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IX

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6

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0-A.1T.AJP-A- IlSr 18SO.

K E P O E T S

V

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Of

TENANT FA' ilERS' DELEGATES

' * '1

OM TBI

DOMINION OF CANADA

1

*tl

AS A

I'lELD FOR SETTLEMENT.

\

Vll

SECOND SERIEC!.

Published hy Authority of the Depariment of Agt'iouUure of th»

- Gov^nment of Canada,

1881,

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L %. Spa
R. GEona:
B. John i
R. James

lTRACTS f
CTRACTS P
CTBACTS F
LATIO
FOimATIO:

CONTENTS.

*ioN ....... ■' ■■^': . . V

'^Sheldon's Report - - - - - ;' • " - 9

i ■ - ■ '

i' McLean's Repout . - - - '':• " i^j. • 28

'fiGB CURTIS'S REPOnT - - *• - ; • . .. . 48

k B. P. Anderson's Report - - - - - - 59

X CuBiTT's Report - - - - • , . •74

^R ImRIE'S RlSPORT - - . • - ' • • -84

L % Sparrow's Report •>-.«.. 07

R. George Broderick's Report -...•• 106
B. John Saoae's Report « - - . . • .116

R. James Riddell's Paper ... * -■ • . . 126

ltracts from Messrs. Read and Pell's Report - - . , 130

:tract3 prom 'Colonization Circular* • • - . • 132

tTRACTS from COLONEL DeNMS'S MEMORANDUM RESPECTING LaND BEGir*

lations •'• • • • •• • -140

foimation for intending settler3 . • • ^ • • 143

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MONEY.

Sterling into Dollars and Cents.

$ cts.

|d. Sterling k 0 01

Id. „ „ 0 02

Is. „ „ 0 24

£1 „ , 4 87

DoV.ars and Cents into Sterling.

£ 8.

1 cent is 0 0

1 dollar is .„■> 0 4

4 dollars aro ,.v, 0 13

5 „ ., ... 1 0

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n

64

For small change the halfpenny sterling is one cent, nr.d the penny sterling Is two centi
For arriving roughly at the approximate value of larger figures, the pound sterling may b
counted as five dollars. The sign $ is used to indicate the dollar.

The Bocoi
visited Ca
lie. They
as delegai
agrionltui

Mr.
College,
Mr. 1
Mr.(
Mr.
Mr.
Mr I
Mr. J
Mr.(
Mr. J
Apai
in Manit(
Bkad an
the Chap
Colonial
Gonta
toba, the
Canada, i
agricultu
who, froi
and eneri
Thel

1. Te
may be i
remark ^
adapt tb
them to

2. Pi

a M

paspagee

The

of servj

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It is

in any o

where a

shorter

ality be

Free gr

provinc

free, an

Bet fort

develoi

ago ; n

towns-

^

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£ B. d.
. 0 0 OJ
. 0 4 li
. 0 1(3 fil
• 1 0 6|

I fa two centi
terling may t

INTEODUCTION.

Fhb Bocond Beries of the reports of fr.rmers from England, Ireland, and Scotland, who
visited Canada in the summer and autumn of last year, are now presented to tha pub-
ic. They have been made b^ the following gentlemen, some of whom were appointed
as delegates by the farmers in their districts, while others, from their positions in ih»
agrionltural world, are well qualified to speak upon so important a subject.

Mr. J. P. Shrldon, Professor of Agriculture, Wilts and Hants Agrioultaral
College, Downton, Salisbury.

Mr. Uugh McLean, Rnu, Tarbert, Argyllshire.

Mu. Oborob Curtis, Woodside, Silsden, Leeds.

Mr. R. H. B. p. Anderson, Listowel, County Keriy, Ireland.

Mr. W. Cubitt, Bacton Abbey, North Walsham, Norfolk.

Mr. Peter Imrie, Cawder-Cuilt, Maryhill, Lanark.

Mr. J. Sparrow, Woodlands Farm, Doynton, near Bathr

Mr. G. Brodbrick, Hawes, Wensleydale, Torks.

Mr. John Sagar, Waddington, near Clitheroe, Lancashire.

A paper has also been contributed by Mr. James Biddell, who has been residing
in Manitoba for four years. Extracts are also given from the report of Messrs. Clabe
Brad and Albert Pell. M.P., presented to Parliament in August 1880— and from
the Chapter of the ' Colonization Circular ' relating to Canada recently issued by the
Colonial ORice.

Containing, as they do, much information upon the agricultural resources of Mani-
toba, the North-West Territories, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces of
Canada, and the suitability of the country generally for the settlement of British
agriculturists and others, these reports will doubtless be read with interest by many.-
who, from various causes, are looking around for fresh fields in which their capital
and energy can be invested to advantage.

The following are the classes recommended to go to Canada :

1. Tenant farmers, who have sufficient capital to enable them to settle on farms,
may be advised to go with safety, and with the certainty of doing well. The same
remark will apply to anjr persons who, although not agriculturists, would be able to
adapt themselves to agricultural pursuits, and who have sufficient means to enable
them to take up farms.

2. Produce farmers, and persons with capital seeking investment.

8. Male and female farm labourers, and female domestic servants (to whom assisted
j>aspages are granted) and country mechanics.

The classes who should be warned against emigration are females above the grade
of servants, clerks, shopmen, and persons having no particular trade or calling, and
unaccustomed to manual labour. To these Canada offers but little encouragement.

It is claimed that Canada offers advantages to steady hardworking men, unequalled
in any other country. In the first place, the cost of reachmg there is less — a consideration
where a man has a family and is not overburdened with cash. The sea passage is also
shorter ; and the settler remains a British subject, not requmng to change his nation-
ality before taking up a free grant of land, or acquiring the right to record his vote.
Free grants of land, ranging from 100 to 200 acres, can be obtained in most of che
provinces. In Manitoba and the North-West Territories a settler can obtain 160 acres
free, and purchase another 160 acres at a nominal pnc« and on very easy conditions, aa
set forth in the Appendix. In writing of this part of Canada, its rapid growth and
development must be mentioned. The country was practically unknown ten years
•go ; now it possesses a city of 12,000 inhabitants (Winnipeg}, besides mainr smaller
towns. The rapid CQOStru^tion of the Canadian Pacific Railway mnst an«)abtedly

-\

Introduction.

nnd
oionl

1)0 oE incKlciilable benefit to the country, by opening it up and giving employment to
largo amount of labour. Many other railways will doubtless be made in this vasj
territory as the country becomes inhabited.

The climate is suitable for Englishmen, and the country produces all the crops thaj
are raised in England, and many more. Tomatoes, melons, grapos, peaches, (
fruits ripen in the open air ana grow to the greatest luxuriance, wbiclx is a suffici
answer to anything that may be said against the climate.

It is unnecessary to speak in detail of the various reports : they need no comment
and it only remains for persons who are thinking of leaving England to settle down ii
other countries, to place the advantages of Canada against the disadvantages, and form!
their own judgment as to its suitability for the settlement of agriculturists, and those
engaged in the other industries that must follow in their wake.

Tne introduction to last year's issue is also printed, and the reports therein referred
to may be obtained from any of the Government offices.

11

The
caused
bo invi
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INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SERII« OF REPORTS,

PUBLISHED EARLY IN 1880.

^_- ^

The Hon. J. H. Pope, the Minister of Agriculture of the Governmont of Canada,
caused a number of delegates representing tenant fa^Tners in the United Kingdom to
bo invited to visit the Dominion in the autumn of 1870, for the purpose of examirf-
ing its resources, and reporting on its suitability as a field for settlement.

In accordance with such invitation, the following delegates visited Canada : —

Mr. Biggar, The Grange, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbrightshire.

Mr. Cowan, Mains of Park, Glenluce, "Wigtownshire,

Mr, Gordon, Comlongon Mains^ Annan, Dumfriesshire.

Mr. Elliot, Hollybush, Galashiels.

Mr. Logan, Legerwood, Earlston, Berwickshire,

Mr. SnoWi Pirntaton, Fountain Hall, Midlothian.

Mr. Hutchinson, Brougham Castle, Penrith, Cumberland.

Mr. Peat, Lees House, Silloth, Cumberland.

Mr. Irving, Bowness-on-Solway, Carlisle.

Mr. Johnstone, Low Burnthwaite, near Carlisle.

Mr. Wilken, Waterside of Forbes, Aberdeenshire.

Mr. Bruce, Aberdeenshire.

Mr. Wallace, Nithsdalo.

Mr. Welsh, Eskdale.

These gentlemen were, in the f 'st place, clearly informed it was of all things de-
sired that their own judgment t> lould be freely exercised and entirely unfettered ;
and that it was simply desired to obtain from them the result of their own personal
observations, as well with respect to drawbacks as advantages, to shade as well as
brightness. But it may be added that even this injunction was unnecessary for men
of .the character of those who were sent to Canada, and their constituents do not
require to be informed of it.

The motive for thus inviting delegates and afTording them facilities to see every
part and province of the Dominion, in so far as practicable within the limit of time at
their disposal, was to obtam testimony as respects the objects stated, which should not
be open to the kind of question that might attach to any statements whatever coming
from Canada, no matter on what authority they might be made.

The reports now published have been made by the delegates to their respective
constituents, and have been handed to Mr. John Lowe, the Secretary of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture of the Government of Canada, who has visited this country for
the purpose o^ receiving and publishing them. This has only been done after careful
revision by the delegate responsible for each.

. The reports of two gentlemen who did not visit the Dominion as delegates, namely,
Mr. John Maxwell, of Carlisle, and Mr. ChambrS, from the County Tyrone, in freland,
but who accompanied parties of the delegates as simple observers, are appended to
ihis publication.

It is not thought necessary to make in this place any attempt to sulmmarise the

TiU

Introduction to First Series of Rt^ortt.

%

.

!/;-r

' (

reports of the dclMates, m they will be read with very great and ipeoial interest by
many in the United Kingdom. It may, however, be generally stated that those who
went to Manitoba and contiguous parts of the adjoining t^iritory, found the land to
be of extraordinary riohneas, and specially adapteU !•. 1*..9 ^owth of wheat ; while in
the older provinces of the Dominion they founa the conditions of mixed farming very
much the same as in the United Kingdom. One of the dologates, Mr. Elliot, stated
that, in the parts of the Dominion he visited, he did not find uiat cattle required to be
Jboused longer than in Scotland.

Several of the delegates refer to the question why farms may be bought in the older
provinces, and why the land is so cheap. In so far as respects price, in the last-named
portion of the Dominion, it is to be oosorved that the value of occupied land in the
older parts of a new country liko Canada must neceHsarily, to a great extent, be
governed — fii-st, by the cost of clearing new forest land in the wooded parts ; and,
second, by the facility with which prait-ie land can be obtained free, to the extent of
160 acres, on the simple condition of continuouit Bottlement for three years. It must
be plain to all men that the fact of vast areas being open to settlement on such con-
ditions will largely affect prices of occupied land a few hundred miles distant, to which
there is connection both by water and rail.

A fact to be remarked is that the farmer who migrates from the British Islands
to any part of Canada does not chiinge his flag ; nor does he, except to very slight
degree, change his mode of life or his companionship. He ffoes among his own people,
io conditions of life and society the same as those he leaves behind. He is not
obliged to swear — before he can exercioe the rights of citizenship, or in some States
hdld land— that he ' renounces for ever all allegiance and fidelity' to his Sovereign and
tho land of his birth.

The farmer who migrates from these Islands, moreover, has the satisfaction of
feeling that he is assisting to build up a great British Empire, having for its seat the
northern half of the Continent of North America, occupying a space as large as the
whole of Europe, and containing agricultural, m'neral, and commercial resources to be
developed in the immediate future of almost illimitable extent ; and, as the reports
of the delegates will show, certainly beyond popular conception in this country.

^he public lands of Manitoba, Keewatin, and the North- West Territory are in the
bands of the Dominion Government ; and those of the older Provinces, in the hands
of the Provincial Governments. The regulations, as respects the Dominion lands,
ttating the conditions on which homesteads are given to settlers, and the prices at
which other lands are sold, including the railway lands, are appended to this ^ ublica*
tion. Any further particulars on any point may be obtained by correspondence witt
a Government agent.

.'Xiwfc-

interest by
those who
the land to
while ia
rming very
liot, stated
uired to be

n the older
ast-named
and in the
extent, be
arts; and.
extent of
It must
I such oon-
>, to which

8h Islands
ery slijyht
n^n people,
Ho is not
me States
ireign and

faction of
^8 seat the
rge as the
roes to be
le reports
try.

are in the
the hands
on lands,
I prices at
i I ublica<
^nctt witii

THE EEPORT OF MR. J. P. SHELDON.

Prq/esiior 0/ Agriculture at the Wilta and Ilanta Agricultural CoUeget DovonUm^ BalUbwry,

IHTROBUCTOBT.

Saiiivo from Liverpool in the Allan tteamsliip Peruvian on the 12th day of Auf;u»t last, I '..

landed in Quubeo on iho 2lBt of tho saine month. I titen proceeded by way of Montreal to ;-c
Ottawa, it4)aiiiing up the Ottawa river 1 I afterwards went to Toronto, and from thence, by' ;^ ,
way of the Great Lakes, to lUianitoha, whiolt was the extent of my journey westwards. Beturo* f ^'*''
in; eastwards, I spent a considerable time in the Province of Ontario, leaving it at luot reluo- ;i /
tantly. I then proceeded to the Provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island. ]

and Nova Scotia, and my impressions of each of these will be found later on in this report, il .
Having spent exactly ton weeks in (lie country, I sailed from Quebec on the 80th of Ootober,
and arrived in Liverpool on tlie 8th day of November. \

On tins occasion L took pa8sagi) on the AUnn mail boat Moravian, and I may now take the ft
opportunity of expressing; a high opinion of the great care and skill with which tht a reaselt |^,

are navigated, the comfortable and elugant manner in which they are fitted up, the Httantion
which tlie pii^iiengers got from the stewards, the courtesy which they never fail to receive frou
the officers of the vessels, and of tlie general oleanlinest, neatness, and order which reign erery*
where on board.

Going out on the Peruvian we had a largo number of emigrants as steerage and intermediate
passengers ; and through tlie courtesy of Captain Smith, who personally conducted me over
the ship, being clearly familiar with every detail of its management, I was enabled to inspect
the einigraiits' quarters, I wish here to bear testimony to the cleanliness and airiness of the
sleeping rooms, to the excellent quality of the food supplied, and to the order, neatness, and
discipline which prevailed throughout. To cross the great Atlantic in these boats is, in fact, ,^ij

■% much easier, simpler, and pleasanter thing than people th'^nk ; and if it really is the case that
many persons, particularly females^ are deterred from going to Canada on account of the
voyage, I may here say that there is really notliing fonnidttble in it at all. After a safe and
rapid voyage, emigrants and settlers in her Majesty's Canadian Territory will meet with every
attention, and receive the most ample instructions, from the agentn of the Dominion Govern*
mont, who are stationed at every necessary place for the purpose of giving assistance to those
who need it.

It muHt be understood that I can only give in this report the unfinished opinions which
may reasonably be expected to come of a tour far too limited in time. Opinions, in fact, I
shall scarcely venture to give at all, except on certain points on which my information may be
regarded an sufQcienily definite ; for the most part I shall confine myself to impressions, sug-
gesting rather than drawing inferences. Many of the conditions which bear on the agriculture
of Canada are so essentially difierent from those which prevail in the mother country, that
dogmatism on the part of a mere traveller would easily develop into egotism i I shall therefore
mainly confine myitelf to descriptions of what I saw, and to recital of what I heard.

It is to be feared that some writers on the agriculture of Canada, who were travellers and
not agriculturists, have fallen into the error of expressing opinions of a too definite character }
and were it not that I am a farmer by early training, and by subsequent experience nntU now,
I should feel difiident at expressing even my impressions of the various Provinces through which
I passed, of the difierent soils I inspected, and of the diversified systems of husbandry which i^y.«>;
came under my notice. I made it my business, however, throughout the journey, to see as
much as possible with my own eyes, and to obtain the most reliable information witliin my
reach ; it is therefore competent for me to draw a picture whicii, if erring in any particular,
will err unintentionally.

The Dominion Government, and the Provincial Legislatures, as well as the agents of the
Dominion and private individuals almost everywhere, afforded me every possible facility to see
the various sections of the country as thoroughly as oiroomstances admitted, and I found no

10

Mr. J. P. MeldonU Report

1

I

means loclcing or withhold of ascertaining alike the adrantagea and diaadranlairea of the country
88 a field for the energisa and capabilities of Old Country farniers. It is, in fact, eaaier ty far
for a atranger to obtain information in Canada than in England or Ireland, for the people are
inuch more communicative, and thay eparo no paina to give ample opportunity for one traTcl.
ling 6B I did to inspect their farma and stock, and the various details of their practice. My
tour through Canada has been a aingnlarly pleasant one— made so by the untiring kindness of
the people ; and interesting, on account of the many striking and beautiful sceaes whiob the
country oiTords,

■-'■■■ . . ' ■ i

MAKITOBA.

A journey to Manitoba by way of the great Lnkf s Huron and Superior is full of intoresft.
The scenery in many parts is beautiful; in some it is evon grand and majestic. The various
parts touched at in Georgian Bay present in some cases scenes of commercial activity beyond
what I hud expected to find. At Collingwood, for instance, and Owen Sound, there are aub-
Btantial and thriving towns, with well-built hotels, houses, stores, and public institutions, and
the country around and behind them is being rapidly cleared and brongnt into cuUivation. At
Owen Sound I had a very pleasant drive of ten or a dozen miles bnck into the country with
Mr. Keogh, who, with marked kindness, hitched up his team to enable me to make the best
use of the couple of hours which were at my disposal before the boat started a^^ain. We saw
many farms on the way, most of which had a progressive air about them j there were also
-X several fine orchardc with excellent plums and apple?, especially the latter, proving that fruit
can be easily and profitably raised midway between the 44th end 45th parnllela.

Passing along the northern coast of Lake Superior, I saw some magniflcent aoenery, chiefly
( in Thunder Bay and' in the Fort William district. The laet-mentioned place is at present the
Eaatem teiminus of the Canadian Pacific Kailway, a road which is being rapidly built, and
which will in due time ope'-- up the illimitable resoturcea of the North-West Territorj. This
, road, in fact, is necessary to the colonisation of the North-West. Until it is built, indeed,
and until there ia a Canadian canal at the Sault Ste. Marie, the produce of tho North- West
cannot be forwarded to Europe without passing through United Stales' territory, unless, indeed
the Hudson's Bay rojite can be made practicable.

The Province of Mnuitoba, so far ^a I saw it, is, as a rule, flat, wanting in trees, and, con-
' sequently, somewhat dreary-looking ; but in many parts the land is of striking richness. I was
lip there in time to see the latter part of the harvesting, and I was certainly struck with the
'' excellent crops of wheat and oats which were grown with the crudest cultivation.

On the day after my arrival, September 3rd, I saw a new string-binder at work in a crop of
wheat in the Kildonan settlemont, near Winiiipcg; it was a very nice even crop, and would
average, say, 25 bushela per acre of grain, whose (Quality was very good; the wheat waa the
_ " Scotch Fife " variety, not o heavy-headed kind, but it was o nice even crop, the straw rather
short and weak, but clear and brigl;t, and the groin was plump, well-fed, bright, and fit for
the mill at once. This crop was sown on the 22nd of May, on first prairie sod — that ia, on
prairie land just then ploughed up for the first .time— and as 6uch sod is very tough at first, it
may" be imagined that the surface of the field was rough, and tliat the seed had been imperfectly
covered ; yot the seed was aown and the crop dead ripe within a period of 15 weeka. It is,
however, no uncommon thing for wheat to be twice in the bag within 90 days— that is, sown,
- harvested, and thrashed within that period. I saw also a crop of oats which waa aown at in>
tervals, as the land was ploughed, from the 7tk to the I7th of Jun? ; the oats were the black
tartarian variety, and though not ripe when I saw it, I should say the crop would reach 45
isliels per acre. It was a strong, well-headed crop, and the oats promised to be a good
sample. Thia crop, too, waa on first prairie sod, ou a form belonging to Mr. Boss, of Wiuoi*
peg, but some ten or twelve miles away from the city.

Land increases rapidly in value near to the city. For this selfsame farm Mr. Boss paid
. 86'/ dollars; now he wants 3,000 dollars for it. It is 2t0apres in extent, and the owner lias put
up a small house and a building or two on it, besides breaking up about li<ilf of tlie land.

The soil of Manitoba is a purely vegetable loam, black as ink, and full oi organic matter,
in some places many feet think, and resting on the alluvial drift of tl-.e Ked and Assiniboina
Bivers. It is of course extremely rich in the chief elements of plant-food, and onnot ecsily
be exhausted ; t' e farmers know this, to they take all they con out of it in the shortest poa*
iible time, and ivLurn nothing whatever to it in the form of manure. By turning up an iuoh
or two of fresh soil now and again, the fertility of the surface is renewed, and the same cxhaua>
tive ayatem of growing wheat, year by year, may be pursued for a long period with impunity.
It is true, in fact, that for several of the first years, at all events, manuriug the soil would do
much mure harm than good ; and, until an Act was passed to prevent it, the furmera were in
the habit of getting their litter arid uiauuro out of the way by sleigtiiuj it out on the ice of the

ther(
larg«

Mr. J. P. Sheldon's Jtejjoji.

11

frozen riTArs in winter, to be earned away somewhere, when epringHme and the floodo oame,
and Uie ioo broke up ; now they leare it to rot in heapa outside the stables, and find it an
easier task to remore the stable rather thaa the manure, when tho latter becomcB unpleasantly
plentiful.

In course of time it is probable that the mnnure will need to be put to its legitimate use of
^proving an exhausted soil, ov maintaining the fertility of a rich one. At a still later period
the operation of subsoiling will bring up new earth from bolow, and there does not appear to
bo any probability that the better soils of the province will erer become sterile, proTiding that
the farmers make use of tho means they will always hare at hand for keeping them up to the
mark. At present, however, these rich wheat soils do not ueed improving ; they are rich enough
for years to come, and in some cases too rich for tho y>eUaxe of the crop ; much of the straw,
therefore, is Talucles!>, and really a cumber to the farmer. In the State of Minnesota I aavr
largo quantities of it burnt to get rid of it.

The good prairie soils are known jy the dwarf wild rose and the wolf-willow growing on
them while stiJl in a state of nature ; at all e rents, the land is at once denoted good where these <
plants are found, though it is probable that there is good land on which they are not found. But
there is a deal of inferior soil in the Province in places ; this is chiefly alkaline soil, on which
nothing that is profitable will grow in its present condition ; in many places, too, the wal. r
is alkaline. Yet there is plenty of good water to be got in most places by boring for it, and ia
some instances a clear pure spring has been struck a very few feet below the surface.

It must not be supposed t.hat the soil of Manitoba is fit only for wheat and oats. The v- Ud
grasses, it is true, are very coai'se in character, and tliero are many weeds and worthless plants
among them, yet cattle flourish on these immense plains of prairie grass. The " prairie meadows "
are generally damp lands, situated near the swamps. " Eiver lots " often stretch four miles
back, and are 6, 9, or 13 chains wide, as the case may bo ; 6 chains at that length enclose 200
acres. The Province is not adapted to grow maize ; it is too far north for that, but it will grow
garden vegetables very well, and turnip? and potatoes, beans and peas, in the fields with complete
success, while such " tame " grasses as timothy and the rye grasses, and also red and whito
clover, grow satisfactorily on land that is at all decently cultivated.

Outside the city of Winnipeg I saw a large market-garden, run by a Yorkshireman named
Longbottom, in which very large crops of onions, potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, tomatoes, celery,
r,od a hundred other'things, were grown in a rough and ready sort of way, but very profitably ;
there is a good market in NVinuipeg for all kindu of gardon stuff, and the earliest sorts com<
mand very high prices, so that our Yorkshire friend, as I woa told on the best authority, is
reaping a rich reward of his skill and industry.

I was much surprised to find among tho Manitoban farmers one of my old Cirencester p<^ils.
He had bought a farm of some 400 acres a few miles west of Winnipeg, paying, as was thoughi;,
the extravagant price of 20 dollars (£1) an acre. He declared, however, to me that he bad
the best farm in the looaUty, which may be taken as evidence of his being satisSed with it ;
and he was growing crops of turnips, potatoes, oats, etc., which were already a theme of oon<
versation in the Province ; this was done by better cultivation than the land of Manitoba is
used to, and it is clear that the soil will produce almost any kind of crop in a very satisfactory
way providing it is properly attended to. And yet, how can we expect) tho rank and file of
farmers to cultivute the soil carefully in a country which has such a superb abundance of mag>
nificent laud still unoccupied ? In time, no doubt, better farming will prevail, and I hope my
old pupil will set an example which will be worth extensive imitation ; but at present land is
too cheap and plentiful to admit of microscopio cultivation as we have it in England and
(Scotland.

The chief drawbacks in Manitoba, in the estimation of an Englishman, are these : Bad
roads, bad water in many parts, the almost utter absence of trees except on the rivers' banks,
the flatness of the country, and the long and severe winter. (And these remarks apply with
even greater force to large tracts of country I have s'-an in the north-western portion of the
United States.) No doubt the roads in time will be iiUf "oved, though road-metal is very scarce t
good water will be obtained in most parts of tho country by boring for it ; this, indeed, is already
being done ; trees will be planted to break the monotony of tlie scene, and, so far as the winters
are concerned, I am assured by those whose testimony is worthy of all trust, that though the
mercury may go to 30° below zero, yet the cold is not intolerable, but rather pleasant and
bracing, because the air it dry. The flat, low-lying laud in the vicinity of Winnipeg has hitherto
been much flooded in spring-time, but an extensive and well-executed system of large open
drains, whicli is now being carried out at the cost of the Qovernment, will greatly diminish the
evil, if not entirely remove it. There are other districts needing similar treatment, and, as t^e
land is of excellent quality, they will receive attention in due time.

In the city of Winnipeg every houseimld and personal requisite can be bought at not un^
reasonable rates; and, aboru all, agricultural tooln and machinery of a character superior to the
general run of suvh things in England are everywhere abundant. It is, in fact, one of the sights

} i

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ii. II

n

Mr. J- P' Sheldm^s Meport.

I

nukA (uggettiveof refieotion, to notice at the railway stations here and there, and at tho dealers*
•lores, abundant supplies of labour-saTing itnplemonts and machinery, which are cheaper,
iMmdier, and better made than many English goods. Tlie cost of living is not very high j beef,
iw the side, in winter is about 7 cents a lb., beefsteaks in summer 15 cents, mutton in winter
dbout 12 cents, aid batter about 25 cents the year round. Eggs in winter are 85 cents a
doien. . , .

The great features of Manitoba are: Land of excellent quality, very low in price, and in
gMat abundance, and a climate which brings to perfection, in a short time, all kinds of cultivated
^rops. The value of land is 1 dollar (4s.) to 10 dollars (£2) an acre, ^iway in the country, while
ne» the city, in some oases, it is still higher. Out in the North-West Territory, however, the
finest land can be bought at a dollar or less per acre, and actual settlers can obtain free grants of
160 acres for each adult, with a pre-emption right to 160 more on payment of a nominal sum to
Government. I cannot, however, recommend English farmers of middle age to go there to
•eitle, because they are entirely unsuited to pioneer life, and would have much to unlearn before
tb«y could learn the ways of the country ; but younr, men with omall capital and strong hearts
and wilUng hands, even though they have been reaied amidst the comforts of an English home,
an sure to prosper in the new territory, providing they are steady and industrious. Being

JoUng, they are not too closely wedded to certain hubits of life, and tiioy would the more easily
abituate themselves to the new conditions wliich they would encounter in the new country.
But whoever may go to Manitoba from the Old Country, will do well to have a good look round
before buying land, and, if possible, to pass a few weeks on a farm here and there, with a view
of watching the processes on which husbandry is conducted in the North-West ; and a man
with a small capital and no encumbrances would do well to hire himself out to a farmer for a
year or two before locating hinidelt on land of his own. Land may be rented in Manitoba, and
probably it would be a wise thing for an English farmer to rent a farm for a year or two, until
he has learnt the country and the country's ways, and he will then be the better able to select
the right sort of land for luinself, Land may be rented as follows : the landlord provides the
land and half the seed ; tiie tenant the labour, implements, horses, and half the seed ; the Iand«
lord receives one-third, and the tenant keeps two-thirds of the produce for his share of the
buainets. Mr. Mackenzie, of Burnsido, one of the largest and most prosperous farmers in
paqada, lets off some of bis land in the Portage la Prairie on these terma.

OKTAEIO.

Of the'soutbern part of this Province I cuonot sprak in terms other than of warm praise.
Generally speaking, this favoured portion of the Province has a rolling, and, in some parts,
almost a hilly surface ; in certain localities, as that of Hamilton, for instance, the surface is
much broken and almost precipitous here and there, but as a rule the great bulk of the land in
this partof tlie Province, with the exception of rocky or swampy districts, is easily cultivable
trhen it is cleared of timber and the roots are pulled out. Tliirty or forty years ago, Ontario
must have been a vwj heavily-wooded district, and the labour of clearing the hundreds and
thousands of beautiful farms must have been prodigious; in thedJBtrict to wliich these remarks
more specially refer, the work of clearing is for the most part dono, but there are still many
.extensive tracts of timber-land here and there, and most of the farms have a smaller or greater
propoi'don of uncleared laud on them. This land is kept -to grow wood for fencing and for

This portion of Ontario maybe regarded as 'he garden of the Dominion— literally as well as
figuratively the garden — for it is there thatap' es, pears, grapes, peaches, melons, and the like,

Sow in the greatest profusion, and with the :'a8t trouble on the part of the farmer. Every
rm has its orchard, and it is purely the farn r's fault if the orchai'd is not an excellent one,
for the climate and the soil are clfjarly all tliat can he desired, and the trees will do tlieir share
of the work provided the right ejrts are planted. It is usual to plant out peach and upple-trees
alternately and in rows in a new orchard, and the apple-trees are at a distance apt rt whicli will
be right when they are full-grown ; this is done because the peach-trees come to maturity first,
and have done bearing before the apple-trees require all the room ; the peach-trees are then cut
down and the apple-trees occupy all the room. These trees are planted in rows at right angles,
to that there is a clear passage between them whichever way we look, and the land can be freely
cultivated among them.; it is, in fact, usual to take crops of wheat, or oats, or maize, from the
lapd during the time the tree^ are young, and we often see fine crops of golden grain overtopped
by noble young trees laden with fruit. A farmer may not, of course, look to fruit alone to

Srow rich on, but he often nets a nice roll of dollars out of it, and, to say the least, it is con-
ucive to happiness to be well supplied with fruit, while to live in a olimate and on a soil that
wUlproduoe it abundantly is always desirable.

There are many kinds of soil in this part of the Frovinoe, most of which are fertile and easj

Mr. J. P. Sheldon*i IfeporL

V

to cultivate. The moat common soils are loamB of one kind or another, comprisinf* all the
rarieticB included in the terras ' sandy' and 'clay' loams ; then there are light soils of Tarieu»
kinds, clays, and marsh soils, most of Uiem more or less impregnated with organic matter.
Many of tliese soils — I speak now of farms tliat have been long under cultivation — were at first
well udapteu to the growth of wheat, b«t it appears that in many places wheat has been grown
80 repeatedly on the land, that it will no longer produce the crops of it that were formerly eaty
to obtain. The fact is, this one crop has been grown so very often that the land has become
deficient in the elements necessary to it ; the same land will, however, grow very good crops of
other kinds — roots, clover, barley, peas, oats, and the like, while in some parts profitable crops
of Indian corn are grown ; the latter, however, is also- an exhausting crop,' even more com-

Eletely so than wheat, but not so quickly, and can only be grown to profit on a rich soil and a
ot climate. The difference between the two crops is this : wheat exhausts a soil of '^ertsiii
dements, leaving the rest comparatively untouched ; but maize is a generally exhausting crop*
less dependent on special elements, but feeding, as it were, on all alike ; and sojt follows that
it can be grown for a longer time before the land shows signs of exhaustion, which at last is to
thorough that fertility is restored with great difficulty. There is, however, a great deal of good
wheut-land in Ontario, and much more of it to be cleared. The partially-exhaustod land, too*
will come round again, and will grow wheat profitably as before, but it is only good farming
that will bring this about. The farmers of Ontario declare that they would hardly have known
what to do with their land if it were not for cheesemaking, and particularly for the new cattle
and bet'f trade with England. Wheat, wheat, nothing but wheat as a paying crop, was simply
exhausting the land, returning nothing to it; oalt'e-raising paid poorly, because the demand
was limited; and cheesomaking could only be profitably carried on in the districts suitable to
it. But the demand arising in the Old Country tor beef, and the improved means of trans-
portation over the sea, have provided a new and profitable opening towards which the energies
of the farmers are being directed. The raising of stock suitable to the English market is now<a
leading and profitable branch in this part ot the Dominion, and it is encouraging to the oultiva*
tion of root and green crops, of clover, timothy, and other forage crops, of green com, etc., for
soiling. The growth and co.iHuinption of these crops, indeed, is the very practice that was
needed to restore fertility to soils which had been injured by over-cropping with wheat. But
numbers of the Ontario farmers seem to be so wedded to wheat-raising, that rather than go
extensively into stock-raising and fattening, and the growth of various rotation crops, more
after the English and Scutch modelf, they prefer to sell out and go to Manitoba and the North-
Wost, a territory which is par excellence a wheat country, and which must soon become, perhaps*
the greatest granary in the world. They are the more inclined in this direction because they
can sell their Ontario farms at 40 to 100 dollars an acre, and can buy virgin soil in the North-
West at 1 to 10 dollars. By an exchange of this nature they can easily establish their children
in separate farms, a thing but few of them oould hope to do in Ontario, where land is com*
paratively high. They have also the spirit of restlessness which permeates the Americans at
well, but which is scarcely known in England.

These various influences are causing numbers of farmers to migrate in the direction of tbe
setting sun, and the Americans themselves were never more crazed about the West tlian are the
Canadians of to-day about their Manitoba and North- West Territory. They treat their land
as a parcel of schoolboys treat an orchard of apples into whieh they are suddenly let loose : they
rush about from one place to another, plucking an apple here and there, having a nip at it, ana
throwmg it down, only to repeat the process at every tree they come to, thinking in this way
to find the best fruit in the orchard. So it is with the Canadian and American farmer of thO
West. His farm is a mere machine, out of whicli he gets all the work he can in the least pos*
Bible time, and he quits it for anotlier, as his fancy suggests. It is of second or third-ratO'
importance to him, for Le can buy land on the Western prairies ut a less cost than that of
putting the first crop into it; and the affection witi: which an Englishman regards bis farm^
and the home of his childhood, is a factor at present almost unknown in the social life c€ onr
friends across the Atlantic.

In time this will cliarge in Canada, and in England the old ties are rapidly weakening.
It is well, or, rather, would be well, if English landlords would note this change of feeliiif,
this loosening of the Old World sentiment, tliis infiltration of new ideas, which are surely, and
not slowly, permeating the rank and file of British fanners. Steam has made the whole world
a possible market for Ihe products of any single portion of it, and, along with education, H
making the people everywhere cosmopolitan in thought and feeling. To him who travels theso
things are clear, and I repeat that it would be well if those in power would recognise them
without delay.

As a dairving country some portions of both Western and Eastern Ontario are clearly vrott
adapted. The chief want of the country in this connection is that of streams, and springt,
and running brooks -, the smaller streams, in fact, are either less numerous than they wero
l^ore the fpreiti were cut away, or they are dry at the time when thev are most wanted, BttI

}*■

I

%

14

JUr. J. r. SheldorHs Heporl,

fh» BelleTi'lIe district, in Eastern Ontario, where there is indeerl » great deal of ex«elleiit lutid,
wbd the IngcrBoll and Stratford districts, in tlie western portion of the Province, with many
others here and there, are producing excellent cheese in the factories. It would appear, in
fact, tliat whererer water for stock is arailable, daii-y-farming in Ontario may be made a
pr6fitable business. The lack of water on some of the farms could without much difficulty, T
should say, be made up by providing it in artifluial mere? and ponds, a practice which is common
in many parts of England. The Canadian farmers, as a rule, are alert on questions which affect
thflir interests, though less so than the Americans are, and that this water question, alU
important as it is to dairy-farming and stock-raising, will in due time receive the attention it
demands, is, I think, a point which may safely be predicted.

The Canadian dairy-farmer has several important advantages over his English contemporary,
90t the smallest of which is this : he can grow, at a very moderate cost, very large crops of
lorage tor winter use ; clovers and timothy flourish well on most soils in Ontario, and I should
iay that nre-grasses would also, though I did not find they were much employed, if at all, in
Hie growth of foragt; I think they might be used to advantage. It is also clear, from what I
saw in many places, that he can raise abundant crops of swedes and mangels, and very good
ones of carrots, parsnips, and the like. Here t lien, after the question of water, are the first
requisites for successful dairy-farming. A rotation of crops is just the system to re-invigoratq^
tfce older soils of Ontario, which have been over-cropped with wheat, and rotations work well
in dairy-farming. It is true that good natural pastures are scarce in the Province, if indeed
tiiere are any at all which deserve the name from an Englishman's point of view (the best grass-
land I saw in Ontario was in the neighbourliood of London, and on the way to Hamilton) ; but,
as I have said, clovers, etc., grow well, ond they will answer capitally for pastures for a year or
iwo, a regular succession of them being provided, and it is a simple matter to produce a large
supply of green corn — that is, maize cut before it comes to maturity— for soiling in summer
when the pastures run out.

The rotations may be as follows ; 1. Wheat or oats ; 2. Roots and green crops for soiling ;
8. Oats- or barley, seeded down with artificial grasses ; 4, 5, and, if advisable, 6, Grass for
lorage and pastures. These rotations admit of endless variation, and in a country wliere no
fossUised restrictions as to cropping exist, as they do in Englard, the farmer can always grow
the crops that suit his purpose best. The practice at Bow Park is to sow weetem corn, whicli
il a luxuriant cropper, thickly, in drills of eighteen or twenty inches wide; in this way the
space between the drills is easily horse-hoed, until the corn is a foot or more high ; the oorn
grows rapidly, and eflectually smothers the weeds and wild grasses which grow vigorously in so
forcing a climate. In Canada, as in England, the axiom is true that notliing cleans the soil of
weeds so effectually as a heavy cultivated crop of some kind or other. If all the western corn
is not wanted for soiling, the balance is out and stocked while the leaf is still green, and the
grain in the milk, and it is left out in the fields, and fetched in as it is wanted in winter; in
this way it makes very good forage, and the stalks, leaves, and ears are all passed through the
chaff-cutter, and all consumed by the stock. A similar system may be followed witli almodt
any other kind of soiling crop — that is, making into forage for winter that portion of it which
Il not wanted for soiling.

As in the United States so in Canada, cheese-making has had more attention than butter*

making, more skill and investigation have been applied to it, and clieese is consequently ahead

of butter in average quality. It is, however, probable that the climate and soil are better

adapted for the former than the latter ; a moist, cool climate, and a natural herbage full of

delicate and succulent grasses, appear to be best suited for butter-making : still, it is true that

in France, for instance, excellent butter is made where tho land is almost wholly under arable

ooltivation, and the cattle are almost entirely fed on artificial grasses, etc. ; and again, a hot

climate induces excessive respiration in cows as in other animals, and where this is, there is a

larger expenditure of fat from the tissues, and a smallc supply of it to the milk -glands. Be

i bbiiilM it may, however, the cheese of Canada in many cases is very good, while tlie butter is

I loar^Hy of more than second-class quality ; but it cannot, at tlie same time, bo denied that tho

ipresent high quality of the cheese is owing to the adoption of factories some twelve or fifteen

Ijears ago.

The same thing indeed may be said of the United States, whoso cheese^some of it of high
iiSTerage quality, while some will rank as first-class anywhere — was of a very in ,'rior character
ibefore Jesse Williams established the first cheese-factory near Rome, in the State of New York.
It may be mentioned here that at the late International Dairy Fair in New York, the highest!
bremium was carried off by Canadian cheese. Cheese-factories are already numerous in Canada,
prhile creameries, on a corresponding system for butter-making, are as yet few and far between j
iind so it follows that cheese is a centra'ised and butter an isolated manufacture, the one
irec<iiving collective and the other individual study and attention. Thus it is that cheese-making
il b«<'tw UAderstood, alike ii; its ^riuci^^les and practices) than is the Cijise in the oist^r ipdusUrjr«

Mr. J\ r, Sheldon'i Report,

15

mndf., Iiotreter, not omit to say thnt I have tasted several samples of bntter in Oanada that
oiild be hard to beat in Ireland, nnd harder still in our London dairy-shuws.
The most conreniently-arranged and best-pquipped chcesc-factory I saw in Canada beloiigg
Mr. Bflllantjne, M.F.P. ; it is known as tiie Ta'^istock factory, and is situated a f«w miles
^rom Stmtford. The milk received daily, at the time of my visit, was about 17,000 lb. from
early 1000 cows, but this was in the latter part of September. Mr. Ballantrnc oontrscta with
is patrons to make the cheese for tiiem at 1| cent per lb., and the cheese I saw there was of
ery good quality, well made and carefully cured ; the temperature of the ouring*room is kepii
,t about 80° for spring clieest*, and 75" for summer, and at 65° for rich autumn cheese. The
uantity of salt used is 2 to 2i lb. per 1000 lbs. of milk ; the emallest quantity is used when
e curd is driest.

Mr. Ballantyne for many years past has paid much attention to the subject of cheese* making,
also have several other prominent dniry-men in Ontario, and their united labours have done
uch towards raising the cheese of the Dominion in the estimation of buyers in England,
l^ormerly there was great difficulty and uncertainty in making autumn cheese in Ontario ; it
wA» liable to be puffy and porous ; and, ns the whey was not always got well out of it, the
flavour wos frequently unpleasant. This difficulty has been completely overcome by 'ripening*
the milk before adding the rennet to it. Mr. Bullnntyne thought the matter out in his mind,
and argued it to me in this wise : the summer's milk kept throuoh the night is not so deadly
cold OS the autumn's, and so is in a more natural condition ; its warmth has brought it into
Uiat state which produces the best cheese— that is, it has ripened somewhat, because warmth
as well as time is neccssaiy to the ripening of anything. He declares his belief, further, that
the best cheese cannot be made from fresh, warm milk ; because, though it. is of course warm
enough, and has never been cold, it has not the required age, and so is imripe. Hence be
prefers that one-half of the milk he makes cheese from should be twelve hours old, and this
being ripe enough in itself, ripens the fresh morning's milk when the two are mixed together^ ■
In summer the ripening of the evening's milk is enough for the purpose, but in the colder
weather of autumn it is not, so the morning's and evening's milk are warmed up together to a
temperature of 90" or so, and allowed to stand several hours before the rennet is mixed with
them for coagidation, and thi:; is done because the autumn's evening milk has been too cold to
admit of enough if any ripening. As the mass of milk stands at the temperature named, it
ripens, and the difficulty previously so common disappears, the autumn cheese having all the
warath and mellowness of character of the summer cheese, and it is not liable to be injured
bv the excessive heat of the summer clipiatn ; this autumn cheese, in fact, take it for all in all,
ii probably the best of the season, wliereas it was formerly, in ninny cases, the worst.

The grand principles of the Cheddar system of cneese-making— which, by the way, i§
probably the best system the world knows— consists in the ripening which the curd gets after
separating it from the whey, and before salting and pressing it. This ripening comes of
keeping uie curd warm, and exposing it to the air. But even in the Cheddar system it is well*
known that autumn cheese docs not mature like that of summer, and this Mr. Ballantyne
declares is owing to the evening's milk of autumn not having a chance to ripen like that of
summer. I was pleased to find that Professor Arnold, an able exponent of the Cheddar systemi
has done much good in Canada in teaching daii7men how to manage floating-curds — that is,
by exposing them longer in the vat, and by developing more acidity to checkmat' the taint
which is common to floating-curds. The milk is generally delivered once a day to tha Csnadiaa
factories, and the farmers, under pain of having their milk rejected, are required to take proper
care of the evening's milk, and to deliver it in good condition at the factory. This done, the
transit is supposed to do the milk good rather than harm.

Ingersoll is at once the oldest and most famous of the districts of Ontario in which cheese
factories have bees established ; I was, consequently, interested in looking through a few of the
factories near the town, in seeing the neighbourhood, and in attending the cheese market. My
visit wos made the occasion for calling a meeting of the farmers, factory-men, cheese-buyers, and^
others who happened to lie in the town at the time. To Mr. Hately, a considerable exporter oli
Canadian cheese to England, I am indebted for the pleasure, interest, and information which
this meeting afforded me. A most interesting discussion was tho result of it, the subject being
chiefly dairy farming. It transpired that some farmers receive as mnch as 47 dollars per cow
for milk sent to the factories during the season, and tho farmers were hopeful as to tlie future
prospects of cbeese-making in that part of the Dominion, though it is true that the industry,'in
common witli all others, had recently passed through very trying times.

The dairy cattle, in some parts of Ontario, will compare not ur/favourably with those of manj
parts of England. Shorthorn grades prevail, and it may be said that, wherever a better class of
cattle are fouud, the improvement is due, ab a rule, to the shorthorn element. In the magnifi*
oout herd of pedigree shorthorns at Bow Pnrk, I fouud a collection of auimais which, for
number and quality, cannot in all probability bo equalled elscwiicre. It is clear that the climate

|tt^ I9U ffi C»niid.» m well iiut«4 to m«iifititiii tl^e ]^urit^ aad vigour Qf theiQ a^iip^ls^ %n^^i^

r

16

Mr. J. P. Sheldon's R^ri.

is vfmj. indioation thftt they have not deteriorated in any respect, but the contrary, in their n<
home in the Far Wost. There are some 300 animals on the farm, forming a herd that is wi
worth crossing the A^antio to see. I spent three days at Bonr Park, enjoying the company
my worthy friend Mr. Clsy, and 1 should have liked to spend as many weeks or ereri month
in order to become familiar with tlie many beautiful ahorthorns I aaW there. Canada has in h(
midst, then, the largest herd of pure-bred shorthorns to be found, and she ought to make aj
extensive upo of i*^^ to improve the bovine stock of the country, with the view of developing th{
new fat-stock trade which has sprung up with England. But Mr. Clay complains, and ni
without reason, that the Americans are ahead of the Canadians in appreciation of good stoc]
and that the greater povtion of his young bulls have to find a market in the States. This ougli
not to be so, and it is no feather in Canada's cap that such a complaint should be made.

The county of Brant, near whose capital town of Brantford the farm is situated, is of a mo:
broken and hilly character, with a more frequent occurrence of valleys and rivers where banl
are steep,, than we find to be the case in many other parts of the Provinoe of Ontario. It is ali
well wooded, and generally picturesque. The Bow Park farm is situated within a long horsi
shoe bend of the Grand River, which empties into Lake Erie. The river's bank on the west
high on the Bow Park side, and tho land trends awoy in a gentle but eomewhat varying slo
down to where the river comes round agnin on the east ; here, again, but on the opposite sideol
the river, the bank is high, forming a bold bluff, from which ot many points a view of neorly tin
whole of the farm may be obtnined. Thus the farm resembles, as it were, a huge plate, whici
is tiited up some sixty or seventy feet on its western side, the lower edse of it dipping easily int<
the eastern section of the river, which surrounds it except for a neck of land in the south otMmii
five hundred yards in width. Along the east and north-east, wliere thu land for some dii^tanc
slopes slowly down to tlie river, the soil is a rich allnviul denonit, which is still being floode(
and deepened by the swollen water in the spring ; in the middle of the Farm the soil ia aetron
sandy loam, and on the west a lighter sand, resting on a gravelly subsoiL The lower part c
the farm grows fine crops of mangels, red clover, lucerne, and tho like ; the middle is well
adapted to any crop yon wonld like to put upon it, and the upper part grows a large burden ol
maize. It is thought by many in the Old Country that the soil and climate of Canada are ill
adapted to the growth of clover ; but here 1 find on the wheat stubbles as fine a root of red
clover a& I would wish to see anywhere, and one large field is covered with a luxuriant root of
white clover, which, of its own accord, has sprung up on a rye stubble of the present autumn ;
white clover, in fact, is indigenous to theso soils ; the roadsides uro covered with it, and the
field in question is now providing a lair pasture for about forty in-calf heiferH, while the portions
of the farm which are really untouched parts of the primeval forest hare a strong-stemmed
Undergrowth of red clover, wherevei the brushwood ha* been trampled or cut away.

But fancy this magnificent farm, which erstwhile was forest and glade, now growing magnl
ficent crops of grass, and grain, and roots, and supporting some of the finest the world has in it
of the ubiquitous Teeswater bovines. This transition from Red Indian, and black bear, and
moose deer, to Anglo-Saxon and £irklevingfon Duchesees, to Duchesses of Barriiigton, and
Oxford, and Woodhill, to Royal Charmers, Countesses, Lady Fawoleys, Polly Gwynnes, Boaes
of Sharon, Waterloos, Wild Eyes, and the like, to Princes, Dukes, Earls, and Barons of ",he
same ilk, and ail these glories of shorthorn fame supplemented by waving fields of grain, of
mammoth mangel wurzels, and of thickly-carpeted clovers, is as remarkable as anything we
meet with in this great young country of the West. The situation of the (arm, and the views of
the district which we obtain to great advantage from many points on the river's high bank on
the west, are beyond compare tho finest I have seen in Canada, or, for the matter of that, in the
United States ; and whc-n we turn from these beauties of locality to witness the grand shorthorn
cows, and heifers, and yearlings grazing lustily on the newly-seeded clovers, or ou the primeval
turf which for ages bos formed a beautiful glade in the forest, we have the surroundings com-
plote which go to make up a scene iu which the soid of any Old Country farmer would take great
JeJight.

The Bow Park Farm was purchased, a dozen years ago, from various 'persons who had
settled upon it, by the Hon. G-eorge Brown, whose melancholy death a few months ago, by the
bullet of a drunken assassin, filled the whole of the Canadian agricultural world with indigna*
tion and dismay. It was converted first of all into an ordinary dairj farm, in the days when
Canada was coming to the front as a clieese-producing country ; and a cheese factory, which is
•till standing, though put to other uses, was built for the convenience ot the farm and of the
neighbourhood around. G-radually, however, the dairy stock were improved ; and as thd soil
developed animals in a superior manner, the idea arose to form it into a breeding establishment
for stock of tho best kind, and there is now upon it one of the largest and most valuable short*
horn herds in the world. There are in all nearly two hundred females and forty to fifty males|
in many of whose veins runs the bluest of blue blood, while there is not a single animal among
them who has not unexceptionable pretensions to patrician parentage. In lota of twenty to
fiwtj ve fia4 Uiq females pastitrin^ ia T%i'ioas parts of tlie farm y Oittcl it ia « sight worth tr«T«lj«

ftrtt

16 farm
Going

an

Kik* of

>U0etic

lUge mot

^ four \i

id the g

leep, do^

leasorini

iry, in theJrne
erd that is «

the oompany ,
Br ereti monthi
'anaria lias in li.
7ht to make ai
r derelopinff thi
iplains, and n^
1 of good BtOC.
es. This ougli
le made,
ted, it of a mo:
irs where ban
iu-io. It is all
in a long horsi
c on the west,
t rarjing tlo^
opposite sideo!
iw of nearly thi
ge plate, wiiic
ping easily int
9 south of mnn
' some dii«tanci
1 being floade(

soil is a strong

lower part a
middle is wel
ifge burden ol
Canada are ill

a root of red
Luriaut root of
'Sent autumn ;
til it, and the
lie tlie portions
rong<8temmed
*y.

rowing magni*
vorld has in it
ack bear, and
rrington, and
vynnes, Roses
tjarons of i),he
8 of grain, of

anything wo
i the views of
ligh bank on
of tliat, in the
nd shorthorn
the prinieral
indings oom-
uld take great

>n8 who had
ago, by the
itli indigna<
s days when
ry, which is
and of the
d as thd soil
itablishment
uable short«
flft^ males!
imal among i
f tweniy to
prtb tr«T«iA

ifr. J. P. Sheldon's Report.

IT

fur to ae0 which wo get in wandering slowly through the herds, each individtHAl of which, with
zreo and oU, ia named at once b^ my friend Ifr. Olay, to whom the chief management of
le tarm is entrusted by the Association to whom this great undertaking belongs.
Going first among the bulls, we came to the lord of the harem, the reritable king of the
an animal of surpassing merit, and a fortune in himself. This grand old sire, the 4th
uke of Olarence, who was bred by Colonel Q-unter, of Wetherby Grange, is, to the best of my
noUcction, the most nearly faultless bull I have seen in this or any other country. He ^ •
ittge mountain of flesh an J bone and muscle, and at first sight one would think that no two of
s four lege oould support the burden \ but when we notice the grand development of muscle,
d the grace and ease with which he moves, we think so no longer. His brisket is wide and
[eep, down to his knees ; his shoulder, from the point of it to the brisket between the knees,
leasuring 4 ft. 9 in., is the deepest I have seen, and yet it is not in the least coarse or lumpy;
s top n level, wide, and long, measuring 5 ft. 8 in. from point of shoulders to the square of
e'tail. and the roasting<beef is there in fine display. He ' well sprung in the ribs, with greai
Mst*room I equally weUlet down in the flanks, forming perfect underlines ; the tail is set on aa
tail ought to be, but not always is ; the neck is wonderfully massive and muscular ; the head
M the true shorthorn character, and is withal very kindly in expression, denoting the good
imper which ^e owner is known to possess, and which is no mean factor in the process of
hysiod devebpment With a constitution unsurpassed, this flue six-year old bull'is a most
npressive sire, superseding in almost every case the influence of the dam ; he is, in fact,
Ithoroughly prepotent in the widest sense of the word, impressing his individuality on sons vxSL
'''aughters aiike. Hi* dam was the 4th Duchess of Oiarence, and his sire the 18th Duke of
Oxford, who was bred by the Duke of Devonshire. He traces back through Dukes ot Olaro,
Wharfdale, York, and Northumberland, through Cleveland Lad, Belvedere, the Hubbaolw,
Xetton 2nd 710, Comet 155, and Favourite 252 ; and among the breeders' names are Batei
and Colling, Hunter and Thompson. Eer» if blue blood enough and to spare, with a repre-
sentative in every way an honour to it !

Among the younger bulls we come to the Duke of Oxford 46th, a most promising young
animal of eighteen months, whose sire is the 4th Duke of Clarence, and dam the Grand Duchesi
of Oxford 29th. He has a great deal of the sire's character in all respects, and, if we mistake
not, will prove a! worthy scion of a grand line. Next we find a beautiful ten months' bull. Baron
Acomb 11th, by the same sire, and out of Aurora, a rich red roan in colour, shapely and substan-
tial, and most promising withal. By the same sire, again, there are Baron Enightley 5th, only
four months old, 8th Duke of Kirklevington, a few weeks younger still ; Earl of Goodness 8thf
Prince Victor 2nd, Boan Duke 6th, ditto 7th and 8th, Waterloo Duke 2nd, Dukes of Bar*
rington 11th and 12tb, and Butterfly's Duke, animals whose ages vary from two to nine months,
There are also many excellent yearlings by other sires, forming a collection of great merit.*

Among the more celebrated and valuable females, we find Rose of Autumn 3rd, a piure Man*
talini, and a very choice animid ; she is now four years old, and a most beautiful cow, in-calf to
Prince Leopold. Thir cow is simply grand in the shoulders, which are deep, clean, and beauti-
fully set in. She has very flne bone, well-rounded ribs, a very small amount of oSiX, and excel-
lent roasting joints. She walks off the ground bravely and gracefully, and fills the eye wealthily
as she passes away. An excellent and well-preserved animal is Butterfly's Duchess, bred by
Mr. Game, o' Churchill Heath, and imported. She has a wonderful subat^ nee, magniflcent
hind-quarters, and grand broad hips, with a top of surpassing breadth and eve mess. Among
the younger females we come to Koyal Charmer 11th, ten months old. This excellent young
Animal has a beautiful skin, rich roan in colour, and very mellow to the touch, perfectly level top
•nd even underlines, handsome head and neck, flne bone, clean and even points, and neat as a
new pin. It is wonderful what matronly models these young heifers lay hold of. I_ cannot flnd
time to describe more than a tithe of those I should like to mention, and it would, indeed, take
a week to learn them properly first ; nor, in fact, do I pretend to have picked out the best speci-
mens so far, for where there are such a number of first-class animals, most of whom have many ^
merits in common, while many of them have special points of excellence of their own, it would
require the nicest judgment, formed after a long and careful inspection, to assign the many
blue ribands which I should feel bound to award. Suffice it to say, that here is a great herd of
shorthorns, in which ^ the finest families are mora or less represented, and that they are
flourishing in the best manner possible, and under conditions closely allied to nature.

One of tJie most striking facte brought out in connection with the Bow Park herd is this---
the best-bred animals are clearly the best-developed ones in size and beauty, while their consti-
tution is just as dearly of the soundest and best. No doubt the way in which all the animala
^ikd are treated bus no little to do with the superb health which they all enjoy. In no sense
|re tliey forced into condition by extravagant feedmg. The food they get indoors is chiefly
maiie, of whiuh stalk, leaf, and half-developed ear are passed together throuj^h the chaiF-cutter.
The oUur eaws and li«if«rS| ia iiMt, do not recoive through the summer even this modieom of

!■ :'•

:!i

f' ',;'■

f8

Mr. J. F. Sheldon'i Beport.

.1

Hrtiflcial food { tiiej depend entirely on grass, when there is enough of it» M them hM
through the past aummor and the present autumn ; and it is indeed surprising to see the
lent condition which one and all of them are in, on grass alone.

Animals of the Oxford, KirkleTington, Waterloos, and Boan Duchesses are individually ai
colleotiToly superior, not only in personal merit but in general excellence, to those of I
excellent strains. No falling off in vigour and healthiness of constitution, no sign of iuberoi
losis, and little, if any, of infertility, is known amongst them. Olosely in-bred as they ha'
been for many generations, transplanting them to newer soils and to • clearer climate tl
those of England has clearly re-invigorated them in the qualities which are usually enjoyed
animals which have not been artificially bred and tended, and lacking which the purest blui
blood is shorn of some of its most valuable properties. That a Canadian home admhrably sui
(lie liigh-bom British shorthorn is the first impression given to any stranger who risitii Boi
Park, and, so far as the first requisites in successful breeding are concerned, it is clear th
Oanada is abreast of the Old Country ; while my own observation during the three days I spent
Bow Park resulted in the opinion that less careful feeding and attention are needed there than hi

The sheep of Ontario are, on the whole, better than I expected to find, but they are oi
to improvement. It appears to me that Shropshires and Border Leicesters are ei^ioulated
improve the fiocks, as shorthorns are to improve the herds, of Oanada. In any ease, howevwl
tlie mutton I got in Canadian hotels was mce-fiavoured, tender, and juicy, as a nil»~in their
Mspects better than that of our Ootswold sheep, or than of many of tfa^ Leicesters i but th(
Canadian sheep, as a rule, need improving in symmetry, if not increasing in siie. The pigi
generally speaking, are very good, better, perhaps, on the average, than the pigs in the BntuI
Islands. I do not see thnt this class of form stock needs much improvement. It is abuik !lanti;
clear that Canada can produce excellent farm stock of all kinds, and that most of them are
being improved. Until recently the inducements to improve them have not been strong enough,
and in some of the Provinces little or nothing would appear to have been done in this direction,
Now, however, the inducement ia supplied, and it is probable that in ten years' time we shall
find a marked reform in the quality and symmetry of the cattle and sheep, as well as » great
increase in ninnbers. It is not easy to estimate the cost of raising and fattening beef in Canada,
because f.ue facilities vary in different districts. The following, however, has been conimuai«
. ^ted by an enterprising breeder of fifteen years' experience :

Baising,

II

feeding, and attendance, first year, per head 2i dols.
„ If second year,

third year,

n

II

II

2i
18
24

|i!-

Total cost of fat beast weighing 1600 lb, 66 dols. =s £13 4m»

This would be abont 4 dots. 12| cents (16s. 6d.) per 100 lb. live weight, or 8|d. per lb. oi
the dressed meat. At the present rates of freight, in summer time, such an animal would be lande(
in Liverpool for £5 to £6, including food and attendance. It is probable, in fnot, that Oona*
dinn beef will be landed in Liverpool, giving fair profits to all concerned, at 6d. to 6d. alb.

A neighbour of mine in Derbyshire, an intelligent working man with a large funily
children, went out to Canada, some ten or twelve years ago, with about £180 in his pocket
Having his address with me, I wrote to him, and he came to Toronto to meet me. His honu
for the present is in County Grey, Ontario, where he is farming 200 acres of rented land, ii
addition to a quantity of his own. For the rented land he pays 75 cents an acr« — or, rather
this u what he agrees to pay, or its equivalent in some other form ; the hot is, however, th^
his improvements have more than covered the rent The land is cleared, but the permanen
improvements done on it are such that they balance the rent } these improvements consist o
fencing, draining, road-making, getting out stones, and the like. He raises cattle and sheep;
the former are uatives with shorthorn crosses, the latter too are natives, more or less improved.
His fat ewes, sold in September, weight 180 lb., live weight, on the average. He grows rapi
for sheep-feediug — a practice very popular and profitable on the limestone soils of Derbyshire.
Improved lambs are worth 1 dollar apiece more than native lambs, via., 8 dollars to 8 dollar!
60 cents, native lambs being worth 2 dollars to 2 dollars 50 cents. Oats fetch 80 to 81 cents {
wheat, 90 to 100 cents ; white peas, 60 to 65 cents } and barley, 50 to 60 cents per bushel. H«
ploughs rape under fo? ba>4ey, and, after barley, takes turnips, working, ridging, and manuring
the land for them. He says that if butter [fetches 15 cents a pound, the farmers do well.
Cattle, when fat, fetch 3 to 4 cents a pound, live weight i these are native ^cattle ; improved
cattle are worth 6 to 5^ cents ; while mutton is worth 4 to 6| cents, according to quality and
the time of the year. My old neighbour is not afraid of work, and he has his share of native
shrewdness ; he thinks a man will do better renting than owning his land hi Ontario, because
the rent is less than the interest on the money ; he has prospered himself in renting land, and
informs me he is now worth upwards of £1000, He would not have been worth one-fourth *
it if he had remained in England*

oi

IwMK
arm •? I
litely disi
iiore tlMSi 1

theu'ocpi*'

period of A

eight or tei

is a clayey

(took are i

Wheat is

generally i

autumn ai

It is n<

live stock

(took then

I had

Montreal,

and West

show is a

permanen

throw th

credit anc

Thes(

Hon givei

houses ai

througho

anoe, and

poor mai

•ducatioi

defrayinf

twelve is

be fined

provisioi

provide

Englanc

modatioi

provisioi

neoessar

be true 1

benefit

lessmoc

thismal

the que

events,

withth

Am(

positioi

and Fr(

and far

power,

well as

meetini

It is sa

by thoi

and th

flonrisl

of the

blende

550 ac

of pun

effect (

Th

At fire

really

•Ughtd

Uf. J. p. ShMMi R^l,

19

M9 thai

lividuallj _

those of L

of tuberoi

aa thej ha

climftie tl

ly enjoyed

purett bluei

Imirftbly luii

ho Tiaiti fioi

b is clear tlu

ayo I tpenti

ere than hen

they •r«op«

Oi^loulAted tl

MUM, hoirerw,

fule— in the*

ten I bat thi

le. The pin,

ia the Bntul

i« sbuii lantl]

of them ar«

rong enough,

thii dirsotion.

time we ehall

ell as a great

sf in Canada,

en oommuni*

rge family 0
a hia pocket
>. Hia homi
ited land,
8 — or, rather,
boweTer, th»
10 permanen
ta conaist o

and aheep;
» improvea.

growa rap*

Cerbyahire.
I to 8 dollar!
to 81 cents i
bushel. H«
id manuring
era do well.
9; improTed

quality and
re of native
trio, beoauae
ig land, and
ae-fourth of

I was mveh iatereated in % trip mode to Bradford and Barrie, the latter a beautiful tovni ou
arm of Laku Simooe. At both these towna we had a meeting of farmera in the OTcniiig, and
_ lively diaouaaion on agricultural topioa. The farmera around Bradford declared that they had
■lore than held their own, despite the bad timea of the paat four or flye years. Tbey considered
^leir ocpitol employed in fanning had at all eventa paid five per cent, per annum during that
period of depression. FrcTiously, a farmer expected to buy and pay for an ex^ra farm every
eight or ten years, but of late years they have not been able to do so. The land about Bradford '
is a clayey loam, some of it almost a clay, and, ae a rule, it ia well farmed. Mere or less live
stock (ure kept, and the land is farmed in rotations which are far froi arbitrary or regular.
Wheat is taken now and again ; mangola, carrota, turnips, etc., are grown, and the land ia
generally aeeded down with a white crop { if with autumn wheat, the timothy ia aown in the
autumn and the clover in the apring.

It ia needless to auggest anything to the farmera of Bradford, except that they keep aa many
live stock as posaible, making the other operationa of the farm subsidiary to them ; the live
stock then will do their part in maintaining and increasing the fertility of the farms.

I had the pleasure of being present at the agricultural shows of Toronto, Hamilton, and
Montreal, and I may say that I have seen no shows in England, except the Boyal and the Bath
and West of England, that can claim to be ahead of them in aggregate merit. The Montreal
show is a new one, and in a abort time will also be a very good one, no doubt ; in any case, ita
permanent buildings are the beat I have seen, either in Canada or the States. The Canadians
throw themselvea with great apirit into enterprisea of thia kind, and those showa are a great
credit and ornament to the Dominion.

The school aoeommodation of the settled distriot9 of Canada, and the quality of the eduoa<
tion given to the children, are among the country's greatest merits and ornaments. The school'
housea are frequently the most prominent buildings in many of the towns and villages, and
throughout the Dominion the education of the young is regarded as a matter of vital import-
ance, and one of the highest duties of citizenship. Everywhere primary education is free, the
poor man's child enjoying advantages equal to the rich man's, and even in the higher branches of
education m the ooUegea the feea are merely nominal, the State providing all the machinery and
defraying nearly all the cost. The education of all children between the ages of seven and
twelve is compulsory, and Acta of Parliament are in force under which delinquent parents may
be fined for neglecting to send their children to school. It ia impossible not to discern in these
provisions one of the surest pledges of the future greatness of the country, and they obviously
provide the poor man with advantages greater than those he will meet with in most parts of
England. One of the first duties of a new district is to erect a school-house with ample accom-
modation ; and so imbued are the people with the need and wisdom of such an act, that the
provision is made with alacrity. Sectarian diiferences ace arranged by the erection, where
necessary, of separate schools, but in any case, the children are bound to be educated. It may
be true that the support of the high schools should come in a larger measure from those who
benefit by them, and in time no doubt this part of the educational question will be more cr
less modified, yet it cannot be denied that if the Provincial Governments have erred at all in
thia matter, they have erred on the right aide. It is not competent for me to go farther into
the question in thia report, but it ia important to notify to intending emigronta that, at all
eventa, their children are sure to be provided, acoording to the measure of each one's oapacity«
with the knowledge which ia power.

Among educational institutions the Guelph Agricultural College occupies an hononrable
position. The College was imfortunately not in session when I was there, and tiie President
and Profeaaor of Agriculture were both away at the Hamilton show, so that I saw the Collego
and farm under unfavourable oonditionsi The Professor of Chemistry did all that lay in ms
power, however, to give me focilitiea for aeeing the educational machinery of the College, as
well aa the farm buildinga, the farm, and the stock. The foUovring day I had the pleasure o^
meeting Mr. Milla, the President, and Mr. Brown, the Professor of Agriculture, at Hamiltoi)#
It is sal'sfactory to know that the College is being more appreciated and employed year by year
by those for whose benefit it waa established. Increased accommodation is now being provided,
and there is a prospect of the College even becoming self-sustaining in time. Already it ia a
flourishing, though quite a young institution, and its influence is being felt on the agriculture
of the Province. The students receive an agricultural education, in which science is happify
blended with practice, and theory is borne out by demonstration. The farm consists of some
650 acres, on which a variety of experimental and practical crops are grown, and several kinds
of ^ure>bred English sheep and cattle are kept, which, in their turn, will have an important
effect on the country's future.

The taxation in Ontario is light, as it ia everywhere else in the Dominion that I have been.
At first sight it would seem to be heavier than in some of the other Provinces, yet it is not
really so. It ia oasessed on the basis of valuation of property, and in thia sense differs but
slightly from the other Provinces, Land, and real property generally, leaving out of con-

iip

^

M.r. J. P. SKetdon'i Repent

■ideration lucb oitiea aa Montreal and Qucbco, ia more raluable in Ontario than A^ .rhare, ye
the total taxution, including aohool-rates, doea not often go beyond 26 to 80 eenta an acre, whil
it frrquently falla below thoae auma. Some diatriota hare public property wliich nearly proTida
all the public money that ia needed, and othera are the more heaTily rated for the preaent i
)rder to wipe off auma of money which were given aa bonuaea to new railwaya paaaing throus
them. But nowhere did I meet with an instance in which taxation may be regardea aa real]
burdenaome ; yet it will be expedient for oew-comera to make inquiry into theae matters bofor
purohaaing farma.

In the matter of aaaeaaing land for taxation, the farmera appoint a commiaaion to Talue it,l
and it ia roTolued each year if thought expedient. If any dispute arise the land ia looked otoi^
again, and the dispute may be privately settled by the judge. Practically the farmera '
their taxation in their own hand?, for no direct imperial taxation ia levied.

The farming in many parte of Ontario ia of a higher order than I had been led to expert.!
West of Toronto, as well aa north of it, I aaw many farma in a oonditiua which would be no|
diacredit to any country whatever, but a great credit to moat.

QT7EB30.

I have to regret that my time did not admit of my taking more than a glance at the Baatem
Townahips of thia Province, because I am persuaded there is much excellent land in them, and

• good opening for English farmers. They are situate between the citiea of Montreal and
. Quebec, and near aome of the cities of the United Statea, in all of wliich there are good markets

' for farm produce. The land, moreover, is much lower in price than in the better portions of
Ontario, and farma for the moat part cleared and lenced, in a fair atato of cultivation, and poa<
•eaaing good houeea and buildings, may bo bought ac the rate of £4 or £5 an acre. The dis*
triot is rolling and the soil loamy ; it ia also well jupplied with water, a Taluable feature in
dairy-farming and stock-raising. The climate ia healthy, for it is here that Mr. Cochrane haa
raiaed hia excellent ahorthoms, and where he is now beginning to raise high-class Herefordi
in the place of them.

The agriculture of Quebec, generally speaking, is susceptible of improvement, and the same
may be aaid of its cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs. In many pa..'t8 tli« farmers plough the

* lands ' too narrow, aa if the aoil were very wet. If auch be the case, it were bettor to under-
drain it. I noticed that grasses and clovera grew beat in the numerous furrows. The fences

■ of Quebec, as a rule, are quite equal to those of any other Province, and probably superior,
because, being straight rail fences, they are not such a harbour for weeds as the ligzag ' snake*
fences ' too commonly are.

