Quebec; (Upper and Lower Canada) exported more butter
than the whole confederation of Canada does now, the exports
for 1883 and 1884 having been less than that for 18(52, though
it must be admitted tiiat 1883 and 1884 were exceptionally bad
years. Tlie following figures, taken from the Trade and Navi-
gation Returns, show that the butter trade has been practically
at a St idstill since 1871 : —

Total Exi-outations of Cheese and Butteii from Canada.

1 (;in.'tso.

lUitttr

Year.

Lbs.

Value.

Lbs.

Value.

£

£

i:?,in4

300

18.')8

3,721,200

90,142

:it;,ir.(i

933

i8rio

3,7.-)0,200

105,250

124,:!20

3,240

18110

5,.^12,.")00

158,. 524 1

2;n,:{:{i;

4,7S7

1801

7, 27:), 420

108,:529

4iti,(;so

;>.84r>

1802

8.'.»0.").r)78

220,554

it7t,7;w

24,700

i8(;o

1807

10,448,780
10,817,018

418,8.54
348,258

l,r>77,072

:!8,7I1

1808

O.O.")0.448

317,545

t;. 11 1,482

M3,r)8i»

1800

10,8;-)3,20S

408,454

.'»,S27,78'2

i:u.s;t7

1870

12,2r)0,887

470,714

8.271,4.V.»

22i,:»8i

1871

1.5,4:50,200

013,040

i(;,4'ji.()2r)

:!(;s,(i.")7

1872

10,008,448

722,5:50

1. 5, 2«»8. ♦;;{;]

4r)G,i»82

1873

1.5.20.5,003

041,700

24. ().")(). i>82

704,040

1874

12,2:5:5,040

524,001

:{2,:{42,(»:{o

777,24.j

187")

0,208,044

407,405

:{7, 88.-), 281 ;

810,(»()1

1870

12,:502,:507

515,880

:;7,70(».'.>2i

77!t,r)!t3

1877

la, 470,. 5.50

044,000

;{'.>,:!7i.i:«>

824,200

1878

13,.504,117

404,8:50

4!>,t'.i(;,4ir)

8(io,it:)0

1870

14, 5:50, 240

427,080

4:1,411, 112

818,800

1880

10,887,7(13

023,8:52

.^4, 7 1:5,020

l,218.:!(t7

1881

17,820,278

722,:^78

.V).:t2r»,u;7

1,1 ;».■), !»o7

1882

ir),:5:f8.488

505,0;54

.'")8,()ii,:{87

i,2ito,;)8()

1 883

8,100,447

:54 1,105

7r),8;ir),rM7

i,r)t;4,724

1884

8,473,070

3:54,953

f

28

Canadian Agriculture.

Table showing tlio Kxronrs of Chkkse jituI Bi'tteii from Canaea
to tho United Kingdom for the Nine Yeaus, from 187G *o 1884,
inclusive.

(Fnun i\\v Trade ami \iivi;:ii1i(iii Hc^turns.)

(.'1k'<

Vfar.

l.hs

V;ihu'

Hiitlcr.

LI'S.

Value.

;5:5,027.<;n7

:!•;.:!;{ 1 ,;>;kS
•»:;.!t:i',i.(»:iS
oit.iri.'i.Tii';
L^,'.ii:;.s7;{
rio.riri.'i.cii
r.7.(;72.:t.v.»
t;it,;5;]8,074

£

727,;>'J(i

7<;().:i'j;t

7i7,s'i:>
7r« !,:>:• I

1,o:M.'272

i,(i;»4,;i';r)

l.lisl.H71
1,^41,485

187(5
1877
1>7S
1871>
1880
1881
1.S82
1883
1884

n. 4:50, 712

I2,!i:t7,;58()
li.o:?!, ;{»;(;

i2.<i.'iti,r><)7

I<'..i;s7.'.i78

lt;.2.v_'.:57t5

11,18:5,74(5

15,2:50,17;^

G,88"J,713

£
31 1.'). 181

r)4'.t,:52(;
4o:t,7(;8
;57s,:;22
.'">:.i.2i:5
(;(;(5.(;.s2

4:511, 0'J.")
2(;t5,117
27'.t,i:50

Tho uns.-itisf.ictorv condition of tho butter industry is ton-
si(h^rc(l duo to tho fact that at present it apparently ])ays better
to make dieese, and that the unsteadiness of the demand for
Canadian butter also oj)erates adversely. 'I'he exj)ort market
for CaiLidian butter is undoubtedlv Cireat l>ritain, as 8(1 pj'r
cent, of the export is ab.sorbed in this countrv. lUit l'!n«;land
wants the l)est brands only ; and while the hii;h(>st fjrades of
imjiorted butter are (|Uoted in IOnj,'land at from 120.s'. to 144.v.
per ( \vt., (.'anadian and even American brands can only com-
mand Irom ('(Kv. to 122.S'. Canadian dairy practi<«'s compare nu)st
unfavourably with those of Denmark,* and while the Canadian
butter trade with Mnjiland has stood still and even underji^one
retroi^ression since 187:^, the exports ot Danish butter to tho
En<;lish market have steadilv increased by nearly 100 j)er cent,
durinjj tho sam<* period. 'Ihe yearlv export Irom llolland,
ajrain, to the l^n^lish market has increased since 1872 nearly
200 per <ent., and, howi'ver much this may be due to oleo-
mar<;arine, the Dutch jiroduce is (pioted at much hij^fher ii^^ures
than the Canadian. So with the Unit<'d States, while tho
CJanadian export was at a standstill, that from the States in-
creased nine-fold in the six years 1874 to 1871*. These facts
place the very poor (|uality of Canadirin l)utter beyond dispute,
and tii<! larjrest exporters of butter in Montreal estimate the
character of the output thus: finest Canadian butttT, f) to 10
per cent. ; fine ditto, 25 to 30 j)er cent. ; poor ditto, 50 to GO
per cent. W hile Canadian farmers think cheese-makinj; pays
better than butter-makin<jf, the contrary seems to be tlie ex-

* See tho paper on " Dairying in Pcninark," l)y 11. M. .ItukiuH, F,(jr.S., in
thie 'Journal,' t^teuud 8cries, vol. xix. 1883, p. 155.

Canadian Agriculture.

29

» ,

pcrienco of Denmark and Holland ; in these countries butter is
tlio principal industry, and su(;h cheese as is made comes from
milk more or less skimmed, and, in the case of Holland, for
example, the quantity shipped to Knjj^land and the prices
obtained for such skinj cheese compan; most favourably with
the Canadian exportations of whole-milk cheese.

An important economical question arises whether it would
be prudent to increase very larji;ely the production of Cheddar
cheese — the only kind made in Canada, as a rule — over what it
is at present. That such an increase, even at the rate of ten-
fold in a very few years, is practicable there can be no doubt.
Thus, in the l^rovince of (^ucljec alone, not a sin|j^le cheese
factory existed in the French settlements up to 1^72, and now
these sami; settlements produce nearly one-fourth of all the
cheese manufactured in Canada, and there is still room for an
increase of a hundred-fold. I'Vom the Maritime Provinces,
where the facilities for makinfj butter and cheese are at least
e(pial to those of (Quebec, hardly any cheese is exported. The
followinjif Table, from the Trade and Navijj^ation Returns, 1883,
is interesting;, as it conveys a good idea of the present exporting
capacity of the several I'rovinces named : —

Total Exrour of Chkkse and Bcttku from the Canadian Puovinceb

in 18S3.

I'll'

• 'St*.

Troviiice.

Hiittcr.

I,l.s.

\a\w.

LI'H.

Value.

r2,aG5,071>

45.(!55,t):iS

15,(»Sl

1:55

12

«;,()42

27t;,2()0

i,oi:j,t;:jt;

418
3

12:{

Ontario

Qutbi'C

Nova Scotiii

Ni'W Hrunswick
liriti.-<li C'olumliia ..
rriuco Edward laland . .

1.5.37.58(5

(5,018,;»12

477,:{72

2(),li»'.>

(■>7

22,;ui

£

G5,4,55

2.55, <)80

18.272

8'J9

G

853

58,011,387 £l,2;K),380i

8,10G,447

£341,165

Hut the imports of cheese into Britain during the last few
years do not show that increase which would seem to call for
an increased export from Canada. Our imports of cheese from
all sources were, in —

cwts.

1879 l,78it,lG8

1880 1,773,503

1881 1,834,480

1882 I,(i'.t2,4{»5

1883 1,707,080

1884 1,92G,070

Hence, if the present tendency towards increasing the output
of cheese in Canada continues, the surplus can only be disposed

30 Canadian Afjricultnrc.

i)f on the Enjjlish market by its hoinjj ahlr to outrival the
American cheese with which it is in competition.

It has been shown that, when every (lenient is considered,
and in a series of years, butti'r-makini; pays the ('ana<lian
larmer lullv as well as cheese-niakiiij;. One hundred pounds
of standard milk will make, in Ontario, i>A lbs. ol cheese, or
4 lbs. of l)utter ; whey is considered of litth' account, bein«r
valued at about '2\(L per 100 lbs. llence, we get —

'.•i lbs. flic'csf, at sa}' 57. ii(t, a liiizh average ."; Hi

Whvy U 'Ih

Total I 'J

A 11k. 1, utter at 10-/. w\ W A

Skiin-iiiUk 0 10

Total 4 2

And since, in calf feeding or pig raising, sweet skim-milk is
worth one-half of the whole-milk, 10</. is less than the real
value to a careful farmer : and it has been shown in some of the
Government experimental stations in the United States that,
under proper care, 100 lbs. of skim-milk will j>roduce (> | lbs. of
pork, live-weight.

As regards future markets for butter, Canadian dairy farmers
relv upon the home demand, which is expected to increase many
fold when really good butter becomes as common as it is now
scarce; then there is the Knglish market, wliere the Ar.sY butter is
always in re(juest ; and there are, further, all the markets of the
world, which the United States are now oj)ening up for Canada
as well as for themselves. Only about two-thirds of the United
States exports in butter reach Hritain ; and even the Dominion
imj)orts upwards of 2oO,000 lbs. from this source, irresptH'tive
of more tlian half a million pounds sent from the States into
Newfoundland, Labrador, Micjuelon, and St. Pierre, which would
evidently derive their supply Irom Canada, were Canada able
to provide it. The fact tliat tlie well-know n butter manufacturer,
Mr. V'alfincey Tuller, of Hamilton, Ontario, has shown how to
produce 8^)0 lbs. butter in a year, worth l.v. per pound, from a
cow weighing about 1000 lb. live-weight, on no more food than
it '-.iO'; J take to produce 7r)0 lbs. of matured beef, live-weight,
'iv. ii SiiJ ic time, and worth 'J!.\<l. per pound, distinctly in<li-
i-'k^.s • ' which side the profit lies when dairying and meat
iJiiiJ!'';! ?! p'ttf'd against each other in I^.istern Canada.

.Mc;;i>.' .. \. A. A>cr an<l Co., Montreal, the largest J'xporters of
butter and cheese from Canada, and perhaps Irom the American
continent, are of opinion that the (jovernment can best promote
the increased production and better quality of cheese by employ-

Canadian Agriculture.

31

(»r

iniif skilled makers of chcose to visit the various factories and
jjive instruction. They helieve that three skilled practical
instructors in (Ontario, and three in the Province of Quebec,
enjiajred each at a salary not to exceed 200/. per annum, would
result in a ^ain of from 10,000/. to 20,000/. to the country, and
possibly twice this amount. The Dairymen's Association of
Ontario have already jjot this matter in hand. The butter
problem in (,'anada is a more diHicult one than that of cheese,
and lar<je losses will probaldy be incurred by farmers and
merchants durinjj; tlu; period of transition from the practice of
makinfj^ butter on the tarin to that of manufacturing; it in the
creameries. It is su^jjcstod that the fiovernment mijjht foster
tlie butter industry by j::iviny; a botms, of, say, 200/. to each butter
factory or creamery that shall be established and worked under
certain fixed reg;ulations ; for the present this inig[ht be limited
to one factory in each county, and not more than one-fourth,
or at the most one-third, of the counties in Ontario and Quebec
arc butter-making counties.

ners

inv

ow

r is

le

ida

te<l

on

v«;

nto

uld

de

er,

to

a
m
It,
li-
at

of
m
te
v-

The Proving i; of Ontario.

Ontario, the premier Province of Canada, in population, in
wealth, and in progress, consists in its northern part of a well-
watered forest region, and in its southern part — that, namely,
which is l)ounded on the east and south by Lakes Ontario and
Erie, and on the west by Lake Huron and Georgian Bay — of a
fertile farming country. This latter, too, was once forest, as is
testified by the numerous tree-stumps still left in the ground,
between which the plough has to be guided in its devious
course. Around many of the farm homesteads there is an air of
comfort and prosperity, particularly in the south of the l^ovince ;
but here, as everywhere else in Canada, the hedgerows which
constitute so common and picturesque a feature in l^lnglish rural
scenery are not to be seen, their place being taken bi the snake
fences which, with their zigzag outline, determine the boundary
between adjacent fields. By a recent decision of the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council, a tract of land «(),000 square
miles in area, lying to the north and west of Lake Superior, has
been added to (Ontario, the area of which is now nearly 200,000
square miles. Toronto, the capital, and the seat of the Pro-
vincial Government, has a population of 102,000 ; PLiniilton,
3(5,000; Ottawa, the administrative capital of the Dominion,
28,000; London, 20,000 ; Kingston, 15,000.

The Ontario Bureau of Industries was established in 1881,
and its first work was to make a report of crop statistics, live-
stock, «Scc., in 1882. Schedules of questions are circulated
freely through the Province, and the Bureau issues an agricul-

f

I

'\ Ml

32

Co n (uliii n Africa It a re.

tural report sovoral times in the rourso of the season. Inrliulcd
in the inlorinatioii eollected in liS(S2 wen? the lollowinj; items:
total area of land in larins, ll\()L'2,12l( acres, ol'whieh 10,21M,IkH
neres were cleared. Value ot tarni land, 1 2(5, 4(18, oOO/. ; of
buildintrs 2^\h\'2,i'>\[>l. ; of implements, 7,4()r),l.)(w)/. ; and of
live-stock, ll>,l()S,l4l/. ; maklnfi; the total value of farm pro-
perty, 17t>,r)2r),l22/. Hesides the usual farm cr«)ps there were:
of flax, (il.)? acres; hops, 20')l acres: orchard and jjardeii,
21t),<^4() acres. In addition to l,r)()2,()<^.'} jjrade and native;
cattle, there were 2.'i,(»lU thorouijhbred cattle, namely, 15,1^85
Durhams, 1438 Devons, 841 llerefords. 270 Aberdeen Polls,
118U (ialloways, and 4 I'.M) Ayrshires. The t:heese factories in
the Province numbered 471, aiul returns from o<)() of these
showed that 2r),5('»2,4ol lbs. cheese were made, value<l at r)r)|},417/.
The extent to which un(ler(hainin«r was beitifj^ carried on was
shown bv the fact that one-third of the tile-yards in the Province
from wiiii'h returns were received made enoutjh tiles in 1882 to
lav more than lOOO miles of drains.

The average rent per acre of leased farms in 1884 was ll.s.,
the figures ranging as low as 4.s\ \<l. in Muskoka county and
as high as I4.v. Ad. in Durham county. The average wages of
larm hands per year with board were 3,"5/. 8s., the minimum
beinjr 2it/. 12.s'. in VVelland countv, and the maximum .'U'/. 4.>-.
in Algoma county. The average wages per year without board
were 51/. 8.V., ranging from 48/. 12s. in Parry Sound county to
()1/. 12.V. in Algoma county. Monthly wages with board
averaged 3/. 18.v., the lowest being 3/. lO.s-. in Brant county, and
the highest 4/. \i)s. in Algoma county. Monthly wages without
board averaged ;')/. lO.s., ranging from ')/. '2s. in Prince I'^d ward
county to (>/. 12.s. in Algoma county. During the first half of
1884 the average prices in the I^rovince of the following agri-
cultural produce per bushel were: fall wheat, 4.s'. \<i. ; spring
wheat, 4.V. '2<I.', barley, 2.s'. Or/.; oats, l.v. I*//.; peas, 3.s-. ; rye,
2.S'. Cu/.; Indian corn, 2.s\ \d.; beans, (ks-. .')(/. On the Toronto live-
stock market tlu? average prices per cwt. were: for cattle, 1/.;
calves, 2/. ; sheep, 1/. l.s. : pigs, 1/. 7s. Professor Brown
wrote me, under date of IDth December, 1884, "In Ontario
markets at present store cattle fetch from 3^ to 4^ cents, per lb.,
weighing on an average about 1)00 lbs. Export cattle for the
butcher are worth 5;^ cents, on an average, tops (5 cents. For
best Christmas beef 7 and 8 cents, are obtained, but the market
is limited." Substitute the halfpenny for the cent, to get the
Eniilish value.

The following Tables from the Agricultural Returns to the
Bureau of Industry, August 1st, 1884, will convey a fair idea
of the present condition of agriculture in the Province of
Ontario : —

Cnmidian Agriculture.

83

Table Bhowiiig tlio Auk.v and Pkoduck of Farm Chops in Ontario

ill IS.S;; and 1H81.

Tall Wliriil,
Spring Winiit
IJiirhv..
Ottts' .. ..
Ky.) .. ..
Teas . .
Indian dtrn
Biickwliout ..

llciUld ..

Ilay .. ..

Tntatnort

Mrfni^oltld

Carrotd

Turnij)fi

Pasturo

1883.

Acrrs.

l,(i'.t(;,'2n(

I, IIS

iss

211

IK)

III

771

2: 17

(;7.so2

2:),'.)07

2,:?r)0,9(;ii

1(;(;,S2:!

i7,2r.t

11.270
1)8,421)

ll,(ill,(lt).">

'.»,72i;,(h;:{

is.ni.:<;{7

r)Kr)7:{,(;oi>

:{,(ti2.2i()

10,073,723

Tons.
4,115,535

1884.

Acrr's.

.S(;4,r)5i

722,410

7oi,4;5r)

i,is5,(;2i>

104,141

570, (;2S

174,S31

G5,;>21

24,877

2,193,3(19

1 OS, 802

18,314

10,9SO

104,108

2,794,980

liuslicls.

18,479,207
13,251.137
17,800,777
53,195,805
1,021,007
13,253,980

552,953
Tims.
3,044,912

Table showing tlio Number of Live Stock in Ontario in 1883

ami 1884.

IIoMcS

viz. Woikinj; llorscd ..
IJrcediii'j; Maios
Unbroken liortiCd ..

Cattlo

viz. Working Oxen

IMilch C<iWH

Store Cattle over 2 years
Young and otlior Cattlo

Shcftp

viz. Coarse Woolleil :
Over 1 year
Undor i vear
Fine Woolhd :
Over 1 year
Under i year

Pi-9

viz. Over 1 year

Under 1 year

Poultry

viz. Tnrk<ys'

(fceso

Other Fowls

Wool, total clip

1883.

1884.

500,133

5.35,9.53

349..V)2

303,474

87.380

93,910

123,201

138,509

1,81S,0.")4

1,925,070

17,071

10,793

090.437

710,519

321,471

384.453

789,075

813,905

1,808,784

1,890,733

1,043,080

994,008

580,095

595,990

1.50,281

170, 3H

95,328

123,788

900,727

910,158

245,990

2.-)7,71l

000,731

058,447

5.847,344

0,2.37,000

355, ()35

445,532

491,093

540,130

5,000,010

5,251,944

lb*.

lbs.

0,008,418

0,518,918

f

34

Cnuadian Ayricultnre.

I have in(liul«'<l wool in tho for(*<;oin^ TaMc, and may add
that the avcra;;*' \v('i«,'lit ol the IUmtcs in \'6'6\ was: coarso wool,
')•,')") ll)s. : fuic wool, h'\'l 1I)S,

'J'lic loUowiiJi; 'l\il)I<' ol avc'ra<;(> n iclds of fu-Id crops in On-
tario in 18M3 and ISS I is also made uj) Ironi tlic Agricultural
Returns to the I'urcau ot hnlustry : —

liuslicls jxr Aori'.

FallWlicit ..
S|iriii,LC Wlii'iit ..
Hiirlty .. ..

Oiits

l.'vr

Teas

llu>lii U

Iff Ai re.

1883.

1884.

lor.

L'l-O

ItiV

'JllO

'i\i

'i:\{)

:;',i-(»

;!(;•(>

ItiM)

hi 0

llfS

litO

•JO- 7

'J2'0

niii'kwlu at

I'l'tlltlli s ..

(iirMts ..
'riiiiiiji.s ..

II.'iV ami Clovir

1883.

'J."i-2
•,\c,\{)
2'.iS-(»

Ions.

1 • 7.j

1884.

TiMlS.

15U

Ahhoujjh it is only about twenty years since tlie first herd of
thorouj;hl)red Shorthorns reached ("anada, the iuiprovenient
which has taken place in the cattle of the Dominion since then
is very marked, and nowhere more so than in Ontario, where
the business of raising and feeding stock for the market has
led to necessary and considerable modificati(»ns in the primitive
st\le of agriculture whii:h formerly prevailed there. In face of
the vast wheatfields now opening up in the West, the premier
Province will have to take a second place in the extensive and
cheap production of cen-als, and to turn more attention to the
development of stock-breeding and dairy-farming. On some of
the older farms the limits of the unaided fertility of the soil
have been reached, and even exceeded, so that the subject of
fertilisers is now exercising the minds of tlu' leading agri-
culturists of the Province. Professor J. T. l^ell, of Albert
College, Helleville, writes : " The fertiliser in general use is
barnyard-manure, much of whit-h loses most of its eflicaey by
being allowed to lie for months in the open, exposed to the
action of the sun and rain, which alternately vaporise the
volatile and dissolve out the soluble parts, until only the
cajmt inortntun of the dunghill remains. There is also a de-
ficient supply of artificial manures." Professor Brown, on the
other hand, writes that the result of experiments on the use of
apatite, gypsum, and other fertilisers " goes to establish what
might be matter of gratification to the country — that its wonder-
fully fertde climate, in conjunction with system and the best
management and use of farmyard-manure, renders the extensive
use. of special fertilisers comparatively valueless. I am aware

1

Canadian Agriculture.

85

that sucli an opinion will be cliallon'jiMl." At a meeting of
fanners held at Helleville on l.'Uh Mareli, 1884, it was resolved
to report to the Select Agrieultural (Joinrnittee that the fol-
lowiiifT are arnotij; the present deficiencies of Ontario farming :
" VVant of proper drainage, especially sui)soil drainage. Want
of cart? in preparing and applying i)arnyard-manure. Absence
of arti fu;! .1 manun-s. Neglect to extirpate weeds. Root-
growing discouraged by the scarcity and high price of labour.
Tin? breeds of sheep and cattle should be improved by the
importation of high-class animals. A systematic and uniform
mode of l)utter-making is the great want. The cultivation of
such fruits as are most suitable for exportation ought to be
encouraged."