HOTA BCOTIA,

Of this province, too, I am unable to say very much, as I had not facilities for inspecting
it equal to those with which I was provided elsewhere. In the neighbourhood of Truro I sav/
some useful land, in the >ale of Annapolis also, aome of which ia not easily excelled in any part
of the Dominion. I was recommended, by hia Excellency the Governor-Q«neral, to pay a
viait to this fertile region, and I may fairly aay that I should have missed a treat if I had not
done so. The finest portion of the valley is found in the Kentville district, and in Comwallis,
in King's Countv • and the great feature of the locality is found in the dyke-lands, which have
been reclaimed from the Bay of Fundy.

Of the nature of these lands I shall have to speak at some length in my remarks about New
Brunswick, which Province also haa a large area of them. There is, however, some very fine
upland in the valley, which is odwirably adapted to the growth of roots and grain, and to the
^raising of live stock of various kinds. The apples of the Annapolis Valley are famous in many
connWes, and though they do not surpass the ., of Ontario, they are an ornament to the country,
and a source of profit to the people. It is probable that there ia room for a limited number
of English farmers in Nova Scotia, but, so far as I saw it, it does not ofi'er inducements equal
to those of the adjoining Provinces. The country for some distance out of HaUfax cannot
.ever become valuable farming land, a great part of it being what is termed a ' hard couutiy,'
that is, rocky and short of soiL

ntiNos sswibd's xslaho.

In some respects this ia one of the most beautiful provinces of the Dominion, and it has
probably the largest proportion of cultivable land. 'Xho soil generally is a red sandy loam, of
one character throughout, but differing in quality. On the whole, the grass-laud of the island,
and the character of the sward, consisting as it does of indigenons clovers and a variety of the
finer grasses, reminded me strongly of some portions of Old England. The people, too, are

Mr. J. P. Sheldon't Report,

21

led to expert.!
k would be aol

it thA Bsstorn
in thorn, and
Montreal and
good markets
ir portions of
lion, and poi«
w. The di(>
le feature in
Cochrane hat
us Herefordi

and the same
I plough the
ter to under-
The fences
bly superior,
gzag ' anako'

>r inspecting
Truro I sav/
I in any part
al» to PBj a
if I had not
Cornwallis,
, which hare

I about New
ne very fine
, and to the
}us in many
tlie country,
ted number
nents equal
lifaz cannot
rd couufaj/

and it hoc
iy loam, of
' the island,
riety of the
lo, toOf ar«

BON English in appearance than those of any of tlie other FroTinces, with the exoption of
Ifew Brunswick. This is probably owing to a cooler climate and the oontiguitv of the sea.
The hotter climate and the drier air of tne West seem to depriTe the cheeks of some of the
oolour. The summer climate of the island appears to be almost everything that can be desired,
bat the winters are Terr long ; the Northumberland Straits being frozen, Vb.t people are isolated
from the mi'nland during the winter, unless, indeed, they cross orer on the ice — a thing which
nay be done, and I believe not uncommonly is.

One of the most annoying circumstances in connet' ion with the island winters is this : it
eommonly happens that in spring numbers of icebergs flild their way through the Strait* of
Belle Isle, and collecting in the northerly half-moon coast of the island, melt there slowly,
retarding vegetation sometimes a fortnight or more. The people Relieve that if a breakwater
were thrown across the Straits of Belle Isle the climate of the Gulf of St. Lawrence would be
vastly improved, and there are some who incline to the belief that in this event the St.
Lawrence would be navigable the year round ( if such results were at all likely to follow the
dosing of the straits, why — the sooner they are closed the better.

Prince Edward's Island is covered with a soil that is easy to cultivate, sound and healthy,
capable of giving excellent crops of roots, grain, and grass — an honest soil that will not foil
to respond to the skill of the husbandman. For sheep, particularly, the island appears
to be wuU adapted, for the soil is light, dry, and sound, growing a thick-set, tender, and
nutritious herbage. For cattle, too, it is suitable, though perhaps less so than for sheep. For
horses the island has been famous for a long time, and American buyer* pick up most of those
there are for sale. It is not improbable, in fact, that taking them for all in all, the horses of
the island are superior to those of any other Province ; it seems, in fact, to I* in a sense the
Arabia of Canada. The sheep, as a rule, are fairly good, but open to improvement \ the cattle,
■pnerally speaking, are inferior. Many of the sheep are now being exported to Bn'jland, and
the day I sailed ^om Quebec, Mr. Senator Oarvell was shipping some 1200 of th'jm, most of
which were of very fair quality. This gentleman, to whom I am indebted for much kindness
and information, informs me tnat sheep from the island cost 16b. a head in freight, food, and
attendance, by the time they reach Liverpool, besides which tbere is insurance, which variea
firom 2 to 10 per cent., according to the season of the year.

It cannot out be regarded as a good thing for the island that Mr. Oarvell has opened np a
trade in this way, and it will be an inducement to the people to go more into sheep-raising—
an industry for which the island is specially adapted. The cattle at present are not good
enough for the English market, and they are not worth taking over. The Provincial Govern-
ment has established a stock-farm near Charlottetown for the dissemination of better blood
through the flocks and herds of the island ; but so far the farmers have not availed themselves
as tliey ought to do of this great advantage. The now trade with England T»ill, however, in
all probability cause them to put their shoulders to the wheel and to bring their cattle up to
the level of the sheep. Beef and mutton are very cheap r t present on the island ; stall-fed beef
in spring can be bought at 8{ cents a lb., live weight, and grass-fed beef in October was worth
only,2i, while dressed beef by the side could be bought at 4 to 6 cents per lb. ; lamb and
mutton by the quarter, and of very nice quality, was being sold in the markets at 5 cents per lb.
Lambs were worth from 68. to 10s. each, and ewes, 10a. to ISs. ; while fat wethers and owes
were boueht at 15s. to 208. By exporting a few thousands yearly to England the price of
sheep wiU increase on the island. The urmers complain that they receive but 17 cents
per Id. for their wool ; but so long as they sheer unwashed sheep they must submit to low
prices.

The island grows very good wheat, and probably better oats than most other parts of the
Dominion. Of the former, the crops are from 18 to 30 bushels, and of the latter, 26 to 70
bushels per acre. Barley, too, as may be expected, makes a very nice crop. Wheat at the
•time of my visit was worth 4«. per bushel of 60 lb., oats Is. 9d. per bushel of 34 lb., and barley
28. 6d. to 8s. per bushel of 48 lb. Winter- wheat is regarded as a precarious crop, being liable
to be thrown out of the loose soil by the thaws in spring. The same thing holds good in
Manitoba, and in Ontario I found that the farmers consider there is danger on the one hand,
with winter-wheat that is too far advanced when winter sets in, of having it smothered by a
too heavy fall of euow lying too long, especially on damp land ; and on the other, of having it
throw itself Out of the ground by the heaving of the ft-ost^ and tbawa of spring. In this event
the dead plants mny afterwards be raked off the land like so much bay. There is indeed, on
these loose soils, room for tho exercieo cf judgment in the sowing^ of the groin. Many farmers
consider it a good thing to drill it in north and south as a protection against the prevalent west
winds, while others try the experiment of leaving a row of old oomstdks standing at intervals
of 16 or 20 feet. All this io done to prevent the wind blowing the snow off the plant and so
McpoBing it to the withering frost, for snow is indeed a protection if there ii not too mudi of it
■nd the land ii dry.

Xhe island is noted for its large crops of excellent potatoes, which not uncommonly foot up

m

sd

Mr. J. P. Sheldonfi Meporl

to 280 buiheli an sore of fine handsome tubera. At tho time of mj Tiiil th«T were worth only
15 to 10 oente • bathel, the twiff of 15 oenta e buihel impoied hj the Amcrloftne on OfinftdUn
uotatoee hatfaig •Imoit killed a onoe Isrce eiport trade of potatoes to the Statee. Swedoe make
a fine oropt not anoommonly reaching 780 bushels per acre of sound and solid bulbs.

The iuand possesses one adrantage which is unique and immensely taluable ; I refer now to
its thick beds of ' mussel mud,' or * oyster-mud/ which are found in all the boprs and riTer<
mouths. The deponit, which is oommonljr many feet thick, consists of the orgsnto remnins of
countless generati ■ of oysters, mussols, clams, %nd othor bivalves of tho ocean, and of cruntn*
oeous animals genertilly. The sholU wre goncrallv more or less intact, embedded in a detne
deposit of mud-like stuff, which is found to bo a fertiliser of singular value and potency. Ths
mppt* of it is said to be almost inexhaustible, and it is indeed a mine of great woallh to the
islano. It is also found to some extent on the east coast of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
A good dressing of it restores fertility in a striking manner to the poorest soils ; clover growj
after it quite luxuriantly, and, as it were, indigenously j by its aid lieavy croos of turnips and
potatoes are raised j and, indeed, it may be ronnrdod ns a Trmnuro of great value and applicable
to any kind of crop. Nor is it soon exhausted, for the shells in it decay, year by year throw i)i;.'
off a film of fertilising matter. " This singular deposit is obtained, as a rule, below low-wat
mark, and in winter wlien the water is a solid mass of ice. Holes are cut through the ice until
the mud is reached, and a powerful and ingenious horse>powor scoop is used to fetch up thn
mad and dump it in the sleighs { it is then token to shore and laid iu heaps until it ii
wanted.

There is not much Grown land to dispose of in the island at tho present time, but there are
plenty of encumbered farms, more or less improved, which can be bought at 6 dollars to 95
oollats an acre. Taxation on tho island is very light ; it amounts to 2 to 8 cents an a';re, au*
cording to ndue, or from 16 to 18 cents per 100 dollars valuation.

The educational advantages of the island are on a footing similar to those of the other Fro-
rinoes. There are good roads, railways, etc., and many excellent harbours around thto islutul.
There are also thriving wooilen and other mills, not to mention the lobster fiaheries, which are
a source of considerable wealth to the Province, There are, however, complaints that too many
farmers have been tempted into the fishing business, to the neglect of their farms i that between
two stools these men have fallen to the ground ; and that the laud is sometimes blamed for
losses which really come of neglecting it. I was assured on the highest authority that farmers
who have minded their business, have been steady, and have used a moderate supply of common*
sense in their doeUngs, have made farming pay and become independent. It is true that a man
is indepr"'dent on a smaller sura in Prince Edward's Island thau he would be iu England, but
at the I e time there are numerous evidences of hoppiuess and conteutmout among tlis
people.

It appears to me that Englishmen of moderate ambition would And homes congenial to their
tastes in this beautiful Province, and I have an impression that, with cattle and sheep raisinij
and fattening for the English market, better times are in store for these hospitable and kindly
islanders, many of whom I shall always remember with feelings of more than ordinary kind-
ness. For agricultural labourers there is plenty of employment at good rates of poy. A man
will get 80 dollars to 150 doUr'-s per annum, plus board and lodging; or, minus board and
lodging, but with cottage, keep of a cow, and an acre of hmd for potatoes, will receive 140
dollars to 200 dollars in cash. Farming, after all, cannot be bad wlicre such wages are paid to
men, and there is every inducement for the farmer and his family to do all the work tixej can
within themselvea.

IfB-W BBTTN8WI0K.

Apart from its wealth in timber and minoralr, the latter as yet only just beginning to be
developed, the Province of New Brunswick is well adapted to the purauits of agriculture. In
several portions of the Frovince there arc soils which have certain very remarkable features and
properties ; and in many other portions I found soils that are easy to cultivate when once
deared of timber, deep in staple, and rich in the accumulated fertility of many centuries.
Idany of the upland soils bordering on the beautiful valley of the St. John River have every
indicatimi of being well adapted to stock raising, particularly of ovine stock. They are for the
most part sandy or gravelly looms, sometimes approaching to stiffness, but generally friable,
Tarving, no doubt, in depth and quality, but hardly anywhere good for nothing. It is probable,
in tact, that, with tho exception of Prince Edward's Island, New Brunswick has a larger propor-
tion of cultivable soils than any of the older Provinces of the Dominion.

Bo far, however, the settled parts of the Province are chiefly along, or adjacent to, the rivers
w^hich drain the country ; but there are yet many millions of acres not appropriated, as good, in
•Q probability, for agricultond purposes as thoie that are— if we make ezception of th* *igh^*

B worth only
on Onnadian
lw«dot mak«

•

refer now to
• and riTer<
I retnnins of
1(1 of cruHtn*
I in a deiit^e
itoncy. Th«
calth to tlie
r Brunswick.
cIoTur growi
turnips and
id applivabia
ear thro win
(W low- watt-
the ice until
retoh up thfl
IS until it ii

)ut tliore are
lollars to 85
an a'.'re, nc*

e other Pro-
1 tifB island.
)8, wliioh ai'O
bat loo many
that between
I blamed for
that farmora
r of common*
e that a man
Sngland, but
t among tlia

cnial to tb«ir

ilieep raisin;^

0 and kindly

dinary kind-

Mj. A man

board and

receive 140

ar<» paid to

ork the/ can

inning to be

[Culture. In

featured and

when once
\j centuries.

have every
r are for the
ally friable,
b ia probable,
rger propor-

0, &• rivers
,as«)od,u

Mr. J. P. Sheldon' i Ifepori. If

and ' intervale ' lands. But these unsettled portions ure for the most p«rl still ooTered with •
dense growth of timber, and I should hardly fancy that Bnglish farmer* art aither fitted for or
would like the taik of clearing it off.

The work of clearing these lanr{.< iN, indoed, herculean, but it is generally supposed that the
timber will piiy fur it. The iiir\(l nv\y bo cleared at a ooat of 13 to 20 oollars an acre,
and it in said that a Canadiiwi backwoodsman will out down an aor* of heavy timber in three or
four dftjs.

Lot us take the n^^w nr'tlloment of New Denmark as an instance of what may b« done.
Seven yearn a^o tiiu locality was covered with a dense forest, and the Danes who emigrated to
it were very poor ; now hundreds of acres are cleared, and are producing abundant orops of
grain and vogctables, some of which are of a superior character, and the land support* ft happy
and prosperous colony, which in time will be a wealtht one. It ti not too much to *ay ui»t
tlir condition of these people is far better than it would have been in the land of their birth.
Take again the Scotch settlement of Napan, on the Miramichi t here we have also a favourable
illustration of what thrift and industry will do. The settlement is mainly Scotch, but there
are a few Irish among them, some of whom have ptospored. One Irish farmer we met bad
become wealthy, 'and,' said a countryman of his to me, 'we call him Barney Bothsohild
itself I' It is at onoe pleasant and instructive to see these new settlements, for they are only
wliac will be found all over the Province in course of time.

It would seem probablo that a number of Bnglish farm-labourers might do the aame, elartiitff
with free grants of la' d covered with timber, and clearing it as far as circumstances would admu
of. They would in ii ly case meet with encouragement uom the Government and people of til*
Province, and with industry their reward would be sure.

Generally fpt aking, the sheep of New Brunswick are tolerably good, producing rwy niM
mutton, and it does not appear that any special effort at improving them is at present o«U*d
for. But the cattle generally are very inferior, and here it is that efforts at improvement are
urgently required. It appears to mo that good shorthorn, polled Aberdeen, or polled Norfolk
blood would bring about the desired change. I saw, however, many cattle in tae neighbour*
hood of Sackville that are good enough for all practioal purposes, and fit for the export or maf
other trade. Here, then, the 'blue noses' have an example in cattle>breeding set them m
their own country. It is cletfr that the climate and the soil are fit to produce excellent cattle,
and if we find comparatively few such, it is man's fault, not the country's. Ontario i* a long
way ahead of any of th<:> other Provinces in cattle, and this will give her| in tlie new trade, •
lead which cannot easily be taken away.

The soils I have spoken of fas possessing certain remarkable features and propertie* ar^ th«
* dyke' and the ' intervale ' lands. Both Nova Scotia and Now Brunswick are celebrated for th*
former, while the latter are a peculiarity of New Brunswick, in the valley of the noble river St,
John. The dyke lands of both Provinces are found bordering on the indet* of the Bay 6f
Vandf. Those I saw in Nova Scotia are in the neighbourhood of Eentvill* and Amherst ; Itt
New Brunswick I saw them at Dorchester and SaokvUle. Aa the name suggest*, they ars
dyked in from the sea, from which they have been from time to time reclaimed. In many oa«M
marsh grass is cut from saline swamps which have not yet been dyked, and over which the hi|^
tides for which the Bay of Fundy is noted, still during certain seasons, oontiuna to flow. The
grass i* made into hay in the best way possible under the oiroumstancea— on the ridges of higher
ha6, otL platforms, etc. — and is stacked on a framework wliioh is raised several feet above tiie
land, supported on piles } and it is a curious sight to see the water flowing under the stack*
and in and about the piles when the tide is at i *• height. In one case I oottnted, near the
town of Annapolis, upwards of 140 of these stac^ js, each of them containing a ton oi so of hay.
They are put up in this manner hurriedly, an i are fetched into the f rmyards, in winter, a*
they are wanted, to use along with ordinary hty, with straw and with roots, to whieh they ar#
found to form a tolerable though coarse addition. But the dyke-lands proper are so fenced ill
from the water by a strong bank of earth thrown up some six or eight feet high. With a broad
tmd substantial base, that the land within them is firm and solid, of exeeUent qttality, and
covered witl» i thick sward of coarse though tigorous and nutritive grass. The fertility of thest
reclaimed soils is unusually high ) they are never mantured, but they cut on the average dpwardi
of two tons of hay to the aore—- a yield which has been sustained for many years, and show* nO
signs of runr ing out

The land, however, under this system of farming is found to become weedy itt ths eotirtd
of timet BQd ^^ becomes expedient to plough up portions of it in rotation, M intervals Of t«n ot
twelve years, taking one crop of wheat or oats, with which new grass seed* are sown, to tatOi
the new sward which is desired. This once ploughing is found to kiU th6 WOeds for th« titn«
being, and they do not again become very troublesome for some year* | and wheft athitigUi th«y
do, the land is simply ploughed up again in the way described.

These bottom-lands r.-e valuable aoqnisitions to the tiplaod fhrms a^joinitiif, most Of ^Idi
haTO moro or less of them attaohad i and they do much toward* maintaining ^ f ertili^ of th»

r If i

^

-■■(

i

us

24

Mr, J. P. SJteldon'i Report

upUnda, obviating the necensity of using puroha icd fertilieen on them. These dyke-lands are i
much request on this acct- nnt, and tiiey are worth from 60 to 160 dollars an acre, in a oountr
where ordinary uplai»'l .Arms are not worth as many shillings an acre. The portions of thes
dyLe-lands owned by different men are marked out fon identity's sake, but are not fenced off frot
the rest Each man cuts off the hay from his portion, and takes it hom^, sometimes seven
miles, and the aftermath is eaten in common by the stock of all the owners combined, com
mencing on the 1st of September. A few days before this date a committee of assessors i
appointed to place a value on each man's portion of the land, and to decide on the numbe
and kind of animals he shall send for pasturage. So it follows that we see very large tract
of laud, on which hundreds of cattle roam about and feed at wilL

The extent of these dyke-lands is said to be r,bout 65,000 acres, and there is still a larg
area to be reclaimed. A large portion of the marshes was dyked by the French, previous fa
the conquest of Fort Beaus^jour in 1754. Immediately afterwards they were taken possessioi
of by the Enelish settlers, who afterwards obtained grants of them from the Crown. Th
expense of dyking fresh marshes has ranged from eight dollars to twenty dollars per acre, ani
it is worthy of note that the system of constructing dykes and aboideaux adopted by the fin
French settlers is the one still employed. The system of cultivation is very simple, and con
sists of surface draming by cutting ditches 22 yards apart, 3 feet wide at the top, 2 feet 9inohi
deep, and sloping to 1 foot wide at the bottom ; about three years afterwurds the laiid
ploughed in ridges of 6 to| 8 feet wide, sown with oats, and seeded down with timothy au
clovers. It then yields large crops of grass of a coarse description, and it would seem to rti
that careful draining, generous cultivation, and discriminating manuring would increase thf

auantity, or at nil events improve the quality of the grass. By a well-devised system o
rainage, carried out in a workmanlike manner, and by the free percolation of rain-watier
througn them, these dyke-lands would gradually lose much of the saune element which at prei
sent is not favourable to the growth of the finer grasses, and they would become fitted to thi
growth of roots, green crops, and grain, while as pastures they would be greatlv improved.

The 'intervale lands' of No.. Brunswick are, ss the name suggests, found in the vaUeyi,
The name is peculiarly appropriate and expressive. In England we should call them k>ttom<
larids or alluvial soils. 'i?hey are, in fact, alluvial soils to all intents and purposes, with thii
peculiarity, they are stiU in process of formation. In some cases these intervale lands consist
of islands in the rivers — and there are many such in the magnificent river St. John { but for the
most part they are level banks on each side of the river, in some cases several miles wide, and
reaching to the feet of the hills, which form the natural ramparts of the valleyc they enclose,
These interval^ lands are rich in quality, and the grass they produce is very good. Like the
dyke-lands, they need no manuring artificially. The dyke-lands, in fact, have such a deep ex*
cellent deposit of unusual richness, that manuring is superfiuous ; but the intervale landi
receive a periodical manuring in the deposit which is laid on them each spring by the freshets o
the rivers. They are^ in fact, flooded more or less for several weeks in the spring of the year,
and the deposit left by the receding waters is of a character to add fertility to an idready rich
soil, and, at the same time, to add tn its depth. An inch or two of rich alluvial mud deposited
on these lands each year is gradually raising them above the influence of the freshets ; and thej
are to-day among the most valuable soils in the Province.

Much of the upland of tiie f rovicce is of very good quality, excellently adapted to the
grovrth of cereal, root, and green crops generally, vad. for the raising of live stock. Sheep in
particular do remarkably weU wherever I have seen them in Canada, and nowhere better than
m New Brunswick. Little, if any, improvement in them is specially desirable, for they are
already of very good quality in most respects, and they are of coirse we^ inured to the soil and
clir " itt). The cattU , on the contrary, are of a very inferior character ; yet, at the same time,
they are sound and vigorous in constitution, and therefore provide an excellent basis on which
a very profitable breed of &. ;tle may be built up by the use of improved blood from the Old
Country.

There are in this Province millions of acres still unoccupied, except by a heavy growth of
treea which form the primeval forest. The forests I'equire a large expenditure of labour to
dear them, and English farmers are not well calculated to do the work ; but there are numbers
of cleared farms which can be bought, with good houses and buildings upon them, at the rate
of £3 to £8 an acre, and it seems to me that a practical farmer from the Old Country, especially
if he has a rising family to help him, could hardly fail to do well in this Province. So fiu* as
the people are oonoemed, aa English farmer would find himself quite al home here, and there
is nothing in the soil or dimate which would cause a painful disilli'iion. Tixa geographical
position of these maritime Provinces gives them a strong claim on the notice of the Old Country
nurmen who see the need of frcah fields and pastures new ; comparative nearness to Britain,
with regular and uninterrupted communication all the year rouna, offers a strong induoement
Jot English settlers to oome here i and the new trade in cattle and sheep whieh is rapMly
gioiniif np between thi ITew andtbtOld Oonntriot i« ion to oitk* £anaiag in Ui«H Wmmim

Mr. J. P, Bhddorit JXeporl

26

:e-UmcU wa j
, in a oountr
bioni of theil
need osteon
timea ssyer
mbined, ooo
>f Msewort
& the numt
ty large traob

s still a lars
previoiu

cen poBieasioij

Crown,
per acre, an

edbythe

iple, and oo

) feet 9 inch

I the lahdii
timothy

d Mem to rti
increase thi

ed system oi
of rain-wat

which at pi
e fitted to thi

mproTed.
n theraUeyi,
them bottom
ses, with tl

lands cons
i{ but for .
ties wide, and|

they endose,
kL Like tha
oh a deep ex
iterrale landi
the freshets of
[ of the year,

akeady ricli
lud deposited
9ts ; and thej

lapted to tha
k. Sheep in
I better tiian
for the^ are
0 the soil and
B same time,
sis on which
rom the Old

Tj growth of
of labour to
are numbers
I, at the rate
7> especially
• So £ur as
e, and there

Seographioal
M Oountiy
i to Britain,
induoemeni
li is rapMiy

a profitable busiuess to those who hare the will and the judgment to lay themselres out to pio>
duce live stock of the quality which will find faTour in En^and.

I must not omit to mention, with warm feelings of pleasure and gratitude, the unbounded
eourtesT and kindness which were extended to me by the Lientenant-GoTemor of the Frovince,
by all the members of the goremment, by various officials, railway and steamboat managers,
and by priTate gentlemen and others, in every part of the Province I had the good fortune to
visit. The memory of my visit to New Brunswick will be a source of pleasure to me as long
as I may live, and I shall not cease to entertain feelings of more than ordinary friendliness
'toward many persons whose acquaintance 1 had the pleasure of making under such happy
auspices.

It cannot be denied that to tl e average Englishman Canada is a country cortidered to be
chiefly noted for fur-bearing animds, Esquimaux, Indians, and winters of extraoitlinary severity.
It may be these, but it is something more. It in a country abounding in agricultural and
mineral wealth, and it is a great country for timber. It has vast areas of excellent land, un-
surpassed in fertility, and suited to the growth of many crops. It has already many thousands
of prosperous and pleasant farms, and in a few years' time will have many thousands more.
It abounds in game and fish, in the live stock of the farm, in fruit, and in cultivated crops. It
is true that the winters are severe, but I am assured alike in Manitoba and Prince Edward's
Island, in Ontario and New Brunswick, that the winters are bracing and healthy, full of enjoy* .
ment, and far more tolerable than a severe winter in England or Scotland ; though the ther*
mometer may now and again fall to SO" below zero, the atmosphere is always dry, and so the
ei>ld is not felt as severely as a much less extreme degree is in a damp climate.

llbie farmers of Canada work, it is true, but I doubt if they work as hard at we are in
ike habit of thinking. But in any case they work — not to do so would demoralise the
men — and it seems tnat a drone cannot well exist in the atmosphere there. I believe I am
correct in saying that the dignity of labour is more generally honoured in Canada than in
I^gland, and as there are fewer idlers, men in rags are scarcer. I do not, in fact, remember
■eeing more than two or three men in rags in the whole of my wanderings, and not many
dirty, except the Indians, and not always these. Yet the farmers have not all plain sailing,
Dor do they ^w rich without industry and thrift. Every country has its disadvantages,
•nd Canada la no exception. There are sometimes violent storms which do injury to the
orops and stock ; sometimes they are troubled with grasshoppers, but their visits are few
and far between, and thev have only made their appearance about six times during the last
fifty years. The Colorado beetle I only saw once. It does not seem to have yet reached
Manitoba and the North* West Territory, and is not nearly so numerous as I had expected
to find it, having confined its ravages more particularly to the United States Territory.
Then, again, the weevil and the Hessian fly attack the wheat sometimes, and it is difiBoulfe
when they do come to check their ravages ; and lastly, the winters put a complete stop to
agricultural operations, and the ploughing and sowing, as a rule, have to be hurried thtongh
in a limited period. The seed-time and harvest are vevy 'jusy periods, but when the winter
Is over the spring comes at a bound, and vegetation grows at a rate which surprises
Englishmen.

These disadvantages Apply to the whole of North America, and not merely to Canada y
trat they have no apparent effect on the progress of settlement in the country. Men soon
learn to accommodate themselves to these thincs, suiting their work to the seasons, and
planning out beforehand various things that can oe done in the depth of winter.

Three things in Canada strike a stranger powerfully : the vastness of the country ; the
unbounded faith «he people have in the future greatness of the country ; and the cheerful
loyalty to the Old Country which is everywhere found. The liberty of the Canadian
fanner, grand and unconventional as it is, and the independence of mmd and of position,
considerable and even complete as it is in many cases, do not develop into licence and
recklessness, but into ohe3rful and generous habits of life. Loyalty to the Old Country
and pride in their own are leading features in the political faith of the people ; hospitality
to strangers, and readiness to impart information and render services, are equally featurea
in their domestic life ; while a living faith in the future of the Dominion, based on a
knowledge of its exhaustless natural wealth, and of the inherent energy of its citizens, is
prominent in their conversation. It is not the aristocracy of birth, but that of labour and
of brains — personal merit, in fact— that holds a foremost place in the estimation of the
people.

The new departure which has recently begun in Canadian farming — that of sending
cattle and sheep alive and dead to England— has elated the farmers of Canada in a degree
corresponding with the depression it has caused among the farmers of England ; it is a new
•nd unexpected source of wealth to them, and they are laying themselves out to make the
belt of it in the future. So far the country ia free from diseases of stock, but how long it

sii :■«

p

1'

il

m

mil

h. J. F. JW<Mm'« IkpcrL

I

will renuun >o depends almost entirely on the action of the Oovemment. Stringent |
regulations are in force governing the importation and exportation of fat and lean stock,
and qualified inspectors are on the alert in many placet ; American cattle are not admitted
•xcept in bond, passing throngh the country under strict supervision.

So far the Canadian cattle-trade has expanded rapidly. It oomnienced in 1877 tHth
7000 to 8000, three-fourths of which were American ; in 1878 thct-o were 18,000 sent to
Europe, two-thirds of which were American ; in 1879 there were 23,000 sent, all Conadi&n,
because American cattle were then excluded ; in 1880 it is computed 85,000 will be shipped ;
and in five years it is predicted that 100,000 will be available. For these figures I am
indebted to Dr. McEachran, of Montreal, who is the chief Government insijector of
Imported and exported cattle.

The lan'jordp^ and farmers of England, and many writers and speakers on agrifiultural
matters, -pvofess to find some consolation in this : that with an increase of trade and
commerce, freights, will rise, and a check will thus be placed on transatlantic importations
of stock. I have no doubt this hope will prove to be a mere ignis famus, and I cannot partici-
pate in it. I have it on very high authority that there is no probability of freights rising, but
the contrary, rather. With steel-built ships, compound condensing engines, and various
mechanical improvements, to which at present no limit can be placed, the cost of sailing a
Bhip across the Atlantic is being yearly lessened.

The expenditure of coal on board steamships is being rapidly reduced, and the size of
the ships increased, So that a 6000-ton vessel can be navigated now at very little more cost
than was entailed by a 2000-ton ship ten years ago. Freighf; at 253. a ton in 1880 pays better
than freight at 50s. a ton did in 1870. This is brought about by enlarged ships, a smaller
expenditure of coal, and a larger space on board for freight. The ships noW building,
though larger than those running, will run at leas cost and carry very much more freight,
and although freights for some time past have been and still are very low, it is an open
secret that freights pay far better than passengers. In any case, the rate at which ships are
being, and will oe, built is greater th.',n any probable {increase in the volume of freights.
Hence it is hardly possible that English farmers may find any nolid comfort in a hoped-for
rise in freightage.

I come now to the last point of discussion and ir 'ry in this report, viz., Is Canada a
suitable field of settlement for English farmers ? I approach this point with caution, because
I am aware of its great importance. But the question ratbcr is : Are English farmers
suitable for Canada ? It appears to me that Canad<^. as a country, has many advantages,
and a future in all probability very important. She is a rising country : this cannot be
denied ; and she cannot remain in her present stage of development. I think, then, that
many of our middle-aged English farmers are unfitted by their habits of life and of labour
to battle with the work which would fall to their lot in Canada. But there are many others
who are fitted for it, particularly those who have led laborious* and active lives; and our
yonfig farmers would soon fall into Canadian habits. Men with largo families who a."e not
afraid to work would, as a rule, do well in Canada. The younger men would not long boat
a loss in pioneer life in Manitoba*, but it in scarcely the place for a man who has been long
aocnstomed to English me'»hods of farming; that is, they would have to unlearn their old
methods and learn new ones, but it is only fair to add that the land and climate of Manitoba
are so generous that very careful cultivation is at present alike unuecess,■^r^ and scarcely

grofltable. These latter men, as it seems to me, would be happier, and their wives would
e more content, in Ontario, or New Brunswick, or Prince Edward Island. They are not
Kited to the cruder life of the Ear West. A man with a capital of £1000 wonld do well
in one or other of the maritime Provinces, or in the Eastern Townships of Quebec ; one with
£2000 wonld do well in Ontario. A man with little or no capital should either go to the
Bed River dibtri?* or take a free grant of land in one of the lower Provinces. But any man
shonld look round him for some time, and get into some kind of employment before he buys
a farm or takes up t. free grant. Looking at the increasing competition which British
farmers have to meet, and at the heavy rates, taxes, rents, bills, and wages they have to
pay, I have no doubt many of them would do better out yonder, and their families would
CO better than they can in England, providing always that they are not afraid of work, and
are sober and fmgal.

It is said that Canada is the place for a poor" man, and this no doubt is true ; but it ia
also the place for a man of means, for capital tolls a tale there. It is not probable, however,
that many fanr'^rs of capital will face the ills they know not of in Canada, and indeed I
would not advise anyone to go there who is doing well in this country ; but, then, it is
hardly fair to Canada that only poor men should go there as farmers, for money is wanted
to develop the riohes ot the soil — not labour only. I kncrw farmers in England who toil
year after year. Mid live very carefully, without being any forwarder at the year's end than
thenjT wer« at its start ; this aort of thing to me seems very hopeless, and I would Bay to
Moh men : 'You will set along faster in Canada.' There is not, and has not been, a better
time than the present for English fanners going to Canada. Canada is just recovering from

aperfo*

that mi
prairiei
their ri
that Ei
Bystem!
Lo raatc
conditi"
do well
old for
keeping
directit

Mr. J. P. Shddoi($ Rt^^irt.

«7

^

Stringent
lean stock,
ot admitted

1877 iHth
XK) Bent to
1 Canadian,
be shipped ;
igures I am
iBpector of

igi'ifiultiiral
trade and
aportations
not partici-
rising, but
ad various
•f Bailing a

the size of

more cost

>ays better

a smaller

building,

(re freight,

a an open

I ships afe

f freights.

hoped-fot

Canada a

n, because

li farmers

[vantages,

3anuot be

;hen, that

of labour

ny others

and GUI'

9 are not

ongbeat

een Ions

their old

(ianitoba

Scarcely

es would

are not

do well

me with

3 to the

any man

he buys

British

have to

8 would

>rk, and

iut it ia
owever,
ideed I
en, it is
wanted
ho toil
id than
day to
k better
igfrom

\i

% period of depression during which the value of land has become reduced, and it sohappeaa
that many of the farmers of the Lower Provinces are looking wistfully at the wonderful
prairies of the NorthAVest, and are anxious to sell their present farms and go there with
their rising families. . They, it is true, are fitted to go, and it seems to me a nice arrangement
that English farmers of capital should take their places. It would seem, indeed, that the
systems of farming to which English farmers have been long accustomed are well adapted
Lo r3store condition to the land, while Canadian methods are better suited to the present
condition of the North-West. It is at the same time true that many English farmers would
do well in the North-West, particularly those whoso capital is smcall, and who are not too
old for pioneer life. Yet in the Lower Provinces they would find farms and homes more in
keeping with those they leave behind in England. Their sons, in turn, will move in the
direction of the setting sun.

■. ■* T

!'■<

'''-'■'. T^'

;<:--/\':f'

',.■!"■■ ■ ''"

I

i

i

I:

EEPORT OF MR. HUGH McLEAN,

Mu, Tarbert, xi. £.,
THB DELEGATE OP THE KINTYRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

* YxsTKBDAT (Nov. 19, 1880) Mr. Hugh McLean, Rbu, the delegate appointed some time ago bj |
the Kintyre Agricultural Society, to visit Manitoba, and report as to its suitability for emigni.
tion purposes, etc., addressed the members of the society and others in the Town Hall. Th3 1
delegate was accompanied to the platform by Provost Greenlees, ex-Provost Galbraith, Rev. J.
O. Russell, David McGibbon, Esq., Chamberlain to his Grace the Duke of Argyll ; Laohlan '
Clark, Esq. ; Robert Aitken, Esq. ; John Gilchrist, Esq. ; Charles McConachy, Esq. ; Jamea B.
Mitchell, Esq., and James Littlejohn, Esq. David McGibbon, Esq., occupied the chair, and
briefly introduced Mr. McLean.' — CampbelUown Courier, November 20, 1880.

The following is the text of the report :

After certain preliminary arrangements in London had been completed, it was fixed that I
should sail for Quebec on tiie 6th August, 1880, by the Allan Line steamer, Sardinian, OaptiJn
Button.

The Sardinian is a magnificent specimen of marine architecture. Her tonnage is 4376. SL«
la divided into seven water-tight compartments, is propelled by a pair of direct-acting compound
high and low pressure engines of 2800 horde power, and maintains a speed of 14 knots per hour,
She is strongly built, (^rries ten life-boats, has accommodation for 180 saloon, 60 intermediate^
and 1000 steerage passengers. The steward's department is managed in the most approved
manner, nothing is Winting to conduce to the comfort of the passengers ; and every attention !■
riiown that the most fastidious cuuld reasonably desire. The berths are comfortable and
wdl ventilated, the lights entirely under the control of persons appointed to light and extingulih
them.

The ship arrived at Moville about 11 a.m. on the 6th. We sailed in the evening about 6 p.iii.
The time did not hang heavily on our hands, being enlivened by Captain Button's lectures ontii*
Pyramids, Tabernacle, etc., together with very good music, instrumental and vocal. Having
seen five icebergs, one large whale very close to the ship, and a school of five others about three
miles off, everyone was pleased to find that we were entering the straits of Belle Isle. The
beauty of that sail up the St. Lawrence was exquisite.

Having arrived at Point Levi on Sunday the 15th, our luggage was taken to the Custom-
House shed for examination. We then procured tickets for Montreal. Perhaps what attraoti
one's attention most of all on the way is the charred stumps of trees that stand up like men, say
In spaces of nix or seven feet apart. They give a desolate look to the country, as if the hand of
the destroyer was wasting it. The impression to a Scotch miud is waste. Beautiful plantations
(for he can as yet scarcely realise that they are forests) are on fire. It makes him feel sad to
think that these woods are not in the home market. The land along the line of railway from
Point Levi is occupied by French Canadians. Their crops seemed light. The oat crop WM
much lighter than at home.

Before leaving Point Levi (opposite Quebec), I was informed that his Excellency the
Governor-General was in Nova Scotia, and had telegraphed to Ottawa that he wished me to
visit the Annapolis and Windsor districts of Nova Scotia, Sussex valley in New Brunswick, and
the Eastern Townships of Quebec, as well as Ontario, and the North-West. I felt that the task
was onerous, that no time could be spared, and therefore on Monday presented myself at
Ottawa. Here I found that the Hon. Mr. Pope, the Minister of Agriculture, was in England )
that Mr. Lowe, Secretary to the Department, was in Quebec, and would not be back till next
day. I was, however, received by Dr. J. C. Tach^, who gave me a letter of introduction to Mr.
Hespeler, Immigration Agent, Winnipeg. I then returned to MontreaL I should mention in
passmg, that Dr. Tach^ is the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, that he has written a very sxosl*

lent pai

!)ampnl
Dstrum
places 1
gre, firs

Bef(
gpiouou
forming
The Po

Ottt
are a st
the eas
bridge,
timber
mills.

The
viBible
wheat,
verant

liiiBSi

Mr. Hu^ McLeavfi Report.

29

lETT.

3 time ago bj
y for emim.
a Hall. Qli3
•aith, Rev. J.
yll; Lachlan
; James B.
be chair, and

i fixed that I
\ian, Captain

>4376. SU
tg compound
ate per hour,
ntermediate^
ost approved
' attention ia
ortable and
id extinguish

ibout 5 p.iia,
itures on Ui«
Ell. Having
about three
lisle, Th«

;he Custom-
hat attracts
ke men, say
the hand of
plantations
feel sad to
kilway from
kt crop wag

illenoy the
abed me to
iswick, and
at the task
myself at
England }
:k till next
;ion to Mr.
mention ia
<^eiy exosl-

lent pamphlet on the Colorado potato-beetle, showing how to oppose Its ravages. As the
pampniet is largely circulated throughout the Dominion, I do not doubt but that it has been
instrumental, where the suggestions contained in it are attended to, in Allaying, and in many
places nullifying, the ravages of that destructive insect. The methods of destroying the beetle
are, first, bandpioking ; and second, Paris green. The latter is very efficient.

Before lea /ing Ottawa, I was much impressed with the beauty of its public buildings, con-
spicuous amongst which, situated on a hill, are the Parliament Houses, consisting of three blocks,
forming three sides of a square, all detached. The grounds ai'ound are very tastefully laid out.
The Post Office is an elegant structure.

Ottawa is famed for its trade in lumb'^r, which in Canadian means ' timber.' The saw-mills
are a study in themselves. The railway station from which I went to Montreal is at Hull, on
the east side of the Ottawa river. I saw the Chaudiere falls when passing the suspension
bridge, and perceived that limestone is the prevailing rock o^ the district There are slides, or
timber erections, in the river, to guide the rafts that descend the river to the various saw*
mills.

The land around Hull is very good, and judging from the condition of sheep and cattle, as
visil)le from the railway, the grass must have a fattening quality. Crops of wheat, oats, buck-
wheat, and com whirled post as the train sped from station to station. Wooden houbes, with
verandahs in front, constantly met the eye ; wood fences everywhere, till at last night closed the
scene. At length we arrived at Honheiaga station, which is the name of the original Indian
village, on the site of which Montreal is built.

The city of Montreal is jituated on an island. The Victoria Bridge crosses the St. Lawrence
its length being 9194 feet. Th3 city contains many objects of interest, which were seen on my '
return ; but on this day I vib.ted Notre Dame Church, which internally is a most exquisitely-
finished place of worship. The Crucifixion, the Apostles, the altar, the candlesticks, the gold
and crimson decorations, all surpass description, and fill the beholder with awe and admiration.

I started for London, Canada West, by the evening train, but saw nothing of the countnr
till next morning. When daylight came the morning was very wet. The country was beautiful.
I found several fellow-passengers by the Sardinian were in the train. We were all glad to meet,
but they dropped out one after another, and we were lost to each other probably for ever. We
drove through a country farmed by English, Scotch, and Irish. There are good crops, good
cattle, good houses. The fields are rich with golden-coloured grain. The orchards loaded with
fruit. Everything to the passing visitor has the appearance of plenty. Now we pass fields of ^
clover. Arrived at Port Union, we pass more clover fields. Swamps intervene, then light crops.
By-and-by beautiful crops burst upon the view. Everywhere the fields are fenced with zigzag
rails, which appears to me to occupy too much land ; eut the British Canadians adopt tixem
universally. We come tc Toronto.

We proceed and pass through Guelph. On the run we notice brick buildings going up to
replace wooden houseb, generally a fair sign of a prosperous farmer ^ but sometimes I was told
emulation induces a man to build a fine house while his land is mortgaged. Wo pass Breslau,
which seems by the map to be not far from the Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon ; then through
Berlin, Hamburgh, Stratford, St. Mary's, at which last place I changed for London, and saw the
last of my last Sardinian.

I arrived at London and took train for Newbury, for the purpose of paying a short visit to •
Kintyre settlement. I was driven over a clayey road from Newbury to Crinan by the light of
the moon, and as yet saw nothing of the country. My quarters at Crinan were with the
llev. John Milloy, a native of Clachaig, Kintyre. In common with the whole settlement, I was
roused about two o'clock in the morning by a thunderstorm. In the midst of it all I fell asleep,
and awoke to find myst^lf surrounded by glorious sunlight, and everything smiling.

I partly visited in the neighbourhood the farms of Messrs. John McMurchy, from Leanag-
bhoich ; Archibald McEachran, from Auchnadrain ; James Stalker, from Achnacloich, Muasdale ;
Duncan Stalker, from the same place ; Dougald McMillan, brother-in-law to Mr. John Gilchrist,
Ballivain ; Messrs. Duncan Campbell, from Ballochroy ; Finlay McNab, from Cour ; Donald
McCallum, from Carradale ; Peter McMillan, from Achnafad, and many others, all natives of
Kintyre, and all evidently doing welL I then called on Mr. Neil Walker, from Achnaglaio, near
Tarbert (who had no notice of my approach), and who gave me a hearty welcome, I took the
liberty of putting inquiries to him, as to his success since he left Tarbert in the year 1874. His
farm I found to consist of 100 acres, one-third or 33^ axsres being under wood for fuel, one-third
under wheat and hay, in proportions of about 18 pxsres of the former, and nay 15^ of the latter ;
the remaining third contain^ 3 acres barley, 2 a^res Indian corn, 14^ acroc oats, and the balance
summer fallow.

The summer fallow land is ploiTghed in autumn ; it lies exposed to frost all winter, and to
the sun till 1st September, when it is sown with fall wheat. He ex])lalned that when the land
is first ploughed, it is so tough that one would suppose nothing could grow on it, but by being
exposed to the frost in winter, and to the sun in summer, it moulders away until it is like the
■ou of a molehill. The soil in this part is black mould above and clay be^ow, which, afti^f

eLmtti kepori,

exposure, is good producingwheat land. If theolaylsunderdralned, it Is good for most oroi)s.evM
for apples. *^

■ The first year Mr. Walker came to Canada he bought bia present holding, which cost 8800
dollars, or £760, including log-house, bams, etc., he having also the straw of the waygoinir crop
He sows 2 bushels of fall wheat and 2^ bushels o*" oats to the imprial acre. He sowed 30 bushels
of wheat last year and had 234 bushels, wluoh he considered very poor, and much below the
aveiage. He had the year before thrashed 250 bushels from 12 of seed. His potatoes are much
the same as at home. The rotation he foUows is to plough land that was under wheat (without
grass) last year, in the fall, and sow oats in it in spring. After oats, summer faUow it ; after
fallow, sow wheat again, but putting all the manure the farm produces on tho fallow Turnips
and mangel wurzel are not grown. He had 10 milk cows, 7 two-year-olds, 4 one-ytjAr-olds
P2 ewes and 20 lambs, 5 pigs, and 3 horses. He and his two sons labour the ground.
The foUpjeing were the receipts and expenditure for the pant year :

Produce of cows sold . . , i , , , . $160'00

Two three-year-old Btots 66'00

"Wheat 233-00

^«o[ • • 47-12

^?™»>s 60-50

^*g" ••••••.•.,. 6000

1606-62

'BXFENDITUBB—

ll^-i >5; Interest on $3,800

j*. .' Taxes .

'' Labour . , ,

>"> Clothing , ,

II* V Smith-work •

FfionT, £20 2s. 6d., or

$190-00

2000

191-00

100-00

500

606-00
$100-62

In giving the above, it Is to be understood that the Items Inters -i, labour, and clothing are
merely estimated, as he does not pay interest, and the labour is done by bis family. The follow*
Ing were Mr. Walker's returns of various cereals since he emigrated in 1874 ;

Ybab.

Whbat.

Bablet.

Oatb.

Pbasi,

1876
1876
1877
1878
1879

170 bushels.
180 „
310 „
350 „
830 M

80 bushels.

COO bushels.
850 „
220 „
210 „
166 „

220 bushels.

100 „

105 „

70 „

37 M

^t'

He wished to impress on me that the land still requires great improvements to be made on
it, and that if it were fanned on the same system that is adopted at home, it would produce
double what it now does. With regard to the yield of the cows Mr. Walker stated thn,t — in
May last, 2019 lb. of milk were sold, which made 182 lb. of cheese, which, minus expenses of
factory, realised 16*56 dollars, or £3 6s. 2d. In the month of June 2996 lb. of milk were sold
to the factory, m.Jting 276 lb. of chuo^e, realising 17-60 dollars, or £3 lOs. 5d. He stated that
in July there was a drawback owing to the hot weather. In August and September, although
there was less milk, it took less milk to make a pound of cheese. October is the best money
making mouth in the year. He can average 20 dollars per month for six months out of the ten
cows, and can sell 40 dollars worth of butter ; that is, the cows produee 160 dollars, or £82, or an
average of £3 4s. per cow pei- annum.

Next day I drove to Glenooe. Maple-troes abound along the route. I passed Battle HIU,
the scene of a fight between the Americans and the British during the war of 1812. Before
coming to GWooe I was shown a farm, the owner of which had t med bis attention to feeding

Mr. Hugh McLean^t Report.

31

cost 8800
s'olng crop.
30 bushels
below the
'68 are rouoh
eat (without
ow it ; after
If. Turnips
le-year-oldB,

:h

lothingftn
nie foUow*

91.

ihelg,

M
I*
»

made on
I produce
thn,t — in
pensee of
vere sold
tted that
althougia
it money
I the ten
)2i or ao

tleHiU,

BefoM

foadilDg

flattie for the home market. Passed the residence of a lady, a native of Tangy Olon. At
Glencoe, whioh a few years ago was a small hamlet, but which now is a little town, having good
shops, and doing a good business, I saw for the first time the sunflower, a largo yellow flower
that always faces the sun.

On the train from Olenooe to London I met Dr. Mc Alpine, a native of Lochgilphead. He
wished me to visit Kilraartin, in the neighbourhood of London, and to call for his brother, %
fanner there, but I could not do so. He corroborated Mr. Walker's account of the Canadian
method of farming.

On the train I fell in with a Dutchman, Mr. Jacob TJtter. He has a store, and owns several
farms. He stated that Ayrshire cattle were rather tender for a Canadian winter, but that a
cross between an Ayrshire cow and the Durham bull was the best breed they possessed ; that a
good cow would produce milk to make 3 lb. of cheese per day ; that nine cows averaged 23 doUani
each, or £4 12s., for six months. He mentioned that the general return for wheat throughout
the country was 25 bushels per acre ; oats, 50 bushels j barley, 35 bushels, and potatoes, 250
bushels. He gave the following rates of wages as applicable to the district : Man-scrvan'^
20 dollars or £4 per month, with board and lodging ; or for twelve months, 150 dollars, that is,
£30 j maid-servani, u dollars c<' ."1 per month. The following were the retail prices of var^us
articles, given by him and converted into British money : Steak, 4id., other boef 6i^d. to 4|d.
per lb.; Rio coffee. Is. O^d. to Is. 5d. per lb.; sugar, 3^d. to 5|d. ; tobacco. Is. OJjjd. to 23. 6d.;
bread, 2 11»., 6| cents, or 12^ cents for 4 lb. loaf — 6|d.; pork, 2|d. to 6d.; ham, Od.

Having arrived at Sarnia, I made the acquaintance of Captain L. M. Morrison, of Corunnft
(Moore County), on the St. Clair River. His farm consists of 200 acres. I did not visit it until
my return from Manitoba, but I will here state his experience. His returns were : Fall wheat,
25 bushels per acre > oatc, 30 to 50 bushels. Of potatoes he just planted sufficient for home con-
sumption. Plants them from beginning of April to beginning of May ; digs them about
1st September, The following is the rotation he follows : Sows wheat this fall along with grass-
seed, \\ bushel wheat and ^ bushel grass -seeds per acre (mixture being £ of timothy and ^ of
clover, often half the quantity is sufficient). Next year, a crop of hay ; next year again, another
crop of hay (no manure or top-dressing). Lets the land lie two years in pasture. He mentioned
that he had land in pasture for four years, but that it ivas run out when he got it, having been
twenty-six years in succession under crop. When a field is broken from lea, he puts oats in it
(2 bushels per acre, sown with seed-drill). In some cases, where the land is dirty, he does not
crop it the first year, b<it re-ploughs it several times during the season, and crops it for fall wheat
by Ist Septombf.r. Manure is put on the fall wheat. The land is not under-drained, but surface-
drained. It consists of a strong clay with a vegetable mould on top. Clay land is the best land
for wheat. Land that a crop of oats cannot be raised off here will raise wheat. It would raise
oats if manured. His turnips were sown broadca^^c — 1 lb. of seed to f of an acre. Turnips so
bown by him this year promise to be a good crop. Putting turnips into old land, they are sown
ia drills, but the drills are not raised ; merely ran the t.trnip-sower on the level surface about
13 inches apart, and thin them 10 inches apart.

Potatoes are planted in hillocks a pace apart. Indian corn is put in from the 24th May to
1st June. The reason for not putting corn in earlier is that it is liable to spring frost. It is put
in for cleaning the land principally. Indian corn is cut whilst soft and the shaws green, to have
the benefit of the latter for milk cows, as the shaws are better for cattle than hay. The grain is
not sold, as producers in Canada are unable to compete with the United States.

Price of wheat, 1 dollar per bushel of 60 lb. ; barley, 60 cents per bushel of 48 lb. ; oats, 84
to 88 cents per bushel of 32 lb. ; potatoes, 40 cents per bushel ; good timothy hay, 10 dollars, or
£2 per ton ; Indian com, 80 cents.

Of the two farms of 100 acres each which Captain Morrison owns, one is fully cleared of
wood, the other is half cleared. He has in one farm nineteen acres under oats and corn, twenty
under barley, twenty-two under hay and wheat, seven and five under hay, seven of orchard land^
twelve under wheat, and the remainder in pasture ; and in the other farm, fifty acres under
wood, the remainder hay and pasture. He has in all 400 apple-trees and twenty plum-trees.
He can sell 600 bushels of apples, all grafted fruit. His stock consists of twelve cows, twenty-
eight head of young cattle, from half a year to three years old. The cows yield from 3f to 5 ;
gallons of milk per day during the grazing and feeding months. Milk weighs 8 lb. to the gallon,
which gives from 80 to 40 lb. of milk, or 3 to 4 lb. of cheese per cow per diem. He usually gets
from 7 to 10 cents, or from 3Jd. to 5d, per lb. for cheese,

Price given for fat cattle is 4i ctuts per lb., live weight; usual weight is from 1050 ta;
1100 lb., but he has had them as high ao 1400 to 1500 lb. The proportion for dressed beef is
68 lb. per 100 lb. of live beef. The price of milk cows, any pure breed, is 25 to 85 dollars, that
is £6 to £7 ; but he had been asked £20 for a thorough-bred Durham cow. Three-j>ear-old
steers, cost 3f> dollars each, or £7. Average weight of sheep, 80 lb. Would pay for an imported
Leicester tup 30 dollars, or £6, but usually gets them amongst his neighbours at from 5 to 10"
doUarM, that is £1 to £2. Draught-horses sell at 100 to 150 dollars, or £20 to £30 each, being
from 15} to 16 hands high ; average weight of a horse is 1250 lb. He has two marcs weighing
8000 lb., and 17 handa high, whickhc values at 400 dollars, or £80 for the two. Pigs are either

d2

Mr. Hugh MiLean'i Report

rt"

I \

\

Suffolk ur Berkshire, Coming In In Bpring, and killed next February', thoy gensrally weigh
i50 lb. ; price 6 to 7 cents per lb. Wool sella at 81|^ oenta, or Is. S^d. per lb. Lamba at
8 dollars, or 128. each.

Man servant, boarded, gets 15 dollars, or £3 per month.
^ . Lad servant, „ 8 „ or £1 12s. „

Maid servant „ 6 „ or £1 „

« Men servant for two months - 20 dollars „

Mar employed per day during harvest, 1 dollar per day.
Taxa.'' on 200 acre farm, 72 dollars, or £14 Ss.

1 sailed from Sarnia, at the foot of Lake Huron, on board the steamship Ontario, Captain
Hobertson, bound for Duluv h, a to^vn in Minnesota at the head of Lake Superior, and had for
fellow-passengers several Canadian farmers. The following is the rotation followed by Mr. Eck-
ford, near Dunkeld Station, v'^l jnty Bruce, Ontario. He breaks up the field, sows It with pease ;
^hen pease ore remr -oii nexV year, he ploughs and sows it with whert in the fall, about 16tb
September. Next j'ear again the wheat crop comes off at the end of July ; he then ploughs it,
•na in the winter takes out his manure and puts it in heaps on the field. As soon as the land is
dry in spring, he spreads and ploughs it in. About 1 st June he drills It np and sows turnips,
twenty-two to twenty-four inches apart, and thins them at from twelve to fourteen inches. His
first ploughing is as deep as the team can afford — about eight inches. The soil is clay.

.We left Duluth by rail for Winnipeg.

From what could be seen that evening on the railway cuttings, the soil was black vegetable
mould. I could see that a great level tract, interspersed with swamps, formed the general
feature of the country.

Night having come on and rain, we arrived at St. Boniface, opposite Winnipeg, under most
inauspicious circumstances. The streets of Winnipeg came into v ew by light of the windows,
but they were mud. It was with a feeling of relief that we got landed at our hotel. The land-
lord, who was a Canadian Highlander, received us kindly, and, aftur some trouble to himself,
owing to the lateness of the hour, and the absence of waiters and others, got us as substantial a
supper as the circumstances could afford. The house, however, was fuUy occupied. I got a
shakedown, and spent the first night in the Prairie City pretty comfortably. Aiter breakfast
an English fellow-passenger and I went to St. Boniface in search of our luggage which was
to be examined. We grudged the 50 cents each that were paid on the preening night, and
were determined to walk rather than be fleeced again. The morning was dry, but the
wooden pavements were as slippery aa glass with the greasy mud. We reached the Ked River,
and crossed in the ferry-boat, which was of great beam and capacity, and could take not a
few buggies, waggons, etc., v>'ith their horses and occupants, over each time. I forget the fare
paid. We reached the opposite side, and then saw the steep bank which we descended on the

i>revious night, which we now ascended with great difficulty. We soon thereafter got our
uggage passed by the Custom-House officer. A person with ' checks ' asked us if we wisned our
luggage sent to our hotel. We agreed that It should be sent, and had to pay 75 cents for two
articles, or 150 for four. We smarted under this, but there was no help for It. I suspect that
before we got the luggage to the hotel, and paid the ferry both ways, it was a pretty expensive
Item. My companion and I then called upon Mr. Hespeler, and received a n.ap and printed regu-
htlons respecting the disposal of certain public lands for the purposes 6f the Canadian Pacific
Bailway. He also gave me a jotting of the route he suggested I should take, in order to see the
country. Several things combined to prevent my following his route. I bad, therefore, to devise
» route for myself. By the time the call was made, and another call at a bank, we found that
the steamer for Portage la Prairie, which was the place I Intended proceeding to, bod sailed up
the Assinibolne ; and as there was no stage till Monday I had nothing for it but to wait at
Winnipeg.

In the Interval, having been advised by Mr. Sinclair, Millet Street, Glasgow, to call on Mr.
Gerrie, Winnipeg, who owns land at Sturgeon Creek, I did so, and Mr. Gerrie kindly offered to
dnve nae to his farm when i\w roads became passable. At present they were absolutely impass-
able. I was, therefore, somewhat down-hearted at my bad fortune in losing the steamer and
being detained at Winnipeg, but bore up the best way I could. Meanwhile, I was introduced
by Mr. Gerrie to Mr. Bathgate, Main Street, Winnipeg, who informed me that coal had been
discovered on the Souris River, and is in course of being worked, and some of it brought down to
Wmnipeg He said that a railway is likely to be constructed between Winnipeg and the Souris
Biver, also that coal had been found on the Pembina Mountain. Further, that great quantities of
coal, of the very best quality, had been discovered on the Saskatchewan River, but that, in the
meantime, this was very far distant. He also stated that on certain parts of the Canadian
FafcJfic line of railway not only «oal but other minerals were reported to have been found. Mr.
Bathgate took me to an office in Winnipeg whe— T procured a specimen of the coal from the
oouiiB Kivcr, which I baive iu my possession now.

.^Mmm

Mr. Etigh JlieLean'a Report.

t^

n

Tb« following !■ the experience of Mr. McCorqnodale, Headingley t

Ho loft Craignlsh, Argyleahire, in 1853, for Canada. Had manv bardBhIpa when he came to
Canada. Bought 100 acres at 1 dollar per acre ; had to dear It all of wood. The land was in
the township of Greenock, baclc of Kincardine, Lalce Huron. He got on very well there. Two
of hia sons and himself, throe years ago, came to Manitoba to see the conntry. It pleased him
so well that he did not return to Canada. His sons returned temporarily. He himself spent
six weeks travelling through the country, looking for a suitable place. He did not sleep in a
bed all that time. He took this farm by share from the proprietor, Mr. Cunnlnghame. Mr.
McCorquodale's terms wore to work the farm and get half the profits. During the first year he
looked out for a suitable place elsewhere, and purchased one of 820 acres for hunself, and one of
820 for his son, In the south of the province. There Is a good dwelling-house on each farm.
The farms are partly sown and partly planted, ready for his going there next month. I drove ■
through these farms on a future day. They were next t« the Mennonite Settlement, on the way
from Pembina Mountain. Other four sons bought each 820 acres at the back of Bock Lake,
about 60 miles farther west. He considered that Manitoba was very far before that part of
Canada he came from, but the roadc, he said, were very far behind. This was certainly a
great Inconvenience to new-comers. ' Anyone coming here,' aald he, ' taking up • house, has
nothing to complain of, comparatively ; but If one has not got a house, he must prepare to go over
the country and pitch his tont, and that is not always agreeable.'

The following is a statement by Colin, his son, of the capabilities of the land presently
farmed by his father :

' Wheat (2 bushels sown per acre) produced 85 bushels. The wheat Is sown In spring. Fall
wheat Is not generally sown In Manitoba, but a test has been made, and It has succeeded.
Reaping commences in August. The land is ploughed right up that same fall, when wheat is
sown again in spring in Bucccssion for vears. Weight, 64 lb., never lesu than 60 lb. per busheL

' Oats average 75 bushels per acre, but it is not unusual to take 100 bushels off. Sow 2} to
8 bushels per acre. Outs weigh B 9 lb.

' Barley does well. Sow 2 bushelb per acre, returns 60 bushels.

'Potatoes — 3 bushels planted produced 87 bushels ; 400 bushels have been raised per Mre^
but not on his father's farm.

•Turnips do weU.

' Indian-corn does not ripen. Farmers cut It green, and It makes an excellent feecL

' Cabbages, carrots, kttuces, parsnips, cucumbers, melons, squashes, eta, do well.

• Have not yet grown apples. Old settlers have grown them.

'Prices— Wheat, 65 to 105 cents ; oats, 42 to 75 cents ; bai-ley, 60 to 65 cents ; potatoes, 60
to 125 cents. Ths two priced are fall and spring rates.'

All round Is a grazing country. If a man cuts aa much grass as will feed his cattle, it Is'
then suitable for grazing.

The hot weather Iwgins in June, about 1st. June is the wet month ; more rain falls in It
than in all the other months.

July is hot, with occasional thunder-showors. _, - ,^ . .., . . ^:,.

August, warm and dry, ! • , V, -|

September, do. "/ ,' ''"'■?"

October, cool but dry.

November, winter sets in about 10th. It sets in with frost and occasional falls of snow, but
not much snow.

December, snow falls about 20th. The greatest depth on the level Is 22 inches,

January, snow falls.

Februanr, do.

March, begins to get a little warm ; about 15th begins to thaw,

April, snow being off at -^tter end of Alarch, begin to plough and sow, Weathev ploarant
for working.

May, usually fine weather, and devoted to sowing purposes.

The months of March, April, and May are spring ; Octolwr is the fall

Labour. — Farm servants, 16 dollars per month, £4.

Maid servants, 6 „ „ £1 4a. >

Day labourers, 1^ i, to 1^ dollar per day.

Taxes, — No taxes till this year, except the school-tax. •

Water is very good In his place — the very best, pure spring ; but In some other parts It is
Impregnated with alkali, and of a saltish nature.

Soil. — If the grass is short and smooth, and not a close sward, that ground is not good. If
the grass is long, close sward, and the soil black clay loam, that ground b good. Manuring the
alkui land with stable manure makes it good. The soil where alkali is, is of A sticky nature,
and manure loosens it.

N.B. — I found this disputed elsewhere. Some say that two crops of beet absorb the alk»U,
others laugh at the idea, and say, ' Have nothing to do with it,'

Grain is sold without any trouble to merobants.

' 'i 'l

hi

a4

Mr* Hugh McLeavi* RtporU

Miloh-oows average 85 dollan, or £7. They can b« bought at that in the country easily.
Cows are crosa betwoon native cattle and thirham bull. Team of horses cost from 250 dollura
to 800 dollars per pair, that is £60 to £00. Team of oxen, 140 dollars to 180 dollars, or £28 tu

- £88.' Mrs. MoCorquodale says a cow will make 100 lb. of butter In the season, from May up to
the end of September. Price, 20 to 25 cents— yielding £4 to £6. In winter the price ia BO
eelits. Sweet milk cheese Is 20 to 25 cents. Eggs, 26 to 35 conts \nix dozen. Poultry : 1 dollar
for young turkeys} 3 dollars for gobbler, and 1 dollar ft r turkey hens ; 26 cents for common

- hens ; 1 dollar each for ducks ; 6 dollars for a pair of ^eese.

I left Headingley next morning, driven in an Indian cart, and proceeded to the River Sale.
We parsed through three very bad swamps, from three-quarters to one mile broad, and of
todefinite length. These swamps might be drained Into the Asainiboine and Sale Rivers without
tmich dilBculty. The Indian pony, Jeannie, dragged her owner an'l myHclf through the swamps
And over the prairie grass, eating a bite and running as uhe aic, without buing in the lenut
fatigued. Her driver used neither whip nor switch, but only a kind word of praise, which Hhe
evidently understood, or a word of caution, which she understood equally well, or an appeal iu
energy, which aet her all aflame when she came to a difficult spot She was th^ best of punies.
Her ot'^er's name was Emou.

Mr. Alex. Murray, of the hostelry of the River Sale, a branch of the Aosiniboine, has a
stock <rf twelve cows. The spring was so wet that he did not sow wheat. He ways the carriage
of wheat to Winnipeg takes 25 cents off the price. He mentioned that he had a farm for sale
In the county of West Marquette, parish of Portage la Prairie, of which he gave me both par-
ticulars and price.

We left the River Sale next dav in company with a Canadian, he being on horseback. We
Wete both bound for the l3oyne settlement. We passed some very bad sloughs and went through
three large swamps. The prairie grass was very good and abounded with dog-roses, which
dotted It a'J over, growing about eighteen inches high, and which were very beautiful. The
principal grasses were bon( grass and buffalo-grass, a brown graeis said to be good for cattle, also
goose-grass, said to be very good for horses. These grasses indicate good soil. There is another
glass in the prairie called by some arrow-grass, by others spear-grass. When drawn and thrown
it sticks like a dart, and is bad for sheep and cattle. It is always avoided for hay. The arrows
had dropt off when I was in the country. We arrived at Mr. Johnstone's farm on the Boyno
after a long journey, during which the Canadian horseman was left behind, his horse havin<^
become exhausted, and he himself being obliged to dismount and walk. He was close to a farm
at that juncture, whi^h relieved my apprehensions for his safety.

We sojourned with Mr. Joseph Wells Johnstone, who came from County Oxford, Ontario, in
1870, and settled on this farm. Since he came to Manitoba his wheat has averaged 82 busiicLs

Ear acre, but he has thrashed it at 52 bushels and at 60 buRhels, and five years ago at 48 bushels,
ast year it was 20 bushels. He sows 1 bushel and 5 pecks to the acre.
As to oats, he considers this the best of countries for oats, which weigh 42 lb. per bushel, and
produce 70 bushels per acre. He has known, at Headingley, a field of ten acres produce ICIO
bushels, or about 100 bushels per acre.

Barley weighs from 48 to 52 lb., and an acre produces from 50 to 60 bushels. Finds a
inarket at Winnipeg, which is sixty miles distant from this. He grows no Indian com. Price
of barley last year, 60 cents ; cat3, 50 cents ; wheat, 1 dollar ; potatoes, 60 cents per bushel ;
butter, 25 cents per lb.; pork, 10 cents.

The system he adopts is : Starts ploughing about 15th June, and breaks land till 15th July.
Leaves it lying till following fall. This ploughing is as shallow as possible — say 2 inches — and
from 12 to 14 Inches broad. In the fall ne backsets it — that is, ploughs it the same way, being
8 inches deep and 12 to 14 inches wide. He harrows it in spring, and sows it with broadcast
seeder. Has a 10-^orse power thresher ; charges 4 J cents for threshing wheat, 3^ for barley,
and 3 for oats. Sows timothy and white clover. Timothy is a splendid success ; has one piece
which he cut in July, and expects to cut it again before winter. Mangel-wurzel does well,
and 80 do turnips ; also onions, carrots, gooseberries, currants, and rhubarb. Buckwheat grows
well, so do cucumbers, melons, squashes, and strawberries.

With regard to flies, he says that the bull-dog is dreadful in July on horse and cattle — makes
a horse lean, and he won't eat. The mosqtiitoes need no comment; they are very toublesomo.
The buffalo-gnat is very bad for horses and cattle in June and July. There is also the sand-fly,
which is not very bad, but is found where there is high grass and scrub.

May is a very nice month. ,

June, very wet.

July, very hot ; hotter than Ontario— up to 100* in the sliada,

August, showery and cooL

Sepfember, fine weather.

October, very fine month.

November, fine month ; clear and frosty.

December, snow — 1 foot average ; freezes Very hard

January, very cold ; thermometer froze up Igst winieri

Febru
Marcl
April,
The H(
la good in
felt so mi
gays that
Manitoba
attribute
He ha
one crab-i
all I coul
I shoi
We passe

We
who owni
its prosen
for nre-ei

■KwpvmM

Mr. Hugh MeLecnf* HeporU

9b

Rivor Sale.
>a(), and of
era without
;he Hwnmps
n the Jenkit
which she

1 iy>pcal to
of ponioa.

Qine, bad a

ie carriage

in for sale

both par-

ack. We
it through
les, which
ful. The
attle, also
la another
id thrown
he arrows
he Boyne
»e havin;^
to a farm

ntario, in

2 bushcLi

3 bushels.

she], and
lice ICIO

Finds a
I. Price
■ bushel ;

ith July.
ie« — and
•y, being
roadcast
p barley,
no piece
>es well,
it glows

—makes
►lesomo.
and-fly,

Febnuiry, eold month.

liarcb, not so odd ; anow beglna to melt.

April, fine month.

The Holl is black . *<sfetable mould and day bottom. The wate» la apring water. Th» water
ti good in the Bojme settlement. He says the heat, oven when the themiometer is at 80", is not
fait so much as in Ontario, as there is always a fresh breeze. Although very cold in winter, hu
gays that cold is more endurable than in Ontario, there being loss changeable weather in
Manitoba. He spoke of the Indians dying in the spring of the year from consumption, but
attributed this to their being careless as to keeping their feet dry.

He has seven cows and three teams of horses. I took samples of oata and wheat. He haa
one crab-apple tree bearing fruit, of which he is very proud. Mr. Johnstone added : ' In Ontario
all I could do was to make a living ; here I have mode money.'

I should have mentioned that we passed the Poplars before coming to the Boyne settlement.
We passed Tobacco Creek settlement, which lay east of ua.

We atarted on the morrow for Nelson ville, but were overtaken by Mr. Inman, of the Boyne,
who owns 800 acres of land there, Mr. Inman spoke of a blue flower that always indicated, by
its presence, good water. He mentioned that he paid 10 dollars for 160 acres, and got IQO acres
for nre-emption price. He bought scrip for the balance. He has 60 acres in crop,

Wheat will average 30 bushels per acre, 60 lb,
Oats „ „ 40 „ „ 34 ..

Barley „
Potatoes

48

II 80 „ „

„ 260 „ „ 60 „

He stated that he does not make butter, but rears cattle. The price of wheat b 1 dollar
per bushel ; oats, 65 cents ; barley, 60 cents ; potatoes, 25 cents in the fall and 60 in the apring i
butter, 20 cents. Young cattle can be bought in the fall for from 7 dollars (£1 8s.) to 10 dollars
(£2) per head. Hay can be made here, deducting expense, tear, and wear, for 1 dollar (or 48.)
per ton. Two tons of hay, with aome straw, will winter a yearling well. A three-year-old steer
Is worth from 86 dollf <s (£7) to 60 dollars (£10). Hence he considers it is more profitable to
rear cattle than to grow wheat. This is the way he puts it : ' Wheat was worth 1 dollar per
bushel in Winnipeg last season ; the year before, 60 cents only ; 40 bushels can be taken in a
sledge in winter over the ice, by a team of oxen, to Winnipeg, sixty miles distant, It iakea five
dftya to make the round trip.

' A man and his team is worth 2 dollars 50 cents per day . 912*50
Expenses on road not less than ......... 8'00

'\

Price of 40 bushels, at $1
Off expenses . •

40 bushels realise

920-60

940-00
20-60

919-60

' Actual price of wheat 48 cents, or 2s. per bushel.'

He says that a man on the river brought in 12 sheep from Ontario, and they are doing very
well, as he has lost none yet. Prairie dogs are dangerous for sheep. Water is good, and there
is good timber near him. The Dominion harvesters are very bad [N.B. — ^The blackbirds who
feed on wheat]. Wages, 15 dollars (£3) per month for farm servants, 25 dollars (£6) per month for
haying and harvest months ; 6 dollars for maid-servants (£1 4s.). Taxes — School-tax is Aths of a
cent per 1 dollar, according to the value of the land and other property ; he is also bound to give
three dajrs of road labour for each 160 acres be owns, or pay 1 dollar 60 cents per day.

The province is divided into municipalities, in each of which there is a warden and five coun-
cillors. In the municipality in which Mr. Inman lives, every man takes care of his own o^ttle,
and is responsible for any damage done by them to his neighbours' crops from 1st April to Ist
October. After that they are free commoners.

Pigs are profitable— 8 dollars per 100 lb. They are fed on cracked barley,

Fife wheat is sown mostly on the Boyne, also red chaff wheat.

Oats — black oats chiefly, and white oats also are sown.

A man coming here to settle, should start with oxen for the first two years, until be gets
enough crop to feed the horses. Having to erect a house, his horses are standing exposed to the
weather, whilst the oxen will take care of themselves.

Having arrived at Nelson ville, I washed with soap and water in the hotel, and felt an nn*
eommon irritation over my face, whilst my hair and beard seemed to be glued. Z was told that
this arose from alkali water, and that no soap should be used in washing.

Mr. Nelson, founder of the town, stated that when searching for water and digging his welL
which is the well from which the inhabitants obtain drinking water, tiie vegetable mould

wu 18 Inchoa to 8 fe«t cl««p; then 3 to 4 foot of marly clay ; then 5 foot of Rolld grey clay ;
blftok MApatone. The water la generally found betwoun the clay and nott^toiie, 'If not
OMsful,' added Mr. Nelaon, ' try another place.'

Wheat produocf 20 to 30 busbeli por acre. Weight por buRhoI, 64 to C6 Ita^

Oati „ 40 to 90 „ „ „ „ 38

Barley „ #0 to 60 „ „ n m <'0

Potatoea „ kOO m h

Ifr. Nelion came to Manitoba in 1877. He had planted cuoumbera, puttttuos, cabbage
very weakly plants — on the 28th June, and they nil came good. .r

Beeta, turnips, and maneel wurzel do welL

Mr. Nelson corroborated ^irevious statements as to the weather, remarking that the therl
mometer showed 110° in the shade in July, but that one could stand the heat butter in Manitnlii
than in Ontario. He thought that the cool nights helped it. There are only two or three nighti|
In t^e year, he said, that they don't use blankets.

He remarked that the thermometer froze last winter, but that the cold was endurable wheil
there was no wind. He is a miller by trade, having grist mills which grind wheat, etc., at ls|
oenta por bushel

Nelsonville Is • thriving little place, and the inhabitants are kindly. It is destined to be i|
place of considerable trade, as it is on the track to Turtle Mountain, which is fast settling ual
Mr. Nelaon showed me next day tomatoes sown on the 10th May, which promised to ripen. I tookl
aamplea, bnt they did not keep. He showed me cauliflowers, estimated by him at 4 to 6 lb,[
weight. Potatoea — early roses keep till the now ones come again. Plant thorn from Ist May toi
1st June. I took two samples, and one potato from a seed planted on 3rd July. When the hiUi
was dug there were aeventeen potatoea on it, the sample taken being the biggest. I also took an I
Average onion.

The Pembina Monnt is a rising eminence, so gradual in ascent that I could not discover that |
I waa aacending it. It is pretty thickly wooded from Township 4 north, but has not such unin>
temipted good prairie. Tnere is said to be a stretch of sandy land not very good for settlement
beyond It, out good land comes again at Turtle Mountain, which ia well wooded. Crystal City
la on the eaat aide of Bock Lake.

' The Rev. Mr. Edwards, whom I met, stated that there was plenty of land all through the
oonntry that oould be got from men holding the land on Crown patents. Tobacco Creek is con*
aldered the best settlement in the country. The ho-I is loose black vegetable mould, clay bottom.
The water ia very good there ; wells can be had from eight to twenty feet deep. Wood is rather '
acarce, being from six to eight miles distant. Blackbirds (or Dominion harvesters, as Mr. Inman
oidled them) resort to wo<^ and water, but will not go far away from a good supply of both.
All tixe land about Tobacco Creek is owned by private /.idividuals. Mr. Edwards stated that
6 dollars an acre was the highest price asked for land, ao.d from the location be considered it
reaaonable at that price.

Having now turned towards Mountain City we passed Minniwoshtey, meaning ' good water,'
•Iso Adamsod Creek and Deadhorse Creek. I was struck with finding boulders of granite on
the road to Mountain City, being evidently floated there during the glacial period.

The number of houses that Mountain City rejoices in is eight, but it will probably be a btg
place by-and-by. After leaving Mountain City the stage proceeded to Stoddartville, where we
pot up for the night. Mr. Stoddart had very good t rops. Next morning we started early, pass-
tag Calamity Creek and Liffey Creek, an Irish settlement, and the farm of Mr. Wiudram, M.P.,
Blnff, South Dufferin.

Ultimately, after passing variooa farms, amongst others, Mr. McCorquodnlc's, we came to
Aoatervitch, a Mennonite village. Before coming to it we aaw a great patch of alkali land.
TIa crops in this neighbourhood were light

We could, on looking back, now discover that we had descended the mountain, but the
doBoending was not realised in the act. The Mcnnonites have very good crops. Their cattle
paature together in great herda. They had steam threshers, and all their houses were neatly
thatched. They also had machine-houses to hold their agricultural implements.

An accident happened to our stage by the rim of the left fore wheel coming off, which
we repaired under peculiar circumstances. We come soon to County Touro, Bhineland, and
met a party of emigrants. We passed Snipe Lake, and perceived a horse threshing-mill
treading the com under foot, according to the Eastern custom. We met the Governor of
the Mennonitea driving oat. A large windmill made of wood was in one of the villages.
Ultimately we came to Nyonloch, and dined- in a Mennonite cottage. Evory thing was very
cle.vi and tidy. Simflowera were cultivated in the gardens, as were also poppies.

We came next to Grangehall, ultimately to the River Moraye, and saw Smuggler's Point,
Dakota, not far off. Finally we crossed the Bed River, and entered the thriving little city
of Emerson. The city of Emerson contains about 1,500 inhabitants, and it appeara to be a
place where a good busineas ia done. The mud ia not quite ao bad as that of Winnipeg,
bnt it ia bad enough.

M^ im jiiUMj imm.

w

'1/ not

Rtthbage

phat the therj
In Manitob.
three nighti

Im-able wheJ
|ttt, oto^ at 111

itlned to be ij
i Battling up,
•ipon. I took
at 4 to 6 lb.
I lat May to
Vhen the hill
oIbo took an

disooTer that
ot mich unln-
)r settlement
Cryatal City

through the
C-roek is con-
clay bottom,
'ood is rather
a Mr. Inman
Wol both.
:* Btated that
considered it

good water,'
f granite on

bly be a bJg

e, where we

early, pass-

iram, M.P.,

i^e came to
^ali land.

in, but the
rheir cattle
vere neatly

off, which
leland, and
38hing-mill
ovemor of
e villages.
: was very

or's Point,
little city
a tu be a
^Vinnjpcg,

On Monday I returned to Winnipeg. The ■treet* by tbd t'iine bnd drltd up, but the
iota uiftdo driving very unpleasant.

The following are the pricea of certain articles at Winnipeg s Breaking plough, 25 to 29 dollan )
flommon plough, 16 to 22 dollan ; reaper and mower combined, 200 dollam ; horse hay-raker,
86 to 46 dollan ; waggoga, 95 dollan ; spades, 1 dollar ; shovels, 1 dollar 25 cents ; hayforks,
76 cents ; manure forks, 1 dollar ; harrows, 15 to 35 dollan ; two hoop pails, 25 cents ; three
boop pails, 80 cents ; Id in. tubs, 90 cents ; blankuts, 8 dollan ; wood, 20 to 40 dollan pet
1,000 feet ; dressed wood, 80 to 60 dollan ; shingios, 6 dollars per 1,000 ; lathes, 6 dollan
per 1,000 ; naiU, 6 dollan per 100 lb. ; doon, 2^ dollars ; sashos, 1 dollar per pair j single
harness, 20 dollan ; double, 86 dollan ; hay, 7 to 12 dollars per ton.

The population of Winnipeg is from 8,000 to 10,000, and that of the Province of Manitoba
is said to be 100,000. The Indians are supposed to number about 4,000. Ttiore are about
13,000 balf-breods, who are a mixture of English and Indian, Scotch and Indian, and Iriitb
and Indian. The Mennonitcs are Ruttsian, and number about 7,000. There are about 18,600
French in the province.

The Province of Manitoba Is Id latitude 49* O' to 50* 2' north. It contains 9,000,000 acres,
and is divided into four counties — Selkirk, Frovenchcr, Lisgar, and Marquette (and these
bto twenty-four districts), each of which votums a member to the Dominion Parliament. The
land in the province is divided into ten strips.

1,400,000 acres of land are reserved for the Indian half-breeds and 612,000 acres for the
Mennonites. The sections throughout tbo province belonging to the Hudtwa Bay and school
districts are likewise reserved. There are also Indian reserves.

Unless the land held by speculation is thrown open the tide of emigration must flow west*
ward ; so that until the country is opened by railways, its future prosperity must undoubtedly be
greatly retarded. The wild animals of Manitoba are deer ; bears, brown and black ; prairie
wolves, not formidable to man, but destructive to sheep ; foxes, badgers, skunks, gofers, and the
common grass snake. Grosshoppen and frogs. Locusts were very destructive some yean ago,
but they nave not ro-appeared. It is noticeable that all wild animals fall back with the advent
of the white man. Buffalo bones are conunon on the prairie, but no buffaloes. Although I
went through what was last year a boar country, not c bear was visible this year. The mos-

Juitoes and other fly pests become less venomous as agriculture advances. As for fowl, there are
ucks, bittern, prairie chickens, and partridge ; and of birds of prey, hawks of great size ; also
several othen whose names I did not ascertain. The prairie does not look like a solitude ; there
is always plenty of life moving about. The gross reminds one forcibly of fields of waving rye-
grass. Trees are found along the coune cf streams. In some parts they have to drag wood a
distance of twelve miles. Compressed straw and manure is used for fuel by the Mennonites,
though wood is not far distant from their settlements.

Bad land is easily known from the smoothness of the surface, the sort of bluish -green of the
grass, and the very sickly hue of the thin vegetation. There is no alkali where timber grows.
The wolf -willow, a sort of scrub, grows on good land. Moles or gofen show hills which, if of
black clay or loam, without grey or white clay or gravel, indicate good land. When light clay
or gravel is turned up, the land is not desirable.

The best time to look at land is in July, August, or September, when the gross shows it. If
one goes in March be is in danger of his animals being starved. If he goes in June the roads are
impassable, and he is liable to be stuck up. A farmer going can travel better and cheaper by

Eurchasing his horse and buggy and afterwards selling or keeping them. After selecting his lana
e baa to secure it at a land office. Then he has to purchase material for a house and to build
it ; then to break up his land. He has then to go bock for his family. One way or another, ha
will be put to immense inconveniences and considerable expense before he can settle down.

I returned to Ontario vid Sarnia, by the steamer Quebec, Capt. Anderson, and visited Captahi
Morrison's farms in Corunna, being afterwards driven by him over the township. On his farm
the red clover grew naturally. His apples were the golden russet, the pear apple, the snow
apple, the strawberry apple, Rhode Island greening, northern spy, Newton pippen, etc. The
wheat-straw was put up in stacks for winter-feeding. The cattle came rotmd it and helped
themselves. A young bull cam^o us tossing his head. ' Ah,' said the captain, ' he is missing
his salt.' All the cattle get an TDlowance of salt. He had splendid timothy hay stored up in
his bam. He showed me a stump extractor. Hid farm evinced that he was an energetic and
successful cultivator of the soiL A sailor till four years ago, he is by no means the worst fanner
on the St Clahr. His lands are well fenced, his fields are levelled, and be is now underdraining
the soiL The water used on his land is from the river. It is allowed to be less tinged wi^
alkali than any water in Canada. Since bis return from Prince Arthur's Landing on Lake
Superior, be started underground draining.

' The weather at Corunna,' said Captain Morrison, ' Is a bluster of snow in March, which soon
disappears. _'^ April the frost gets out of the ground, and he ploughs about the 10th. May
Is fine weather ; puts in balance of seeds, and on to 20th Juno, and then there is rain. July
li the oom harvest for fall wheat ; August, the general harvest. September, sow fall wheat

ill

■{■^

»i|,

Jff. BP^/tgh MeLean*$ Hcport.

u

p

lli

October, fine month. November, broken Scotch weather. December, frost stops the plo^
Oanuary, winter ; snow 1 foot. February, partly enow ; cold.'

He told me that there were several farms in his neighbourhood for sale. He also tolrl
of a faiiu belonging to bia father that he would wish sold. It is In the township of Finch, Stct]
mont, Ontario. I met at Samia several parties acquainted with people at home.

On returning to the township of Aldborough I made further inquiries as to returns.
Stalker's returns of wheat averaged 20 bushols per acre ; oats, 60 ; potatoes, 20 returns ^
bushel; barley, 160 bushels from 12 bushels; but this was not good, the season be?ng vei
unfavourable. During my absence they had bad a very wet harvest. He was wintering I'ji
three-year-old steers feeding with chopped stuff, peas and oats. Peas not doing so well wit^
the bug ; he uses Dr. Tachd's antidote. They put all the manure they can spare on the wbeM
land, BOW it with wheat and timothy and clover seed (5 lb. timothy and 5 lb. clover to each acre].
The average price of a three-year-old steer is 40 dollars, or £G. Visited Hector McPherson, Iona,|
from Rhunaltoaran ; Duncan McLean, West Aldborough. He thrashed 600 bushels of wheat!
from 21 acres, sown with If bushel seed per acre ; 40 to 50 bushels oats from 2 bushels sowing ;
$0 bushels barley per acre. Has 116 acres ; 90 under cultivation. Taxes, 25 dollars. Hii|
-rotation is wheat sown in fall, and clover among the braird in spring. Cuts it in July. Some,
times has a second cut of clover for seed. Ne;£t year he lets the clover grow up and ploughs Ul
under, and then gives fair crop of wheat again. The townships here are ten miles long by ten
miles brcKt. Mr. Dyke, in this township, sowed 12 acres wheat, and thrashed 277 busheU
Eaised 60 to 60 bushels Indian com per acre. Grazing is from 2 to 3 acres per cow. €rObi
hay, 2 tons per acre ; light crop, 1^ ton per acre. Turnips do not grow well in hard clay. I saw
many other Kintyre people — Mr. Bamsay, Mr Stewart, and visited a cheese manufactory owned
by James McLean.

I went to Lome or Bismarck, where I met with Mr. A. Kerr, from Kilmory, Lochgilpherd.
Left in 1818. Was in the woods all his life. His wheat averages 20 bushels per acre, weight
over 60 lb.; barley, 30 bushels per acre, weight 48 lb. He stated that 12 acres grazed five cows
for him all summer. A good cow should make 85 dollars out of cheese ; has cows that exceed
ibat, Leicester nheep require great care ; South Do^vns are best.

I mot with a Grerman gentleman, J. C. Schleihauf, who gave me information as to shingles,
flooring, etc.: The ^'ormer, 2 dollars 25 cents, per 1,000 ; the latter, 4 inches to 6 inches, 18 to
20 dollars per 1,000 feet. 1,000 shingles cover 100 square feet. Bricks worth about 5 dollars
per 1,000 ; drain-tiles, 2^ inches, 9 dollars per 1,000 ; 3 inches, 11 dollars ; 4 inches, 12 dollars ;
length, 12 inches. liiand can be bought here from 20 to 80 dollars per acre.

I visited St. Th6mas ; took rail for Dimkeld, County Bruce, Ontario. Saw splendid land on
the line from London City to Harrisburgh. Passed Guelph. The land here seemed to be gravelly
clay with loam above. Arrived at Dunkeld station late. Proceeded to Southampton, on Lake
Uviron. This countxy is not very prepossessing. Drove from Southampton to Owen Sound,
passing the Dageen Kiver, Chippewa Hill, and an Indian reserve of 12,000 acres. The soil is
ugfat and sandy. A good deal of bark is made from the hemlock-tree for tanning ; sells at
4 doUam per cord — that is, 8 x 4 h 4. Cedar is used for paving.

Passed the Sangeen Biver. Mr. Vandrick, who owns horses and buggies for hiring, Htatea
that be sold horses at 112 dollars each for Dulutb. The expenses to the purchaser were 20 dollars
for duty and 8 dollars for freight.

Tliere is a settlement at the Lake Shore of Lowland Scotch, who go in for feeding. They
pay liigh prices for buUs, have good cattle, and exhibited steers at Philadelphia.

We passed through the township of Keppel. We skirted along the Pottawatamie Falls. By-
•nd-by we approach^ Owen Sound. There is an immense ledge of limestone in its vicinity,
The town itself is beautiful oonpared to other towns which I had occasion to visit. There is
a market in Owen Sound daily. The price of wheat here is 95 cents per bushel.

Donald McKay, 4, Concession, Sydenham, mentioned that fall wheat averaged 80 bcdbels per
acre, but this is from land of which one-third is covered with stumps. When stumps are re-
moved, such land yields 40 to 45 bushels per acre. He considers this the best wheat-producing
district in Canada. The drawback here is that, having commenced poor, settlers were obliged
to take crop after crop off the land till it was cleared. Nqgpthat they are getting up in the
world, they intend to give it rest and to summer-failow it, and by this means believe its fertility
will be increased. Oats yield from 40 to 50 bnshebj per acre ; barley, 45 to 60. Tumipv ji^tv
to a very great size. Grow apples 13 inches in circumference.

A Mr. McLean, from a second year's crop ot wlieat, produced 100 bushels from 2J acroR, as
Btttt '■ "x) me ; that is equal to 40 bushels per acre. The price of cattle and horses corroborates
the price already given elsewhere, and the same for other produce. Average yield of hay, 1 to
1| ton per acre. White clover is natural to the soil.

The averaee number of covrs kept in a 100-acre farm Is five, with their followers. I s(tw here
Mfdcolm Gardener, from Margmouagach, Kintyre, and a brother. I also saw Franois MoNeale,
from Ombasdale Shore ; Hugh McDonald, a native of Islay, and otiiers. I passed five farms
belonging tc; Islay men from Port HlUen, The following is the system adopted by mum. After

breaking
(Iter this I
let ye
2nd yd
8rd yel
4th yel
Bth ye|
6th ye
Put:
7th.
foot yearfl
another ci
In thii
TlJ

gives a
years setij
Country

Came I
Went by ^
slowly — al
•What's tl
vrere on tl
goes on aJ
to stop th
of many I
racing us,
Next
exhibitioi
partly op<
not be f 0
Tlie It
people of
in this rei
I can eai
peaches a
Hamilton
remains.
bush — bri
grown,
of sylvatt
We pi
Falls of I
The 1
lengthy
Having r
Among <
cayenne
the Gov«
engine (I
and Ayri
cause m(
General
I the
land alu
that of '
Veterin
drove n
also kin
Istarte
sj^ef*
land is
and BWi
Asag(
The
farms i
straigh
Then
next a]

I

V' !■

)M iirw ifiiiMMiiwiiwt'iirrfmiwTfiriimi

Mr, Bugh MeLean'a Jt^tyrU

}pB the plon

Te also tolrl i
of Finch, St

returns,
20 returns ^,
3on be?ng vei
a wintering 1
g 80 well witJI
e on the wbeat
Br to each acre),
sPherson, lonj,
sheb of wheat
ishela sowing ;

dollara. Hii

July. Some,
and ploughs it
ea long by ten

277 buflhels,
Jr cow. Good
delay. I saw
factory owned

tiocbgUphecd.
r acre, weight
ized five cows
^8 that exceed

» to Bhiagles,
inches, 18 to
bout 5 dollars I
a, 12 dollara;

mdid land on
to be gravelly
ton, on Lake
)wen Sound,
The BoU is
ing ; sells at

hiring, Ntates
3re 20 dollara

ding. They

> Palls. By.
its vicinity,
t. There is

> bowels per
imps are re-
kt-producing
ifera obliged
ig up in the

its fertility
iroipv -(k^<vf

2^ acroR, as
corroborates
»J l»»y, \ to

I taw here
s UoNeale,
I five farnu
DM, After

breaking np a field It will fetch five good orops of wheat in Buccession, ot it may be worked
after thu fashion t

Ist year, sow it in fall with wheat.

2nd year, oats, or spring wheat.

8rd year, atiothor spring wheat crop,

4th year, another spring wheat crop, - ^

Bth yea*, a crop of peas. -> .:' ! \ -^

6th year, fit for spring or fall wheat.

Put manure on pea or oat ground, and sow wheat.

7th. After that crop, summer-fallow and seed down with timothy and cTovor. tet that lle~
four years, cutting grass a'lnually. Pasture two or three yev s, and it is (joiiaklorcd again fit for
another crop.

In this township, as in other townships, every man does what he consinera right in his own
eyes. The great trouble they ht.ve ia the limestone boulders — a good fault, for limestone rock
gives ^ good true soil. I thereafter drove through Holland township, which is twenty-oight
years settled, and, like the other, is a beautiful country. English, Irish, and Bcotoh i^ettlers.
Country a forest thirty years ago — infested with bears and wolvea.

Came to Chatsworth station ; visited the fair ; cattle not good, but market very good.
Went by train from Chatsworth to Toronto. On this line, the narrowest in Canada, our train went
slowly — about twelve miles an hour. Our passengers were drovers. The train stopped suddenly.
•What's up? Only poking the cattle.' 'Get up, get up, get up, will ye? Get up V Drovers
were on the line poking the cattle with sticks to make them rise up. After the poking the train
goes on again. By-and-by a frantic rush is made to the windows, and thereafter to the bell-rope
to stop the train, and we learn that five of the cattle had leaped out ! By-and-by, after a drive
of many hours through a poor country, enlivened by many incidents, such as a Scotch terrier
tacitig us, and barking furiously, night comes on, and we ultimately alight at Toronto.

Next day I went to Hamilton to attend the exhibition, but Canadian exhibitions are not like
exhibttionb in this coimtry. The cattle were not forward, and, aUhough the exhibition was
partly open, h had not been formally opened by his Excellency the Governor-General, and would
not be for a couple of days.

Tiie land in the neighbourhood of Hamilton needs no description. It is, according to tbo
people of that quarter, the garden of Canada. But the most of Canada is a garden. The orchards
in this region are extraordinary. Clover cut first in June is now (September) cut again for seed.
I can easily fancy what a beautiful country this must appear in spring, when the apples and
peaches are in blossom. It is literally a paradise. The soil in this district is a deep red. I left
Hamilton for a trip to Niaga-ra. The soil becomes of a lighter colour, but the fine vegetable mould
remains. The fields show wha*. splendid crops wero produced. More orchards, more reclaimed
bush — brick and stone houses. It was a relief to see a et-cne house. Indian-corn extensively
grown. Magnificent orchards. It is hopeless to describe the land ; it was one panoramic view
of sylvan and rural beauty.

We passed the Jordan. I came out at St. Catherines, and drove to Clifton, and visited the
Falls of Niagara. The land in this neighbourhood is limestone.

The falls and the banka of the river fire subjects for scientists, and would reqiure a very
lengthy description. They are valuable geologically, and every stranger should visit them.
Having returned to Hamilton, I went to the Exhibition, which was to be officially opened next day.
Among the exhibits were turnips of various species, cabbages, savoys, parsnips, beet, squashes,
cayenne pods, pumpkins, mangels, potatoes, a fine collection of wheats (spring and winter) from
the Government experiment farm, Ontario. The Toronto cordbinder. Thrashers (37 cwt.) and
engine (60 cwt.). Prairie Queen ploughs. No cattle forward except a contingent of Hereford
and Ayrshires, and a shorthorn steer and one cow. I could not lose another day, in case it might
cause me to lose a week ultimately, and therefore, to my great regret, left before the Governor-
General arrived.

I then went to Ottawa, and returned by the Grand Trunk to Montreal. The quality of the
land along this route, on the whole, is good, though I found that fall wheat, eqtlal in quantity to
that of the west, w&s not raised in it. I called on my townsman, Principal McEachran of the
Veterinary College, and waa' very kindly received by him and by his brother, Dr. McEachr**.:, "'ho
drove me far into the country, and showed me all objects of mterest around Montteal. I was
also kindly entertained by Mr. Drysdale, Mr. McNish, and Mr. Alex. Milloy. On the Monday,
I started for.the Eastern Towaships, going over the Victoria Bridge, which is tubular.

v.^efor'^ g<>hig to the Eastern TovvnKhips I should remark that, in the bush in Canadft the best
land is generally found where deciduous trees most abound. The pine growa on sandy ridges
and swamps ; on sandy ridgea it is of regular growth, on swampy land it occurs here and there,
As a genel'&l rule, deciduous treen, such as maple, beech, oak, etc., indicate good land.

The drive through the French country was delightful. It is a beautiful country, and the
farms are better cultivated than those on the liAe from Quebec. The system of fencing With
straight rails ia now introduced, and tho zigzag Ontario rails cease. We pass the river Beloeil.
The river may be about 200 yarda wide, and was of a sky-blue colour, like Lake Superior. We
next approached a place called the Mountain, which ia wooded to the base of « perpendicular

iM.\

40

Mr. Hugh McLean's Report,

precipice which was lost fn fog. The autumnal foliage is rich, abounding In green, pui
yellow, and brown.

The roofs of the churches are of tin, and the spires are also lined with that metal,
effect when the sun shines must be dazzling. The country consists of panoramic views of
beauty. In the fields, the ridges are not particularly straight — I believe designedly crooked,
have noticed the same phenomena in County Galway, Ireland, and in outfield lands in
own Highlands. I also observed that groves of poplar, which is a sacred wood in Cathol
countries, abound in the French country. At length we arrive at Durham. Alder bushql
are now seen. These bushes do not grow in Upper Canada, and here do not become trees, as i|
home. Ultimately we came to the St. Francis River. The scenery here is gorgeous. Paintia{l
itself would fail to represent the Ic^eliness of the foliage. A picture such as this would be cobj
demned as unnatural. We pass Richmond, Mr. McKenzie's farm, from Loch Broom; also Mi;|
Steel's farm. Un(^;rground draining is done here. We come to Windsor, where there is a pap«t.
mUL The salmon ascend fifty miles above Windsor. The variegated foliage of the forest
lovely. I never beheld anything more beautiful Mounds of earth are clad with trees paini
in exquisite colours, as Nature only can mix them. Faimhouses and lovely white cottages witll
green blinds add variety, while the broad river, like a huge snake, coils its way around the baw
of mountains fuU of colour. A graveyard on the opposite side reminds the observer that, not]
withstanding the beautiful surroundings, man is mortal.

We pass saw-mills, and see whole logs drawn up by machinery in order to be sawn. The|
river is blocked with rafts.

We arrive at Sherbrooke. My first visit was to Mr. Buchanan, township of Bury — 140 acr^
farm. ' When a field is broken up,' said he, ' oats or barley are put in. Wheat sometimes doei
well, and in some places better than either oats or barley. Next year potatoes manured, next
year wheat; and seed it down with timothy grass and northern clover, sometimes Alsike. White
clover is natuTul to the soil. In poor land the groimd is manured for second-year crop. It Ii
allowed to lie in pasture till its turn comes round.' When Mr. Buchanan came here six yean
ago the land was run out. The heaviest crop was a half-ton of hay per acre. He jnanured the
land for two years and cropped it, and laid it out to grass, and first year cut 1^ ton to the acre;
the second year 2 ton (part being manured and part not) per acre. In some farms this quantity
la taKen twice in the same year.

Eetums — Wheat, 26 bushels per acre i • i i
Barley, 30 to 40 bushels per acre . .
Oats, 30 to 50 bushels per acre (known to be 60)

60 lb. per bushel.

48

82

n

N

The oats are small long oats. Pease, raise them among oats — two -thirds of oata, and one-third
of pease. Beans good. Turnips do exceedingly well, but there is too much work in weeding
them. Wheat, 1 dollar per busheL Other cereals as in Ontario and Manitoba. Buckwheat
Mr. Buchanan said, does welL The more rain it gets the better it will be. It producos 50 to
76 bushels per acre. He sows 4 bushels of oats per acre ; wheat, 1} bushel ; barley, 2 bushels ;
buckwheat, 1 busheL Indian corn requires more manure in Bury than turnipe. 100 loads of
manure will produce 100 bushels of Indian com. Cattle sell 3 to 6 cents live weight. Horses,
100 dollars for good junk (15 to 16 hands) ; cheese, 12 cents ; butter, SO cents ; yearling, 10
dollars ; two-year-old, 20 dolla. 1^ acre pasture per cow sufficient ; has 5 milk cows and their
toUowers.

Henry Cowan, Gould, Lengwick, stated his returns of

Wheat to be 20 to 25 bushels per acre -v>,- > „■. <

Oats, 30 to 40 „ „

Barley, 15 to 20 off old, 25 to 30 off new land.

Sold four steers at 27^ dollars each, two and a half years old : bought some of these In the
fall at 9 dollars ; hay, 6 dollars to 8 dollars per ton ; butter, 18 to 25 cents ; beef cattle, 6 cents
per lb. ; store cattle, 3 cents.

Mr. Cowan remarked that this was a very dry season ; had resided in Lingwick forty-
four years and never saw the water so low.

Ontario, on the other hand, had a very wet harvest, and Manitoba was showery— exceptional
jircumstances in both provinces.

Mr. William Buchanan's farm :

Made 900 lb. of sugar out of 500 buckets of maple juice. Made 1,600 lb. weight of sugar
In the season, which sold at 8 dollars per 100. Was shown the maple trees and the apparatus.
Visited Mr. Biobert French's farm. He is into the thorough -bred business, and doing well.

Visited the meadows, which produce three tons of hay per acre.

Next day saw a well-manured graus field belonging to Lewis Molver, which also yielded tbret
tool of lu^ per aor*.

[green, pur

metal.
J views ol ..
Pj crooked.
I lands in o,
M in OathoL
[Alder buabjl
ae trees, as ill
». Paintia.!
I wonld be cojl
joom; also Sful
|ere is a paperf
T the forest i
I trees painte™
[cottages wittl
N>und the ba«|
rver that, notl

fe sawn. The)

.,'—140 acfoj
>metimes doeil
lanured, next!
laike. White |
ircrop. It 1,1

heresix veani
•manured thel
> to the acre;!
Uiis quantity]

T bushel
n

and one-third <
*k in weeding I
Buckwheati
•oducos 60 to
7t 2 bushels ; I
100 loads nf
ht Horses,
yearling, 10
WB and their

Mr. Hugh McLean's Report.

41

l^hese In the
'tlo, ff cents

Wok forty.

ixceptional

't of sugar
apparatus.

Idedthret

Arrived at Compton and drove to the Hon. Mr. Cochrane's farm. Was shown bis aplendld
Purbam stock — amongst these the 10th Duchess of Airdrie and three of her progeny, viz., 2 cows
gnd a heifer; 10 to 12 calves from the Duke of Oxford and Marquis of HiUhurst. Saw %
thorough-bred white cow — fat— shown at the Dominion Exhibition, Montreal, and which obtained
first prize. Shown also a two-year-old imported Ayrshire bull, a very fine animal ; also
the Duke of Oxford, a very famous Durham. The Duchess of Airdrie is twelve years old, and
her descendants have realised to Mr. Cochrane £30,300, being unprecedented in bovine history.
Was also shown other cows, all of excellent quality, kept for feeding the thorough-brad caJves. '
Mr. Cochrane does not pamper the Duchess, but keeps her in ordinary condition. He received
a friend who accompanied me, and myself, very kindly. Saw a splendid turnip field on his farm.
Eis farms are in the highest order of cultivation, and show what that soil is capable of producing
when farmed scientifically. His land was of less intrinsic value originally than other lands in
the neighbouring townships, but to the observer it would appear now to be vastly superior to
any in the district. Of course his success is inducing others to follow his example. Then are
no collections of field stones studded in heaps over his fields, as may be seen everywhere in the
Province of Quebec, and also in the townships about Owen Sound, Ontario, and elsewhere.
They are ^ut into substantial stone fences.

There is a plant in the disaict called the wild schumac, which causes the hands, and face to
f-vell if toucheid. The wild ivy also a£Fects some people even if they come within the wind of
«'. T<: is found in Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba, and also in the States.

i visited at Sherbrooke the Faton Woollen Mills, having received a note of introduction to
Mr. Paton from the Hon. Mr. Pope, Minister of Agriculture. These mills are very large. The
washing and cleaning machine disposes of 4,000 lb. of Canadian wool per 10 hours, or from 2,000
to 4,0()0 lb. of fine wooL Saw the dyeing vats, the burr-picking machine, 20 sets of carding
ouMshines, 24 spinning mules, each having 836 spindles ; 135 looms producing last week 711
pieces of cloth, each 25 yards long ; the hydraulic press, the patterns, and the machine shop.
The wprk employs from 600 to 650 hands. It is the largest in the Dominion, and the machinery
Is of the latest and most approved invention.

Visited the annual exhibition or fair. The best cattle are now sent off to BrittUn, and oonse*
qnently the fair-exhibits suffer.

I next went to Richmond, and visited the College of Agriculture, being very kindly received
by Principal Ewing. He informed me that wheat with him averaged from 20 to 25 bushels
per acre ; barley^ 80 bushels. Oats is generally a sure crop — 35 bushels to the acre.

HiB grounded his students well in arithmetic, algebra, Euclid, and land-surveying.

On the 2nd of October I went to see the Quarantine Depdt at Point Levi, which contained
many excellent cattle newly arrived from England. I thereafter started for St. John, New
Bronswiok, In this journey I passed over a great extent of French country, beautiful land*
■capes, f»''?in{{ mrious glimpses of the bays and havens on the St. Lawrence, and once more
beholdirg - v'lsii's shipping. The most prominent feature in the Lower Canadian towns and
villag> J h t^ -1 churches, which are of immense size generally, and the contrast between tiiese
bage piles i td vhe small dwellings is very marked. In the course of time we entered New
Brunswiu:.

This provin.'^e is divided into eight counties and fifty-nine parishes. The Bay of Chaleor
forms its north-western boundary, at the head of which lies Campbeltown. Very little farming
Is done there. It is famous for salmon-fishing, though that industry was not very successfiu
last year.

The salmon go up the rivers Bestigouche and Matapedia. There is a salmon -breeding establish*
ment which turns out three-fourths of a million of young fish yearly. The young fish, wLan fit
for removing, nre taken to other rivers along the Bay of Chaleurs. The salmon is caught by stake-
nets on the sea-coast, and on the rivers by fly. Salmon is very extensively exported. A fisherman
with a 800-fathom stake net averages 1,500 dollars value of fish during the season.

The specified distance between each stand of nets is 200 fathoms, but this is not always
rigorously enforced. Fishing begins 24th May, and ends with the last week of July.

There is a good system of schools in New Brun8v.ick. Education free. Personal property
b taxed, and eve^ man from twenty-one to sixty pays 1 dollar poll-tax.

The river St John is navigable for trading vessels of say fifty tons burden, and small steamers,
for about fifty miles of its course. Smaller craft can get up 150 miles. Among the fish are
salmon and sturgeon. Tlie banks are fertilised by the overflowings of the river, leaving allavial
deposits which manure and enrich the grass.

I ultimately arrived at St. John, which I made my head-quarters in New Brunswick.
I thereafter returned to Sussex Valley. The soil along the railway from St. John to Rothesay
Is vegetable mould on a sandy and mvelly subsoil. The rail skirts along the estuary of
St. J»hn River, which is wooded and has precipitous, bold cliffs. The scenery is very beautif oL
, Rothesay to QiUnspansia is hilly. There are good farms along the line. The soil from Quins*
' ransia to Nawigewa Is reddish. Dyke land, excellent for hay, occurs along the River St. John,
fram Nawigew* to Hampton there It beautiful green pasture^ uid much dyke land. Width tfl

M-'l

11

f.

ii

^ ■'Wi

m

i

k' ' iw

4S

Mr, Hugh McLtan's Eeport,

I:

rtver here approaches West Loch Tarbert. The country is beautiful and has a rich appeal ano^l
Soil, as turned over by the plough, is becoming, as we travel along, of a lighter red.

Passed Norton Station. The river-banks present splendid grazing. Passed Apohaguij
then some Indian wigwams covered with beech -bark.

Arrived at Sussex, and called, 4th October, on Mr. George A. Dobson. He showed mo ex.
coedingly good mangel-wurzel. He stated that his wheat produced 25 bushels to the acre
(spring wheat) ; oats, 45. Takes five crops in succession off his hay-ground. PotatocK, he
planted 4 barrels, and dug 104 barrels. The prolifics were the kind, but they rot more than
the others. The red safes have a red streak when cut, are latish, but very good. Has sllv<>i
dollars, a white potato. Had two oxen (Durhams) ; would weigh when 'at, live Weight,
8,800 lb. He fed and sold off 33 head of fat cattle last season.

His statement of the weather was that snow falls in December to a depth oic two feet, and
lasts till March. January and February are the coldest months ; hardiy any rain Ir winter
months. In March snow begins to decrease. April is rainy. Half of May to half of June
Is occupied in sowing and planting. May is mild ; June, very hot ; July, hot, little rain, thunder
generally ; August, hot, also thunder ; September, dry, with occasional showers.

Visited John Graham, from Girvan, at the cheese facuory. He conducted the first factory
tn the province ; makes from 25 to 26 tons per season. He mentioned that he knew of many
farms for sale. Land has not been so cheap these thirty years, he said, as at present. He sowed
7 bushels of wh^t, and thrashed 103, being 29 bushels per acre fully. Last year he had
33| bushels from*l| bushel sown, the extent of ground consisting of hardly an acre. Weevil
ttsed to be bad, but is not so now.

Oats average 45 bushels, and are sown 1st June, thrashed 2nd September. -
Potatoes : Considers New Brunswick the best country he ever saw for potatoes — has genettilly
20 to 20 returns.

Labour is from 60 to 70 dollars per six months — that is, £12 to £14 ; 14, 16, and 20 dollars
per month for haying. Girls, 5 to 6 dollars per month. Milk, 2 to 3 cents ; butter, 18 to
20 cents ; beef and mutton, 6 to 7 cents ; pork, 4 to 6 cents. On 500 dollars ud valorem a
tax of 1 dollar 80 cents is payable, and 1 dollar 25 cents for school. They have to give three
days' statute-labour on the roads, or pay >0 cents per day. Ministers are supported by voluhtary
oontribdtion. *

Schools ; No house to be more than 2^ miles from a school A house la seldom tnore than
three miles distant from a church.

Sussex ^'alley is a good district for Indian com, squashes, melons, pumpkins, etc. I there-
after drove flast Mr. Nelson Oinald's farm. Mr. Charles Haison's — a farmer who goes In for
vegetables, carrots, and strawberries, sending them into St. John ; he also grows plums, currants,
ana gooseberries. Mr. Hugh McMonikale breeds horses— from thirty to forty thorough -breds —
and has fenced in parks for training them. Passed many farms, all of excellent qudlity, with
splendid orchards aJttached.

The nature of tne soil in this district, as seen from a well in process of being dag, !s loalu on
top two feet thick, gravel two feet, red clay and gravel mixed all down to ten or twelve feeti
where water is got.

The forest ^ees are the pine, tamarac, spruce, birch, alder, cedar, maple, balsam, and birch.
Wild animals are the oat, bear, moose-deer, and cariboo. The latter are generally twenty miles
back in the forest. Calving cows can be purchased at from £6 to £6 ; yearlings, 12 to lIS
dollars ; two-year-olds, 20 dollars. The Permissive Act is in force in King's County.

We drove into a different township, and passed through many fine farms. The following is
^e rotation practised by some farmers. A field in pasture, on being broken up, is sown with
buckwheat. Next year half in oats and half in potatoes ; next year, put potatoes in where oats
of last year were ; and oats seeded down in potato ground of the preceding year ; next year, oats
and seeding down. Take hay crop off for three years ; pasture for a number of years acooMling
to extent of ground.

Mr. Nelson Coates, whose farm t did not visit, stated that his wheat would average 25 bushels,
and his oats 35 bushels per acre. He has a 330 acre farm, 160 of which are in cultivation.
Outs 100 tons of hay annually. Winters 60 head of homed cattle. The pasture give»! 2 acres
per cow taken all through, but in certain parts one acre would graze a cow well. Labour,
1 00 to 120 dollars for a man per annum; 60 to 70 dollars for six months. Has 22 milk
cows.

From a dealer I learned that South Downs and Leicester sheep are the breeds generally in
tills province, weighing as a rule about 80 lb. They are wintered on hay and grain, and can be
purchased at from 5 to 6 dollars, or £1 to £l 4s, Freight to Liverpool, 1 dollar iO cents frcin
Jtimouski on the St. Lawrence. He stated cattle freight to be 14 dollars.

The Sussex Valley is uncommonly fertile, and farms axe said to be easily purchased. Tlie
oiiy of 6t. John oontaiE« 82,000 Inhabitants, and baa a considerable trade. I was present at the
opening of the Provincial Didhibition. The d ''splay of agricultural produce was very aood indeed.
It is sitnated on the Bay of ^undy, where the tide rises some thirty feet. The nsn around ine
toast of the province oonsistB of siJmon, bening, gaaparoucbo, shad, haddock, pollock, lobster, and

Ihslihnt, Btt
lof Qnebeo
Ithe State o
I Having
Itbatof No
Undissepi

Ur. Sugh McLean*8 Report,

43

h appeaianojij
d Apohagul.j

owed me ox.

to the acre

PotitocH, he I

>t more than

Has sflvt'j I

live tveight,!

two feet, and
in In winter
i^If of June I
•ain, thunder ;

first factory
ew of many
He sowed
Fear he had
w. Weevil

asgeaet^lly

d 20 dollars

itter, 18 to

^ctlof-em a

give three

y voluhtary

toore than

I there-
goes In for
8i currants,
gh-breda —
idlity, with

is loalu on
iVelve feet,

and birch.
BJity miles

12 to n

Uowing is
own with
here oats
year, oats
MSooiNiing

) bushels,
tlvation.
'"■ 2 acres
liabour,
22 milk

Brally in
i can be
its frcin

t at the
indeed,
ind the

halibut, sturgeon abound in the rivers. This province is bounded on the north by the proyincu
of Quebec Mid the Bay of Chalear ; on the east by the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; on the west by
the State of Maine ; and on the south by the Bay of Fundy.

Having creased from St. John by steamer to Annapolis, I entered another very fine Province,
that of Nova Scotia. This province is boimded on the north by the Bay of Fundy and Chignecto,
and is separated from Prince Edward Island by Northumberland Strait. The Gut of Canso
separates it from Cape Breton ; otherwise, except at Amherst, where it is connected with New
Brunswick by an isthmus about twelve miles long, it is altogether surroimded by the Atlantic
Ocean. The length of this province is 260 miles ; its greatest breadth, 100 ; its area, 16,500
square miles. Gape Breton, attached to it, is 110 miles long by 90 broad. The population in
1871 was 387,000. The Catholics and Presbyterians are rbout equally divided, being about
103,000 each. Other denominations number about 181,000. There are fourt^jon counties in
Nova Scotia and four in Cape Breton. Nova Scotia is an undulating ooun'^ry, consisting of
hills, plains, and mountain ranges. The ridges run along the entire country, throwing streams
to the north and south. These ridges terminate in bold upright headlan(?j on the coast, and
flometimes graduate into verdant plains. Between the North Mountain, air ng the Bay of Fundy,
from Digby to Cape Blomidon, and the South Mountain in Annapolis an'i King's Counties, is a
beautiful valley, which was part of the subject of my visit.

The soil throughout the province is varied, the inferior being f.miid along the southern
shores. The best soil is on the northern. The counties along t'lo Bay of Fundy contain
much dyke land- that is, land that waa enclosed from the rivers by the early French colonists,
by means of earthen dykes. It is exceedingly fertile, having, without manure, produced splendid
hay crops for the last 150 years.

The winter sets in about the Ist of December, w'uen snow falls from one to two feet deep.
January, the frost is pretty severe. February, 20° to 24° below zero. Thermometer never
freezes. March is wintry, blustery weather, rain and snow.

Snow leaves about the last week of April and the first week of Liay. Then ploughing and
sowing are in full operation, and continues to the 10th of June. Potatoes and buckwheat
are in by the 1st of June. In the last week of July and first week of August, hay is cut.
Harves*: commences about the 20th August, and all through September. Spring wheat is cut
in September.

The steamer, on her way to Annapolis, touched at Digby, a considerable town. I was
impressed during the sail up the Annapolis Gut by the appearance of well-to-do farms and rich
dyke meadow land, comfortable houses, with orchards. I was not prepared for what was still
to be seen. I went by rail from Annapolis to Bridgetown. I visited the Paradise Cheese
Factory. They there can manufacture 15 cheeses per day of from 20 lb; to 80 lb. weight. The
factory is a joint-pt«>ck company composed of farmers in the district. They send in their milk,
and the proceeds, 'iter deducting expenses, are divided amongst the partners. They manufacture
sweet-milk cheese t^-ora 10th May to 10th October. Skim-milk cheese runs a fort'ilght. This
season they made 1,250 cheeses, the weight being 27 tons. 300 cows are about the number that
supply milk. The profits allow about 1 cent, per lb. of milK Two hands are employed in the
factory, and five teams. The cheese is sold in the local markets of St. John, Halifax, and Yar-
mouth. They manufacture the cheese on the principle invented by Jesse Williams, the first
cheese-maker in the United States. The average price for cheese is 12 cents. 86 head of swine
are fed with the whey. The following are the factories in operation in Nova Scotia : 4 in
Pictou County, 1 in Cape Breton, 1 in Hants, 2 ia Colchester, 5 in King's County, 8 in Annapolis, '
and 1 in Yarmouth.

Mr. Betton, Paradise, says that wheat averages 23 bushels ; oats, 25 bushels ; barley, 23
bushels per acre. Potatoes are not good with him ; they average 200 bushels per acre.
Mangel wtirzel, 500 bushels. Hay, 2 tons per acre. The best land in the county for hay is
the dyke-land. His farm is 101 acres. He goes in for raising oxen. Baises three calves a
year. Sells a yoke each year ; price, 8 dollars per 100 lb. The pair weigh together 1,400 lb.
dead weight ; live weight would be 2,800 lb. Farm labourers get 12 dollars (£3) per month
tor ordinary work. One dollar per day for haying, and f of a dollar for harvesting. Servant
girls, 4 dollars per month. Many of the girls go to the States. The county of AnnapoUs will
produce 150,000 barrels of apples, at 1 dollar 25 cents per banol ; and judging from the number of
voters in the county, and that the half of them are farmers who, as a rule, sell two oxen each
annually, there may be 8,000 oxen exported yearly for the English and Scotch markets front
Annapolis county alone.

I drove into the country, up ono road and down another, and Was charmed with the farms
and general appearance of prosperity. Notwithstanding all this, I was informed not only in
Nova Scotia, but also in New Brunswick, and in the Quebec and Ontario Provinces, that many
farms are heavily mortgaged, which means that heavy interest is payable for money advaoeea
to their owners, and that their owners are only too anxious co sell off thehr farms so as to hi
able to dear their debts ; so tltat there is a gnawing worm at the root of every tree, howevet
Dromlsiag It may be externally. The farms cor-lst of mountain land, npland, and interval
he4. Biidgatown, foortMO milM from Annr^^lis, is at the head of the navigation of thf

7

44

i£r. ffugk JlicLean't Hepori,

rivor, and I: the largest town In Annapolis County. I saw m vessel here of from 150 to 200

burden, that would draw probably from eight to ten feet when loaded.

The cry everywhere I went in Nova Scotia was, ' We want good agriculturists.' Bridgetovtl
would afford emplovment to many artisans ; a grist-mill is much wanted, so is a woollen-mil],
and a steam Baw-milL

Having left Bridgetown and Its beautiful fruits, I proceeded to Kentville, which Is environed
by hills. I here experienced the greatest hospitality from a fellow-countryman, Mr. Innei^
manager of the Annapolis and Windsor Eailway, not only in driving me over the country, hi
in explaining the nature of the district, and afterwards entertaining and lodging me.

We called on Mr. Leander Rand, township of Canning, near KentviUe, whose wh<i«t
averages 22 bushels per acre ; oats, 45 to 60 bushels ; Indian com, 40 bushels shelled ; potatoes,
225 bushels. Manure is spread broadcast. Hay gives 2^ tons per acre fully ; turnips, 1,000
bushels per acre. There is any amount of sugar maple in the district, but it is not ttimed to
account. Mr. Band has fourteen or fifteen acres in a solid block — ' big fellows, as big as i
barrel.' He has thirty -three head of cattle, and ^is farm is one of 200 acres. The grazing ii
at tbo ratio of six cows to eight acret^ Labour is 60 cents per d^y for a lad ; for an ordinary
workman, 1 dollar per day ; and 120 dollars per annum for a man in the house ; for a married
man, 140 dollars with a house, and keep himself ; maid -servant, 4 dollars per month. Average
number of trees in an orchard of two acres is 110. He has got 226 barrels off forty-two trees,
and sold 1 00 barrels at 2 dollans. Thrashing is done by steam thrasher ; give eve^ twelfth bush^
in return. He usually ploughs seven inches deep ; most people only plough five inches. Butter
is from 18 to 20 cents ; cheese, 12 cents. A milk cow should produce in milk 30 dollars, or £6 ;
one cow he had produced 360^ lb. of milk in a week, but the average of his other cows was
180^ lb. Working horses about fifteen hands high are worth 100 dollars ; working oxen, 80 to
100 dollars per pair. Clydesdale horses are too heavy for that district, and trotting horses too
light. The cattle they want are polled Angus ; and the horses, the Norman breed.

Mr. Innes estimated the fruit-productiuc of Annapolis, King's, and Hants Counties at
250,000 barrels of apples.

We called on Mr. J. W. Margieson. His wheat averages 27 bushels per acre ; oats, 80 ;
barley, none ; average of potatoes, 200 bushels. He has two farms — one of 210 acres, and cne
of 212 acres. The latter has 40 acres of salt marsh, which is the very best for fattening cattle.
Dyke-land L* worth in the market £32 an acre, or 160 dollars ; upland is woi-th 16 dollars an
•ere. Average price of hay is 10 dollars per ton, but he is selling it at 16 dollars per ton ;
upland hay is a dollar cheaper, viz., 9 dollars on an average. Marsh-mud is splendid for manure.
When ordinary grass-land is manured by it, it produces easily 2 tons per acre, but on dyke-
land 3 tons. Mr. Margieson states that the present time is the Worst that they ever had.

Mr. Innes continued his drive with me through Comwallis, a beautiful country, and we
then returned to Kentville.

Next day I proceeded to Windsor, and the superintendent of the railway plant being on the
train, he gave me very valuable information, not only as to the construction of the dykes and
sluices, but also information as to other industries. We passed Comwallis River, King's Port,
Fort William, Avon River, and Grand Pr^, the scene of Longfellow's poem of ' Evangeline.'

Grand Pr^ (or the great field) consists of about 3,000 acres of dyke-land, and is held in
common by a number of proprietors. After the crops have been cut, cattle are turned on to
the after-feed, or pasturage, and, according as the season has been favourable or otherwise, a
greater or lesser number of cattle are allowed on the dyke-land ; and a proportionate number
of <7:ittle, according to the extent of theur other lands, is decided upon by the proprietors for
each farmer.

We now saw Hantsport, on the other side of the Avon, and Armstrong's ship-building yard.
The river here is three-quarters of a mile broad. At Avon Port, on our own side, a ship of
1,200 tons burden was on the stocks.

We passed a brook, the divi^ Ag line between Hants and King's Counties. The former ia
mostly kept up by ship-building. At Hantsport a 600-ton vessel was on the stocks ; sail-lofts
and other nautical industries were spread about. The village depends on shipping. We passed
Newport Landing, mouth of St. Croix River, contiguous to Windsor, which was a mile distant.

We now passed an iron bridge 1,200 feet long, erected at a cost of £40,000, and arrived at
Windsor, a thriving town of 2,500 inhabitants. This neighbourhood h rich in rur.estone and
gypsum, much of which is exported.

By the kindness of Dr. Black, I was again driven over tlie country. Wo called on Mr<
Maxner, who lias • farm of 125 acres. His crop of wheat iftu year waa exceptionally poor ; it
«rould onlv average 17 bushels per acre. His oats would average 85 bushels per acre ; barluy,
only sowed lialf a bushel ; potatoes, 200 bushels. He has 25 head of cattle ; generally fattens
two every year. He has 45 acres of dyke-land, and 17 or 18 under crop. He keeps 15 cows.
He sells milk at Windsor, 2^ cents a lb., and gets at factory 1 oent ; butter averages 20 cents.
1^. BLiwk Mid tlut retail price of lamb was 10 cents ; roast beef, 12^ cents ; steak, 16 cents, at
f^indsor. The milch-cows are a mixture of Hereford, Durham, and Devons. A good cow

wissm

Lould costl

Maxi^<3' col
Dr. Bl^

wrote •!

I was VM
iFraser, W|
jthe'bore'[

know the
I rrrm '
■tlso -ecelM

b-iag nplaj
■ barley, noij

bushels, wl
He sta^
I and stem
I could not J
1 Of sugar'
eolt to c«
lacre.

In thai
I turnip gH
8u._iner or
|i8,morfl pre
(average p<
times 4 toi
lor 160 ye
Nextd
(interview
]to spare,
the mining
Minister o
Nova Scot
that I cot
I the visit
is a great
j down by 1

At the

i for black

first prize

I com

I resources

to parties

Fartioula

I coking, c1

in Cape '

I Mid for I

I command

I field, sou*

I beds are

Outario I

colonial

St. Johni

: worked.

square n

In ac

I Yarmou

nuggets.

the dist

River, I

Tangier

on 'Th

work w

0 dollar

The

ndning

•re also

B8 to 200 to«

Bridgeto*)
i woollen-mill

sh Is environed
n. Air. Inne^
e country, boi
e.

whose wh(i«t
led; potatottti
burnipg, 1,000
not tiirned to I
aa big as i
'he grazing ii
ran ordinary
for a married |
tb. Average
■ty-two trees,
welfth bushel
!hes. Butter
>llars, or jCS;
lercows was
J oxen, 80 to
g homes too

Ooontles at

>; oats, 80;
res, and cae
aning cattle.
3 dollars an
ars per ton ;
for manure,
lit on dyke-
rhad.
try, and we

lelng on the
dykes and

king's Port,

jellne.'
is held in

rned on to

therwiae, a

tte number

>rieton for

Idingyard.
a ship of

former Is
: sail-lofts
Ve passed
distant.
*rrived at
stone ani]

i on Mf.
poor; it
; barley,
7 fattens
15 cows.
SO cents.
Mnts, at

>0d 60V

Mr. Ifugh McZtan'i liepoti.

45

Mr.

would cost from 85 to 40 dollars, and would average ten quarts per day for six months,
{loxnor corroborated all about dyke and upland.

Dr. Black drove me to the place where for many years the late Judge Haliburton, who
wrote ' Sam Slick,' resided. Not far from his house a large gypsum quarry is being worked.
I was very kindly entertained by Dr. Black, and afterwarcb having acoidently met Dr.
Fraser, Windsor, be also was exceedingly kind to me. We witnessed the tidal wave called
the ' bore ' coming up the river. All creatures leave the way when i^ approaches. The cattle
know the sound of its roaring. «

Frrm Windsor I returned to Horton Landing, Grand Pr^ and called on Mr. Paterson, who
~al80 '.ticeived me very kindly. He likewise drove me over the country. He owns 100 acres, 30
bt-iiig upland, 70 dyke-land. His wheat, he stated, averages 20 bushels per acre ; oats, 40 ;
barley, none, but 40 used to be the average. Potatoes, he had 8 acres, which produced 2,000
bushels, which he was shipping ; this gives 250 bushels per acre.

He stated that he never succeeded with turnips on his land ; they worked too much to leaf
and stem with him. They, however, do very well with a neighbour who, on the other band,
could not raise mangels, whilst on his land he can raise 1,000 bushels per acre without trouble.
Of sugar beet, be stated that he raised 200 bushels last year ; but sugar beet was more di^-
onlt to cultivate than either mangels or turnips. Indian corn did fair — 26 to 80 bushels per
lacre.

In that province they manure the ground for potatoes, spreading it on ; also manure the
tnmip ground, and sow it in drills. He kept 10 cows last summer, and raised the calves. This
8U~.<ner only kept 6 cows, filled up the vacancy with oxen. H'^ is under the impression that it
is.more profitable to feed than to breed. He says the dyke-lund will produce 2 tons hay on an
average per acre. The upland, by under-draining and manuring, will produce 3 and even some-
times 4 tons per acre, but the dyke -land will take care of itself. It has been cropped continuously
for 150 years. A 14^-hand horse, about 1,000 lb., would be worth 130 dollars.

Next day I called upon various parties in Halifax ; amongst others, I had the pleasure of an
interview with Mr. Gossip, the president of the Geological Society of Nova Scotia. Having a day
to spare, I visited the east side of the peninsula, for the purpose of passing through a portion of
the mining country. On the train, I met the Hon. Mr. Holmes, and also the Hon. Mr. Pope,
Minister of Marine, Ottawa. I received much information from the former as to the geology of
Nova Scotia, and from the latter an invitation to visit Prince Edward Island. I was very sorry
that I could not do so, as I have reason to know that the island would have richly repaid
the visit. In common with Nova Scotia that island has a mud in the beds of rivers, which
Is a great fertiliser. It consists of oyster-shells, animal remains, and dJbria of soil washed
down by the rivers. This, when applied to the land, enriches it so much that it cannot be
suipassod in the Dominion.

At the Montreal Exhibition, Prince Edward Island took the first prize for white oats, the first
for black oats, the second for spring wheat, and the second for barley. It also carried the
first prize for draught-horses, and the second prize for shorthorns.

I come now to the peculiar excellencies of the peninsula of Nova Scotia, and that is, its vast
resources in minerals. The minerals generally belong to the Government, but they are lea.ned
to parties desirous of entering into mining operations, and every facility is afforded to prospectors.
Particulars can be had on application. The coal of Nova Scotia is bituminous, and consists of
coking, cherry, and cannel coaL A vast co tl-field, extending seaward under the Atlantic, occurs
In Cape Breton ; the Sydney coal-field is famous, and has been found valuable for steam coal
and for gas ; the Inverness coal-field is likewise well-known, and, from analysis made, would
command a ready market if suitable facilities for shipping it were provided ; the Fictou coal-
field, south of New Glasgow, which place I visited, has an area of thirty-five miles, in which the
beds are uncommonly large. It is very favourably spoken of by the manager of the Bichelicu and
Ontario Steam Navigation Company, who considers it equal to Scotch. It is used on the Inter-
colonial Kailway. The Allan Line steamers also una it. The Cumberland coal is much used in
St. Johns, New Brunswick. In one mine the vein is eight feet thick. Springhill is extensively
worked. Between Cape Breton and Nova Scotia tucre are coal beds which cover an area of 685
square miles.

In addition to coal, there is guld, which Is to be found along the Atlantic coast from Canso to
Yarmouth. It occurs, as b stated in the lodes, ' in spots of every shape and size, up to 60 -ounce
nuggets.' In this province the deposits are found at Waverley fifty feet deep. The following are
the districts in which gold is known to exist : Caribou, Moose Kiver, Fifteen -mile Stream, Gay's
River, Laurencetown, Montagu, Waverley, Oldham, Shcrbrooke, Isaac's Harbour, Wine Harbour,
Tangier, etc., etc. For full information, see work by Mr. Edwin Gilpin, jun., A.M., F.G.S.,
on ' The Mines and Mineral Lands of Nova Scotia.' Amongst the information in that excellent
work will be seen
6 dollars and 13 cents _ , .

There Is also iron'to be found in the province of great value ; Londondeny ^jk well-knoT
mining locality, and the iron here is believed to be superior to the best English i^on. Iron oKi
Mrs aIm found at Fictou. Iron is found oil thd way from the Gut of Oanso to Tanni^h. Coj~

a return per man from the various districts, the highest being tb^^^jj^pt^gu,
ts per day; next to it Oldham, Sdollarsand 41 cents per day. / J'^' '^s^

'I I

^■■y

>i'l

'i:MI

aV^^

46

JiK» Hugh MeLean*t Report.

also Is found, as well as lead and silver ; antimony, nickel, and tinstone are known to be in th«
province ; alflo arsenic, sulpiiur, and manganese. It is believed that of the latter large deposit*

exist.

In this province also^ypsum, hard and soft, is found in great beds. Bof t gypsum, as statud,
is near the late Judge Haliburton's house at Windsor. It also occurs with lime when entering
the railway station from the north. Soft gypsum is valuable as a mineral manure, and for plaster
purposes, cornices, etc. The hard is not so much used, being more costly to work.

Besides the above, the paint trade is greatly indebted to Nova Scotia. Ochres are found at
the Londonderry iron mines, and in Antigonish aad Pictou counties — modifical.ions of red and
yellow being produced by other means. There are also salt springs and mineral waters, free-
stone, granite, flags, slates, clay, limestone, marble, and natural cements ; fire-clay for bricks iind
tiles ; grindstones, millstones ; as well as amethysts, cairngorm stone, jasper, and opals, and r
heliotrope or blood-stone.

In conclusion, the Province of Manitoba appears to have a more fertile soil than any one of
the older provinces. In productiveness it ranks first in respect of wheat, oats, and potatoes ; but
I found that continuous cropping of wheat is reducing the land. Turnips and mangel wurzel
do exceedingly well. The averages taken from the preceding notes are — wheat, 80^ bushels per
acre ; oats, 62^. Potatoes average 225 bushels per acre. As the province at present consmBic*
all its wheat, the prices obtained are as good as those in Ontario ; but when wheat is exported
they will be relatively lower. The country is suitable for cattle raising. Timothy hay and
Hungarian grass produce good craps; red clover has been tried, but will not stand the winter.
Fuel can be obtained along the banks of the rivers, and wood lots are assigned to settlers ; but
unless coal or other material is substituted, wood growing must be very extensively resorted to
to supply the settlers with fuel. The climate of Manitoba is healthy — the air dry, clear, and
invigorating. Land can easily be protected from prairie fires, which are not unfrequent in
September.

Next to Manitoba, the province of Ontario has the best cereal crops. Wheat !n the district
visited by me averaged 27 bushels per acre ; oats, 48 ; barley, 65. Potatoes are not much
grown, except for home consumption. Indian com does very well. Fruits are excellent. The
climate is good. There are many industries in the towns, principally connected with agricul-
ture.

Next in order comes Sussex Valley, NeT7 Brunswick. Wheat produces on an average 26
bushels, and oats 48 bushels per acre. New Brunswick has a later spring and a later harvest,
and a damper clime than Ontario. Potatoes, mangels, and turnips thrive well. Cattle feeding
for the English market is being entered into. Hay land is good. The local market for most
produce is St. Johns.

The Eastern Townships of Quebec produce wheat averaging 24 bushels per acre ; oats, 37J ;
barley, 38 J. The townships are good grazing lands, and cattle feeding is b«ing gone into.

In Nova Scotia wheat averages 22 bushels per acre ; oats, 25 ; barley, 28. It has exceedingly
rich dyked marsh-lands, the river bearing down a mineral deposit, and the tides carrying up
vegetable and animal particles, which together form n mud that cannot be surpassed as manure
for grass-lands. Nova Scotia consumes nil its own cereal produce. Its winter is longer than
Ontario, but vegetation is very rapid when the heat of the summer comes on. Cattle feeding
for the English market ia extensively gone into. It can vie with Ontario for its apples, pearn,
plums, and grapes. Its industries are fishing, mining, ship-building, lumbering, commerce, and
manufacturi.ig.

In all the older provinces, that is in Ontario, Eastern Townships o! Qnebeo, Nova Scot!a,
and New Bruuswick, there are many farms for sale.

The houses in Sussex Valley, in New Brunswick, and in the Comwallis, Windsor, and An-
napolis districts of Nova Scotia, are very nicely got up, and in general are better than the run of
Ontario houses, though in some townships and near towns these also are very good.

The price of land of course varies very much, according to its quality and the houses erected
upon it ; but with a good dwelling-house on the farm and the requisite stable, barn, etc., a farm
of 100 acres could be easily purchased at 40 dollars per acre, and sometimes at less. In Nova
Scotia marsh-land sells very high — about 160 dollars, or £32 per acre.

One can judge from the preceding account which province he would select if he were disposed
to emigrate. Manitoba ia far distant.' The lands next the railway at the Winnipeg end are all
taken up, but could be bought high from their holders. Emigrants require to go back into the
country to secure the freo-grant lands, but the immediate extension of the Pacific Railway,
which is now under contract, will speedily open up tht, vast area of prairie land between Manitoba
wd the Eocky Mountains, a distance of not less than 900 miles.

My idea is tbat Canadians are better fitted for prairie life than we are ; and seeing that they
are not very f»r uistant from Manitoba, families could overcome, without nearly so much in«
convenience or expense, the difficulties which distances throw in the way of B^ Hish farmers. I
met an old Canadian, Mr. Butherford from Oxford Co., Ontario, who was all over the Province
of Manitoba looking for land. He bought an improved farm west of CaU Mountain, Pembina

[tobein th«
rge deposit!

M stated,
ken entering
Id for plaster

pre found at

of red and

mtern, free.

^r bricks and
opala, and

any one of
|(>tftto«s ; but
nyel wurzel
biishck) per
tt conskBift
ia exported
;hy hay and
I the winter,
lottleia; but
y resorted to
■y, clear, and
ifrequent in

1 the district
re not much
client. The
ivith agricul>

I average 26
at«p harvest,
attle feeding
ket for most

I ; oats, 375 ;
s into.

I exceedingly
carrying up
J as manure
longer than
ittle feeding
pplea, pears,
nmeroe, and

rova Scot.'a,

or, and An-
t» the run of

Mr. Hvgh McLean*s Heport.

47

Range, consisting of 820 acres, for 2,900 c'ollars. Including 20 acrea of wood with buildinga. He
reported that an excellent crop was on tho ground. He preferred paying the above price to
incurring the great expense and labour of erecting buildings and fences, and the inconvenienco
and expense that would otherwise be attached to his settling on unoccupied land. If Mr.
Rutherford found this to bo advisable in his case — and he was a man fit to judge — I think any
person desirous of emigrating should consider well, whether, if ho can afford it, it might not be
desirable for him to give a higher price in the lower and maritime provinces for a ready-made
farm, where he might have all tho social comforts of life quite within his reach, than proceed
westward.

Many Canadian farmers are burdened with mortgages on their farms, and they are anxious
to be relieved of these farms, and to start life afresh in Manitoba, where they can get their sons
around them, and bo afterwards provided for. These men are accustomed to rough it, and
know how to use their axes in erecting log -bouses, etc., and they therefore are eminently qualified
for life in Manitoba.

As to schools and churches, the Dominion ia as highly favoured as we are ourselvea. A school-
tax ia paid, but no fees.

Meidical practitioners can everywhere be had ia the lower provinces, and by-and-by will
•pread themselves over Manitoba.

I returned from Halifax by the Allan ateam-ship Hibernian, Captain Archer. We had heavr
weather, but had a good ship and a good commander ; and although our passage waa protraotec^
we paased a very pleasant time, arriving at Liverpool on the 26tb October.

After the report had been read, a number of gentlemen eat down to dinner in the Argylc
Arms Hotel, T>. McGibbon, Esq., presiiUng. The usual loyal toasts having been duly honoured,

Provost Greenlees said it had fallen upon him to propose tho toast of the evening. H*
did not know for what reason, but he supposed it was because he was a very old friend of his.
All must admit that Mr. McLean had done his duty faithi'ully. When they considered thai
he had kept them for two hours and three-quarters listening to the account of his experiences
in that country to which he had been sent, they would acknowledge that he was a man of no
ordinary ability. In seeking a representative to send from this district the farmers could not
have got a better man. He could fancy Mr. McLean going about everywhere with his note-
book under his arm. He did not give them the ideas of one man only, but he compared various
opinions with his own, and tLan arrived at the result, and he waa certain that in every opinion h6
gave he was thoiwughly honest. He asked them all to join in drinking long life and health to
Mr. McLean. ,. _ , ►.

The to^st was drunk with enthusiasm.

Mr. MoLean made a suitable reply, and, after other toasts, the company 1 3parated«

PI''

uses erected
etc., a farm
I. In Nova

jre disposed
end are all
ck into the
c Railway,
a Manitoba

g that they
> much in-
armers. I
e Plrovince
i« P«mbiiie

' f . A '

•1,

■ it.

■a

REPORT OF MR. GEORGE CURTIS,

. Woodsidft SiUden, Yorkshire,

;■ ■!

* Obatin farmen are pretty well acquainted with the circumBtanceB which led to the appointment
of Mr. O. Curtis aci tbeir delegate to Canada to report on the Buitability of that country aa a
field for the emigration of Craven farmers. Suffice it now, therefore, to say that five months
•go, on the Invitation of the Canadian Government, the fanners of this important nazing dis>
triot appointed Mr. Curtis, and he accordingly went out to view the land, leaving the shores of
England on board the Allan Line steamer Sarmalian about the middle of July. He remained
In Canada • little short of three months, confining his observations chiefly to the Province of
Ontario, covering in that period a tract of country about 700 miles long by SOO miles broad.
Beoently Mr. Ciutis returned home, and last Monday met a lai^e gathering of the Craven
farmen at the Assembly Booms adjoining the Black Horse Hotel, Skipton (Mr. John Throup).
It being the fortnightly oattle-fair day, the room was crowded. On the motion of Mr. H.
Holden (ELalton East), seconded by Mr. W. H. Davis (Gargrave), Mr. A. Ross was called to the
ehalr. Amongst those present were Mr. Grahame, of Glasgow, Canadian Government agent |
BIr. GomersalX Otterbum ; and Mr. Shuttlewortb, representative of the State ofjowa, U.S.A.