'I'hat branch of dairying which is concerned with cheese-
making is an undoubted success in Ontario, a succ(!ss attri-
butabh' to the development of the factory system. I'^ach
fa(;tory is usually conducted on the co-operative principle ;
the milk is collected by a waggon sent round from the factory,
testtul by a lactometer to ascertain if it is of standard
quality, and each fanner credited with the ([uantity supplied.
The returns, less expenses, are divided among the contri-
butors, or " patrons." The interests of the dairy industry arc
carefully fostered by two incorporated OairymiMi's Associations
in the eastern and western sections of the Provinc(; respectively,
and regular cheese-markets are established at various centres.
In 1882, the returns made to the Ciovcrnment from 2<5() factories
gave 85,22(5 as the number of cows whose milk was supplied ;
and the average return to each patron, of whom there were
13,341), was r'),')/., while the average value of cheese per cow
was 5/. An average made up from 300 factories gave 1()"() lbs.
milk (say I gallon) to 1 lb. cheese, the cheese being valued at
5^/. per lb. The standard yield of milk per tiow was 3000 lbs.
(say 300 gallons). Only sixteen <reameries were in operation
in 1882 ; in two of them '2,\,&1'2, inches of cream produced
23,411 lbs. of butter, and in two others 1,753,241 lbs. of milk
yielded (14,807 lbs. of butter, equivalent to 27 lbs. milk to 1 lb.
butter. The total (juantity of butter made in the Province,
chiefly at farmhouses, was in 1882, 300,507 cwt., and in 1883,
293,252 cwt.

Under the sunny sky of southern Ontario, where the small
but graceful humming-birds have their summer home, fruit-
culture is practised on a large and successful scale. Nearly
100 varieties of apples are cultivated, besides crab-apples,
pears, plums, peaches, and grapes. Unfortunately, nearly all
the apples that reach the English market from across the
Atlantic are classed as American apples, whereas the general

I D

3G

Ca mulia n A<jricu It u re.

(•har;i(t<'r of tlir Amrrlc.ui prcxhut is siuiu'wli.-it inferior to that
oi tli<> ( 'au;i(li:iti. 'i'lic crisp (Icsli, i-(>pi«>iis juice, iiiid (iiic
flavour ol a Canadian lussrt, or of a Nova S<(»tian (iravcii-
stcin, an' in niaik<Ml c(»ntrast to the «lrv texture and insipid
Ihivoiir ot very inanv ol tlie Anu-rican varieties. Apph's lorni
the fjreat liidk ot the ^reen Iruit <'.\porte<l troni Canada; this is
a rapidly extending; in<histry, lor in lf^(•i♦ the value «>!' this
export uas less than T)!'! >(•/., uliereas a do/en years lat<*r it
exi<'edcd 10(),(I(>()/ 'I'lu' peaches are delicious, it 1 may judjjje
by some 1 purchas<'d near Mia^^ara at the rate ol" two a penny.
]*eacli onhards, containing Irom ,')()()() to 1(),0()() tn'es, art;
common. The summer trade in strawberries is <'normous ;
tJH'V are delivered in shiphtads at t\w lake-ports. 'I'he cultun*
ol <;rapes is incrj-asinj;, and the larf;est vineyanls are in the
counties ol Wentwortli, W'elK-unl, I^incoln, Kent, and I'lssex.
The manulacture ol wine Irom the t^rape is a ^rowinj; industry.

The southern j)art ol the Province, embracir)^ an area of
about 2r),<>(H),()()(> acres, is highly lav«»un'd, both in its climate
and in its soils. Mr. .lolin Carnejji'ie, of Peterborou<>;h, Ont.,
has j)ointed out that the last Census Keturns of Cana<la and the
United States sh(»w that, when compan-d with the seven lar<;est
produciiijj States, in each of seven cereals, Ontario, notwith-
staudinj; that she is thus broujjht into comjx'tition with twenty-
two States, secures a first place as a pro«lucer of barh'V, of p<'as,
and of beans ; a third j)lace as u producer of oats and of buck-
yyheat ; a fifth for rye ; a sixth for yield per acre, an<l an cijihth
for (juantitv, of wheat : thus obtaining; an honourable j)osition in
six out of the seven — a position not attained by any State of the
Union — while the jjreat State (»f Illinois only obtains three first
j)laces and a second, and tlu'n disa]>pears from the comparison
altogether.

The lion. D. A. Wells makes the followins statement re-
garding Southern Ontario: —

■»

"Xortli of biilu'.s Kriu ami dntario, cast of Laku Huron, south of \]\o
r(jrty-sixlh iiaralkl, ami iiifluiicd witliiii tla- I>oiiiiiii(jn of Canada, tlitTr is
as fair a country as exists on the Ainmican cvaitinfUt — marly as laruc in
area as New York, rennsylvania, ami <>lii<. combined, and e()ual if not
KUpcrior <as a whole to fh(jse i^tates in ajiricultural c ipacity. It is tlie natural
liabitat on tliis continent nf tlic ci)inl»in<,'-ut'(il ^hcfp, without a lull, cluap,
and reliable supply of the wool of which species the great worsted nianu-
facturin;! industries of the country cannot j'rosjier, or, we should rather say,
exist. It is the re^^ion where ljiows the linesl barley, whicii the brewin<^
interests (jf the United States niust have if it ever exjx'cts to rival (ireat
Britain iu its present annual exjKjrt of over eleven rL.llion dollars' worth
of malt jiroduct.s. It raise.s aiid jjjrazes tlie finest cattle, with qualities
especially desirable to make ltuckI ihi' deterioration of .stuck in other .sectiotis,
and its climatic conditions, created by an almost encirclement of the Great
Lakes, esijccially fit it to grow men."

Canadian Atjricullare.

37

Ontiirid is tlu? only province in the Dominion whicli sup-
plic's ii ilcfinitt* coursr of trclinical instruction in a{j;riculturp,
the OntJirlo A^rii;ultural Collf;;*', at (iuclph, Ix'infjf th<? solitary
institution ot its kind in (Janada 'V\\c colloj^o provides a
jjenrral ((MnnHTcial an<l liii^lish education combined with
technical trainin<; in a<;ri<;ulture. 'I'h(> huildin^ is commodious,
w<'ll situated, an<l furnished witli lecture-rooms, laboratories,
museum, and sleeping apartments for the students. The col-
lejje has been in oj)eration lor ten years, and is in a most
nourishing; condition. It is fortunate in havinji; for its Presi-
<lent Professor James Mills, M.A., who possesses a wide and
comprehensive jjrasp of the principles which should jj^uide the
course? of an instituti(ui of so much public importance, and
whose untiring devotion to the <»bjects for which the collejje
was established is amply rellccted in the suj>port it re(!eives
from the people not oidy of Ontario but of other parts of the
Dominion. riie teihnical curriculum embraces all the sub-
jects necessary to a right understanding^ of the theory and
])ractice of a^^riculture.

Attached to the C()lle<>;e is the Ontario Kxperimental Farm,
which, under tlu? manajj^ement of Professor lirown, who so ably
fdls the Chair of Ajjriculture in the college, and who has
worked arduously and successfully for the land of his adoption,
has l)een productive of results of the highest value? and im-
portance to Canadian agriculture, and such as have amply
justified the outlay which the Provincial Government incurs in
the maintenance of the college and the farm.

As the technical instruction of intending farmers and
colonists is a subject that seems to possess a perennial interest
in hhijrland, I mav here introduce a few observations on the
outlav, actual or estimated, in State-supported institutions in
Canada. I'hc Manitoba Department of Agriculture, in dis-
cussing the desirability of establishing in the prairie province
a School of Agriculture and an experimeutal farm, says in its
rep(>rt :

"It lias Ik'oii urpil ujum tlie IVpnrtinent tlmt such an institution could
easily bu niaile sclt'-su[i[)oriiiig. 'riie cxiicrionce ot the agricultural colleges
in tlie Unilc'il States iloes not justify tliis assuniiition, nor does the result in
(>iit;nio, wlicre the exjienditurc on the IScliool of Agriculture at Guelph, in
ISHl, was hi 15/., the total recei})ts being 3074/., leaving a loss of 5071/.,
without reckoning interest on the cost of the farm, and of the valuable
Imildiiigs which have been erected on it. Were the public lands in the
Province under the control of this Clovernuient, it might be practicable to take
steps for the establishment of a school, but in the present position of the
public domain, it may not be amsidered advisable to incur the requisite
outlay. I'nder the jirovisions of the Dominion Lands Act of 1871), the
l)oniinion Government is given iwwer to yrant land not exceeding in extent
OtiO acres to aiiv person or persons who will establish and keep in operation

D 2

38

Canadian A<jricnlture.

tlicroon for ft term of not loss tliiin fivo years a school of instruction in
jiractical liirniing and all matters I'ertainini: tluivto, adapted for thirty
I>nj)ils, with tin' aiiiiroval and to the satisfaction of the Minister of the
interior. In a sehenif of this nature thore is ample scope for private enter-
prise with a reasonahle certainty of ]ir<>tit, as an institution of that nature
could no doubt be conducted more economically under private manai;<'infnt
than under public control . . . Sucli a school, establislu'd on sound princijihs,
ini^ht, if placed under the supervision of this IK'partniint, l)ecome entitled
to Home l)onus or other aid I'rom the Province, but further than this it does
not seem practical at jiresent to siii:<^est. The ]iublic lands in the Province
are beiuj; so rajtidiy tal;en up, that persons desirous of cstablishiin:; a school
should lose no time in making a start.''

To the Select Agricultural Committee of the Dominion
House of Commons appointed last )ear, Professor Brown pre-
sented the following estimates : —

Estimate of Annual MAiNTKNAXfip: of an Aouicultural College and

ExrKUlMKNTAL FaKM.

'I'llK AoUICUI.TLltAr, Coi,T.K(iE.

Dr.

Cr.

Fees of 100 students,

at £10 £1,000

Students' board eharge,

ttt£i:» .. .. .. 1.500

Balance to debit

2.r>oo

2,120
£i,G20

Salnrit's of iive teaehers..
ManaL'enient of eollefre ..
Iio!irdini,'-liouse inanasreiuent
15oardini;-lious(^ expenses
General repairs

£
1,300
210

:{so

2,100
GOO

£1,G20

'riiK ExrKKiMKNTAi. Fakm (IOO Acrcs Cultivated).

Revenue from sale of Live-
stock, Wool, Grain, &c

Balance to debit . .

1)40

r.28

£1,I»W

Saliiries of three foremen

teaehers

Waires <if four plou^diinen
Wuf^fos of cattleman uml shep-
herd

Special Manures, SetMls, lUaek-
smith, Harness, Fuel, Medi-
cine, I'rintin)^, Inii)lement
Kepairs, Ac

£

420
288
IGO

8CS

GOO
£1,4G8

The actual revenue and expenditure of the Ontario Agri-
oultural College for the year 18^2, as detailed in the President's
llcport, is summarised in the following statement : —

Catiadian Agriculture.

39

Ontario Aoricultural College, 1882.
r>r. Cr.

Income.

Tnitinn foes

IJoanl

Suppkincntal Kxfttu. fees

Balance t> debit . .

•J87
0

4.549

£6,276

ExrENDITlllE.

Siilariea and wages

Fmjd .. .
Household expenses
Advertising, Printing, -ifcc.
Lalmratorj-, Library, &c.
"SV liter for eoUege and farm

2,422

1,952

1,378

160

222

142

£6,27G

Tiius the maintenance of the collejj^e alone cost the Province
454'.)^. in 1(S,S2, whilt! in l!S83 a similar statement shows a defi-
ciency ot r)l('»()/. to !)(' j)r()vi(le(l by the Province, the correspond-
inj; sum in 1884 hv\u^ \'M)\M. The students meet part of their
expenses by the regular labour they perform on the farm, — 3^
hours to ') hours a day, and, in July and August, when there
are no lectures, it^ hours a day, at from 2r/. to 5^/. per hour,
accordinjj to the value t)f the work as estimated by the farm
superintendent or his foremen. Board, lodjjinjj, and light cost
from i>.s-. to KKs". per week. The charges as thus reduced to a
minimum are : —

1. " 'I'lie entire cost to an (Ontario farmer's sun, able and williiiLr, witli con-
siderable experience in farm woili, is 10/. to 14/. a year lur board, wasliiug,
and tnition.

'J. "To an Ontario student without any ])revious knowledge of farniiag,
12/. to 15/. a year for 1 oard, washing, and tuition.

."). " To nun-resilient students {i.e. fmm outside Ontario), 15/. to 'JO/, a year
for lx»ari], washing, and tuition."

The balance-sheet of the l']xperimental Farm does not appear
in tlje annual report, but the following are the valuations of live-
stock and implements on ."ilst December: —

Horses
Cuttle . . . ,
Slieep ..
Pigs .. ..
luiplciueuts

1883.

1884.

£

£

470

465

1,000

6,296

35

1,054

i:w

108

1,543

1,737

3,178 I 9,660

The farm, comprising 550 acres, of which 400 are cleared,
was purchas«'d by the Provincial (iovernment in 1873 for
15,000/. The total cost of land and buildings, furniture, live-

40

Canadian Aqririi/turc.

stock, implomonts, drainngo, «S:r., to the end of 1880, amounted
to 45,178/.

Dill space permit, 1 shoulil like to j;ive a description of the
two j)leasant davs 1 spetit at tins admirable institution under
the courteous and instructive jj^uidance of President Mills and
Professor l^rown, hut I must content mvself with a brief sum-
mary. The crops include wheat, barlev, oats, peas, hav, roots,
pasture, and <;reen corn. 1 walked amonjj^st a splendid (ield of
Indian corn, ten or a dozen feet hifjh, and just ready to cut for
soiliuij. Besides the ordinary live-stock, the farm possesses
hig:h class pedi<;ree representatives of ten breeds of cattle, and
ten breeds of sheep, whose cost is included in the valuatio

n

for 1884. 1 h

densed into the Table

on

)airo

41

' cond ^ ^

summary of the cattle.

The sheep comprise : of Lincolns, one ram (30/.), and three
ewes (10/, each), bred by Mr. R. \Vrij::;ht, Nocton Heath, Lin-
coln ; Cotswolds, one ram (23/.), bred by Mr. H. Swanwick,
Cirencester, one ram (.')0/.), l)r<'d by Messrs. (iillett, Kilkenny,
l>ampton, and five ew<>s (.">/. each), bred by Messrs. (iillett;
Leicesters, one ram (.')<>/.), ;uid si.\ ewes (8/. i\s. S^/. each), bred
by Mr. 11. Wallace, Mauchlin, Ayrshire; I Highland, one ram
(10/.), ;uid two ewes [21. lO.v. each), i)rcd by Mr. .1. Craiij,
Craiirdarroch ; (lieviots. one ram (1'*/.), and two ewes (2/. lO.v.
each), bred by Mr. W. Marshall, ^b'^ton Mains; Oxford Downs,
two rams (2<>/. each), and six ewes ( K*/. cmcIi ), bred by Mr. A.
Ibassev, li('vthr<»p Park, ( hippini; Norton ; Hampshire Downs,
two rams (40/. and 3')/.), and live ewes (<!/. each), bred by Mr.
W. Parsons, West Stratton, .Micheldever ; .Shropshire Downs,
two rams («>')/. and 3r>/.), bred by Mr. J. Kvans, Utlinjjtou,
Shrewsbur\, and one ram (lO/.), and twenty ewes (f)/. each),
bred by Sir Henry Allsnpp, liart., llindlip Hall, \\'orcester-
shiro; Southdowns, two rams (52/. lO.s'. and 10.')/.), an<l five
ewes (10/. lO.s. each), bred by Lord Walsini^hani, .Merton,
iVorfolk.

Merinos are to be add<"(l to the sheep. arnl Holsteins* to the
cattle ; but no provision is bein;^: made lor V\ elsh or Kerry cattle,
as they are not considered suitaljle for Canada. For the students
ol the collejje this splendid array of live-stock will possess all
the educational value <»t a perm.aneiit a<;ricnltural show, and it
is a great treat to walk through the houses and see tin* re])re-
seiitatives (»1 so many aristocratic tamilies at one and the same
time, 'llie benelicent ellect which such sires as " Strathglass,"
*' CoiKjUeror,'' " liub Hoy," and "Sir Leonard," will produce in
the Province, is bound to make itself apparent in a lew years'
time.

* Theet; uri' n ally Dutch (rhiffly Friealuml) cattle. — EuiT.

r.i--.-...-f^-n:^i-v*^

Canadian Agriculture.

41

Nami;.

Date of HiitTa.

liltEKDEll.

Cost.

SlIOIlTHORN'S, —
Sir lironanl, 45013 ..
Hul. liny, 45184 .,
Maikiuoirtcllo' ..
lirta

Jan. 4. 1880
June' 23. 1S80
Jan. 13, 187S
Sept. !t 187'.>

3Ir. Hugh Aylmcr, West Dereham ..

Mr. J. A. Gonlon, U.iale, N.U

Mr.W. Dnthie, Collynie, Ai)er<lecnshire
Mr. Hugh Aylmer. We.st Dereham ..
3lr. John Evans. ITfrmgton, Shrew.sbury
^Ir.W. Dutliie, Collyuie, Aberdeenshire

£
210
450
150
210

31 lOs.
200

Hanmc.^H Wild Eyes
I'riiiccH.-) Koyal .. ..

Nov. 20. 1880
Jan. 22, 1882

IIeuffoups, —
Conqueror, 7510

IMonnicr

Sunllowir

Cronkhill Duchess 2ntl

Apr. 25, 1882
May 2'.», 1878

Dee. :;, issi

Mar. 8, 1882

Jlr. T. J. Carwardino, Stockton Bury
:\Ir. J. Kill, Church Strettou .. ..

Her ^liiji'sty the (.^ucen

Mr. J. Hill, Church Stretton .. ..

500

105

85

67

Aiieudk.kn-Angl-s

■

roi.i.s,—

Stratlij,'laHH, 2:J57 ..

Mar. 10, 1882

LordTweedmouth,Guibachan,Invcruea8

500

IMavis ;!nl ot ^[ary-l
park, 5285 .. ../

Kyum

Apr. 1870 ..
Mar. 11, 1880

Jlr. J. Mackenzie, Lyno of Carron . .

/Air. J. Strath, Cauldhame, Tarves,!
1 Aberdeen /

52 10».
100

Sybil's Darling 2n(l,\
4(111 1

Mar. 27, 1880 | Mr. J. Argo, Cairdsoat, Tarvea .. ..

50

Minnii' of Marvpark.
528G .. .'. ../

Apr. 1880 .. i EarlofSeafield

1

70 78.

Dkvons, —
lioiie'.-^ Diiko ..

Esmeralda, 4433 ..

1

4 1 ioo.> f^Ir. W. Farthinu', Stowey Court,)
Apr. 7, 1883 1 liridgewater .. .. .. .. ../

1^77 .. .. , :Mr. W. Smith, Wiiimplo, Devon

45

GO

CfALI.OWAYS, —

Staidev 3nl of Druui-"i
lanriV, I7'.»3 .. .. 1

Jan. 1, 1882

Duke of Buccleuch

100

Gem 2nd of Drum-
lanrig, 1230 .. ..

Jan. 18, 1S>2 Mr. J. Xeilson, Kirkgungoon, Dumfries

00

IJrrta (if Drundaiirij,',^
4222 J

Felt. 27, i8S2 Duke of Buccleuch

GO ' •

AY1!SMII!ES.—

!

Ciiniplifll of l)rum-l
Ian ri I,', 102 .. ..j

Stately ;ird of Drum-i
lanrig, 803 .. .. t

Sens:ition 2nd of|
Drnndanriir .. ■• )

reu'Ljit.' nf Auejicnbrain

Jeanie of Ancheiihraiii

Apr. 1S82 ..
Apr. 22. 1879

Juni', 11, 1881

Mar. 1SS2 ..
Apr. 18S2 ..

Duke of Buccleuch

Do.

Do.

;\lr. li. Wallace. Aucheiibrain, Mauchlin
Do. do.

42
40

40 I '^

25 J

25 f *

GUEUNSEYS, —

Cetvwavo, 37 ..
liuth .."

Goldleaf

M:.v 12, 1S82
May, 18S2 ..

Apr. 1881 ..

INlr. J. T.o Pago, St. Saviour's. Guernsey

Mr. Ogier, St. Martin's. Giiern,st'y ..

pir. Do Garris, Furtavale Tarish,)

\ Guernsey j

50

35 > ;

Jeusets,—
St. Mary's Boy, 5.35 . .

Feb. 10, 1883

iMr. E. P. Du Feu, St. ^Mary s Parish,)
I Jersey 1

*•'"' jl

Ileauty of the Mill ..

Uo.sie

Lo Toeifs rrincoss ..

Mav 8, IS82
MaV S, 1,SS5
May, 1S82 ..

y\r. P. Le Couilliard, Grouville, Jersey

Do. do.
Mr. J. 11. Kent, St. Owen's, Jersey ..

4.T 'h
45

West lIitini.\Ni), —
Duke of Ar^'yle

Apr. 1881 ..

M'resented by Mr. G. Whitlleld, Kouge-)
\ ment, Quebec. j

••

42

Camulian AijrictiUurc.

'Vho oxpiMiiTKMit.il (1(»partinrnt of thr farm provides for nume-
rous ("attl('-rc<'(lin«j trials, investigations into the inlhu^nce of
food on (lairv proilnets, atid a eonsiderahle variety of experi-
mental field work, iMnhracinjx the testiny: of dillerent kinds of

w

heat, trials of fertilisers, thick and thi

n seedmtr, deen an(

'f«'

d

shallow se(>dinjj, selection of f;rass<'s and clovers, estahlishment
of permanent ]>asture, and rotations in croj)pinjj. JMie experi-
mental plots are to he seeti in ;i field of 21 acres divided into
LS() ])i()ts of one-tenth acre each, and amonj^st the appliances

are a rain jjauijeol one-tliousan<

1th of

an acre area, six Ivsimeters,

eiirht irroun(

1 tl

lermometers.

th

le usual meteoroloirical instru

ments, and a \vell-e(|nipped analytical laboratory in i\\v. field.

riie plots are disposed in nine ranires. In tiie first the croppi

Pl>

lUi

IS made up oi cereals n(Mvly imported from l'>n<iland ; the second
is appropriated to t<\stinLr nitro;i:en in three forms of combina-
tion, and in three ratios; the third, similarly testinjj j)hosj)horic
acid ; the fourth, permanent j>asture and turnips under three
forms of manure ; the fifth, ^reen fodder crops and twenty
varieties of jijrasses and ch)vers ; the ^ixth, varieties of man<jold
\\\\\\ sj)ecial fertilisers; the seventh is left blank: the eijjhth
is devoted to trvinjj j>eas from !ui«;land : and the ninth to
testinj; varieties of winter \yh(\it and the suitability of trees.