'The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said that five months ago many of those present
Msembled in that room to select one out of three gentlemen nominated at a previous meeting to

itroceed to Canada, at the invitation of the Canadian Government, as a delegate from the Craven
armers. Mr. Curtis was selected, and to-d^ they had met together again to hear Mr. Ourtis'a
report on Canada as a field for emigration. Doubts had been expressed as to whether they had
done right in selecting a gentleman who had passed the meridian of life for so arduous a task.
But in looking at Mr. Curtis now, and ai the voluminous report which he had laid on the table,
he was sure the issue had confirmed the wisdom of their choice ; and he was glad to see that^
mentally as well as physically, Mr. Curtis had taken no harm by his sojourn in the Western
Hnnaisphere.' — Craven Pioneer, November 20, 1880.

Mr. Curtis, who received a very hearty welcome from his brother-farmers, then formally
presented his report, which was a long and exhaustive one, and ably written throughout. He
laid:

I proceed to give an account of my stewardship, by submitting to you a report of the mission
with which you entrusted me a few months ago. I went to Liverpool on the 21st of July last,
and there met with Messrs. Sagar, Imrie, and Broderick, fellow-delegates. On the following
day we sailed in the Sarmatian, s vessel, of admirable build and noble proportions, under the
efficient command of Captain Aird (an appropriate name for an Airdale farmer to sail under).
This vessel is one of the splendid line of steamers owned by Messrs. Allan Brothers. We had
a large number of emigrants and other passengers on board. We called at Moville (Ireland) for
the mails, and then steamed away across the Atlantic without let or hindrance until the sisth,
when we were enveloped in a dense fog. The weather became very cold, and we were dose to
a number of Icebergs. The fog-horn was repeatedly sounded, but as that had no effect upon
those mountains of ice, our speed was slackened and th^ engines finally stopped, to avoid a col<
lision with one of those ' cool customers.' On the 29th we passed through the straits of Belle
Isle Into the Gulf, and as we steamed into the Kiver St. Lawrence the weather was delightfuL
The shore on our left, near which we sailed, appeared rocky, but well timbered. Patdies of
wood are cleared in some places, and upon these clearings are erected houses inhabited by
fishermen. They are painted white, and have the effect of brightening up an otherwise sombre
scene. There Is also a fine view of the Laurentian Hills, whidi stretch away aa far as the eye
can reach. Some miles before reaching Quebec, on the right-hand side of the river, we obtadn
a pretty view of Montmorency Waterfidls.

We arrived at Quebec on the afternoon of the 81st, where we remained until the Monday
morning, the 2nd of August, and then left for Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion. In a consul-
lakioa there •• to ear futoN moT«iMBti^ Et mm tboogbt nnadvlsable for all to travel over tbt

Mr. Gwrgt CwrUi^t Report.

49

ppofntanent
Duotry M •
five montlu
[razing dia«
le shores of
e remained
Province of
alios broad,
ihe Craven
n Throup).
of Mr. H.
klledtothe
ent agent t
a, UJ.A.
ose present
meeting to
the Craven
It. Curtis'*
it they had
10U8 a task.
\ the tabla^
to see tba^
e Western

D formally
hout. He

he mission
July last,
following
under the
ail under).
We had
reland) for
lthe2Stb,
re dose to
iffeot upon
raid a col-
bs of Belle
lelightful.
^atohes of
abited by
se sombre
u the eye
we obtain

i Monday
a consol-
I ov«> Um

ground, and with r. view to spread ourselves over as wide an area as we could thoroughly

Investigate, MesHrs. Imvie and Broderick took the Province of Manitoba and Mr. Sagar and I
that of Ontario. We travelled over a considerable section of country together, but there wero
Urge districts in which we separated. I shall therefore, to avoid confusion, speak only of myself,
and give my personal observations, recorded daily in my note-book at the various places viuited.
I may here state that I was permitted the fullest liberty in the choice of localitiea I wished to
visit, and that every information was given and facilities afforded by the Canadian Government,
through Mr. Lowe, the courteous secretary of the Department of Agriculture at Ottawa ; and
among many others, the Hon. A. S. Hardy, Professor Buckland, Mr. D. Spence, and Mr. J. A.
Donaldson, of Toronto ; Mr. J. Smith, of Hamilton | Mr. A. J. Smythe, of Jiondon, as well as
Mr. Stafford and Mr. Persse, of Quebec. When I arrived in Canada, the Hon. J. H. Pope, the
Minister of Agriculture, was in England on a visit ; but on his return I had a pleasant and

I)rotracted interview with him. I found him practically conversant with all matters pertain-
ng to agricultare, and indeed he owns a large farm in the Eastern Townships of Qucbea
The land around Quebec, as well as the province generally which bears its name, is to a largo
extent occupied by French Canadians. That part of the province called the Eastern Town-
ships, said to be the Garden of Quebec, Is inhabited by Scotch and English settlers ; the soil
is of very good quality, and well farmed, with satisfactory results. Wild lands can be bought
here at m>m 28. 4d. to Ss. per acre ; and improved farms from 20 to 25 dollars per acre with
buildings.

Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion of Canada, la built upon the banks of the Ottawa river.
It has a population of about 25,000. I was struck with its magnificence on tho one hand, and
its Incompleteness on the other. There is plenty of water-power in the vicinity of the city,
which is utilised for saw-mills and other purposes, and the visitor cannot but be struck with tlie
large piles of deals, cut into the proper lengths, which cover many acres. The scenery round
the capital is beautiful, and the dry transparent atmosphere enables one to see to a great dis-
tance.

The following were the prices of some of the commodities in the market at Ottawa : Butter,
20 cents per lb. ; mutton and beef (by the quarter) 6| to 6 cents per lb. ; eggs, of a good size,
20 cent9 per dozen.

I do not propose to give my route day by day, but to offer a few remarks respecting some of
the places I visited in the Province of Ontario, making them follow one another, in proper order,
as far as possible.

On leaving Ottawa, I went through the district watered by the river of that name as far aa
Pembroke, prettily situated on Lake Allumette. Some of the land is cleared ; and about Pem-
broke and Renfrew there are large tracts devoted to farming purposes. Stone and bricks (the
latter made from clay found in the neighbourhood) are used for building purposes, and in many
places some capital buildings are being erected, which is indicative of progress. The country Is

firactically a new one, and ia only just being opened up. The lumber trade Is the principal
ndustry.

On our way from Ottawa westward we passed Brockville, named after General Brock, who
fell at Queenstown in 1812. It has about 7800 inhabitants. We next came to Kingston, one of
the older cities, with a population of about 13,000. It has not increased so rapidly as some other
places, although it is more ancient than many, having been an important town when some of the
existing ones were not thought of. It used to be a garrison town when British troops occupied
the cotmtry. It is now the seat of a military college where young Canadians receive a military
education, under the tuition of English officers. The next place we arrived at is Belleville (the
capital of Hastings County) with a population of about 7000, and growing rapidly. The town
is lighted with gas, and is a large commercial centre. Large quantities of barley are here ex-
ported to the States. Coburg is our next stopping-place (population 6000). Six miles further,
and we are at Port Hope, where there are some fine farms and good residences. Coburg is also
Beat of a Wesleyan College. Then we come to Newcastle. The land about this place appears to
be of a superior quality and well cultivated. The selling price is about 75 to 80 dollars per acre,
according to the position of the land and the state of the buildings. While staying at Newcastle
with Mr. Betta, I had an interesting interview with Mr. Allan Wilmot. He was one of the
pioneer settlers in this neighbourhood more than fifty years ago. He now lets his farm (200
acres) at about 4 or 4^ dollars per acre, and he is prepared to sell it for 80 dollars per acre.

I also visited the fish-breeding establishment at Newcastle, which is under the management
of Mr. Wilmot. The brother of the above-named gentleman kindly explained to me the interest-
Ing process of fish cultivation.

A little further on and we arrive at Whitby. The land through the townships of Clark,
Darlington, and Whitby is excellent. I saw many farms in good condition. This season's crope
were good, and the cattle and sheep were of a superior class, especially the latter. Cotswolds seem
to be the favourites. The price of land raries from £5 to £16 per acre, and farms can be
tented from 4b. to 168. per acre.

The next place I visited was Toronto, called the Queen City of the Dominion, and capital of
ib« Provinoe of Ontario. It ba« a population of about 80,000, and it gives one an impression even

J 5 ,.

A

w

60

Mr, (ifeorgt Curtuf» Hqxirt

at flrnt light of being a thriving and populnua place. On our arrival I wot Introduced to the
Lleutonant-Govemor, the Hon. J. B. lloblnHon, and to tho Mayor (Mr. Boatty), who accompanied
US In a tour through the city, Housen of Purlinrnent, colloijes, parks, and the various public placei.
It is really a beautiful city. Ita streets are laid out at right angles, one of which, Youge Street,
I was informed, extended into the country for sixty miles as straight as a line, exoeptiog for one
slight bend about thirty miles out of the city.

The first farm I visited in the neighbourhood was about twenty-nix miles distant, at Bronte,i
on the road to Hamilton, with Mr. Brcechon, a gentleman from Wiltshire, England, who was in
a treaty for the purchase. The farm belongs to Mr. White, of Milton. It consists of 416 acres
in capital condition, with new buildings replete with every modern convenience. There is also
a neat residence built of concrete, in a nice situation. There is plenty of water, and most of the
land is cleared of stumps, which have been so arranged as to form a substantial fence round the
farm. All the crops had been reaped and harvested except thirty acres of oats, which were then
being out. These oats, I was informed, were sown on the 10th May, and my visit was on tho
12th August. There was a field of swede turnips, almost the best I have ever seen. They were
■own on the 10th June. Twenty-four acres of orchard are also attached to the farm. The
crops of hay and com were abundant. The price asked for this estate, including buildings, is
about £12 lOfl. per acre.

I then went on to Hamilton, a place after the same style as Toronto, situated on one of the
bays of Lake Ontario. There I conversed with several of the farmers, who appeared to be happy
and contented, health and satisfaction appearing on every countenance. I also paid a visit to
the vinery of Mr. Haskins, the city engineer. This vinery is twelve acres in extent and gave an
excellent yield. It fonns a part of tho holding of Mr. T. Barnes, whose farm is in excellent con-
dition. Ho has grown a crop of wheat on the same ground for four years in succession, and is
preparing it for the fifth. He informed mo that he had never had less than forty-five bushels
per acre, but he makes a very liberal application of manure every year. He has also a large
apple orchard, and tho fruit was being gathered while I was there.

I next went to Burlington with Mr. Hurd to inspect his farm and nursery, which are character-
ised by fertility, neatness, and order. His crops were really excellent, and the buildings in good
order.

On our way back to Hamilton we passed through a good fanning district. Most of the land
Was cleared and under cultivation, and appeared to be fairly well farmed. Improved farms oan
be liad in this district at from £8 to £16 per acre.

BD0OE8SFDL EMIOBANTS, . . r

While ot Hamilton we took an opportunity of going to Brantford (where we were Introduced
(o the mayor. Dr. Henwood) to inspect the famous herd of shorthorns, founded by the late Hon.
George Brown, senator.' We were shown over the farm by Mr. Hope, the manager, and saw, I
suppose, the finest herd of cattle in the world. The farm is managed on tho most approved
principles. The crops of mangels and swedes were excellent, also the Indian corn, which la
used as green fodder. The farm is now owned by a joint-stock company, and includes among
its shareholders some of the best agriculturists of this country. Sales are held pofiodically at
various places in the United States and Canada, and the cattle are in great demand. When at
Brantford, I saw Mr. Burrell (a hale and active man of seventy-two years), who came to Canada
from Bardney, Lincolnshire, in 1830. He had no capital then, but by hard work and thrift he
acquired suificient money to buy three farms. He now lives on his means, his sons working the
farms. This is but one of many similar cases I came across during my travels. We went from
Brantford towards Paris, and looked over several large farms, amongst others that of Mr. Luck,
who arrived in this country twenty -three years ago, from Kent, England, with a capital of £31
lOs. He now owns a farm of 200 acres, nearly all paid for. The soil is a sandy loam. The
clover upon wheat stubbles was something marveUous ; it was from a foot to eigh een nches in
length, in full bloom, and presented the appearance of a regular clover field.

We drove back from Brantford through Mount Pleasant, calling at farms on the way.
There were some well-cultivated lands in thin section of the country, which has been longer
settled than many other parts I have visited. We passed an orphanage supported by Mrs. Lay-
oock and her brother, Mr. Cockshott, from Colne, in England. While in Brantford, I was the
gnest of Mr. Plewis, who is a genial, intelligent and hospitable gentleman. He is a Yorkshire-
man, from Hornsea, near Hull. He is doing a large business as a miller. The price of wheat in
Brantford was 90 cents to 95 cents per bushel. I noticed that a roof was being put on a new
Mtton factory at Brantford, which has been erected by Mr. Slater, late of Bamoldswick -in-
Graven. There seems to be a fine prospect for that business in Canada.

From Brantford X made my way to London. En route I noticed the same prodigious crops ot
fruit as I had seen in Wentworth aud Brant. Mr. Eiley gave me an apple that m#asured 1 i inches
iDDb way and 13 the other. While La London, I met Mr. Rich, who was from Carlton-on-Trent.
W« were ' raised,' as our Oanadian oousina would say, within a few miles of each other. He is

Mr, George Curti£» Hcport.

51

duoed to the
aooonipnnied

ubllo place*.
Touge Street,
pting for one

t, At Bronto,!
, who wax i'q
of 416 acres
'here is alsto
most of the
>e round the
ih were thun
was on the
They were
farm. The
Milldings, is

n one of the
to be happy
id a visit to
and gave an
oellent con-
ision, and is
five bushels
also a large

B character-
ags in good

of the land
1 farms can

introduced

0 late Hon.
and saw, I
>t approved
■n, which is
ides among
iodically at

When at
to Canada
d thrift he
orking the
went from
Mr. Luck,
tal of £31
)am. The

1 ncbes in

the way.

Ben longer
Mrs. Lay-
[ was the
forkshire-
' wheat in
on a new
Iswick-in-

a crops of
H inches
an-Trent.
r. He is

I doing ft large bniinosi In grain, and haa made hia money in the country. He started without any
|e«pital, but is now a wealthy man. The city itself is a minlatiiro of our own metropolis. Its river.
IbrldgoR, parks, and principal stroets aru named after shnilar places in tho capital of England, and

they even {whhuhs a nuwttpapor callod tho Edu>, The surroundings of tho city are very pretty,
Via the substantial renidenoos and woll-kept gardens all speak of tho prosperity of the peoplo,

I I vifiited thu uHtate of Mr. Wm. Kaines, which is for sale. It is stuutod in tho county of Kent
' id Plantagenet, on the Ottawa river, about 40 miles from Ottawa city. 484 acres are in one

Ltock and lliO acres detached, of which 50 acres are cleared, the rest boing in timber. Vlftoen
dollars per acre is the price asked for tho property. The soil round the city of London ii a rich
loam. I should think from my experience that n market gardener would get on well in this part.
I The land is good, and tho growth of vegetables prodigious. Hound London is a very fine farm-
ing district : in fact, one of the iinoBt that I had, up to this timo, visited. Land could be ob-
' tained for about 80 dollars per acre (£10), including buildings. Grain was selling at 90 cent*
per bushel.

On leaving London I made for Windsor, where land of very good quality, I found, could be
bought at from £5 to £3 per acre ; while in Middlesex tho price in from £10 to £10 per acre.
There does not appear any reason for this difference in price, as the soil in the uouoty of Kent ia
generally equal to that in Middlesex.

Leaving Windsor, I drove along the road by the Detroit River, and called to tee the stud of

id-horsea owned by Mr. Ohappelle. He has some very handsome ai^ lala.

Ve then drove through a fertile but indifferently farmed district, ini our way from Windaor

jfield we passed through the township of Maldon, and there saw some good land, but i|

could be improved by better cultivation. The township of Colchester possesses the same general

characteristics as that of Maldon.

Passing along by Harrow, the land was teeming with vegetation, and the weeds were no^
the least luxuriant. Many patches of tobacco were growing on the French-Canadian farms. I
also saw a great number of pigs alone tho roadside. They were not all of the best quality, but
did not appear to give much trouble Id feeding,

. LANDS. J, !;■

I next went through a fine district along the shore of Lake Erie. The land wad very fine,
bat mncb overrun with rag-weed and other rubbish. The farmers excused themselves by
pleading the unusual quantity of rain that had fallen this summer ; but tho land ia of a dry,
sandy nature, and, in my opinion, no difficulty need be found in keeping it clean. It is really »
wonder to me how they can afford to grow so much thistle and weed — the most expensive of all
ori pa, and the least profitable.

After making a call at Leamington, near to the Island of Point Pelee, which consist* of
5000 acres of cultivated land and about 8000 acres in wood, we drove on to Kuthven, and after*
wards to the villages of Cottam and Essex Centre. The land through this district was good,
but badly farmed. It seems capable of producing anything, in large quantities, and would, I
think, be very profitable if in the hands of energetic farmers. At Essex Centre I met Mr. Jamei
Matthews, land agent, and Mr. John Milne, the president and manager of a considerable saw-
mill and sash and door factory, which articles are likely to be largely exported, and will provide
employment for many carpenters and joiners as the trade increases. They told me they had land
In this locality, on which timber is growing, that they could sell at a price which the value of the
timber would more than cover. The soil is of a dark loam, rather heavy, but of great depth ;
and on portions of the cleared land crops of Indian com were being reaped.

From Charing Cross we took the stage to Morpeth, and passed on our way several small
villages, and a luger town called Blenheim. There is some fine land in this county, and well
farmed. The land round Morpeth is very fine, and fruit abounds everywhere. We were met at
the hotel by Mr. John Duck, who, with Dr. Smith, accompanied us to the farm of Mr. Gardner.
He has upwards of 200 acres, and has greatly improved it. Mr. Gardner makes a very libera)
use of salt as a fertiliser, with veiy good, results in the yield of grain and in straw. He hais soma
good cattle, and I particularly &(un!red a shorthorn buU. He had not, at the time of our viait^
sold his wheat, but he informed me that last season he obtained 1 dollar a bushel, which gave
a good profit.

I then visited Colonel Desmond, who has a valuable farm of upwards of 200 acres. In soil
and general features it is much like Mr. G.:irdner's, but in a higher state of cultivation. Tha
colonel is a fine militanr-looki:)g man of eighty-two years of age, and was working in the field
when we got there. He showed me a splendid lot of hogs of the Berkshire breed, of variooi
ages. He has made a good deal of money out of the farm, and is still working it profitably.

The whole of the la^d In this district Is good and well cultivated. It can be obtained from
about £8 an acre.

Our next chrive was through a section of country somewhat Inferior to the aboT&
bat far from being bad. It improved as we neiured Bidgetown, where there is some good land

(«

M'A

i

111'*

^

3—2

■or

jur. breorge ijunurg nqton.

— a loam resting apon a gravelly subaoIL Land at tbU place waa stated to be valned at £10 an
acre.

Chatham ia the next place we arrived at. We visited several places of interest in the neigh,
bourhood, including Mr. Taylor's woollen factory, and examined the cloth, which, while it cannot
be compared with the English manufactures in point of finish, is yet a good production.

From Chatham we went into the country to see the land, and the way in which it was
managed. Wo called at Mr. Dolson's farm, where I saw a garden laid out with great taste.
His farm has an area of about 400 actes, and ia in very good order. He was well satisfied with
the crops thia year, and his Indian corn, which was then standing, was something marvellous^
ihe finest crop I saw in Canada. It would probably yield more than 60 bushels to the acre. He
had also some excellent oats.

We travelleu through some good land iu this district, and it is well cultivated on the whole.

A

fAOaiTUS rOB VBX OHKAP TBANSVBB 01 LAND. . / '; ,

Obatham is situated on the Biver Thames, and steamers ran between it and Betroit It hai
excellent railway communication, and every facility for transporting its products and manufao-
tares. The surface of the country around Chatham is very taking to the eye. It waa formeirl;
marshy, but sluices or open drains have been cut through the land right to Lake Erie, a distance
of about thirteen miles. The soil in the district is not surpassed in any part of the province for
depth and general fertility, but is cap<».ble of improvements by further drainage. The land bears
a general resemblance to that of the i'en districts in Lincolnshire.

I had an opportunity during my sta> : "i Chatham, through the courtesy of the Registrar, ol
inspecting the simple and cheap system that ia adopted for the conveyance and transfer of land
in Canada. All the holdinga in every townahip are numbered, and the deeds of the same are
kept at the office of the Begistrar, together with accounts of all sales, transfers, mortgages, etc.,
so that the titio of any property can be verified without difiiculty. The whole expenses in con*
nection with the transfer of land, including the lawyer's fee, very often does not exceed £1 8s.

The land from Exeter to Wingham, through the town of Clinton, is of excellent quality, and
the same remark will apply to the country for twenty miles between Wingham and Lake
Huron. There is a marked thoroughness about the farming in this section of the country.
Where the laud is cleared of timber and stumps it is put into a capital tilth for crops. Barley
and wheat seem to be favourite crops for some miles around Wingham. Most of the land
around this neighbourhood was wild bush fifteen years ago. A large school has recently been
erected at a cost of about £2000 sterling, which is very creditable to the 8000 inhabitants of
f^he place. The school-rate amounts to more than one-half of the entire rates, but these are low,
a..d one does not hear any complaints. The price of land is about 40 dollars an acre for
partially cleared land. I may say that the woodland is regarded equally as valuable as the
cleared, on account of the timber.

Near Wingham is a butter manufactory. The whole of the butter is taken by a Glasgow
firm, who pay 4 cents per lb. more for it than the local market prices, which average about
20 cei^ts per lb. The establishment is owned by the farmers of the district, who send their milk
i'^^o the factory daily, and are paid according to the quantity they furnish and to the price the
butter realises. There are many manufactories of the kind in Canada. I formed a very high
opinion of tliis district, and the land is cheaper than at some other places I came across, aver-
aging from £5 to £8 per acre.

When at Newcastle, the Fev. Mr. Betts drove me out to the Lake Shore, where I met some
grain -dealers. Barloy waq being quoted at 60 cents per bushel, and wheat was from 85 to
30 cents per bushel.

While h:. Toronto, Mr. Bennie, a seedsman of that city, kindly drove us round Scarborough
and the adjacent district.

We went to Mr. S. Beatti*»'e farm. Mr. Seattle ia well known all over Canada as an Im-
porter and exporter of first-class cattle. He was present at the last Royal Agricultural Society's
show at Carlisle, and purchased some of the finest animals exhibited for breeding purposes. He
bad some excellent root crops. In this case, as in every other where specif attention is paid to
the f.ittening of cattle, there is a corresponding attention to root growing.

We passed s'jveral other farms, among which was that of Mr. Andrew Hood, the prize plough-
man. I waa much surprised at the excellence of the ploughing in Canada generally. Mr. Bennie
had some of the best crops of carrots and mangels that it has been my lot to see. We saw
vumpkins growing T^hich were 35 lb. in weight, a^d squashes 150 lb. each— likely to be 276 lb.
lefore they stop growing, and swede turnips of good size, indicating what can be done in fancy
'arming. The grain crop waa stowed away in the barns in excellent order. Mr. Bennie in-
formed me that in seventeen years' farming his snmllest crop of barley averaged 88 bushels to
the acre, and that he had one year an average of 65 ; his corn was also of good quality.

We next went to the farms of Mr. Thomas Hood, Mr. John Gibson, and Mr. Hood, juni,
TbeM farms were in excellent oulti -ation.

Mr. George Curtufa Report,

fi3

We continaed onr journey tu Mr. Bobert Marsh's farm, where we inspected a fine flock of
Sonthdowns, which had obtained prizes at variou|i shows in the country. Mr. Marsh has been
tiying lucerne, and speaks favourably of it. He thinks that on rich land it might be cut three
times a year, and that it should yield two or three tons per acre at each cutting. I may say
here that he took nine medals and nine diplomas at the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia,
and that his prizes last year were eighty in number.

We next visited the farm of Mr. Russell, who has some fine shorthorn cattle. Finer speci-
mens than some of the animals cannot, I am certain, be found in Canada. We also looked at
bis flock of 120 Cotswold sheep. Some of them were weighed with the following results : four-
year-old ewe, 345 lb ; three-year-old, 323 lb. ; two-year-old, 323 lb. ; one-year-old, 310 lb. The
farm is over 300 acres in extent, and he has another 150 acres a shoii; distance away. The price
of land varies from £6 to £16 per acre. The soil throughout this district is of a good quality
and well cultivated.

Our next journey was to Guelph, to see the model farm. It is practically an Agricultural
College, where young Canadians receive a thorough knowledge of farming. In the advantages
of this valuable institution, any ratepayer, or the son of any ratepayer, is entitled to share, on
condition (1) that he is not less than fifteen years of age ; (2) is of good moral character ; (3) is
in good b: alth ; (4) is of fair educational attainments ; and (5) that he intends to follow horti-
culture or agriculture as a profession. The tuition is free, board and washing only being charged
for, and a man can earn enough by his labour to nearly cover the whole of his expenses. I was
pleased to make the acquaintance of the manager (Professor Brown), and President Mills, who
appeared to be specially qualified for the posts they fill.

During my stay in Toronto, myself and Mr. Sagar visited the Milton district.

SDOOESSFUL EMIGBANTS.

We passed on to a farm belonging to Mr. White, occupied by Mr. Thomas Boak. This is a
good farm, well cultivated, and stocked with a superior class of shorthorn cattle, some of which
Mr. Boak has imported from England. He is a native of Cumberland, and came out to Canada
about twenty -five years ago without capital, but by industry he (like scores of others I meet with
in Canada) is now able to purchase a farm. His taxes amount to about 40 dollars per annum for
the 300 acres.

We also visited Mr. Brain's, who, with his father, were pioneers in this part of the country.
He came from England, and in addition to his farm brews lager beer. He started with little or
no capital.

We also went through the village of Campbellville, in the township of Nassagowey, county of
Halton, and among others I met Mr. Jonathan Adamson. He had the good fortune to select a
fine piece of land (200 acres). He has improved it by the erection of a stone dwelling-house and
substantial buildings. The soil on the farm is of good quality, and in a state of excellent culti-
vation. Mr. Adamson settled here about forty years ago, and was able to give us interesting
information respecting the settlement of this fine township. He started without capital, but
now owns a fine farm. Mrs. Adamson's father, Mr. Trudgeon, was the first settler in this dis-
trict, when the country around was a dense forest. There was not even a road from Toronto,
and they had to find their way through the forest. Mr. Adamson came out from England. He
is now over seventy years of age, and is hale and hearty. I found no farm in this county in
neater trim, or more profitable cultivation, than that of Mr. Johnson-Harrison, of Milton.
Here the thistle, the great drawback to Canadian farming, is not allowed any quarters. He
keeps some entire horses of the roadster class — fine animals. He also has a superior herd of
short-horned cattle.

I stayed in the district of Halton for a few days, and received much information from Mr.
White, who accompa'-.Icd us through the county. T!ie price of land appears to run from
40 to 80 dollars per acre; for renting, ab''at S dollars per acre mry be taken as an
average. The following are the pnncipal towns in the county of Halton : Oakville, about 2000
inhabitants ; Georgetown, about 2000 inhabitants ; Acton, 1000 ; Burlington, 2000 : Milton,
1200. The population of the whole county is about 25,000, consisting principally of English,
Irish, Scotch, and native Canadians. It is a fine grain and grass-growing country, also a
favoured location for f.oiit c/ops, and is famous for its strawberries. Its position is between
Toronto and Hamilton, v.ndthe county is traversed by four different lines of railway.

BISE FROM POVERTY TO WEALTH.

On arriving at Ingersoll, we called at the farm oi Mr. V/ilson, who came out from England
with his father, in 1832. When they arrived here they were the happy possessors of 3 dollars
(1 2n.) Now every branch of the family is wealthy, owning, among other property, 1200 acres of
land of i^ood quality, with neat and snostantial residences. We also inspected a cheese factory

li
I

54

Mr. George Curtuft Report,

npon his farm, and while partaking of refreshment listened tdth Intense interest to this fine and
Intelligent Yorkshire emigrant of nearly fifty years ago. I may add that their wealth has been
obtained from agricultunu panuits, ana that the land does not represent all their wealth. These
cases speak for theinsolves, and show what can be done in Canada by hard work and thrift.

We next visited, among several others, Mr. Agar, who farms 400 acres of land of good
quality. He also milks 60 cows, and makes a large quantity of cheese. The houses for tiie
cattle were undergoing extension and alteration. The stables are well arranged, and have every
convenience. He started with a very small capital, but is now in a position of affluence, which
has been obtained, as in Mr. Wilson's case, from agiioulture.

We visited several cheese manufactories in this locality. They are conducted on the same
principles as the butter manufactories, described elsewhere.

An inspection of this district shows how easily and profitably the land can be devoted to
grazing purposes. The soil is a rich loam, somewhat undulating. The brick and stone resi-
dences, with their cedar walks and neatly trimmed lawns and hedges, and the orchards, with
titeir golden burdens, form a picture difficult to equal in the finest districts of the Old
Country.

I now proceed to devote a few lines to Tilsonburg, which is becoming an Important place,
thanks to the energy and enterprise of its founder, Mr. Tilson. The town is in the county of
Oxford, and its valuable water privileges have already given an impetus to the establishment of
manufactories. It possesses a saw-mill, corn, oatmeal, and pea-splitting mill, a large brewery,
and a sugar manufactory nearly ready. A large quantity of beet is grown in the neighbour-
hood. A manufactory for drying fruit for exporting has also been started, and they expect to
use 25,000 bushels of apples alone during this season.

Building materials are very cheap. White bricks (very durable) cost 5 dollars per thousand ;
time, 20 cents per bushel; hard wood, 2 dollars ; and soft, 1 dollar per cord (4 feet square, 8 feet
long). This, taken in conjunction with the extensive water-power available, prognosticates a
busy future for this young town. It is also said to be probable that any new factory started
would get a subsidy, and perhaps exemption from taxes for a certain time ; so there appears to
be a good opening.

We went round Mr. Tilson's farm. The land is good and well cultivated ; the country
around is a fine farming district, and not inaptly named ' Goshen.' In driving around I came
across two namesakes, George Curtis and W. Curtis, who came from Lincolnshire. They and
another brother arrived in Canada without capital, and are now in the happy position of being
their oMm landlords.

The price of land around Tilsonburg and Goshen varies from 30 dollars to 60 dollars per aci-e
(£6 ta £12), and, though near the town rather light, is of a capital quality.

Continuing onr journey to Barrie, and having been joined oy Professor Sheldon and Messrs.
fiagar and Donaldson, we paid a visit to Bradford. Some of the land we traversed was inferior,
but about Newmarket and forward to Bradford it was of good quality. We were joined at
Bradford by Dr. Morton, the Beeve of the township, and drove out to Bond Head, calling at
Colonel Tyrwhit's, who owns upwards of 200 acres of land in good cultivation. He has some
good horses, cattle and sheep, and excellent root -crops. We also visited Mr. Stoddard's famr,
&e greater part of which is under-drained. This southern portion of Simcoe seems equal to the
best parts of Ontario. At Mr. Stoddard's farm I had a conversation with one of h'S men, who
came from Whitby, Yorkshire. He had been there fifteen months, and during the first twelve
months had managed to save 100 dollars. His wages were 110 dollars, including board and
lodging, so that he had nothing but clothes to find. He is now gettinc' 126 dollars per annum,
and hopes to save a still larger sum this year. To use his own words, ne ' means to have a farm
of his own before long.' We then went on to Barrie, the county town of Simcoe. It is one of
ihe larg^li counties in Ontario, the dimensions being roughly 156 miles by 80, and, generally
■peaking, is a fine agricultural country. Barrie is very prettily situated upon a bay of Lake
Simooe.

We left Barrie In order to make a visit to the Muskoka district, and were accompanied by a
Mrty of gentlemen to Gravenhurst, where a railway is being made to connect with the Northern
Faoific. I will give you generally my impression of this district as it is attracting a good deal
of attention. Its scenery is very romantic ; indeed, it is called the Wales of Canada. It is
well watered. Fart of the soil is good, and part is rocky. I have seen some very fine samples
of roots and grain raised in the district, and think it is likely to become an important district
both for the growth of cereals and the raising of live stock. The population is increasing rapidly,
BO I was told, and the free grants of lands are being availed of. On returning to Barrie, we
called on Mr. Bridges, who is a breeder of Hereford ci utle. He owns a large amount of land —
about 1800 acres, I think. He has a farm of cleared land, and is clearing about eighty acres
every year. He told me that a good deal of the land has cost him nothing, the timber having
realised more than the price of the land. Most of the farms in the district present similar
features to that of Mr. Bridges', though to a more limited extent.

Before leaving Canada I nad an opportunity of visiting the agricultural show at Hamilton.
It comprised many of (be eame features that I observed at the Toronto Exhibition ; indesd.

N

w

Mr. George CvrUife RtporL

B5

naay ot the cattle and most of the general articles did duty at botii places. Giavestones were
8bown at Toronto, but coffins were also on view here — bo tiiat the usefulness of the shows are
i rather extended, covering both the living ar 1 the dead. The machinery, hardware, and car-
riages were very good, and the former exhibit excelled Toronto if anything — which is not a
1 matter for surprise, when one is informed that Hamilton is the Birmingham of Oitnada. The
horses and cattle were good classes. One fat ox, shown also at Toronto, sc&led 2850 lb. The
pigs aL'-~, of the Suffolk and Berkshire breed, can be commended. I had the pleasure of an
btroduction to his Excellencv the Governor-General (Marquis of Lome) here, and bad an
I interesting interview. I found him very affable and pleasant.

Just a few concluding remarks about the show. There was a cloth-cutting machine of very
Ingenious construction ; a splendid show of the Wanzer sewing-machines ; and X must not forget
to mention the implements shown by Mr. Copp — they deserve much commendation for their
neatness and lightness. The fruit-show was also excellent, and as a conclusion I may say that I
liad a basket of very fine grapes given to me at Hamilton (grown by Mr. Hiurd in the open air),
which I brought to England, and when opened, after three weeks, were in perfect order. It,
therefore, is not unlikely that this fruit may form a no inconsiderable feature in the exports of
I Canada at some future day.

We next made our way to Niagara to see the famous falls of that place. The district between
I Hamilton and Niagara is famous for its fruit-growing, especially for peaches. It seems to be
I quite a profitable trade, and I was told the fruit of the district was celebrated all over the con-
I tinent of America. The land about St. Catherine's is light, and not very valuable for farnling
[purposes. As to the falls, so many have given a description of these mighty waters that ft is
[almost superfluous to mention the subject ; but as no one has seen them with my eyes, I suppose
[l ouglit to say something about a spectacle so world-renowned. It is truly a sublime sight to
[behold. There is something akin to disappointment at first, but as the whole is gazed at, and
(its grandeur impressed upon the mind, it becomes awfully magnificent. The rapids above and
I below the falls are only less beautiful because leas awe-inspiring.

aEJOSKAL BtJMMAUT.

i?i

t:

■•■:■ n

I have now finished my detailed report, and propose to summarise, tmdeir convenient
heads, my opinions generally about the portions of the country that I had the privilege of
visiting :

Climate. — It may be said generally that the summer heat and winter cold are greater than in
England. But it is only fair to remark that owing to the dryness of the atmosphere, the heat is
not so inconvenient as it would be in our murky climate. At the same time it has a vs'onderful
effect in bringing to maturity the fruits of the soil. Oats can be sown and reaped in three
months, and fruits are grown to such perfection and in such luxuriance as to tuiprise one from
the Old Country. Almost everything that grows in England will grow in Canada, but vegetables
and roots attain a greater size in the latter, and melons, tomatoes, peaches, and excellent grapes
ripen to perfection in the open air.

As regards the winter, the degree of cold as registered by the thermometer is undoubtedly
much greater than in this country, but the air is so dry and so exhilarating, that the season is
looked forward to as one of enjoyment. It would seem from this that the dampness of the air is
ft great factor in deciding the effects of cold, and I certainly heard no complaints in Canada of
the winter. It has one drawback certainly, and that is the necessity of housing the cattle and
6heep in the winter, but as shipments can notwithstanding be made at a profit, and as the cattle
trade is being largely developed, this is apparently not considered a serious disadvantage by our
Canadian cousins. I may add also that apple and peach trees are left unprotected during the
winter without any injury to their vitality.

Soil. — Speaking generally, the soil of Ontario is of a loamy nature, some light and some clayey,
but in the latter case it does not appear to be so heavy and difficult to work as the clay lands of
England. This may be owing to the clay being less tenacious, or by the pulverising effects
of the winter frost. I may say that I saw no real surface clay soiL There was, of course, sub-
soil of that nature. In a country so largo as the Province of Ontario many different kinds of
soil are naturaUy found — good, bad, and indifferent ; but the former seems to preponderate, as
the diversified products «>,nd the luxuriance of their growth demonstrate. But the land has not
been used well. It must have been exceedingly rich at one time, but continued cropping and
careless farming Is bound to bring its results, and the lesson cannot fail to be useful. The effects
are seen in the better system of farming that is now being adopted, and to the greater attention
that is being gf ven to dairy farming, to the fattening of live stock, and to the consequent ex-
tended growing of root crops, all of which will tend to recuperate the soil. Drainage too h now
being looked after, and more in this direction may yet be done in some districts.

Free Oranta of Land. — Upon this point I cannot do bettor than quote the foUowlaff extract,
taken from a work issued by the Government of the Province of Ontario: 'Evety nee-grant
settler over eighteen vears of age la entitled to select 100 acres, and every head of a family 200

r,
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60

Mr. George Curliii Report.

ifj^

acres. The conditiotu of settlement are set forth in the following clause of the Free Grants and
Homestead Act, Revised Statutes of Ontario, cap. 24, sec. 8 : "No patent shall issue for any land
located under this Act, or under said regulations, until the expiration of five years from the date
of such location, nor until the locatee, or those claiming under him, or some of them, have per-
formed the following settlement duties, that is to say : have cleared and have under cultivatioa
at least fifteen acres of the said land (whereof, at least, two acres shall be cleared and cultivated
annually during the five years next after the date of the location to be computed from such date),
and have built a house thereon fit for habitation, at least sixteen feet by twenty feet, and liave
actually and continuously resided upon and cultivated the said land tot the term of five yeaii
next succeeding the date of such location, and from thence up to the issue of the patent, except
that the locatee shall be allowed one month from the date of the location to enter upon and
occupy the land ; that absence from the said land for in all not more than six months during any
one year (to be computed from the date of the location), shall not be held to be a cessation of
such residence, provided such land be cultivated as aforesaid." '

Just a word in regard to these free grants. No one should choose them In a hurry. There
is plenty of good land, but as much care should be exercised in its selection as if it had to be
bought, for it is a matter upon which the success of the settler primarily depends.

Ontario as a Field/or Hettlement. — My opinion on this point is that a man has every chance
of doing well in Ontario, and that many have succeeded is demonstrated by the examples which
I found in the course of my travels. I may be asked, and it is a fair question, whether I would
care to live in the country myself and adopt it as my home ? In response, I can say that if ever
I did emig:rate, Canada is the country I would go to. Indeed, such a change as regards associations
would be very little, as Ontario is much the same as England, it« inhabitants all hailing from
the Old Country, having been bom here, or descended from earlier emigrants from our shores,
In a pecuniary sense the change would be productive of great advantage. In the first place a
less capital is required ; one can buy as much land in Ontario for a dollar as in England for i
sovereign. This is a rough and ready calculation, but is Rufficiently near the mark. For
labourers Ontario ofifers great advantages to steady, hardworking, and thrifty men. They get good
wages, and may look forward to being able to start on their own account if they are careful,
Most of the labourers are boarded and lodged in the farmhouses, so that single men are preferred ;
but in the neighbourhood of the towns and vilhigos this is a disadvantage not without remedy in
the case of married couples. But I think Ontario farmers vpould be serving their own interests
if they were to erect cottages for the men, and thus foster a class similar to the farm labourer of
England.

Capital Required. — In the first place, I may say that improved farms vary in price from £8 to
£16 per aero, which includes fences and all buildings, in fact a farm ready for occupation, while Land
of similar quality can be rented .at from lOs. to 20s. per acre. It is, therefore, ea.sy to calculate what
capital a man ought to have. He would, of course, have to buy implements and cattle and seed, to
enable him to make a start, and the amount to l)e expended under this head would, of coTirse,
depend upon the means of the farmer and the system which he would adopt. I may remark here
in parenthesis that land and buildings can be bought in the Eastern Townships for £4 or £5 per
acre. It is said that on a free grant a man should have £100 or £150. He would not, of course,
be able to put a whole farm into work at once with this amount of capital, but each year he
would be getting a return and be adding to his capital, and thus be able to extend his area eacii
year. Until a man had enough ground under cultivation to occupy him entirely, he could earn

f[ood wage.? for his labour in spare time, which would also help him. Many have started with
ittle or no capital, or at any rate much less than the figures named above ; but this can only be
done by dint of hard work and self-denial, which, after all, are in any case the first elements of
success.

I may add that I did not come across any gnimblers in my travels. The people seemed
happy and contented. I may say further, that I was only asked for alms on one occasion, and
my inquiries elicited that he was not a Canadian, but a man on tramp from Rochester, in the
United States. As regards taxes, I found on inquiry that they averaged from £5 to £7 per 100
acre.s, and a few days' labour (or its equivalent) in connection with the roads. There are no
tithes, income-tax, or anjrthing of that kind.

Produce. — The average crops of wheat range from 20 to 40 bushels per acre, though the
average for the Dominion is less. Mr. Rennie never had less than 25 bushels. Oats, barley,
and Indian com yield good crops, as also roots ; vegetables are abundant ; potatoes, carrots, and the
like are larger than in England ; peas and beana flourish ; all kinds of frait grow in great luxuriancej
peaches, apricots, melons, tomatoes, and grapes coming to maturity in the open air. Good as th'e
crops are, they are capable of improvement, by better farming and a more liberal application of
manure, and the scarcity of labour tends to increase the expenses. Dairy produce is also now
coming to the fore, but I intend giving some statistics as to this later on.

CaMle, — Grade cattle, taken herd for herd, are equal to any that will be found on this side
of the Atlantic. They also have some fine herds of pure breeds of various sorts, as my readers
will remember. There has been no cattle plague or pleuro-pneumonia in Canada, so that th«
iDominion ia nofe included in the scheduled, obuntries. The cattle are therefore admitted to th<

Hr. treorge CurMs RepwU

mm

67

English markets alive, which Is an advantage not possessed by American stock raisers. Th«
breed of sheep is generally good, and the cross is favoured rather than the pure breeds. There
is a good deal of controversy as to the best cross, and many different opiwions are adopted. Piga
tre generally a good class. The horses are lighter than our agricultural horses, but they ar«
strong and active, and adapted for the road or harder work. Praise is certainly due to the efforts
that are made to improve^ the quality of the stock. The finest cattle and horses are being im-
ported every year for breeding purposes, and many prize-winners at our shows find their way to
Canada, at no small expense to the importers. The herds of pure-bred cattle, in various parts of
the country, contain many excellent animals ; and those at Bow Park, and at Mr. Cochrane'i
farm in the Eastern Townships, have a reputation by no means confined to the American con*
tinent.

Markets and M^am of Communication. — The province has good rail communication, as a
glance at a map will show; and as to markets each town has at least two each week, and the
villages one. A farmer has no difficulty in getting rid of all his produce. As regards barley, I
am told that the greater portion of it is sent to the United States, where it is much esteemed.

Implements. — I was much struck with the implements I saw. They are light, yet strongly
made, and easy to handle. The Americans used to control the markets for these goods, but I am
told they are now almost entirely superseded by Canadian manufactures.

System of Farming. — I have mentioned this under the head of ' Soil.' The great fault
seems to have been the want of a system. Mixed farming I am satisfied is the best thing
an Ontario farmer can adopt. By raising cattle he is obliged to use his straw, and to grow
root crops, thus affording the means of keeping the soil well manured. It is true that wheat
and other exports do not fetch the same price as they do here, but the cost of producing them
is less. The price of food-stuffs is low ; bran, for instance, costing only a third of what it does
here.

Exports. — ^The following figures are useful in showing the progress of Canada as an agrioal«
tural country. Exports in 1878 of wheat and fiour, 10,895,468 bushels ; other grain, 12,923,871
bushels ; in 1879, of wheat and flour, 12,671,435 bushels ; other grain, 11,270,195 bushels. In
1878, 6,635,411 buehels of wheat, and 2,621,581 bushels of other grain were imported into the
Dominion ; and in 1879, 4,768,733 bushels of wheat and 2,190,858 bushels of other grain. But
most of this was for exportation from Canadian ports, on account of cheap freights and better
facilities for getting to the sea-board, and not for home use. In fact the import of wheat de«
ereased in 1879 by 1,000,000 bushels, while the exports increased by 2,000,000 bushels. The
export of flour in 1879 was also equal to 3,000,000 bushels. The following are the exports ol
butter, cheese, and eggs during 1878 and 1879 : 1878, 13,006,626 lb. of butter ; 88,054,294 lb.
of cheese, 6,268,170 doz. eggs ; 1879, 14,307,977 lb. of butter ; 46,414,036 lb. of cheese ; 5,440,828
doz. eggs. Exports of horses, cattle, sheep and swine : In 1878, 14,207 horses, 30,456 cattle^
242,989 sheep, ."^201 swine ; in 1879, 16,635 horses, 49,257 cattle, 808,393 sheep, 6498 swine.
These figures are taken from a work published by Mr, W. J. Patterson, the secretary ot t)ie
Montreal Board of Trade.

Lands for Sale. — It may be asked, why can land so readily be bought, if the prospects for •
settler are so good ? There are several reasons for this. One is that many of the settlers ob*
tained their lands for little or nothing ; have cleared them, erected buildings, and have tiie
farms under cultivation. They are now worth a good b\uu. With the capital acquired by selling
now they wish to take up fresh lands and get those into cultivation, adding to their means in
this way. I came across a man at Wingham to whom this applies. Many go to Manitoba,
which is attracting so much attention. Another reason is that the occupier may have got into
years ; his sons have taken to professions or commercial pursuits rather than farming, and he
desires to retire and live on his capitaL I was informed of this by a man at Milton who had
a farm to sell. Then, again, some are due to bad farming. The occupiers have not used the
soil well, and rather than take the trouble of adopting higher farming and manuring their lands,
prefer to go to new land, where they can continue their unvrise and shortsighted operations.
Others wish to take larger farms.

Social Aspects. — Just a few words upon this subject and I finish. The Canadians possess
the characteristics which are usually found on this side of the Atlantic ; yet they seem to be a
little different from the phlegmatic Englishman. In fact, they combine the ' go ' of the Ameri«
can with the caution of the Britisher. They are very sociable and hospitable, and I think,
taking class for class, they live in better houses than we do in England, and are more extravagant
hi the way of furniture and ' fixings.' This I especially noticed in my visits to farmhouses.
There is of course very little aristocracy, the distinction between classes being, I think, expressed
by the words capital and labour ; and there is more freedom and more equality between man
and man in Canada than in England ; which is generally the case, I believe, in most of onr
Colonies. Now I leave Canada. I enjoyed the trip much, and made many friends, and shall
always remember with feelings of pleasure my sojourn in that country ; and if I have not spe-
ciOcally mentioned all those to whom I am indebted, it is for want of space, and not that I have
forgotten their kindness. On our way down the St. Lawrence the autumnal tints of foliage

i

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11^

JTr. €horge OwtUft J^^pori,

fortaed a speotaele not eaailv forgotten, and wonld nqnire the brash of an urtitt, the mind ol|]
poet, or the tongue of an orator to do It justice. I

I came back in the Allan Line steamer Sardinian, nnder the command of Captain Dutton,
We had a congenial company of saloon passengers. There was Miss Macpherson, of the Orphan I
In^itution, at Gait, and Miss Scott and Miss Oombs, who had been with her to Canada. I wul
also pleased to meet John McLean, Esq., of Montreal, who was a passenger of the same ship that I
I went out in. We also had the Hon. D. A. Smith, Sir H. Allan, Mr. Lonsdale, andMt,!
Monson; also Mr. W. P. Cubitt, a British delegate from Norfolk; Mr. Hickson, of tbi
Grand Trunk Bailway, and many others of a like genial and intelligent stamp, of whose agreeabli|
and instructive conversation I shall ever entertain a pleasing recoUectioo.

QOXSTIOSa.

^'V.'\'^.'

'Mr. Onrtifl^ who was loudly cheered, e:ipressed his willingness to answer any questions gentlai
men desired to ask ; he courted the questions for the sake of givine information.

'Mr. Davis (Gargrave), said the Craven farmers would be much oenefited if they could obtain
from Canada^ in the spring of the year, a supply of lean cattle ; and he inquired of Mr. Curtis if
he thought the Canadian fanners could meet their wants in this respect.

'Mjr. Curtis replied that his impression was that the Canadian farmers could profitably supplj
us vrith lean cattle, but they wanted to send them in the autumn, whereas the Craven fannen
wished to hav* them in the spring. The Canadians were undoubtedly going in more for cattle.
raiafaig, and he believed lean cattle would in the future become a considerable item of the
exports from that country. In support of this view, he quoted the opinion of Mr. Hicksoo,
the manager of tiie Grand Trunk Kailway, who was on board the vessel on which he returned to
England.

' In answer to the question as to whether the farm-buildings in Canada were of brick, stone, oi
wood, Mr. Curtis said the stables and houses for cattle were generally of stone or brick up to the
first story, and above that, of wood.

' Question. — Are the roads very bad, and is it inconvenient travelling in the country districts!
'Mr. Curtis replied that at certain periods of the year travelling must be inconvenient. It
was in the summer that he visited the country, and then the road^ were very cood ; and he wai
informed that in a great part of Ontario they were good, although it was a^itted that for i
week ojr two after the breaking up of a frost they were bad. The roads generally were gravelled,
but the gravelling was such as would hardly deserve that name with us.

'The chairman said it was admitted that the English farmer could not compete in wheat<
growing with the virgin soils of Canada. He should like to know what Mr. Curtis's opinion was
of the power of the exhausted soil of Canada as compared with the wheat-growing districts oi
England.

' Mr. Curtis said it was a difficult question to answer. It was often discussed in Canada in
bis presence. Sometimes one conclusion was come to, sometimes the contrary. He did not
believe in some of the statistics which had been publish^ in England. He did not think the
Canadians could put wheat down in this country for 30s. a quarter, as had been asserted. His
own impression was that Ontario would eoon be beaten out of the field by the corn-growing
'districts of the Far Wejit, just as England was beaten by Canada. Canadians were much
favoured by their climate, but we could now vastly more per acre. He was told that the
average this year in England was 27 to 28 oushels per acre. Probably the average of Canada
was not more than 20 bushels per acre, so that there were 7 or 8 bushels per acre in our favour.
Then there was the cost of transit, and in his opinion we had not much to fear from then.
There would have to be a re-adjustment of rents in this country in the corn-growing districts^
but he believed England was not going to be wiped out yet.

' In reply to another qu^tion, Mr. Curtis said that Ontario generally was well watered.
' On the motion of Mr. H. Holden, of Halton East, seconded by Mr. Davis, a vote of thanks
was given to Mr. Curtis for his able report.'— Craven Pionevr^ November 20, 1880.

w

KiiPOUT OF MR. R. H. B. P. ANDERSON,

0/ Listowel, Co. Kerry, Irelandt 's ';^

ON ONTARIO, MANITOBA, AND THE NORTH-WEST.

SotfS mobths ago I was asked by a number of friends to go out to Canada and nport on
the country in general, and Manitoba in particular, as a field for emigration. Accordingly,
I left Ireland in July, that I might reach Canada while the crops were stiU growing, be*
lieving that in this state they are aa good a criterion as it is possible to obtain of the soil and
climate of a country. I have now returned after a very pleasant and instructive trip, and have
not only seen the crops growing but some of the grain cut ; have witnessed many of the
ordinarv Canadian farm operations ; have seen their cattle early enough to be able to judge
what they must have been after the longest and severest winter Canada has experienced
for years, and late enough to observe what a few months' feeding on the ' wild prairie ' can do.
I travelled for hundred^ of miles over the open prairie during the hottest part of the Canadian
summer, and having camped in the middle of the marshes can spealc from personal experience of
the inconvenience of the heat, and of those pests, the mosquitoes and black flies. I have taken
some little trcu :>]e in investigating their school system, and have visited the farmers in Ontario
and the settlers in the North-West ; ?n fact, I have seen and done all that was possible in the
limited time at my disposal, and am happy to say that on the whole Z was much pleased.

There is no doubt that Canada has its drawbacks, and many of them, as well as its adTantagoi}
but ha must be blind indeed who cannot see a wondrous future before it — in fact, to quole a
popular author, it is ' the future world, the great Titan-baby, which will be teeming with new
Athens and Londons, new Bacons and Shakespeares, Newtons and Qoethes, when this old worn-
out island will be— What?'

Before applying myself to the main part of my subject, i.e., the agricultaral and commercial
capabilities of the country, I should endeavour as far as possible to remove from the minds of
my readers a few unjust prejudices and erroneous ideas too commonly entertained by the people
of these countries concerning the Canadian people, Canadian travelling, and the sea-voyage, a«
it is my belief that there are many persons kept at home in comparative want who might do
well in Canada were they hot deterred from trying their fortunes there by their notions on these
subjects. About the sea- voyage I may say it is simply a pleasure-trip, its only fault being its
shortness.

I crossed to Quebec in the steamship Sarmatian, of the Allan Line, and returned in the
Sardinian of the same Line, both magnificent vessels, on board of which it is impossible to realise
the ' dangers of the deep.' , The extreme caution of the captains when the slightest fog appeared
was idmost irritating to our landsman's ignorance, but at the same time It made us feel per-
fectly safe in their hands. The passage out occupied but seven days and a half, we were only four
and a half days out of sight of land. On the fifth we were sailing up the St. Lawrence — one most
see the glories of this magnificent river to be able to realise it. The arrangements on board
the vessels for the comfoi-t of all passengers, whether saloon, intermediate, or steerage, are aa
complete as they could well be. With regard to that bugbear, sea-sickness, I can only say that
he is quite as black as he is painted ; but he seldom holds his victim long, and as he vanishes, as
if in reparation for the mischief he has done, he leaves behind a feelin^r of health and elasticity
whioli makes one almost thankful for his visit ; besides, one suffers much more in the English
Channel in an ordinary steamer than in crossing the Atlantic in an ocean boat.

As to the travelling in Canada, when I say that I have travelled over some 6000 or 7000
miles of the North-American Continent, more than 6000 of which have been either by rail or
steamboat, it will be allowed that I am in a position to speak of its dangers and inconveniences.
So far as one could see, there is an entire absence of that ' go-ahead ' recklessness which we
associate with it, and which was one of its characteristics in olden times. The railway tracks
are extremely well laid, and seem perfectly safe ; the speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour^
the carriages are most comfortable, and the Pullman cars either as day or sleeping compartmeiits
are perfect. I have made a journey of 90 hours there with less fatigue than I would one of
12 hours here. The carriages being close to one another, and connected at each end by a

{>latfonn, a passenger can walk the full length of the train (often nearly a quarter ot a mile
oQg) and enjoy Um fresh air outside the carriage door, avoiding the idserabU feeling of

'■ >;

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60

Mr. R. E. B. P. Anderson's R^oorU

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■ It

confinement which one has In the carriages at home. The arrangements about luggage are snob
' that it is almost impossible for it to go astray, or even give trouble to the owner. One Is never
In danger of being hungry when travelling, for if there be not a dining-car attached to the
train, it is sure to stop at three stations during the day, where good meals for a moderate charge
oan be had.

But above all these, the extreme courtesy shown by all classes makes travelling delightful.
The coarse and disgusting habits we attribute to the American are a thing of the past, or else
they have good feeUng enough to restrain themselves where indulging them would offend ; and
strange to say, In a country where all are smokers, a lady need not fear having her delicate senses
hurt by the use of ' the noxious weed,' for no one ever thinks of smoking except in a carriage set
apart for the purpose. When, In addition to all these advantages, there are intelligent and
obliging officials, railway travelling need not be regarded with apprehension.

The river steamboats may well be called ' floating palaces,' and their management seems to be
In safe hands. I was extremely surprised, though amused, to find that a rough day was quite enough
to keep many of these boats from crossing I^ke Oatario. On one occasion I was unfortunate
enough to be one of fifty or sixty passengers on board the only boat that put out from Toronto
for the day, and paid for the temerity of the captain by being more sea-sick than I ever have
been before or since.

Of the good-nature of the Canadians I need hardly speak— it has become proverbial ; I will
only say that I have never experienced greater kindness in my life than during my stay among
them. Independent the Canadian certainly is, both in mind and manner — ^perhaps, to our old-
oonntry idea, disagreeably so ; but his independence falls far short of that self-assertion usually
Attributed to him. It is rather the independence of men 'too full of self-respect to be either
•ervlle or nncourteous.'

I may say, without fear of contradiction, that there Is not a more law-abiding or loyal people
tn the world than the Canadians ; nor any country where a man, having acquired property, will
have his title thereto more respected than in Canada.

Energy, perseverance, and pluck no one will deny that they possess to an extraordlnaiy degree
who sees their beautiful cities and remembers that comparatively a few years ago the ground on
which they stand was clothed with primeval foresLs, the home of the Indian and the wolf.

The first land I touched In Canada was at Quebec. One of the first objects that attract
attention before reaching Quebec (some nine miles from the city), are the Montmorency Falls,
looking like a streak of silver down the side of the brown cliff. Quebec Is beautifully situated
on a hill commanding magnificent views of the river both above and below the city ; but ex-
eepting these views, and the historical associations connected with it, the place is uninteresting.
There is a large lumber-trade done, and lately a new wharf has been built, also elevators. In the
hope of securing some of the com trade. I doubt the expectation being realised, for it seems to
me that Montreal Is the natural (present) port for the West. I say present, for, should the
Hudson's Bay route be opened — and I believe that is now a certainty — the trade of Montreal
will receive a severe blow, for much of the grain coming to Europe from not only the North-
West but the United States, will be shipped vid Port Nelson.

At Point Levi, directly opposite to, but divided from Quebec by the river, I saw some magni-
ficent cattle and shsep taken off a ship just arrived from England. They comprised shorthorn
and polled Angus cattle, and Cotswold and South Down sheep. Our Canadian cotisins, alive to
•verything by which the material prosperity of their country can be advanced, have seen the
benefit to be derived from a good strain of stock, and spare neither trouble nor expense to obtain
It. I am informed that the land in the southern parts of the province (Eastern Townships)
lagood.

Going Into Montreal, one passes through a splendid tubular bridge — ^the Victoria — some two
miles long, crossing the St, Lawrence, and arrives at an untidy, wretched station — one quite un-
worthy of Montreal, which Ij, as regards size and importance at least, the chief city of Canada,
Montreal is b'jautifully situated on an island formed by the riven St. Lawrence and Ottawa,
•t the foot of Mount Boyal — hence its name. The mount has lately been turned into a public

Grk, which will undoubtedly be one of the finest in the worM. The views from it are glorious,
ontreal is a city of which the people are justly proud, and Is the chief outlet ot Canadian
oommerce.

Here I had my first experience of'Canadian hotels i In f,he arrangement and management of
which, as in most other thingi^ they are ahead of us. Nothing is left undone to promote the
oomfort and convenience of guests. Their charges are moderate, but their system of making
them is very unlike ours ; one charge is made of so much per day, which includes everything —
that is to say, bed, attendance, and four meals. At the very best hotels in Canada the charges
range from 10s. to 12s. per day ; and for this sum you can live in a style, and amid comforts yon
would look for in vain in Ireland. Neither has one to run the gauntlet between rows of waiters,
'Boots,' etc., expecting to be 'tipped ' on leaving a Canadian hotel, l^e island of Montreal,
mbioh Is about thirty miles long by nine wide, contains good laud, and the fanners in the neigh-
bonrhood are well off.

The next city I visited was Ottawa, the Canadian capital. Here I had tbe'pleasnre ot meeting

T

Mr, R. H. B. P. Ander8on*» Report.

08

-«vlpj

1

Mr. Lowe, thb secretary of the Agricultural Department, who kindly gave me much useful Informa-
tion, and put me in the way of aeeing the country to advantage.

About twenty-five miles from Ottawa there is some prime land, aud I was Informed on the
liest authority that the whole valley of the Ottawa, which is composed of a light sandy loam, is
admiralaly snited for the cultivation of the vine, and Is expected to be a wine-produoing region in
the immediate future ; Indeed, I saw vineyards myself of several acres in extent, the vines
looking healthy, and giving evident proof that they can be grown to advantage. Tlicy have a
great many varieties of hardy vines, which, with very little care, can be kept through the
leverest winter without receiving Injury. France and Germany may yet find a rival in Canada
for their light wines. Ottawa Itself is nicely situated on the river Ottawa, and contains the
Houses of Parliament, which are really beautiful structures. From them one has a splendid
view of the river. Tlie ordinary buildings in the town are good, but the streets are anything but
well kept, and there seems to be very little trade In the place except In lumber. I visited the
Cbaudibre Falls, dose to the town. They are very fine. Here 1 was greatly struck with thd
utilitarian spirit of the Canadians, the waters being turned from their natural course over the falls
to work mills for cutting timber. I went into one of the lumber mills close by, worked solely
by tlie river, and was almost deafened by the eternal ' whirr ' of the saws. I was told that in
this mill, durmg the three months it works, they out upwards of 40,000,000 feet of lumber.
Both here and <>t Montr >1 I saw the true Canadian horse — small, slight, wiry, and full of
pluck— not adapted, apparently, for heavy work, yet astonishing the beholder by what it
can do. ' i . -.

ONTABia - ,,' ' ■' Ci,' '■'

The next city I shall mention Is Toronto, the capital of Ontario, the richest province of Canada.
The city is situated on the shore of Lake Ontario, and is beautifully laid out ; many of the streets
are lined with trees, and the lovely avenues remind one of a park. Here I received much kindness
from Mr. Doaaldson, the Government agent, who piloted me aboutjand pointed out the various
objects of interest — the university, model-schools, park, etc., etc., and we had a sail on the lake.
Mr. Donaldson is one of the oldest inhabitants of the place, and rememliers when, about forty-
two years ago, there were but eight houses in it. An old-country visitor looking round Mm, finds
it tax his imiigination to believe this. Toronto Is the fountain-head of the Canadian edu lation^I
system, Vrhicta, so far as I can judge, seems perfect. Ist, There is the Public School, in which every
child is entitled to receive a free education ; next comes the High School, the charge for which
is about £1 a quarter for each pupil. There is a Public School and High School in each dlBtrict ;
the High School course is a very comprehensive one. The master's tenure of office in these
schools depends on his success as a teacher, and as there is a wonderful amount of rivalry between
them the pupils are sure of having every attention ; indeed a gentleman who was for many years
a most successful master, told me that the post is one of the most arduous that can well be
imagined. After these schools comes the Collegiate Institute, and, lastly, the University itself,
the fees for which amount to about £10 per annui. . The pupils 'n each school are examined
twice a year by public examiners, and those who show sufficient pr<~ficiency are raised to the next
school above that in ^hich they pass. I think the whole systp^u, uoth as regards cheapness and
thoroughness, will favourably compare with a;.y in this country.

The province of Ontario is a magnificent farming country : it was here I first began to learn
what a dangerous competitor in agricultural produce Great Britain and Ireland have in
Canada. With a soil equal to any in the world, and practically unlimited in extent ; the very
best strains of cattle and sheep that can be purchased for money increasing daily in number f
labour-saving machinery of the very finest description, and farms extensive enough to warrant
its use ; cheap food ; a country which can, and will in time, supply every want of its people ; and
above all, a people who seem to have erased the word * impossible ' from their vocabulary, it
does not require the gift of prophecy to say how the competition will end. One thing is abso-
lutely certain — the small farmers of Ireland, even supposing they had no rent to pay, must
succumb. The soil of Ontario of course varies, but, as a rule, is good, being from heavy clay to
rich clay loam and sandy loam. In many districts the land is a good deal run down for want of
proper farming ; for, taken as a whole, the Ontario farmers are not models I should advise my
countrymen to copy. Among other faults, they entirely neglect the rotation of crops ; and many
seem to think manure unnecessary. However, they are rapidly improving in their methods, and
I have met many excellent farmers who do justice to the soil they cultivate, and are, as a conse-
quence, reaping a rich reward.

The climate of Ontario is healthy, although severe. The heat in summer Is intense ; the
cold in winter, though not as great as that in the North- West, is, I am told, more trying, owing
to the comparatively greater degree of dampness that exists. I am inclined to believe that the
indiscriminate cutting away of the forest has injured the climate, and renders it more uncertain
than it would otherwise be. The dry summers that sometimes occur are, I think, attributable to
this cause. But that it is healthy in the extreme is beyond question : both the people and the
oattU being living proofs of it. When i>ne sees the purest shorthorn cattle bearii^ the Gap*^

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Mr. H. H. B. P. Anderson's Septri.

diiin winter with ilielter »nd food muob inferior to that eonaidered neoesMury for th«m In thh
eountrv, yet in as good a condition as can be desired, one must conclude that the climate is a good
one. The heavy yield of all descriptions of crop proves that it is one SAiited for the agrioulturiat,
Melons peaobes, grapes, etc., ripeuiug In the open air tell what the lummer oan dob

I :

Iff

OArriB, sbhp, bobsbb, pick, era

' I did not vtitt any of che extensive herds of pure-bred cattle that Oanada oan boaat of, being
latisfied that they exiai.ed. I may just say that having first imported their stock from this side,
they are now able to sell us animals for enormous figures. One that I have seen myself w«i
bought as m nine-month-old calf by Mr. Talbot Orosby, from Mr. Ooohrane, of Oompton (£,
Townships), for, if I mistake not, £860.

I thought It more to my purpose to see what class of cattle the ordinary farmer was able to
rear, and great was my astonishment to find on farms of 150 or 200 acres of land (the ordinary
size of a Canadian farm), shurthoms of the very best families, whi ~h they cross with the native
cow, producing very good animals indeed, either for the butcher or the dairy ; and sheep that
wot^d raise envy in the breasts of some of our flock -masters in this country ; the Soath Downi
surprised me much, as I was inclined to think the cold climate would not suit them, and expected
they would be small and puny, but such was not the case. Up to the present, the Gotswold
seems to be most in favour. The pigs, too, are excellent. I saw some Sutfolk and Berkshire

Eigs in Ontario that would do credit to any breeder in this country. I may mention, in passing,
aving seen a beautiful shorthorn cow, * Isabella,' the property of a Mr. liussell, of Markbam ;
she was '<i perfect animal of her kind.

I shall itere say a few words on the prospect of the cattle trade with this country. I believe
It to be only in its infancy, and that five years hence Oanada will be able to send us one hundred
pounds of beef for every one she sends at present, and of almost, if not quite, as good a quality
as our home-fed beef. My reasons for this opinion are as follows : — Until a very few years ago,
tile Canadians bad none but native cattle which, when crossed with a good breed, produce
very fair animals, but are themselves inferior except for the pail ; and as they only required
these for dairy purposes or work-oxen, the calves, as a rule, were destroyed as soon as dropped.
Kow, not only are there several extensive herds of pure-bred cattle in the country, but it is no
uncommon thing to find ordinary farmers with a couple of pure-bred bulls and good-shoed herds
of excellent ' grades ' (crosses bi^tween the native cow and shorthorn or polled Angus bulls, this
last-named breed being admirably suited to the country). The calves are all reared, and as dairy
farming has not paid so well the last few years, and the cattle trade with England has lieen tried
Attd is found remunerative, many men have turned exclusively to rearing and feeding cattle for
the English market. At present the Canadians are, and will be for some time to come, behind
tis as feeders ; but they are fast finding out the increased value which oil-cakes and other con-
centrated foods give, not only to their beef, but to the manure. Up to the present, by far the
larger number of Canadian cattle Rent to us are 'dt.stillury fod.' A man makes a con-
|hU3t with a distillery company for the 'swill ;' and thin, with hay, is all he gives his beasts,
Qliey thrive well and make good beef. When a farmer ties up his cattle he considers them
worth about two dollars per cwt. (of 100 lb.) He can buy them for this sum, and is fully satisfied
if he gets five dollars per cwt. for them when finished. It appears to me that a little more time
and a little more knowledge will make the cattle trade a great success — for Canada. But what
about these countries ? I may here remark, that our railway companies might do worse than
take a lesson from their Canadian brethren on the treatment of cattle while in their care. There
Is quite as great a difference between the cattle-waggons in the two countries as between the
passenger-cars. In Canada, cattle are taken on at once to their destination, and not kept for hours
nere or there on the road, as in this country.

I saw some very good Clydesdale sires in Canada ; crossed with the Canadian mare they
make a good animal, but heavy horses are not required, indeed, would be undesirable there — at
least for the farm. The Canadian horse is quite strong enough for the ordinary work, and is a
marvel of activity and endurance. I heard some complaints In Manitoba of the mortality among
horses imported there, but after sitting behind the same pair for six days, doing forty miles pur
day on an average, and seeing the treatment they often of necessity undergo in that country, I
was only astonished that the death-rate was so low ; horses in this country would not last two
days if they received similar treatment. I have run short of oats, and as a consequence my poor
cattle had to go for twenty-four hours vrith nothing to eat but soft prairie grass, as I was
not always able to ^et even hay. Their gentleness, too, is wonderfuL I had a striking
«kample of this, having bad to drive a pair of horses over sixty miles with their shoulders
titendly cut away : doing so nearly sickened me, but there was no help for it, and yet the noble
l^tea bever even winced. I have got into difficulties and out of them again, without hurt to
^ber horse or trap, that In this country would have meant the utter destruction of both.
They seem to take everything in a most matter-of-faot manner; If down, they will lie quiet ontU
fitaed, and yet are full of pluck.

Mr, M. H. M. P. Andenon'i Jitport

«9

■»*vler

OBOFfl AKD WWm.

Oonaideriog th« oultivAtion tbey get, oropt of all kincb In OnUrio were ve^ good. I ahall
glTe what I WM told wm the average yield of come of the principal crops, but I would say that
it is absolutely abaurd to talk of the average yield of any crop either in Ontario or the North«
West, one man being able to raiae thirty buBhels of wheat ana fifty of barley to the acre, while
bia neighbour under aimilar cundltiouB, but with lous akill, can only raiuu aixttiuu of the one and
thirty-five of the other. 'Average yields,' under these circumstances, are no criterion of what
the aoil can do ; it ia my belief that moat of the arable land in Canada, if properly worked, will
produce cropa aa heavy as any land in the world — of course allowing for climatic influences.
Here are the yields aa I got them : Spring wheat, 14 to 19 bushels per acre ; fall ditto, 24 ;
barley about 40 ; oata about 46 ; peas, 25 to 80 ; potatoes, 800 to 400 { turnips, 600 to 800 1
mangela about 1000.