Amoiipfst s(» many inijuiries, <Misila<;e has not been overlooked.
A common root cellar was, at an outlay of ')/. lOs., properly
cemented and converted into an air-tij,Mit silo in \yhich j;reen
oats were stored. riie silo was oj)ened ninety (h-ns after its
completion, and the fodder was found to be "one body of sweet,
well-coloured, oat-stalks, leaves, and heads," possessinj^f a tem-
perature of al)out 70 I'ahr. rwcntv-eii^ht tons of ji;reen oats
were put in the silo, filliiii; it to a depth of lO feet; it was at
on("e covered ^vith 2-inch boards, '.• inches wide, and loaded
with earth that <jave a ])ressure of lOOO lbs. per square yard.
The results of feediuLj this silajje have cot vet been published,
l)ut the followinu: fijjures, which represent the full cost of fillinjif
the silo, may prove of interest ; mow iut;, hauliufj:, cuttinj^,
and packin{^ were all accomplished within the space of three
days : —

£ s. il

Winr anil tear of ciii^iiii' (» VI 0

ilii^ine driver 0 IH 0

Two toaiiis liauliiii^ trniii liclii (i iiiiK') - 10 0

MtuviT utid team, uiif (lay 0 1- 0

Field loaders

F.'.mI

iiiLT straw-cutti r, t\vi> luoii

f S 0
1 \ 0
L' 0 0

Mi'ii ill sild, four

Carpenter 0 8 0

Total

£!) VI 0

Ca mtdian Af/riculture.

43

This represents an averaj^e cost of about 7.s\ per ton.*
To «jiv«« some idea of the painstakin}); care witli which Pro-
fessor IJrowii (lischfir^es the duties of liis oflice, I reproduce, on
pajres 44 and 4r», two Tabh's referrinji^ respectively to cattle and
sheep. 'J'li()u<;h l^n<rlish breeders may not be disposed to agree
with the decisions in every case, they will nevertheless study the
tables with interest. 1 may mention that in the case of cattle the
1000 maximum points of the " beef and milk " breeds are not to
be consich'red as e(|uivalent to the 1000 points in the two other
cases. And in the case of sh(;ep I have addend the last column,
to show which breed is estimated to stand highest in the respec-
tive j)()ints. Arranged in order of general excellence as indi-
<'at<Ml bv th(" total marks, the sheep stand thus : — 1. Southdown.
2. Hampshire Down. 3. Shropsfiire Down. 4. Oxford Down.
f). Leicester. (5. Cotswold. 7. Lincoln. 8. Merino, i). Cheviot.
It is worth noticing that while the Mampshire Downs do
not obtain the highest mark under any point, they yet stand
second on the general list.

I'lie cost of producing beef is illustrated in the particulars
issued by the Ontario Kxperimental Farm in conjunction with
an announcement of tiie sale by auction of seven prime young
steers a few davs ix'fore (.'hristuias last. Their average age was
2 years Ah months, and average wiMght l()t)0 lbs. The following
is 5tat(Ml to be the cost of production per head, though it would
piobablv have been more correct had the value of the manure
been (leilucte<l instead of that of the home-grown food : —

£

s.

d.

FntsT Vi;ai{, iii'luiliiiii call value, milk ami all

other t'oixi, wish altciulaia'c S 0 0

SlH'oNl) Vkau, lon.l ainl r:iV{\ .. 11 1.') 0

Four Months ok Tuuu) Yhaii 1 3 8

£lio I'! 8
Less t'slimalfil market value ol" CimkI :;ri)\vn on t'anu S 13 8

£15 3 0

'J'otal actual cost of iifiHluctiou ..

This brings the cost to close upon 2}^/. per lb. live-weight.
At an cxportatii)n price of o(/., there would be a cash profit of
5/. per head on these cattle, and nearly double this is sometimes
realised for Canadian (Christmas beef. The food in the fore-
going case consisted of hay, roots, green fodder, bran, peas, corn,
oats, oil-cake, and Thorley condiment, averaging during winter
of seccmd vear, i) lbs. hay, 25 lbs. roots, 8 lbs. grain, and 2 lbs.
cake per day.

♦ Tlu'se liLMires may be comiMired with similar ones in the " Report on the
Pr.u-tice of Kiisila<,'e at Homo and Al.ruad," liy H. 31. Jeukiud, B'.G.B., in this
« Journal,' J?ici)n(l eoriod, vol. xx. 1884, p. 12(3 ct se'i.

1,!

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Canadian Agriculture.

45

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46

Caudilinn Aijricnltiur.

It is (HfTicult t«) estimate the value of the jjood results that
have emanated from tiie Ontario Agricultural C'oll«'<;e and
Experimental I'arm. Whatever these have he^-n in the past,
they are likely to he still i;r<'ater in the future — in the years to
come when the many students who have been trained at (Juelph
will have bene(ieially inlluenced the stvle and jiroj^ress of
fannint; throu«;hout the lenjjth and breadth of the Dominion.
The Ontario (iovernment expends no money more advan-
tajjeously than that which is applit'd to the maintenance of this
Useful and necessary institution.

The PnoviNCE of (^iKr.r.c.

(Quebec, the oldest Province in Canada, extends for some
hundreds (»f miles alon»; both banks of the miy:hty St. Lawrence.
Its northern boundarv is the hii;!! land which constitutes the
water- parting; between the rivers flowing; northwards into
James \\\\\ and Hudson's Hav, and those which (low southwards
into the St. Lawrence. Its western boundarv is determined
mainly by the Ottawa River. Upon the south the Province is
bounded l)y the parallel of 4.V north latitu<le until it reaches
Aew llamj)shire, when, trendinjj;^ north-east, the l)oun<lary line
follows a sinuous course till it terminates on the borders of
\ew lhunswi<k. As the Atlantic- steamers wend tli<'ir way
alon^ the bosom of the majestic St. Lawrence, the traveller
ac(juires a p)od idea not onlv of the immensitv of this famous
river, but also of the plnsical features of tlie Provincj' of (Quebec.
On either bank he sees a broad alluvial ])lain ilothed with
forest trees down to the water's ed^''e, except when* extensive
clearan(!es have becMi ma(h', and the background is ellectively
occupied by ranj^es of hills. \ear the shores, and particularly
on the south side, are to be seen the white houses of the old
L'rench settlers, sometinu's a^^tjrejjated into villajj^c's an<l towns,
but more frecpiently dotted alonji^ in one stra^ii[lirijj line lor
more than a hundred miles. Here and there the sond)re hue
of the W(K)dlands is varied bv the ^litterin;; sj)ire of a Roman
Catholic church, for tin; I'Vench Canadians havi* adhennl to their
faith, to their lanjjuajje, and it mi<;ht almost be said to their
farming. Of the l,or)D,027 jx'ople who dwelt in the Province
in 1881, no less than l,()7o, 820 were of I'rench orij;in. More
I'rench is to be heard than lOn^lish, and all the enactments of
the Provincial Parliament, as well as all official notifications,
appear side by side in I'rench ami English.

The Laurentian Mountains on the north, and the A<liron-

dacks, Notre I)

the most

promi

ame
nent

and Cireen Mountains on tlm south, are

features in the landsc

ape.

Th

le valleys v\

Canadian Agriculture. 47

the Laurontians have heon sroopod out by Innumorablo streams
wh'uh abound in (ish, and their slopes are tiiickly covered with
tlx? timber which suppli«!s the extensive himberinfj^ trade of the
Province, the value of the timber exports in 1883 having
amounted to 2, \ ()!'),[)[)() I.

The historic city of (Quebec, the administrative capital of the
Province, o(;cupies a magnificent site, and has a population of
()li,()()0. Montreal, the commercial capital, is 180 miles higher
up the river, and has nearly 200,()()0 inhabitants. During
winter the St. Lawrence is frozen over sufficiently to permit of
trartic being carried on across it between the two sides of the
river, and everybody has heard of the ice carnival at Montreal
in r'ebruary. " A visitor in winter is sure to be impressed
with the weird scene in early morning or evening, when, from
a sky as warm with rosy tints as in midsummer, the level beams
of sunlight, glancing and brightening over the sea of quiet
snowy furrows, and glittering icy crests, strike along the line of
evergreens marking the ice roads, upon the trains of sleighs,
and light up the tinned roofs and steeples of the distant city
wltii brilliant splendour." And yet, such is the summer, that
maize is a certain grain crop in nearly the whole of the Province.
Spring wheat gives an average yield of about 10 bushels per
acre, and, besides the ordinary crops of the farm, fruit is largely
cultivated, especiallv in the south. Improved farms may be
purchased at from 4/. to 6/. per acre, including dwelling-house,
outbuildings, and fencing.

The followinir Tables are from the Census Returns of 1881 : —

Animals and their Products, Province of Quebec.

Horses 22r>,000

(\,lts;i.i(l Fillies 4S,SA{]

Workiiit? Oxen 4!l,'_';{7

Mi lei; Cows 4!)0,;)77

Otlur lluniea Cattle 490,110

Sheep 88l),S3a

Swine 32IM91)

CiUtle kille.l or soil l()0,2O7

Sliee|.) „ 4o(v?;i(5

Swine „ aa.'MoO

Pounds of Wool 2,7;W,54(5

rounds of Hay 559,024

As in the following figures the acreage is only given in one
or two cases, I am unable to make up the average yields, but
the numbers will serve to indicate the relative extent to which
the various crops are cultivated : —

48 Canadian AtjricuUurc.

F'uhi Prodtictn, Proi'incc of Qnchcc.

Iliixlicls,

Spriiii: Wli.iit 1, ;•!•!•> I .".

Wiiitfi- Wlnat l:'..sl',i

I'.i.riov i,7:)i,."i;'.it

Oats ll'/.i'.iO.'Ji).")

Hy<' t ■.(',- 12

I'liis ami Hraiis l.lT'MT)!;

Hiukwii.at 2,(» 1 1,(170

liniiaii Colli S>S,1(;;»

I'olatiH's 11,S7.'M:.s7

'l'\inii|'S l,ri7'J,17(i

OtlllT lu.nts 'J,(»:)O,i)04

Crrasti aiiiU'luvn- Stc'tl 1 IDj.'lUt;

And there were 1,*) 14, '.>()♦) tons of liav, t\w produce ol" 1, 4'.)'), 404
acres, the av(>ra}je beinjj I'OS tons per acre. As tliere were
224,('t7<S acres in wheat, the yieUl shows the low average of
\) i)ush(ds p(>r a( re.

Farininj; in (Quebec niav be seen under two phases. There
is the easv-jfoing, conitortabh', old-fasliioned st\U'of the I'rcnch
Canadians, very similar now, 1 iinaijine, to what it was a
century aijo : and there is the improved and progressive farming
of the Mastern 'J'ownships. These comprise such towns as
liichmond, .Shcrbrookc, C'»»m])ton, and others in the south of
the Province n«'ar the \ew I'^ngland Houndarj. They are
niostlv Mnglish, having been originally settled by the United
Kmpire Loyalists, who left the United States at the time of
their sejiaration from lingland, making enormous sacrifices to
j)rcserve their allegianc<\ jjesides ln<lian corn, tomatoes, grajies,
and other delicate fruits are ripened in the oj)en air. (irazing
and stock-raising are, however, the sjx'cial features in the
farming of this area. 'I'he rich grasses of the hill-si<les and the
clear streams lu'lp to make it a good dairying country, and
some of the best butter j)roduc<'d in the Dominion is made here,
while th(^ cheese is of excellent (juality. IJutter and chees(;
factories are largely on the incrj'ase in (Quebec, no less than 400
new ones having been established in 1^^2. The (irand Trunk,
Central \ ermont, and other railways have opened up the
townships for trade with Montreal an<l (^u(4)ec on the one side,
and with the \ew I'.ngland and New \ Ork .States on the other,
and these latter have taken great quantities of dairy produce in
recent years. It is an admirable district for raising stock, as
tlie celebrity of the lion. M. II. Cochrant^'s pure-bred herds at
Compton testifies. With their facilities for grazing cattle and
shci'p on their undulating lands, the farmers of the Eastern
Townshij)s are pushing their way to the front in order to secure

Canadian Aijriculture.

49

II
e

a sliarr in tlir export cattle trade of the Dominion. The country
is well \voo(h'(l, — hard and soft inaj)le, birch, elm, ash, basswood,
buttcnuit, hickorv, c<'dar, and spruce beiny: tlie chief trees.

Iicsides extensive beds of peat, tlie Province possesses immense
<lcposits of apatite, iti \vhi(;h a very iarfje trade is }2;ro\vinj2^
np, the export from Montreal havinj; reached ll>,()()() terns in
l.SS.'i, and 2(),()()() tons in l.S.Sl, whereas in 1877 it did not
amonnt to (iOOO tons. The chief deposits are in Ottaw.a
county, where, however, the mininjii^ of apatite was not com-
menced till 187;'), since when the operatiinis have steadily
increased, and some of the phosphate lands have sold for as much
as 2 ')()/. j)er acre. Raw Canadian phosphate will contain as
much as ScS per cent, of tribasic pliosphate of lime, and pure
specimens of apatite contain about 1)2 per cent. Car;j[o samples
analysed in l*!n;,dand have yielded from 85 to 8(j per cent, of
tril)asic phosphate, but the most usual averag^e is from 75 to
80 per cent. Prices have fluctuated widely, ranginjii^ between
5/. l().s'. and 'i\l. per ton of 80 per cent, cjuality. Low freijjhts
are sometimes obtained by ships takinj;^ apatite for ballast
under tind)er car;x()(.s, at from 2.v. (k/. to \{)s. per ton. As it is
believed that much ()f the sujierphosphate exported from
England to the United States, — -77tU) tons in 1883, — is worked
up trom raw phosphates imported from Canada, it is not
unlikelv that etlorts will be made to establish manufactories in
the Dominion, whos(^ trade in j)hospliates with the States is
verv limited. It is worthy of note that the grain exported from
Montreal in a single v<'ar has been estimated to contain 2574
tons of phosphoric acid, which implies the total exhaustion, so
far as plios])liatcs are concerned, of 75,000 acres of land, the
renewal of which would necessitate the application of some
()000 tons of phosphate.*

That there is room for improvement in the practice of the
r'rench Canadian farmers of (Quebec may be gatliered from the
following evidence of Mr. G. Larocque, of Beaumont, IMle-
chasse Countv, before th(? Select Committee on Agriculture.
" The land is too little worked over, the ploughing is too super-
ficial, ma<le in haste-, oft<?n at unseasonable times. The har-
rowing leaves much to be desired — one often sees wooden
harrows. 'I'he ditches and trentdies are neglected. Noxious
weeds appear in masses in many of the fields. In general, the
stables are not sufficiently spacious or well lighted. The
ventilation is faulty, and cleanliness is not the order of the day.
But animals are better treated than in the past. Fresh manure

* Vidt Kcport of tbo Miaiolei of Agriculture for the Domiiiiou of Cuuada for
1883.

50

Canadian AuricuUure.

is oinplovrd too much on tlu' surface without l)»'infj buried in
tl>o earth." Professor S. M. liarri' sav3, " Too niu<li ^rain
f;ro\vinf; is the trouhh', aiul the number of rattle kept is not
jiroportioned to the extent of land under cultivatio

n.

vv

SilOU

hi k(

eep nu»n» cattle.

I'he (juaint appearance of the " native " catth* of the Province
of (Quebec is sure to attract the iu)tice of tlu* ajjricultural visitor.
'J'hey are of Transathintic origin, their ancestors having; b<'en
taken over by the I'li'iich setth'rs when Canada was a part of
the Dominions of I'rance. Cattle similar to them mav still Ix*
seen browsinfj on the plains of Prittany, wlience the ohl I'rench-

(

>h

madian colonists derived their su])ply

1 th

Tl

lese

(^ue

\wv.

cattle are ffood milkers, and a few of them mav be found at
nearly every one of the snujj^ lunnesteads in the valley of the
St. Lawrence.

The reckless fellini; of timber without makinsj anv j>rovision
for future re(piirements has led tjje (^^uebcc ( iov<'rnment to take
up the (juestion of preserving and r<'-plantinjj; forests, and of
tree-plant iiijj: aloii}; the hij^h roads and farms. The result has
been the institution of an "arbour-day," or annual tree-plantinj;
holidav. It is not that there is not j)lentv of timber, for tlu;
revenue from th<; Crown timbj-r lands of (Quebec amounted in
iSiS,') to 1 71, oil')/., but that in certain districts it is beiny^ so
rapidjv and so efl'ectuallv removed, that in some municipalities
the people have to send fifteen or eij^hteen miles lor a load of
wood. Th<; revenue from the Crown lands in Ontario in 188)J
was 127, Oy(*/., but both in this Province and in (Quebec an
official conservation of wocxls and forests seems urgently needed.

TuK .Mai:itimI': Provincks.

The Maritime Provinces are those of Prince I'dward Island,
New Brunswick, and \ova Scotia. The jj^reater portion of
their surface is still denselv cov<'red with timber, and their
climate has less pronounced extremes of temj)erature than is
the case in the more western Provinces. It is })robably indi-
cative of the rigid precautions the Canadians resort to in order
to preserve their live-stock free from disease, that there is no
quarantine station in the Maritime Provinces, all imported
cattle from Kurope having to enter by way of (juebi'c ; the
Nova Scotians are, however, hoping to get (juarantine stations
established at Halifax and Yarmouth.

Prince Kthcard Ishind. — This is the smallest Province in the
Dominion, its area being about the same as that of our county
of Norfolk. It lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the north
of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, being separated from the

f

liL't^'

(\tiiti(/i(iN Af/ricu/tiirc.

51

f

m.-iIiildiHl l)v XorlliiJiiilM'iI.ind Straits. Vor a spacr u( thrro
inoritliH ill tlu" winter tin- imcsciuc ol" irv mnirrs ioiniimiiicatioii
with the tiiaiiilaiul dillicult and uncertain. The climat*' is Inss
»(»y:;rv and less cliantfcaldc than in thr two other Maritiino
rr(»vinees. 'VUv surlac*- of the island is sli;;hfly rollinjr, and i.s
e<»v»'re«l l)v a hrij^ht n'd loam olunilorni charaeter and marked
fertility. The land is nearly all rh'ared , there are lew inanu-
laetories on the island, and it has heen called the yrarden of the

■ V • • • ■

l)<»miiuon, visitors iloekini; there in frrcat numhcMs in summer.
The history ol l*rin(»> Mdward Island is instructive. Soon
alter tin- peace ol" 17»'>.'{ it was divided into townships, and
j::rant«'d, by means ol" a lottery, to a number of persons, many
ol them ollicers of the airny and navy who had served in the
war. (.'on(liti(»ns were attached to these fjrants, of (|uit-rent,
ol reservations for churches and wharves, and particularly of
settlement. I>ut most of the <rrantees had no intention of
settlinjf. Many sold their jjrants, and the lands of tlie island
ffradually iell int(» the hands of a lew jx-ople who did nothinjif
to improve them, but remained in l'^nj,datid, waitinjr to profit
by the labour of the actual settlers. I^rtiperiv, these j;rants
should have been cancelled lor non-fulfilment 4 the conditions,
but they were not; tlie fertility of the island attracted numbers
of settlers, and it was soon verv j;<"nerally under cultivation;
but as the leases ran out, tlie absent landlords raised the rents.
Then arose numberless disturbances, the pioneers who had
bniu^'ht the wilderness under cultivation not being able to
understand the c(»rrect principles of property and land tenure.
Among these settlers were eight hundred Highlanders taken
out by the I'^arl of S«'lkirk, and they soon became prosperous
farmers. 'J'h<' land (juestion continued to agitate the minds of
the people for years, until, in liSliO, the Government appointed
a Commission which valued the rights of the absent proprietors,
and recommen<led their purchase by the Government, with a
view to re-selling to the tenantry ; the liritish Cioverninent,
however, disallowed a JJill for promoting this object. Shortly
afterwards another 15ill was pissed and allowed, under which
the (iovernment actjuired the pro]>rietors' rights, and thus put
an end to further agitation. The (iovernment acquired
^415,^81 acres, and in 1<5(S2 only 142,011 acres remained not
taken up. Of this area (17, 000 acres was indifferent forest
land, so that only 75,000 acres remained under lease to tenants
who had not purchased, in this manner was Prince Edward
Island converted into a country of proprietors from a country of
tenant farmers.*

* ' lliiuilbcKik (if tlie Dnminion of Catiatlu, 1884.'

E

52

Canailidu Ai/riviillurc.

This Provinrc Ims no Hiiroau of Afjriculturc, and tlu* only
Icijislatloii of ;»s;ri(ultmal interest has dealt with jin Act to
rejrulate the nianaf;<'nient ol the (lovj-ininent Stock I'\-irin, th«*
Domestic Animals Act, 1S7<^, and an Act to prevent the spread
of the potato bu^, lS?^.'i. There is a consi<h*rabh' export trade
in horses, catth% and sheep to otlier parts of Canada and to the
New I'ln<jhind States. I\'rhaps tlje most pecnliar f«'ature in
the farminiT of the ishind is the e.\t<'nt to which the mussel-mud

o

f tl

le rivers is used as manure

Th

le ituHl IS oi)taine(

bt;

(1 I

)V

a (

Ired

fjinj; machine, worked bv horse-power, on the ice over
the beds of nearly all the rivers where oyster and mussel
deposits occur. I'hese deposits are from ten to thirtv feet thick,

md are ma<le up of ovsters, muss(

Uscl

ferti

'I

Is, d

«-cave(

th

d acts

1 fish
iptl;

1, and s«*awee(

d eU'ectivj'b

ectivj'iv,

L sed as a lertiiiser. this material acts proniptiv and «

and produc«*s verv larjje croj>s of hav. Improved farms can b(

boujjht here at about 4/. j)<»r acn*.

New lininsirir/i. — The Province of \ew lirunswick is not
much more than half as larj^e as lliifj^land. Its extreme lenjjth,
north to south, is 2'M^ mih's, and its «jreat<'st brea<lth is IIM)
miles; but it has a (-oast line 500 miles l<m«r, and indent<'d with
spacious bavs and inlets. The roast upon the Hav of I'undy
is rocky ami sterile, excej>t at the lu'ad of the bav, where are
the rich Acadian marsh or d\ke lands, which are referred
to at h'n;;th under the head of Nova Scotia. Alonj; the shores
of the ( ■uilOf St. Lawrence the coast is low and sandy. The
surface of tlu' I'n)vince is undulating:, densely wooded, and
nowhere marked by any considerable elevations, though low
ranges of hills surromuled by fertih* valleys and table-lands are
not uncommon. H^'sides being a farming countrv. New Hruns-
wi(k is noted for its lund)er trade, its fisheri«>s, ami its ship-
buildinir indiistrv. It was orijjinallv settled by the United
Min])ire Lo\alists, "tin* vantpiished champions of a lost cause —
the victims ol a p(»liti<al idea which was unsuccessful, — an<l
thev turneil to the wilderness and founded new communiti(>s, in
which are now manifested the principles of rational liberty
which were present in thei. niinds. . . . Shipload aftt-r ship-
load of refugees landed on the rugged shore of tin' harbour
of St. .John. Many succumlied to tin' hardships of the first
winter, with scanty shelter and siarcj'iiess of food, ' With death
swooping <lown o'er their failure, ami all but their faith
overthrown.' Hut there their descendants remain to this day,
the most vigorous, the most c(mrageous an<l most indomitable
of the people who inhabit the Dominion of Canada." Ami yet,
somehow, New Hrunswick, notwithstanding its great natural
advantages, its fine maritime position, its many noble rivers,
its fertile soil, and its excellent system of railways, does nut

' fmn; Ti'rir'fr'T-""ir"'i"n Tt~i '^ i

rty
)-
ir
rst
th
th

y»

%

at

Canadian Agriculture. 53

seem to come to the front, and is less known in Britain than
are most of the other Provinces. Perhaps the Provincial
(iovernment autliorities are a little apathetic in the matter, or
possiblv they think it bettor to allow people to learn what they
<an f«)r themselves, should their inquiries be opportunely turned
in that direction.