It mast be remembered that these oropa are raised on land, for the moat part, indifferently
farmed ; crop after crop of wheat being taken from it for years in succession with 4he least
possible quantity of manure — indeed, in aomo cases none. The Canadians are utterly innoceni
of the uae of artificial manurea. But contact with old-country farmera, and the atrong comiaon*
sense of the Canadian, will soon improve hia farming ; and I think I am safe In aaying that, with
improved agriculture, an Increaaed yield of at lua»t one-third would result. I saw a field of
carrots, mangels, and tumipa groMm by a Mr. Bennie of Scarborough on virgin aoil ; they were
better than any I have ever aeen in this country. Mr. Kennie, who ia an exceedingly Intelligent
man, ahowed me, with honeat pride, aome of bis ploughed land. No doubt the friable aoil he
had to deal with did not present the difficulties to the plough that our heavier and more atony
land does ; but If Mr. Rennie throws down the gauntlet to the ploughmen of thia country, I
would advise none but the very best to take it up.

Timothy ia the ' tame ' grass, aa they call it, usually sown for pasture or hay ; they also use
'orchard grasa,' answering to our oook's-foot, which is a good pu, ,bure grass. Timothy yields from
two to three tons per acre at one cutting ; and when the season admits of it there is usually a
second cutting of about equal weight. In Canada the acre is a statute acre. Some of the
fanners have tried ' lucerne ' as a aoiling crop with great success ; on fair land it may be cut
three times in the year, and yields from two to three tons each cutting. Clovers do well ; but
the beat crop ia maize, which ia cut when about ten inches high, and givea a wonderful return.
They have tried Italian rye-grass, but it has been a complete failure.

Taken altogether, Canada is not such a fruit country as I bad imagined. In Quebec little or
none is grown ; the same may be said of Manitoba and the North-West. Ontario, however, is
exceptionally adapted for fruit-culture. Apples grow to perfection all through the province, and
DO homestead Is complete without Its orchard of from five to ten acres. It struck me that most
of the fanners make a mistake in planting too many varieties, as they seldom have enough of
any one kind for exportation. The southern part of thr- province is a perfect fruit-garden, pro«
ducing grapes, peaches, etc.. In great abundance, and ot very good quality, though not equal to ouv
hot-house grapes and peaches. If the members of the Fruit Growers Association are any judges
of the Buitability of the climate, etc. (and we must suppose they are), the more tender kinda of
fruit are not grown at all to the extent they might be. A member told me that owing to the
elevation of the country about Guelph and the nature of the soil, it might be taken for granted
that any fruit which could be raised in that district would do well in any part of the province.
At Guelph I saw, in the garden of the Agricultural School, about twenty varieties of grapes

Sowing in the open air apparently to perfection. I had also the pleasure of walking through
r. Stephenson's extensive orchards, In which I saw a variety of fruits of wonderful excellence.

I'll
•'I

DISKA8SS or OBOFS AND ANIHAia.

Both cattle and crops are wonderfully free from disease ; In fact, neither homed cattle, sheep,
nor horses seem to be affected with me diseases to which they are usually liable In these
countries. Wheat suffers occaslonidly both from smut and rust, but to no great extent, and the
former Is preventible. A dry summer generally leaves the turnips to the mercy of the fly. Tbe
pea b sometimes a good deal damaged by the ravages of a little insect. The potato-bug, although
known In Canada, is no longer regarded with the feelings of dismay it excited at first. A little
Paris green, about 1 lb. to the acre, generally makes short work of this pest. It is a curious fact
that it seldom attacks potatoes planted in new land.

8IZB or rABHS.

Thft ordhiary Ontario farm is from 100 to 300 acres ; the capital considered necessary forprot)ev
working is from £2 10s. to £8 an acre. The bouses of the better doss farmers are comfortable
brick structures of the Swi^s vUla style, and are many degrees more elegant and comfortable th^n
the houses of better-off men at home. The same cannot always be said of their out-offlces, bowr
ever, though these are said to have bean much Improved within the last few years. Everf
homestead has a large cellar in which to store roots. The farms are generally divided into good'

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Mr, H. H, B. P. Anderson'* Report,

^distt fialda by wooden fenoM ; on« rarely comei korou • ditob or wall, but I bav* iMn a bedg*
of the Osat^e oruiige, which makes a capital fence, the ■hrub being of a priciily nature. The anak«
fence b a useful one, easily made, but U untldy>looking ; it Ii gradually disappearing. Owing
to the dry climate, fence rails last for many yeara. Lately a barbed fencing wire haa beua
introduced. It is an effective but a dangerous fence, and one, I hope, that will never be intro.
iluced here, or else good-bye to hunting. If an animal rubs against it, it is sure to be torn by
the barbs ; I saw two or three horses terribly injured by it. Each iarm has, as a rule, a good
water supply, for though there are not many running streams, there is any quantity of excellent
water to be had by sinking for It, and tbure are numbers of good-sized rivers. There is usually
sufHcient timber on the farm for fuel and fencing purposes, and young plantations are beinj;
made on many of them. Numbers of these farms are now in the market, the price, which
includes all improvementt, varying from £20 an ocrfj round Toronto to £8 in the more distant
parts of the province. An excollent fai-m can bu had, with well-built brick dwelling-house,
out-offices, etc.. In a good district, for about £12 an acre. There are three causes at work which
place these farms in the market : Ist. Many farmers have so run down naturally good land that
they find it no longer profitable to farm it in the old way, and are either ignorant of how to bring
it into heart again, or have not capital enough to enable them to do so, Mid must therefore sell,
2nd. Many find the 200 acre farm too small to keep a large family together. The sons, of
course, wish to be settled in fanns of their own, and Manitoba or the North -West is the place
they naturally turn to, and the capital realised by the sole of their 200 acres in Ontario is
ample to start the largest family most advantageously in this new country. 8rd. Many farmers,
having made money and liking town life, prefer to sell their fanns and go into business.

Let it be remembered that the capital the original settlers started with to clear away th«
mighty forests wm the strength of their muscular arms.

WAQES AND TAXES.

Wages are high, good men receiving from £30 to £85 a year with board in Ontario; women*
servants from £20 to £25. Taxes are a mere bagatelle, amounting to about Is. per acre, school,
rate included.

I was agreeably surprised to find that drunkenness is not b^^mmon in Oanadai Indeed,
I was struck by the absence of spirituous liquors at the dinner-table in the hotels, and was
amused when told by a waiter that any doubt about the nationality of a guest vanishes
the moment he orders wine or beer, that being a sure sign of his hailing from the Old Country.

The rates of interest charged for money in Canada are very high ; it U quite easy to get from
8 t6r 10 per cent, with the very best security.

BOADS.

The roads are not so good as in England,
work done, the system is a bad one.

Boad-rates are paid by labour, and, judging by the

■ V > FBEB LAND. ^ • "'•

There is still some free-grant land in Ontario, in the Muskoka district, principally bush. The
land, I believe, is good, but I did not visit it.

AQBIOULTCBAL OOLLSOB.

I cannot conclude my remarks on Ontario without mentioning the Agricultural College at
Guelph. Guelph itself is a fair-sized town in the county of Wellington, in the centre of a well-
cultivuted district. The land is pretty good, but not so rich as some other portions of the
province. There are several extensive breeders of both shorthorns and Herefords in the neigh-
bourhood ; indeed, all the cattle in the district were particularly fine. The college is about a
mile from the town, and is supported by the Province of Ontario. The farm connected with ii
contains about 500 acres. I inspected the system of instruction, which is very complete, in-
cludiug not only ordinary agriculture and stock-raising, but a practical knowledge of chemistry
and veterinary science, two very valuable branches to the farmer, and very little known. The
ordinary education of the student is not neglected, for I see an English and mathematical course
laid down, which, if taken advantage of, will give the future farmer something more than his
bullocks to think and talk of. Nor is horticulture forgotten, and I saw for myself that the
student had, in the extensive garden? connected with the college, ample opportunity of making
himself acquainted with that art which will enable him hereafter to beautify his homestead and
supply his table with vegetable luxuries.

Among the live-stock, six bi'eeds of cattle are represented, >.«., Shorthorns, Herefords, Devons,
Aberdeen polls. Galloways, and Ayrshires. Of sheep they have Cotswolds, Leioestera, South
Downs, and Oxford Downs. There are also some very good Berkshire pigs. The fields, which,
as nearly as possible, contain 20 acres each, are fenced with straight boa^ fences, and are ex*
tremoly clean

Ti. -n where you will, evideooes of oareful management and soond judgment meet you ; but

Mr. R. It. B. P. Anderton't Beport,

M

on* would expect nothing el^e after having convened with Profouor Brown, who bM the prati-
tical «%°arking of the farui. ProfeMor Brown la making aome experimenta In cattle feeding and
breeding and with varioua cropa, which I am aure will reault In much good. Vrom Mr. Mills,
the able president, I received groat kindnesa. Not only did he, In conjunction with Frofeaaor
Urown, ahow me through the varioua denartmonta of the college, etc., but aiterwarda drove m*
to aeveral iatereating plaoea in the neighbourhood.

UANITOBA.

On my way to Winnipeg I atopped a day at Chicago — a wonderful city, but one which, all
the same, I ahuuld prefer to live out of. It bears about as much mark of the fearful fire which
left it a lieap of aahes a fuw years since, as Loudon does of the ' Ore 't Fire ;' and its magnificent
■tone builiiiugs preclude tho possibility of a repetition of such a disaster. I visited the stock*
yards, and found half the cattle and pig pens empty. I was informed it waa a very small market.
There were about 60,000 pigs and soro<* 10,000 head of cattle. I went through one of the larga
Eilaughtenng-houses (Fowler's), and saw the whole process of bacon>curing. It waa marvellou%
but very disgusting. They kill, on an average, 8000 pigs a day in this establishment. Tha
eom-elevators in Chicago are worth seeing ; I was surprised and delighted at the rapidity with
which they either load or unload a corn vessel. Some of them hold as much as 600,000 buaheli,
and one, I lielieve, is capable of containing 1,000,000.

I stopped for a few hours at Minneapolis, celebrated for Its wonderful mills. I went through
one of them — tho largest, they say. In the world — and waa amazed at the perfect deanlineaa ol
the whole place. There were numberi* of ladiea walking alsout, looking at the varioua operationi,
and their black dresses were as free from dust as they would be In a drawing-room.

While passing through Minnesota I saw one of the many ruses the Americana praotias
to prevent emigrants going into Manitoba, In which they aee' auoh a powerful competitor.
I mention it here, aa it may prevent many persona l>eing deceived. I left my own carriage and
went Into one full of emigrants, for the purpose of questioning them aa to their destination,
prospects, etc. At one of the stations I remarked two Yankees, apparently farmers, chatting
together in the telegraph-office. A little before the train started they got on board, but
evidently wished to be thought strangern vO each other. After a short time, one of them entered
Into conversation with a Scotch emigrant, and discoursed eloquently on the horrors of Manitoba
— aaid it waa a awamp that he had gone up there to farm, bad lost nearly .til he posseaaed, and
given it up aa a bad job. He called the whole thing ' a big take-in ' on the part of the Canadian
Government The other fellow, meanwhile^ joined in and recounted his experience to a gaping
audience ; and then both praised Minnesota and Dakota in the most extravagant terms, pointing
out the very country we were passing through (splendid land some of it appeared to be) aa •
specimen of what they could get for next to nothing if they chose to settle in the neighbour*
hoods in which they said they had just taken up land— curiously enough, one in Minnesota, the
other in Dakota. I don't know bow it ended, but I have little doubt they Induced some of their
hearers to remain in the States. The men were afterwards pointed out to me aa ' touters." 1
may aay that great inducements were offered me by a land agent if I would consent to remain in
Minnesota and get aome of my friends to come out and join me there. To anyone intending to
go to Manitoba or the North-West I would decidedly say, do not be kept back by any of the
numerous American agents you will meet, no matter what apparent advantages they may offer
you. Undoubtedly the land in Northern Minnesota and Dakota is nearly as good as uiat in
Manitoba ; but most of the good land — indeed, all of it within convenient distance of tha
railway — is in the hands of the railway company, and is dearer than land in Canada. Another
thing the settler m;i8t besur in mind is that the average yield of Minnesota is but 18 bushels per
acre, while that of Manitoba is 26.

A short time after leaving the station of St. Vincent we were whirled across that Imaginary
line which separates the United States froii. Canada, and I was at last in that land which had
been haunting rae day and night for months past — Manitoba. Must I confess it, my feelings
were at first anything but jubilant. At Wiiuiipeg, however, the bustle and business-like au
that pervaded the whole place, late as the hour was, nine at night, reassured me somewhat, and
this feeling was strengthened on reaching the * Queen's ' hotel, where I was shown Into a most
comfortable bedroom, as nicely furnished as one could wish. Next morning — Sunday — I explored
the city, and was utterly astonished at what I saw. Some eight or nine years ago Winnipeg waa
a wretched village with a couple of hundred inhabitants ; now it is a thriving go-ahead littla
city of 12,000 or 13,000 inhabitants, the floating population alone being estimated at 1000. t
went into the Presbyterian place of worship and found assembled 1200 or 1800 fashionably-
dressed persons ; in fact, but for the organ, which I consider a decided improvement. It would not
have been hard to believe I was in the church of some Presbyterian divine in the good towa
of Belfast.

Two very fine rivers join at the city of Winnipeg— the Assiniboine and the Bed Biver, which
are navigable for buncueda of miles, To- give aome idea of the importance of Winnipeg, I

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Mr. B. H. B. P. Aiidenon't Report,

jii»j"*>^y that it snpports three bsnks and aome eight or ten very good botela ;
'nice dub and lix or eight churches, which are generally weJi mled. There

has a very
is a very fine
college and public achoola ; the shopB are much better' than in any town of equal size in
Ireland. One can get almost anything, from a ' white elephant ' to a lady's oair-pin In
them. The trade is both extensive and brisk.

On Monday I called on Mr. Hespeler, the Government agent at Winnipeg, who procured
me horses, etc., with which to commence my journey North-West. I take this opportunity of
thanking both him and Mr. Beed, the inteUigent head of the Land Department at Winnipeg,
and also Mr. Desbrow, for their kindness in giving me information and facilitating my move.
ments in the country, and I believe I am safe in saying that any settler calling upon these

fentlemen will receive courteous attention at their hands and valuable and reliable information.
Ir. Hespeler introduced me. to a member of Parliament from Ontario, who wished to see
part of the country, and asked if I would allow him to be my travelling companion for a few
days, to which I gladly consented. This gentleman is an example of what a little pluck can do
in Canada. Thirty-tw) years ago he arrived in Ontario with no capital but his trade, that of a
blacksmith ; he has now retired from business, having amassed a large fortune, and is spending
his time in travelling, and in attending to his Parliamentary uuties. I started at noon on one
of the hott st days of this year in Manitoba, on my North- West journey, but I felt no incon.
venience from the heat, except being compelled t'^ take m^' team along very slowly. For some
miles outside the municipal boundaries there is a good deal of low, scrubby lancl^ this district
being a half-bred reserve settled almost entirely by half-breeds whose farming is not good. Yet,
in spite of this, the evident want oi drainaee, and a late season, I saw some wonderfully heavy
crops of « ^eat. The soil surprised me greatly. Having beard a good deal of it, I was prepared
for soaaething uncommon, 'vi did not expect the black, rich, heavy loam which I found. I
^ went but twenty -five mii<:.s the first evening, stopping at a nnall wayside inn for the night. My
lan«11ord took rie to see a field of barley, sown on the 12th of July — it was eight or nine inches
high on thv~ 6ch of August, when I saw it. He told me that if the September frosts — a light
frost sometimes comes for a night or two early in Septe...ber — did boi cut it off, it would yield a
fair t.itum. To this point, and for some mile»i beyond it, the country seemed to need draining.
Here I made my first acquaintance with the mosquito, or rather with a whole family oi
them. I had met single members of the tribe before, and I musv. say I should have preferred
their room to their company. Next morning I started on my way at 5.30 a.m., and had to
m^ke a detour of nine miles to avoid an impassable part of the track. Now that the
Province has been divided into municipal divisions there will be some eflfort at road-making,
I was not sorry to leave the beaten track and have to strike out a oourse for myself through
the prairie, it was a nov'' and enjoyable experience. I found the prairie not nearly so mono-
tonous or uninteresting as I expected ; there was not much heavy timber, but quite enoueh of
one sort or another to brighten up the landscape, and a good deal of it was luge enongo for
building purpo^as. From Poplar Point to Portage-la-Prairie the land seemed perfection; dry
and ?rorkable soil, light, but rich in the extreme — evidence the magnificent crops of wheat
we passed. I was greatly surprised by the number and variety of the birds—one species, resembling
onr blackbird, b Incoming quite a nuisance, there are such numbers of them. However, they can
easily be thot down if necessary. A fanner to whom I Rpoke of them shook hils head, and said,
'They are bad enough, but there's plenty for us all } in spite of them I shall have over thirty-five
bushels to the acre.' About High Bluff I saw several Indian encampments, they looked very pic-
tivesqne, but less so tban the occupiers with their peculiar dress. I had the curiosity to enter
one '>/ cb^ir wigwams — they might be cleaner without being open to the charge of fastidiousness.
], Poiti {ic-'la-Prairie, which a few years ago was part of an uninhabited waste, is now a thriving little
town with a couple of hotels, and hsJf a dozen machine dep6ts. About twelve miles from Portage
a Mr. McKeuTto has very extenaive farms. I was received by him with much kindness, liu.
McKenzie showed me two fields of wheat, off one of which he had taken ten crops in suooesiion,
off the other, two ; the crops I saw were the eleventh and third, and the eleventh "«-as ever so
moeh 1 etter than the third, the ear being longer and the grain larger, while the straw was less
luxuriant. He showed me two short horn bidla just up from Ontwio ; they were fidr animals.
Mr. McEende considers that cattle do even better f n Manitoba than Ontario, in spite of the
more mvere winter — severe as regards degrees of frost only ; otherwise it is a less trying winter,
uid oattlo have not to be housed longer than in the lower Province. He is a good authority,
having baon an Ontario fanner himself. On this farm I saw some excellent roots, beet and
mangel, and a magnificent crop of potatoes. About twenty or twenty-five miles North- West of
Portage, there is a belt of poor land some twenty miles wide. As soon aa that is crossed you get
into beautiful dry rich roiling prairie, nraotioally unlimited in extent. On my return journey
I made another detoor and was much pleased with the country. The great numbers of oattie
I passftd in wonderfully good condition shows plainly they can be kept without difficulty
during th? winter. Thess cattle were la.:ge, coarse, thick-skinned brutes, that a gnrier In
this country would despair of making anjrthing of, yet her* they were quite fat, and this
after paaslng throngh the seyereit winter the IdMUtobani lemember. So much for the

^m

Mr. JR. H. B. P. Anderson's Report.

h»8 » Tety

a a very fine

eoual Bize io

'b oair-pin in

who procured
)pportunity of
at Winnipeg,
ng my move,
g upon these
I information,
nshed to see
ion for a few
pluolc can do
de, that of a
d is spending
noon on one
ilt no incon>
For some
, thia district
>t good. Yet,
erf ully heavy
was prepared
I found. I
3 night. My
r nine inches
oats— » light
Fould yield a
eed draining,
le family of
fcve preferred
, and had to
>w that the
oad-making.
'self through
rly so mono,
te enough of
} enough for
faction ; dry
ps of wheat
ii resembling
^er, they can
Ml, and said,
ir thirty-five
ced verypic'
Bity to enter
itidiousnesa.
iriving little
rem PortM^e
dnen. lit.
t raooesaion,
"vaa ever so
"aw was less
ftir animals,
spite of the
i^ing winter,
i authority,
be, beet and
rth-Wert ol
«ed you get
irn journey
ra of cattle
It difficulty
grader In
t, and this
sb for the

69

heavier

prairie grasR ; the Introduction of good blood itiVL give it worthier robjecta to feel,
law many magnificent work-oxen among them, and the cowa, aa a rule, appeared to be
good milkers. These oxen are very useful for draught, their great strength making them
particularly so in a country intersected with ' slews ' and broken land. For ' breaking ' the
prairie they are invaluable, the sod being very tough, making it hard work for horses ; l^sideii,
the ox requires no food but grass, and the horse cannot live without a liberal supply of oats. I am
told that oxen trained in Manitoba are much better and faster than those bright from the
United States s the latter are usually slow rnd very stubborn. I was amused on one occasion
by the remark oi an ox-driver. He had a pair of truly obstinate brutes to deal with, and wa«
using both b^ Tvhip and some very unparliamentary language without seeming to affect either
their hides or hearts much. I said to him, ' You seem to have rather a hard time of it, my
friond, since you find cursing and the whip no good. Why not try a blessing and a little
gentle persuasion ?' ' No use,' said he ; ' I tried those in the beginning. I have been driving
oxeu for the last five years, and though you would scarce believe it, I was a religious man when
I began, but I have at It^st come to the conclusion that one can't serve God and drive oxen ; it
la impossible.' The best authorities, however, tell me it is not impossible ; that abuse seems to
stupify the animal, but that gentleness with a judicious use of the whip will make them do good
work. I reached Winnipeg late at night, the last ten miles havi been got over amid the
glories of the most magnifictint thunderstorm I ever witnessed — the . ghtning was vivid beyond
imagination. The thunder was not very loud or frequent, but the noise of the rain was quite
sufficient to make up for this. There are usually a number of these thunder-storms during the
summer, but very rarely is any dainage done by them. Next Jay I left Winnipeg, prepared fdr
camping out — and a most enjoyable way of living it is — and sttrted in a south- westerly direo*
tion. I met my first mishap crossing the ferry just outside Wini ipeg ; my horses fell ' all of a
heap ' on the ferry-boat, but lay quietly till we relieved them, an 1 then got up uninjured. We
travelled for some miles close to the river ; the land was first-rat j, and much of it was covered
with light timber. Near Morris I was struck by the peculiar appearance of some fields of
wheat, part of which seemed to have failed, or to have suffered from some blight, while the rest
was covered by a luxuriant crop. On inquiring the cause, the owner told me it was the effect
of a haU-storm. These hail-storms sometimes do damage ; they generally occur in July, and are
extremely partial, cutting the crops down in a belt perhaps a mile wicle, but perfectly straight,
right through the district visited. It is well they are not very frequent. The farmers, however^
do not make much of it, as they say there is always enough left to pay them. The return !■
generally eight bushels instead of twentv-five. Leaving Morris behind, I passed through an
immense marsh on my way to the 'Lowe Farm.' The Messrs. Lowe have something like
19,000 acres in this neighbourhood in two farms. The land is excellent, but too wet ; it is
admirably suited for stock-raising, as there is abundance of hay. There is some difficulty about
the water-supply, which, I am sure, will be overqQme, They are fortunate enough to have onA
of the Government cuttings run near them, which will drain their land thoroughly, and it will
then be fit for any purpose. I had from this place a drive through many miles of flat treeless
prairie, much of it marshy, and I could boast a fair experience in the art of extricating myself
from a 'slew,' by the time I reached Nelsonville, the land about which place is very fine,
rolling, dry, and rich. Here I met a North of Ireland fanner, who seemed much pleased with
the country : he had taken up 320 acres. My next drive was through the Pembina Mountains.
I was greatly pleased with the land, which is rich and very easily worked. Three yem ago
there were not a dozen settLirs in the whole district ; now for fifty mile<! round there are few, if
any, quarter sections unoccupied. In the big Pembina Valley, which is a really beautiful spot,
I met two young Irishmen, Messrs. Armstrong and Atchison, whose only cause for grumbling
was the scarcity of wives ; they told me if I coiJd bring out a cargo of eligible young ladies, I
would make my fortune. Here two days' rain gave me a very disagreeable opportunity of
judging what wot weather in Manitoba is. I was, however, none the worse for a thorough
dreuchlng, nor for havifig to let my clothes dry on me ; I should not like to try the experiment
In this country. Remarking on my escape to a settler, he said, ' Pooh I I am here four years,
and have never heard a man cough yet.' I saw a good deal of the country in the direction of
Itock Lake, but had not time to go as far as the Turtle Mountains. I next visited Mountain
City, the property of Dr. Codd and Mr. Bradley. As this embryo city occupies a good and
central position as regards iome of the other towns, and is in the middle of a rich district, the
owners may be congratulated.

About ten miles east of Mountain City is the Mennonite Reserve, which stretches forty mtte*
towards Emerson. These people have a tract of magnificent land ; they are very thriftv and
hard-wcfking, anil, as contract labourers, are much better and cheaper than any others in the
Province. But they are not over-clean, either in their persons or in farming. Their crops were
very good, but showed careless cultivation. They pfrow very fine flax for seed. Their cattle also
are very numerous and of fair quality.

Having 8t>ent a good while examining this settlement, I started for Emerson, which place I

■ 1

i^ii

.,-/'

^^^r-^-Mr, R. H. B. P. AnderfonU Repovi,

^ _ _«a late In the evening, and left It next day on my homeward journey, having travelled ova

-•***Beveral hundred miles of wie country ; and yet I feel it almost presumptuous to speak as having

seen It, so small was the portion I examined compared with the vast whole. I shall now girt

some Idea of the crops, climate, etc., under their various heads, and state the conclusions I drew

from my visit.

OUUATB Am) BBASOira.

The climate of Manitoba and the North>West Is one of their most serious drawbacks, but «e
are Inclined to look upon It as a much more serious a£Fair than it really is. Description will do
little to remove these impressions : it must be experienced to be understood. At home, excessive
heat is generally accompanied by oppressiveness, with its attendant weariness and inertia ; and
colu, as a rule, with dampness, which makes it raw and piercing. Now this is not the case in
Manitoba or the North-West. The heat at 100* was undoubtedly very intense, but — and I speak
from personal experience — without sultriness. I perspired freely, but otherwise felt no in.
convenience, and had energy enough for any amount of work. This was an unusual degree ol
heat ; the summer mean is, I believe, about 70'. Usually during summer there is a pleasant
breeze, and the higher the thermometer stands the more likely is there to be a breeze. No
matter how hot the day, the night is sure to be cool. In winter the cold is very great, but
nothing like what it is at home In proportion to the degrees of frost ; if it were, animal life
would cease, for the thermometer sometimes sinks to 40° and 50" below zero — just imagine
what that would mean in England I — but when it does so It Is certain to be accompanied by a
\>rlght and perfectly still atmosphere and a warm sun. However, as a rule, it stands at from
10° to 16°. As I had not an opportunity of experiencing it myself, I was not content with the
testimony of the ordinary settler concerning It, but had that of such men as the Bishop of the
Saskatchewan and clergymen of various denominations, as well as bankers and others, on whose
opinion I could rely. All agreed In saying that one feels no colder when the thermometer standi
at 40''than when it Is at 10° below zero, and that winter Is a delightful part of the year.
Numbers of people from Ontario said the climate of Manitoba compared favourably with that of
Ontario. There are, however, slight deviations which are intensely disagreeable. In the summer
there are sometimes extremely high winds and hail-storms, and in the winter storms of wind and
snow — 'blizzards,' as they^are called. In spring and early autumn frosts sometimes occur, which
do no good to the crops ; l)ut all these things apply to the Western States of America just as much
•B they do to Manitoba. Indians camp out in their wretched canvas-covered tents during the
most severe winters, and white men, when hunting, have often to do the same, and think nothing
of it. A curious fact Is that Europeans, for the first two winters, bear the cold better than the
Canadians themselves. Snow does not fall to any extent till the beginning of the year, and
seldom exceeds an average of eighteen or twenty inches In depth. When the thaw comes It is
anaooOmpanied by that abominable slushiness we have at home ; the snow evaporates, leaving
the ground dry. During spring and early summer an immense deal of rain falls ; drought, which
■o often ruins the farmer in the United States, never occurs here. The dews are so heavy that
one would Imagine there had been a fall of rain in the night. The seasons are as follows :
Spring, April and May ; summer, June, July and August, and part of September ; autumn, part
of September to the middle of November ; and then winter. Of course in so extensive a country
as Canada there is some slight difference in climate. In Ontario the harvest is ten days earlier
than in Manitoba. All agree that as regards health the climate of the North-West cannot be
surpassed.

SOIL.

The soil varies much, as It is natural to suppose over so large a tract ; but as a rule it is a
rich, black, vegetable mould, working very like clay — rich beyond imagination — and resting on
a marly clay. The depth of the surface soil varies a good deal, in some places not more than
ten or twelve Inches, in others as many feet. I am informed that chemical analysis has provud
the soil to be the best adapted of any in the world for the growth of wheait., and certainly prac-
tical experience bears this out. It is very easily worked, becoming as fine as powder. However,
there are all descriptions of soil to be had here, from the heavievt clay to the lightest sandy

fm-.

loam.

PBOD0OT8.

Wheat, of course. Is the principal product, barley next, and then oats, Indian com (maize) doef
fuirly in some places, but is not grown to any extent. Oats seem to ripen too fast, and while it.
yields a great number of bushels to the acre, is not up to the mark as regards quality. Potatoefl
are an excellent crop, both as regards quantity and quality (though I did meet some of a poor
enough description) ; all roots grow to perfection. Among the grasses timothy and oooksfoot
prove a success ; clover yields a good return ; lucerne and Hungarian graas thrive wondorfully.
As regards the average yield I must say of this country as of Ontario, that it is absurd to strike
an average. About twenty-five bushels is given as the average for whe^t, but I have seen forty-
five to the acre ; six to eight tons Is considered an ordinary ciop of potatoes, with the most
•ztMotdinarily rough cultivation. Of course, climate Is a very Important factor, but I have no

Uf. R. H. B. P. Anderion'i JRtport,

69

r trftvelled orai

"peak as having j
shall now givj
clusiona I drew

f^backs, but we
Jription will do
lome, excessive
d inertia; and
lot the case |q
f — and I speak
ise felt no in.
isual degree of
" 18 a pleasant
a breeze. No
ery great, but
re, animal life
-just imagine
>mpanied by a
itands at from
itent with the
Bishop of the
lers, on whose
ometer stands
' of the year.
Y with that of
n the summer
8 of wind and
I occur, which
> just as much
its during the
think nothing
^tter than the
the year, and
w comes it is
i"ates, leaving
•ought, which
10 heavy that
e as follows :
lutumn, part
ive a country
days earlier
»t cannot be

k rule ft Is a
i resting f)n
t more than
I has proved
tainly prac-
However,
bt«st sandy

maize) doec
id while it;
Potatoes
e of a poor
' oooksfoot
•ndflrfnlly.
i to strike
seen forty-
> the most
I have no

hesitation in saying that any man who understands his business can secure In Manitoba heavier
yields of any crop that will grow there than he can in this coT^ntry, and with one-half the labour
and expense. The natural grass is wonderfully nutritious, and is excellent food for cattle and
sheep. Sheep-farming is getting more and more popular every day. Curiously, the sheep
leems to prefer the coarser parts of the grass, I am doubtful of Manitoba ever being a fruit
country ; strawberries, raspberries, currants and plums will do well, and grow abundantly in a
wild state ; and I have seen apple trees that looked as if they might bear — it seemed a struggle
with them to hold their ground ; but peaches, grapes, etc.. will not grow. Melons, tomatoes, etc.,
can be grown in any quantity, and of the very finest description, in the open air. Those I
saw I thought finer than any I had seen in Ontario. Garden vegetables of all descriptions
abound, and I was delighted by the blaze of colour the flower-gardens in front of the Mennoniteg'
bouses presented.

fJTTTTTVATION.

June and July, and, In a wet year, pan August, is the time for breaking the prairie ; the
sap is well up in the grass, etc., which is easJy killed by the summer heat when turned ' ">, and
the ground is wet, making ea^y ploughing. The sod is merely pared, the more ligh^.y the
better ; the furrow turned is about fifteen inches wide. In the autumn or spring the furrows
are backset, the plough turning about three inches of soil. In the spring the seed is sown, often
without further ploughing, and harrowed in ; as often as not, rolling is neglected. Wheat is
■own from the 15th of April to the 15th of May, the earlier the better ; oats till the end of
May, and barley till the end cf June. I have seen barley doing well that was sown on the 10th
of July. The quantity of seed per acre is about the same of each, viz., two bushels. Harvest
begins in the middle of August ; potatoes, turnips, °tc., can be sown till the 20th of June,
and fall ploughing, the great secret of success, can be carried well into November. The hay
harvest, in July, is a simple affair. Prairie hay costs about a dollar a ton by the time it is in
the stack ; a crop can be raised on the tnrned-up sod, but except as a makeshift the first year,
it ought not to be done, the yield is sure to be poor. The farming implements are all of the
very best description, made with a view to the saving of labour. A man with a bioaking plough
and a good team can break or backset one and a half to two acres per day, and with a
gang plough and four horses about double that quantity. With a self -binding reaping machine
attended by two stookers, from twelve to fifteen acres can be cut, bound, and stooked in a day.
I have seen these machines do wonderfully clean work. Manure is of no value, and is either
burned or carted to the nearest river (the Mennonites make fuel of it). It will be years before
the land requires it, or indeed would bear it. I do not say that our high-class English and
Scotch farming is at all necessary for access, but I am persuaded, and it is proved, that care
and skill are amply rewarded ; no farmer need fen failure in Manitoba. I have, among my
uotes, a list of fourteen men all getting on well, whc id me that until they came to Manitoba
they never lived out of town.

MABKETS.

up to the present, and for some years to come, there is a ready market In the conntry for all
kinds of produce, owing to the influx of settlers. The prices to be had for everything would
almost pay in this country : wheat, in out-of-the-way places, 1^ to 2 dollars per bnshel,
and I have been charged as high as 1 dollar a bushel for oats — the general price is about 70
cents ; potatoes as high as 40 cents, and everything else in proportion. Timothy hay sells readily
for 15 dollars per ton. Two shillings a bushel for wheat on the farm would pay the grower.
Long before the country is settled enough to lower these prices Liverpool will be the market for
Manitoba and the North-West. Since my return from Canada I had the pleasure of hearing that
the Canadian Government have made arrangements with a number of English capitalists for the
construction of tue Canadian Pacific Eailwayr binding them to have it finished vnthin ten years.
The line will be about 2800 miles Icpg, so it is natural to suppose that within three years at
furthest between 800 and 1000 miles of it will be completed ; this, with two or three branch
lines, which are also under contract, will open up and bring within marketable distance of Liver-
pool a tract of country that, no matter how rapidly settleme it progresses, cannot all be taken up,
much less cultivated, for the next forty years besides this, in May of the present year, the
Government granted a charter to a company, entitled the Winnipeg and Hudson's Bay Company,
who want to open up the Hudson's Bay route ; they are bound to have the railway to Port
Nelson opened within six years. It is supposed that steamers, made on the same principle as the
Sealing' teamers, will be able to navigate Hudson's Bay for three months of the year. This
route will bring the great wheat fields of the North-West nearer to Liverpool than New York is,
so that on the score of markets for their produce the settlers have every reason to be satisfied. I
think I am safe in saying that it will be possible to place wheat from the Saskatchewan on the
Liverpool markist for about 28s. per quarter, if not less, with profit to the farmer. And by the
American storage system (our warehousing plan extended) a farmer might almost sell his com to
a buyer in Liverpool while it was still at the railway station nearest his homestead. By this I
mean that n broker in Liverpool would feel himself safe in buying it. There is an elevator at
i^fnoet every station for storing the com. When it is taken in it is graded, md the

J

III

''* i\

70

Ur. B. H, B. P* Andtriovfi Beport.

y^'ff.

:.mi

owner ts given • docket showing the grade and number of boahela, which docket is negotiabli
•aywhere.

OATTLB, BHKEF, AMD HOBSKB

thrive well, »nd in spite of the long winter, during which they must be housed. Stock-raiaing ii
found very profitable, hay can be had in abundance, and cattle keep their condition well on it, I
Bce no reason wliy they could not be shipped to England from Manitoba when the CanacUan
Pacific Railway is finished. At present there are n\.' many well-bred cattle or sheep in th«
country, but the number is increasing rapidly year by year. I made searching inquiries regard-
ing the danger of spear-grass to sheep, and found it was very much exaggerated ; it ia only to th«
careless or lazy fanner it presents any difficulty ; it is by no means common, and in the distrioti
where it grows it can be rendered harmless by eating it down early, or by running a mowing,
machine over the patches of ground covered by it. I heard some complaints about the difficult;
of keeping horses in Manitoba. In my opinion, and I judge by whrit I saw, it would be entirely
obviated by supplying plenty of good hay and oats. Horses cannot live on the prairie grass,
Mules are extremely good, some of them magnificent brutes, standin,'/ seventeen hands high ; they
seenied to grow fat on the grass, and are altogether hardier and more adapted to the country in
its present state (till more timothy and oats are grown) than the horse, hut they are much dearer.
Oxen, however, are the mainstay of the farmer in cultivating hio farm, in fact, in breaking the
prairie he could scarcely do without them — they are powerful brutes, and for oxen, are wonder-
fully active ; they cost nothing for keep, and also have the advantage of beinpf cheaper than
either horses or mules. An ox costs a^>ut £14, a horse about j£25, and an e about £35,
Good milch cows can be had for abr Jt £8 ; sheep, 12s. to 18s. each. I forgot to say that the pig
seems to be at home here, as everywhere else. I saw some prize Berkshires, eighty miles from
Winnipeg, that had been brought from Ontario, and seemed ba^Jpy in their new quarters. The
ordinary diseases to which stock are liable in Ireland are unlr-nown in any part of Canada, nor ii
there any, that I heard of, peculiar tn the country. , ,

TBKK OCLTUBI

■i*?»

1^-

1b comparatively easy. The soil must be dry, and in a ntate of thorough cultivation. Make the
pits one-half deeper and wider than the roots require, and plant one inch higher than the old mark
on the stem, at a distance of about seven feet apart in every direction. In making a plantation, if
possible let a convex Burfar;e be presented to the prevailing wind, as this will greatly aid the
growth. Keep the ground free from weeds and long grass among the trees, and, aa the

Plantation rises, cut just enough to prevent the trees interfering with one another's growth,
pring, from 1st of April to 1st of June, is the time for planting. Two men ought to set about
200 trees a day. When the ground is ready for them, let the plantation be fenced in and pro-
tected from prairie fires, the natural enemy oi forests in the North-West. It will be said,
Where are trees to: be had ? There are millions of young plants in any of the heUs of timber
growing along the river banks. Many species grow from cuttings, in particular the cotton-
wood tree. In planting cuttings, sink them deep, leaving but one or two buds above the ground.
Other kinds grow very rapidly from seed, particularly the soft maple, which I have seen 18 inches
high nine months after the seed was sown ; and plants but ten years old were from 8 to 10 ft.-et
high, and quite bushy. These are beautiful and useful trees. The seed is to be had in abundance.
It ripens in June, and ahould be sown at once, as if it dries it fails to grow.

Perhaps I have been too partictilar in giving these details, but I consider tree cultivation of
the utmost importance. Nothing can speak more strongly for the luxuriance of the natural
grasses, and consequently for the richness of the soil, than the fact that these great treeless
prairies do not suffer from drought, and are so wonderfully productive. It is well known that
the destruction of forests over large tracts of country is usually productive of barrenness of the
Boll from two causes : Ist, moisture is not attracted ; 2nd, any moisture there may be is evapo<
rated from want of protection. Tree-planting also has a material effect upon the temperature,
and breaks the force of the winds, etc. While I do not say that the North-West requires
Inctieased dampness, nor would it be an improvement in such a cold country, the value of the
shelter afforded by plantation, putting all other considerations aside, cannot be calculated. If
the Government would again put the tree-culture regulations in force, and have some simple
instructions drawn up and circulated among the settlers, and forced the regulations to be rigidly
adhered to, I think it would benefit the country. >

rENCIKO

is an easy operation. I have known two men put down an English mile long of fencing in a
day. The snake fence is miich used.

!!,

Tti^'

Mr, B, H. JS» f. Anderson's Beport,

71

J

ISP

•« negotlalji,

>ok-ral8lngi,
well on it. i
lie Canadian
'heep in tlj,
iries regard,
flonlytotli*
tile distriotj
g a mowing,
the difficulty
i be entirely
■rairio grass,
high ; they
13 country in
nuch dearer.
)reaking the
are wonder-
heaper than
about £35.
that the pig
miJes from
irtera. The
nada, nor ii

Make the
he old mark
lantatlon, if
»tly aid the
wd, as the
r'a growth,
to Bot about
in and pro-
iU be said,
s of timber
the cotton-
he ground,
n 18 inches
! to 10 feet
abundance.

tivation of
le natural
at treeless
aown that
leas of the
I is evapo-
iporature,
• requires
ue of the
ated. If
le simple
)e rigidljr

)\ag in a

BtniDINQ

is not at all so difficult as I had supposed. A settler can, by giving bis own labour and that of
hia oxen, and hiring a man who understands the building of log-houses, have a comfortable log-
hut put up — about 18 by 22 feet inside, with a good loft ovc-head, well-thatched, the crevices
filled in with brick-clay, and nicely whitewashed — for about £lo. These huts are warm and
comfortable. Better-class houses are expensive, as lumber is dear in Man? ' oba, on account
of the scarcity of timber. However, brick-clay can be had almost anywhert-, and I believe
bricks will soon be commonly used. The wooden houses in Winnipeg are being rapidly replaced
by handsome brick structures.

WATEB. ■■'"

The settler must, above all things, make sure that there Is a good supply of water in a neigh*
bourhood before he decides on taking land there. Very often there is none but brackish water
to be had in a whole district — sometimes none at all ; but, as a rule, there is 8.n inexhaustible
supply of delicious water to be had by digging from 10 to 40 feet for it.

ITUBIf.

Timber is the principal fuel, but there are large peat-bogs in the country which, when
properly utilised, will yield a fine supply of splendid fuel. It is black, hard peat, and gives an
intense heat. There is also an ample supply of ooal in the Saskatchewan district, which will
come into use on the completion of the railway.

' lABOUB. • "- ' ' ' - .. "

There are plenty of men to be had, but wages are high. A man will earn from 8s. 4d. to 12s. 6d.
per day during the spring and summer ; but £30 to £40 a year with board is the usual hire of a
man by the year. Women servants are scarce, and command almost as high wages as the mon.
Cultivating can be done by contrfcct, and for men of capital is by no means a bad plan. Culti-
vating by contract costs — for ploughing, sowing, cutting, and threshing — about £2 5s. the first
year, and £1 13s. after. The Mennonites do this kind of work cheaper and better than the
Canadians. A Mennonite will break an acre of ground for 2^ dollars, while a Can.<,dian charges
4 dollars,

PROVISIONS, MACHINERY, KTO.

Winnipeg is by no means a cheap place to live in, at present at least ; tea, co£fee, sugar, ana
meat are fully ^ third dearer than in Ontario. However, this will not be for long, and even now
makes very little difference to the settler.

Farming implements are much dearer in Winnipeg than in Ontario. And I believe, in spite
of what is said to the contrary, that it would pay the settler to bring the heavier articles of his
outfit with him from Ontario.

I was, however, glad to hear that lately several houses have opened on the ' ready cash '
system, and are selling much cheaper than th« credit houses, as is but natural. But what pleased
me most in the matter was that the farmers itre nearly all taking advantage of them, which speaks
well for the country. . ^,.. -.

DBAINAOW AND ROADS.

These two may well go together, for until the country is properly drained there can be no
roads and the present tracks over the prairie have neither right nor title to the name. During fine
weather they are uncommonly pleasant for travelling on, as the beaten soil becomes as hard as
metal, but a single shower changes the ajpect terribly, and the traveller finds himself floundering
in a mass of black, sticky mud. This is a characteristic of Manitoba only ; the North-West is
much higher and drier, and requires little if any drainage, so that the tracks are always in
fair condition. Manitoba, on the other hand, is rather low and wet, but there is very little of it
that cannot be easily drained, and the Government are spending 100,000 dollars a year on
drainage works ; they ar? making deep cuttings all through the country, so the farmer can easily
manage the rest by suit m drainage ; this must soon have a wonderful effect. Within the last
twelve months the province of Manitoba has been divided into municipal divisions, and each
division is bound to see after the proper maintenance of its roads and other public works.

SOHOOBS AND TAXES.

The taxes in Manitoba are so light that they are not worth mentioning ; they do not amount
to more than a few pence an acre. Schools ht;e, as in Ontario, are supported by taxation ; of
course they are not yet very numerous, but they are quite adequate for the requirements of .ho-
conntry, and will, I am sure, be kept so.

PDB0HA8K AND DIVISION OV I.AND.

The country is divided into belts, 5, 15, 20, and 50 miles wide on each side of the railway ;

72

Mr. R, H. B. P. Anderson'i BepcrL

these belts are again divided Into townships of 6 square miles each ; these sections again art
divided into quarter sections of 160 acres each. Two eections in e^ch township are set apart foi
school purposes, and two belong to the Hudson's T.^y Company. The sections are uniformly
numbered from the south-easterly to the nOrth-wesierly angle, the odd>numbered sections in
each township are railway lands, ie., lands to be sold to realise funds for the construction of the
Canadian Pacific Bailway, and the even-numbered sections are set apart for free homesteads and
pre-emption lands. The lands are priced according to the belt in which they lie ; in other words,
their distance from the railway. In Belt A, the railway price is 208. ; in B, 16s. ; in C, 128. ;
D, 8s. ; and E, 4s. per acre. The pre-emption price is generally half the railway price. Each
settler who is either the bead of a family, or a male over eighteen years of age, is entitled to 160
acres free, except for a fee of £2. He must have his name entered for it at the nearest land-office,
and must reside on it for three years, and cultivate it to a reasonable extent, according to his
means. He is allowed two months, which is counted part of the three years, after having hii
name entered, for moving his family on to the land. He can also be absent from his homestead
six months out of each year. A second quarter section can be pre-empted, for which a fee of £2
has to be paid. No further payment is made till the end of the third year, when four-tenths of
the price is required, after which payments at the rate of one-tenth each year for six years com-
plete the purchase. Six per cent, interest Is charged on the pre-emption money.

Emigrants are received in Manitoba by agents specially appointed for the purpose, who will
advise and guide the settlers to the lands that may have been selected by them.

1

INSBOT PESTS AND PBAIRIB FIBES.

I made particular inquiries concerning the grasshoppers when In Canada, and found that
when they do visit the country vegetation simply disappears along their line of march. They
have, however, only appeared five times within the last sixty years, and the settlers are confident
that they have seen the last of them. One gentleman told me that they entered bis drawing*
room through the window and destroyed the lace curtains in it. By cultivation the egm are
destroyed, so that it is to be hoped the country will see them no more. Mosquitoes and olack
flies cause great annoy&nce, especially to the new-comer, during the simimer months ; but drain*
age, the great enemy of these pests, has been carried on to a great extent throughout the country,
so that it is likely they will become less troublesome ; they are not found in the towns, nor in the
high dry parts of the country. Prairie fires are becoming much less frequent than formerly ;
however, ntimbers of them stiU occur every fall, doing considerable damage ; but it Is only the
careless or over-confident farmer who suffers, as the means of protection are simple and are within
the reach of alL The potato-bug has not yet made its appearance in Manitoba, but they expect
it to do so ; it seldom attacks potatoes planted in new land ; they are not much afraid of it, and
it has lost half its torrora best to those who know it.

:,^--'',: ■' -v.. .. -^. -■,..■ . ... ■i.i --;:,>.

OONOLCSION.

Two questions I was constantly asking myself while In Canada were : 1st. Why do the
Canadians come to Ireland 1 If it be for the siJke of scenery they are unwise, for, to use an ex-
pression of their own, their scenery ' whips ours all to bits.' If it be for the sake of comparison,
that they may think more of their own country on their return, I can understand it. 2na. Why
do the Irish prefer hard work and misery at home to peace and plenty in that grand new world?
I know that numbers of Irish do go to Canada, and that numbers of them succeed also, but what
I mean Is, why that number is not quadrupled, and why men of a class to whom success would
not be a probability, but a certainty, i.e., men who understand their business, and have a little
capital, do not go out tnere. I could, if space permitted, give instance after instance of men who
left Ireland paupers and are now well off, many of them rich ; but is there need that I should, do
so? Where is the Irish family who has not some relative on the other side of the Atlantic, und
that has not over and over again received that extremely pleasing proof of prosperity — a bank
draft — from him ? But these drafts, I am sorry to say, are oftener the fruit of work done for
others than for themselves, for I was struck by the fact that the Irish seldom quit the large towns
in which they have to work really hard for their wages, while they leave these rich lands to be
occupied by English, Scotch, and German farmers, who quickly become independent and happy,
Tidi should not be so. If I am asked who ought to go to Manitoba and the North-West, I un-
hesitatingly say, any man who for any reason intends to emigrate to any place, and is not adriid
of hard work and some discomfort for a few years, and whose family can get on for a time with-
out the aid of female ^servants. Such a man will, if he has pluck, succeed in time, though he
went without a penny, but if he has £100 or £200 in his pocket, he may expect to enjoy a
prosperous and happy home in the immediate future. Anyone who cannot ' rough it,' or dislikes
having his face blotched now and then by mosquito-bites, any ' ne'er-do-weel,' or drunkard, had
better stay at home, or, for the benefit of humanity, drown himself on the way out, as he has no
chance of succeeding.

I would have no one going to Manitoba too sangtifnp or expecting too much— -this is a great

found that
«h- They
e confident
I drawing.
>eegff8at6
and black
but drain.
be country,
• nor in the
> formerly;
fa only the
are within
hey expect
1 of it, and

"hy do the
use an ex-
•mparison,
2nd. Why
>w world 7
but what
esa would
ve a little
men yrho
Bhould do
'Otic, und
— a bank
done for
'ge towns
tds to be
d happy.
i8t, I un-
ot afhdd
ne with-
ough he
enjoy a
dislikes
ird, had
i boa no

a great

iir. R. B, B. P. AndertonU RtpwU

inlrtake, and very fruitful of disappointment. There are seriona drawbacks to be encountered,
many hardships and inconveniences to be endured, but none that a little pluck will not overcome,
Mid none that will not be amply recompensed for by the comfort and independence to be gained
hy bearing them for a short season. There is an intensely cold winter, a hot summer, bad roads,
mosquitoes, and black flies ; grasshoppers occasionally, hail -storms in summer sometimes, a prairie

had for nothing. The climate is good for man, beast, and crops. This, the appearance of all
three puts beyond question. The people are law-abiding and kind, the prices to be had for
everything at present are very good, and it can be at most only a few years till the country is in
direct communication with tlie home markets. Then indeed the settler will have just cause to
oongratulate himself on having chosen it as his home, for, as wall as bringing him greater profit,
it will bring him close to, I had almost said within call of, his friends in the old country — much
closer than he would be in any other colony in the world.

I was greatly pleased to find that religious dissension Is unknown in this favoured region,
and indeed throughout Canada. The Canadians are a very religious but most tolerant people.

Anyone wishing for free-grant lands must go to the North-West, as those in Manitoba are
all taken up ; but he will be no loser by this, as the land is higher, drier, and just as rich ; and
• cities ' are springing up in every direction. Anyone, however, who has a particular fancy for
Manitoba, can get plenty of land there for from five to ten dollars per acre. There are large
tracts held by speculators who bought at low prices when the country was first opened, who are
In many cases paying a high rate of interest on the purchase-money, and are, therefore, glad to
sell at a fair profit. But no matter where he ultimately settles, there is one piece of advice I
would strongly urge on every emigrant. Let him do nothing hastily. There are many interested
parties who might lead him to mako a purchase which, perhaps, would prove a disappointing one.
5lie soil, surroundings, even the climate, are very varied, and great caution is therefore necessary
In the selection of a location. A man should, if possible, spend six or eight months in the country,
and go from place to place till he is satisfied. If he reaches Winnipeg in April, he will be able
to get plenty of employment at good wages, and might work for some farmer for a month or so
In each of the districts he determines to visit. At this time he will see the country in perhaps
its worst state (but in my opinion, in the best for judging whore to settle), ic, when the land is
wet— every place looks well during summer and autumn when it is dry ; but what a man wants
to know is, what is dry In the spring. In the case of parties going out (and where at all praoti«
cable, I would advise a number to settle near each other, for the sake both of society and mutual
•id), one man might go out and select a suitrble locality — the others could follow. Of one thing
I am certain : no man going out to the Noi'h-West determined to work, will be disappointed,
ilriong the large number of settlers with whom I spoke, but three seemed discontented. They,
I found, were town-bred, and had so little of the ' Mark Tapley ' spirit in them, they would, I
fear, be miserable wherever placed ; and if presented with Manitoba, would expect a present of
Ontario also.

For men who like sport, a visit to the North-West would be enjoyable. Some one calls It the
' Sportsman's Paradise;' and if innumerable prairie-chickens, ducks, plover, snipe, etc., etc., with
tn odd deer, elk, or boar for a change, can constitute it one, he spoke the truth. A shooting ex-
pedition to the North-West would be a comparatively cheap, and a very delightful, way for two
or three friends to spend a holiday.

In Ontario the country is well settled and cultivated, "Und the farmer will have all the
comforts of his old home, and others he could not have in this country ; but then more capital
Is required and more skill is necessary.

One need not be a farmer, however, to get on well and live comfortably In Ontario. Men
living on the Interest of their money, and having children to educate, would find Ontario not
only a pleasant but an economical place to live in. One could live there more comfortably on
£200 per annum than in this country for double that sum, and get a higher rate of interest for
his capital than at home. Besides, the educational advantages are excepMonally good.

Before closing this rather long account of Canada, I shall make one other remark. I con-
sider the Canadian Government not only unfair to themselves but to this country in not bringing
their country more prominently before the British public as a field for settlement. Everything
being fairly stated — advantages and drawbacks — there can be no doubt that the former out-
number the latter— and I cannot help thinking that if fair samples of the various Canadian
productions were sent over for exhibition at our agricultural shows, they would such ' a round
unvarnish'd tale deliver ' of the capabilities of the country, that many would be tempted to seek
a borne there,

■■iS-

\^ i

■ ff'fn

il

.w.■i.w^rt;,

THE REPORT OF MR. W. t. CUBITT,

Of JSadon Abbey, NoHh Watsham, Norfolk.

Havino recently had the pleasure of visiting Canada and Manitoba under an invitation from tlie
Canadian Minister of Agriculture, I am asked to write a report of my travels through portions
of that great country. First, I may be allowed briefly to allude to a difficulty under which I
labour — that of having been preceded by so many practical and intelligent men, whose reports,
and valuable statistics, of the previous year have taken so much ground from under me ; and
last, but not least, the exhaustive report of the Royal Commissioners, Mr. C. S. Read and Mr.
Pell, M.P. I wUl, notwithstanding, endeavour to render this an original document ; and, whilst
notiiu^ from those who preceded me how generally pleasant was the voyage across the Atlantic,
I findnone touched upon the incidents of it.

I left the port of Liverpool on Thursday, September 19th, at six p.m., on board the good ship
Polynesian of the Allan Line. We had 500 passengers of various nationalities — Germans, French,
Norwegians, Americans, and Canadians, with many Irish, English, and Scotch, not forgetting
Professor Hoffneyer and party from Cape Colony, and a passenger from New Zealand. The
aaloon passengers numbeied about 150, and every berth was filled. Before coming on board,
each one has a berth allotted to him, also a place at table, and printed lists containing the names
<^ one':? fellow-passengers are to be obtained in the saloon. The first dinner is a formal affair, but
we soon become mutually acquainted. I may here state that the culinary arrangements are all
tiiat can be desired. Each meal is served with punctuality, and attended by an efficient staff of
stewards. The amusements are music (pianoforte), concerts, reading, whist, chess, draughts, and
other games, with deck promenading whenever the weather permitted.

At nine a.m. on the 27th sighted Bell Isle at the entrance of the Oulf of t't. Lawrence. We
approach within a short distance of the rocks, somewhat resembling the cntvauco to Bridlington
Biay, on the coast of Yorkshire. These form the commencement of the Laurentian Qroup, running
through the province of Quebec and Ontario to Lake Superior, at various distances from the St.
Lawrence and the lakes. We are now getting clear of the ice, and running thirteen knots an
hour in smooth water. In the evening our concert came off, and, having two professors of musi ^
and some good singers on board, it was a great success. Saturday morning at daylight we were
in the micut of the Gulf, with no land in sight, but in the afternoon were running up the River
St. Lawrence, the shores of which were dotted with the white cottages of the Frei\ch Canadians
At sundown we arrived within a few miles of Quebec, but owing to a fog were obliged to bring
up till the Sunday morning, when, after half an hour's sail, we reached our destination.

THE KKIOHBOtJ&HOOD OF MOKTREAL.

A special tn^n awiJted us, and we were quickly on our way to Montreal We saw nothing
of note till we reached the great Victoria Bridge, built by our Robert Stephenson, over the St.
Latrrence. '^7e stayed the night at Montreal, and on the following morning Jud^e Cross, a
resident of the city, and one of our travelling companions from England, kindly sent his carriage
to tdcB myself and a brother-delegate from Ireland to the simimit of Mount Royal, where we
fiad a magnificent view of this fine city and the majestio St. Lawrence, flowing throus^ the
odoBtry as far as the eye could reach. We contiaued our drive, visiting some of the adjacent
fan&ii, and were particularly struck with the naturally good clay loams. The fanning was far
from faeing good ; but there was a notable exception in the case of a Scotch farmer, whose land
was dean, and who kept a good herd of Ayrshire cow<), and had commenced the cultivation of
coots. It was here we saw the dreaded Colorado beetle hi its work of destruction ; but its
ravages can now be hindered by the application of Paris green, with which the leaves are
sprinkled. Ibe home of this beetle is is the Uxxited States rather than in Caoadat and I did

TP«"

v^

Ur. W. B, VuMHi MeporL

w

901 tiewr mndl of III ravagM ia mv tnvela. The more itriklng eluufMtorlrtlo of thli n«lghboiur«
iKiod WM the »pple-orch»rds, whlob wera Moeedingly produotive, and thia remark appllea to
ftlauut every fann in Oanadat

OTTAWA.

We next made onr way to Ottawa, the capital of the Dominion, which la situated Itt a pie*
toresque position on the banks of the Ottawa. On our arrival we called upon Mr. John Lowe,
the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, from whom we received pasBea for our intended
journey to Ontario and Manitoba by railway and the lakes. An official was sent to show oi
over the Parliament buildings, which in design and style of architecture will rival Westminster,
The Ghandibre Falls at Ottawa are well worth seeing ; a portion of the water power is utili8e4
in driving a large number of saw and flour mills. An immense lumber trade is carried on heroi
tiie stacks of sawn lumber, piled closely to the height of 20 feet, being said to cover 100 aorea of
grouncL ^ .

THB DISTBIOF 07 POBT UOPS.

We then went on to Port Hope, where we were met, aa arranged by Oolonel Williams, M.Pi
for the Eait Durham County — a true type of an English country gentleman, and a passenger in
the PolyntMan—ytho had arranged to take ua a trip across the Cavan district, for which purpose
we wera provided with a pair-horse 'democrat' (a light sort of waggonette carrying six or eight pai*
lengers). We passed through some good land, inspecting some of the farms and f armsteada on out
way. The soil is a friable loam, about 80 inches in depth, resting upon disintegrated limestone. It
produces excellent swedes, and grain of good quality, and just tne land I should have liked in
my own county ; but from years of close cropping and limited manuring, it ia not producing
anything like the cropa we are in the habit of growing. These farms run from 100 to 200 aorea,
and are, in almost every case, the property of the occupiers. Some of the oldest settlers are
still living, who commenced clearing the forest fifty or sixty years ago, with scarce a shilling in
tbeirpocketa, and are comparatively wealthy.

We called on one sturdy old Irishman eighty-tlfree years of age, who had saved over 100,000
dollars (£20,000) and hv^ .^mmenced penniless. I could have tilled my notebook with such cases.
It waa not capital these early pioneers then wanted, but strong arms and unflinching energy.
It was perfectly marvellous to travel through thia country and see what a vast area of rarest haa
fallen before the axea of these hardy sons of toil. But the log-house and rough shanty are now
being supplanted by neat brick dwellings, surrounded by verandahs and other signs of refinement.
During the day, we lunched with Mr. George Campbell of Millbrook, then viewed his fami|
which waa clean and well cultivated. The few swedea that were grovm were good, indeed,
almost all the Dominion of Canada is more or less favourable to the production of roots, yet it ta
snrprlsing how few are grown. Proceeding on onr way we ciJled at other farms, and then
returned to Millbrook. The following morning. Colonel Williams took tts for another drive
through a good country along the shores of Lake Ontario : here I saw farms as good as any
in England ; but as usual, cultivated upon the whipping system— much grain with but few
cattle. We returned to Fort Hope. I could not but come to the conclusion that under a more
liberal system of farming very nearly aa much meat and grain could be produced as in our own
oountiy. We here took leave of our excellent and hospitable friend.

A enooKssruL emiobaitc pbom Norfolk.

We next jonmeved to Toronto, a well-built city, very English-like in the habita and manneM
of the people. I did not remain here long, aa I waa anxious to visit some old servants, who left
my neighbourhood some fort^>seven years ago to better their position, it being a period of great
agricultural depression. This couple landed at Quebec after a six weeka' passage with bnt t^n
abillings in their pockets. Through many troubles and privations, they worked their way aa far
west M Gai^raxa, about 600 milea from Quebec. After a hard atruggle, in bringing up .ft
family of twelve children (four ot whom they have lost), they saved anflwient money to purcbafis
100 acrea of forest, liad a raising bee, and in one day felled and squared sufficient timber to build
the walls of a log-hut. The roof is put on by more skilled hands. It ia aaid these Oanadiftg
woodsmen are so clever, that with an axe, aaw, and auger, they can build a house. Having
erected this dwellinff, m^ friend commenced cuttina down the surrounding timber. " I watched
aaya the wife, " with much an^ety the felling of the first tree, lest it might fall on my house (a(i
does sometimes happen) and dsstaroy it." In the course of years, the farm waa cleared, and
the soil being riqh» these good people ultimately succeeded, and within the last year have sold
their farm and ai« now living in comparative comfort upon their hard-earned savings. Their
BQUs have also been placed on farms, and their daughters are settled in life. This ia but one (nit
oi many aimiUu onea.

AaSIOnLTUBAIi OOUiKOB AKO UODKIi ViXm.

I itarted the following day with a buggy and pair of horses some twenty miles aeroM
eonntry to the town of Guelph, where I visited the Model Farm and Agricultural College (sin*
ported by the Government of the Province), at which young men receive a |>raotical as wul m

I

V

I

.N

w

Mr. W, P. CubiWs Mejwi.

|.i:»l

■cienli&o edaofttion In farminff st » very trifling oosl. I found both Mr. MiUa (the presldenM
Mid Mr. Brown (the manager) nourteous and aenaible men, well fitted for the poaitiona thn
held. I waa invited to go through the farm, and to critioiae freely, making any auggestiom
that I might think deairable. I aaw aome excellent cattle, especially a Hereford bull. The
abeep were also remarkably good. The roots were fairly planted, and good in aize ; but although
the mangel aeed waa obtained from one of our crack London aeedsmen, the bulbs were gi
varioua apeciea, presenting a most irregular appearance. It waa Mr. Brown'a opinion that tin
cultivation of both mangel and swedes .might be increased to advant ^e throughout the pro.
vincea, and that there would not be the difficulty, as had been represented to me, of getting
them off before the advent of frost. Considerable alterations and additiona were being luada
to the College Farm (for increased cattle and sheep accommodation) whichi When complete, will
render it one of the most valuable institutions of the DominioOt

BNOBMOUa BOOTS.

I returned by rail to Toronto, which ia surrounded by distrlota of great fertility, partloularlj
towards the westward. In the township of Markham I passed some excellent land (day loam)
which, with draining and good farming, would grow first-rate crops of all descriptions. I
believe Mr. Read went over the same land, and waa driven by the snme gentleman, Mr. Rennle,
ieedaman, Toronto. On hia brother'a farm they were busy seler <; roots for the Markham
show, the weights of which I carefully noted. I would here exi^ lO that the prizes are not
given to the iMst farm or field of roots, but to individual specimens, to grow which unlimited
space Is allotted. The following weights were recorded : — Six long, red mangel, 213 lb., oat
of which was 64 lb. ; two mammoth squash (a kind of pumpkin), 656 lb. The heaviest wai
808 lb., and girth 8 ft. Six white carrots, taken from the regular field-crop, weighed over 4 lb,
' each. Tlie general cultivation of this farm could not be surpassed — both ploughing and sowing
were first-rate ; indeed, Mr. Rennie wished me to state that he waa willing to enter hia brother
and brother-in-law to compete in any all-England ploughing matches which might henceforth
take place.

MIAOABA FALLS. — PKAOH AKD AFFLK FABMINO.

On my again returning to Toronto, I went to the Falls of Niagara. They quite equalled my
expectations. One is not surprised at the immense volume of water when the fact Is known that
it 18 the outpouring of Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior into Lake Ontario, thence
finding its way by the Kiver St. Lawrence into the sea. Large quantities of peaches and applet
are grown throughout Ontario, but it is in the neighbourhood of Niagara where they are oulti.
vated In such luxuriance. Peach farming is very profitable. The trees are planted as In an
apple-orchard, and when in full bearing net a clear profit of about £8 per acre. I was ia company
with a gentleman from Niagara who had 60 acres of bis farm in peach cultivation.

THB TOBONTO AGBIOOLTCBAL SHOW.

I passed the next three days at the annual Toronto exhibitioa, where farming stock, Imple<
ments, and manufactured fabrics were shown. The implements are of the lightest and most
effective kind, and were all in motion, driven by machinery beneath the platform on which they
were placed. I noticed a peculiarly constructed grass-cutter, the knife being driven without
connecting-rods. I am not sufficiently m ichanical to explain Its construction, but It seemed
most ingenious, and, if successful, must f toner or later come into general use. I think our agri.
cultural mechanics might with advanta'^e att'.nd these shows. The cereals and root-crops were
an excellent exhibit. The cattle in so 70unr a country could not, of course, compare with tho8«
exhibited at our best English shows, buw chey were creditable. The Herefords, polled Angus,
and Ayrshires were well represented from the Model Farm, but many were imported animals
The shorthorns from the same farm were of medium quality, but this was amply compensated
for by those sent by the other breeders of the district. We also noticed a spl ndid white four,
year-old shorthorn, which would have mado his mark at either Birmingham or London. There
were others of the same kind worthy to compete with him. We also noted a splendid white
cow (pure shorthorn), and a grand grade red cow four years old, showing what can be done by
crossing with piure shorthorns. T^erewere also many specimens of, younger cattle of considerable
merit, but owing to the want of catalogues it was impossible to obtain the names of the owners
and other deairable particulars. We saw a pair of beautiful cows, one bred by Cruikshank of
Aberdeen (evidently of the Booth type), her companion a beautiful red (said to be imported by
the States) of the Bates type, and a capital milker. Later on, large numbers oi the polled Angua
arrived, and there were good specimens of Canadian-bred Devons, they were of :< larger size
than those of our home-breeding, and this applies generally to the cattle bred in the Dominion.
I cannot afford to devote more space to this class, but must not omit to say that I saw nothing to
lorpass, or even equal, the magnificent Hereford bull that Mr. Brown showed mo at the Mmiel
Farm. The pigs were in large numbers, quite equal to the English breeds. Indeed, my com-
panion, Mr. Christy, of Limerick, thought them generally better, Aod I noticed throughout the
oonntrT tbftt the iwine were excellent.

■nr

Mr. W. P. OubUft Jtiep&rt.

n

the preildeai)
PooUiona tltm
ly suggestion,
rd bull. Xh«
but although
aulba were of
nioQ that thi
bout the pro.
»e, of getting
e being mad*
complete, will

. partloularlj
d (olay loam)
Bcriptions. {
, Mr. Rennie^
he Markhanj
rizes are not
cb unlimited
« 213 lb., one
heaviest wu
led over 4 lb.
? and Sowing
r his brother
t henceforth

equalled mj
I known that
bario, thence
s and applet
ey are culti.
ted as in an
I in company

took, Imple<
st and most
I which they
ven without
t it seemed
ak our agri*
b-crops were
5 with tho8#
Ued Angus,
^d animals
ompensated
white four-
Ion. There
ndid white
be done by
onsiderable
the owners
ikshank of
aported by
lied Angus
larger size
Dominion,
nothing to
the M<Kiel
[, my com-
aghout thfl

The horses were not w well represented, ezoeptfng a few good Imported Olydesdales. The
Oanadian cart-horse Is rather an undersized animal, ' t has more breeding than our English cart*
horse, and I can testify to its pluck, speed, and endiuiinoe. On the prairies you can see the men
riding upon elevated seats, driving their horses abreast, iit ploughs turning 11 an 1 16 inch
furrows, at a pace which would aatouish our country ploiighthen. Indeed, it would do many of
our men good to send them acrosa the Atlantic, if only to be initiated in the art of moving,
either on foot or otherwise. It has been found that the Oanadian horses are much improved by
erosHing with our big English carriage-horses, which gives strength with the activity so desirable.
We also saw admirable animals (from a cross with the Clydeudale) employed about the railways,
breweries, and distilleries. Nor must I forget to mention the hack and harness horses, generally
imall, but surprising for their pace and endurance. Our English hacks are softer, and could not
live with them in long joumeyi over heavy roads. I also saw many good carriage-horses and
hunters.

There are fox-hounds In Toronto, bat they run imaginary foxes over a trail ; and if the hurdle*
race at this show is any criterion of tho power and sp<>ed of the horses and of the skill of the
riders, I am sure the Toronto hunt would be in the leading ruck with the fastest pack we have in
England. Some sixteen or twenty started in this, and raced (riders young and old) in scarlet
uniform. ' They are off 1' The young fellows make the running, taking stiff hurdles at full
tpeed, clearing them in splendid style, and ...is on a hard road, round a grass-plat. Three of
them keep the lead, and come in neck and neck.

In the centre of the show-ground, iu a splendid building, was the exhibition f their home«
made wares and fabrics. The latter were inferior to our English exhibits of the same class, but
it must not be forgotten that Canada is only a young country as regards her manufactures. At
the same time, I could not but think, if England manufactured for them a much better and
cheaper article (to be free of duty), that it would be to the advantage of Canadians to apply their
spare capital to the much-needed improvement of their style of agriculture ; but more on this
point shortly.

I had almost forgotten to mention the sheep classes. The downs were well represented, and
took the lead in short wools ; but the long-wools, especially the Cotswold and border Leicesters,
were the favourites. GeneraJly speaking, the sheep-breeding in Canada b behind that of cattle,
and no doubt will remain so, the winters necessitating their being housed.

■ZTBAOBDINABT 8D00KSS Of MOBrOLK MEM IN TORONTO.