Forty years .io;o the Province of New Brunswick was, by
order of the British (Iovernment, explored by Major Robinson,
R.E., who, in his report to the Imperial Parliament, said: —

" Of tlic cliniatts soil, :iinl capiibilitios of New Brunswick, it is imiKissible
to s|n'ak too lii^hly. TliiTi' is not a comitry in tlie world so boautit'uUy
woiKlt'd autl watcrt'd. An insinrtion of the inaj* will show that there is
scarcely a section of it without its slnams, from the running brook to tho
navipihli' river. 'I'wo-thinls of its iMunulary are washed hy the sea; the
remainder is emi)rac»-d liy the lar;_'e rivers the St. Joiin and Restij^ouche,
For In-auty and richness of scenery this latter river and its liranches are not
to Ih' surjiassed hy anythini: in (Jreat Britain. The lakes of New Brunswick
are numerons anil most heantit'id; its surface is uiidulatini^, hdl and dalo
varyiiiji to the mountain and valley. The country can everywhere be pene-
trated by its streams."

The Province has a l?oard of Ag:riculture, which takes
charge of ajjricultural afl'airs and supervises the local societies.
There are fifteen members — one from each county — and a
secretarv ; the chairman must be a member of the (iovernment.
The oflice is at Fredericton, the administrative capital. Unfor-
tunately there are no ajjricultural statistics made up, except the
mea<;re returns by the secretaries of the agricultural societies.
Reliable returns would be invaluable, but there appears to be
an indispositi(»n to supplv the funds which would be necessary
f<»r the orticial collection of figures. The areas under cultiva-
tion as shown by the last four Census Returns were : —

Acres.

1S.-)1 ()4;'.,!tr)t

ls(;i 8S"),I08

1S7I 1,171.157

IKS I l,'jr)3,'_'U!)

But the acreage of improved land in 1881 was hardly more
than (me-tenth of the an'a capable of being profitably culti-
vated, and last year Mr. Julius L. Inches, Secretary t() the
I^iard of Agriculture, reported that not over 5 per cent, of the
l*rovince had been cleared of its timber.

I cannot discover the average yields of crops, but the
following statement from the Census Returns shows the lotal
yields in bushels in the years immediately preceding in each
case : —

E 2

54

Cdudiliau Af/n'ru/turc.

^vh.Mt .. ..

H:ul.V .. ..
Oats ' ,. ..
lUo .. ..
I'tii:? an<l IJcniiti
hui'kwliial ..
Iiidiaii C(irn .,
I'otntdos
Turnii)s..
UthiT n^otd ..
Hav, tons

1861.

1871.

1881.

27i»,77:)

'2o:{..v.fj

.Vii.i»r»t;

•.M.Cw'.t

7i',:>J7

si.isa

2.i>")»;.s!s;?

:K(H4j:!»

3,'2'.»7.r.:{4

r.7.r.oi

•2:\,-\>2

18,2t;S

:io.»;77

ir»,(i.)(;

4;{.i2i

H(»i.:fjl

i.'2:!i.(i:ti

l,r.S7.223

17.»-Ji»

•J7,t;.'>s

isjr)i>

4,04i,:{;f.t

o,r)<;2,:u-)

G,i>t;i,()it;

t;:u.at;i

(;o;{.72l

•t'.Ht, :!:{(*,

;"»(»..■)'.•(>

'.ts,:{r»s

i.v.t,(i4:J

[I'HAM

:U4,7!t:{

4H,04G

From this it appears that harhn* and rye rofjistcn-d a dccroaso
on the two (h'cach's. Indian corn was stati»)narv, while there
was a niarke<l increase in wheat, buckwheat, and potatoes; the
last-named ar»' verv successlullv cultivated. As the Census
Returns of lc^}>l state that tlu'ie w«'re 40,381 acres of wheat,
51, .')('» J acres of jiotatoes, and .■>."^*',721 acres of liay, it follows
that the averajje \ields per acre of tiiese three crops were: of
wheat, I'A Inishels ; of j)otatoes, 1.').') bushels; and of hay,
1 •()(') tons.

The follow injj^ is a similar statement, referring to the number
of live-stock : —

HorH> s

Wnrkiiii: Oxen ..

Milch C'lws

nfi,. r Il.iriiKl Cattle

!Siit<|i

Swiiic

1861.

::.").:! 1 7
i;m II
»;'.». j:!7

72. '.til
2n,(l'.rj

7: !.'.''.•.'•

1871.

4i.7s(;
ii.i;{2

h;i,22(l

2:u.tis

tM.Sd.')

1881.

r.2,;t7r)

S.><12

K 1:5. '.•»;.■»
'.•;t,7s;t

22i,it;:{
:>:{.i'S7

'Vhv (h'creas*' in the nundx-r of workinjj;- oxen an<l the <'on-
coinitant increase in horses are evi«h'nces of improved methods
of cultivation ami of increasing prospi-rity amongst the farmers.
The fijrures further indicate the increase in the dairy industry
and in beef-growing. Though the (|uantitv of ovine stot^k has
remained almost stationary, the (jualitv has much improved.
The attention of the (iovcrnment, as well as that of private
bn-eders, has long been dir<'cted to the im])rov<Mnent of stock ;
utid the establishment, in IJSSI, of the (iovcrnment stock farm
has been attended with };ood results. J he native horne<I cattle
of the Province originally came from New I'^ngland and New
York, and were of mixed breeds. Hardy, active, and generally

Canadian A(/riculture.

55

i)(l<

ffood milkors, thoy am not mucli adapted for tho fattinjj^ process ;
but the Shorthorn "grades raised from these attain larfje size and
wei<i;ht at an early ajje, and make admirable stock for the
butcher. The introduction of improved breeds has led to
the raisinj^ of considerable numbers of cattle for the English
market, and some of the farms in the counties of Albert and
Westmoreland stall-feed as many as 200 or 300 head in a
winter. Tliere is a Provincial Herd Book, in which farmers
are invited to record tiie pedi«jrees of all pure-bred animals they
possess, and the majority find it decidedly advantageous to do
so. The pure-bred stock in the Province are chiefly Short-
horns, Ayrshires, Oevons, and Jerseys, with a small number of
Polled Angus and \orloIks, and a few Herefords. Last year
the herd on the Ciovernment stock farm comprised *,) Shorthorns,
(■) Ayrshires, 5 Norfolk Polls, and 4 Aberdeen Polls, with some
15 or 1() young animals, and bv its means the (iovernment
can supply farmers with fine animals at a less cost than by
continuous importing. The site of the farm has, however, not
proved suitable.

Some useful information as to the present position of agri-
culture in \ew Hrunswick was colleited by the Select Committee
on Agriculture of the Dominion I louse of Commons. Mr. ?]. B.
Beer, Presltlent of the New Brunswick Farmers' Association,
stated that there is a want of capital and exj)(!rience, and that,
as the surplus produce of \ew lirunswick has not been much
in excess of the home demand, farmers hav(; not seen the
necessity of raising a better ipialitv of produce. Mr. J. L. Inches
considers that their agriculture does not suffer under any
peculiar dirticulties, except a rather low condition of farming.
A fair proj)ortion of fanners have adopted an advanced system,
and use suital)le implements, but the larger number do not.
The heavy dutv on sliipments to the United States is felt, for
this is almost the onlv ext(M!ial market there is for the agri-
cultural pnxluce of \ew Brunswick. Mr. S, L. Peters, of
Otnabog, (Queen's County, says their farmers n'(]uire a mor«
thonmgh knowledge of the kinds of crops best suited to the
various soils, and of tiie most economical method of making
them more productive. The scarcity of cheap labour is largely
felt. " In the production of butter the great want appears to be
the reluctance on the part of our farmers and dairymen to supply
themselves with the most approved implements with which they
can convert their milk into butter. By far the larger portion
of them seem willing to sti(k to the shallow-pan system of their
fathers. This migiit answer a portion of the year, but is
ruinous for tlie (»ther part of the season. With the deep can,
or creamer, as it is called, in use in our dairies the first step in

50

Canaoian Aijricultnre.

making a good article of butter is secured. With these cans
submerged in cold spring or ice water there is no ditticulty in
securing all the cream Irom the milk in twelve hours, either in
dog days or any other time. With a good article of cream
there should be no difliculty in producing a first-class article of
butter which will command the highest price. The cheese of
the Dominion will command a go«)d price in any market."
Small dairies and imperfect arrangements prevail at present.
The fertilisers in use are barnyard-manure, superphosphates,
fish, pumice, gypsum, and great quantities of mussel-mutl from
the shores of the liay of Fundy and of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The late I^rofessor J. I'. W. Johnston, I*. U.S., in a report he
made some years ago on tlie Province of New Brunswick,
arrived at the following conclusions: —

"1. That tlic Sdil of New Ikimswick is oajialilo et' jiroiluciii^ fuod for a
jxjjmlatiim t>f fruia live to six millions.

" 2. Tliat ill tlie caiialiility ot iintwin:^ all the coiiiniini crops on wliicli man
and beatit mainly di'pend, the whole I'rovinci' of Ni".v Brunswick, taken
tujicther, exccfds even the fa\Miirc<i (iciifste Valley.

" J5. 'J'hat the climate is an exi'tetlin'jly In althy iiiie, and that it does not
jirevent the soil tVoin {iroducim: cro|».s, which, other thin<is hein^ equal, are
not inferior, either in iiuantity or quality, to tho.se ot averaj^o soils of
England."

The dyke lands of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and the
intervale lands of the former Province, are peculiar and interest-
ing features. The dyke lands are described under the head of
Nova Scotia, and as regards the int«'rvale lands I cannot do
better than (juote the words of my colleague, Professor .1. P.
Sheldon, who is well ac(juainted with the districts in which
they occur : —

"The 'intervale lands' of New Iknnsuick are, as the name r ' -ests,
found in the valleys. The name is peculiarly a|r]oo|iriate and expressive.
In England we should call thini hottom-lantis, or alluvial soils. Tiiey aie,
in fact, alluvial sods to all intents and |»ur|K»ses, with this peculiarity — tliey
are still in process of formation. In some cases these intervale lands consist
of islands in the rivers— and lliere are many such in the majniticent river
St. John; liut for the most part they are level liaiiks on each side of t!ie
river, in some rases several miles wide, and reaching lo the f(M>t of the hiils,
which form the natural ramparts of the valleys they enclose. These intervale
lands are rich in qiiality, and the grass they prixiuce is very good. Like the
dyke-lands, they neeil no manuring arliticially. The dyke-lands, in fact,
liave such a tleep exct'llent de)i«isit of unusual richness, that manuring i.s
su|K,'rtiiious; hut the intervale lainis receive a |k ritxiieal manuring in the
deposit which is laid on them each sprin.; l>y the ireshets of the rivers. They
are, in fact, Ihiuded more or less for several weeks in the spring of the vear,
find the deposit left l>y the receding waters is of a character to add fertility
to an already rich .soil, and, at the same time, to add to iis depth. An inch
or two of rich alluvial mud dejmsitwl on these lands each year is gradually
raising them alxive the influence of the freshets; and they art) to-day among
the most valuable soils in the I'luvince."

Canadian Af/ricu/(urc

57

• ts,

|Vt'.

iir,

ley

tr
llio
|ls,

lie
lie

•t,
lis

[y

V'

ll

Considerable portions of the area of New Brunswick are, no
doubt, «lestined to remain clothed with forest, beings unfitted for
profitabU* cultivation otherwise. This, at least, seems to be the
inference <leducil)le from the ' Report on Northern and Eastern
New Brunswick and Nortii Side of the Bay of Clialeurs,' by
Mr. R. W. I'^lls, in which the following words occur: — *

" h» all tiiir oxploratioiis caivful attiMitioii has been paid to the cliaracter of
the Soil ill (litVeitiit luLaliiit's. Ami it may lie stated tliat in New Brunswick
the finest soils are, as a rule, ioinid on the Silurian or nn the lower members
ot" the (."arbdnitiMMus systems. The riih an<l fertile distriets ot' Carieton and
Viettiriii eountif.^ may be cited as bclinii^in^ t(t the Silurian system, while the
Ix'autiful valley of Sussex and the line lands of Kind's and Albert counties
residt frnni tin- wearuf strata which belnmrto the Lower (,'ariionilerous Ibrma-
tiou. The soils tnrmcd from the rre-Caml)rian rocks, on the other hand, are
generally luinl, dry, and stony, while the Middle Carboniferous (especially
its j^rey sandstones), i:;ives rise to a soil which is too liuht nn\ sandy to be of
niucii fiMtdity, and which, wlun once exhausted, is with <ireat dinicidty
re.xtored to <:o()d condition. Some jwiitions of the Mi. idle (.'arboniferous,
liowever, coiisistimi of purplish and reddish shales and sandstiines, jtmduce a
soil of niuili greater stnn^ih and tdiacity, often a stiff cl;iy. This soil
reipiires tin- addition of Imie to make it easily and profitably work<'d. The
Silurian soils, as a rulf, contain in themselv.!s sutbcient lime; they are easily
Worked, and their leitility is very ^lowlj' exhaustid. A knowlcdj^e of the
tlistributicii ..f the f -nnatii'ii lelVrred to may, therefore, prove uf the y;reattHt
practical value to the iimin^nuit, and intendin'4 settler.

'• It is to Im' rej^retteii that, lor a'j;ricuitural purpos"s, so lartie a portion of
the I'li'vince shouKl be oetupitd by the jirey and sainly portion of the Carbo-
niferous systcJii, and by fjranite anl I're-Cambrian crystalbne rocks. In such
«listricts the pniuipal ai'eas tit for aiiriculture are aloHLj the ' intervales ' or
alluvial liats of the numerous streams, many uf which are still uncultivateil.''

Xora Scotia. — " I'lie marvel loui^ country ! The home of
I'^vanyjeline, where IMomidoti looks (i')wn on the tides of Fundy,
and over tracts of red soil richer than the Weald of Kent."
Thus sp<'aks the Mar(juis of Lome of N<>va Scotia, the penin-
sular Province ol the Dominion. It is Ci>nnected with New
Brunswick by an isthmus about U) miles wi(ie. and is 275 miles
lon<; by lOO miles wide at its •Greatest breadth. The islan<l of
Cape lireton, Ivinj; to the north of the peninsula, is 110 miles
lonjjj by ^0 broad, and is j>olitically included in Nova Scotia,
the area of the cntiie Province as thus constituted being about
two-fifths of that of England. A line of water-parting extends
lengthwise through the middle of the peninsula, most of the
jantl on the eastern or Atlantic side of which is underlaid by
hard Cambrian rocks that do not weather into very useful soils,
they being hard, dry, and stony. I'he western half is composed
of Silurian and Carboniferous strata, which disintegrate into a
much better soil, the land in the south-west, along the Annapcdis

• ♦{teo!oj,'ieul and Natural History Survey of Canada : Reports of Progress for
iy80-«l-8-_V Montreal. I'ublished by auliiority.

58

Canadian A(/riruUun\

valley, and around the Hasln of* Minus, possossinjij mnarkalile
fertility.

This fertility, however, is not entirely of loeal orijjin, lor
inueii of the soil alonj; the Rav of I'lindy consists of rich marine
allnyium. The con(ij;uration of this l)ay is su(^h that it presents
southwards to the open ocean two coast-lines, those of Nova
Scotia and the mainland, recediiiij from each otlu-r at an acute?
anjjie, cons<MpuMitly when the north-fl

owinsr

tidal

wave enters

the bay it finds its lateral extension yraduallv <Mmtracted and so
its waters »;et piled up. "W'lure the unthdation meets with
the resistance of converijini; masses of laud and a shallowinj;
bottom, it is heaped up, S(>uu'tinu's, as in the Iiay of l'\indy, to
a heijjht of seyenty feet, and rushes aloni; as a sjreat wave or as

the 1(

a surjjiuy; and loamiiii; (u-ean-nver. ' I'arniers alon<r tne lower
reaches of the Seyern yailey in ( iloucestershire will be familiar
with a similar phenomenon, which there, howcyer, only occurs
with the hiirh sprinjj-tides, and produces the '' bore." The
tidi'S of the Hay of I'uiuly spread themscUcs out over the
adjacent coast-lands and haye there deposited marsh soils ol
inexhaustible richness. In sonu' ol these saline swamps niarsh-
fjrass <;r()ws al)umlantly and \ields a heavy crop. I?ut larjje
areas of the salt marshes haye be<'n reclaimed bv means of mud
d\kes, so built as to preyent the irruption of the tidal water, and
it is these d\ke-laiuls which constitute so interestiu}; and so
peculiar a feature in Xova Scotia, alonj; the IJay of I'undy,
around the IJasin of .Minas, and on the adjacent shores of New
IJrunswick. I'lie earthen d\kes are stronjj and broad, six to
eight feet hi^h, and the land within them is firm an<l dry, and
produces a <;r<'at abundance ol coarse but nutritious herbage.
Some of this, which I examined on the salt marshes near L<ui-
<londerry, 1 found to consist iti cord-grass, S/>artina i/rarllis^
coucli grass, Tn'ticnni nj/rns^ and one or two species ol legu-
minous herliage. ^'ear after year will these reclaimed marsh-
lands giye upwaiils of two tons of hav j)er acre aiul show no
signs of running out, tlii)ugh they may become weedy. Should
this happen, it is the practice to plough up jiortions at a tinie,
at intervals of ten years or so, and to take a crop of wheat or
oats, with which new grass seeds are s<»wn. The salt hay, as
it is ternu'd, c(»sts about 1/. per acr«' to make, and is worth from
f)/. to (')/. p«'r ton in the niaiket. Most of the upland farms
have some of these useful bottom <l\ke lands attached, and it is
estimatejl that the latter extend oyer an area (»f some 7(>,(^^^^^
acres. Tin* cost of reilainiing and d\king these salt marshes
varies between 1/. lO.v. and 4/. per acre, I'he s\stem of culti-

* Airhiltiiltl (nikio, ' riiys. (un;_'r.,' p. I.")-'.

Canadian Afjricnlturc.

59

v.ition involves siirfare draininj? by ruttinjr ditchrs 22 yards
apart, \\ fret wido at the top, 2 leet^) inclics deep, and sloping
to a width of 1 loot at the bottom. 'JMirre or four years subse-
quently t!i<' land is ploujrhed in rid^'es of H to 8 feet wide, sown
with oats, and seeded <h)wn with timothy {jrass and f lovers.

On the marsh lan<ls that have not been dyked the grass is eut
and drawn on to the higher slopes to eure, and is stacked on
rude platforms which, supported by piles, stand several feet
above high-water mark, so that when the tide is in they look
like so many hay-lad<'n rafts. Kach platform, of which some-
times as many as a hundred may be counted from one spot,
carries a ton or more of hay, whi(;h is carted into the farmyard
as recpjired in winter, and there used in conjuncti(m with
ordinary hay, straw, and roots.

Ordinary dyke lands sell for from 10/. to oO/. per acre, but
1 saw some very exc«'llent ones in the (Jornwailis valley which
bad been sold at from 40/. to (SO/. In the fertile country around
Cirand Pre there is rich meadow-land, much of it worth 50/. tt)
75/. an acre.

Longfellow has left us a very graphic picture of this, the
classic land of KvuiK/rHuc : —

" bi the Araili.'in l.iiiil, on the slmics of flic Bisiii of Minns,
Distjint, strliKlcd, still, the little villairt' of (Jnvnd I'lV"
buy in the fniitlnl viiUcv. Vast ini-aiinws strctcind to llie eastward,
(fivin^ tlic villa<^i' its iiaiiu', and pastuit! to flocks without nuinlKT.
i>\k('s, that the hands of the lanntTs had raised with laitoiir incessant,
Shut out tlu' turbulent tides, but at certain seasons tin,' fiood->!at«'s
0|ieiifd, and vvelcmiied ttie sea to w. wider at will oVr the ineauows.
West and south there were fields of tlax, ami orchards, ami cornfields
Spreadiii'jj afar and unfenced o'er the plain, and away to tiie northward
lUotnidon rose."

Arriving at firand I'rc on a glorious autumn morning, I
realised the wondrous fidelity of this description.

Of the 1 1,000,000 acres of land in \ova Scotia about one-
half are regarded as fit for cultivation, but unfortunately I have
not been able to ac(juire much recent statistical information
f)f agricultural interest. Tlie Province has no Pepartment of
Agriculture, though there is a somewhat irresponsible lioard
of Agriculture to whi<'h the Provincial authorities seem content
to relegate anv subjects affecting the farming industries. The
last report of the Hoard stated that there were ninety-two agri-
cultural societies in the Province, embracing 50(54 members,
that the subscriptions amounted to 1807/., and the Ciovernment
grant to l.'Jt>7/. \early all the societies reported some action
for the improvement of stock.

00

C(i nndian At/n'cii /fit re.

Between 18()() t\nd 1S7() the weevil was so tlestructive to the
wheatrropsth.it the cultivation of wheat was almost abandoned ;
but with greater care and better method it has since been re-
sunicil, and the total yield increased Ironi 3t)(),()l)() bushels in

1851 to f)30,000 bushels in IHh], potatoes in the same time
from 2,()()(>,00() bushels to 7,r)()(),()l)0 bushels, and hay from
'6()(),i)()i) tons to r.0(),(){)() tons.

'I'he following figures are from the Census Returns of
18bl:—

c

of

Canadian A(jriculture. 61

Land,

Acres.

Oconpicd r),:mi,:w2

lmi>rnvnl l,HHO,(i44

ImkUt Ciop.'Ui.l Pasture l,Hr)U,020

Oichiirds iiiid tiiirdeiis 21,G'J-i

Number of Lice Stock.

llom-s 46,044

C.lts 11,1:^^

MiifiiCows i;'-7,f;.'?y

OtluT ll(-rn(d CiUtlo ir)-l,(lH9

Shet-). 3a'.«01

Swine 47,'Ji)0

Wi^olsuia 1,142,440 lbs.

FiV/fi Products.

nushelsi.

Wlieat ry21i,257

Barley '-i-^.-l^

Oats"^ i,s7;5,ii;'.

IVaH and I'eaus .'i7,'220

IJuckwh.at ;{:W,718

Indian Curn ^ .i','??

Potatoes 7,I)(H,.W7

Turnii.s l.OOtvll

Otlier Ituots 3'J<J,14;'.