Before leaving the hospitable city of Toronto, I must say a word or two respecting it. Less
than ninety years ago It was but an Indian village, surrounded by dense forests ; and one would
well-nigh conceive it to be a fairy tale when told that where the beaver gambolled in .olitary
streams rarely visited by white men, and where fever and ague reigned supremo, there, has now
arisen one of the healthiest and most handsome cities on the American continent, with a popula<
tion (Including suburbs) of over 80,000 souls I Many of its citizens hail from otur own county,
and some of them have risen to eminence and wealth. One instance in particular I cannot fail to
mention, showing that even our quiet county of Norfolk has produced other men besides Nelson
possessed with indomitable perseverance and courage. I allude to the firm of Goodorliam and
Worts. The former was born at Scole, and served as a soldier of the Boyal York K^mgers in
the West Indies, where his regiment took part in the taking of Martinique and Guadaluupu.
The latter was born in Great Yarmouth, and received part of his education at a dame's dcbaul
in the village of Stalham. In the course of a few years Mr. Gooderham rethred from the army ;
and in the meantime Mr. James Worts, who had married Mr. Gooderham's only sister, finding
little could be done in the old country without capital, proceeded in 1831 to Canada, to select a
home for both families. Amving at Quebec, he travelled through Montreal, Kingston, Toronto,
Hamilton, Niagara, and various other places, finally deciding on Toronto, and there commenced
building a small windmill. The following year (1832) Mr. Gooderham sailed from London,
bringing with him his own, Mr. Worts', and several other families, in all 54 souls, connected
either by blood or marriage, arriving at Quebec all well after a six weeks' passage. Finding the
windmill nearlv completed, Mr. Gk>oderham united with Mr. Worts under the firm of Gooderham
and Worts, domg a retail business within the city, which only then contained a population of
three or four thousand. From this rather small beginning has grown a stupendous bosiness.

ii^

500,000 bushels of maize, 100,000 bushels of rye, 60,000'bu8hel8 of barley, 25,000 bushels of oats,
and 10 tons of hops ; in other words, they absorb the annual produce of 31,500 acres of average
land. The production of the establishment is on a scale as prodigious, lieing 8000 imperial
gallons of spirit per day. To consume the refuse of this distillery, about 2500 bullocks are
annually fattened In the cattle-sheds. These are the property of Messrs. Lumbers, Reeves,
Shields, and Frankland, the well-known butchers, dealers, and droven who have opened u^ the

■-■i«

7

4

■ i,

-wr

78

Mr, W. i*. Cvbitet Jiep&ti.

TT

[A\ Mttle*tviMle with EnglMid. In Mldltioii to Ihh dlatlllery refuM, eM^ MilmRl hM & liberal rapp|.

of hay. Mmsh. Oooderham and Worts ar« alto largely engaged <n banking, being the ohM
proprietor! of the Bank of Toronto, one of the most flouriHhlng monetary Inntltutiona of Uu
eountry. The NIplMing Railway !■ also larjjely owned by them, with no InoonHiderable benefit
to both citiRens and agrloulturlBta. Mr. Worta doea not forget hia latlve county, aa many pij.
turea in hia manaion teatify ; nor ia be forgetful of our old F.iglira aporta, iHiing hiinH«li
maater of the "Poronto foxhounda. In connection with agriculture *.here are large maltinRH anj
breweriea. One that I Inapeoted ia carried on by a company, under the management of M,_
David Walker, proprietor of tho Walker Hotel. Hoth the malthouae and the brewery vn
splendid buildinga, and their pale ale ia scarcely aurpassed by the Burton browera ; nor in thij
eurpriaing, when aucb fiue-coloured and tbiu-skiunud barley ia produced in the aurrouudiog
ddatriota.

THa LAKES. — TBI TRANBPOBT Of WHKAT AND OATrUb

I left Toronto by train to Samia, en route to Winnipeg, vid Lakea Huron and Superior, anj
had a aplendid run of 800 milea. Towarda the end of Lake Huron, the scenery ia fine, eapeciallj
at the narrow channel separating the islands of Manitouliti and Coukburn. We also passed 1 1
number of rocky islanda, covered with dwarf pine, larch and fir. They rise abruptly frum thi
lake, and are bo close to each other as to afford but a narrow passage for vessels. lieaving Laki |
Huron we entered the river Sault St. Marie, (known aa the Soo the pronunciation of Sault),
dividing Canada from the Statea. Here are the rapida from Lake Superior, to avoid which w«

Ksaed through a canal capable of floating vessela of considerable burthen ; the rise of th^ locb
ing sixteen feet, bringing ua to a level with Lake Superior. After 200 or 300 milea' sa'linj
we reached Thunder Bay, the proposed terminus of the Canadian Pacific llailway, which »a Ut
be the route for conveying grain and other produce from Manitoba and the North-West Territory,
at least till such time as the contemplated line on the north of Lake Superior to Lake NipiHsing
be completed, the latter link being necesaary to form a continuoua line from the Atlantic to tht
Pacific. I may here state that when the line to Thunder Bay from Winnipeg ia finished— ia
the year 1882, according to the contract — it ia the opinion of Mr. Joseph Hickson, the genenl
manager of the Grank Trunk Railway, alao a large farmer and breeder, that wheat can bt
landed in London or Liverpool from Manitoba at from 32s. to 36s. per quai-ter, leaving a fait
profit to both producer, merchant, and carrier. It is also the opinion of Mr. Hicksou and othen
conversant with the trade, that a considerable profit haa been realised upon cattle at the pricei
they have recently made in England. I take the following figures presented to me from reliable
autnorities > Bullock at Chicago, 1200 lb. live weight, at 4 cents per lb. (outside price), 48 dollani
conveyance by rail to seaboard, G dollars; conveyance to London or Liverpool, 2fi dollars;
total, 79 dollars, equal to £16 0s. 2d. ; shrinkage and offal on 1200 lb., 440 lb. ; thua leaving i
balance of 760 lb., which at 7d. per lb. realises £22 3a. 4d., showing a profit (sinking the hid«^
etc.) of £6 14b. 2d., which compensates the importer for trouble, commisaion, and food, eta,
duriag the voyage. In charging the cost of the animal 4 cents per lb. live weight, I ought to
state that 8 cents ia the more usual figure, save for animals of the very primeat quality.

From Prince Arthur's landing we steamed to Duluth, a rough straggling town of some 2000
or 8000 inhabitants, whence a train takes us to Winnipeg ; the first portion of the journey being
of the moat rugged description, after which we reached the Minnesota prairie, and travelled some
SOO miles along a perfectly level surface. Portions of the land are being 'ultivated, but tens o(
thousands of acres are yet unbroken. Concluding a run of 1200 miles by 'ail and about 800 by
lake we were in the city of Winnipeg, containing about 12,000 inhabitan a. It has some good
shops and public buildinga, and the people seem to be driving a profitable trade. We took up
our quarters at the Queen's Hotel ; but the weather was wet and the country was not seen to
advanti^e. For milea round Winnipeg and along the line of the Canadian Pacific it was, with
few exceptions, wet and swampy, the season having been an exceptionally wet one. The soil,
however, ii rich, but will require thorough drainage before it can be successfully cultivated ia
such seasons. We drove out some twenty miles to Headingley to look over a farm of more than
2000 acres, belonging to the brothers Boyle, conveniently situated on the banks of the Assini^
boine and a stream called Sturgeon Creek. This firm has opened an office at Winnipeg with
the intention of Icokifg after young men desirous of settling in the country. They will give
them the benefit of their advice and experience, and.thua prevent their being victimised by land*
sharka, who have bought up large tracts of land on speculation in the hope of making fortune!
at the expense of the emigrants. Messrs. Boyle intend taking pupils, for whom they will put-
chase land, and are open to act as buyers for other parties in England. We had the pleasure of
crossing the Atlantic with Mr. Henry Boyle, on his way from New Zealand, and can recommend
these young Englishmen to any requiring advice and assistance. Upon examination of their
farm we found three feet of rich black soil before touching solid clay, but it struck us that
thorough drainage would Improve it very much. On our return to Winnipeg we found the
niayor, the railway contractor, and other kind friends, had organised a shooting expedition, and
(ODK w the following day aome 40 nUlcs np the prairie for » day's sport among the wild-ducki

■'*

^.i^

Mr. fP. P. Cvbitet Etp&rL

n

Mid pr*M« oblokoni, th« mftjoritr of the p»rty oamplnur ont for the nf i^ht. Some of as, however,
preferred returning to viilt the Winnipeg show of gr»in »nd vegetn) 'or the d»y following. The
wheat we Haw was excuodingly fino, and Is valuud by millers lar and near. Somo of the
iwedes weighed over 22 lb. each, cabbages averaging 4^ foot In circumferenoe, potatoes exceeding
21b. each, and squash 188 lb. There were also onions, carrots, parsnips, and other vegetables
ihown of considerable merit.

AW AOOODNT 0» DB. iTJTHraLAOT)'B JOtJRNRT IN THB NOBTH-WMT.

The day after we prepared for a journey of about 800 milos up the country an far as Turtle
Mountain, intending to return by way of Pembina Mountain. We provided ourBolves with all
neoeg»ary camping e<iuipage, including guns for duck and prairie birds j but finding the roads so
bad and in places almont impasHable from the hoavy rains — owing to the exceptionally wet season,
lucb a one not having been experienced for thirty years I was told— T only proceeded a day's
dri\e beyond Portage la Prairie. I found around this place a good farming district, the land
being much drier and more undulating. My friend and his companion pushed onwards, but I
returned to Winnipeg, where I met with Mr. Fraser Rae, one of the Times correspondents, also
the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Weat Territory (Mr. Laird), from whom I received valu-
able information. I alno gained much knowledge of the country from Dr. Sutherland, of Toronto,
I and a practical farmer from Niagara, the former of whom accompanied the latter in a journey of
1600 miles — the details of which are so interesting and so well authenticated by those who had
travelled through the same dixtrict, that, in the intereut of my readers, I give them verbatim :

' The route usually taken in journeys of this description is to enter the country by way of

Manitoba, and proceed westward by one of the principal trails. For various reasons I reversed

this course, entering the country through the Territory of Montana, at a point some fifty miles

I east of the Rocky Mountains, proceeding northward as far as the Saskatchewan River and then

I east and south-east for a thousand miles to Manitoba, The entire distance travelled in the

I North-West Territory, and Manitoba was about 1600 miles. I left Toronto on the 2l8t of

June, and travelled by rail, vid Chicago and St. Paul, to Bismarck, in Dakota. This part of

the journey occupied less than four days. I then proceeded by steamer up the Missouri River

to Fort Benton, in Montana Territory, a distance of 1200 miles, which occupied ten days. From

[ this point the journey was made with horses and waggons. The distance from Benton to the

lDtemati(mal boundary line (United States territory), by the trail usually followed, is reckoned

I at about 275 miles. The country is a vast treeless prairie, with a hard and somewhat arid soil,

[tnnch of it strongly impregnated with alkali, which also taints the waters in the streams and

I pools. The herbage is short and rather scanty, and seems to indicate an insufficient rainfaU.

Iliere are said to be vast tracts in Montana suitable for both stock-raising and agriculture ; but

I certainly such is not the character of that part of the territory through which I passed. When

I we reached the international boundary line (Canada), change for the better was at once observed.

I The water was more abundant and of better quality, the pasturage rich and plentiful, and instead

I of the short dry grass of the Montana plains, vetches of excellent quality became abundant.

The valley of Milk River, which we forded soon after crossing the boundary line, struck me as

a good location fov stock-raising, at le.ast in so far as pasturage and water are concerned ; but

as there is an entire absence of timber, as there are no deep valleys, it probably would not afford

the shelter for stock which is desirable during the winter -season. I have no doubt, however,

I that abundant shelter could be found &fty or sixty miles westward, among the foothills of the

Rocky Mountains. Experiment alone can prove whether agriculture can be successfully followed

in this region. The chief drawback to stock-raising is the nearness of Milk River to the boundary

I line, and the consequent danger of raids by American Indians,

' As we proceeded northward there was a steady improvement in the quality of the soil, M
I shown by the rich and luxuriant vegetation, and this continued, with but little intermission, all
I the way to the North Saskatchewan, a distance from the boundary line of some 400 miles by the
I trail. In fact, throughout this entire region there is scarcely an acre that could not be utilised
either for farming or stock-raising. And even in those parts of the country where it would b«
necessary to house the stock during winter, bay is so abundant that a sufficient supply could be
I obtained at a trifling cost.

' After passing Fort McLeod (about 500 miles in a direct line from the boundary) our course

I lay parallel with the Porcupine Hills, and a short distance to the east of the range. Here also

we found magnificent stretches of rich prairie waiting for the plough ; and I was informed on

good authority that between the Porcupine Hills and the Rock3' Mountains there is a tract of

country, say, speaking roughly, 60 to 100 miles in extent, which for stock-raising is unsurpassed

j ou the Continent, and which, it is believed, would be found equally valuable for agriculture.

' Some eighty miles north of Fort McLeod we crossed Sheep Creek, on the banks of which

I we found the richest soil and the most luxuriant pasturage that we hod met with up to that poinl.

Not only on the level bottoms of the valley, but over the hills to the north, the rich black soil wat

of great depth, and where thrown up by the badgers, was as mellow as the soil of a thoroughly

worked garden. Timber also, is found on tlie banks of this stream, not in large quaotitioji, \M

i

ao

Ur. W. P, Cubftet ReporU

m

I'-i

sufficient lot tmllding kud fencing purposes. Whether the seasons will Admit of successf ol kgTl>
culture, remainn to be seen ; but as far as soil and watei' are concerned, a more attractive loot.
tion could not be desired.

* For stoclc^raising purposes, however, by far the best region I visited Is the valley of the Bo«
Biver. This stream issues from the Boclcy Mountains, about 160 miles, in a direct line north oi
the international tioundary. Tt flows with a strong current in a 8outh'eA8t«>:iy direction, and
enteia the south branch of tho Saskatchewan River, about 120 miles east of the mountains. Ig
the wide valley of the Bow, and on the adjacent hills, there is i,n inexhaustible supply of the
richest pasture ; the water both in the river and its niunerous tributaries is abundant, and of the
best quality ; the deep valleys, especioJly on the upper waters, afford excellent protection during
cold weather ; and I am assured by those who have b^en long in the country, that the winters
are so mild that the cattle can be left to run at large with perfect safety, and will be found in
good condition in the spring. jLus far, farming has been tried only on a limited scale; but enough
lias been done to demonstrate the richness of the soil, and to show that wheat, barley, oats, and
the various vegetables can be grown successfully.

' From FortCalgarry on Bow Biver to the crossing at Elk Biver, a distance of 100 miles, the
country consists cliiefly of rolling prairie, much of the soil being of good quality. From Elk
Biver to Edmonton on the North Saskatchewan, there is a considerable growth of poplar, with
stretches of open prairie between, the soil being rich and well adapted for farming purposes. In
this region the winter is too cold to admit of cattle being left unprotected ; but the supply ol
natural hay is abundant.

' Of the country from Edmonton eastward ^o Fort Carleton, 4 distance of some 600 miles, I can-
not speak in positive terms, as my journey was made by skiff down the river, and hence I had
no opportunity of examining the quality of the soil .ir the general features of the covmtry except
In immediate proximity to the stream ; buc at certain points where we landed, such as Fort Fitt
«nd Battleford, we found that barley produced a good harvest, and that the various kinds ol
garden veget.ables, even the more tender so'ls, grew luxuriantly.

'The next locality that I examined with any degree of care is known as the Prince Albeit
Settlement. It lies at the confluence of the north and south branches of the Saskatchewan, and
extends up the south bank of the former stream for some 40 miles. It is about 200 miles north
of the latitude of Winnipeg, and is dit'cant from the latter place, by the usual trail, about 550
miles in a north- woterly direction. 'Che soil throughout; the settlement is good ; but the past
summer has been unusually wet, and in some .;ases the crops were touched by early f rost? beton
they were fully matured.

'The country lying between the crossing of the South Saskatchewan and the wwteni Iraundary
of the province of Manitoba I need not describe in detail. Suffice It to say at present that with
the exception of an alkali plain of considerable extent, the land is of good quality. We passed
through some beautiful plains, where signs of successful fanning were already apparent. The
portions deserving of especial mention lie between Fort TUiice, on th? Assiniboine river, and the
western boundary of Manitoba.

* As these notes may meet the eye of some one contemplating a similar journey, some hintRiu
to outfit and mode of travel may not be devoid of interest. For two persons going by the route
already indicated, the following may be considered indispensable : — A good " Buckboard," which
is the best vehicle for prairie travel ; a pair of native horses, which can usually be purchased at
Benton, at prices ranging from 50 to ICO doUa^j each ; a cart or spring waggon to carry campioj;
apparatus, with one or two horses for the same ; several spare horses, as on such & journey some
may get sick or be lost ; one or two competent men to act as guides, look after the horses, find
suitable camping-places, cook, etc., etc. ; a tent, blankets, and pillows (a rubber blanket indis-
pensable), camping-box containing a few dishes (" granite ironware " are the liest), receptaclei
for tea, sugar, etc., an axe, spare rope, etc., etc., and a ctore of provisions sufficient to last for at
least a fortnight, or until the traveller can reach the next place wh ^re supplies may be obtained
As to clothing, provision should be made for cold nights and rainy days. Stout tweed for the
outer garments is best. A pair of stout riding-boots, and water-proof coat and cap, will be found
meful. A breech-loader gun, revolver, and hunting-knife should also be carried.

' In travelling, "the usual custom is to stjvrt very early in the morning, drive for two or three
hours, light fire, and halt for breakfast, and allow the horses to feed and rest for at least two
hours. Then drive for, say, three hours more, another rest, and then drive till it is time to
camp for the night. Tlie sole food of the native horses is the grass of the prairie, and It seems
to be all they need. On the route from Benton to Edmonton there are numerous rivers to be
crossed. None of these are bridged, but one cr two have ferries, and on one or two more boats
can be obtained. At certain seasons some of these \. vers can be forded, but at other seasons this
is impoFsible. The usual way, when reaching a stream the depth of which is unknown, is for
■ome one to mount a horse and try for a ford. If c practicable crossing is found, the vehicles are
driven acroE .< : but if not, a temporary boat or raft has to be constructed, on which waggonc and
their contents are ferried over, while the horses are made to swim to tlie other side. Crossing
some of these streams is attended with a good deal of danger, and can only be managed succcai'
folly by those who have had exoerienoe in such matters.'

Ml

-ir^

' Buccessf nl agrl.
attractive loc*.

Jley of the Bo»
Bot line north ol
y direction, and
mountains. Iq
tie supply of thd
dant, and of the
otection during
ihftt the winterj
will be found in
:ale; but enough
)arley, oats, and

f 100 miles, the
ity. From Elk
of poplar, with
g purposes. In
ut the supply c

JOO miles, lean,
ind hence I had
i country except
ich as Fort Pitt
arious kinda ol

8 Prince Albert
katchewan, and
!00 miles north
trail, about 550
; but the past
ply frost? befon

Bsteni boundary
resent that with
ty. We pasked
ttjiparent. The
3 river, and the

y, BomehintRAt
ng by the route
kboard," which
be purchased at
3 can-y camping
a journey some
the horses, find
r blanket indis<
st), receptacle!
it to last for At
ay be obtained,
tweed for the
[>, will be found

■>r two or three
or at least two
[ it is time to
i, and It seems
>U8 rivers to be
wo more boati
ler seasons thia
nknown, is for
he vehicles are
I waggons and
Ide. Crossing
laged Bucccsi<

Mr. TT. T. CuliWs, Report.

THB PR03PK0T3 OF OtJ«.fIVATION IN THIS TEBBirOBT.

81

I further obtained ranch information from Donald A. Smith, Esq., formerly resident Govefftor
pf the Hudson's Bay Company, and for several years one of the representatives for Manitoba in
the Dominion Parliament. .He says — ' Manitoba proper contains an area of about 9,000,000
acres available for agricultural purposes. The North-West Territory, in connection with Mani-
toba, extending from the Rocky Mountains eastward and from the international boundary on
the south io fifty-six or fifty-seven degrees north latitude, contains considerably over 100,000,000
acres, by far the larger portion of which are believed to be well suited for the production of wheat
and other grain. The northern portion, known as the Peace River district, owing to the depres-
iion at that point of the Rocky Mountains, is quite equal in climate to the more southern part.
These immense territorials, in the course of a very few years, will undoubtedly bo under cultiva-
tion, as a main railway is being constructed — with several branch lines — to connect the Canadian
system of railways with the Pacific coast. When this arrangement is complete; a prodigious
amount of wheat and other grain will be exported. Even now it is computed that wheat in those
provinces can already be grown at a cost not exceeding 40 cents, or Is. 8d. per bushel. The

Suality is very fine, and will make superior flour ; indeed, it ia eagerly selected by the milleri of
be Western States.'

USSFUt ACVIOE TO FBSSH COLONISTS.

Having thus given the opinion of men so thoroughly and practically acquainted with these
Immense provinces, I venture to make a few remarks of my own on so important a topic. Whilst
acknowledging the natural fertility of the soil of Manitoba and the North-West territories, I am
constrained to say that it will not be possible to colonise them rapidly, especially by those who
have long enjoyed the civilisation and comforts of England, until they become more opened by
railway communication. The ro'.n to face such a country should be young and hardy, with any
amount of pluck and perseverance. Many such are already there and are very hopeful of the
future, but I think there is n isapprehension as to the capital required. It has been said that a
man may fairly start upon a section of 160 acres with a capit.il of less than £150. In my opinion
much more than that amount will be necessary. Shelter will be required for himself and oattle,
and also food for the first year. To start with but one pair of oxen is a slow beginning ; still,
many are trying it. Capital is needed in Manitoba as elsewhere, and the more one has the sooner
he will make money. For instance, if a man start with about £2000 be could purchase and bring
rapidly into cultivation 800 or 1000 acres, providing himself with a house, and his cattle with
necessary shelter. He should depend on stock paying as much as his tillage and crops, and
might start with a strong herd of young, growing cat Je, or commence breeding them. Good
working oxen are worth £20 per pair, and in three years will be growing into big animala. They
must be sheltered during winter, but no elaborate buildings are required,-simple sheds of rough
timber being sufiScient. Any quantity of prairie hay may \3Q had for the mowing, and summer
food gratis for years to come. The straw should not be burned, as is now customary ; but stacked
round the cattle-sheds for warmth and bedding, preserving the manure till such time as the soil
requires it. I do not believe in the too general American plan of taking all out of the Boil, and
putting little or nothing back. The one system leads to ultimate poverty, the other to wealth.
In respect to the free grants of lands and purchase of additional quantities, all particulars may be
obtained from the Government agents. But a word of caution is necessary to the inexperienced,
viz. : they must by no means buy wet or swampy land, much of which is to be found in the
neighbourhood of Winnipeg. Further westward there are millions of acres of dry rolling prairie
to be had at nominal prices, indeed 160 acres can be had free of co8t by any hand fide settler.
So great has been the fever of speculation in Manitoba that thousands of acres have changed
hands without having been seen by buyer or seller. I found for miles beyond Winnipeg
the land has nearly all been taken up, and is still held by speculators ; but, in my opinion, a
collapse is not far distant, it being impossible that these wet soils can be thoroughly utilised in
wet seasons till they are thoroughly drained, Many there have an idea that drainage is but a
simple affair, only costing a few shilling'; per acre, whereas such drainage as is here required would
seem to me to cost in Some cases some £10 per acre, as it involves the expense of cutting a great
many dykes, intersected with pipes and drains, as practised both in Holland aid parts of England.
It is said that the Government intends doing this, but it cannot be supposed they will spend •
rioney to benefit these speculatorn and landsharks, who are fictitiously increasing the value of the
soil, to the hindrance of legitimate purchasers. Perhaps it might be wise legislation to compel
bond fide speculators to pay cash for their land, which should be forthwith subject to the same
rates and taxes as that already in cultivation ; but I think a rod is already in pickle for these
gentlemen. I have thus fearlessly given my views, which may be taken for what they are worth.
Land in the neighbourhood can be bought at from 2 to 10 dollars per acre. This country has un-
doubtedly a great future before it, but it is desirable that all should see for themselves before
choosing a finrl settlement. While speaking of emigration I feel constrained to say that the
arrangements at Toronto (which I understand are similar to those at other places) for dealing
vith emigrants, are all that could be desired. They are wel) looked after, and tht- food and

v.i

r.i

•I

82

Mr. W. P. Cubites Heport,

accommodation are good. I cannot pass from this subject without expressing my obligations to
Mr. Donald ion, the immigration agent at Toronto, and Mr. Hespeler, the agent at Winnipeg,
for the kiud assistance they rendered me in the prosecution of my inquiries.

My return was through a portion of the United States, making short stays in the varioui
towns through which the rr*il passes. While passing through the State of Minnesota, I noticed
tj.-i*. the subsoil was not so good as !n Manitoba — so far as I could see from an examination ol
the cuttings along the railway — and I do not think this part of the States so well adapted fot
wheat-growing as the Canadian Territory. The agents of the American railway companies at«
very energetic in their endeavours to sell their lands, and do their utmost to divert settlers going
to Canada ; but instead of listening to them, people should make their way to their destination
ana see the British lands for themselves. It is also said by Americana that large numbers of
Canadians are leaving their country and settling in the States, but I did not find this to be the
case. I passed by St. [Paul's and.lVIilwaukee, and stayed two days in Chicago, one of the most
eiLtraordinary business cities in the world.

CANADIAN OHABAOTSBISTIOS : FABHIBS AND OAlTTUt BAISINO, KIO.

1 was not prepared to find it a oou.jtry ©f ouch an enormous area, whose inland "5fts could
easily swallow up the British Isles. These waters abound with fish of various kinds, and the
navigable rivers afford the cheapest transport for the produce of the land. There is every facilit;
for its becoming a great trading nation. From the mouth of the St. Lawrence vid lakes and
rivers its water communication extends beyond 2000 miles, whilst the traveller may proceed b^
land from the Atlantic to the Pacific, including Manitoba and the North-West Territory, »
diHtauce exceeding 3000 miles. It* climate is too well-known to need any description. Suffice
it to say, I found the autumn most lovely. The people, in habits and manners, much resemble
the Euglith ; they are charitable, kind, and hospitable. It is a genuine hospitality, and there ii
no apologising — if one by chance looks in — that they have nothing better to offer, but a true
Canadian welcome to the beat the house affords. Agriculturally speaking, the soil, aa in most
other big countries, is of good, bad, and indifferent qualities, but with a large proportion of the
goud. It is with regret that I cannot ^peak well of the general cultivation. In a former portion
of this report I alluded to many of the early pioneers who had grown comparatively rich. They
were those who had, some fifty or sixty y<;ars ago, selectod the richest lands from amongst the
forests, and by almost superhuman Loou' and economy realised a competency. But good as the
soil may be, the consecutive cereal 'cropping must tell its tale. Everything taken off, and
nothing added to, will deteriorate the best land in the world. To a great extent this has beeu
the course pursued thro\igh a part of tl:e Dominion. The younger men have more or less followed
in the stepn of their fathers, and the results need not b« told — the farmers are not so well off as
they might have been had they farmed in a different manner. Hence the desire of so many to
sell and go westward or ehiewhere, and, by the way, no class of men are so calculated aa these
native Canadians to open out a new country. Brought up from boyhood to habits of strict
industry, hardy, athletic, i\nd skilled in the use of tools, but few Englishmen can compete
with them. In telling my brother farmers that previously to the introduction of reaping,
machines, it was not uncommon for come of these men to cradle (that is, to mow with a long
scythe with a cradle attached) five acres of fair standing wheat between sunrise and sunset, they
may well express surprise. It seemed at first inci:«dible to me, but I found hundredii could
testify to the fact. But how is it these indr. '.-ious men are drifting into ditficultiea? It is
from the continued system of grain eroppi'^ ;, r .d the abflenoe of root culture, which would enable
them to feed more cattle, and coiivert their straw into valuable manure ; and whilst so much
good clay-loam abounds — and other land with a strong aubsoil — why is it more land is not Ltid
down to permanent pasture, thus leaaenin;, the cost of tillage, esi>«cially as labour ia so scarce
and dear 7 Single men are mostly employed as labourers, and they are boarded in the farm,
bouses. If there were more cottages scattered through the agricultural districts as homes for
married men, a resident peasantry uiight be estbblisbed, so much more reliable than this nomadio
labour, and recu|)erative withaL The farmers say, What are we to do with men in winter!
I say, with so much of their 'and so well adapted for root-culture, they should go in for beef-
raising by stall-feeding. I do not, however, wish it to be understood that I am passing a sweeping
condemnation upon all the Ontario farmers or farming, far from it ; for I had the pleasure of
visiting many farms especially on thos« rich soils west of Toronto, where agriculturists wer?
quitealive to the neceasity of oattlt-raiMng and feeding, and are making gieat strides in that
diroction. But the.:ve ware not the men desirous of aelling their farms. It is scarcely necessary
for me to say thai these reosarka do tiot apply io Manitoba and the North-West ? errt. r-y,
Farmers goin^ into the latter provinoss, where the soil is virgin, need not follow the unwi. e
system pursued in the oldof pacin wf Canada, and there is no reason why they should sot succeed,
if thoy are not afrud of h<tra wecJc, aad are pwaoeased oi some capitai.

The following ia a o»H.iwfi«tio« I had in tho Toranto dattle-yarda with Messrs. Franklin and
Co., butchorK, |)adcei3, oad cattlr, aafto>t<k-a to England. In looking over the bullooks they were
^royuiisij foe uhijK^wiuirt, the^ iuioimvd w« that dariug tho previous four wcuk» they had uuT'

chftsed ovet
(Cunada), a
brought fro
They were
from £13 to
grazing pu
Guelph, El
that if catt
it would bt
trade is onl
Our mark*
20 per cenl
prevented
now that t
yearly inci
farmers to
an Agricu
acbaractei
with strict
will thus I
must henc
iheir posit
is equal to
of their la
the necess
abundant
reaaonablt
many nuti
farmers m

obligationg to
»t Winnipeg,

in the varlonp
Ota, I noticed
xamination of
11 adapted fot
companies att
settlers going
sir destination
re nunibera of
this to be the
le of the most

moi -sua could
cinds, and the

every facility

vid lakes and
ay proceed b?

Territory, »
*ion. Suffice
mch resemble
^ and there ii
er, but a true
il« as in most
wrtion of the
)rmer portion

rich. They
amongst the
t good aa the
ken off, and
this has beeu
r less followed
BO well off as
if so many to
ated aa these
bit* of strict
caji compete

of reaping.
r with a loug
sunset, they
idreds could
ilties f It is
would enable
dlat so much
id is not hiid
' ia so scarce
n the farm<
w homes fop
this nomadic
I in winter !
in for beef-
i a sweeping
I pleasure of
turista wers
des in that
ly necessary
k ^.'errt; ry.
th« unwi,e
lot succeed,

ranklin and
:s they were

ej bad pur.

lehv

/Pun

Mr. W. If. U7idtW8 Kepwt.

-TST-

ehM*<l over 2,000 head from the farmers in the township of Lobo, within twenty milea of Lonrlon
(Canada), a district noticed for its rich grass, the soil being clay-loam. These catLle were
brought from farms of from 100 to 200 acres, each farm feeding from thirty to seventy head.
They were bought by the owners in a lean state at from £8 to £9 each, and sold off the grixss at
from £13 to £16 per head. Much of the land in the western part of Ontario can be devoted to
({razing purposes. The principal feeders during winter are located in the counties of Wellington,
Guelph, Elora, Fergus, Gait, Waterloo, and the adjoining neighbourhoods. They agreed with me
that if cattle were supplied with a fair amount of linseed cake, both on the grass and in the folds,
it would be profitable to the farmer. They added : ' But it must be borne in mind thi.t the export
trade is only of recent date. Five years ago only a thousand head had been shipped to Great Britain.
Our markets previously had been Albany, Boston, and New York ; but the outrageous duty of
20 per cent, laid upon us by the Americans for all live stock, and their own increasing supplies,
prevented the trade proving very remunerative, and farmers received no encouragement. Bat
now that they have an assured market in England the improvement has been rapid, and we are
yearly increasing our exports. The improved price, together with tb' "emand, has caused our
farmers to take a deeper inierest in their stock ; and the Canadian Gc omment have established
an Agricultural Commission, which will do a great deal of good and turnish information of such
a character that must result in greater zeal. We have the best-blooded animals in Can;.da, and
with strict attention and more liberality in feeding, need be second to none in the world.' It
will thus be seen that Messrs. Franklin coincide with me in the fact that raising more cattle
must henceforth be the paramount object of Canadian farmers, that is, if they wish to improve
,"'eir position. It is lamentable that in so fine a country — the greater portion of the soil of which
is equal to anything on this sidu of the Atlantic — so many farmers should be anxious to dispcso
of their land which, with more liberal treatment, would amply repay for increased outlay. If
the necessary capital can be obtained, there ia no excuse for niggardly farming. With good roots,
abundant hay, cheap corn, and linseed cake of the finest quality to be had in the country .it such
reasonable rates, with miller's offal to be obtained at nominal prices, and bran, which possesses so
many nutritive properties, selling at less than tix cents per stone, there can be no excuse ^or
farmers not keeping more stock upon their farms. If the English land were cultivated upon so
penurious a principle general bankruptcy would be the result. Here a man with 100 acres in
tillage would be expected to stall-feed from twenty-five to thirty-five bullocks, upon each of which
he would spend some £5 or £6 per head {in addition to reots) upon artificial feeding. It is not
surprising that with such farming in Canada so much land should be for sale in Ontario, and now
offering at prices ranging from £10 to £15 per acre, which cost the early pioneer little or nothing.
In favoured localities it might perhaps command higher rates, but present prospects would seem
to denote a further reduction. It may be asked if the purchase of such land would not be a fair
gpeculation for English farmers. My reply must be in the affirmative, ijroviJed that two or three
occupations could be laid together. In Canada, farms are occasionally rented at from two to five
dollars per acre, but they are neither subject to titho nor poor-rate. From Is. to 2s. per acre
<rould cover educational and other charges. Connected with the question of tithes is the fact
that poor as Canada is in comparison with England, her people build churches (many Episco-
palian), and pay their own ministers ; nor can a stranger travelling through any of her country
districts fail to notice that her people have more reverence for religion and more loyalty to their
sovereign than the Inhabitants of many older countries. After a most enjoyable and instructive
visit, of which I shall lorig retain pleasing recollections, I took my leave of Canada, aind embarked
on board the Allan steamship ^arc^inian on Saturday, October 9tb. * ~'

• •. 'r ■ :. • •.-■ .. • -i , , ^ . , • . . . ■■ .

rait RETURN VOTAOB,

Our rctnrn Toyage waa all that could be desired, and, barring a delay of e|ght hours during
a fog off Belle Isle, we ran, according to log, an average of 300 miles daily, arriviilg in Liverpool
at two p.m. on Monday, October 18th. We only brought home about fifty saloon passengers,
amongst whom were Sir Hugu Allan, the principal owner of the Allan Line, and Bishop Toke of
the Keformed National Church. Another of our passengers was Miss Annie Macpherson of
Spitalfields, London, who interested me in her work among the perishing children of that great
city. During the past ten years she has rescued and trainerl several thousands of children, and
baa crossed the ocean twenty-four times. On an average 250 children have gone with her to her
Farm Home at Gait, Ontario, where they remain till, pvoper situations are found them. Many
& sorrowful story of desertion fills her heart ; orphans and others thrown upon the streets by the
inhumanity of drunken parents. She assured me that Canada had been a God-opened way for
these waifs, and that 98 out of every 100 were doing well. They are principally placed with
faimei^, who agree to kesp them, giving them board and lodging and six months' schooling each
year. They get 25 dollars for their services, with an annual increase ; so that at seventeen or
eigheea youn^ men are able to hire themselves out at good wages. Ten pounds enables Miai*
HacpheraoD to reaooe another life and give if. a 8f,art in Csnada, May God speed the work I

' • ■ ■ ■ " *-g

«"5

i ,.i

I

II?

THE REPORT OF MR. PETER IMRIE. '

0/Cawcler-Cuilt, JUarijhill, Lanark

The first remark it occurs to me to make to such aa may be thinking of emigrating to Canada iil
Jbhat the voyage across the Atlantic (at least in an Allan Line steamship) is entirely pleasant,!
In the saloon you have a high degree of luxury, in the intermediate cabm a considerable degrwl
of comfort, and in the steerage very tolerable accommodation, with plenty of good plain food. l|
made it a point to look into these matters for myself, and also conversed with the different!
classes of passengers on the subject. I

But I fancy there will be few emigrants of any class who will consider themselves at the end!
of their journey when they leave their Atlantic liner at Point Levi. There is nothing to attract!
the emigrant, or at all events the agTicultural emigratit, in the neighbourhood of Point Levi,!
I fancy many a one might do worse than take a look at the Ea^^tern Townships of the Province!
of Quebec, before proceeding further westward. These townships are easily reached by Grand!
Trunk Railway from Point Levi, vid Richmond and Sherbrooke, the last named town being!
the capital of the Townships, and situated at the junction of the railways running eastwanl!
through the new settlements of Scotstown and Lake Meganic, and < south-east to the United!
States, through the older settlements of Compton, Eaton, Stanstedd, etc., etc.

Government land in the Eastern Townships is to be had at 60 cunts per acre. It is all den«|
forest ; and in many sections the roads are few, and bad, and far between. I could not re.|
commend any emigrant from Scotland to go in for those lands. Better buy a partially improved
lot. Such may be had in any district at little more than the 60 cents per acre, plus actual cost
of improvements oflfected. Of such improvements the first is that of road making, the cost of
which is laid upon all adjoining lands iu the form of a tax. But the most important, of course,
is the cutting down and burning of the timber, or of such portion of it as may not ba worth
saving. UnleFj> in unfavourably situated localities, I believe it pays to market al! the cedar,
pine, and spruce that may be upon these lands,tand perhaps one or tWo varieties besides these;
but all the other wood (and that will be the great bulk of forest in most cases) is fit for nothing bat
the flames. If near a large town, however, such as Shorbrooke, portions of the o^erwise useleti
wood may be sold at fairly remunerative rates as fire -wood. In fact, in a very cold winter 1
understand any industrious man may make 2 dollars 3 cents per day of clear profit at this work,
and if he employ men benides himself his profits may, of course, be relatively increased. But rough
or forest land in such favoured localities cannot be purchased under 6 dollars an aero, or there-
abouts. The cost of cutting and burning the wood, so as to leave the lahd fit for ploughing, variet
somewhat according to circumstances, but I believe may be set down generally at about 15 doUan
per acre. Of course the stumps are left in the ground for several yeai's, to allow them the necea'
sary time to die and grow eaey of removal.

After the citting and burning of the wood is done with, and any large stones removed,
osnal to plough the land roughly, and to take off a crop of wheat or potatoes, or both, a'l-^'vMji
sowing down for hay or pasture, in which state it will remain until the stumps are /'^u.'^f ' :
removal. Now, as already remarked, the cost of bringing the forest land to a state of read"'
for this course of cropping may be set down at 15 dollars per acre. There are plenty of Froi. !
men and others who are clever at using the axe, and at all the other processes in forest clear uk,,
who will do the work by contract at the figure named, or even less ; and the first crop of wheat,
manured with the ashes of the burnt forest, may, I am told, be reckoned npon to yield 20 or 25
bushels per acre, notwithstanding the presence of the stumps. With a fairly good market, it in
considered that this crop alone should very nearly pay the cost of clearing, thus leaving the
farmer ^ith a piece of really good grazing land, at a piice which can never be high, and which,
I fancy, must in many cases be merely nominal. When the time comes for extracting the
stumps, say 'n six or sieven years, there will of course be a considerable outlay of capital ncoes'
eary for the parfonnance of ihat operation. Of course the amount will depend very much on the
tt^fcnre pf the sojl, anc] verynnucb also on tfce number and char^ctor of the stumps. Sixdc]!;r»

[f I -'ii'
T|')rc-,.-iTC

Peicr Tmrie's Raport.

85

ig to Canada iil
tiruly pleasant,!
idorable degree)
I plain food. 1 1
1 the different I

Ives at the end
;hing to attract

of Point Levi,,
jf the Province
;hed by Grand]
ed town t
aning eastward I

to the United!

It 13 all denae

could not re>
iiaUy improved
oltts actual cost
ing, the cost of
tant, of course,
■ not be worth

»r, the cedar,
besides these;
"or nothing but
lerwiee uselea

cold winter I
t at this work,
jed. But rough
ficro, or there-
ju^hing, variej
bout 15 doUan
lem the neces-

removed,

)th, af;.' ■^'vT.,r-,ii

are y-^a-f ' r

;e of read'-

\ty of Froiil'

'orcst clear ..g,

crop of wheat,

yield 20 or 25

market, it in

IS leaving the

;h, and whicb,

wtraoting the

capital neoc3-

y much on the

Six del! it*

^r ace ^^^ abovt the figure mentif^ned to me In more than ore qunrter, M a fn'v rjuototinn for
lhi8 description of work, but I am bound to aay I would incline to think the j'.b hard at the
nonev. Ten dollars, or two pounds per acre, would prob.a>>ly not be too much to pay to get the
jork properly carried through, and even at tliat I cannot but think the farmer would havo his
nerfectly cleared land at a price of which he could have little reason to complain.

In some parts of the Townships the forest is not the only obstacle that has to be dealt with,
hnffe boulders being also rather too plentiful. There are some stones even on the most choice
beotiona ; of that no one would complain, but I saw some other sections where these bouldcra
rare so numerous m to render the land practically worthless. Parties who think of purchasing
nd in these townshipa shoiild therefore be careful to find out before they do so that they are
[It purchasing land, and not merely atones. A good deal of inspection may be nece«»ary on
khis point, aa, where there is a rank forest growth covering up everything, a mertly cursory glance
In passing through the forest may detect no stones at all — no mr.tter how plentiful they may
ctually be — except of course the very large stones, which no a nount of vegetation will suffice to
iide. Another point worthy of being kept in mind by the intending settler is, that in the caae of
lands under cultivation, much of what is offered for sale is c( mpletely run out, Where this ia
Ihe case, I am told that it will often cost more to put the land in good heart than it does to
pring wild land into cultivation. Great care must therefore be exercised by parties purchasing,
•urchasers shou'd also be careful to employ a respectable solicitor, so as to miike sure of getting
good title bo*ore paying away any money. I heard of several cases of great hardship through
jaglect of this necessary precaution.

Speaking generally, I think I might venture to say ot the cleared land In the Eastern Town-
Lhips of Quebec Province that it is probably about equal in quality to the average run of land in
Dntario (a province which I have also visited), and I must say that I think the Townships have
iveral very material advantages over the more popular province referred to". In the first place,
d ia much cheaper in the Eastern Townships than in Ontario : I think I might venture to
fcy 30 per cent, less, for equal qualities of land and housing. For a Vome market they are
irobably about equally good ; and, for an export market, the Townships have the great advantage
if being in close proximity to several first-rate seaports. The fiat lands in the Easterr Townships
^re of really high quality. These lands are of course worth a good deal more than the cost of
earing them. In fact I believe some of them may run as high as 70 dollars per acre. But that
ould mean very fine land, and favoui-ably situated. The same land in the neighbourhood of
rlasgow would be worth £3 per acre, or thereabouts, to rent. The hilly land (which ia much
ore plentiful than the flat lam', in the sections of the Toxiiiships with which I happened to make
ost acquaintance) ia not of th.j same value by any means, being generally too light and sandv,
lai I think perhaps fully as badly affected with rocks and stones. But of course it ia relatively
;heaper. On the whole, I would incline to think that an rnduslrioiis man, with a few hundred
rands of capital, might reckon on being able to make a living in these Eastern Townships without
uch risk of ruination — certainly much less risk of that than at home. And he might also find
limself growing gradually richer, in a manner, through the increasing value of his farm. But
is-no place for any man who wants to grow rich in a hurry ; at least for the present it ia
ot 80, 1 feel very sure.
There can be little doubt that this is a healthy and good country for stock-raising — the Boil
ing mostly dry, the air clear and invigorating, and the entire country well watered. I saw
any young beasts grazing among the stumps, and thriving well. Disease is, I believe, unknown,
its more serious forms at all events. Horses also do very well. I do not know whether it ia
;he clear bracing air that favours them, but I think they are gsnerally longer winded than the
~ iving horses we have at home. Sheep also thrive well, and good aorta are frequently to be
et with.
If stock-rearing (without fattening) for the English market will pay in any part of Canada,
incline to think the Eastern Townships of the Province of Quebec may be as likely a locality
". as any I had the privileg-i of coming across. And I believe it is a trade that will pay
J. jaii'y »v.'\ 90 long at least aa the colony may retain the good fortune of being exempt from
Mont«g;in:i '.^leases.

fl I iviP. >'M-e my remarks on the Townships with the following extract from my diary, viz. ;
T|"')rc • i'roiu Scotstown to Compton, and thence to Lennoxville, a very long day's (Wving. The
il^:ia'.^vj improves all the way, and at Compton there are mary really fine farms — especially thosa
h' valley. Visited the Hillhurst farm, belonging to the Hon. Mr. Cochrane, and saw hia
irivij ' Ducness cow, now twelvo years old, and the mother cf ten calves, two of which I saw,
other eight realised 130,600 dollars, or an average of over £3000 a head. Saw also a pure
uke bull, and two others of tlie purest Bates blood. Mr. Cochrane is just starting a herd of
ure Herefords, which he thinks will be the best breed for the great North-West ; has got fifty
to begin with. Visited also the Hon. J. H. Pope's farm. The apparent comfort of the
.rmers hereabouts would seem to indicate that the clearing and subsequent faming of land in
(his quarter are not by any means discouraging occupations.

' Learned that there are always plen* of partially cleared farms for sale in the Eastern
'oi¥ij|(hip«ij owiijg to M»nitoh> fevor (wj,.r^ ^iw tjie tflRdeiscy to eipig^rate to Manitoba) a^d

I.

4

;|

■ :tl

I

it!

4

86

Mr. Peter Tmrie'i Report.

to ordfniWT doin««tlo catises, Iftrmera here thinking about an little of selling their farms m thos,
at home do of selling their crops.' " i

Coming back from tho Eustem Townships to the main line of the Grand Tmnlc Rftilway, t^g
journey onwards to Montreal. The interycning country ia still chiefly in the hanfit* of bif-ncM
Canadians, Cultiration, however, appears to improre somewhat from the moment Q'lebeo is \f.\A
until Montreal is reached. The quality of the land appean also to grow gradually bettor, and it I
is also somewhat more extensively cleared.

Travelling westward Irom Montreal, we leave the province of Quebeo and enter that o| I
Ontario. I

On arriving at Ottawa, I arranged to leave the inspection of Ontario to Messrs. S.iysr ainjl
Curtis ; Mr. Broderick and myself proceeding at once to Manitoba. On my rf;tnrn journey [
however, I spent about a week in Ontario ; and, although so short an in8p<K:ti(m is not suMicientl
to warrant any attempt at a comprehensive repfjrt, I ascertained a few facts which aei»me<l to kA
to indicate that the profits of farming in this province cannot be great. For instance, fn^m t{]|
the information I could gather from bankers and merchants, as well as from farmers theiiisi Wn I
I was led to the conclusion that comparatively ijw of the farmers lay past money. One man, wh||
has relations farming in West of Scotland, confewed that they made more out of their capital, osj
an average, than he did. Another sifu that farming in Ontario is rot over-profitable is the ub.[
deniably heavy emigration to Manitolia. Another circumstance indicating the same conclnsiojl
is the fact that the hope of the farmers of Ontario appears, by all aocuunta, to lie chiefly in thjl
raising of cattle for exportation to England — an enterprise wh'ch, I feel ^ure, cannot be rf>p!:one(jl
upon to leave any great protit to the farmer ; so that, if that is their h^^t prospect,! am unable to|
see how their general proapecta can be satisfactory.

Taking land and labour at their present prices in Ontario, a three-year-old ox cannot b«|
raised there so much ae £'3 cheaper than in England, and it coats that to transport him Irointhtl
one place to the other, and to pay expenses of marketing. Moreover, this Jt!) does not iiicliulfT
the profit of the exporter, which would require to be other £2 per head at lea«t in a buniiej||
where considerable losses are so inevitable. The Ontarian farmer would thus ap|>ear to work at|
a disadvantage of £11 per head as compared with his English competitor. Agviast this )i« liajl
(1) a lower rent to the extent of about £1 per acre in the case of fair average land : this wonHj
come to £6, or say £7, of the cost of raising a three-year-old ; in every otht-r respect the cost i
producing fodder and other feed is nearly as high as at hrmie. But (2) the Ontarian has ]t«ig
money in his beast, and thus saves interest to the extent of, say £1. This leaves the English iiiai
with £3 of an advantage, a good part of which he must write olf against risks from diKease^
whweas the Ontarian has to make no such provision.

Atp'^esent, therefore, the Ontarian can only compete with us in cattle-raising by wrrrkiniji
a smaller profit, and if he had disease to contend with he could not do it. In Hliort, but im tliii]
really precarious consideration, I venture to say that catt! --^aising <fould be a distinctly
profitable occufuttion in Ontario than in England, as thingK _ > »t present. I cannot see, then
fore, how land is to makitj^in its present value in Ontario any more than in iOngland ; anditt
deed, if they come to have cattle diseases to contend with, the fall in the value of land there wii|
be by so much the greater than with ouraelvet.

In point of fact, I swjpect that Manitoba and the Far West (to which so many of tbi
Ontarians themselves are emigrating) will drive down the value of land and of farm produce j
least «a aerioiiely in Ontario as in Great Britain, so that it is hard to see where there would I
any advantage in emigrating to that part of Canada. Of course, if the current prices of land ii
Ontario be fiu-ther reduced, without any correepjnding reduction of rents at home, then I wmil
believe in emigration to Ontario ; bnt, for the present, the Isnidowner of Ontario seems as uu
willing as the English landlord to yield to the fact that our ever-increaaing facilities of tra.n?p
have practically added the vast fertile plains of the Far West to our supply of available ^'
and cattle producing land, thus rendering that sxpply so much in excess of the demand
prices must couse down and down with every increasing facility for transport.

The only way to stop this decline would be for the Governments of Canada and the TTnita
Statea to place such a price on their xmpeopled territories as would prevent settlers tlioreoj
licm producing more cheaply tl»n the Ontarians and ourselves. So long as there is 7;o pricj
pwt HTion these vaa* and most fertile regions — so long as they continue to be offered to all mti
kindyo; nothing — so long, I say, must the value of land, both In England and elaewln^ip,, I
gevernad strictly fey the cost of production hi these new regions, plus the mere cost of traiK«]«*ti
tion to Ontario, or England, or elsewhere, an the case may bo. Now, tw these expenitee of traa
portatien texeA necessarily dewease with every b«w mile of railway wwttwai'ds, and with avea
new invetiti«n in t'.e ioeomotive powers, and as thar* ia ne probability of either Oaoada or til
Stfttea ahmrinf the preseat poKcy with respect to unsettled territorioa, it stands to reason th
tb6 value •{ land o*B«et t'al] to decline to that p«int (w'jatevw it may he) at which tho costa
pr6dwi^on in tha mtw country plvw tranwporiMioii to tkrt old, beowwsea wiaefciy eqnal to rent pioj
sjoBt ef jHftwhtot^.en m the old country. Tboro ia no ©seape £ro» th«it Iaw. Afid if we aasuB
<^«t itae wwt of jffoduction in tbe old and the aew ooustricw oiay mmtin relattvuly pretty tn"cl

Hr. Ptttr Imrufi Miitoi^t.

«7

aa thoy are At present, then the rentH here and the prices of farms in Ontario cannot possibly
riac but must alike c<JiJtiuue to fall with every fall in freightage from the Far West.

lu these ciiuuuitituucbs it is awkwaid to be tied down to a long lea.<4e in England, but it is
equally awkward to be tied down to a proprietor»hip in Ontario, and will remain so until the
Oiitaiianii rec'^^nise their proximity to the gratuitously acquirable farms of Manitoba and the
»■ til f il Nortli-Wefit, by a reduction of say 25 to 50 per cent, in the prices they put upon their laud,
en at oi ■ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ jp ^j^g^^ ^^ once, and before English laodlonla came to see the necessity for doing

soiriething similar, they ruiyht reaaonably expect a good flood of superior emigrants ; but not

[ otherwi*'!'

Aasuming that some Ontarian farmers may soon incline to part with their holdings at the

reduction I have ventured to indicate, I may now say that Ontario generally is an agreeable

place. I would thii\k tlie climate (so far as my experience and information go) preferable

I to that of Sc(jtland, or even to that of England probably. The dry clear air renders even the

[hottest day« no way oppressive.

As to the land it is very much like the land at homo, some of it very good and some of it venr

I middling. Its goodness or budnees depend;^ ako very much on the way in which it is troateoL

I go there is little use talking about the number of bushels of wheat or tons of turnip per acre.

But for fruit-growing I never saw tho like of Ontario — the peaches especiaJly. If anything

would tie me to Ontario, it would be the peaches. I believe most of the country within a few

miles of Lake Erie is suited to the production of this fruit in its greatest perfection. Apjiica

[grow to purfoction throughout the entire Province ; and I believe both they and peaches yield a

[good profit if skilfully managed.

I uliall wind up thone remarks on Ontario, with a few extracts from my diary :

Jth Avipial. — Sailed from Samia for Duhith, whence we travel by rail to Manitoba. In the

iBteanier I fell in with a Mr. Allison, who has farmed in Ontario for many years. He came

lorifiinaUy from Strathavon. With regaid to clearing land in Ontario, he, as well as another

lexiierienced Ontaria^j who was with him, iuformwl me that an average man can clear ten acres

levery winter ; a go(jd man will do an acre a week. And after burning the wood and scattering

tie a^het«, and scraping the land with a V harrow, may sow wheat, and reap about forty bu;4iel3

er acre the first year, the soil being well manured with the aslies. Part of the timber is of

Bourse reserved for fencing. The snake fence is by far the clieapeet in Canada. Quickset gets

patwi up by mice in winter, and straight fencing ia expenHive, owing to the necessity for putting

be t'oata in very deep (say three feet), so as to pre\eut them being thrown out when the thaw

eta in. Dairy stock pays pretty well : can draw about 45 dollars per C(;W, feeding on grass in

^uuiuier and hay and 8traw in winter. Few farma are wholly cleared. Gleariog is admitted on

hands to be a heavy job ; but with ordinary indudtry and perseverance, Mr. Allison finnly

nftintaiuud that a man may begin on a forest lot and make hiij way steadily to fairly comfort-

Itblu ciicumstances ; and, of course, only a very small capital is wanted to begin with ; in fact,

nany have started with nothing but an axe and a small stock of provisions.

2hik Sf])tembi'r. — Met a farmer from near Niagjura, who considers farming, on the whole,

lairTy profitJible, especially fruit-growing ; wheat on well-farmed, well-manured land yields as

[inch as thirty-five bushels per acre ; maize and artificial grasses Me the other crops in his

|ot»ti()n, with one year fallow. Iliis land, like all land near Niagara, is pretty sandy ; thinks

lit-growing pro^jiur.s best near the lakes. A farm neai' Niagara, wiJi say 10 per cent, under

iit-treci, and with good housing, is stated by the gentleman referred to, to be worth 100 dollars

er acre overhead ; but farms without any considerable orchard may bo had at 60 dollars per

ere, even if of high (juality otherwise. This gentleman considers that with careful and liberal

Hiagement, an Ontarian farm of 200 acres, of average quality, should maintain its owner, and

live him 1000 dollars |)er annum to put in the bank in lieu of rent. Of course this 1000 dollars

|epre?L'nts interest on the value of the farm, say 12,000 dollars, and the stock, say 6000 dollars,

kbich ia tqiial to about 6 per cent, on the money invested ; the farmer's own labour being

Brown in against the board and lodging of himself and family.

27 III Stjiiemher. — Went through Thompson, Flannigan and Co.'s byres at Toronto, where
k.ut 4000 bullocks ai-e fed on dititillury nlop for six months, commencing about the
pt Novenibfir. Tht- slop is forced thiough pipes from Goodcvh.am and Worts's distillery, a mile
and ia run right inti> the cattle troughs, at 17 doUioa per head for the seawm. This, v.'ith a
ttlt; hay, is the only food they get. With the facilities mentioned, four men Attend to 510
kkttle. I learned that theae cattle must eltar 65s. per cwt. in Giacgow (U loivei-pool to make the
lude pay, thouj^.h if there were few acciJehts 60s. raight not involve positive ioaa.
These are not tlie bei^t quality ef cattle exported. The bwit arc those which have boea grasi
1, and then tiniehed off with com ; it does not do to ship gratia fed beasta without thi« fiaiskiug,
1 tliey would be soft, and would lose seriously on the voyage.
I an'. UAd good tore stock is getting rather ocaixie in Canada now.

^Oth >'>*»''f.mher.-Met »ui intelligent farmer from >hiron county. He says fans haads »re

'.ting vvTj »*carce ^Oi j, wing to the emigration to J.fanitoba. This fHimer, as wtU as many

Ihi-in w?(:L whorr/ T have conversed. inHines to name CO'dollars per aore as a fair average for a

Vjd fftTiii k\ VmUtie, if witfaout an;' biieeiiil advantage, etich as prosiiait/ to a '•rge tews, To

88

Mr. Peter tmfies U^QtU

'i '■■■

buy such a farm and stock it would probably not require rery much moro capital than would bj I
required merely to rent and stock ft Bimilar farm at nome ; but neither would the return be anj 1
greater over a term of years, probably a good deal lens generally, and with no better prospects o|]
celling out to advantage. The risks of serioua or ortn-whelming losi are, however, dccidndijj
fewer in Ontario than at home ; so that farmers with l>arely Bufficlent capital to carry on theirl
busineHs, and unable on that account to stand through two or three bad seasons, such as 6roit|
Britain Is oocaaionaUy visited with, might ba able to keep out of difiSculty IM Ontario for a life,!
time, which, so far, in a compcnaation for the generally small prnfita of the calling in thiti
country. To retired merchants, half-pay officers, and other amateurs endowed with a«;rioul.[
tural instincts, and with some indoijcndcnt income, I fancy that, on that account, Ontariol
might be considered preferable to eitner England or Scotland ; especially would I venture tol
commend to such gentlemen the tract of country from Niagara westwards, along the Hhorel
of Lake Erie, where the pleasure of growing peaches and other fine fruits can be advantag»|
ously added to the more ordinary occupations of the fanner. To the practical fanner— to Uiil
man whose pleasure in the oconpation b measured itrictly by the profit— I have no hesitation ii|
saying that, as pricos of l«nd go at present, the Eastern Townships are jmeferable to Onti
for cattle raising, and that Manitoba Is Tastly preferable to both of them for grain growing,

T almost forgot to mention that no one should on any account buy land hurried^ in OntarioJ
It is particularly advisable to look at several places and make numerous inquiries before pu
chasinff, because ti\e prices of I*nd are in » transition stage there at present, so that
much Is often put upon a bad place as upon a good one, aocording as the seller may ha y^
to think moderately or sxtraTagantly of the prospects of the place, or, in other words, aco.rJl
Ing as the seller may happen to be allre or not alive to the depreciating inflnenco which
opening up of Manitoba n bound to exercise upon the value of land in Ontariq.

Perhaps the simplest way of fixing the value of land in Ontario ia the following :

1. As there is always a surplus of agricultural produce to export to England, pricei J
Ontario are naturally the same aa in England, minus tno cost of transportation thither.

2. Land is of much the same quidities, and labour much about the same expense in eiti
country, so that, apart/rom rent, the cost of production will be the same in either.

S. The Talue of an acre of land in Ontario is, therefore, just as much lesa than the i
in England as it coBta to trannpoit the produce of such land to England. Thus an acreg
well-farmed land in Ontario win produce 35 buslicls of wheat ; and to transport same
England, from, say Toronto, will, under ordinary circumstances, cost about 85s., so that the i
of the Bind ought to be 8ai. less in Ontario than in England. In the same way wo
count that a good three-year-old bullock represents a year's produce of about six
of fairish land (beaideB labour), and it will coat at least £10 to cover all expenses of send
to £^gland and paying the exporter for bis trouble ; so that for cattle raising the Onta
lanef would require to be SSs. 4d. cheaper than the English to cover that expense.*

rilMK'^

IIAKITOBA AND fHB NOBTH-WaS«,

The ijamenae territory indicated hy these titles is of the most varied qualitJes. Vast tr
Br« barren and worthless — vast tracts are extremely fertile. Again, narrowing down our viej
to any particular localitVv it will be found, juat as at home, tliat a very fine piece of land i
lie afongsids a very middling piece. Eog and dry land, especially, are varieties to be foundj
very frequent cont%uity. So alao in the same section you will often find the soil much thin
&t one place than at another. And, again, over so enormouB an expanse of tenitory, there i
neceesanly varieties of climate, which of course alao materially affect the agricultural p
perties of the kxjalitlee in which they prevaiL On the whole, therefore, it is not safe to inda
in general statements regarding this Territory. And on the other hand, it is beyond the bou
ofpracticability for us to treat of every locality particularly. We will therefore attempt to t
ofa small part only ; and, indeed for all practical purposes of emigration, it is notlnecesoarj toJ
anything more than that, as emi^mta going out now will naturally settle either amongst tbj
already out or just beyond them. We will therefore confine our remarks almost entirely to thJ
parts of the country that are already settled, and fa little way beyond. This will not carrjj
more than 250 miles west of Winnipeg.

The Red River Valley, in which Winnipeg is situated. Is covered to a depth of probably oij
two feet on an avera|^o, with the richest soil I saw in all my travels. But a very large propi
tion of it ie too wet for oulttvatfon. These boggy parts yield heavy crops of hay — rather co
lookiq^ stuff, but uvdcniaUy nutritious, and not distasteful to the beasts. It is an (yptai qua
whether tbea* wet tracta will a«lmit of he.ixg thoroughly drained, owing to the eztieuaaly Id
character of the valley. I foel pretty sure that tile dmins will not do at all events, both 1

* KMB.->It AmAi be mcattenod UMt mlf a obaII quanttty at Ui« land in Ontiuio Is rentdd : the fa
g«aaHMf MagF tMr nvn tiKdkiFib ; atoo that tb* toxw $!n li|;l>t, rbid)' exoeediuK about la. Cd. {xsr acre, I
VWt'ttit «o«t Qi living is clioaper tlittn iu SngUn4.

Mr. Peter Imrie'a Report ^ 61

(H tb«re being too little folli and boc&iia« of the ieverUy of the frcstd, which will go dMpnr than
thetilfl^ could be put, and would bo ocrt*in to dkturb th«ra sariousljr. I fane; tterofor* that ripen
drainags is the only l^lD<i praotloable, and this fa already beinf taken in hand by the Gor«nnm'*nt.
The plan of the GoTemment is to cut good-sized dilohea at rt^rht an^M to ihe 1*1 vers, and to
let Uie settlers drain their lands into these, by means of plough ftirmwi, or ahalluw onen drains.
Fortunately the soil is well sniited to this sort of draiuage, fur it has b«»««n found tud t onco a
ditch Is cut and set running, it has no tendency to till up, but rather w*i»rs gradually deeper
and wider, so that in time these Government ditchm will no dou\H bwoni «TOall river*. These
ditches will of course require to be paid for by means of ti^xutlon. If the Ui^l River Valley land
can be drained at anything like a small figure, I have no doubt it wovdd \wy to do \\ even just
now, as when dry, it is undeniably the best wheat land on tl»e Ani*rioan otinUM<>int In any
cage, it will pay to drain it some day, no matter what the cont i thouah of uuurve it would be
fool^b in the Government, or any individual proprietor, to lay vnit auv heavy expenditure on it
juit now, while there is yet abundance of neatly us good land dry »Uvi ready for the plough in
the immodiate neighbourhood.

As for the naturally dry land of the Red River Vall^Y lu Manitoba, all I can say Is that
there is nothing like it The wheat crops which it pi-oduces do ni t, it is tr«i«, sliow such an
average as would be considered great In Kngland ; liut that is not the fault of the land. I
gqpposc the farmers find that it pays t^eui better to till a big breadth badly than a small breadth
w4lL At all events that is what they seem inclined to do. But withal, the oxtent under
cultivation ia stiU insignificant in comparison with what Is lying in its natural state.

About 40 bushels to the acre is the best yield of wheat I came across, even in the Bed lUver
Valley ; and I doubt if the average this year would be much over half that, owing to the excep*
tiondily late and wot seeding-time. But with really careful management, including a littl«
' maonre and an ocoasionul fallowing, I cannot but think the average wheat-yield of dry land in
the Red River Valley should reach 60 bushels, or even more than that in the northern half of the
valley. The further Bouth you go the land loees in 8tren,<]^h and gains in dryness, until away far
Bonth, In the states of Minnoeota and Dakota, it becomes quite sandy. All Manitoba, however,
I li strong enough.

There is a large tract of generally dry land from Poplar Point to Portage la- Prairie, or, say,
I from forty miles west of Winnipeg onwards to seventy miles west of that city. I would almost
I venture to say that, take it all over, there is not a better tract of land than this, and of equal
extent, in all Manitoba. The valuo of laud in this quarter is a thing not eaay to fix. Some men
I isek as high as 15 dollars per acre, while others, with equally good land, would sell it at hall
I that, or even less. This district is already penetrated by the Canadian Pauifio Railway.

Of course there is no free-grant land now obtainablo here, so that it may not suit emigrants*

[of small means ; but, for men with £1000 or upwards of capital, I incline to think it is worthy

[ of attention. Its better situation and its higher quality render it all its price more valuable than

I the Umds of the Far West. Wood and water are also pretty eauily procurable hereabouts. As a

result of a good deal of inquiry, I believe wheat can be produced in this quarter at 28. per bushel

just now ; but, with the natural development of facilities, it may probckUy become practicable to

produce it profitably at even a lower figure, the land wants so little labour and so little manure.

1 When the new railway is ready, as it will bo very soon, it will be easy to deliver this whe*t in

England at about Is. 6d. per bushel ; so that once Manitoba gets fairly set agoing, it is hard to

see how wheat in England is to average over 3s. 6d. per bushel.

But it will take time to come to that. For the present, farmers in Manitoba have so IHtle
I capital in comparison with the extent of their lands, that only very trifling areas get put under
crop. There can be no mistake, however, as to the merits of the country for wheat-growing.
No part of the United States (so far as I have seen or heard), nor Ontario, nor Great Britain, can
I possibly compete with it, taking land at its present prices in Manitoba and in these other places
respectively ; so that, once the wheat-growing capabilities of Manitoba are extensively utilised,
the value of wheat-growing land in these other places must seriously deteriorate.

Wet land in the Red Biver Valley is not worth over 2 dollars per acre ; half that would be

I M much as it would bring if far from Winnipeg or from the new railway.

I The Mennonites have some very fine lana reserved for them. The term of reswvation, how<

ever, has nearly expired now ; and as a large portion baa not yet been settled bv these peoj^e, the

I same will be thrown open for general settlement. Of that I was assared vij the authorities.

! Assuming that this will be done, I would incline to recommend emigrants to have an eye to

' these Mennonite lands. I drove through one of the settlements — the one to the west and north-

I west of Emerson — and am gafe to say it is well worthy of attention. The soil is barely so strong

as that from Poplar Point to Portage la Praii le, but it is strong enonf h, and very evenly ana

satisfactorily dry. The proximity of the Mennonites is also an advautag& as it ensures an

abundant supply of labour. I believe these Mennonites are peaoeitble enoc^ people ; but it ia

absurd to compare them, as has often been done, to the members of the Society of friends.

^ This Mennonite land is within comparatively easy access of BraenMn rnUwyr station, so

I that, on the whole, I think farmers with means might advantageously invest in it, ff the Govern-

I meat be prepared to sell at a reasonable rate — say 5 dollars per acre j and I scarcely expect, from

r

ii

li

^

I

ml

Ik;!

"""')'■ TMi\\

M 3/r. Pekr Imri^$ Iiq:ori

anytMiwr T Vnow, that ihtfr •▼ill mV more. At tliat price, «n en^rpcttc tnun of fair Tn#flTn-M»j
lS2']>er mmrt — wotild Imj nble tf> clear oif th« ciwt of Win lautl the very (irst j«»r, so th.-.t. he wmilj
«ver »ft«rw»rdH be aa well oil »s If he liad taken up froegrant land, and he would, of ooiir.^e, havfl
Ids intinwliate market, and otlierwim a<lvantagoou8 bituation, aJl to tho good. Kmieraiitx wit))
mwuis iMioMld certainly keep these circnmHtaiicea in view. If they go away l''ar West, where thcrt
!• no rattway, nor market for produce, they mti.^t ait atill till giich arrive. If, on the oth -r hand,
they ajM^nd 6 to 10 dollars an acre in the purchase of tirst-chiuH land immediatirly a<^t^Hi:ililK tut
Market wr (• a railway, they may clear off all the purchaHu-nioniiy thu wliile the Hetller on th«
free-grant lands further west is ';Taiting lor tho railwuy to arrive, before be can begin oporutioui
«t all flxtMUiivaly.

Throughout the Red RiTer Valley (and it is larger than all Scotland) there are many trvti
Qt fine land betldea the two I have referred to. And tiien there are also many eections, wliich
fure partly dry and partly wet; but for thr: present these need not bo particularly «:ferrt>il to,
except to say that anyone whose fancy lies towards a place of that kind, would re<|uirt: to be
careful where be planted bia bouse, ao as to ensure for himself a dry road to the outer world at
allieaaona.

1 do not know that I need explain that a vafit extent of tho Red River Valley Is In th^hwdj
of Hpeoulators, who bought it up from the Ilalf-breedH. The^e liitlf-breeds had 1,400,000 ocrej
allotted to thorn by Grovernment, a great dftal of which has got into the hands of various speca-
latort in Winnipeg and elsewhere. In many such cxtun a botlle of whisky wna suffioit nt t<> bo;
a farm. Then i^^n, all the land, for two to four miles back, along the banks of the Ivcd Rivet
and the Assiniboine, was originally allotted in strips to the dit^churged servants of the iluii-on's
Bay Companj, who still hold them to a considernble extent, bat are montly willing to nell at
reasonable rates. If I were baying a farm in Maidtoba, I would think it an important advaiita»e
to have one or more of these river strips in addition to any other land I might havn, t^o x^ to
esaure a supply of wood, which, for the present at least, growH hardly anywhere in M unilobar
•xaept along tho ba^ks of these large rivers. The \mliniited supply of water is also an advantage,
though there are few places in which water may not be bivd by means of wells.

It is well enough known that the river water is not very good, and that the v :11 wat^r eTen
Ib not all good ; in fact, much of it is very middling, and plenty of it very bad There Keoiua
little reason to doubt, however, that good water will l)e found in ample ([uantitir : in all lixialities
by means of dleci^er wells than can be conveniently stmk by settlers generally j' .it now.

In eonclodiug my remarks on the soil of this most splendid valley, 1 have to say that, fnrtb
present at least, it is disa'^Teeable in wet weather. The mud is Ho;nething <|nite incompHralilr, in
point of stickiness, and the rain brings forth small frogs in millions. The settlers make suup
from the hind-legs of thesie creatures, and declare it to be very tine. I never tanted it.
* There is not such a thing as a hard road in the country, so that the Vfind is a thing that can-
not be (wcaped, if one goes out of doors at all iu wet weather. liJven the streets of Winnipeg ate
■till innocent of all hard material, except the footpaths, so that^ after a clay'a rain, the horseK are
up beyond their knees and the carta to their axles. Things, however, will no dou^jt gradiiall;
grow right in all these respects ; for it is really inconooivable that a country so extremely ca|iiil>le
of furninhing forth the necesaariee of life, should remain for ever disagreeable in any respect that
admits of bein^ mended by the inhabitants. Of course it will take time to bring alKHit tlj«tie
imptoTements, but probably not a long time.* There are abundant supplies of gravel and rend-
metal now obtainable for Winnipeg by meaps of the railway. In the country districts, however,
metal roads may remain scarce for many a dav ; and, in fact, with the exception of two or three
months in the year, they are not wanted ; for in the dry weather the land itself makm aii
exceptionally goed road, fit to stand any amount of trai£o ; and then, in the winter montbij, the
iKbole country is aa hard as iron,

i»nother momentary drawback to Manitoba is the presence of so many blackbirds ; there are
igaillions of them. Unless something is done to keep them down, they will practically diininish

ae yield of wheat to a serious extent. However, as they are good for eating, I have no doubt
ey will be kept duly down by-and-by. The mosquitoes ai-e also a little troublesome, but not
wry.