Clover Seed ^^~^

]{ye -iifibi

llj^y _'; 5U7,731 tons.

Tlu' avcrajjo vicltls of crops in the western counties are, in
bushels per acre : —

Wheat l^

l^^rley ^^

«5y" :\

Maize 7,-

lUiekwl.eat i;*!

T.uni,>s 1-

I'otatoes Z'r!

Mangolds "^

The avera}?e )iel(l of hay is 2 tons, but as much as 4 tons
per acre of timothy jrrass and clover have been secured in some
districts, and followed by a fair aftermath. The Canadian ton,
it must be remembered, is only 2(K)() lbs. In Hants and king s
counties, and in the counties of Annapolis and Cumberland,
enormous yields of cultivated grass and of salt grass have been
taken off the dyke lands and marshes.

Nova Scotia is pre-eminently a grazing country ; and though

CvJ!

(\tu(iil{(in .It/n'rufturr.

the aijricultiir.il soc'uMif's hnvr oirt'ctctl st>m(» {jooil, tlioro is still
iiiucli room tor itnproviMucnt in tin* (|ii;ility <»i live-stock, l)otli
of sIhm'p ;in(l cattle. As will he s»'<'ii iVom the Census Ketiirns
of 18*^1, there were owiumI in Nova Scotia that year ,'i()0,()()()
cattle and 400,0()() sheep, of wiilch «');?,()()() cattle "aiul ir)l,«)0()
slu'cp were sold lor consumption. Tlie nearness to the sea-
hoard jjives to the stock farmers of \ova Scotia an enormous
advantaj;** over their brethren in Ontario arid farther west, in
so lar as the <'.\port cattle tra<le is concerned. In all j>arts of
tlu' Province thev are within one or two <lavs' jomiu'V of
Halifax, the j>ort of shipment; there is no wearisome overland
travellinj; for the I'attle, with its lowerin;: of condition an<l
waste of tissue, for the animals can he on hoard the steamer
the day after leaving the farm, and llalitax is nearer than
Montn'al to Liverj)o(d hv 200 miles. I'he climate of Xova
Scotia is mor(> an insular than a continental one, and this is
an advantatje to a ;;ra/in<j country. Sheej) in tin* south-west
n'lnain out all throujjh the winter, the coldest peri«)d of which
is usually in March, when the east winds blow olV tlu' ice Hoes
in the Atlantic. i'lie port of Halifax is open all the year
r<Mni(l, and the Allais steamers run tln-re from Liverpool weekly
throuj;h the winter; the navigation of the St. Lawrence is
closed from Novemher to April.

The trade of Nova Scotia has practically doubled durin<i^
the last twenty years, and the annual imports now represent
L>,400,(H)()/., and" the exports 1,.S( »(),()( Id/. In l-SS.'}, the atrri-
cultural export was v.ilued at ,"»()n,( )(»()/., and included cattle
s<'nt to Lurope ; potatoes, for which the Province is noted,
exported to the United States; and enormous (juantlties of
appl(>s ship|)ed at Annapolis.

I'he fruit-^ro« iuij industry of Nova Scotia deserves more than
a passing: word. Thirty vears ajjo tli<' Province imported iipples,
and now the annual shipment to l'^urop(> ap|n'oaches hall-a-
million barrels of three bushels each, and thev are worth in the
IOn};lish market from 20.%. to '2\s. per barnd. Lhe Amiapolis
valley is one ol the finest appie-ijrowin;; n'^ions in the world, its
fertile soil and sheltered jxjsition admirably fittin«; it to this
industry. 1 may here reproduce a few (iy^un's whiih I collected
while drivinj; throuj,^!! the onhard districts around Port
Williams. An orchard of six acres was pointed out to mo which
would yield 1000 barrels of apples, and thev would sell for . ')()()/.
Gatherinjj and packini; would cost 5^/. per barrel, and 10 barrels
niifjht be filled by on(> person in a fair day's yvork. The barnds
<'an be b(»ujjht at from lOf/. to Ls\ j'ac h. ^ <»uny: apple-trees, (it
for transplantini;, cost from l.s. '.\</. to l.v. H^/. each, and to ]>lant
one acre with trees at the rate of 40 to the acre involves an out-

Canadian Aynculturc.

G3

liiy of Iriin 5/. to U/., wliicli indudrs the cost of hotli l;ibour jm<l
trrcs. Ii!il»our<'is' wa^cs in tin* in'i;j:l»l)oijrlMi()(l an* from 2f).v. lo
Wis. p«'r \v«'<'l\ (luring' tin* l)usv season, and lioni 1 ;').<. to 17.v. in
winter, and the cost ot living is h'ss than in l'!n;r|,'iiid.

1 had the ph'asiire of travel I inj; lor some weeks in the company
of" Major-()ieiu'ral l^aiirie, ol()ak(i<'ld, llalilax, \.S., and desire
to thank him lor much eidi^htenment and inlormation on many
important matters. Althou<;h a Crimean veteran, the };allant
gentleman is lull of energy and vi«;our ; he connnands the
Provincial militia, is j)resident of the Pioard of Ajxriculture, has
been farming; for close up(»n twenty years in the Province, and is
alwavs t<» the front in any matter likely to have a favourahle in-
fluence upon the develoj)ment (tf agriculture in Nova Scotia. He
has tak<'n the lead in <rivinir cnsilaj^e a trial, he is unwearyinj; in
his ellorts to iiuluce the Cioveriiuient authorities to establish an
aj;ricultural colle<;e and experimental farm, and he is now on the
look-out for a winter oar suited to Nova Scotia, and I should be
«;lad if some of our l'ln;,'lish sej'dsmen would make a note of this.
I lis <'vidence hefore the Dominion Select Committee on Ajjri-
culture is valuable and interestinJ,^ lie ((uisiders the Nova
Scotian farmers labour under a ^reat disadvantajje in that they
have had no a;;ricultural education, so that many of tlu'm have
no idea of what tlM-ir land is caj)able of diiin<r, or how to obtain
the best return for their labour and outlay. I'ruit-fjrowers have
bestowed much attention on their art and with exceed i n«;ly jjood
results, but excepting: these, an<l the few intelli«rcnt men who,
nndi'r favourable conditions, are r<'claimiiii,' marsh land with con-
siderable profit to themselves, the vast majority of the farmers
simplv ir.iin a sid)sistence, hem-e when nu)nev is in anv way
ac«|uired, it is investe<l in anUhinjjf rather than tanning'.
Althou'di there are five de>iree-c()nlerrinfj coUcfres in Nova
Scotia, tlu-re is no j)rovision for technical instruction in agri-
culture ; and the suirfTcstion, that (uu> of these colh'ges should
take up aijricullure, is nu't l)y th«' objection, Irom all who hav<'
iruiuired into the subject, that agricultural faculties attached to
arts colleges have invariably proved failures.

With regard to the dairv industry, some cheese-factories have
been established in the Pr()vin<-e, but there is no butter-factory.
Rec<'ntlv the jieople of Colchester have emharked in a large
milk-condensing luisiiu'ss, which has so absorbed the milk of
tin' district that some of the chee^e-lactories are paralysed.
About 8 tons of milk per dwy are handled in this business, and
all that (annot be profitably condensed is made into cheest

mi

jere is a more cei

tain ami continuous market for condensed

Ik than lor < heese, an»l, besides, the former will keep better.
Tlie shareholders in the condense<l-milk factory are largely

64

Camulian AjricuUnre.

idrntiral with those of a company which was onjjapcd in
fjntorv chopsc-m.ikinjr ; hut the latter husincss has hccn sus-
pci)(h'<l li»r a time, and meanwhile the condensed-milk concern
lias made a jfo«)d start hy pasin^ ^ per cent, as its first divi-
tlend. In (ape lireton there are some meat-canning estahlish-
ments in operation ; and in the Annapolis valley an industry is
openini^ up in the canninfj: of fruit, jfn'en corn, and tomat(N>s.

As to his own experience, I cann<»t do hetter than let (ieneral
Laurie speak for himself: —

" A iiuff<ti(m ujiturally arisos, wlictlirr (lie snil aiul cliinato of Nova Scutia
are as taviniiaMc to the jin'tliic'tinii iircrii|>s as other C('iii|K'liti.: ivirioiis, niiil to
this I must hriiip tlu' ttstiiuniiy ui' ciL^litfi'ii yt•ilr^' |«'rsoiial cxpciifiu'e in
I'ariiiiii^:, on a new farm and thcrt f"ri' not umier the iui>st favmirahh-ooniiitions.
Cftttli' hvc i>ut at |>astnr«' from 1st .Imu! to loth OctoluT, an<l thrivt; wi-ll
(lurin;^ that lime, an.i will lidlii tlifir own for a nmntli l(in;!cr, if ^h(■lt«•r«■(l at
nij:ht. All kinds "f ^\;\\n ;^i<>w svtU. Oats and wheats arc usuiilly al>oiit
ICX) days from seed time to harvest. Last year L'o acres of spriiij; wheat
yielded me 'Jo luishels to tlie aere. I^arley ^ives al)<>\it 10 bushels to the
acre ; mits alniut 4o, hnt there is a t« ndency to l(Hi>»e when tlie cro|' is heavy.
l'otat*H'8 have usually yiveii me alniut UTTi bushels to the aen-, and swetles
from o.'O to ^0C\^ nec'irdin^ to the seasoti, and ex|HisMrr of the liild ; if laeiii^
soiitli I'p wist, i;ivi!ip; thf smaller erii|i i>n account of the heat, and if nnrih it
cast, the larjxer ; thus slmwinji that we aro near the southern Innits of turni|)
urowinus as they do best m the CKtler ]>laces. This has led me to turn my
alteniinii til ;:piwin4 Indian corn fur ensdaue, tin whicli I can only consider I
am exiKrimentui;: ; but last season, I cut (wii^hin^ sample carts as 1 hauled
liome) L'O tons per acre on a field of l'> ih-ns. It seems admirably suited to
the climate as a plant, and the inodr of preservation is ccniiondcal and tho
food ap|Kars valual'le. Hay, tlie too-favdiiritu crnp of our t'armers, avera>ie.s
(weight calculated when taken for feed and nnt when lianled «)tV the tield)
li tons to the acre till the upland fields. < >n 170 acres ot cultivated land, in
addition to keeping ten horses, and ab<iut the same number of cows, the year
rotmd, 1 raise sutVicient food, with the addition of some purchased oilcake,
which can 1k' paid tor by the sale of otlier snrjiliis crops, to feed for the butcher
100 head of stole cattle yearly, rermantnt ;^rass is jiractically unknown as,
owin;z to the damp spnn;^ and autumn, it liecoines overjirown wiili mos.s.
Our most prosjferous farmin;; districts are thi>se near tide water, where tiio
fiats have been ilyked and th"' How of the tide barred. ( )n these, hay yields
'Ji to 3 tons to the acre without im]i<iveriMhment, and the after pasture is
ma^iiiiticent ; and as the upland in tlie.se districts is usually li^;ht, the manure
furnisheil from the dyke-land hay enables reixated crops of |>otatoes to be
raised for .sale, so that cattle and crops can both be sent to market."

I do not think any one can travel much ahout Nova Scotia
without noticinj^f one very ohvious reas(m why its ajrricultUre
is not in a more ilourishinjy condition, namely, that the farff;ing^
industry is hard pressed hy three others, for each of which
the Province is widely and deservedly noted. These are
mining:, fishing, and shiphuilding. There is an abundance
of coal and iron in the Province, pypsum is largely (quarried,
and gold is worked at about twenty places. Hut the maritime
industries are the chief attraction, and if there arc fish to be

( \ina(Ii(in At/ricnlture.

e5

rauj;lit, or ships t(» Ix* built, the farms may look after thomselvps.
Iiiia^inc my surprise wlion, one tlay at a farm near Limdon-
<lrrry, 1 was walkiiiff throufjh the farmyard to jj( t to the hij^
liarii that I mi;;ht handle the salt hay which was heln^ l)rou<j:ht
in, ami a sudden turn brought me alonj^side a nearly completed,
};ood-si/ed, s<'a-<;(>in^ vessel I Then" she was, at the end of the
farmyard, restinj; hiffh and dry upon the sli|)s, which w<'re
<lirecte<l downwards to a narrow channel fdlecl just then with
the fertilisinjf red slime whic h may always h(! seen when the
tide is (»ut. Xo d(»ul)t she has been launched hmj; ere this ; the
ohlij^in^ tide would fill the channel, the wed^jes would be
knocked away, and in a moment the farmers would see their
jfood ship iloatin;; on the shore waters of the liay of Fundy,
when<-e she would be towed away for the compilation of her
e(|ui])metit. I'hen, 1 presume, our friends would turn their
attention to tiie farm till thev ^ot another ship on the stocks, or
j)erchance till the iiia< k«'rel or shad shouhl strike in alonjj; the
shore, when the farm would be forsaken for the boat and net.

In my iieport to the Department of Ajjriculture of the Do-
minion (ioverument there occur the followinj? words, and I
reproduce tlu-m, merely observing' that most of the ])oints
alluded to are e(|ually applicable to the other older Provinces as
to the one now under notice : —

" Niivii Si'iitiii is ill iMcil ci| taiiiicis wlm will ^ivo farmiiv^ tlio first place in
tlifir consiihTiUiKii, wlm <mii liriii;^ wiili tliciii some of the imiiruved practices
of iiKMlcrn a:^riinltiirr, wlio can iiitelliiitnlly cumMiio pastnral with aialile
raniiiii}:, wlm kii'iw soiiiethiii;:; of tiairyuiii, wliu uinlerstand how to luaiia^o
ami at llie same tiim In iniirnvc a lioi-k of sheep, wiio in layin<j; land down to
i^iMss will not rest tlie.r laitli snldv in tiiiiolliy, and who in estiniatin.; tho
yields of llii'ir roof crojis will tli.scard the bushel measure iu favour of tho
wti;;hinj^ machine."

There can be no doubt, then, that \ova Scotia oflers good
opportunities to farmers with some experience, and of all the
provinces of the Dominion this is perhaps the most [English-
like in getieral character. In arable and stock-farming, in par-
ticular, the ajiplication of approved modern practice would soon
Icli its tal<>, and the exceptional facilities the Province enjoys
with respeit to the export trade should be a strong incentive to
the speedier development of its agricultural resources. My
obs<'rvations with regard to the defects of Nova Scotian farming
must not, however, be read w ithout some modification ; and it is
but fair to state that I did see farms on which it would be very
dittici!'^ either to find fault or to suggest improvements. Around
the to I of Windsor, whore, througli the kindness of the Sheriff,
1 tool long < ircular drive, 1 saw a splendid and picturesque
farii '^ country, with plenty of live-stock, and numbers of com-

66

Canudttin A<iricnlturv.

fort.'ihlc-lookinj": f.irmliousfs, tlu' wholo loriniii}f :i pictun* wliich
iiiijxl't I"' «''ivi''ill«'<l l>ut not often cxcclU'd in l'ln;;l;iii(l. Near
tli«> tlourishiiij; town of Truro, ajjaiii, sonic rxccllcnt farininji^
inav !)«• s<M'n. In \ova Sfotia, as in tin* more \vrst«'rn Provinces,
tli(> instinct tor pioneer tarinin^x l><i!> <>' stroni>; liold n|)on the
peopli', and licnc<' there are nundu-rs »»f j^ood farms hn* sah' on
account of their ior/ner occupi<'rs having niov<'d westward, or
having perhaps cinharked in other of the hu'al industries to
wliich relerenc<* has been made. Several tidy farmsteads were
pointed out t«) me whidi, hand and huihliti^s toj^ether, rni<;ht be
bouijht h)r sums var\inu: fnnn lt»0/. to 2<>(>/., ac<<»r(iinij to the
(h'urce ol cultivation. Improved tarins ot lOO to !,')() acres,
with house and buildiny:s, an* to be purchased at from 100/. to
f)00/. Uncleared Crown lands are otlercd bv the (iiivernment
at ^Z. IttN. per !(>() a<res or less, so that l'<> acres would cost as
mu( h as !<•(). ,\nv (piantitv over lOO a<res can be paid for at
the rate (»f \s. |(»(/. p«'r a» re.

i cannot conclud*' mv brief notice of this charmiu}; Province
without (>xpressin^ mv thanks to llis llonour the Lieutenant-
(iovernor of Nova Scotia, t«) tin* .\la\«»r of Halifax, and other
«;entlemen, for their kindness and h«)spitalit v, whi< h had the
etlei t ot making ni\ visit as pleasant as it was instructive.

TllK Ski.KC'T Co.MMlTTKl-: ON A(iUICUl,Ti;i{K.

'I'he Dominion House of ("ommons last ye;«r aj)pointed a
Select ("(tnimittee to intpiire into the best means ot <'ncoura^inj^
and dt'Velopirii; tlie a<;ricultural interests ot ( anada. I'or this
purpos<' tin* ("ommittee took the eviilence ot persons who had
ina(l<' special studv ot iIm' various branches of industry comprised
unih'r tlie mon' i^eneral term ot ,\tjrii ulture, ol others p(»ssessi"d of
with' scientific knowled;:i' having; a direct and important Ijearini;
upon a^'riculture, and ot others a^ain, who, beinj:; practical
(anadian farmers, were well (|ualified to expr<*ss the jjeneral
feelin;; as t(» the wants and disadvanta^'cs <'xp«'ri«'nced by ajjri-
<ulturists in ( ana«la. Ihe Committee further sent out a seric's
ot (luestions to a>;riculturists in all parts of the Dominion ;
these (piest ions are too numerous to reproduce here, but' it is
worth notin;::, that the subject which, perhaps more than any
other, has for the last vear or so been prominently before the
a^jricultural public in l"ln};land is not in any way referred to, — •
that, namely, of ensilaire. I'he leadinj^ subjects in the answers
to the iiuestions, is well as in the oral evidence, relate to de-
ficien<ies in the cultivation of ci-reals, roots, and grasses; in
st<»ck-raisinjx and wool-jfrowiu}; ; in tlairv products, fruit culture,
and fertilizers : to the importation of seeds, fruit-tre<- scions,

N

;«•(! .1

this

1 1. -1(1

)ris<'tl

'iiriiij;
utitJil

■IKM.ll

afxri-
si'iirs
iiioii ;
t' it is
II :my
rv tin*

to,—

ISWtTS

to (!»'-
's ; in
ulturr,
scions,

Canadian Agriculture.

67

and plants, from countries under climatic conditions similar to
those of Canada ; the establishment of an experimental farm, and
of a central l)ureau of ajjriculture, with a section devoted spe-
cially to statistics, recordinji^ the acreajj;e under crop, movements
and prices of produce, rates of transportation, and conditions of
foreign markets, with the publication of such information by the
fnujuent issue of bulletins and abstracts, and the dissemination
ot instruction on the various branches of ajjriculture through
the medium of handbooks ami reports; the ravajjes of birds
and insects, and the appointment of an entomolo>;ist.

An exainination of the replies sustains the view that more
thoroujjh a<;ricultural knowledjje, particularly of the kinds of
crops most suitable to the various S(»ils, and of the most econo-
mical and etlicient methods of producticm, is the want that is
most keenly felt. Xotwithstandinjj the {jreat profjress made in
recent years, there is still a larj;e amount of defective farminjj.
In the cultivation of cereals, roots, and "jrasses the chief draw-
backs are want of p(>riodical chanjje of s<*ed and its rijjht
seU'ction, the absi'iice <>f judicious rotations of crops, and a lack
of tliorou<;h tillay^e ami of kn(>wled<;e of the value and suitability
of manures. Much fertilising; pow<'r is lost throu}jh nejjiigent
exp«»sure of farmvanl-manure and the waste of the li(juid manure.
In st«>ck-raising ther<' is a dcficiencv of pure-bred mah's, and a
want of knowlcdgi" of the adaptability of breeds to particular
coixlitions, wliiU* l)ett«'r pastures and more tree-shelter are
needed. In fruit-culture, there is experience*^ a want of hardier
varieties, and of varieties with improved keeping (jualities.
There is wide-spread and «l<'ploral)i«' igrioran<'e regarding the
insects and diseases to whose attacks fruit-trees are so liable.
As to the ilefects in the dairy imlustry, I have dwelt upon
these in another section of this paper.

The follow intr Table is interesting, as sli«>wing the pn'valent
feeling amongst Canadian larnn'rs with reference to tlu' subjects
mentioned. It shows the numbers of those who approved and
ol those who disapprov«'d each of the propositions named: —

Kstil'lirtliiiKiit of KxprriiiK'titil Fiirm

Apix'iiifiiK lit of Kiitoiiii'Io'ri.st

Khtalili^'liiiD-iit of O'litiiil Hiiri'iiu

Sti'tioii ilivolttl til SlatiptioB

lliUKllMRikH, lU|H)rtti, ami it«t<iic of niiHotiiiH

Fur.

Against

'J78

(W

r.ts

117

•jnt;

f.2

211

74

2:.5

IS

Thus there was a majority in favour in every case all over tlw
Dominion, and there was, moreover, a majority, in every case, in
each Province.

08

Canadian Ayriculture.

Ciilfiration of Beet. — Sovoral roliable authorities are of opinion
that thi' hoet-root suf;ar industry is as raj>abK' ot" sutcesslul pro-
secution in Canada as in Central Russia, and it is even main-
taineil that the cultivation of the sujjar-beet in Quebec would
pn>ve as benelicial to that Province as it did to I'Vance. 1
would, however, venture to suf;j;est that, in cas(; the industry is
established, the roots shouhl not be purchased by wci^jlit, as has
been the custom in I' ranee, but according; to tln'ir richness in
sujjfar, after the (iernian method. The former system has led
the French beet-root growers to ad(»pt the njost lavish dressinjji^s
of manure in order to swell tlie tonna<;e |)er acre, and they
have succeeded, but oidy at a considerable sacrifice of the
saccharine properties of the roots. Perhaps, too, as maize j;rows
so freelv in (Quebec, the ailoption ot the rotation recentlv recom-
menileil to tin* Irench farmers, in the Annahs A</ronvnii(jiu:'<, by
Professor Deheraln, wouKl be a step in the riijlit direction.