Of all the drawTba«lf9 to Manitoba, however, the most tuaterial one, and ia my humble
opinion the only one worth calling a drawback, is an cccasional plague of locusts, or some such
insects, which eat up every green thing. I believe that, on an average of years, their ravages
dp not amount to anything insufferable ; but if (hey were to happen to come for two or three
years in close succession, they might leave very little food lor man or bea.st. Judging from
past experience, however, the chances of so calamitous a visitation are not great. During the

S resent century they have appeared in devastating numbers only three or four times, and that
t long inter als. So, if they be no worse in the future than they have been in the past, no one
Qeed shun the country on their account.

The long winter is also a thing to be considered. The country 5a as hard ant iron for five
months, and the temperature much lower than we know anything at all about in Scotland. It

* NoTB. — Manitoba is now being divided into municipal districts ; and one of the first duties of those ocs-
porations will be in regard to roaUs la tUe Province.

lodflfld, tl
British I
prevent 1
wind whi
itui with
frozen to
oare must
ihape of 1
Of coi

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Hiarln't o:

SiM-aL
lideratioi
tlwa^B u
them aM
gruatly 11
that thei
bujipen U
of tho m(
with whi
of course
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other vet
be a gooi
th« whua
they ript
be found
variety 1
Tated.
and nod

The
are not ]
Into the
United

th.-.t he W(Milj
)f ooiir.^e, hav,

It, where th^tt
leoih.Thand,

Hotllt-r on the
gin oporutioiu

wjiny trwti
ictiorm, which
•ly «;ff!rr.>(l to,
re<|uiri! to be
outer world it

In th<» hr\n(l)
400,00(1 flcrei

various upecn.
luit nt to buy
he lied River
the ilmJ'on'a

iilinjti: to Hell at

;aiit ndvanur^e
h»VH, mi) a.^ to
in Miwiiioba^

an advantage,

:U w»ter eten

Thert; nfti^nij

in all l(x:alitie8

now.

^y that, forth".
icoinjmralilr, in
lers make soup
adit.

ihing th»tc»n.
• Winnipeg are

the borMex are
)uJjt gi-»(iiiAliy
remely eapHlile
ly respect that
ig alxHit tljiwe
•Avel and roitd.
;rict«, however,
>f two or three
;elf maken an
er muntbij, the

rdfl ; there aw I
ically diminish I
have no <ii)iibtl
eaome, but not I

J) my hnmblel
, or some such I
, their ravages I
r two or three!
Judying from I
;. louring the I
imes, and that!
le past, no one I

M iron tor five
Scotland. It I

l:4ei ol tUose ocr-

Mr. Ptkt Itnrie's Rtpi^l

91

i

li wA tttbflMrftble, however. People who have lived through it for jearn look %ulte well ; aad,
Indeed, they declare it to be by no means ao diNagreeablo au the raw wet wintry weather of the
British lelandi*. It is seldom that one catches cold out there. The dry clear air seoms to
prevent that, in wet and oold weather alike. I myHelf have slept in damp clothes, with the
wind whixlllng through the tent about my ears, and still awoke in tlie morning fr(>sh and well,
jnd without a vestige of cold. If you expose yourself thoughtlessly in winter, yon uwy got
frozen to death ; but you won't catch cold. The climate is, in fact, undeniably hcia^itiy ; but
oare muttt be taken in winter not to go far from the bouse without ample precautions, in tbtt
lliape of buffalo robes or other warm clothing.

Of courxe nothing can be done on the land during thene winter months ; but still a good deal
of einployux-nt iiiny be found in [lutting up housing, hauling wood, threshing and taking grain to
market or railway Mtation, attending to catlle, etc.

SlM-akiuK of (uittle, I may say that I doubt if they will ever be other than a aeoondary con-
{{deration in the Ked Kiver Valley. The long vv inter, and the necessity for house feedbig, will
always uiuke it dt;ar to raise them there, in compan^jon, at all events, with the cost of raising
them away in the Far West, near the base of the Ilocky Mountains, w here the winters are
greatly milder, and the cattle never require to be hoased at all. At the same time it is the fact
that there w a deeided scarcity of cattle in the country at present ; and so long as that may
bii|i|)en to nontiuue, the rearing of them cannot fail to be profitable. Looking beyond the accidents
of the moment, however, wheat is the thiiig that is to uiaKe the country rich. That is the product
with which it can defy the competition of the rest of the world. That and potatoes ; but they,
of course, are not so well suited for export. I never saw such a country for potatoes — ten tons
to the acre — with no manure, and no cultivation worthy of the name Turnip«i, carrots, and
other vegetables also very strong. I saw no beans growing, but I cannot help thinking it might
be a good country for them, and that they would be a good crop to alternate occasionally with
th« wheat. Oats grow healthy and strong, and heavy to the acre, but not heavy to the bushel ;
they ripen too faat, 6y-and-by it is very likely that a variety butter suited to the climate may
be found. 8u also with wheat ; it would be a great thing for the country if they could find a
variety that would stand through the winter : at present, spring wheat is the only sort culti«
vated. It would divide the work much better if the wheat sowing could be got over in autumn,
aad no doubt it would help to lead to heavier crops as well.

The kbour question is one that has not yet presented any difficulty. Labourers, it Is true,
are not plentiful, but the demand for them is not great either. Were capital poured at all freely
into tht> country. I have little doubt labourers would also turn up. From away far south, in the
United States, large numktera of men set out annually to reap the harvest northwards, and north*
wards through Dakota. They will no doubt go over the border into Miinitoba, as soon tta they
are wanted. Then there are Mennonites, and Indians, and Half-breed^s who, though .laey, are
fond of dollars, and will doubtless grow gradually willing to do a good deal to get them. For a
long time there will also be a stream of fresh immigrants annually, many of whom will prolutbly
incline to hire themselves out for a season before settling down.

We shidl now proceed to the North- Wesit Territory, where those emigrants must go who wiAt
to take up the free grant lauds. Before leaving the Eed Kiver Valley, however, I would like to
•ay that if, by the time this report gets publidhed, it should happen lihat the unsettled Mennoriite
lauds, already "eferred to, are offered by the Government as free grants, ratht^r than for sale, it
would, I think, be more immediately profitable to settle on them, rather than go further west.
The point will no doubt be decided shortly, so that anyone going out next season will easily
obtain the information from any of the emigration agents.

Leaviug the lied lUver Valley about 25 miles to the west of Portat^e la Prairie, or 90 milea
to the west of Winnipeg, we pass through a section of 'rising sandy l.ind, which would incline one to
think that the Bed River Valley may at one time have been a great lake, and this its margin.
The character of the country ir. now very different from what we have been aqpastomed to since
we entered the Red River Valley, at Glyndon, in Minnesota. From then till now, all the land we
have seen has been as flat as a table, and in many places hot a tree nor a hut to be seen — nothing
but grass, as far as the eye could reach. We felt the monotony of the scene somewhat oppressive
at first, but soon got used to it. Now, nowever, that we have got out of the Red River Valley,
we are away from all that ; and on these sandy ridges we feel as if we were at home, except lot
the scarcity of houses and of population. This sort of land extends from the Red liiver Valley
to the Big Plain, a distance of perhaps 15 miles. There are odd bits of very good Itod amongst
these ridges — sandier than in the Red River Valley, and will not st^d such heavy cropping, but
atill very good, deep, black land. I stayed overnight with a gentleman who had purchased 480
acres of it, at about two dollars per acre, with abundance of wood and water of best quality.
He has also the advantage of b^'sing surrounded by that sandy laud, Which is Hot likely to get
settled up for many a day, and ao he may have the use of it gratis.

The Big Plain, which we enter after half a day's journey over the mixed stretch jn^rafeired
to, is ahnoet as moaotonous as the Red River Valley. No trees and no streams, bvtt-^tt^p^jM^
of good water in wells. There are a good many settlers on the plain, and room for a good mtfh;^
IDore. The laud is oice dry reliable looking stuff, but just a txifle too eaady. ^e lr4<IPk soil^;

\

\

%

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

A

///// •> "^Sm

1.0

I.I

1.25

k: ■£ III 2.2
Z US 112.0

1.8

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Photographic

Sdences

Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80

(716) 871-4S03

(P

O

y

93

Mr, Peter tmrUft B^ort.

*i-.,.,..

J? '•'■,»'

I '

■t-.r

however, is doop, probably 13 inches on an average, and the crops are healthy and of fait
weight ; wheat perhaps 20 to 25 bushels per acre. Grass does not grow strong here ; tha
soil is too dry and sandy for it. This plain will be, I think, about a thousand square miles ia
extent I did not see much wet land on it — certainly not more than enough for hay. Oq
the whole it is a moderately good place to settle. But, of coursei its qualities will not last so
long aa where the land is heavier.

i^ter leaving the Bi^ Plain, we pass through a r^on cf ponds -and bruskwood for
20 miles, with very few settlers ; this brings us close to Minnedosa, on the Little Saa*
katcbewan, and then we find a few settlers. All this broken pondy land is of decidedly
superior quality, and it is said that many of the pools admit of easy drainage. That, how-
ever, is an expense to which no one will think of gomg for the present. For grrazing it is fine ai
it is, and there is an unlimited supply of hay ; so, any one who is determined to try stock farming,
with quite a limited •xtcnt of ploughing, might do very well here. These ponds are alive with
ducks. Minnedosa is called a city, but it is quite a small place. There are several good storeg
in it, saw-mill, grist-mill, smithy, stopping-houses, etc. The Little Saskatchewan is a consider-
able river of good water, and plenty of timber on its banks higher up. For 10 miles west of
Minnedosa the land continues bushy and pondy. For the next 20 miles there is r3lling prairie,
mostly of pretty good quality, with swampy bits every here and there, only stutaLle for hay.
In all this strrtch of 20 miles we found no good water, and almost no trees, and very few
settlers. I would have a suspicion that this stretch is afflicted with the presence of too muoh
alkali The taste of the water and the appearance of the grass both indicate something of
that kind. The next few miles are too low lying and wet for ploughing ; and then Shoal Lake
(a mounted police station) is reached, 40 miles from Minnedosa.

Shoal LiJce is clear fine water, with a gravelly boach — a pretty place with a most comfortable
stoi^ing-hoQse. All the land to the north-east of Shoal Lake, towards Riding Mountain, is
pretty ^^ settled, oluefly by Scotch. But towards the south there are few settlers, though the
umd is good, and the water good, but timber somewhat scarce, while to the north it is abundant.
This quarter is worthy of some attention. It has been neglected owing to a place of superior
attractions having been discovered further west. But many of the ben sections of the latter
have now been taken up, so that the large district down the Oak River, to the south of Sho^
Lake, may now afford as good free-grant land as may be found, unless by going still further west
than the superior district above referred to. The soil hereabouts is 12 to 18 inches deep, resting
on a good svbaoil of medium stiffness, not too sandy. A blacksmith is much wanted at ShoiJ
Lake. A joiner also might, probably do welL Of course they would take up free-grant land.

Trom Shoal Lake weBiwards to the village of Birtle, on Bird Tail Creek, 20 miles, the l&nd
continues generally good, and some <>f it everything that one could wish. It is not yet exten-
•ivelv settled ; but many of the very best lots are taken up. There is a good deal of first-clasB
hay laud hereabouts, the marshes, being lar^e, and not too wet. Most of them admit of easy
drainage into the creeks, which mostly run m deep gorges out in this quarter. In this tract of
20 miles, between Shoal Lake and Bird Tail Creek, there is still an abundxince of free-grant land
of g«od quality open for 8eti.lement. The land office for it is at Birtle, and the gentlemen in
chfurge are very capable and obliging. The country is diversified somewhat, and pleasant to look
at ; and the soil almost all of sati if aotoiy str«;ngth and depth. Altogether it is a decidedly good
locality. When I was there the land was not all surveyed, and immigrants then arriving wen
in some difficulty where to squat, as, if they happened to settle on land that was not free-grant
land, thOT might subsequently be compelled either to remove or pay a psice for it. Next season
there will be no difficulty of wat kind in this quarter at least.

Of course it is to be remembered that this place is over 200 miles from Winnipeg, and that
until the Canadian Pacific Railway is extended this length, there will be no reliable market for
produce. Incoming settlers may want a little, and in some seasons Government may possibly
want to buy a good deal to feed the Indians ; but neither of these markets can be considered
sufficient. Of cdwrse, even without the railway, no totUer is in danger of starving in such a
fertile country ; but if once the railway were there, I cannot but think that the settlers might
Boon find themselves getting into resJly comfortable oiroumstaucea. Hie workmen engaged in i
making the railway will want a lot of farm produce.

In travelling nom Birtle to Fort Ellice, I went a round-about way, by the east side of Bird
Tail Ore^ and through an Indian reserve. On this rente I passed over some of the very finest j
land imaHbabk— within an aco of being as strong aa the Red River land, with natural grass that j
could Botoe surpassed, abundance of fine water and wcod, and a sufficiently diversified landscape,
I cannot conceive any immigrant to this quarter ever regretting bis choice of a home. Here the
great River AMdaiboine flows yexj tortuously through an immense gorge about half a mil6 wide
and 20U to 800 feei down below the level of the surrounding prairie. For two or three .miles back I
from the river, on eitiiar bank, the land it. qiute too light and sandy, but after that it is mostly good.
JounMflng nwrtSiwrnrds frcan Fori BUice to Shell River, we pass over, first, two or three milei
of Ugkt land—for th* aext tea miles the land is stronger, soil two feet deep, with a nice moderately <
■tiMg ssWail— all fit for jolomgluag, exoept a few large hay marshes^ which could be very easily
dndBMl, bvt thqr are pim Mf mere uaefal as they are. Beyond this the land grows stiU |

and of fair
g here ; th«
lare miloi in
or hay. On
". not last BO

usfewood for
Little Sag.

of decidedly
That, how.
ig it is fine ai
took farming,
ire alive with
al good Etoreg
is a consider-
miles west of
■ailing prairie,
iabie for hay.
and very few

of too xuuoh
something of
Shoal I^e

at C(Hnfortable

Mountain, ig

rs, though the

it is abundant.

«e of superior

of the latter

louth of Shoal

11 further west

» deep, resting

ranted at Shoal

e-grant land.

miles, the land

not yet exten-

eal oi first-class

admit of easy

In this tract of

free-grant land

e gentlemen in

pleasant to look

decidedly good

1 arriving were

I not free-grant

, Next season

nipeg, and that
able market for
at may possibly
I be considered
ving in such a
) settlers might
men engaged in

lOst side of Bird
f the very finest
ktural grass that
sified landscape,
ome. Here the
lalf a mU(> wide
ihree miles back
t is mostly good.
> o; three cailei
nice moderately
d be very easily
and grovra still

Mr. Peter Imrie^t Heport

98

stronger as we get north towards Shell Biver, 'juc b a good deal more broken, more ponds, more
wood, more buw.. As a rule, in this North-West Territory, it has seemed to me that the strongest
lands are almost all encumbered a good deal with ponds and brushwood ; which indeed is only
natural, as tho lighter, sandier land, will neither hold water nor grow rubbish (or anything else)
go well as the stronger soils. Consequently anyone who is bent upon having the very best class
of soil must, as a rule, make up his mind to some extra preliminary labour at clearing and
draining before he can have the wholeoi his land ready for the plough. On aU sections, however,
there is a large proportion of immediately ploughable land. Very little of the large tract
bounded on the west and south by the Assiuiboine, on the north-west by Shell River, and on
the east by Bird Tail Creek, is yet occupied, except along the banks of Bird-Tail Creek, and
about thirty families at Shell Biver settlement. All of the settler^i in these parts to whom I
spoke appeare'1 to be really cheerful and satisfied ; and I incline to think they well may. As
good a farm can be got hure as to the east of Bird Tail Creek, to which I have already referred ;
and a better one may be hod in either of these localities than at any point for many miles
further west, beyond the Assiniboine. In fact, once this Shell River district and all coat of
it gets taken up, it is not unlikely that immigrants to the North-West may pass over m«re than
100 miles of poor or middling country so as to get to the neighbourhood of the Touchwood Hills,
where the best class of land is said to be quite plentiful. Away up here in the North-West
there is one considerable drawback, as compared with the tied Kiver Valley, and that is that
the seasons for seeding and reaping are shorter by several days — perhaps even a week or ten
days sometimes. Settlers up here would therefore probably do well not to go in too exclusively
for cropping. A finer district for dairy-farming could hardly be imagined.

2dlh August, — Drove from Fort Ellice with Mr. McDonald, Hudson's Bay Company's factor,
ten miles north-east, to see Mr. Dawson from Lincolnshire, who settled here last year ; passed
over a large tract of most desirable land. Mr. Dawson is on the west bank of Snake Creek, and
has good crops and a spl'mdid farm. He has just purchased eight or nine very fine Galloway
cattle. Mr. McDonald (who knows all this country well) informs me th;it away to the south of
Fort Ellice the laud is good, but destitute of timber, except along the river bank. Mr. McDonald
thinks highly of the laud away westwards by the Qu'appelle, and in the Touchwood Hill district,
although for the first eighteen mileo west of the Assiniboine it is not good. This is also the
report of Mr. McLean, tlie Hudson's Bay factor from Fort Qu'appelle, whom I had the pleasure
of meeting at Fort Ellice. Mr. McDonald also inforius me that to the north-north-west of Shell
Biver the country generally is only suitable for cattle, being a good deal broken, and the seasons/
rather uncertain. The wood region does, not begin tUl north of Fort Pelly, which is 120 miles
north of Fort Ellice. Mr. Marcus Smith, of the Canadian Pacific Railway Survey, called at
Fort Ellice to-day. He has been up and down the country surveying iSt nine years, and gave
much valuable and reliable information, which is interwoven here and there throughout this
report. We now turn homewards, with a feeling that we shall look in, vain for any finer farms
than are to bo found on the best sections of the Bird Tail Creek and Shell River districts ; and
as there is comparatively little of it yet taken up, I have no doubt all immigrants for the next
year or two may find lots to their mind.

Driving south-east from Fort Ellice, along the north bank of the Assiniboine, we find the
first sixty miles to be rolling treeless prairie — much of the soil rather too light, but still here and
there a piece satisfactorily strong : very few settlers on all this. On one of the Indian reserves
I saw some really good crops, and most creditably managed ; in fact, I did not see any more
tidy farming in Canada. I am sorry to say, however, that the Indians are not so industrious
throughout the entire country as they seem to be on this reserve. The land composing the
reserve referred to is pretty sandy, and of course easier to manage than the stronger soils ; in that
respect it is well suited for beginners, like the Indians ; and I would almost venture to suggest
to the Dominion Government the propriety of seeing that aU the Indian reserves should in*
composed of land of that class. On other reserves, where the land was immensely stronger, but
of course less easy to manage, I found a much less satisfactory result At the mouth of the Oak
River there is one of these reserves, on low-lying alluvial soil of a quality equal to the Rod River
Valley; but not nearly so suitable for Indian farming as the lighter lands on the plains.
From that onwards towards Rapid City the treeless prairie continues for twelve or fourteen
rnUos — soil still rather sandy generally — black, say fifteen inches, with rather a sandy loam for
subsoil. None of the grass on this light land is heavy ; but it is nice grass, and, in the course of
time, this may come to be a fine sheep counti'y. Water seldom seen, but said to be easily pro-
curable by means of wells. Saw one settler (an Ontarian), who said he rather preferred this
light sharp land to the stronger soils further north, owing to the shortness of the seasons for
■owing and reaping. In this he is so far right, though, on the whole, I' would rather have the
stronger land, and not crop more than I could easily overtake in even the shortest of seasons,
devoting the rest of the land to dairy or stock farming, as already indicated. On ncariiig Rapid
City the boU gets stroLger, and also (as a consequence, I suppose) more broken by ponda and
scrub. AU the good bits of the. Little Saskatchewan district near Rapid City appear to be
taken up. Rapid City is growing quickly. It is a nicely situated place— not too flat, like
Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie. Plasterers here are getting 14s. per day, and carpenters 9a.

i

I

■ill

m

ill

94

Mr. Peter Jmrie't Hepoft.

An a^ioultttral college b being Mtablished in the immediate vicinity of Rapid Olty, BimOiu
to that at Guelph, in Ontario, whence several profeasora are coming. The Guelph one is aelf.
supporting, I am told, throngh student-labour, and this one is expected to prove so too. It
puaaesses 1000 acres of land. I thought I saw a deal of public spirit and enterprise tibout Hapid
City. Good land, within two or three miles of Rapid City, sella at 10 to 20 dollars per acre^
further out, about 3 to 6 dollMTS. Away to the aouth of Rapid City, on the Big Plain, there i|
a good dekl 61 really fine land. Orops look well ; a patch of alkali here and there ; wood and
wateV both scarce, though it ia not doubted the latter may be had anywhere by means of welU.

As we pass on to the south-east we find a good many somewhat gravelly places, with Borah
atony, also a few pond-holes all dried up ait present, and yielding heavy crops of liay. The
natural graaa on thia pikin generally ia not so light as it is on more elevated plains of equd
quality of soil. There is atill plenty oi free-grant land available on thia plain, and, though it is
not all first>rate, there are many first-rate Sectiona to be had for the looking for. But it ia about
aa utterly ahelterless is any part of the Red River Valley. Withal, if wood for building and fuel
were only a little easier to get, I have no doubt the proximity of Rtlpid City and the navigable
waters of the Assiniboine, and also its oNvn considerable agricultural merita, would soon lead
to this 'pllain being all taken lip. The Assiniboine banka here are low — no great gorge as at
Port Ellice — and the land adjoining them ia of superior quality. The ferryman at Rapidg
Crossing has good crops of yrhemt, oats, and potatoes. The wheat looks like 30 bushels to the
acre, but the blackbirds wiU soon make it leaa.. At five inUea aouth of the Assiniboine we find
black sandy loam 18 inches, with pretty stiff subddil ; also numerous patches of gravel ; good
water supply ; Wood at Brandon Hills, three iniha off. The land generally improves as We get
neairer theae failla. A good many aettlers in this part, but plenty of good land atill un >ccupitidc
The land here ia rather stronger than it ia on the open, treeless prairies we have Ijeen passing
over, Wt not so strong as in the broken pondy district of the Little Saskatchewan, or in the
dfs^cts of Bird Tail Creek and Shell River. On the whole, this Brandon Hill quarter ia »
decidedly desirable one ; but, of course, all the beet free-grant sections in it have been taken up,
I am assured, however, that pretty good ones are still to be had in the neighbourhood, and ol
course there are plenty of unoccupied railway aectiona of the best miality for sale; and ''le
price will probably not be high, though at present £t is not possible, I believe, to speak witii
certainty oh th&t point.*

We n6w pass through the Grand Valley, Where there is much fine land pretty well taken up^
atnd a good deial of rather gravelly land not thtich taken up. Oh arriving at the Souria Land
Office, we learned froitv the agent that iihmigrauts to Itia district next season will be advised t6
go twe'nty-milea aouthwards to the Souris Plain, and weEitwards into the Plum Creek neighbour-
hood, where he aays thei'e ia good timber and better Umd than any previously aurveyed in thil
part of the country. I am sorry to say thalt, owing to ah accident to one of the horses, it vrik
ihipodsitile for me to go west to see this Plom Creek district ; but I incline to believe the report
of 'the Jand agent respecting it may possibly be correct, as I heard from another reliable gentle*
man, whi<^ at Fort Ellice, that the land about Oak Lake (out of which Pltim Creek flows into
the SouriiO is of high quaUty. I would be doubtful, however, if any of it ia as strong os good u
the best lands in the region of the Bird Tail knd the Shell River.

We «tkyed over the night at Milford, a rising town of two atore's, a smithy, a saw-mill, and
the project of a grist-mifi next year. Called neXt day dn Messrs'. Callander and Reid, fi ve inil^
lidtit!h~<idfit of Milford, oh the banks of Oak Cre^ : fine water, plenty of timber, beiiutiful siiuk-
iiion, and a decidedly good farm. If the land agent's paradise at Plum Creek is as good aa thifl,
I can recommend it. But there is ho first-class free-grant land just hereabouts now — none til
we gbt up to kboiit l^tig's Valley, Where the Souris, coming from the West, bends northwards.
Frohi Callander and Reid'a towards Lahg'a Valley the Itod for the 'fii'st aeveii or eight milM
is pretty good prairie, then a large tract of somewhat hilly land, say five iuilos ndrth and South,
by fifteen east and west. In this hilly quarter there are several fine lakes, and plenty of good
grazing and hay land ; also some timber and evidently some heavy game. I saw a bekr, and
plenty of foxes, also a few deer. A finer country than thia for himting in could hardly be
imagined. In this clesir, exhilarating atmosphere good horses can lutrdly be tired oiA,
Lang's Valley, at tlie bend of the Souris, is quite a dip down from the level of the surrounding
prairie ; it is not an extensive tradt There is a ni< e little stream of water ruttnihg throtug^h ii
the liust w« shall see for a good while. Most of the land in the imlley is good hay li^d ; borne <x
it dry enough to plough. Mr. Lang piaises the land away west by JPluOi Oi'eek.

Leaving Lang's Valley we enter on a vast expanse of slightly rolling prairie, which extend
sputWards for twenty miles or so tX> th6 Turtle Mountains, and westwards hundreds of ^Oes.
On ihe borders of thu plain, adjoining Lahg'a Valley, there is some timber, and the only settlitt
On it told me he found eood water by digging an eight-foot welL A large tract of the land just
here Is worthy of specialattention. Where the well above referred to was sunk the black soil ia tw6
feet deep, with layera of clay and sand underneath. The black soil is a sahdy loluu of mtdiuitt

* Note.— The maximum prir« of the nUwaj lauds along the route of the Oanadiaa Paclflt Bailway is I
dols.(«l)j>«rftcr«.

PeUit Imrie*$ HeporL

95

'

slflt Rallirfty la I

atrength— really usefol land, and will be easy to work. No drainage will be necessary here-
abonta, nor any clearing away of bnqh. There are a few hay marshes, but not more than will be
wanted ; and every other acre Is immediately fit for ploughing. Along the banks of the Souris
there is sufficient timber for immediately adjoining settlers ; and when it runs down there will,
I belicTe, always be i^ practicability of getting boards at the Milford saw-mili. On the whole,
I think I might venture to specially recommend this quarter to the attention of any un-
migrants' who feel as if they might be disheartened by the p6ndfl and brushwood of t|he stronger
Unds up about the Shell rliver.

But let it not be supposed that all this vast Souris plain Is equally good. I spent several
days on it, taking a very ilgsag coursei and t do not know that t found any of it better than
the piece, of about a township in extent (say thirty-six square miles) in the vicinity of Lang's
VkUey, already referred to. Beyond that, westwards for about fifteen miles, there is a good deal
of the land gravelly, with very thin soil ; and also a good deal of it stony. But, interspersed
therewith, one also eomes across many a good bit ; and of course anyone going in during the
next year or two will have no difficulty in securing such, as tiiere is only one settler, or two at
most, there yet. I travelled for days over this plain without encountering a human being, or
■eeing any trace of one — a boundless grass park, with nothing on it now but a stray fox, or deer,
or skunk, and a few buffalo bones. There are no bufiUo hereabouts now ; at one time there
were hundreds of thousands.

Travelling further west we find no change in the character of the country j but, on taming
southwards, away from the neighbourhood of the Sonne, we begin to cross more frequent patches
of fine land!. The prairie gets to be more rolling, and the hay marshes more numerous, and
some of them very large. On the whole, however, I am doubtful if this vast Souris Plain
contains more than thirty or forty per cent, of first-class ploughable land. But in saying that,
I ought to explain that I am speaking with the fastidiousness of a Manitoban, and so condemn
idl land that requires money to be expended on it to make it ploughable and fertile — a doctrine
which is quite correct in a country where there is so much faultless land to be had for nothing,
OT thereabouts. We now steer direct for the Turtle Mountains, which necessitates our crossing
a terrible marsh, whose area cannot be mnch under 40 snuare miles. I would rather go a good
bit round about than cross that marsh again. In the middle of it is White Lake, where there
are innumerable ducks ; we also saw large flocks of wild ge ^ae ; and, out on the Souris Plain, there
aie more prairie fowl than we encountered in any other quarter — altogether an extraordinary
locality for wild fowL The Turtle Mountains lie along the border of the United States ; and,
for 5 or 6 miles north of them, there extend tracts of really good land, on which there are a
good many settlers, but still plenty of room. Emigrants who think of settling here should leave
the train at Emerson. In many respects this is a particularly desirable locality. There is abun-
dance of timber on the Turtle Mountains, and numerous streams of splendid water flow from these
mountains northwards. The soil is of various qualities, but, for the next year or two at least, all
Immigrants may easUy obtain a good bit. It is very much like the Souris Plain soil — perhaps a
dtade stronger — black sandy loam, 12 to 18 inches, or perhaps 2 feet in some places ; subsoil pretty
stiff, but not more so than they like it out hereabouts. There is also plenty of lime in the dis-
trict. There is but little scrub, and, on the whole, not toe much mamh or hay-land, some parts
too stony, but no immigrant need settle on these for the present. I am told there are now 150
settlers in the district, but there is still room for thousands. The Land Office is at White Lake.
The greatest drawback to this district is that there is no immediate prospect of a railway ;
but, for my part, I cannot see how so fine a tract of conntry is to remain either unsettled or un-
railwayed for any great length of time. In any case, so large a district cannot fail to furnish a
moderate market from incoming settlers for a year or two. Altogether, with its abund,\nt wood
and water, this is a comfortable-looking spot to pitch upon, and ihete is plenty of room. Emi-
grants coming out in the wet season, however, should not look near it, as the streams which flow
across the trail are then big, and there are no bridges, and to ford them is an enterprise to which
I will never recommend any honest man. In point of fact, there can be little sweet travelling
anywhere in Slanitobk during the wet season. From Turtle Mountains eastward, to Badger
Creek, the land continues to be pretty much as above described, except that the gravelly and
stony ridges become rather more frequent, and of course we are always getting further away
from the fine timber-supply of the Turtle Mountains. Down Badger Creek, which is a small
river of beautiful water, with some timber iJong its banks, I am told there is still sufficient free-
prant land, of high quality, for q«ite a number of eettlers. At Hock Lake, several miles down,
there are 160 setUers already.

Driving 18 miles further east, over rather a rongh-looking eevntry, to Clearwater village, we
■ee no signs of settlers till we get to the village, where there are a good many, and all apparently
more comfortable than those ^irther west are yet. In fact maay of them appear pretty well-to-
do. I l^m that all the land hereabouts is either settled or bo«({ht up, and so also all to the east
of this, over which we have yet to pan.

From Clearwater to Pembina saw good crops of oats, fiur cr«p« of wheat, and most excellent
potatoes. This tract is very level, and of high qnality, almost every acre of it fit for ploughing ;
bat it is not to be bad for less than 8 to 1i daUm per acre. Hm •!•«■ of land continues for a

i;

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96

Mr. Peter ImrWa /Ef^^ort

few miles east of Pembina River Croseing. After that the land gets even bettar, but Is bo boggy
and scrubby that only a email proporticn of it is fit for ploughing. Paesing on to within
five miles of Mountain City we emter on a tract of as useful land aa we have seen anywhere.
Saw a man who came from Ontario three years ago with 500 doUarc, and toolc up 820 acres, for
which he has now refused 3,500 dollars. The land here undulates a little, is dry and well-wooded,
and about strong enough. Black soil ta much as three feet deep. I do not know that we have eccn
any better land for general purposes than this part of the Pembina Mountain district. Wheat
is said to average 85 bushels after the first year, which, from all t saw, I half incline to believe.
There are to be three cattle shows hereabouts within the next three or four weeks. Many of the
settlers are now in course of getting nice frame houses erected in front of their original log
shanties. Churches and schools are in progress, and in some instances completed ; and altogether
tiie countiy is assuming a look of comfort which, considering that it is only three or four years
out of prariehood, may well cheer and encourage settlers in the further west. A few miles east
of I^ountain City we dip again into the Red River Valley, with its dead-level magnificent
wheat land, little good water to be seen, and trees only in the distance.

I have now done. In concluding I merely want to say that, notwithstanding the high quality
of the soil, Manitoba Is not a country for every sort of person to go to. As Bailie Nicol Jarvie
' would remark, it is far away from all the ' comfoits o' the Saut Market.' So, any person to whom
thbde are a necessity had better delay coming to Manitoba, for a few years at least. It is in many
respects a sort of agricultural paradise, but for the present it is rather a dreary one. That dreari-
ness, however, is just the price which pro?ent immigrants have to pay for their estates, and I really
cannot think them dear at the cost. The feeling of loneliness must be worse in winter time ; and
to combat it, I would almost venture to suggest that every man going out there should take
a wife with him, and that two or three shoiild go together, and build their huts alongside
each other. It is grievous to see so many bachelors as there are in Manitoba, wasting half
their time upon household work, and wearying for want of society, when both evils might have
been prevented by a little forethought and courage. No doubt one cannot but have a feeling of
unwillingness to aSk a woman to enter on a life of even temporary roughness ; but after some
little experience of it myself, both in tent and shanty, I feel safe to say that no one need shrink
from the experiment ; in my humble opinion it is neither disagreeable nor dangerous.

I close wiUi the following sketch by a gentleman who has been three ytars settled near Morris,
on the Red River, where he has 560 acres of fine strong land, viz. : Consider that a settler with
a yoke of oxen should raise 30 acres of wheat, besides sufficient vegetables for his own use ; with
two horses he could probably do 40 acres; expenses of living, say TO dollars a year, if done
economically. After three years a man starting with no spare capitel ought to be in a position
to hire one man, and so double his crop ; but to accomplish this requires diligence and economy.
To begin rightly, a man requires nearly £200. He may do with half that, but his progress wUl
be slower, and his discomforts greater. This gentleman recently purchased 240 acres of first-
claaa land, all arable, on the east side of the Red River, at three dollars per acre. Considers it
even stronger than on the west side of the river, but requires more careful cultivation ; considers
that money is most certainly to be made by growing wheat in the Red River Valley, but not
without patience and perseveranoe aa well as capital. Considers the conditions of life hard, both
as to weather and wonc, aw d circumstances, but still not intolerable. He himself works out all
winter, hauling wood, building stables, etc., etc., and wears no underclothing. If the man hod
a wife, I cannot see but that be and she would b? aa well off as Adam and Eve.

. .'1 ' :f

REPORT OF MR. JESSE SPARROW,

Woodlcmdi Farm, Doynton^ Bath,

Hatino been selected as the delegate from the county of Gloucester, at the invUfttlon of iha
Canadian Government, to visit the Dominion and to report upon its suitability as a field for w«
settlement of agriculturists, I now proceed to make my report.

I started on my miiBion on August 11th, 1880, and embarked on board the steamer Peruvian
of the Allan Line, which sailed on the 12th for Quebec. While on board I was introduced to
Professor Sheldon, of the Wilts and Hants Agricultural College, who was also proceeding to
Canada. We made » vrj favourable voyage, and landed at Quebec at mid-day on the 21st
August. We had an introduction to Professor McEachran, the Government Veterinary
Inspector, who watches the cattle-trade from all the ports.

He drove us to the heights of one of the forts formerly used for garrison purpoees, but nAW
fitted up with capital sheds and yards capable of accommodating over 200 head of cattle. There
was a quantity of stock in quarantine at the time of our visit. Amongst them some wiy fine
Herefords and some excellent Aberdeen bulls, also n fow shorthorns, and other breeds, in all
about 150. There were also different breeds of ebee^, comprising Cotswolds, Shropshire!, and
Southdowns.

We then drove back, and crossed the river St. Lawrence to Quebec, the river being little
less than a mils wide.

We took the tr<vin the same night for Montreal, and I availed myself of the comforts
■of the sleeping-cars. The pleasure of rail way- travelling in Canada is far beyond what we
are used to in England, l^e cars are built on the Pullman system. There are sleeping-can^
dining-cars, smoking-cars, and all have lavatory conveniences ; and one can walk from the back
car to the front while the train is in motion. We spent the Sunday in Montreal (a city of aboat
160,000 inhabitants), and explored the beautiful Mount Boyal Park, whence the visitor has «
good view of the city and the river St. Lawrence, with the Lachine Kapids in the distance^ and
the grand Victoria Bridge, with Rs twenty-four abutments.

I left by the Grand Trunk Eailway en route for Ottawa on Monday, and travelled throogh an
agricultural district occupied by French Canadians. There were some very good farms around
Morrisburg station near Prescott. The country from Montreal to Frescott is rather leveL I
was surprised at the scarcity of sheep in this neighbourhood. The few I did see looked remark*
ably w^, and the appearance of the principal part of the land, light, sandy, and graveUy loam,
indicated that sheep could be raised with advantage to the farmer.

After changing at Prescott, the train passed through some uncnltivated land. A great deal
of this forest was on fire for several miles, the smoke filling the air. Nearer Ottawa a c^nge
for the better was perceivable, and I saw some pretty-looking farm-houses and farmi. Arriving
at Ottawa I met my friend Professor Sheldon, who came round by steamboat. We went and.
reported ourselves to Mr. J. Lowe, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. It was agreed
that I should go through the Eastern Townships of Quebec, snd then on through the Province of
Ontario, Professor Sheldon going on to Manitoba. I stayed at Ciitawa through the day, and in
the afternoon went to see the saw -mills, at Hull, on the Ottawa Hiver. We went over uem« and
it will repay ona who is fond of machinery to inspect them. There are about 300 hands emplored
at each of the saw-mills in the neighbourhood, some of which are going night and day. ^oy
are driven by water-power of great strength. Close to these mills are the Chauditee FaUs.

We also had a drive out through the country to the township of Nepean, county of Carleton,
where a farmer had two farms for sale, with residences, barns, stables, etc., near church and
chapel, and close to turnpike road — price for both, 7000 dollars. Drove back by the river
Rideau, where a Scotch farmer has purchased a large farm. It looks very well ; grows splendid
swedes. He has had it well fenced.

03

Mr. Jette Sparrofufi Report

,Hi::.'-t. :

'■'■U'i '

' hi

On An^st 25 I left Ott»w» by steamboat for Montreal. We had to change and travel by
tra?n for alxmt twolve miloS, owing to some falls in the river ; then took to boat a^ain, and
were Ronn out in the St Lawrence liiver, passed through the Laohine Rapids, under tlie Victoria
Brldj^'o, and arrived at Montreal.

I drove into the country along the tipper Lachlne Boad to see Mr. Pennor's farm. Re waa
not at home, so we did not go over the whole of it. There are about 200 acres. He had 20
very good Ayrshire cows gracing in one of Ihe field* ; they looked healthy. Uin mangels and
■wodes promised a good crop ; the potatoes were also good, as well as beans and maize (or Indian
com), and, by the appearance of the stubble, he must have had splendid crops of oats and
wheat. Around this neighbourhood there are splendid orchards in full bearing ; the trees are
allowed to head near the ground. They looked very healthy, and most of them were so ladea
with choice fruit that many of their branches drooped to the ground. We also drove to
Mr. Joseph Hickson's, OOte St. Paul. He has just imported some very fine Herefords, Aberdeen
polls, or Galloways, and has a few good Bhorthoma ; also an exo<sllent show of poultry of several
kinds.

We next went to Sherbrooke. On the way there are some very good farms, especially
between Montreal and Acton stations, farmed principally by French Canadians. Sherbrooke u
a nice city of about 5000 inhabitants, containing cloth and other mills. I stayed there two
hours, then took the train for Eaton. The land in this district Is rather rough, much of it in a
wild or forest state. Some of the timber — spruce, cedar, hemlock, and maple — is fine. On our
way we met a gentleman from Toronto, who has just purchased 1040 acres of timber land
near Lake Megantio. He seemed much pleased with his bargain. He waa formerly from York*
■hire, EnglancL

We left Eaton the same afternoon for Lake Megantio. This Is a new line, and panses
through a dense forest, which seems aometimes to darken the road. Settlements occasionally
appear ; one waa called Bury, an English settlement ; and another Scotulitown, a Scotch settle*
ment ; and I noticed some others. The town at the foot of Lake Megantio is called Agnes.
Two years ikgo it was bush-land ; now it contains four hotels, two stores, and several houses,
l^he lake is about 12 miles long by 2 wide. Most of the land is taken up by settlers and
■peculators. I believe this place will become a great resort for visitors during the sommer
months. The lake abounds with fish, and, at certain seasrns of the year, with wild duck.

We remained there over Sunday, and then returned to Eaton, in Uie county of Compton,
where the Hon. J. H. Pope, the Minister of Agrioultrj'e, resides. He was in England at the
time, respecting the completion of the Canadian Pacifio Hallway. He has a splendid farm of
i^ut 1000 acres, and capital bams and other buildings. I was introduced to his son, who drove
me over the farm. I was shown lands that a few years ago were in a rough and wild state, and
WM B\irprised to see how quickly they can be brought into cultivation, llie ujumps of trees are
not drawn until they become decayed (from six to eight years), when they can easily be got up.
Msftntime the lands grow good feed for cattle, and are called pastures. He called my attention
to one of these pieces. After clearing away the stumps and once ploughing, it wae put to oats
Ijast spring, and a yield of from 60 to 65 bushels per acre is expecte<\ It was put down to clever
i(nd timothy, and looks very promising for a good crop next year. Two to three tons per
acre, I have often been told, grow in this country ; the second crop averaging from 1 to 1^ ton
per acre. He has 200 hundred oxen and heifers, and generally brings out 50 by the Jtst of May,
4nd 160 by the 1st of August. It is very surprising, I was told, how quickly they fatten on
the clover pastmres during the summer montlw. I noticed some very fine yokes of working oxen
on this farm. Mid some good horses.

I was driven around the country and sbewn some cheap farms for sale. Farms in this
part can be bought from £3 10s. to £6 per acre, with dwelling-house, bams, and other buildings,
•nd good water accommodation. Each farm has its ' bush ' and maple grove. TLe ' hush ' is
a portion of the forest left for fire- wood and for building and repairing purposes, b' >.t is
extracted from the maple-tree, which grows in this country. They tap the tiees in the sjiring of
the year by boricg a bole into the stem, and hang a bucket or similar veasel under it to catch
the sap.

We leftEatop.by rail for Sherbrooke, and drov^^ to the Hon. J. Ooohrane's estate, at Comp-
ton* This is one of the prettiest villages I have seen in this pari; of the country. We halted at
C'>mpton a short time, and visited the blacksmith's ghop. and the carpenter's and wheelwright's
i^op. The blaeksmiths' anvils are erected on higher blocks than in England, and the men
stand mom erect at tksir work ; at the oarpenter'a shop a new farmer's waggon was being made.
The carriage and wheels were pat tog«ther wry well ; the w«g£t was about half a t«n. About
a Bule farther and wa aame to Mr. Owshraae's farm, situated on one of the ranges of hills that
abound in this part of the oonntrv ; the hills seem as fertile as the plains — indeed, the apple
trees thrive much better on the hills than in the plaiQfl. We drove in through a fine gateway.
He has a pretty villaHihaped house, the lawn being on our left-hand and the conservatory and
garden on o«r right ; then throagk another gata and we came open the bams, stables, cattle*
sheds, and other buildinga, arovnd a large j^rd. The farm ia aaJied ' Hillhnrst,* and some of
the cattle take tbeir nfafioas it. It was paiahased by Mr. Cochrane abomt 16 y«an ttgo, and

|r |:

Mr. Je»4» Sparrou)\ Report,

99

oonUlM about 1100 acres. Mr. Cochrane received na, and we Inipected hia cattle, aheep,
pigi, ete. Tke cattle need no comnient from me. They are well known, and show what
om \» dene in this country. I took a note of some of the animals. A dark roan shorthorn
cflw, 10th Duchess of Airdrie, is a magnificent creature, and was purchased by Mr. Cochrane from
England, at a cost of 2300 guineas, but has given him good returns. In vhs autumn of 1877 ha
gent a ooasigmueut of 32 head of cattle to England, where they were sold by Mr. Thornton for
£16,325 8s. Two realised respectively 4100 guineas and 4300 guineas, the latter price beiug paid
by the Earl of Bective for the 5tb Duchess of Hillhurst, and the former by Mr. Loder for the 8rd
Duchess of Hillhurst. These two cows were descended from the celebrated cow, 10th Duchesa
of Airdrie. Her last calf, a splendid creature, dark roan, calved April 6th, 1880 — weight,
5001b. ; sire, Srd Duke of Oneida. He has many other fine animals, particularly two bulls,
one a dark roan, Duke oi Oneida, nine years, and a dark red, Duke of Oxford, five years. Mr.
Cochrane is about to start breeding in the North>Weet Territories, utd is importing a stock of
Uerufords as a foundation fyr his herd. I was surprised to find this valuable herd grazing on the
puitures, aud but little high feeding indulged in. The most remarkable feature of the iierd ia
the good health maintained. The swedes and ntangel on the farm are very good. He said he
had just thrashed some of his wheat, which yielded nearly 30 bushels per acre. After driving
back to Sherbrooke, a distance of 18 miles, we took the nul to Stanstead. Next day we went
through the country. Near the town are some nice farms. I noticed one for sale — 100 acres,
close to a good road, with brick dwelling-house, good bams, and water — price 50UO U'>llara.
Then we drove on to Baruston, about 12 miles from Stanstead. I thought this district was
equal to Mr. Cochrane's. I went over a farm for sale — 420 acres, about 300 cultivable, the
rest bush, or timber-lands — price 7000 dollars ; I should say the dwelling-house on this far ja ia
ratlier small, but the bams and yards are very good, so is the water. Next morning we Irove
to Lake Magog, a distance of 20 miles through much uncultivated laud. Magog is a verr nice
little town. The lake abounds with fish. The Hon. G. 6. Stevens, M.P., very kindly Orova
us around the country. Some of the farms looked very well, others rather rough. We called
at a farmhouse in the evening . The farmer, hia wife, and daughter were sitting in their rockiri'T.
chairs under the verandah, enjoying the cool of the evening. He had soma capital Indian com ;
two of the cones I brought home with me. This farmer, like many others, seemed very proui'i
of his place. He showed us round his buildings, the gardens, and orchards.

The laud in the Eastern Townships is principally undulating. That portion under cnltivatioc
Us very fertile, and good crops of cereals, roots, fruits, and vegetables are produced. Ita suit*
ability for cattle-raising ia demonstrated by an inspection of the herds of the Hon. Mr. Pope,
Hon. Mr. Cochrane, and many others I could mention. The scenery is very beautiful, and the
district contains much wooded land. Farms, including the necessary buildings, can be purchaser,
at from £4 to £10 an acre, while bush-land can be bought from the Government of the Pruvlace
at from Is. 9d. to 4s. per acre.

I then left the Eastern Townships for Toronto, the capital of Ontario, distant from Montreal
about 330 miles, aud on the way met some cattle-trains laden with beasts for the Montreal
markets. The greater part of the country from Montreal to Toronto is level. There are some
very nice farms near Kingston, where I stopped during the night. I was shown round by the
Goveriuneut agent. Phosphate of lime ia found here and in other parta of the country. It
ia very much used as a fertiliser.

Toronto is a very fine city facing Lake Ontario, containing splendid buildings and lonj;
streets. The Exhibition was just commencing, and lasted twelve d^ys. The Grand Park, in
which it was held, is situate about one mile frcm the town by the car road, or two miles by boat.
Tha exhibits in the central building put me in mind of the Exhibition in London iu 1651, on a
smaU scale. The grounds were well laid out for the accommodation of the cattle, sneep, piga,
machinery, implements, and for the dogs and poultry exhibited at the show. The horse-ring tor
tha trotting races and other purposes was of good size — three times round to the mile. The horsea
as a class were good ; the cattle were excellent, and quite equal to any that I have seen at our dia*
triet shows ia England. I was much attracted by a Durham ox which weighed 2800 lb. ; a four*
yaar-old heifer of the same breed weighed about a ton. There can be no doubt that during the
past few yaara cattU raising has become an important indostry in this province, aud its growth
has been very rapid. In 1878 only 18,655 cattle and 41,250 sheep were exported to Great
Britain, while the exportation during the present year (up to the end of Noveml)er) has been :
cattle, 49,650 ; sheep, 81,543. The breed of the cattle, too, ia improving.

The fruit show waa better than any I have ever aeen ; applea and pears grow in abundance bk
thia province, aa well a»peaches, grapes, and plums.

A few words on bee-farming will doubtleaa interest my readers. The largest exhibitor at the
ahow waa Mr. D. A. Jones, of Beeton, County Simooe. He has several hives of bees, and has
recently been importing from Cyprus and Paleatine with a view to improve his stock. Last year
h* aotd 7500 lb. of honey, tha wholesale price of whk;b was 12 cents per lb., and also further
quantities at retMl prices which I did not aaoertain. I spent five days at thia show, and enjoyed
it very much ; but it would enable visitors to take a for greater interest if catalogues, giving
pwtiottlara of |be exhibits, were prepared and soldi m in this oountzy.

M ;

■t

1

100

Mr. Jute i^arrouft Report,

I

'^'m

While at the ahow I was Invited to Inspect a farm about twonty-elght milea away. It was
about 400 acres in extent, nearly all cleared, well fenced, and with about twenty acres of
young orchard. The soil is a rich sandy loam. There is an excellent dwelling-house on the
farm and good out-buildings, one barn fitted up for tying fifty head of cattle, and there is also
stable-room for nine horses. The farm is situated only one-and-a-half mile from a railway
■tation, and two miles from Lbke Ontario. The prioe asked is £14 an acre.

I also visited another farm, four miles from Toronto. The owner came from England some
forty years ago with another gentleman; when they arrived at Toronto one had £11, while
the other had to borrow money to carry him to the end of hia journey. Now one has two-farms
of 180 acres each, in a good state of cultivation, and has just purchased a little property near
Toronto, and erected a nice villa-residence, where he intends to spend the remainder of hia days ;
the other owns a farm of 100 acres.

While at Toronto I of course took an opportunity of visiting the Niagara Falls, which form a
very grand sight.

From Toronto I wont on to Hamilton, a city of about 35,000 inhabitants. While at this
place I came across a relation of one of my neighbours, who was very pleased to see me.

While driving through this district I was much struck with the abundance of fruit grown, and
Its excellent qualit)'. The apple trade is rapidly becoming an important industry in the Provinco
of Ontario, and large quantities are shipped every year to England, and I am told yield a very
good profit.

I also visited a farm in the neighbourhood of Burlington and Oakvillo, containing 160 acres
of land, including 12 acres of bush and 12 acres of young orchard. There is a good residence on
the land, and the price asked is 70 dollars an acre.

From Hamilton I took the train to Paris, County Briintford, and then drove for about nine
miles through a beautiful farming country. There are many sheep kept in this district, and they
looked remarkably well. There is plenty of wator, and the Grand River runs through Paris.
About two miles from Bai-ford, Mr. Townsend, Deputy Sheriff c^ Hamilton, has a nice farm for
sale. There are about 200 acres, and a'tanaJl river runs through a portion of the farm. The
price is 60 dollars an acre.

I also went through the districts of Chatham, Woodstock, IngersoU, and London, all splendid
farming districts, and in fact called by some the garden of Canada. The price of land ranges
from £10 to £14 an acre, including the building and fencing. This country produces excellent
crops of cereals, as well as roots of a larger kind than are grown here ; and while mentioning thia
I cannot do better than quote an article I recently saw in the Irisfi Farmer bearing on the
question t

BXHIBIT8 OT CANADIAN PKODCOK AT THB BMITHKIKLD OLVB SHOW.

IP?

-ft {.

' There was not, perhaps, at the late great annual show at Smithfield a more interesting
exhibit > !ian that of the Canadian produce to be seen on the stand of Messrs. Sutton and Sons.
In our opinion, it went further than volumes written by travellers and farmers' delegates towards
Indicating the capabilities of Canada, and its newly-acquired North-Western Territory
(Manitoba), which has been fso much spoken of the past two or three years, and completely
refuted the statements one occasionally sees in print made by interested parties, that it is not a
desirable colony for the British farmer to go to with a view to settlement. Having repeatedly in
these columns and elsewhere advocated the advantages British North America possesses over
other English colonies for farmers and others of both large and small means to emigrate to, we
were naturally pleased to see our statements receive such positive confirmation in the display
made on this occasion. The samples included in this collection were gathered for Mr. John
Dyke, the Canadian (xovemment Agent at Liverpool, who made a tour, through the Dominion
last autumn, by the Winnipeg (Manitoba) Agricultural Society, and the Ontario Root Growers'
Association (Toronto), and included some of the most wonderful -specimens of agricultural pro-
duce ever exhibited on this side of the Atlantic.

' The most remarkable exhibits in this collection were some Long Red mangels, the heaviest of
which weighed 73 lb. ; Yellow Globe ditto, 68 lb. ; citrons, 83 lb. ; field pumpkins, 87 lb. ; and
a mammoth squaah, 813 lb. 1 The latter was sown on 1st May, and cut on 6th of October,
thus showing an average growth of something about 2 lb. per day. We have taken some trouble
to learn how this weight compares with some of the heaviest squashes or pumpkins grown in
England, or even on the Continent, and find that it is more than 100 lb. heavier
than the largest grown in Britain that we have any published record of, and 70^ lb. heavier than
any grown on the Continent. Loudon's Magazine contains the record of the heaviest grown in
_" ,^d, this was produced in the gardens of Lord Rodney, in the year 1834, and weighed
,$lAI&/x^n the Continent we find that a market gardener near Orlsans showed in 1861 a hurger
d heanei^ one than this, which weighed 242^ lb.'
« 'Hie n^ngels were the most wonderful sposimens, as regards size, ever seen at any exhibition,
■;3and in al]3>irobability were also the heaviest roots ever grown. They were wonderfully symmetri-
<^ in S^Sth, and, considering their great size^ exhibited very little of that coarseness usually

Ur, Jute l^arrovefi Report

tOl

ly> It fvaa
ly acres of
pe on the
lere is aUo
a railway

zland Boine
fill, while

I two^arma
bperty near
If bid daya ;

lioh form a

[bile at thia
lie.

rrown, and
lie Provinco
Held a very

1 GO acres
^^sidence on

about nine
:t, and they
ugh Paris,
je farm for
aria. The

ill splendid
and ranges
!8 excellent
ioning thia
^ing on the

Interesting
and Sons,
es towards

Territory
completely

it is not a
aeatedly in
esses over
rate to, we
be display
Mr. John
Dominion
; Growers'
Itural pro-

leavlost of
' lb. ; and

October,
ae trouble
grown in
. heavier
ivier than
grown in

weighed
L a larger

Khibltion,
ymmetri-
1 uuually

■MB In lug* roota. Some of the turnips weighed up to 28 lb., and were firm and cleanly

E'own. In addition to the foregoing there wore also on view parsnips and carrota, proportionately
rge, and of prime qualitv, potatoes and grain, all of wuioh indicated in the moat foroibw
manner the wonderful fertility of the aoil they were grown in. They alao proved how well
•dapted the climate ia to bring to the highest perfection (even higher than can possibly be
attained by the best inrstem of fanning in Britain) every class of crop usually cultivated here,
and many besides which we cannot attempt to grow. With such a soil and such a climate within
a little over a week's sail from our shores, we cannot help regretting that many more of our
struggling farmers have not ere this taken possession of portions of it, and thus freed themselvea
for ever from the numeroiui acts ol injustice they are constantly being forced to submit to nnd«r
the iniquitous land laws of this country. No better evidence could be adduced of the fertililry
of the soils of Manitoba and Ontario than the exhibition of their produce as arranged at Smith<
field bv Messrs. Sutton and Sons.

' The Canadian Oovemment acted wisely in causing such an exhibition to be made ; and
proved, beyond doubt, to the thousands of agriculturists who witnessed it, that to farm Buooees*
fully, and'^ow as fine crops as it is possible to cultivate, it is not necessary to go beyond the
protection of British rule, nor travel further than from 10 to 14 days' journey frem home.'

While at Ghatham I went to see several hundred acres of prairie land at a place called Dover
West. It was recently regarded as quite useless for agricultural purposes, but it has been
bought up and drained, 'faa spot was formerly nothing but a swamp, but the soil, a rich black
loam, turned out to be of surpassing richness, and grows excellent crops of all kinds. There are
about 2700 acres of it altogether, 1200 of which the proprietors mean to farm themselves, and
the remaining 1500 they want to selL Application can be made to Messrs Fuller and White,
barristers, St. James Street, Hamilton. Onatham is the centre of a much newer country than
most of the other places I have been in. The soil is very rich, and consequently they grow
wheat for several years In sucoession. Indian com also thrives velL Farms can be bought at
from 40 'to 60 dollars an acre.

Bound London the country is very level, and some rich pastures are to be found. This
district seems to possess the necessary advantages for stock raising on a large ° scale. A good
deal of the land would be improved by better draining, and this will no doubt be done befoi*
yeiy long.

At Deal Town we called at Mr. Anderson's farm, situate on the banks of Lake Erie. He
has about 200 acres, and was busy putting in his fall wheat. He has a beautiful apple orchard
laden with fruit, and also one of the finest peach orchards I have seen. The trees are planted
about 12 feet apart, and grow almost as high as the apple trees.

On my way from Chatham to Windsor the train ran through a swamp near Lake St. Clair,
said to be 50,000 acres in extent, which will doubtless be drained in some future time, and will
become valuable land.

I returned to Hamilton to have a look at the exhibition which was being held there. It
resembled the Toronto show very much ; indeed, many of the articles exhibited did duty at botK
places. The show, as weU as that at Toronto, was visited by a large number of people, trains
coming In from all parts of the country, but tbe farmers in the neighbourhood either drove or
rode to the exhibition. I noticed one farmer three mornings in succession come in his buggy,
driving a pair of splen id dark greys with mounted harness. I thought if some of our farmmn
In England were to co. le out in that way .they would get talked about a bit, and probably get
their rents raised ; but the great number of farmers in Canada are their own landlords, and have
BO rent or tithes to pay.

There is very little distress In the country, and everybody seems to be getting on well. Of
course there are some poor people, but nothing like the distress that is apparent in England.
There are no poor-law or workhouses. The principal tax is the school-tax, but this is very light
and no disadvantage to the farmer, as his funily are educated free of cost, and indeed receive
a very useful and thorough education.

On my way from Perth to Newry I unfortunately overslept myself, and was carried past my
destination, so that I had to walk back about four miles to the farmhouse 1 was going to visit.
However, I got a lift which took me tiiree miles on the road. The man I went to see left
England seventeen years ago on account of some dispute with his landlord, who gave him notice
to quit his holding. He then sold out, and left England for Canada. He now has r farm of his
own (with a nice dwelling-house and building) of about 100 acres ; he also owns two other
farms of 100 acres each, occupied by his sons. The soil is a rich sandy loam, and very fertile.
He is very glad he emigrated, and expressed great doubts if he would have succeeded so well In
England.

I made my way back to Toronto, and from there to Ottawa, where I again met Professor
Sheldon and saw Mr. Lowe, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and Sir Alexander
Gait, at whose suggestion we started for a tour in the maritime provinces, comprising New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

Durin)^ the journey I met two ladies, one of whom. Miss Macpherson, Is widely known In
eonneoti'^n with her endSavours to improve the condition of destitute boys and girls in LoAdon.

I

ll

vi

•'K

;■ Xi^

102

Ur. JetH Spdrratt^i Report.

They are sent out to the HoaA tX Qtli, in OntMrio, where they reoelre » good ed«— tion and ue
brought up M fftnn>I*bourer8 and domeetio lerTante. K^r work d««aerTee ererr eooouragomeat.

On uur way we pasflod through the Province of l^'tuoeo, chiefly occupied by 1) reach Ganadiana.
The Hconury wiit vt'17 grand, the autumnal tints of the maple being gorgeolu^ and luixod witli
thu dark-greun io\ittg9 of the pines and ipruoe, form a Tery attractive feature in a Canadian
landHtktiti.

At lurigth we arrived at Monotoii, tn New Brunawiok, and after itayini;^ there we went on
to Shoiliau, whure we enibaiktid on board a steamboat for Prince Edward Ijland, diHtant about
forty iiiile«. We landed at Sinurnurftido the same day, and owing to an agricultural show that
wan tmiug held we had much dilliculty in getting aoooinmodatiou for the night.

The iLuxt morning we drove to I^r. Laird's farm, one of the largeni iu the ijiland. It con-
taiuti t*btmt 400 ncrtM well cultivated. He Htated that his wheat crop wa«i not so good an lant
yeai, but averaged forty-five biif^hcls per acre ; oats grow exceedingly well in thu inland, and
often weigh 44 lb. and over to the bwiliul. We then went over the farm of one of hi>< ntngh-
bourti, and were Hhowu his wheat and oatit. I asked him what protita a farmer ooultl nukvi uli
100 acres, and he took me on one aide and pointed out three oaniagcH. One waM a light
carriage for two 'paesengers, a heavier one for four, and the other a covurud one. There were
aluo three aleiglis verv rilcely got up. I remarked that they seemed to eat and drink well and
eujoy them«t)lve8, and he replied that they did so, having the op)Hirtunity.

We left Suihinerhide for Charlottetown, the principal town in the ialaiid. Its population is
12,000. I BUppiMe there are not many places without a disadvantage, and this will apply to
Prince Edw»rd Island, If a month were taken off the winter season and placed on tho suuiuier,
it would, I think, be one of the tineat pikcea in the continent of America. The climate does
not, however, seem to make muck difTcrence in the growth of the crops and vegetables, neiUiec
does it interfere with the breeding and fattening of the cattle.

While at Charlottetown an agricultural show was tjiking place ; and some of the cattle
were very good, but others were hardly fit for public exhibition. Sheep evidently do
well in the island, and some fine specimens were shown. It is noted for horses, and some line
aiiimala were on view. The climiite seems to be a very healthy one, judging by the appear-
ance of the people whom I mut. We had only intended to stay a day or two iu the island, but
prolonged our vis^t at the request of several of the leading people. I went to Souris, a quiet
little town on the east side of the island. I paaaed through sevaral hundreds of acres of
untitled lands, consisting, seemingly, of very rich soil.

Prince Edward Island is the nearest land to England. The livers and the coast abound
with fiah, and there are plenty of wild-fowl ; shell-flHh also abound, and are sold at very low
rates. The soil throughout the island Seemed to b6 of one kind — a red sandy loam — and the
country resembles England more than any other part of Canada I visited. It is about 140 miles
long, and varies in width from 8 to 40 miles. Large numbers of sheep and cattle are ex-
ported to England, and also c<«ts. Government lands, of which there are only a limited qnatitity,
can be obtained at from 2 to 4 dollars per acre, while improved farms cost from 20 to 60 dollars
per acre. So far as I could ancertain, the taxes amount to from & to 15 centd per acre. In
the beds of most of the rivers and bays there are great quantities of decomposed shell matter,
varying from 4 to 15 feet in depth ; it is culled mussel-mud, and haa, no doubt, accuumlatud for
centuries. The farmers get it in the winter-time and pat it ofi the land, its value as a ferti*
User being very great.

We took the Hteamboat to Fictou, and went by train from there to Halifax, Province of
Nova Scotia. For the principal part of the journey the country looked very rough and sterile,
but the fact of the distnct being a mineral one will probably account for this. Large quantities
of coal are raised in the neighbourhood of Pictou, and are shipped to other parts of Canada and
the United States. Hound Ti-uro the country looked better, and at Windsor I noticed some
very excellent farms. Halifax is a fair-sized town, and is the winter port of the Dominion of
Canada. There is said to be much gold in the province, and we were shown large blocks of
quartz, which seemed to be very rich in the precious metiQ.

From Halifax we went -to Kentville, passing through a romantic country, some of it as wild
as nature had left it. Arrived at Kentville, which is situated in the famous Annapolis Valley,
we drove to Cornwallis, and passed through some rich grazing land. Coi'nwallis is situated on
a range of hills stretching out to the sea. Each farm slopes down to the valley, and has its
share of what are called dyke-lands, «.e., lands which have been reclaimed from the sea. These
dyke-lands are~«xceedingly valuable, and the deposit which is left upon them each year by the
overdow adds greatly to their value. I was told that they yield wonderful crops of hay. After
it is mown the farmers turn their cattle out into these meadows to feed, the numbers being
settled by the quantity of land thuy own. This district is the great apple-growing country of
Nova Scotia, and I was surprised to see such splendid orchards — equal to any I had seen in
Ontario, several hundreds of miles away. The apples are largely exported to the English
market, and fetch a very good price.

After leaving Kentville we went on to AnitapoUet, the centre of the di4trict of that name^

Jff. JetM tpmrovt^t Rtpcri

108

■Mni)>ii«fng onfV«W^r»ble Mpnt*Hon on Monnnti of the fertHUy of Itn soil, th« ft1bnnf1»nt crops
of o-ifHlx, and yidld of fniitfl. Annnpollit {h a qnitit little tf>wn, but is iipl«n<l!(l]y Hitnittud, nnd
I c.iiitiiit conwiiTe » l»fltter plnoe for ^jimtlemon of raeumi, who may be wishing to n^tiro fmin
bnxinena. Ganiu i^lHiundii, luoh M woodcock, snipe, plover, and duck, while moivie-fuxea and
banit iDinitiniea afTord good aport. In addition, there is excillent fifihir;|[. There in tnticb
marHh and intt* rrale land in thiH locality, and I noticed many stacks of hay, contnining from
one tu two tona each, upon stages, under which the water would of course run when thu lands
are overrtowwd. We left Annai>olis for St. John, New Brunswick. There is a very fine market*
place In this city, 400 by 120 feet, which I visited. It was supplied with bucf, mutton, ptrk,
poultry, and tisn in al^mdanoe, benides game and vegetables. Qiiartttre of lamb, fit for any tal>Io,
were Kcliing at 6 cents per lb. New linmnwick is fumed for the flavour of its mutton. The
beef ii* not so good, being rather tough, although I canaot see any reason why Itect should not
be rained in New Bnmswick, and other parts of Canada, equal t(. any in England. The city
was nearly totally destroyed by a fire in 1877, but the greater proportion of it is now built up
again, and is a striking evidence of the energy of the people.

I had an introduction to the American Oonsul at St. John, who waa rery pleased with the
country, and had an intention of buying aome land in the province.

While at St. John we took a trip up the Grand lUver to Fredericton. We pamed ft large
extent of th-^ rich intervale lands which receive the overflow of the river every spring, and con-
■equently get the benefit of the rich alluvial deposit which it left behind. The uplands, too, are
very fertile, princi[>ally of sandy loam. I noticed several farm-houses which had a good appear-
ancn, and it ix stated that apple, pear, and plum trees are being extensively cultivated. Farms,
with buildings, fencings, etc., ean be purchased very cheaply, and at prices which would seetu
ridiculoinly low in this country, namely, from 20 to 40 dollars per acre (from £4 to £8).

While at Fredericton we had the pleasure of an introduction to the Lieutenant-Governor
of the Province, the lion. R. D. Wlllmott.

We had an f)i)portunity of driving across to Gibsontown. We saw Mr. Gibson (after whom
the town is named), who is the proprietor of large saw-mills situati I on a river which flows
Into the St. John. This gentleman is a self-made man, like many ithers I met. As the
laying iu, he rose from nothing. Now he has a sjdendid house for his own use, another for his
son, and a little way off are dwellings for his foremen and clerks, and cottages for bis worlc*
men, showing that he does not forget his employ^ in his own suocesa. A new grist-mill has
juNt buen erocted which is turning eut large (quantities of flour every day. Mr. Gibnton has also
erected a church at his own exi^ense. Mr. Gibson started work with no capital but an axe,
and has risen up from an ordinary workman to his present position. To give an idea of bis
wealth, and to show what may be done in the country, I was told be recently sold his iatereet
In the New Brunswick liailway for 800,000 dollars, or £160,000.

From this place we took the train to the Grand Falls, passing many nice farms, and at times
through dense forests. There was an agricultural show the day before we reached there, but the
manaKurabut detained the productions until our anrivftl in order that we might be able to form
an idea of tiie exhibits. I oannot speak in disadvantageons terns of any of them when all were
so good. I was especially struck with the enormoos size (rf the vegetables, pftrticularly the
potatoes and cabbage. I also noiieed some specinens of blankets, etc., woven by the farmers'
wives and daughters ; and the butter I sftw was ftlso exeeedingly good. While at the
Grivnd Falls we visited the new Danish settlecnsnt, aboot twelve miles distant. They were
having their little show, too, on the day of onr visit ; but it vras a very priaaitive sort of affair.
These people settled here some years ago, most of them with only a few dellara each. Each
family or adult obtained a Government grant of 100 acres of this forest laiid. When the timber
is cleared they plant and grow their crops between the stumps, and the soil being a rich sandy
loam and very fertile, giving excellent crops. The cattle on show w«re tied te the stumps of the
trees, and the sheep and pigs in peculiar sort of pens. Inside the shed which had been put up
were exhibits of produce. The exhibitors were continually calling me aside tp lecflc at tiie wheat,
barley, oats, carrots, and cucumbers, some of which were six feet long, ftnd many kinds of
Tegetabie marrow. In fact, they seemed very proud of Uieir exhibition, apid ocMddering the way
In which they hod started, and the ground they hod to work upon, covereid tfl it ifas with ferest,
it must be admitted that they have done very well. We next took train fer \|lro«>d«teck,
and on our way visited a large farm, which was for sale. It eontaiiM abimt 900 s«rss, with
over half a mile frontage of the river, and 200 acres of It are cleared. The OuNoa-kfose is small,
and there are two bams, I walked over it and inspected the land, which wes very rich, being a
nice light loam, with very little sand in it. I thought it would moke ft magnHtoent farm when
all was cleared, especially considering the facilities for transport. The price was 906o dutUars.
I took a tour through this district and found that farms generally could be bought i^t from 16
to 20 dollars per acre ; the soil is deep and good, and is well watered.

Round Jacksonville orchards are very numerous, every cottage haying fmit-treet rennd IL
more or less. We were informed that there are thousands of acres of land in New BruOswiolc
just as good as that which I have described, waiting for people to cultivaiie it.

Arriving tt Woodstock we went to inspect the ironworks, which it ii| expected will be ft lao*

fm

104

Mr, Jeue Sparrow** Report

oeM. The district of Woodstock Is much noted for the apples end plums which grow there.
We then made our way back to Fredericton, to look at another farm for sale, about 9 miles
from that place. It waa about] 600 acres in toxtent, with some rich pastures, some of
which I thought was as good as any I had seen in England. A portion of it is intervale hind.
There is no farm-bouse on this farm, but good bam accommodation. I waa told it waa to be
sold i*t a very low price, but I did not ascertain the figure.