Injurious Insects. — The annual loss which Canadian farmers
sustain thioujjh the ravages ot injurious insects is appalling.
Mr. J. Metcher, \ ice-President of the 'u.tomologic al Society
of Ontario, says that, taking the average annual farm-j)r(»duce of
Canada at only 40,()0( ),()(>()/., which is the lowest possible esti-
mate, the lowest figure at which he can put the injury done by
insects is one-tenth of the whole, or 4,(>(I0,( )()()/. ; he believes
that the ravages of the wheaf-midge, the Hessian lly, and par-
ticularly the ( lovcr-s<'ed midge, are all j)reventible. Mr. VV. li.
Harrington, Ottawa, says it was in li^bi) or 1857 that the
wheat-midgt' — whose orange-coloured larvae in the furrow of
the young grain are well known to lOnglish farmers — first
appeared in Canada, and the damage it did to the wheat-crop
in Ontario in «»ne of those years was estimated at 1,()()(),()00/.
It had previously, in l>'il, been very destructive in the Unitml
States, where it was introduced froni I'^urope about the beginning
of the present century. Of late years the danmge has bi;en
lesseneil in Canada by using midge-proof wheat. Certa'n
varieties of wheat, pr(»<lu(ing an inferior grain, and a hard coat,
were found not to be touched by the midge. These were
hvbridised with wheat yielding a good grain, and the result was
a better (juality of gr;iin, retaining the hardness of c()at whidi
bailies tlu atta( I's of the midge. Similarly the Hessian lly has
been dea.t with by producing plants with heavier stalks. This
pest feeds in tin* joint of the stalk above the root, and if the
I stalk is too hard for it, not much harm is done, Mr. L. \ an
Camp, of Powmanville, Ontario, a farmer delegate from the
\ Dominion Orange, says : —

.Am iur till- iiiflt'ct HC'iiirt't' in fi^'riculturo, it plHcvu the n;;ricuhurist ii

I H

oo;itMiaul \Mirliiic fiutn the- tiuio the fri>itt Icavea the buil iu the Bpnu^ until ii

, ^•^-^^*ggg!g!!ff^^Mt<l»»g"»

•mors

ciety

ice of

esti-

le by

ieves

par-

II.

the

of

first

rrop

)()0/.

niii;;
).'cn
rt.i.ii
coat,
were
was
licit
las

ri.is

the

\ an

the

ill a
itll u

•h

Canadian Agriculture.

69

l)in<ls it up acjaiu in the fall. Durinf; all tliat time tlio aiiricnltnrist has no
U'isuro. If \n: wislics to be prosiienuis liu must only take sulHciout tiino to
eat his nii-als and sluep. At other times ho must be carrj'inu' on a continual
warfare with tiiese insects. There is soiiiethiiii!; to attack everything that the
fi'.rni produces, and if we do not give attention to it the croi) is sure to be a
failure."

Here is work for a State Entomolop^ist ! And it is satis-
factory to l)e abl(? t(» add that last year a Dominion I^^ntomologist
was appointed by the Minister •)f A}j' ulture, the first occu-
pant of tlie post beinjjf Mr. James Fletcher, whose name has
already been mentioned. In iiis preliminary report, Mr. Fletcher
states that he has commenced the collection of a representative
exhibit of the injurious insects of Canada, tojicther with the
plants attacked by them, and the mode of attack, as well as the
beneficial insects which keep the injurious kinds in check.
During the present year the cutworms, clover-insects, insect
parasites of cattle, and the larch saw-fly, which was first
recorded as a Canadian insect in 1882, have been selected as
special objects of study and investigation. Last year one of the
joint-worms did great harm to the grass-crops of VWstern
Ontario, and entirely destroyed some of the hay-crops in \ew
Brunswick. The extent of the damage done by the clover-
seed midge is sulficieutly evidencd by the fact that, whereas a
few years ago large (juantities of Canadian clover-seed were
exported to the United States, where there was a great demand
for it, at the present time Canada has to im])<)rt seed for home-
growth. Last \ear the larva of the larch saw-fly, which is new
to Canada, did so much mischief, that the tamaracs were, in
manv parts of \ew Brunswick, (Quebec, and Ontario, almost
completelv deprived of tlu'ir leaves.

An Krjirrintcntdi Farm and i rntral Bureau of A</ricullurc. —
A v«'rv strong feeling prevails in favour of the establishment of
an Experimental Farm, and of a Central Bureau of Agricul-
ture. Though the Dominion (-al)inet includes a Minister of
Agriculture, the Department of Agriculture has t() concern itself
with several matters which liav little or no connectitin with
agriculture. That this is so may be inferred from a summary
of the contents of the Minister's .\nnual Report to the (lovernor-
Geueral, which embraces the following sections: — I. CJeneral
Kemarks. 11. vVrts and Agriculture. III. Patents. I V\ Copy-
rights, Trade Marks, »Iv.c. V. Quarantine. \'I, Immigration.
VII. Census and Statistics. \'lll. I lealth Statistics. Mr. John
Lowe, the able and experienced Secretary of the Dominioit
Department of Agriculture, states that the Act of 18()8, con-
stituting the Department of Agriculture, would amply provide
for the establishment of a Bureau of Agriculture, and for the

F 2

70

Canadian Agriculture.

appointment of a Commissioner of Agri<'ulture. There has
hitherto been no special vote lt)r the p'neral purposes of ajjri-
cuhure, ahhou«;h tliere have been special vot«'s in particuhir
cases, as f«)r cattU' quarantine and inspection, the collection of
statistics in certain special cases, and grants to exhibitions ;
up to the present these have comprised the whole functions of
the Department in relation to Ajjriculture.

As this subject is not without current interest at home, I may
brief] v refer to the work done by the United States Department
ol" Agriculture at \Vashinj;ton. Orifrinally embraced in the
Patent Department, the United States Department of Ajjri-
culture was formally and permanently orjjanised as a distinct
department in l?^t'>'h Its work consists in (1) the dissiMnination
of rare and valuable ]>lants and s<'eds, which are procured both by
purchase, and by exchaiijire with foreij;n countries ; (2) the com-
niuni(ati«)n to different districts of the information derived from
other 1<)( alitles as to soils, methods of cultivation, climatic influ-
ences, \c. ; and (li)the publication of results obtained in the
principal sulxlivisittns throuf;h their researcln's and <'xperiment8.
Congress has been lib«>ral in its fjrants to the Department, which,
in the vear endinjj 'MH\\ June, IS.S^, exptiided <onsi<l«'rably
over 7<),<"H)/., the it«'ms includinfr: purdiase and distriliution
of valuable seeds, ir>,(MM)/. ; exp<'riments in tea-culture, 1750/.;
experimental jfarden, 14<K)/. ; investijjatini; natural history of
insects, 4000/. ; investigating; <liseases of swine, 44^1)/. ; reclama-
tion of arid an<l waste lands, I'OOO/. ; report on forestry, 1000/.;
experiments in manufacture of sugar, r)4ti»i/. The fact that the
work of the Department is constantly extending, and that the
expentliture is growing annually, may be taken as evidence that
the p«'ople of the United States believe their Department of
Agriculture is worth its cost. .Manv pro<lucts are now suc-
cesslullv and pn)ritably grown that w«'re introduced and first
expeiiment«'d on bv the Department. Within the last few years
e.\p«'rinients have been made at consideral)le expense with the
sorghum sugar-cane, with the tea-plant, and for the enc«)urage-
ineiit of grape-culture an<l wine-making. Should thes<' experi-
nn-nts prove successful, and lea«l to extensive an<l lucrative
prosei ution of the industries connectcvi with the growth of theste
arti( h's, the cost will be insignificant ' eside ttie results. Hy
experiments such as these the Unitetl States Di'partment of
Agriculture has already corderri'd great benefits upon tlu* people.

lieroinineitdations of the Sriccf Omimittet' on Ai/riru/turr. — The
folh»wing is the conclusion of the Select Committee's Report to
the House of Commons: —

" GiiiHiilrrin^ that tlie jinijKT develDpnifnt of our a;4ricultural resources is
iiu]is{)vii>abl<' tu ttie upbiuMin^ nud niaintiuaiice uf uur uatiunal wealth auU

Canadian Agriculture. 71

prosperity, and that all proc^ressive countries are at present making stronnoua
efforts for the introduction of improved metliodH of agriculture, your Committee
belit've iliat no ol)jfct is more drserviii^ uf the flctivo nnd generous supjwrt of
tlie Federal Government tlian tlmt uf fosteriuj^ and promotiug liiis great
industry, and of prompiin;^, guiding, and co-operating with all local atid
provincial institutions tormcd fur the furtherance <j( this object. Your
Committee, tlierefDre, l>eg lavi' to Hulimit the I'nlhjwini; recunimendations : —

"Tliat the (iovernment taki' into earnest and favourable consideration the
advif-abiiity >if estal)iislunga lUireau of Agriculture, and an Experimental Farm
in ci>nm'ction thcrewitli.

"That this Hiireau be formed in connection with and under the supervision
of the present Oepartnunt of Agriculture.

" 'I'iiat the objects aimed at in the establi.shtntnt of such liureau and Farm
be as follows : —

" 1. To conduct sucli experiments in the introduction an<i culture of new
varieties of seetis, plants, tncs, iSrc, as will most efiiciently aid in the advance-
ment of Canadian a.;riculture ; to institute e.\jx.'riments witii regard to tlie
comparative value ol fertilisers, the proper testing of seeds aa to vitality and
purity, ami the healthy preservation and ]'roductive conditions of plants and
animals.

" li. 'J'o make careful investigation into the origin, distribution, and habits of
insects injurious and beneficial, atid the cnutagioiis aiul other diseases to which
animals an.i plants are subject, in order to arrive at ttie best methods of
destn lying ami eounteraeting them.

".■{. To study the qualities of the various breeds of cattle and other
domestic animals, with tne view of reporting on the best means of imiiroving
them; of pruteiting tliem from parasites and epidemic diseases, of feediu;^
them lor the market, and on the treatment of milch cattle.

'•■}. To initiate and carry out a convenient and comprehensive system of
gatherini: the latest and insist useful information, statistical and otherwise.

" i"). 'lo publish and send to tlie press and the various agricultural and
horticultural societies o( the Di'ininion, at ditVereiit perieKJs of the year,
bulletins giving the results of triais made on the Kxperiiiiental Farm, and
whatever other information the liureau may consider useful, either in the
prevention of tlie ravages of insects and of contagious diseases among animals,
or coticeridiig impiovt'd methods of culture that havt- stood test, or lor the
sjiceial advancement of any line of .agricultural pursuits."

Ilorse-hnrdiiif/ in CaiKidti. — From the Ccilsus Returns of 1881
it is inlcrred that the total annual value <>t agriculturul produce
in Canada nia^ be estimated as iollows: —

£

Horses l,lftC,2^<4

Cattle, kille*«l or sold only 3,l.',H^40r)

Sheep „ „ l,lHt;,4t;5

Swine „ ,, 3,UO7,.0O9

Wuul and Honey G0l.',552

ToUil Animal Vwdncc .. .. £10,481,215

Dairy Produce 4,288,502

Hay 6,0»;t;,l»72

( i rains and Hav Seeds 18,4();{,24y

Koota .. ..' 4,518,'.t08

Grand Total £4;J,T58,U(.-(>

72 Canadian Atjricultnrf.

Horses mako up more than ono-tcnth of the animal produce,
and Mr. K. A. Parnard, Dirrttor of Agriculture, (Quebec, has
drawn attention to the nejjlect of horse-breeilinjjf in the
Dominion. Considerin«j the demand for }jood drau«jht and
<lrivin<; iiorsrs both in luirope and in the United States, and
the sj)e<i.il fiuilities inanv parts of Canada — particularly Prince
I'^dward Island, the present vVrabia of the Dominion — possess
for tlic ralsiiii; of horses, tlie returns from this source should be
larj. ely increased. Moreover, the dithculty of procurinj^ remounts
for the cavalrv and artilh-rv ret;iments of the Hritish army
increases every year, and the authorities mifjht with advantajj^e
turn their attention to the capacity for horst^-raisin*; which the
Dominion j>ossesses. ( anada exports hav and coarse grains
sudicient to enable her to raise for exjiortation ten times as
many horses as leave her shores at present. T!ie following
figures are from the Trade and Navigation lleturns, 18^3: —

Value of Exports of Hay and Coarse Grains from Canada, 1883.

£

Rarlov l,2.-.S,r,17

IVas" l.iL'.arj

ctlitr Coarse Grains ai 0,837

£'J,001,S'_'G
Hay.

£

issi ;?r,.\7i'j

i,s>'j i^a.ias

1»H3 .. .. 180,421

Total £727,271

Iliiy — Avirago (if (lirt'o yoars 212,124

Total £2,244,250

It is reasonably suggested that, bearing in mind the con-
tinued eflorts made bv the Muropj'an States to improve tlu'
raising of horses, all this coarsj* food might well be kept to
increase the number of good horses — for nobodv wants bad or
poor horses — thus securing much higher profits, besides re-
taining a large (juantity of valuable nianure. A regular and
official inspection of stallions has even been proposed, and
Dr. Mcl'iachran has suggested the desirability of imposing a
heavy tax on all stallions unfit for useful reproduction. I may
here observe that the farm horses in Canada are, as a rule,
n\uch lighter than tlu' horses to be seen on arable farms in
Knglatid. When a visitor <alls on a Canadian farmer it is no
unusual thing to see a horse taken tioni the plough and put

Canadian Agriculture. I'd

into a dog-cart or lifj^ht waggon, and start off at a good
swinging pace round the farm.

Atjricullural Production in Canada.— The following Tal)le is
given on Mr. Barnard's authority : —

Loiccet estimated value of Farm Stock in Canada.

£

HorHos and Col.'H Il,!i00,284

Working ( >x.ii TOfs^SH

Cow.s .. 7,!)7!t,<'.On

Other CattU^ r>,3r)l>,7H8

Sheep ;'.,01S,(;7>S

I'igs •-',173,714

£;U,2G3,02'J

It is maintained that, by better selection, and by a m<»re
nitional system of feeding in summer and in winter, the cash
value of farm stock, and the returns therefrom, might be doubled
in a few years.

How much the agricultural production of the Dominion
might be increased by proper care is amply illustrated by the
case of eggs. A Tabh* in the first part of this paper shows
the annual export of eggs from Canada to be valued at nearly
half a million pounds st«'rling, — 40 per cent, above the value of
the export of horses, and (50 per cent, above that of sheep.
ICven tlie export of cattle, which has created so larjje a trade
Utr the ocean steamships, does not produce more than 7") percent,
over that of eggs. This exp()rt of eggs, moreover, simplv repre-
sents the sur])lus alt«"r all home demands have been liberally
supplied.

On a roujih estimate Canada can produce pure-bred cattle at
about half the outlav to which the Kiiglish farmers are put, and
can finish oil be<'f and mutton at about two-thirds the cost. This
is du«* largelv to cheaper crops, and to the admirable system of
(}uarantin<> wherel)v treedom from fatalitv induced by disease
is set;ured. It is Ix'vond doul»t that the I)ominion can produce
the best of cattle ; an<l as tin* Canadian farmers launch out more
extensively in the stock-raising business, so will they feel com-
pelled to resort to suitable and approved rotations of crops
made subsidiary to stock-raising, stock-fattening, and milk-
production. Tlu' Maritime I*rovinces, so admirably adapted
to the re(|uirements of live-stock, must sj)ee<lily show signs of
this, particularly as wooden ship-building is on the decline.

Indeed, it is probably a safe statement to make, that wheat-
growing in Canada is moving westward, and is destined to
undergo a marked ctmtraction in the Miist<rr> Provinces, where,

\

74

Cnnadian Aifricultnre.

as 1 havr previously taken occasion to remark, the limits of the
natural Icrtilitv ol tlie soils have in many cases Ix-en passed.
I'lven now, the averaffi* production of wlieat, taken over all the
wheat-lands of the Dominion, barely reaches 11 bushels jx^r
acre. How, in the Iv'stern IVovinces, the yield of wheat has
been steadily reduced, Prolessor lirown has a|)tlv pointed out :
" We did not stop at 1 ») bushels, because: (1) we could easily
in<-rease the productive area; i^'l) jjrain is less exp<Misive to
produce : (ii) it is a la/y system of farminir, and thus most
accejitablf to the manv as aj;ainst the few ; and (l) the product
has always Ix'cn in (h'lnand." And the sam<' ar«;uments would
hoM for not stopping; wlient-<;rowin<; when the viehl had
dwindled to 14 bushels, to 12, or even 10. And, no doubt, this
love for wheat-jjrowin;; will «:o a lonj; way to explain how it is
that eastern larmcrs, particularly of Ontario, rather than embark
extensively in stock-raisinjj, stock-fatteninj;, and the necessary
rotation of crops based (m IOu«;lish and Scotch methods, prefer to
sell their oM larms and ;;o on to the wfstcrn prairies, where
they can buy virj^in soil at one-(piart»'r to on<'-t«'nth Hie cost
per acre of what they realised on their eastern holdinjjs, and
thus embark airain upon continuous wheat-fjrowin;;. \\\ such
means the\ are, moreover, enabled to establish their sons on
separate farms, which, in the majority of cases, they could not
do on the hij,Mier-priccd linds ol the l^ast. There must further
be taken into account tin* resth-ss pioneer spirit which still
animates the breasts »)f probably most Canadian farmers; there
isnofeelini; of s<'ntiment awakene<l, no ancestral associations
rudely broktn, when tlu' Canadian farmer j^ives up his eastern
holding, and, impelled almost by a nomadic impulse, seeks fresh
fields of labour in the direction of the settin<; sun.

As things are now, much of the Canadian soil has been
run out by continuous frrain-croppin<j, the acreap' und«'r tereals
beinji^ out of all proportion to the re({uirements of <;oo<l farming;.
Approximat<'ly, the proporti<»nat«' acrea>;e of crops in the
Kastern Provinces is, — cereals, one-half : hay, one-fourth; pas-
ture, one-eif;hth ; roots, one-sixt<'«'nth ; lej;uminous crops, one-
sixteenth. .\ evert heless, with a more rational system (d farming,
there would not be much difliculty in at h'ast doubling the
average yield of cereal crops per acre. Accordinj; to the Census
Returns <»f 1<'^S1, the total area td lan<l in hoed <rops of all
kinds <lid not exiced 4 per cent, of the land under cultivation.
And yet Indian corn, with its rapid and luxuriant growth, is
an admirable crop for smothering- w«'«'ds, and mi^ht well be
employed in conjunction with roots for the cropped fallows.
With abundant manure and extensive horse cultivation, and
with a selection of seed suited to their northern climate,

■kn,A--i,

Canadian Agriculture.

75

Canadian farmers can grow from 75 to 100 bushels of corn per
a(Te, at a cost not exceeding '2s. per bushel, to say nothing of
the three or four tons of excellent fojlder ; as green food,
Indian corn properly cultivate<l and fed in conjunction with
other fodder, has been proved to b«! one of the cheapest and one
of the brst articles of diet for the production of meat or milk.

6V(/.v.s' Ar/m/,v.— Turning for a moment to the consideration of
grass lands, nothing is calculated to surprise an agricultural
visitor to Canada more than the paucity of cultivated grasses.
The Dominion farmers, indeed, cultivate but <me grass, and
that is timothy. A field of timothy, and nothing but timothy,
was a novel sight to me at first, but I soon got used to it. So
common is timothy, that it has long since escaped from theculti-
vate<l lands, and is a familiar weed-grass almost everywhere in
I'^astern Canada, — along road sides and railway tracks, and on
waste laiwls in or near tlu* towns. An»l the people evidently
believe in timothy, pure and unmixed, for growers are as ready to
give, as buyers are eager to demand, a guarantee that the " tame "
hay they offer for sale is clean and pure timothy. Similarly, of
the leguminous plants, only the common red clover seems to be
generally cultivate<l. Foxtail, cocksfoot, the fescues, the meadow
grasses, and the ry«'-grasses are almost unknown in cultivation ;
an«l the same may be said of Dutch clover, alsike, black medick,
'* trifolium," and saiiifoin. Catch crops, and "seeds" for two
or three years' lay, are (|uite outside the practice of the bulk of
Canadian farmers. Still, in justice to the Ontario Kxperi-
niental I'arm, it must be stated that most of these green forage
plants are being submitted to trial, and that the valuable results
hitherto obtaim'd hav»' already attracted the notice of the
mor«? progressive farmers (»f the Province, some of whom are
sowing mixtures of grass-seeds, and otherwise introducing the
cultivation of a valuabh' group of plants which have too long
been iieirlected. V<'rv satisfactory results have attended the
trials of lucerne, and there is no doubt that this crop might be
grown with gn'at advant;ige in most <listricts where the latter
part of summer is usually dn)ughty, as in su(;h circumstances it
would be an invaluable adjunct to failing pastures. Hungarian
grass, a species of Scfaria^ one of the millet grasses, is, by the
way, somewhat largely grown in certain districts, but I should
think it would be well to replace it with mixtures of ascertained
utility. VUv laving down of land to grass is a problem that will
have Ui be grappled with Ix'fore huig in Kastern Canada, and,
in th«' event (»f the propi)sed Central Hureau of Agriculture being
established, it should certainly provide for an efficient seed con-
trol, otherwise incalculable mischief may arise from the scatter-
ing of impure and ill-chosen grass-seeds throughout the land.

r.

Omadian A<jricuUnre.

I^'ttor care of the m.inuro heap is imporativcly ncrrssarv.
Mr. narnanl savs, ** riio li(|iii(l manure, wliicli is worth more
than the solid matter, is mostly all lost ; then the solids are
cave-wasluMl, hiirned, or (ire-tanj^ed, hi-lore eartiiiij to the field,
and there too olti'ii sun dried. As j;enrrallv treated hv nearly
all farmers in Canada, niannre ^\)V% to waste to a j^ri'ater or less
decree, hut a^;;re^atin^ to 7.'> per eent., as I helieve can he
j>roved un(|uestionahly. As lonjj as this waste is allowed, hut
little inten'st can he ^Myen to tin- very important <pu'stion ol
.utihcial h'rtilisers."

Ihit si^ns ol improyement are not wanting', particularly in
( )ntario, wln're drainaj;*' is now hein;; much resorted to, hctter
n)ads are heinj; made, and strai^'ht fences are rej)lacin«: the
snake h-nces which occupy so much roon> and so lr<'<'ly harhour
weeds in their innumerahle an;xles. In this pro;;ressive l*ro-
vlnce, too, the cultivation of a lar;x''r numher of speiic-s of" ^rass,
and the lavinir down «)f permanent pasture, must he iiulud<'d
ainonj; the new departun-s. And, as already nuMitioned, rota-
tions of" crops are slowly findini'' their wav info practice, while
marked improvements are noticeahh? in the winter feeding of
live-stock.

In Canadian tarminiT, machinery is used to a much <;reater
t'Xtent than is the cast; in iin^land. I'his arises, of course,
from the ( haracter of the seasons in Canada, for j)ractlcally
there are oidv two divisions of the year, - summer and winter.
Such autumn as there mav he is short, sj)ririu is shorter. See<l
finu", then'fore, is a j)eriod of j^reat pressure, an<l incessant
lahour; harvest is an e(|uallv husv time, so that much of the
manual lahour of our own country devolvj-s upon machinery in
Canada. The implement manufacturers an* •jradually <'(mcen-
tratiny: their etiorts on one or other of three hranches, —the cul-
tivating;, the s<'edin<;, and tin- harvestinj; ; and in Canada, as in
the United States, each season hrin^'s with it som(^ new desif^n
or improvement. 'I'his rapid exti-nsion f)f nu'chanical aids is
jjraduallv renderinj; superfluitus much of the skill of the hus-
l>andtnan, as in the case of the sulky plouijhs, which s<'at the
driver, and cut one furrow. 1 mav here mention a few of the
prices. Ihe Huford sulky pIout;h, 12, It, an<l ITi-inih cut in
stt'cl hottoms, and fi.rnished with rolliii}; coulter, 11/. to \'M.\
the liutord //'///// sulky plou;,'h, ciittiti;; two furrows, each 12
ini lies wide, made entirely of iron and steel, e.xcept the pcde and
whippletrees, and with rollinjj roulters, 20/. ; onlinary plouf;hs,
'61. to 4/. ; Whipple spriny: harrow lor preparing; stiff, rouf;h, or
dirty land for se<'d, 7/. to '.</., accj.rdinj; to siz<' : .Monarch potato
dijTfff'r, 2/. ^».'». Amont; the conunoidv seen im|)leinents are the
Massev mowers, harvesters, and rakes; the nranth>rd two-horse

v^

■■■Mi

wmmimi^

Canadian AgricnUnre.

11

twinn hinders, wido-rut corn binders, front-cut and rear-cut
mowers, and spring; tooth liarrows ; and the llcjosier ijrain and
fertiliser <lrills. Kven the use of straw for fuel on the prairie
has heen provich'd for, as in the Al»ell straw-hurniii^j; portal)h'
entfine. 'I'he jreneral I'xecMence of Canadian ay;ricuitural machi-
nery cannot fail to impress the ohserver.

1 hare allude*! to tlu; mi^^ratory habits of Canadian farmers,
which undoubtedly constitute a hindrance to better farminp;.
Another check arises out of the tempting; and almost unlimited
field for speculative lan<l pun liases by wealthy individuals and
companies who are in a position to ac(juire larjje tracts of land
to the exclusion of ordinary settlers. The men who are attracted
to (v'anada are, as a rule, the reverse of wealthy ; but, at the
outset, a defw iency of ample means is probably a nmch less
evil than a lack of aijricultiiral knowledjjc. The easy and
incxp<'nsive sah; and translcr of land is another element not to
be h'lt out of considiTation ; and as rcfjards tlu' ownership of the
soil, I may ajrain (juote my coll<'a};u<«, I'rolessor Sheltlon, who,
in addressitif; the Economic Section of the Hritish Association,
at Montreal, last Au|j^ust, said, —

"The ("iUi.'Vtliiiii fanner nwiis the land ho farms, and can do with it what
\w liki's. All very wtdl, this, when ownership (Idos nut Imry tno iar^^u a
cnjiitai ; but in course of time, as hind increases in value, ii hmdloni and
tenant system will <^r<iw nji in Canada, and it wmild l>e well that it sliduld at
the outset Ik! dttined on C(|uital)U; lines. 'I'iie IJritiali larmer avoids tho loss
wliich comes of ii fall in tho value of land — a loss from which every agri-
••ultural landowner in I'ritain is siiil'erini; to-day, more or less — ami Ids capital
is nil uvailaMc for active operations. Su loii^; as tho industry of fanners is
duly tdiielded from injustice, it is a loss rather than a j^ain to them to be
landowners, for landownini^ at '1\ i«r cent, is a luxury in which luead-winnera
can liaiilly atl^rd to iiidulj^e,"

The transfer of land in Canada is very easily and cheaply
efh'cted. In everv district there is an otlice in which titles to
land have to be ref;ist<'red. All mort};a<;es or other charges
made upoti property have to be recorded in the same way as the
titles, and are not valid unless this is done. A person, therefore,
desiring to purchase land, can prove at a trifling cost the bond
/iih'S of the title that is otlered, and can also ascertain what
charges or encumbram»'s may be in existence. This, generally
and strictlv, is the system in operation throughout the Dominion.
The matter is one that is dealt with by the local governments,
and the details may, therefore, to some extent diller in the
various IVovinces. The general desire, however, is to simplify
as nmch as possible such transfers, and to get them effected
cheaply. It is not unlikely that the present arrangements may
be amende«l by the adoption of the TorrtMis system, now in force
in Australia, which is an amplification of that in use in Canada.

'8

Canadian Atjriculturc.

Canadian Fohksthy.

Tliouph orraslonal rrlrnMUi'* have Imtii made to tin? forests
ot (Ittlcrriit parts ot tlic Dominion, the suhjret is oi such ^n-at
importance, hoth present an<l pros|)<*cti\e, as to call for a hrief
separate notite. Dr. Koln-rt Hell, w lios«' kni»wle(lji[e of the
Canadian fori'sts extends ov<t a tpiarter of a centurv, arran^i-s
the trees loiind east of the Hock} Mountains in four ^vo-
j;raj)hical divisions : —

1. A northern ^roup, iiu hiding the \vhit(> and hiack spruces,
larcli, Manksian pine, halsam (ir, aspen, halsam poplar, canoe
hirch, willows, and aldei. rtiese cover the vast territory' down
to the line of the white pine.

2. A central {.'roup of about forty species, occupying the
belt of country from the white |>ine line to that of the button-
worn I.

W. A southern ijroup, Pinbraciiifj; the button-wood, black
walnut, the hickories, chestnut, tulip-tree, jirickly ash, sour
^um, sassafras, and ilowerin^ do^-wood, which are found oid^
in a small area in the southern part of Ontario.

•1. A western jjriMip, ionsistinj; of the ash-leaved maple, bur-
oak, cott«)n wood, and ^Tcen ash, which are stattered sparingly
over the |)rairie and wo(»ded regions wt'st of K«'d Kiver and
Lak«' \\ iiuiip<'jr.

Mr. A. r. Drummond, who has made a special stiuly of
Canadian forestry, sa\s: —

"Cana<la nwiv he di\i(h'd into four great forest areas or zones,
which may for con>eiiience l)e termed tiie /ones ol the ( 1)
Douglas fir, o(('up\iiig central and southern British Columbia;
(2) poplars, covering the wh<»le country from the most northern
limit of the gr«)Wth of trees southward, east of the Kocky
Mountains, to thi* south Saskatt hewan, (,?u'Appelle, and Winni-
p«'g Rivers, Lake Nepigon, and Anticosti, in the (lulf of
St. Lawrence; (i}) white and r«'«l pine, extending from the Lak<?
of the \\ Doils and Lake \epigon, to Anticosti ; tlwnn' to the
(Jeorjjian Jiav, Lower Ottawa Kiver, and Nova Scotia; (4)
beech and maple, occupying thos(> parts of Ontario and (Quebec
lying south ol the /one of the pines. Along the shores of Lake
Lrie is what might alnuist be r»'garde«l as a fdth zone, very
circumscribed in area, but having within it several outliers of
the forests of the Midilh- States."

Of the 340 species of fori'st trees of North America only Dfy
are to be found in Canada, and of these only three are identical
with lOuropean species, namely, the chestnut, white birch, and
yew. With regard to the future supplies of timber which may
be available in Canada, Dr. licU finds that the greater part ut

Canadian Afjriculture.

79

c»uly

tlir whitr oak ami rork rim havi? Imtu iilrradv exported, while
tlu' (hern, hiark walnut, red ee<lar, and hickory iiave likewise
been uracticallv exhausted. i{cd oak, hasswood, white ash,
red eedar, heirdo«k, hiittenjut, and hard maple, as well as many
iiderior woo<U, are still to hv found in sulHcient (piantity lor
home consumption. A ronsiilernhh* supply of yellow hireh
still exists, and in some rejjions it is as yet almost untou(;hed.
The white pin«', the j;reat Canadian timber tree, has a morn
linjited ranj;*' than is >;enerally supposed, and the principal
reserves are in the rcfjion aroun«l Lake Temiscamin^r, atul
then<e westward to the eastern shores of Lake Superior. When
the ex|)ortal>le white and red pine have h(>com(> exhausted, as
must happen before many years, there are still vast (piantitics
of spruce an<l larch, which mav even now be rejjjanled as the
principal timber available for this purpos(> in tln' future.
'J'rem«'ndous havoc has been wrouj^ht by forest fires, and it is
estimated that the (juantity of n'd and white pine destroyed in
this way in the Ottawa Valley and in the St. Maurice and
(leorfjian Hay re{;ions is many times fi;reater than all that has
l)een felled by the axe. Vet even this is insignificant compared
with the (juantity of pine, spruce, cedar, larch, balsam, and
other trees which have been destroyed by fire in the more
northern latitudes all the way from the (iulf of St. Lawrence to
the Nelson Kiver, and thence northwestward. The northern
coniferous fon-sts are more liable than others to be destroyed
by (ire. In the summer season, when the ^ummy tops of the
trees and the mossy jjrountl are alike dry, th<'y burn with almost
explosive rapidity. Small trees are thickly minified with the
larj^er ones, so that their branclu-s touch each other, and thus
form a sufliciently dens** fuel to support a continuous sheet of
llame on a jjrand scale, lirtore a hi<jh wind the fir*; swi-eps on
with a rtjarinj; noise*, an<l at a rate which prevj'iits the l)irds and
b(>asts from i'scapinjj^. After a time, shrubs and bushes spring
up on the burnt area, then aspens and white birches, among
which the cone-bearing ixvvs begin to aj)pear, and after a
century and a half or more these will have regained possession.
This alternation of crops of timber appears to have been going
on for many centuries, l)ut in modern times the fires have been
more numerous than fornu'rly. Occasionally due to lightning,
these fires are mostly traceable to the carelessness of white
men and demoralised Indians. The fires are not so liable to run
in forests of full grown white and red pines, and hard wood
forests are seldom burnt to any great extent. In several locali-
ties I noticed the weird sight presented by the charred and
branchless trunks as they were left, dead an<l silent, after the
fury t)f the fire hail swept over them.

80

Caiiiulian Aqricnlfure,

A Piirliaincntarv I'liic-book * ront.ilns tlio most roront ofllci.il
intormatioM on the forests ol" the several Provinces ol tiie Do-
minion. In Prine<> I'ldwanl Island there are now no forests ot
any extent, they havin;; all disappeared under the axes ot the
s«"ttler and the liiinherinan. In Nova Scotia, all or nearlv all
the tiinher lands will have heen cut (»ver tor tlu' tirst time l)v or
perhaps helore the year ISIK). l?y carelul h.ishandin;^^ ''^ seccmd
cut nearlv ecpial to the first (an in manv localities be obtained
alter (ilteen or twenty vears, so that, it it were not tor the torest
fires, those lands which are well looked alter would ne\('r
become denuded of (heir timber. As it is, the suj>plv of pine
and spruce is rapidlv .ipproachinsj exhausticni, and the lumber-
in}; trade is on the decline. Larije artMS once covered with a
statelv ^^rowth of pine, spruce, and other trees, have bei'ii reii-
ilered almost barren bv lues. No discreti(»n is exi'rcis«'d, mir is
any protection ext«'nded to the forests in No\a Sn)tia ; every
man mav cut as he pleases.

The Province of ( hitario cont:iins liS, ()()() scpiare miles of
land, known as tindx'r limits, that is, land on which lund)er-
men have j)urchased the ri^dit to cut lundx-r for a c«'rtain period,
renewable vearl'., and on which luf!d)er, when cut, thev also pav
certain <lues to (Jovernment in pi j)ortion to its amount. No
«lata exist upr>n whii 1> to base an estimate as to how lon>; it will
take, at the j>resent rate i,\ consumj)t ion, to exhaust the tind)er
of these lands. I'lie ( iovernment lands, on which no licence to
cut has \et been granted, are ludievcd to contain about I'O.'MK)
scjuare mih'S of torest, possessing; much valuable and merchant-
able ti'MJier. .Mr. P. White, .M.P tor Kentrew, ()ntarii>, esti-
mates the value of the tind)er annuallv destroyed l)y forest
fires ill tlu' ()tta\\a I)istiict at tour millitm pounds sterling;.
.Mr. Stewart ThaNne, of ()ttawa, a recoLjnised authority <ui
lorestrv, submitted to the Sele« t Committee on A^^riculture the
lollowinj; sU};j;estions as to the dutv of '.lie Canadian (lovc-rn-
ment : —

"Tlif iiriiK'ij'al point upon w'ljolj they ini>;lit take ai-tinn wouM Ix- this:
tlif-y sliniiM sc|p;ir;iti' thf latnlr* wliioli an- kiiuwii t<> be ui',|iri>t'itftl»li' iff ajri-
nihuri-, iiiiil 'I'Vdt • ilniii fX(liir>ivf,y to turcstry I'uri •>>«•;*, nr t<i tin- [•ii'iiuctioii
of tMidxT. We liiivc hiiuls.ii tluU cliarai ttT Iuti. I'p tliiM >tlii\va, lur iiistanoe,
Kftticrrt liavf Immu iijluccti (<> ;_•() in aii'l M-ttlf i n liic jiin' lamls. 'i'lurc, alter
one iir twti iTopH, it will t:ikf innrc Ihaii tin <iri;;iii:il value tif tin- lainls in
niiikc tlu-ni pr»Mi\io<> a;.'aiii. .Vftff tlint- «»r four cmps, at tlu* oiit^iilc, tlif thin
t'ovi riti^' <if thf N>il over tin* cinil Jhci.mu'H ulfrily ('xliau.stcil. '1 litsi- piiM:
lands, aiiii all thf laiKJH only littt'd t'>>r tliu i-iiltivaticm u{ pino and sprucf,
Hhnuld i'f Kit apirf t'T tlif culiivation nl thosf irt'fH. '1 hcrf aif niillKHiN

• 'HiportH on thf F"n't<tH of dnadn. With Tri'ViH by Dr. I.y<tnM, M 1'., of
I'frtaiti piincrri Huhinittid tliiruwith' I.ondi>n: l'riutc«l by Kyrr and Spi'ltib-

■i^iill

Canadian Agriculture.

81

and millions of acns in Ont;irii> and Qiiuboc which could be niado productivi;
timber districts, but which will i.ever Iw imMluctivc a^iicuitunil districts."

In tin' Province of (^im'Ih'c, the L.iurrntian Forest Iliglilfimls,
Ivin;; on the north of the St. Lawrence, occupy an area of
17H,(MH) scjuare miles, the f;reater portion of which, heinjj fit for
nothinj: else, must remain a limher-lorest for ever, increasinf; in
value as timher l)»'come8 mon' scarce els. where. It is cai)al)Ie
of maintaininj; a sparse hut hardy population in comparative
C()ml«)rt by the 'development of the resources of its mines, and of
its f«)rests, if cared for and prest'rved. Another forest-rcijion in
tlie Upper ( )ttawa t«'rritory covers an area of some 8( ),()()() s(piare
miles. On account of its favourable fjeotrrapiiical position
aloiifj the hanks of a threat river, and the unfitness of !nu<h of
its area for other cultivation, the Province of (,)uehec seems
(h'stined to remain a timher-yieldinji: and timher-tiadinif country.
A C'tunmittee appointed hv the American I'orestry Congress, at
its Montreal Meeting', reconnnended : —

1. Tlu' ns.Tvatii.n «i all jiiiio and situco lands, unfit for settlement, for
lumlxTin;^ j'Uri'osfs t'xclusivtdy.

2. 'I'hf I'D'hilntitiu "f the biirninp of Imsli by settlers in the viciidty of fir
trt-es duriiii: the months of May, .luuf, Septenilier and Octt>ber (Iturniug in
July anil August licite^ already iutevdict<d in the iVoviucc uf Quebec).

ih The division of ilie tindrr ccuntry into ihstricts, and the a]'i>ointnient
of |H.)lii'e nndiT a superintcncii-ut with magisterial |iowors, whose duty it sliall
be to detect atid jtunish otVeiidtis, and provide for the exlin^nislinient of fiivs.

4. 'i'lie Cost of the maintenance of tiiis protection nii'^iil partially bo met
by the iiujiositiiiu of a moderate tax ou the parties owning or leasing timber
lands.

In Pritisli C'oluml)ia, the southern and western }>ortion is
n densely wooded countrv, hoth mountains and plains liein><^
covered with thick and statcdv fon'sts. To the north and east
tln-re is less timher, and that of inferior (juality. Tin* forests of
economic value cnihra»e an aiea situated between the Cascade
range of mount.iins and the Pacific coast, and extending from
lat. 4'» N. to lat. r)5^ N., together with \ ancouver iind adjacent
ishimls, and tiie (,?ueen Charlotte group. The vahmble Diuiglas
pin<'. tir re«l fir, covers that jiortion of tho area iiulicated which
extends Ix'tween the southern boundary and a paiallel drawn
through the north extremitv of Vancouver's Islanij. North of
this northern line, and in« ludiiig the (^ueen Charlotte Islands,
the Douglas fir is largely replaced by yellow cypress, red ami
white icdar, and white pine. The numerous and far-n aching
inlets alontr the sea-boani allord ai cess to the (oresfs, and gn-atly
facilitate lumbering. 'FIjp interior of Hritish Ccrlumbia is but
sparsely timb«-red, but the eastern portion, watered by the
Coluiubia fund Kootcnay rivers ami their tributaries, (ontains
large areas of timber of great commer( ial value.

82

CdiuuUiin A(/n'<'ulfurr,

III \»'\v I?runs\vick thrrc :\vc '.)()()() stjii.in" miles «>f forest urea
not umler license, .iiwl .'}')(>() miles uucKt license.

The are.-i ot timber lands in the Dominion is estimated to
eovi*r ill all ahoiit 'J ^^ '>,'♦<>•> s(juare miles. In the United States,
the timber lands \et remaining; in possession ol the Ciovern-
ment ociupv 1 .')L.',<""> scjnare mih-s, representinir, at the present
rate ol ("(Hisumptiini, ahont 28 years' supply. I'he lion. (leo. H.
Lorin;:, tor many \ears Commissioner of Ajrrienlfur<' in the
L'nited States, is of opinioi, thai in the course of one «;eneration
the lorests «)l the L nitcd States will he almost entirely ex-
hausted : ill this case an actiye demand for Canadian timber is
sure to s|)rin>; up in the American market ; so that unless th(>
con^eryation of the lorests ot Canada is etiiciently proyided tor
by the Dominion authorities, this \yill be likely to constitute
one more link in the ( haiii ot ( anses that are o|)eratinLr a>;ainst
the preseryat ion ot the lorests ot Hritish North America, liut
the people id Canada appear now to be fully aliy<' la the in'c»'s-
sit\ of proyidiii;; b\ Ici^islatiye i'liactments ajjainst any tuitlu'r
careless or reckless dealin>; with what !>hould be one ot the most
permanent and valuable sources of reyenue to th(> Dominion.
.Measures will |>robab|y be intro(luced proyidini; tor the setting
aside ot lari;e districts tor torest purjioses, and lor the regular
maintenante of othcials char;;ed with the duty ot preventing;
the o4 < urrenn" of lorest fires. At present, the Province of
(Quebec appears t(» take the lead in arboricult iiral lej^islaticni.
The " arbour davs," or tree-planting holidavs ot (Quebec and
New Ibunswit k, are descrying <»t speedy imitation in the other
Provinces of the Dominion.

Canada is undoubtedly in need of one or more ;;ood schools
of torestiy, such as those which e.\ist in I'rance or [inland ;
and teehnical schools ot this (haract<'r should be establi>hed by
the ( ioyernmeiit with as little delay as possible. It is well known
that men who are selected by the Civil Servit'e Examiners
to enter the Woods and I'orests Service i>f India, air re(p!ired to
spend a \ear <»r two in I'rame, at the I'orest S«hool ot Nancy,
or at some similar institution, there to a<-(piire that instruction
in svlviculture which their own country is unable to ath^rd them.
Durinjx several recent sessions, Sir .lohn Lubbock, M.l*., has
brou^h' under the noti<-e ot the llous<' of Commons the utterly
iiiade<piate means this country possesses lor the teaching of
forestry, and last session td>tained eonsiderabh- support in his
advocat v ol the establishment ot a torest schoid. In opposition
to this proposal, it was lUi^eci that there are within the limits of
tlie United Kint;dom no woodlands of Kiiflicient si/e to meet the
reipiireiiieiits ol sucli a srhool : but whether tliis In* so or not,
the objiM tion is such as cannot possibly apply to Canada. The

Canadian Ayricultnre.

8a

consorvation of tho forests of the Dominion is a subject as much
of imperial as of (•<)lonial int»>rcst, and it seems to me that the
cstahlishment of a thoroujjhly equipped forest school in Canada,
the cost or part of th** c(»st of which mi<;ht he j<»intlv home by
the Dominion atui the Imperial (iovernments, would not only
produce a numhcr of well-ti.iined foresters, under whose care the
timber supply of the Dominion would be ellicientlv fostered, but
would aflord admirable means f«)r traininfj IJriiish foresters for
service iti distant parts of the empire. To ac(|uir<; such technical
trainin<; it would not then be necessary to repair to a foreign
country, the instruction would be jjiven in what is still the
greati'st forest rejj^ion in the world, the school could be reached
in less than a fortnight from any {»art of the United Kingdom,
and cheap ocean fares and inexpensive living in the Canadian
forest school would add to the attractiveness of such an insti-
tution.

Canada is so near to us tiiat for some years past she lias been
represented at the Annual Meetings of the Iloyal Agricultural
Societv, where the Canadian exhibit is always a pleasing and
instructive feature. The Dominion exhibit, under the care of
Mr. .I(»hn D\ke, of Liverpool, an<l Mr. Thomas Grahame, of
(ilasgow, y-omprises produce (rom all parts ot Canada, and no
\1<'ubt s(»me readers will rcmenihrr the monster Canadian cheese
«' Kilbnrn. i'he other exhibit, that of the Canadian Pacific
Hallway, is under the suj)«'riiit('M(l<'nce of Mr. Alexander I^egg,
and is <"oncerncd more particularly with the produce ot the
prairie. These »'.\hil)its aie always worth inspection; but a far
ln'ttiT wav ot becoming ac(juainted with the Dominion is to pay
it a visit, a journev to ( anada iti the summer having now
become an easv, pleasurable, and instructive trip, the ocean
passage from Liverpool to (>Juel>(>c not occup\ing more than
eight or nine (I, i\s. Durinu' the last two sumniers a consider-
able number of agriculturists, most of them combining business
with pleasure, have visited the Dominion, and by means such as
these the resources of Canada are bound to become better known
and understood amont^ ns, and it is well tliat this should be
so. It is perhaps worth mentioning her<' that on my return
vovage in the /i I Ian mail steanser, " Parisian," an impromptu
mei'ting was convened in the sahxm one afterno«)n, under the
chairmanship of Lord dieorge Hamilton, M.I*., to discuss the
(piestion, " Is Canada a suitable field lor emigraticm?" an<l the
expression of opinion, whi(h incliuh'd that of (ien<'ral Sir J. 11.
Leirov, K.A., 1-. U.S., whose know ledge of the Dmninion extends
back for nearly half a century, was almost unanimously in the
aflirmative.

1 desire here to a«knowledge m\ obligations and to express my

84

CanntUnn Aorirulturc.

thanks ti» Mr. .Joseph Ci. CoImut, Secn'tarv of tlic Otlirc n{' th<'
I li^h ( '(Miimissioiicr lor ( iin.ul.i. who h;is alwavs most comt^'oiisl v
aided me at all tiinrs when 1 hav«' soiiy:ht the hciirdt of his
advir*' and <*xp«Mi<'nce.

CONCMI'SION,

In srrkinfj to arrive at soine yenrral coin lusions n'spectinu:'
the prrs«'nt eharaeter and prohahh- ilex i'loj)nient o( ('anadian
aj;ri(uhur<', it is necessary to hrar in mind th«' lact that it is
onlv within the last lortv or liltv \r.irs that anv ai.'rieidtiiral
pro;:ress wortliN ol tin" name has lu-rn <(hMt«'d in ( "anada. Still
more important is it to r<'meiid)er that the work ol clcarinir
the huest lands, «ipeninj; up the rountrv, and hrini;in<r the soil
nn<ler cultivation, was oriirinallv perli»rmed hy men who had
litth' ••!»»' tlian their must h-s and their natixc courai,'!- lo rely
upon,- Itv hard\ j>ioneers witli little or no «apital, who Icti their
native shores witli the l>raye determination to hew out Irom
"the lorest primeval" tlie means w hereby thev miirht acquire
wealth and indepcn<h'nce. It is perha| s n';^rettahle that the
extension ol a:jii( idture in th<- Dominion should he inse|)aral)le
lioin the destruction (»t its lorest s : thi> was, (»l «oiirs«', to a cer-
tain extent iiH'vitahle, hut I ha\e endeavoured to show that
under a proper s\steiu ol conservane\ much ol the existinj.'-
lorest ar«'as nia\ he pieser\ed as sources ol revenue lor ever.
The estaltl islinieut o! such lorest cons«'rvancv should l)e no
loni;(M- dela\ed. Man\ t>l the pioneers, to whom I have just
relerre<l, have advanced to leadinsx positions in thi' admini-
stration ol the allairs ol the Dominion, and it is otd\ in acctud-
anee with natuial law that their sons shoidd he woi th\ successors
ol such sues.

I h(* increase ol popidation has, owtiiLT '<* immi^^rat ion, heen
much mure rapid in (anada than is ;:enerall\ suppuNcd, and, in
this connectiiui, tiie Domini<tn compares laviuirahlv with the
f^reat I'^n^dish-speakin;; nation which has elh'cted so remarkahle
a dev<-|oi>ment ol the southern hall ol the North American
(ontinent. Thus, in 177<t, the I'nited States contained ahout
;;,'.»(»(»,(»( Ml inhahitants. and in \SS\ ,,|„MJt :»(),( M in,( M M I, showing:
a:i in<Tease of s<»me l'J<i<> per ej-nt. (anada, at the census ol
1 7<*>t. did n«»t muster l."»(>.0O(» peojile, whereas in \X>^\ the
nundier ha«l advanced to 4,o"Jl.>>H>, an addition of nearly .'{nntl
per (cnt. Moreover, since 1^.»<>, vvhen lioth countri<'s l)e;:an
to experienci- theetie(tsol the tide ol iinmi;;rat ion Irom I'-uropt-,
(anada has shown an increase of ahout l^(> per cent., while
that of the I rut.-d States has hern ahout 'A\H) per cent. in
other words, (anada has in the sp^at c ol the last hall century

Cumuli (III Atjricnltnre.

85

iiirrrascd Iut |)ti|)ul.iti(>ii (ivc-lold, and tho United States in the
same |)('ii(»d lonr-r<)Id,

There an' three points ol' rontact l)et\veen Canadian and
Hrifish ai;ri«uhure, whieh, in their eornnjercial importance, are
prohahlv tar su|)i'rior to all others. 1 lu'se are represented
respcrtivelv l>v the trrain tra»h', the catth' tra<h', and the trade
in dairy profhire. or, to l)e mon* exact, the ehe«'se tra(h'. It is
so (denieritarv a fact that our own <-oiiiitry is (juite iiicapahh* ol
ffrowinij su(rKi<'nt wheat lor home consumption, that it is (piite
axiomatic to add that the athiitiona! supply must he <lerive<i
Irom l»e\ond the seas. A lew years aj^o it seemed a sale
statement to make that Canada vvoidd constitute tlie future
jrranary of the mother country. The United States then ap-
pe.ire«| to he the most lormiihihh' riyal ol the Disniiuion, l)Ut
the rapi(!l\ increasing; (h'uiands iil her own po|)uhLtiou haye led
to a remarkahle lallini; oM in the exjiorts ol wheat from that
country to the United Kiui^dom durinif the last two \(;vrs.
.America's need, hovyj'yer, has »jot proyed to he Canada's oppor-
tunity, lor another riya! in a distant (juarter ol the j;lol)e has
put in stroiii; ( laims to he crmsidcred a controllin^j lactor in the
Uni^lish wh<'at market, aud,trom a national or im|)erial point of
view at any rate, the w heat-cx|);trtin;i; power ol Dritisli India
eoiistitutf's a <leye|opment ol the resources ol the Mm|)ire which
it is pleasant to <outcmj)late. As illustratiui; the point under
notice, the lollowin;; (injures may proye ol interest : —

Imi'okts «)f Wui'.vT into tlie rNiTi:i> KiNc.iH)M from the rxrri:i)
Statks, I'uiTisn XoitTH .'Vmkkic.v, and IJiarisn India, and tho
ToTAi. Imi'iujt.s of Wn» Ar frum all SourciH, from 1.S71 to 18H4.

I l.llr.l Slllt^h.

Itrili,li N.illi
Anil lica.

|triti>li liiitia. I ri'oiu ikll .^oiirvii.

1874
IS75
IS7(!
I ST 7

IsTs
1(<7".»

IKSO
ISSI
l.svj
lss;j

lhK4

l'.»,
•Ji.

•>,

-•i,

Cwt-'.

ois,
■»»;;;,

:tns.
;»•;:;,
:'7«;,

• l.o'.t.

(CIS.

(i."i'.t,
(it;,"(,

COf),

DIU
7>.'i
t:t;7
;mi|
so.".
sC'.t
(»7I
t;-j:;

WW

<'\vts.

:{.S(i7.i74

:i.i;iM.t!i(»
•j.iiT.i:.!

•J,'.tl'.M7S
4.»i7t'>,«!S(i

:t.s',i:{.."it4

•J.StiO.S.'d

I.T'.IS.II.'iti

i.7r)7.4(»!:

Cwts.

i.o7t;,s7(;
l.:!:tt.!M:!
:{,-J7lt.ss7
<!.lO|.'.t|(i

l,M;t.;;i>i
hS7 •_'.■»( i

:i.'Jl7.'Jl-'
7.;fos SI2

s.lTT.IT'.t

ii.'ji:;.j'.'7

Cut-i.

4i,i7;».n;o
."> 1, 7sti. :;;•:{
1 1. :;:•». I. V2
."»i,it;-j.sss
l!t.sii,i;i:{
.V.t.iJf.s.i 10
rM.i;i7.:!it4

A?. (112. ()•!!»

tii.i7i.<;-"2
i;i. !!>>((. Jit
I7,ii:{.;»',»s

Thus, while the United St.ites sent us an almost unihnin
iniantity ol f» lii-at duiinu the lour wars 1 .ST'J l^^l^ she sent us
nearly one-iim.l h'ss in ISs.l, and les.i ajjaln in lJ>M. 'I'lie

86

Canadian Aifricuhnre.

iinpoit of wheat from ('aiin«la has Im'I'h stradilv falling off sinre
1S7'.>, wlulr siiur tho sainr vrar the import from Hritish Imlia
has boon rapully iiicrcasintj ; for tliou-ih the total (|naiititv
<l(>rivr(l from India in lh^^4 was three million cwts. less than in
the |)ree<Mlinj; \ear, vet the ratio to the total imports of wheat
iVoin all S(*ur('es was in the two years praetirallv identical ; hut
this reservation applies, of course, with eipial h»rce to the l' nited
Stat«'s and Canada, for it will he s«'en that the aj^ijn'fjate impoit
ol wheat from all sources into the United Kinj^doni in l>>St
was less than in anv ol the prectdini,' seven \»'ars. ll, as is
not unlikelv, the home ih-ntands of the I'nited States lead to still
further restriction in the (jiiantitv of wheat she mav have f<»r
exportation, the result mav be not onlv a diminution in the
j>owcr of tlu' most lormidahh* rival ( anada has to meet in the
Kn^lish wln-at market ; hut it is even possible, as statements
made in the fust p.iit of this paper sej-ni to suj.'i;est, lliat at
some perhaps not laidistant time, the I nited States herself mav
become a w heal-iinportin<„' counti\, and ( an.ida would be in the
l>est position to meet such a demand. It is e\i(h'nt enough that
in the Dominion tlic < iiltivation ol wheat on an extensive scale
is movin^^ west ward ; the Invv averaire \ ield ol, lor example, tin*
Pioviinc ol (Quebec — *.• to 1'* bu>hels per aere cannot tail to
be discourat^inj: in the lace of recent low t jii^ftit ions. I o what
extent the w lieat-j:row in;; (apacii\ ol Manitolva and the ;;ieat
North-west will be put to the test depends ver\ laryeh upon the
prospe(ti\e market which the pi airic-t,Mown wliiat !■> likelv to
command: but 1 have alread\ ;;i\en \\\\ reasons wli\ mixed
hirmin;; ratln-r than mere wheat-raisin;,' will prcdiablv prove to
be tin- satcr course lot tlie prairie I iruM i to pursue. The
variety ol Ked l'\h' Wheat, kimw n as No. 1 llaid, whiihy^rows
to such perlei tion on the s nis of the \{v\\ \{\\v\ \ alle\ and <d
nn>re distant part.s ol tht prairie, seems likelv, on account ol its
exc«'llent milliii}; pp'jvrties, which increase in lavour as thev
become better known, to meet with an increasing; demand : and
us w heat ot this <{ualitN cannot be raised in the more southern
latitudes U'vond the international boundary, the tanners <»t the
Canadian prairies are in possession ol a monopoly whith is
likelv to remain undisturbed.

The rapid growth of the Canadian cattle-trade is rema.kable,
and thou;;h it has had the eMect ot cheapening meat in the
Kn;;lish market, it nnist neverthele.-^s b«' remembere<l, that
breeders at home ha\e been distinctly beneiited by the steadv
demand tor pe(ii;;ree stock <d all kinds ; and this is a <lemand
whi(h is likely to continue. How potent and beneficent has
been tlie inlluence of pedit;ree-stoik taken out from lirifain by
Canadian breeders is suilicientiv shown bv the iact that the

I

Caiuulian AyricuUitre.

87

Jivpiaj;*' valiu- per lic.ul of liorm-d cattle exportrd Iroin Canada
inrr«'as«'(l t'roiii f)/. in 1S74, to \',M. in iH'Sl, t|j(>uj;li, of course,
tlx* n-diictioii ill till- cost oi traiis|iortati(iii, and the hrttcr and
more rapid niftliixls <if transit, liavc not liccn uitliout tlicir
indiicncc in this direction. riie (oilow iiit; Taltle sliowstlie total
(>\|)orts of cattle and sli<-ep from Canada in the \ears IISTI and
1 (S.S.I respectively :

1HS4
1N74

Catti.k.

Nuiiil)cr.

ValiH'.

SlIEKf.

NunitnT.

Vttluo.

1,1^2.578 3U4.474
1 IK), 254 ! 'JiVJ.OSl

Iiicnuhf iluriiii' tlic ri ..•■

II ) u\ ,(111

!t!»'J,:{24

r)2,3!l3

£
30'.t,2:50

140.513

108,717

'I'liis >.nea» tiade in liviii;; animals has only l)«'eii rendered
possihle l>v the clean hillot health which the Doiniiiioii enjoys;
anil I have shown what scnipidous can* is taken t(» preserve
this precious privilcixe.

As re^'ards the dairy industi\, the present position of tho
(anadian cheese trade can liardiv he r< i,rai<le<l as other than
highly rreditahle to the Doliiiiiioii, <irii)onstratiii>;, as it does,
liow succe^stiil cheese-makers have hecome in their etlorts to
produce a stijH-rior .irticle of iinih*rin (piality. It is just tli(>
reverse w ith tlie hiitter inakin^f industry ; hut it must he apparent,
lioiii whit has heeii stated under this lieail, tli.it (an.idian d.iiry-
l.irmers are fully .aware of their inh-iiority as hutter-makers, an<l
that incisures whirh are now in pii*;;ress w ill dniil)tless, in a tew
years' time, c'llect ;i needed .umI salut.nv chaiiLrein t he (ju.ilit v,
and conseipieiit l\ in the (|ii;intit\. ol (anadian huttei av.iilahle
for export. The lollovyiii!.^ (ii^ures pres<Mit a picture ol the lluc-
tuatioiis in the tratle in Canadian dairy piodiue during the last
ilet .'ide : —

'I'OTAI. KXI'OIITS (if ClIKK.SK and lilTTKll frnUl I'a.NADA.

Chku

tK.

VjiIiic.

iiLllliH.

l.l>H.

l.bM.

8.473.y7«i
I2.2:!3.04r,

3,7r»;».(t7o

V.ilue.

1HH4 .. ..
1S74 .. ..

7r»,s:{."),r)r»7

24,lir»U.'.t82

1

£

,f.0 1,721

701. ''.lu

ISHl ..

Dtrn'ii.M-

£
334, •)53

524,001

Itirntlfl*'

f)l,7h4,.')7r)

«);o,oM

189, K.K

{^8

(

(/

inKhiKiii .ii/rii iiuitn

t//i

rinis, wliilr the valin* nf tlir rx ports of rlircsc has in«»r«' tliaii
(louhlt'il (lui in>; tli«> «lc( adf, tlu* value ut the l)titt(*r cxpoi t lias
lallrii oil iicai'lv In per (-cut. in tlir satiic pt'iiod.

liitlicrto, a^rrinilttiir lias Ihmmi tlie iiiaiii imliistiv ol ( 'aiia<la,
and, ill so M>iiii>.r a (oiiiitn, it will |)ri>l>al)lv lor some titiic
rctiiaiii so. riic ^rriMt hiiiil)ciiii;r ttatic ol throMrr provinces is
less than it was, ami the tlcirme in wooilcii >li ip-liiiil*lin>.' iniist

III

like itsell lelt in New Ihiiiisvvick aiitl \o\,i Siolia.

1

ma

LTiiih

iceiit la( ilities tor tr ins|)ort the Donuiiion possesses in its
siilenilid rivers and laki's, have no doiiht y;rtatl\ .uielciitcd the
reinoval ol the lorests ; itiit thesi* Luililies, supph'inciited hv
siK h t;'<''it art<Mies ol railw i\ coiiiiiuniicat ion ;is are allonled
li\ the ( iraiid 1 riink. Intel* oh in id, and ( an idi m I'.n ihc sv stems,
have resulted in pla( in>; the (anadian laiiner, even tiioii>;li his
dvvelliiiL: mav he on the distant ptaiiie, in (lusc « oiitact with
th<> ^leit markets o| the worhl. intlccd it is not too nincli to
sav that, hilt lor the opening: up ol thi- i^rcat \oith-\\cst h', the
(atiadian l'a( i(ic ilaiUvav, the colonisation and dev ejupmeiit of
the prairies ol Ihitish Noitli Aineriia must have heeii iii-
<h-finilelv |)ostpoiied. I'.veti now, more ladsvavs ale needed out
vvi'bt, to tap tin- resources ol the Icitile valh v ol the yreat Sas-
katchewan, and to put Winnipeg in ( tuninunicat ion with the
souti em ((last ol I'udson's Uav. The western prairies ol the
I iiitcd States have heen ac<cssihle since l>l<l, while those of
Canada wen' first nachcti hv railw av oidv ahout live v<ais aj;o.
rite pioneers in (aiiatlian a;;ri( ulture wire, in most cases,
men who possessed hut little knowlcd^M- nl laiinini;. and their
nuinher has heen steadilv incr<'ased hv the actessicui ol others
whose knowlcd::e was simihiiiv dclcctivi'; and it is hut lair, in
passiii<r |udt^ment upon the jucMut condition ol l.irmniL,'^ in the
Dominion, t hear this lai t in mind, I li;tt some generally
ajtplii alile s\ stem ol instruction in the thcois ,iiid piaiticc of
modern a^riiculture would e.vcit a powerlul inllucnce lor the
hetter is hev<uid douht. That the (anadian laimcis iccoLTliise
the weakness ol their position in this respct t is sunuieiitlv
evidemcd hv the tone of the replies <d>tained hv tlie >ele( t
( ommittet' <ui Ai^'tit ulture, the majoiitv of which were in lavcmr
lit the estahlishment of a ('entral Ihiicau, of an Agricultural
l'!\|>eriiiiental iarm, and ol a de|iaitment devoted toAtjfiicul-
tiiial Statistics, liesides advocating the ( irculation ol handh<Miks
and reports, ;:iid the issue til « top hulletiiis. It is mm ii to he
ho|)ed that helore hm^: these su^rircst ions w ill he lealised, and that
the (entral Dureau will he supph meiittd hv a local one in
each I'rovime. I he ( an idiui < inv ci nmeiit, iM)Vvever, has not
heen uiimiiidful ol the a;.n i( idtural interests (d the Dominion;
and in a v^um^, and therchire a poor, country it ha;>, hv suhsi-

ncimwwwwiwi

Canai/ian Af/rivulfurr,

89

(lisinjf fho local ;iijri(iiltiir;il sorirtirs, ina<lr it possil)!^ to
Ktiiniiliitc ciitrtprisc .-iiul <>\rit<- riniilatioii atnon^ tlic farinrrs
l)y the od'rr ol pri/rs at the ay;iicultiiral rxliihitions. 'I'lic
value ot tlicsi' citiiiprtitivc shows iti well illustrated in the
marked and rapid improvement ot the live-stock ot the Dominion,
and in the production ol the lied l''vtc variety ot wheat.

As the Lnited Stat«'s liecotne more denselv peopled, (Janada
will proliahly find there an outh't tor some ot her aijricuitural
produce. She will spare n<» ellort to maintain the position she
has won tor hersell in the trans-o<"eanie cattle trade, while she
will endeavour to supply in the wheat-trade ti.e short comiriifs
ot the I. nitcd Sfat<'s, whose export to this <'ountry is so visihlv
declining;, her •.^rcat competitor in this tield will be hritish India.
\V ith a suptMior arti'le ot huttcr, such as she is well (*apal)le ot
produiini;, she is advantajjeouslv plai'cd tor chall«'nj;in<; tlu?
I).ini:>li tratle with the West Indies, whither Denmark sends
!ar<i;e expoi ts ol l)ntter in liei meticall v seah'd tins.

\(»tliini:', I think, would liave so salutarv an elFect on the
a>;ricultural practice ot li.« Dominion as an inilux ot' settlers of
jfood tarminj; experien<'e. And what ( "anada most n<'e(b tor
the development ot Im'I' j;reat resources is incn'ased ca|>ital,
which would scr\<' not only to «'xtend her ajjricultural opera-
tions, Itut would assist in the development ol her mineral wealth,
and in the eNtal)lishmcnt of manufactories.

C'ana<la is the nearest llritish colony. Then! is probably
not a lary:<' town, certainlv not a county, in the old <'ountrv
which has not supplied its <|Uota, small or larjfe, to the present
population of the Dominion. The t«'<'lin»j of kinshi|> on the
«Mie hand, and tln' ;.'rowth in commercial relations (ui the other,
are continualh helpiui; to bind the two countries closer tojfether.
To the a;;riculturist and the caj)italist, to the politi<al economist

^t, (

md tiie philant liropist, I anada, with tier past so

t!) h

briet.

in<l tier

tuture so preixnant with promise, presents a problem which
tor interest has never been surpassed. The jjn'att'st prejudii-e
the Dominion has to liv«* down is

tbat

connec

ted

with Its

climate, ami ail the unpleasant torebodinjjs which were once
utten'd with n'sjM'ct to the older Provinces are now liixhtly
transferred to the j)rairie. liut, just as the l*]ast<'rn Provinces

are

iiUi

in;; up witli a hcaitliy populatujn, so I ca

lati

1

intK

)t helj)

believiny: will be the cas«? with tin* n<'w lands farther w<>st. I
will even ^n a step tarther, and submit that the olfspriny^ of the
liritish people who are born and bred under the clear northern
skv ot the Canadian Dominion, with its undoul)tedly severe
climate, will in tlu* course of ;r(>|]erations develop into a tim-r,
hardier, healthier race than <lescendants of the same people i an
hope to become in the lower latitudes of the same continent.

no

Ciinmlian .If/rini/fnrr

\iiturnl lii*fi»r\ ii-pr.its itsilf as wril r»s jxditical liislor\, .uid
men nrr very iiuirli what their ph>!iiral rti\ ii<iiiiiirrit tiiakrs thriii.

1 liavr rMilravniirol to |)rrsiMit a pirfiin* nl fhr Canadian
Airrirulfiirr «>r ti»-da\. At sonw liitiiM- time anothrr p; n than
iniiH* will |)riha|)s wtitr its hi>»tur\ a::ain, ami the |M<ty;r('ss
rr«'i>r(l<'(| will piuiialtiv \>r j,'rrat. It i lia\r cind in tlir <lis-
rhar^r o| tn\ task. I hrli<'\f the si'vrrrst rritir will hardh ass< it
it to havr Itrrn in thr rinplox inrnt <it <i>|iMns mI tmi luilliant a

hnr. Hut I am tnr ti

tnli'SH that I lia\r sninrt iinrs had to

rpprrss an tMithnsi.isin parilonahli' I hope lt«»in ot niv admira-
tion nl the p«'rs<-vri iny sttiii:i:h's nl thr mm u| mir i»wii ia(r,
and ian^'ua^f. and aHpiratiuns, who, in tin- land ol thr hravcr
and the huHalo, ha\c tonndrd a rivili/ition innl rstalilishrd a
j;r«'.at aj;ri<'ultiiral rolonv ; whosr ppnplr ;\rr imhiH-d with an
ardrtit and iiinrllish luvaltN to thr i nniitr\ whrncr thrv spiani:,
tin- spirit ot whit h is ii'( ipioj .itrd on this sidi- o| tlu' Atl intir,
and will. I hopr, lonstitntc lor rvir a hond ol union l)«'tw(>iii
thr inothrr »(Mintr\ and thr noldr hcritaj^r whii h hrloni^s to hrr
sons and dan^htirs in thr W rsfrrn I lrniisj)hrir. I'hr rom-
ph-tion ot thr ( anadian IVuific |{ailwa\, whiih nnitrs with a
strri hand thr Atlantic and I'arihc roasts nl thr |)omiiiion nl'
Canada, inanuMiratrs a nrw rra t»l pt-atrlid « oiupirst. As thr
vi'ars roll on, thr pionriTs ol an improvin:; and pro^rrssivr
A:;rirnlturr «ill irmvc in incrrasin^: ninnhrrN in thrdirr<tion
ol thr srttini; sun, an<l rstaldish nrw monnmnits ol Uritish
indu-strv and Hritish mtrrprisr on those jonrK and distant
|)riirirs in thr North \\ r.st w hrr«', as \rt,

" <li.iHs«'H that rii \» r kru w a Myilic

W.lVf ilii thr MtUillH r I'lllj^."

^

^

!

m