We went on to St. John, and thence started for Sussex, on October 25th. It was rather cold,
but the weather was brilliant. Nearing Rothsay we came in view of the river Kennebecassis,
on which the great oarsman Renforth died a few years ago. It Is a noble river, and has great
facilities for yachting, boating, and the like. Upon the jjicturesque hills which line Its banks
are many pretty villa residences and rich intervale lands. While at Sussex we visited Mr.
Arton's farm ; he has 30 cows in milk. We also saw Mr. McMonikale's Ayrshures. He has
» fine ons-year-old Jersey bull, and a stud of 22 horses. Wo also inspected the farms of
Major Arnold and Mr. Fairweather.

We then went to Sackville through the Tantramar Marsh. It Is about nine, miles long by
four miles wide, and there are others adjoining it. The land forms very rich pasture and fields
faumense crops of bay, and seemed to be well adapted for grazing purposes. The value of these
lands (and I do not think I have seen better :n Canada) varies from 50 to 150 dollars per acre.
At ITort Cumberland we Inspected Mr. Etter's farm, in Westmoreland parish. We were shown
» pair of steers bred from the Government-imported bull ' Barrington ' ; they weighed ftbout
2600 lb. each ; they had been grazing on the marsh lands.

On GOT way back to Sackville I called at Mr. Josiah Wood's farm. He has about 350 acres
of this rich marsh land, and tells me that from 11 acres of swedes he expected to have 10,000
bushels. He sells from 150 to 200 tons of hay every year ; he has 60 capital three-year-old
steers In one herd, and said he was going to buy 40 more for wintcir grazing. While In this
neighbourhood we went to see Mr. Woodman's farm. Mr. Woodman is also one of the largest
timt>er merchants in the country, but is also a practical farmer. His piggeries were very well
oonstnicted, and ho had several fat pigs.

We then made our way to Quebec, and took passage for home on board the steam-ship
Mormwianf of the Allan Line. The trip was a very enjoyable one, the accoimmodation being
ezcillent. ' <

COKCLCSION. , ^

In concluding my report I wish to say that from my experience and from what I was told on

food authority, Uie climate of Canada is hotter in sumiaer and colder in winter than that of
Ingland. The people seem to be very healthy and temperate in their habits, and I consider the
climate to be a very suitable onu for Englishmen. The Inducements to a British farmer to
(settle in Canada are far greater than they used to be, for they need not now go through the
luurdfibip of clearing the forest, as improved farms can be bought at such moderate prices. For
tixose who wish to make their own farms, free-grant lands can still be obtained In Ontario, Quebec,
. New Brunswick, Manitoba, and the North- West Territories. Government lands ean also be
bought In these districts for small sums. The number of farms for sale Is aooounted for
by the fact that most of the owners obtained the land practically for nothing, and by hard work
have made them to be of considerable value ; and they think there is a better chance of providing
ft competency for themselves and a good income for their sons in the fertile provinces of Manitoba
•nd the North- West Territories, which are now being opened up. It may be said that the same
Idbing will apply to the British farmer also : but it seems to me that Canadian farmers are more
initML for pioneeir life than Englishmen, and the latter, in taking up lands In the older provinces,
will find the life more like that thej have been accustomed to, and they are suited to Ining the
soil into a proper state of cultivation which has in many cases been neglected.

I saw some exceedingly fine cattle in Canada, and some hare fetched very high prices, par*
tlcularly thoee raised In the province of Quebec b^ Mr. Cochrane, and those from the Bow Park
Farm at Brantford, Ontario. The cattle trade is becoming a very important one In the older
. provinoea of Canada, and if proper care is taken in Improving the stock — and this appears to be
receiving attention — I see no reason why she, with her large extent ol land, should not step into
th« front rank as a cattle-exporting country. «

My Impranion is that a farmer, with willing sons and d&jjhters, wanting to Improve his
position, could make more in Canada in two or three years than he would all his lifetime under
the present state of things In England. I do not mean to sij he would get rich, but he would
be 8' le to live comfortably and get something that Is valued quite as luuch, «.e., independence.
He would provide a home for his wife and family that is not likely to be taken away from them,
and there is no question of raising rents or tithes. What I have said applies, of course, mors
particularly to the older provinces. Manitoba and the North- West I have not seen, and I leave
•ny remarks on that district to my fellow-delegates.

Large quantities of cheese, butter, cattle, cereals, fruits, and eggs are being exported, and
Itty reader will have noticed the quantity o{ honoy one man has beon able to sell.

Mr. Jesse Sparroul's Repotl

105

Canada can truly be said to bo a countiy of peace and plenty, and the scenes I me% there are
far different to those we see on thia side. The country is gnvduaUy rising in importance, ita
finances are improving, and it has a Tast extent of land, calculated to hold 200,000,000 of people,
uid yet at the present time the population only amounts to 4,000,000.

There can be no doubt that many farmers in Canada have not treated the land as it deserved,
and it is surprising that so many shoiUd have succeeded under the circumstances ; but it shows
what the soil is capable of, aid that the climate cannot be injurious in its effect upon the agri>
culture of the country.

I cannot do better than conclude my report with an extract from an account of a tour made
through Canada some thirty-one years ago, and which has in part been fulfilled, and is being
xnore verified year by jear :

* A coimtry so magnificent, a soil so prolific, water communication so abundant, and a people,
moreover, in whose veins British blood flows, and who are in the poesession of the principles,
freedom, and laws of England safely planted in their soil, must rise to greatness and power.
Our language, our institutions, and our religion will prevail. A mighty empire will rise iw,
enriched with knowledge and possessed of all the appliances of political power and wealth. We
wish them well, they are our children, and in all future time and contingencies they will be our
brethren. They will carry out and perpetuate all that is valuable in our system, and plant Old
England on a new soil.'

M '

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I

'm>\

THE REPORT OF MR. GEORGE BRODERICK,

0/ Hawes, Wenaleyddle, Yorkshire.

* On Tuesday evening at the Board School Hoom, Hawes, a crowded meeting was held to receive
a report from Mr. Broderick, in regard to the visit he paid to Canada, as the delegate of the
farmers of Wennleydale, to inquire Into the suitability of the Dominion fur emigration. The
tnatter is one ol absorbing moment, as was shown by the extreme interest evinced on Tuesday
ttight.

' Amongst the audience were a large number of young men, who perhaps considered the
occasion aa concerning them equally as much m the farmers, and rapt attention was given
throughout to the remarks of Mr. Broderick. His report goes into minute details, which are
very valuable indeed to all those who cannot make headway in the mother country, while agri-
culturists of all classes will glean informatioo of a very serviceable character by a peruiial of the
rcpoi-t, which we produce in extmao.

' The chair was taken by Mr, Willis, who in the course of the evening took occasion to refer
to the question of emigration. They would be, he felt aauured, thoroughly grateful to Mr.
Broderick for the pains he bad taken in giving them correct information in regard to emigration.
Certainly all would feel th.%t falsificatiou was given to the Malthui^ian theory that the world
is over-populated, and would be convinced, he might ahuost say, that there was no dbngfji- of
this over-population-of-the-world theory being corroborated by facts for thousands of jeard to
come, while there were such large tracts of excellent land in Canada and other parts of the
world to fall back upon. He hau had some little conversation with Mr. Broderick before they
entered that rooaa, and had asked that gentleman whether he was satisfied with what he had
seen, and the reply was that he was perfectly satisfied with the country be had visited, and was
well pleased at the course that had been taken to secure uubiaeeed information. Lord Bolton's
agent had also been out, and had gone over some of the parts of the country travelled by Mr.
Broderick, and he said, " If you have a good situation in England, a comfortable farm, and are
doing well, I would not advioe you to go ; but if people cannot get on in Kngknd, there is a
Very good prospect of doing well there." Mr. Grahame, the representative of the Canadian
Government at Glasgow, would always be glad to give iuiormation to any one inclintd to
emigrate, and he (the chairman) would conclude by saying, "Look at the population we have in
England, and the way in which people have to struggle to get on, while there is an excellent
opening in Canada for men of spirit aixd enterprise, with a strong right arm and willing to work."— •
Darlington and Stockton TUnet, December 25, 1880.

Mr. Broderick, who was re«e ed with immense cheering, then said : — I have come to the
most difficult part of the task I adertook some five or six months ago, when you appointed me
your delegate to go out and vie the Dominion of Canada, and draw up an unbiatised report
. upon its fitness as a field for emigration. Before entering on my report, I wish it to be uii<ler-
stood that I am reporting solely on behalf of yourselves and the British farmers generally, and not,
as may possibly be imagined by some, for and in the interests of the Cauadian Government or
people. That Governmeat invited the English farmers to send out delegates from among them-
selves to report for their own benefit and interests, and as such I have uuder»toud my uiiabiun.
I may further state that there was no attempt on the part of the Government to intiuence my
judgment. On the contrary, I was allowed the freest chMce of the parts I should visit, and I
: just went where 1 liked. I make this statement because I have seen the Governmeat accuiseil by
' detractors of Canada of showing the delegates only the best parts and the snug side of everytliing.
! On account of the short time and space at my disposal in which to deal with so large a subject,
, I shall enduavour, as far as possiUe, to drc^ all persobal narrative, and to dismiss deHcription of
the kind and hospitable. maiOMr in whioh I was everywhere received and treated, as irrelev:int to
the object of my report. I skall deeeribe everythhig as near as I can, just as I saw it, good or

l-M.

! ^ I MJled f ron LiTcrpeol »d a beauUhd eTeaitBg, the 2-2imI «f July, ia tke g;oo«l ship SetrmatioH,

Mr, Geerge BredericV* Report.

lur

of tbfl Allan L!ne, and early on the 29th we jKuned the lone rock, Belle Isle, »nd i^hrotigh the
gtraitii which lie between it und NeWfonndland, »nd during the day sailed down the Gulf of St.
liAwrenee. The weather changed rapidly from a wintry coldnetn among the icebergs cff Belle
IbIc to extreme heat on the St. Lawrence, which we reached the following day. The scenery
along the banks of the St. lAwrcnoe up to Quebec is very fine in places, but there is not mucl)
good land, a great deal being hilly, rocky, and covered with Kna,ll wood, Q;iostly fir. W9
arrived at the historic and picturesque Oity oi Qneboo on the 31st, and on the 2n^ oi Angus^
took the train on the Grand Tnink Railway for Ottawa. On our way from Quebec tp Pichmond
on the south of the St. Lawrence we pasaed a great deal ol Tery indifferent land, composed
mostty of a thin soil oa a light-eo^oured sandy sut;>soil, wooded i;rith small spruca, larch, etc.,
with a good deal of scrubby underwood fcnd. a great abundance of t^ild raspberries. I did no^
■ee much settlemeat till we passed Richmond, between which pU^ and Montreal the land is
■omewhat better. It ia owned and evltivated by a French populatioQp We •rrived «6 Aitontreal
about eight in the evenii^, uid stafrted again at t«i\ o'clock for Ottq^nf a.

Ottawa is the capital of the Dominion and the s^at oiE goTernment. It is a nicely situated
eity, mostly built of brick and stoae. It ia aurronnded by a fairly good, agricultural country,
and there are iren and phosphate mines in the Tiokiity. At Ottftw;a the delegates all met
Mr. Lowey the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, wnd. it was there arrangedl
that Mr. Sagar and Bfr. Curtis shoald stay in Ontario, and that M|r. Irvine, Mr. Anderson and
myself should go on to Manitoba and the North-West T^erriteries, ifhich we did. My report
will, therefore, refer mostly to that part of the country, as I apei>t the larger part of my time
there. We arranged to go by steamboat through the l^ikes, l;»ut oiji arriving at Toronto we
found that we had a day or two to waili, so we filled in the tine by going to Niagara Falls.

The land for a good way along the 'north shore of liake Huron is settled, and is, I should
say, fairly good land, but we eould not see maeh of it. At tl^e north end there are a great many
islands, some of them very pretty, mostly wooded. We passed from Lake Huron through
the River St. Marie passing the rapids into Lake Snperior. Tl^e north shore of this lake pre*
sents a hillocky appearance, not very high, but rocky, and almost dei oid of ^oil, yet covered by
small pine-wofld which appears to grow in the crevices of the rock. TJ'his class of country Heems
to prevail along the entire length of the lake except around Thunder Bay, where the hills are
much higher, hat still rocky and wooded. In Thunder 9*7 y^^ called i^t Prince Arthi^r**
Landing, a small town, and Fort William, the tenninus of the Cana>dian Pacific ^lilway now
in pmc«8fl of construction. There is aeme fair land about here, and there seeaas a fair prospect
of a town growing up, as it ia the nearest ehipping port to Winnipeg en the new railway.

We arrived at Duluth, an American town at the extreme western point ef Lake Superior, and
took the train that evening oa the Northern Paciiio Railway. It was a mild warm evening,
and before dark we passed soaie very fine and rugged scenery, through pine-clad valleys, over
&\7.7.j creaking wooden bridges, and rocky streams, the rocks set on edge instead of horizon^
tally. We then got toi a level country, and oatpe to some s;wampy flat land, rather peaty,
but generally covered with small fir and poplar. Sonetiinea in the wettest parts the fir trees
were not more than five or six feet high, with oaJy a little bit of green on the top, and the
branches hung with grey moss. Where the land ia drier the wood is heavier. Th^^re were
occasional lakes, some with awanpy shorea, others closely fringed and overhung with wood. '

We travelled all night, and in the morning I bad my first experience of prairie land. We
chann;ed at Glyndon on to the Manitoba Railway, and in an hour or two got fairly out upon the
prairie. Look where I would, there waa nothing but an almost trackless extent of land almost fla
flat as a sea stretching away to the horizon, which formed a true circle all round ns. There were
a few settlements scattered all aloag : fields of com* and patches of ploughing without fences
round them. Oocasionally we crossed a sluggish creek, its course marked out by a winding belt
of trees stretching away into the dntance. I was told that we were in the Red River
Valley, and the State of Minnesota. The railway runs in a straight line, and is formed
by cutting a ditch on either tide ; the soil from tlie ditches is thrown into the middle,
and on it are laid the sleepers and rails. The ditches show a section of the soil,
which, althongh of good quality, is net equal to that of Manitoba. During the whole' of that
day we travelled over this unbroken fiat. At night the sun set red in the west, and seemed to
sink below us before it disappeared, and we appeared to be on the highest part of the land,
though in reality it wae quite flat. We arrived at St. Boniface about eleven o'cleck at night^
and crossed the Red River by fwry to Winnipeg.

The next day I devoted to an iaapection of that now world-famed city. It is sftujcted at the
iuBCtion of the Assinibohie River wiMi the Red River. Tea years ago there were only a few
hundred peoi^e aqmeMed en the plaee ; now ita ariaaMtaats aamber ten n twelve theimand. If
building goes en aa fast as it ia deing at preaent, it premises fairly to beaeme a aeeand Chicago
before leag. There are many very fine briok wmi ateae bmldu^^a, aad, private heaaea. A
good many fertoaea liwv« keen auMie altMMly, aad. there are ma^y wenKinr citiietM. . BuUdinc*
groand that' was tea yea— ago beagkt for a mere trifle per aare, is new adUag 1^ the foot at hl^
prioea. Thma in tea y«ars a tatwn faaa spraag up bigger and wi^ i^ore capital invested thaa all
tin towns of WanakyiMa p«t t^father.

108

Mr. 0eorge BroderieVi Rtport.

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Before going further, it may oe well to give a brief geographical description of the Dominion.
Ab you know, it consists of the northern half of the great American Continent. The eastern
part, or the provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario, has been prettv
well settled upon for a long time. Settlement went on to the west of Ontario till it was stopped
by a great barren rocky tract of land which stretches from about the east end of Lake Superior
north towards the Hudson's Bay ; and reaches westward perhaps a thousand miles, till it is cut
off by the fertile Bed Biver Valley, of which I have spoken. This valley is, perhaps, 200 miles
wide in some places. It reaches from the great water divide of the continent which crosses
Bi^nesota and Dacota to the Hudson's Bay, it ii almost a dead level, and is supposed to have
been an old sea or lake bottom. West of this again for nearly 200 miles, to the Pacific Ocean,
- lies a more or less fertile tract of prairie land, almost untouched by white men, Thxa, you see,
the country is, agriculturally speaking, divided into two distinct parts.

From tiie older provinces of Canada, as well as from the Eairtem States, for various reasons,
there has been for a lung time past a constant tendency on the part of many of the settlers to
emigrate to the great Western prairies, and, as the great fertile prairies of North-West Canada
were not generi^y known or accessible to the public, they were obliged to go to the Western
States. And hence the idea got rib^-oad that the Canadians were dissatisfied with Uiis oonntry,
and were going to the States ; bu ' in reality there were as many leaving the Eastern States for
the same reason. It is only within the last ten years that the British North-West has
been brought prominently before public notice, and since that time quite a new state of
things has s«t m. Numbers of Canadians are selling their farms and going there instead of
to the States. A great many are going from England and Scotland, and even from the United
States themselves. A railway has been made from the Northern Fucific Bailway to Winnipeg,
and another great railway, called the Canadian Pacific, is in process of construction, and will
soon be made through to the Pacific coast, thoroughly opening np an immense tract of
oountiy ; several branch railways are also being surveyed. The re«alt is, and is likely to be for
a long time to oome, an immense influx of immigration.

To return to my travels. I first went down the new Canadian Pacific Railway to Cross Lake
—the end of the line opened about 100 miles east of Winnipeg. For a good distance the
land is good, Init rather wet. Before we arrived at Cross Lake, we had got right into the barren
~ rocky eountry I have before referred to. It is not absolutely barren. There are patcheb of fair
land that may at s<)me future time be sought out. There is a good deal of timber, and, it is
supposed, a great deal of mineral wealth.

At Winnipeg, Mr. Hespeler provided ns with a team of horses and spring waggon, driver, and
eunping equipments, and we sat out for the West. We went by the Portage road along the
north Iwnk of the Assiniboine Biver. About Headingly, and for a distance of about thirt>y miles
west, there is some very good dry land under fair cultivation. It is a thick black loam on a day
subsoil^ and is drained by the Assiniboine and the niunerous creeks that intersect it. After this
we passed some twenty miles of swampy land, till we came to Poplar Point ; and from there to
Portage-la*Prairie, a distance of twenty or thirty miles, is, I think, about the best land I saw.
It is no thicker or better soil, but is drier than most of the Bed Biver land. It is mostly pretty
. Uitlj ctdtivated, and there were some really good crops of wheat and oats. We called b:«d looked
over the farm of Mr. Brown, a very nice nian, who came from Ontario about eight years ago.
He said one of his fields had been cropped seventeen years when he bought it. He grew the
. eighteenth crop, and it yielded 40 bushels of wheat per acre. The same field has not yet e^en
manured, and this year had a fur crop of wheat. But he does not think his wheat has averaged
quite SO bushels per acre since he oame. He thinks that by manuring, and with the high etdti-
vation as practised in England, there WDuld be no difficulty in averaging 40 bushels of wheat
per acre. He had a few good roots, and a patch of clover which he sowed when he first came,
and which has grown ever since ; he thinks clover and timothy (our foztaU) will stand the
eUmate very weU. His soil is from a foot to two feet thick.

We went on to Portage-la-Prairie, ».nd then on to Mr. McKenzie's at Bumside, where we
stayed a day and a night. Portage-la-Prairie is a growing town on the Assiniboine, next in size
to Winnipeg and Emerson, and is surrounded by very good land. Mr. McKenzie has some
good crops, and keeps a large herd of cattle. They feed on prairie grass in summer and prairie
nay in winter, and most of them were nearly fat. He has sometimes had as many as 200 cattle at
a time, but has not lost a beast since he came. One spring he sold twelve fat bullocks that had
been fed on nothing but prairie hay all winter. Speaking of r ^irie hay leads me to a description
of it. My first impression of the wild prairie grass of the Bed Biver Valley was that it was
rather coarse, and what we should call sour. Where the land is dry it looks rather short, but
on closer inspection it proved to hare a considerable amount of good herbage amongst It. There
Is generally a great deal of yellow flower, giving it the appearance of a meadow full of butter*
cups. On the swamps and wet land it is certainly coarse, yet many people mow it for hay
because the yield is heavier, but I did not think it nearly so good as hay off drier land, and in
^hls opinion I was supported by most of the best farmers. The quantity and quality vary very
much m different parte. That part of McKenzie'sfarm which I saw is mostly dry, and on it there
irpTi "PTpe very goqi ins^j^dpws, wbicjj jnf^ht yield two tops of Jiay per Wfe, Cftttje t^nj^d qut

Mr. Oeorge BroderkV* Btpori.

109

Into thoao ruf nrnl meadows have plenty to go at, and being good judges of land, choose the beat
herbage. This may account for their doing so well. Cows also give large quantities of very
rich milk and butter on prairie grass. Mr. McKenzie sells most of his cattle to immigrants.
Gnofi two-year-old heifers, ho says, are worth from £5 to £6. Cows from £G to £10 each. Beef
about 4d. per lb.

We were still in what is considered the Red River Valley, but after going about 80 milea
west of McKenzie's, or about 100 miles west of Winnipeg, and crossing some swamp land, full
of ponds, and willow scnib, and poplar, and over a bad road, we came to an abrupt rise,
presenting every appearance of a sea beach, some 50 to 100 feet high ; behind, and running
parallel with this, is a belt of sand-hills, irregular in form, supporting very little grass, but
with a few stunted oaks and pine, often half burnt through by prairie fir«s. In the hollows
between these hills are occasional bits of good land covered with poplar, birch, hazel, etc. There
are any number of hazel-nuts, wild cherries, wild rasps, and strawberries in their season. Among
the brushwood wild hops and clematis twine in great profusion. On one of these patohes Mr.
Snow, a son of one of the delegates who went out last year, has settled.

Beyond this we crossed what is known as the Big Plain. It is of more or less sandy black
soil, supporting very littla grass ; it is rather too drj, I should say, though it grows fair good
crops of wheat and oats. There is here a good deal of free-grant land not taken up yet. After
crossing some forty miles of this plain we came to what is known as the Rolling Prairie, from
any point of which can be had an extensive view ; it presents a kind of tumiUtuous, billowy
appearance. In some places it is very hillocky and irregular. In others it is formed of gently
sloping hills and hollows, ranging from a few hundred yards to several miles in extent, Tery like
some of the midland counties of England ; but through all its unevenness it maintainB a kind of
general level.

The particular part to which I am now referring, that between the Big Plain and the Little
Saskatchewan River, about thirty miles across, is broken by an immense number of ponds. One
could scarcely get a mile section without half a dozen ponds on it. The ridges »re generally
rich black loam, supporting fairly good grass; the hollows are either marshy sleughs or
ponds, which could generally be drained, one into another. I believe a single drain into the
bottom of a sleugh would dry the whole of it, and if dry it would be almost unsurpassable landt
as the fertility of the hillsides has been filtering into it for ages. Around the ponds there is
generally willow scrub, and scattered about are small woods and clumps of poplar, giving the
country a park-like appearance. On the ponda are almost innumerable wild-ducks. I have
sometimes counted on small ponds two or three hundred, and I could scarcely ever look up with-
out seeing some in the air. They are generally very tame, and I could have shot scores out of
our waggon as we went along.

We next camo to Minnedosa, a small place consisting of a few log-honses and stores, a atop*
ping-house, a blncksmith's shop, and a saw and grist mill. It is about a year old. If the Pacific
Railway passes through it, as its people hope, it may become a big town. There is a rival town
called Odanah about a mile off.

From here we passed some fairly good land and pastures, then some widely undulating landf
till we came to Little Shoal Lake, where we stayed all night.

Our road passed through a shallow comer of the lake, out of which a policeman was pulling
large jack fish with a very rude fishing-rod. Aroimd Shoal Lake there is some very good laud,
though rather broken by ponds and marshes. The scenery is very pretty and park-like.

I'rom here we went west again over some very good land to Jiortl", ou the Bird Tail Creek,
a young town in a rather deep valley, but surrounded by very good land, of which most of the
best free-grant sections wore taken up last summer. I saw here a cattle-dealer who had about
eighty cattle for sale. He had nine pure-bred Galloways, a young bull, and eight cows and
heifers, for which he asked £140. Ho was selling cows at about £10 each.

We next went forward to Fort Ellice, a Hudson's Bay Company station, on the Asslniboine
Valley, about 250 miles west of Winnipeg. It is about the head of navigation on the Assiniboine
River. The valley is here about 300 feet deep, a mile and a half or two miles across ; the sides
are st ep, the bottom flat and very fertile, but apt to be wet. There is no rock in possession in
the sides ; the full depth seems to be out through a bed of glacial drift composed mostly of
rounded granite boulders and gravelly clay. The country all the way from Winnipeg is thinly
Bottled, and there is a good deal of free-grant land not taken up.

We took a drive with Mr. McDonald, the chief factor of the fort, to the farm of Mr. Dawson,
a few miles to the north. Mr, Dawson went out from Lincolnshire last year ; he has taken up
two mile sections of land, or 1280 acres, and splendid land it is. It is fine friable black loson
two or three feet thick, gently undulating, and there is a great deal of wild tares or vetches
among the grass which makes splendid feed. We went back to Fort Ellice, and there met Mr.
Marcus Smith, the chief surveyor of the Pacific Railway. He has been six or eight times acroa«
to the Pacific Coast, and describes the land as being very fertile nearly all the way, and especially
in the north and Peace River district. The cUujatp, he paiye, i« muph ipijd^r t^pwarcJB tl»P Ww*
<^o*afc. Srpw Rejdom Ilea lonjj in thf winter.

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a

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Mr^WP^^SrMerKK^Mi

'eport

tin

111

I'*

From Port ElUce Tre went north to the Shell Ilfvor, a tributary of thf Afisinibofne. Th(
land al) the way after we left the banlcB of the Assiniboine Valley ia very good. There ia ve
fine grasH and a grreat deal of wild tares all the way. There was an almoet continual downpo;ii|
of rain all the day, and it was beginning to get dark when we came upon the camp of Tiljj
Rifenstine's company of land-surveyors, near a small stream, so we pitched our tent beside them,
The cook had supper ready for them, and they presently made their appearance, all drenched,
Mr. Kifenstino asked ue to have siipiier with them, and I got some of the beKt soup I think 1
ever tawted. They described the land to the north as excellent, and said they had been among
wild tares that day^ thnnigh which it was dilBcnlt to walk. About fifty families settled
there last spring, though it is not yet surreyed. This tract of land which may be descrih/cdl
as lying between the Assinttxtine, the Shell Klver, and the Bird Tail Creek, Is on the whole
extremely good. It is of rich black loam, from one to three feet thick, and generally dry, butl
with occasional ponds. There is a fair amount of poplar-wood scattered about, sufficient for fuel
and building purposes. Its rich meadows and fields of tares make it a likely place fnij
cattle-raising, I should shy.

We came back by Fort Ellice, and then down by a trail that runs nearer to the Assiniboint
than the one by which we went. These trails are merely tracks over the prairies, made by the
pas^iage of carts and waggons, and are In some places very good and in others very bad. We
made the acquaintance of Mr. Herchmer, a gentleman originally from England. He is the
Grovomment Indian agent. We went with him through two of the Indian Reserves. These
Indians are of the Sioux tribe, and the Government have given them reserves of land, pro-
vided them with oxen and agricultnval implements, and are trying to teach then< to farm. Some
have really nice plots of wheat, Indian com, and all kinds of garden produce — some take ex<
treme pains with their gardens, and have them very neat. Mr. Herchmer speaks highly of the
honesty of the Indians when fairly treated. They we very loyal, and nearly always asked after
the Queen. We camped •ne night near the lower reserve, and next day Mr. Herchmer left his
tent and equipments till he came back at night. There were Indians all round, and they might
easily have gone with the whole thing ; but he said he was in the habit of leaving it th?re, and
he had never lest anything, and said ther^ were quite safe as long as there were no white men
about. The land for severdl miles back from the valley is sandy and gravelly — liable to drought.
On the alluvial bottmn of the valley it is very good land, but mostly wet.

Our next stopping-place was Rapid City, a thriving young town about two years old, oa the
little Saskatchewan, lower down than Minnedosa and Odanah. There is good land all around,
but rather broken. Mf«t of the free grants are taken up. We next crossed the Assiniboine
River at the Rapids, through Urand Valley, a tract of good land south-west of the river, and
piMised the Brandon Hillc — some low wooded hills, but which can be seen from a great diHtance.
>Ve w'ent on to Millford, a small place on the Souris Rivor, a river that runs from the south-west
to the Assiniboine, then up the south side of the Souris, and called on Messrs. Calendar and
Reed, two young gentlemen from Edinburgh, with whom Mr. Imrie was acquainted. They
have taken ap some good land on Oak Creek. From there we went forward over some uneven
hilly ccmtry, and pa«t some very pretty lakes till we came to Lang's Valley. It is a long deepish
valley with flat botton, but not very much good land in it. There is only one settlement, that of
Mr. Lang, after whom it is named. Immediately south of this valley is some very good land.
We left the trail and went west over the trackless prairie on the Souris Plain, ^his country, as
its name implies, is very level, and there is a large quantity of good land. I remember one piece
between two creeks, a little beyond Lang's Valley, some six or eight utiles square, or twenty or
thirty thousand acres — good soil supporting good meadow-gjaes nearly knee-deep, and the wh- 'i
of it might hatve been mown with a machine — or machines, I should say, as one machine would
have been worn out long before it oould have got through it all. The grass here is more like our
coarser meadow-grasses without many flowers, or weeds as they are called out there.

After going west into the bond of the Souris, we turned south to the Turtle Mountains, and
crossed an immense treeless plain of variable land. I noticed the deserted tracks of the buffalo
worn deep in the soil by the feet of many generations of these bovine animals. The granite
boulders, too, were polished on the comers by the buffaloes rubbing themselves, and there is a
trench around them, worn by the tramping of their feet. The buffaloes are nearly killed out
now, and their bones are plentifully scattered over the plains. Before we reached the Turtle
Moimtains we crossed an immense marsh, which surrounds White Lake at the foot of that hill.
The Turtle Mountain is a long, gently sloping ildge rather than a mountain, but it can be seen
a long way over the plains. There is some very good land on the slopes, and some good wood on
the top. A great many settlers have g»B« into this district during the summer.

From here we wwit east by a trail naiaiag a Httle north of the United States bonndary ; we
passed ihrtuvgh tile Rock Lake and PembiaM Mountain districts, where thwe is a vast quantity
of very good laad, and mtaij seMen. We get into tke Red River Valley again, and passed
through a MamiMute Reserve — very good bmd^ — and then on to Emerson, a thriving little town
on the Red River, wkere it crosses the Intemfttional Boiuidary. From there we went north,
along the weak iNuik of tiie river, over » greftt deal of very rich buad of d«:ep black loam, tolerably

jood. There in ver
continual downpoTuj
pon the camp of Mrj
)ur tent benide them,!
trance, all drenchedl
^ be)<t Hoiip I think jl
hey had Ween amonj
ftj families Bettlejl
eh may be deHcriMI
3ek, !r on the wholel
A generally dry, but!
lut, sufficient for fuell
a likely place foil

»r to the Assiniboinel
>ralrie8, made by thel
hers very bad. 'We|
England. He is thtj
m Reserves. Then I
eserves of land, pro- 1
hen. to farm. Soniej
luce — some take exil
speaks highly of th«|
[y always asked afterl
Lr. Herchmer left hinl
lund, and they might I
leaving it th?re, and
e were no white men
y — liable to drought.

wo yearn old, on the

)od land all around,

>8Bed the Asslniboine

est of the river, and

:om a great distance.

? from the south-west

[easrs. Calendar and

\ acquainted. They

rd over some uneven

It is a long deepish

le settlement, that of

jrae very good land.

lin. ^his country, as

remember one piece

square, or twenty or

s-deep, and the wh' 'i

a one machine would

here is more like our

)ut there.

irtle Mountains, and
tracks of the buffalo
limals. The granite
Ives, and there is a
are nearly killed out
reached the Turtle
the foot of that bill.
n, but it can be seen
1 some good wood on
iraer.

Jtatei boTindary ; wo
re ia a Taat quantity
ly agfdn, and passed
thriving little town
ihere we went aorth,
black loam, tolerably

Mr. Oeorg§ BrodtricVt Reporf.

Ill

dry and growing good crops, to Winnipeg. We bad thus acoomplisbed « journey of about
800 miles.

Mr. Imrie left next day to go to Nova Scotia, and I accepted an invitation from the mayor

of WioDipeg and the premier of the province (Mr. Norquay and Mr. Walker) to go with a

shooting-party to Meadow Lea, the then wesliern terminus of the Pacific Railway. Our party

bad a special train placed at its disposal, and a special siding made at the terminus, through

|tbe courtesy of Mr. Byan, the contractor. We had fair sport. On the way the road

[oroasea some good dry land and a great deal of marsh. I met Mr. CowHrd, who went

lout from Cornwall, England, and has been farming out there about eight years. He considers

t cattle-farming pays best. He had made butter all the summer, and put it down in pails ;

e was taking it to Winnipeg, where he had sold it beforehand for Is. O^d. per lb. Not t<o bad,

tiiought, where good land can be had for nearly nothing. I saw the modus operandi

if OanMian railway construction, which is really wonderful. I have not time here to go iaco a

iMcription ; suffice it to say that it was being put forward at the rate of nearly a mile a day

Itb comparatively few men.

From Winnipeg the Hon. Mr. Norquay and Mr. Boss, M.P.L., drove Mr. Dyke, of Liver*
il, and myself, down to Kildonan and St. Paul by the Bed Biver side, then across the river
Bird Hill, a gravel hill, from which a good view of the surrounding country is obtained,
donan and St. Paul were settled by Scotchmen sent out by Lord Selkirk about 60 years ago. The
d is very good and dry, but badly farmed as a rule. Some of it has been cropped for 50 years
thout manure — this I quite believed, as I saw the manure lying in heaps, of unmistakable age.
. McBetb, a gentleman of whom some of the delegates spoke last year, showed me a field
iff which he had taken 50 crops without manure, and which still contiuuit^/d productive, but he
itted that it wuuid not grow the crops it did at first. He fuid be once rea-ped 48
lushels of wheat per acre off his farm.

To sum up then, before leaving this district — I considered the Bed Biver land the most fertile.

t is generally a soapy kind of black loam, and when rubbed between the fingers one cannot

letect th grain of sand. It may aver.tgf; about 2 feet thick, and rests on a clay subsoil of inde«

inite thickness, which is really of the same character as the soil, but has not been blackened and

icllowed by atmospheric exposure. This rule does not hold good all through, as there are

ilaces where it is more or less sandy, and in some places even gravelly and sandy. But & great

lart of the valley is marshy, and for really profitable cultivation requires to be drained, which

eans considerable expense, and on account of it^ extreme flatness it cannot, in many cases,

ery well be done by private individuals, and the Government are already making extensive

ainage works. When the soil is too wet it bec( mes so stisky that the best steel plough will

jt clean itself, but when it is in proper condition it works venr light and friable. But I must

ly that when the land is dry, as it is along the river banks and near creeks, it really cannot be

lurpassed for production. I believe that under a good English system of farming there would

little difliculty in growing 40 or 50 bushels of wheat per acre. However, when all things are

lonsidered I think I should prefer the Western prairies where you can pick land of rich black

two or three feet thick, that is niaturally dry, and can be worked in any kind of weather

vc fi-ost. The natural grass out there, too, is of better quality.

Wood and water are things that an immigrant would require to consider. In some places,

ough this is generally only local, the water is alkaline and not fit for drinking purposes. This

most frequent in the Bed Bi^er Valley. I have seen plrx:e; where pools have dried that were

luite encr;isted with alkali looking like hoar-frost. But as > rule, fair water can be had by

nking wells ten or twelve feet deep, and in some places there ai4 good springs. Wood is scarce

many parts of the Bed Biver Valley and on some of the great plains, but along the rivers

d in many parts of the prairie there is a sufiiciency. It is a great desideratum to have wood

or near a farm, as it is the only fuel and building material available at first to the settler,

ough in some parts of the province they are beginning to build of brick.

Ab we are all grazing farmers here, and I was specially instructed to look to the cattle-raising
iterests, yo*^ may think I have dwelt too much upon corn-growing and arable cultivation ol
,nd ; but I have found it absolutely necessary, as almost everybody, and especially those intends
ig to take up free grants, must go into ploughing to some extent, since it is one of the conditions
which the land is granted, that thirty acres be brought under cultivation in three years ; and
get clover and the cultivated grasses it is necessary to plough, and it will pay well to take a
op or two of wheat before sowing down. But it would be quite possible for a man to go into
ttle-farming on the natural prairie grass, and if he keeps well to the front he can have the use
1000 or 50,000 acres, if be likes. I have talked with many of the best farmers on the subject
cattle-farming, and they all acree that it will pay best for anyone who has sufficient capital
start it. The reason that this branch is so little gone into is because the great bulk of the
migrants are men without much capitaL They therefore go to ploughing, as it does not
uire so much capital, and yields a quicker return. I believe that breeding horse? would pay
Tamely well, that is, fair useful, though rather light, fann-horses, similar to what we have
mt here, and they are juat ab(jut as dear. The Canadian horses are lighter than the farm
%&6 used in most ports of Engltind. Qu Agcouut of the gre&t immigration which ia likely t9

r

0

'4

I t ■!

- -;'j

112

JTf. George Brodmch'e Report.

continue for a long time to come, there will probably be a strong demand for honefl, whiob will
keep up the price.

I will give you » list of prices of cattle which was provided me by Mr. Burt, a horse and
Oftttle dealer of Winnipeg: lair grade two-year-old heifers, from £4 to £,b each; fair grade
three-year-old heifers, spring down, £5 to £1 ; cows in calf, or with calves running with them,
j£6 to £10 ; working oxen, i.20 to £80 por npan ; fair good horses, £20 to £80 each ; ponies £G
to £15 — average about £10. Beef is worth ijd. to 4d. por lb. in the carcase ; mutton, about 5d,
per lb; ; butter and cheese, nearly as much as they are here ; milk sella in the towns at 2|d. per
quart. These ices agree with those given me by most of the farmers.

Govemme^ land (i.e. Railway lands) can be bought at from 4.1. 2d. to £1 per acre, according
to distance from the Pacific Railway. Glood land near Winnipeg, Emerson, Portage-la-Prairie,
can be bought at from £1 to £2 per acre.

Wages run about as follows : Good farm labourers, from £4 to £5 per month, with board all
the year round, or £6 to £6 in summer and harvest time. On the railway works they pay 6a. to
7a. per day for good hands. Carpenters and blacksmiths get from Ss. to 12s. per day. Good
bricklayers and plasterers from 128. to 14s. a day. Blacksmiths charge 2a. 6d. a shoe for shoeing
horses, and Is. a shoe for resetting. All the labourers I talked with say that good men have
no difficulty in getting work, but they have to work hard.

With regard to the capital required to make a start in farming, It ia generally considered
that A man with a clear £100 when he gets there can make a good start on the free-grant lands,
and instances are not unknown where men have started without anything — they have taken up
granta, built houses and cultivated,' a little to keep up their claim, and have worked for wages
ui the meantime. But I should certainly advise anyone to take all the capital he can lay hold
of, the more the better, and if they have more than they wish to invest in farming, it can be
let on good and security at 8 or 10 per cent, interest.

A settler will find difficulties to contend with during the first two or three years. After
that, And when be has got accustomed to the country and its ways, he may live as comfortably
as he can here. If he be a man without much capital and takes up free-grant land, no matter
how good that land is, It is in the natural state without house or fences, and as there is
really no money Actually scattered about on it, it stands to ren.son that he cannot g«rt anything
' out of it without spending a considerable amount of labour. There is a house to build, but this
At first is built of wood, And is put up very quickly, especially if he can get a native Canadian or
two to help him, which they are always ready to do ; they understand building wood houses.
And if they have the wood got to the place they will erect a decent bouse in a week. The first
year he does not get much crop off his land, and he spends it principally in breaking, that is
ploughing the sod up two inches thick in the spring, and backsetting about four inches deep in
the autumn if he is going in for ploughing. If he is going to raise cattle he will be building sheds,
stacking hAy, etc. But when he has been on his farm three years, got a neat house and cattle>
aheds, with a good atock or a lot of land under crop, he may live very comfortably, and will have
no haider to work than here. His 160 acres of land that he got for a £2 fee, and his 160 acre
pre-eipption that he got for eight or ten shillings per acre, will in a11 probability be worth
£1 or £1 IDs, per acre, and thus he will have made £320 or more, independent of his crops, in
threa years. His land is his own absolutely, he has no rent to pay, and very light taxes.
A man wit^ more capital, of course, can do greater things. All this depends upon the
man himself. If he is not prepared to face a few hardships and a little isolation at first, he
will never like the North-West ; but perhaps he would never like anywhere. A requisite
quality to fit A man for emigration to Canada is the power of adaptability to circumstances.
Everything is a little different to what it is at home, and there are many new things to learn.
The best plan for an immigrant is to make the acquaintance of a few old farmers, who wiU teach
him anything he requires.

One of the worst difficulties the immigrant has to contend with at first is the bad roads
which in spring are very soft, and in some places almost impassable ; but it must be boriie io^
ruind that there are no highway rates, and that as the country gets settled and divided into
mimicipalities, the roods are sure to be seen to — now it is nobody's business. There is a great
difference of opinion as to which is the best time of the year to go ; early spring would be the
best but for the difficulty of tranut : but on the whole I think August is the best, at any rate iji
those that hare money.

The occaMonal visits of locusts Is a thing that requires mentioning, but there were none whei
I was there, and there have not been for about five years, and the farmers who have experienced \
them do not aj^ar to fear them miuh, as their ravages are generally only local, and at the worst
Are not near so bad as they are in the Western States of America, tlieir natural breeding -place.
They are not At present troubled by the Colorado potato beetle, the weevil in wheat, and the pes
beetle, which is found in the United States and Eastern Canada.

The weather, while I was there, waa very pleasant on the whole, though the settlers all said
It was unusually wet for that seaiKm of the year. The air was generally very dry, and I never
enjoyed better heaiih in my Hfe. I was told that the winter eoaiMkenoes in November and enda
About the middle of April or beginning of May ; it is generally ceBtusuows frost all tbreujh, au4

lorsew, vrhlob wil]

Burt, a hone and
each ; fair grade

nning with them,
each ; ponies £6

lutton, ivbdut 6d.
towns at 2|d. per

iT acre, according
ortage-Ia-Prairie,

;h, with board all
Ics they pay 68. to
. per day. Good
k shoe for shoeing
I good meQ have

lerally considered
free-graut lands,
ey have taken up
nrorked for wages
J he can lay hold
rming, it can be

>ee years. After
re as comfortably
t land, no matter
and as there is
inot gtt anything
to build, but this
Eitive Canadian or
ing wood houses,
, week. The first
breaking, that is
at inches deep in
le building sheds,
iouae and cattle*
ily, and will have
and hia 160 acre
twbility be worth
it of his crops, in
very light taxes,
spends upon the
lation at first, he
;re. A requisite
to circumstances,
iv things to learn,
rs, who will teach

t ia the bad roads
must be borne itt-
I and divided into
Thsre is a great
ring would be the
st, at any rate loi

e were nonft when
have experienced
, and at the worst
al breeding -place,
irhcat, and the pea

lie settlers all said
f dry, and I never
oveHaber and ends
[talltbr»ujh,ftn4

Mr. Oeotge SroderioJc^a lleporl.

113

occasionally I'cachSa an extromo degree of cold. During last winter, which was exceptionally
severe, the thermometer onco or twice got down to about 48' or 60* bolow zero ; but I saw a
.register which generally ranged from 10° abr/e to 10° below zero. The summer comes on very
quickly, and is hot enough to grow any kind of grain and root -crops, and will ripen tomatoes.

I find that I shall have to cut my report much shorter than I had intended. I intended to
have gone into the details of sheep-breeding, which I believe might be made to pay extremely
#ell. I might have spoken of the wild deer, the prairie chickens, and immense amount of game
that I saw, and have described the Red Eiver carts, which are made of wood, without a particle
of iron about them. But I must proceed with my jou- 'ey. i. left Winnipeg on the 27tn Sept.,
at about seven o'clock in the morning ; and to give you some idea of the vast extent of the Red
Biver Valley, I travelled all that day and night, and well into the next morning, in almost a
straight lino without noticing a rise of three feet all the way. I came by way of Chicago to
Toronto In Ontario, where I stayed a few days.

I visited Hamilton, Brantford, and the Bow Park farm ; there is some good land about
there, which is nearly all cultivated. The land around Brantford and Bow Park especially ia
good. The chief feature of interest about Bo>^ Park is the world-famed herd of shorthorns,
about 800 in number. I think we have as good cattle in England, and perhaps in Wensleydade,
as any they have. But the special feature of the Bow Park herd is their uniform high quality.
Looking through their large and commodious sheds is like going through a show-yard, lixey
have scarcely a failure in the whole herd. Their system of cultivation, too, is an example to
the surrounding farmers, and shows what Canadian land can do. I believe good land with
buildings can be bought in Ontario for from £6 to £15 per acre. I shall not dwell long on this
part of the country, as some of the other delegates have been so thoroughly over it.

I next went on to Belleville, a small town on the Bay of Quinte en Lake Ontario, and was
there shown over a cheese factory by Mr. Graham, the president of the Dairy Association. They
make some excellent cheese there, and it was selling at 658. per cwt. Mr. Graham thoroughly
understands cheese-making. They have Dairy Associations in Canada, and each factory sub*
scribes a certain sum of money, augmented by a subsidy from Government, with which they
engage men to study the process of cheese-making, and go through the factories to give instruc-
tion. The factory at Belleville ia worked on the co-operative principle ; each farmer's milk is
measured, and he receives a proportionate share of the profits of the cheese. The expenses of
manufacturing amount to ^d. per lb., and the collection of the milk lays on another j^d. per lb.,
mining the total cost Id. Cheese-making at 65s. pays very well.

I next went on to Kingston, a town built principally of limestone, at the lower end of Lake
Ontario. From there I went by boat down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. I went this way fo.'
the purpose of seeing the Thousand Island? and the scenery of the river. The Thousand Islands
are at the bead of the river or the foot of the lake., but their number is more like two or three
thousand. They are mostly covered with trees, the foliage of which were in their bright autumn •
colours ; some of the smaller islands looked like pots of flowers set in the water. Some of them
are rocky, and the effect was very exquisite as we went winding amongst them.

Montreal is a city of about 150,000 inhabitants. It has some very fine limestone residences
and buildings. The Windsor Hotel is almost equal in finish to any in the world. One of the
chief features of Montreal is Mount Royal, a high hill that stands up almost perpendicularly
behind the town. From the top a view in every direction for 100 miles can be had ; it is A
public park.

I went on to Compton, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. It Is rather a pretty country,
and there is some good land. I visited Senator Cochrane's farm, and saw bis celebrated herd of
shorthorns. He has some very good cattle. He has one cow the progeny of which has brought
him £26,000. Ho has some very good Shropshire Down sheep, and says he likes this breed of
sheep the best of any be baa tried. I noticed some good turnips, and he says he can grow three
tons of bay to the acre. I came back to Sherbrooke, still in the Eastern To\vn8hips. It is a
prettily oituated town, with some good residences. I was shown round by Lieutenant-Colonel
Ibbotson. Good farms^can be bought In the Eastern Town&hips at from £4 to £6 per acre.

I next went to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I visited the districts of Windsor, the Annapolis
Valley, and the districts around Truro and Colchester. All these are large valleys, up the bottom
of which the tide rises a long way. There has been a great deal of land reclaimed from the sea,
which is known as dyke land. It lies below high-water mark. The tide has been banked out.
The soil Is composed of a very fine reddish silt of indefinite thickness, which baa been deposited
by the tide. It is perhaps equal to any land in America for production. The tides come up the
river with great force, and bring up a great deal of mud. Many farmers cart the mud into their
higher land for manure. Adjoining the dykes is generally a belt of good dry land known as
intervale. It is of a sandy red soil, very similar to the red land in the Eden Valley of West*
morsland. Above this, on the mountains, is red sandy land, not so good, and generally covered
with wood. Colonel Blair, Mr. Longworth, and others, at the instigation of Dr. Clay, called a
meeting of farmers at Truro, for the purpose of giving me the opportunity of asking questions
and hearing their opinions about farming in the district, and the prospects of immigrants.
9)tWFe wex9 ft ^K9aX nxany QonfllQtiDg statement^ niade, from which I drew the generaJ conclusion

li

•z .

lU

Mr. Chorgt

th»t the selling price of dyke land !• from £10 to £80 per aore, ftnd In • few Inatanoet It had
■old as high aa £80. The intervale land oould be bought for from ..to £16 or £20 per aero,
•coordlng to quality, and uncleared wood land from 2e. to £1 per acre.

It vraa generally agreed that dyke land will grow from two to four tone of hay per acre, and
haa done it in some casea for generations without manure. 600 to 1000 bushels of turnips, and
nom i200 to 430 bushels of potatoes can be grown to the acre, and fair crops of cereals. Apples
grow to great perfection in some partd of the province — as to this I can add my own testimony,
having seen the trees almost laden down and the ground strewn with their fruit. They wen
selling at from 4s. to 8s. per barrel of 2|^ bushels. It was generally agreed that a man should
have considerable capital to start fanning in Nova Scotia, as it dues not pay to borrow money at
6 or 8 per cent. It is considered that cattle>farming pays best, especially since the English
Oiarket haa become available for their beof. In this respect they havd a groat advantage over
Ontario and the Western States, the inland carriage being lighter. Beef sells in Nova Scotia
at 4d. to 6d. per lb. in the carcase. I spent a few days with Mr. Simpson, the manager of the
Drummond Colliery, at Westville, Nova Scotia. I went through the colliery ;,the seam is 16
feet thick of the very best coal, and it looks more like a quarry than a coal-mine. There are
other two seams below, one 10 feet and the other 6 feet thick. I was told that the Albion mine
close by Is 82 feet thick. Mr. Simpson drove me round by Fictou Harbour in right of Green
fiill, where there is some very good land. Of the Eastern provinces I think Ontario and Nova
Scotia are the best farmed. I was favourably impressed with the Eastern Townships, where I
believe eood land is the cheapest. Nova S"x)tia certainly has a great advantage in l)eing nearest
the Enj^ish market. I noticed especially that the farm-houses of Canada generally are decidedly
better uian, the farm-houses in Engii^nd. I have met scores of farmers in Ontario and the lower
provinces who went out originally from England or Scotland with scarcely anything, who have
cleared and oultivatsd perhaps 200 or 300 acres of land, and are now living in houses equal to any
In Hawes. Society is a littlu diiTerent in Canada to what it is here. There is not nearly so
maChetuteas in England. The Carjtdi&n people are very sociable. A man takes a position
"there according to his personal meritr and conduct rather than to his wealth, though I should be
far from saying that wealth has no influence. The Canadians are very loyal to the English
Crown, in tact, far more so than the English themselves, and I never met a man who advocated
secession from the Empire. A story was told me at Belleville of an American who came into
an hotel there, the Dafoe House, and proposed a toast not very coBipliraentary to her Majesty
the Queen. He was allowed to drink his toast in silence, but he shortly afterwards left the
house minus many fragments of clothing, and has not been seen around there since.

Though I have in many cases given my own opinion, I wish you to rely upon the facts and
Information I have given, and your own judgment, rather than ne guided by mine, as people
don't all think alike ; but if I had to give any advice as to the ck^ss of people best suited to
emigrate, I should say the farmer's son who has been brought up with a good knowledge of
farming, is not unacquainted with work, and can get together a liltle capital, might improve his
position by going to Canada, and stand a good chance of becoming wealthy. His occxipation at
home too frequently is spending the first half of his life in making repeated applications for
farms, and not getting one till his best days are spent, and when he has got one perhaps he only
makes • bare living the rest of his life. In Canada he can certainly get one any day; The
labourer may do well, but he will have to go out to the North-West, where he can get free-grant
bmds and where wages are much higher than in the older provinces. A man with capital can do
well either in the North-West or in the older provinces. Middle-aged men, of this class
especially, will probably like the older and more settled provinces best, and I should not advise
men with money, unless they wish to make more very fast or are fond of a rough life, to go to
the North-West. However, to make anything out in the older provinces certainly requires a
good deal of capital, and a man who has not got this will make more money and live easier in
the North-West. Gentlemen's sons who may have had a good education but have no acquaint-
ance with business or work, and are without money, are not of much use in Canada ; nor are
kid-gloved farmers, unless they have a superabundance of wits, which is not always the case.

The best guarantee of success is the fact that so many have already succeeded. I could
Instance scores who started with scarcely anything, who faced the forest and had to almost hew
a farm out of wood, as it were, but who are now well off. How much better chance then
has a man going out into the prairies now, where he may drive a plough for miles without
-obstruction, and where the land is better than ever it was in the forest ? There is yet another
consideration in his favour — nearly all the good wild land of the United States is taken up, so
that the great emigration that is going from Europe, and the natural increase of the fifty millions
of people of America, will be driven into the fertile fields of the North-West of Canada. The
result will probalily be such a rush and an enterprise or. was never Isefore known on the continent
of America ; and it is quite possible that young men who buy land now at a few dollars an acre,
aaay live to see it worth £10 or £20 per wrft,

I strongly deprecate the statements that have been made by many, that the land in Canada
wOl bear cropping for ever without manure ; that in fact in Manitoba it is altogether unneces*
piy, Md would ^ fofdiib to applj mikQwi; to th« Und. "^va^ nothing mn bo uor« ivlwud Uwi

Mr. Georgi BroderieVt Seporl

110

r InatanoM ft bad
9 or i£20 p«r acre,

hfty per acre, and
s of tunilps, and
cereala. Applet
f own tefltimony,
ruit They war
!iat a man should
borrow money at
ilnce tho Engliah
t advantage over
8 in Nova Scotia
> manager of tha
; the seam is 16
line. There are
the Albion mine
ti light of Green
Ontario and Nova
wnships, where I
in bein^ nearest
illy are decidedly
rio and the lower
thing, who have
usea equal to any
is not nearly so
takes a position
)ugb I should be
to the English
1 who advocated
n who came into
to her Majesty
erwarda left the
aco.

on the ftctfl and
mine, as people
le best suited to
d knowledge of
ght improve his
is occupation at
application* for
perhaps he only
any day; The
a get free-grant
li capital can do
3, of this class
Duld not advise
^h life, to go to
ainly requires a
id live easier in
ve no acquaint'
mada ; nor are
ys the case.
;ded. I could
1 to almost hew
er chance then
miles without
I is yet another
is taken up, so
le fifty millions
Canada. The
1 the continent
lollars an acre,

md in Canada
ether unneces*
ce i^bsuid tba*

thtf*. It Is apparent ererywhere in the older provinces of Canada and the United States that
the land Is being ruininl by this syHtem. There is a great deal of land that at first grew from
80 t« 40 buBhels of wheat per acre, but will not now grow .\ crop sufficient to pay expenses, and
srtiflclal manures have now to be resorted to. I believe the wheat crops in the Eastern States
of America do not average 1 5 buHhels per acre.

I sailed from Quebec on the 6tb November, and arrived at Liverpool on the 16th, having
been away nearly four months.

I was not sick either way, and I can assure you that crossing the Atlantic Is not half so fear-
ful as many sijppose ; indeed, it lo really a pleasure. I looked through the steerage quarters of
the ship, the SarmaHan, of the ALan Line, und I thought the accommodation, the food, and
the treatment of the passengers very good for the money.

UB. BRODERICK ON CAKA!DA. ^ •

' I am told that It was a most Interesting gathering which the other night assembled at
Hawes, crowding the largest room in tho village, to hear the report of Mr. Broderick. This

fifentleman, some months ago, was appointed the delegate of the Wensleydale farmers, to go and
nspect Canada with a view of ascertaining its fitness for emigration. So many falsehoods h>v»
been concocted and promulgated in regard to various parts of the I)ominion, that the independeoit
testimony of an able man like Mr. Broderick should be extremely acceptable and valuable.
Indeed, irrespective of opinion, the facts and figures embodied in the report (which this paper
publishes) should be carefully perused by all interested in agriculture. The question is returning
to public notice with great force. W e are likely to have Dany comments upon It in the future^^
and any opportunity of increa: 'ng our store of information vnon the subject should not be^
neglected, especially when the weakness as well as the strength of the country is so ably demon-
strated. The figures in regard to the value of stock, the pvice of meat, wages, etc., will
surprise many of onr humdnun tillers ef the soil.' — Darlingt(m, and Stockton TitM^ J^u^n 1,

1881. ■* ,:-.-,■

'.A

y

■T*V-. 4,

I H -I ., .■■.

\ > ,

§

t .'it

11

THE REPORT OF MR. JOHN SAGAR,

0/ Waddington, near ClUhcroe, Lancashire,

' Till report of Mr. Sagar, of Wadclington, tho gentleman who in May last wont to Canada aa
the reprencntative of the Clitheroe farmers, was submitted to a meeting of farmers and others,
held in the Swan and Royal Hotel, on Monday. Tho mooting, at which there were about fifty
persons present, was presided over by Mr. W. Tomlin89n, fanner, of Orapes Lane, who, after
the reading of the report, invited questions bearing iipon the subject of which it treated.
Questions were put by Mr. Dickinson of Bradford, Mr. Johnson, tho Rev. W. L. Roberts,
and others, all of which were satisfactorily answered. Mr. Thomas Grahume, Agent of the
Canadian Government, was present, and made a short speech, and the mooting concluded with
A vote of thanks to Mr. Sagar for having so well filled his position as delegate of the Clitheroe
farmers.' — Preston Guardian, December 18th, 1880i

The following is the text of the report :

At a meeting of the farmers of this district hold in Clitheroe, In May last, at the Instanoe
of the Government of Canada, I had the honour of being selected as your delegate to proceed
to that country to inspect its resources and to report as to its suitability for the settlement
of British farmers. Before commencing my report, it may be well to mention the circumstances
which I understand led to myself and fellow-delegates being appointed. For many years a
large emigration has been taking place from England, Scotland, and Ireland, the greater
proportion of which has gone to Uie United States. To acooimt for this, several oauses have
been assigned.

In the first place, many people have gone out to join their friends ; and I have heard It
stated that of the exodus of this year to the United States the c 3an passages of a very large
number were prepaid in America. Then, again, people have got hold of the idea that the
Canadian climate is one long winter. Representations of its scenery are almost always wintry
In aspect ; and, again, until Manitoba and the North -West Territories were opened up recently,
Canaiaa had no prairie land which could compete with the Western States of America. But
Jiow all this is changed, and it is now certain that Canada possesses prairies greater in extent
than those In the States, and equally fertile. This is admitted by the Americans themselves,
although many of uiem who are interested in the sales of land describe Canada — in which
they recognise a powerful competitor — as a country to be avoided.

It was, therefore, with a view to place the coiutry in its proper light before those who
had thopghts of emigrating that the Government of Canada invited farmers to visit the
Dominion and report their independent opinions as to its agricultural position and capabilities.

As to Manitoba and the North-West Territory I cannot speak personally, as I did not
go there — Mr. Curtis, of the Skipton district, and -myself having confined our inspection to
the Province of Ontario. Several delegates were selected, in di£ferent parts ; but as the country
is CO large, our party had to be divic^ jd, in order to admit of its being thoroughly investigated ;
and when I say that the Province of Ontario contains an area of about 200,000 square miles,
it will be seen that we had a good deal of ground to get over. I understand that the reports
on Manitoba, the North-West Territories, and the Maritime Provinces will be printed and
published with my own, so that anyone interested ccn obtain copies at the Canadian 6ovem<
ment Offices in this country.

I now proceed to give yon my ideas about Ontario. I may here say that I was allowed
to go where I liked, and that every facility was given to me in the prosecution of my inqnlries.
I left Liverpool on July 22nd, in the steamer Sarmatian. belonging to the Allan Royal Miul
line ; and titer a good passage arrived at Quebec on the 31st, three days of the voyage belns
In the comparatively smooth waters of the River St. Lawrence. The accommodation on board
thii steamer was excellent, and so was the living, and the trip was in every way an enjoyable
one. I had a talk with some of the many steerage passengers on board. They seemed to be
well satisfied with their quarters and their food.

The land on the shores of the St. Lawrence, 200 miles below Quebeo, did not seem to in^

%

Mr, John 8aijar*$ Rfip^rl,

111

R,

t to Canada tm
new and otherB,
veto about fifty
lane, who, after
lich it treated.
• L. Roberts,
, Agent of the
conuluded with
>f the ClithenM

at the Instance
jato to proceed
the settlement
3 ciroumstances
many years a
d, the greater
ral oauBes have

have heard It
)f a very large

idea that the
always wintry
Bd up recently,
bnerica. But
ater in extent

ns ^

ida — in which

>re those who
to visit the
capabilities,
as I did not
inspection to
* the country
investigated ;
square miles,
t the reports
printed and
lian Govern*

was allowed
My inqoiries.
ItoyalMail
roya^ befaiff
on on board
m enjoyable
iemed to be

seem to 109

to poMOfls any attractive features for tho eyo of the a;;ricnlturtst, but about 30 mtloi from '
Quuboo it assumed a bettor appcarnnco, and I shoiild nay thure is some fair land thereu
iJthouffh I could only judge by the view obtained from the deck of the steamer. We stavea
in Queoeo over the Sunday, and then went on to Montreal, the largest city in the Domlnioni
with a population of about 160,000. It is plcturosqaoly situated on an island on the Sk
Lawrence, and at the book of it rises Mount lloyal, from which a beautiful view of the city
and the river Is obtained. I do not know a place of its size which contains so many fine boslneei
buildings and handsome residences. The quays and wharves are cocsidorably over a mUe long,
and great ocean-going steamers of 4000 tons burden can be moored alongside. I am torn
that during 1879, 289 steamers arrived at the port, and 823 sailing vosseh, and that dtiring
the present year the numbers have largely increofled, Indeed, the people are hoping thai
when the present system of canals is enlarged (tho work is now in operation) a large proportion
of the gram and other produce will find it^ way from the Wostorn States of Amorioa and
of Canada through this port, for not only is tho diatanco from Chicago to Montreal leas by
160 miles than from Chicago to New York, but there are 111 more louks and 89^ feet more
lockage by the latter route than the former ; and tho distanco from Montreal to liiverpool ii
800 miles less than from New Yorlc, which should moan chvapur transit

We went to Ottawo, the capital o[ tho Dominion, and saw Mr. Lowo, tho secretary of tho
Department of Agi-iculturo. After acme convursation, it was decided that Mr. Curtis and I
should report upon Ontario, as before stated ; Mr. Brudcrick of Wcntiloydale, and Mr. Imri*
of Glasgow, doing Manitoba and the North-Wost.

From Ottawa we proceeded westward, and visited a large number of townships, town%
and villages In the different counties. I do not tliink it will serve any good purpose to
describe in detail each farm and each district I viuitcd. I may say that we made Toronto,
Hamilton, and London our hoatlqnartcrs, and journeyed into the country from those centres.
I propose to give a short description of each, and to fiuibh with a few general remarks, mora
or less applicable to the whole province.

Toronto is the principal city in the west of Old Canada, and has a population of about 80,000.
It Is a busy, thriving place, possesses many fine buildings, schools, collogcB, and a public park,
and the Inhabitants being principally English by birth or by descent, it is more British m its
characteristics than any of the cities in Eastern Canada, where the population is largely composed
of French Canadians, most of whom spoak tlie French language and own adherence to the
Catholic religion. During our stay in Toronto we made a tour of tlie country, 40 miles north
and east thereof, and were conducted by Mr. William Bonnie, a seedsman of that city, to whose
kindness and assistance I was much indobtcd. We inspected the farms, roads, soils, crops, and
system of agriculture, and had conversations with the leading farmers in the district. Our first
visit was to Messrs. Leslie and Sons' Nursery at Leslieville. Unfortunately the proprietors were
from home, but under Mr. llennio's pilotage we examined the oruhard and shrubbery near the
house. There was a magnificent collection of dahlias ; the pear-trees wore loaded down with
fruit, the weight of which was actually breaking tho branches ; a magnificent spruce hedge to
the west of the house interested me very much. The next point of interest was Mr. Simon
Beattie's farm on the Kennedy Bead, where a fine crop of mangels and two or three varieties of
turnips and other root crops indicated the breeder and feeder of cattle. Mr. Seattle is known
all over Canada and the United States as an importer of high-class cattle. He imported some
of the finest cattle and sheep at the Koyal Agricultural Show at Carlisle this year for breeding
purposes. Mr. Johnson's farm on the same road also called forth favourable comment, a nice
young orchard, with a spruce hedge along the west side as a wind-break, being especially
noticeable. The next farm was that of Mr. Glendinning, the champion quoiter and Dowler.
One of our party remarked that superiority at these games did not make a perfect farm.
Some roots, with more than the average quantity of weeds, would have been improved by
scuffling at the proper season ; however, on the whole, this farm ' had not a bad appearance,
and its defects would not have been so noticeable but for its proximity to one of the model
farms of Scarboro', that of Mr. Andrew Young. The beautiful clear fields, cattle in good con-
dition, good orchard sheltered with a handsome pine wind-break, all denoted the careful and
enterprising farmer. Mr. Young makes specialities of Ayrshire cattle and Clydesdale horses.
At a distance could be seen the fields and buildings of Mr. Andrew Hood, the prize ploughman,
who, with Mr. S. Rennie (also noted for his work with the plough), hopes to come into contact
with the ploughmen of Great Britain at the Scottish match next year.

A stumpy patch on Mr. Kennedy's farm, which we next visited, caused by a wind-storm,
which levelled a portion of his woods a few years since, brought up the subject of oxen. Mr.
Anderson, a delegate from Ireland, stated that he noticed oxen wero very much used In the
North- West, which he had just returned from exploring. One day he met a farmer with » vury
ugly team of oxen, obstinate and hard to manage, and said to him :

' Friend, you are having a hard time with your oxen V . "

The driver said with a sigh, ' Yes, I came out here a religions man, but I am now persuaded
l^hat no man can remain religious and drive oxen.'

hkc. Rennie^ who had ipuch experience with oxen, o.jii wa? at ono time poted for his snocen lit

* ■ t .'

ill

118

Mr, John Sagaft Report

logging * bees ' and other places where oxen were nsed, said that it was a m^dtake to snppose
that oxen required to be yelled at or pummelled, as is bo often the faahion. By uniform kind-
ne)38 and gentlene;is a driver "nn manage oxen with as great ease as he could horses.

Arriving at the Rennie womesteud about noon, we were invited in to dinner. This farm b
worked by Mr. S. Rennie, and is a credit to the township. To tlie west of the house, in what
oaed to be his mother's duck-yard, is the spot in which are now raised most of the roots which he
exhibits at the various shows. The red and white carrots, mangels, sugar beet, etc., growing here
were very fine. Two pumpkins (weighing over 35 lb. each, and not at fxdl growth), mammoth
■quash (weighing at least 150 lbs. a piece, and likely to be 275 lb, before they stop growing, so
it was said), and swede turnips of immense size, were indications of what can be done in fancy
farming. A fielc^ of white carrots, mangels, and potatoes, grown with ordinary cultivation, gave
evidence rf being a very heavy crop, in fact I never saw a better field in all my life.

Mr. Rennie shows some very fine Suffolk pigs from a prize boar and well-bred sow. He con*
siders the Suffolk the best breed for grass feeding and running out. The grain crop is stowed
away in his bam in excellent order. In reply to questions, he said that in 17 years' farming
his smallest crop of barley averaged 88 bushels to the acre, whereas he had one year an
average of 55 bushels. A splendid yoimg orchard, planted to the north of the house, is
sheltered on the north, east, and west by a hedge of Norway spruce, which will not only
protect the trees from the frost but also from the fall winds, which do so much damage to
fruit by shaking it off and breaking the trees.

After leaving this farm Mr. Thomas Hood's was next viewed. A hedge of wild apple-
trees was a novel feature. We uext passed the farms of Mr. John Gibson, a good farmer
and a strong advocate of proper rotation of crops ; of Mr. William Hood, jun., whose farm
is a model which it would be well if the farmers of Markham would copy ; of Mr. William
Bencie, who has within a couple of years planted out silver maples the whole way round his 120
aores, which are in an excellent state of cultivation.

We made some stay at Mr. Robert Marsh's farm, where we viewed his flock of South Down
eheep, of which he is justly proud. His sheep are all from imported rams and principally from
imported ewos, and show in their faces, fleeces, and form that they are pure bred. Mr. Marsh
has been trying lucci-ne, and speaks favourably of it. He thinks that in rich land it might be cut
three times a year, and that it would yield 2 to 3 tons per acre at each cui,ting. He took nine
medals and nine diplomas at the Centennial Exhibition, and in all 80 prizes last year.

From here we proceeded to the extensive premises of Mr. William Russell. Mr. James
Bussell shows with pride a gold medal won by his shorthorn ' Isabella,' as the best animal, male
or female, shown at the CentenniaL He also shows five silver medals, one bronze, and one
Canadian Commissioners' medal, all won at that exhibition, and all fcj shorthorns. He has now
a flock of 120 Cotswold sheep, with winners from the English Royal Exhibition at its head ; also 35
shorthorns, with ' British Statesman ' an imported bull, at the head of the herd. Also some very
fine Berkshire pigs from a first-prize sow at the Royal. Mr. Russell has 300 acres here and
150 a couple of miles to the west, and he and his boys keep it in excellent condition. Some of
the Cotswolds were weighed, with the following result : 4-year-old ewe, 345 lb. ; S-year-old
ewe, 823 lb. ; 2-year-old ewe, 323 lb. ; 1 -year-old ewe, 310 lb.

We had a discussion && to the ri3pective merits of the various breeds of sheep, and it was
rtated that for the best mutton the South Down was to be preferred, but for the uest wool and
mutton combined the Ootswold bore the palm. The shorthorns were turned out into the yard
and examined, bad they were really a creditable lot of animals. Some of the calves were very
fine.

While on the subject of the Toronto district I do not think it will be out of place for me to
quote in full a cutting I have taken from the agricultural columns of the Toronto Weekly Mail
ior October 29th, 1880, a leading newspaper of the Dominion, which gives an idea of what can
be don< in the way of growing roots in the province. I shall have to make some remarks on this
snbject later on :

' There is n' feature of Canadian farming which astonishes agriculturists from tlie old country
so much as our crops of roots. Brought up v, ith the idea that the height of good farming consists in
the raising of fine root-crops for feeding jattle, and being assured that there are no farmers like
their own, they are surprised when they arrive in Ontario to see mangel wurzels, sugar beets,
swede turnips and carrots, heavier crops and finer specimens than they have ever seen before.
Mr. William Rennie, seedsman, of this city, recognising the value of this fact, and knowing that
our regular fall shows come too early for the exhibition of mature roots, instituted some years
unce a root-show, which has annually brought forward an excellent exhibition of roots as well as
other farm products. This year the exhibition was held yesterday, and the whole exhibit u now
to be shipped to Mr. John Dyke, Government agent at Liverpool, to be placed on exhibi-
tion.

* Mr. E. Stock, of Etobicoke, slowed some excellent roots, among which may be mentioned
long red mangels, one of which weighed 73 lb., the heaviest weight on reoord ; red globe
mangels ; yellow globe mangels, the heaviest of which is 58 lb. ; six swede turnips, two of
which are exceedingly large ; also graystone and whitestone turnips, white< and red carrots,

take to suppose
>y unifonu kind-

'. This farm is
house, in what
roots which he
«., growing here
wth), mammoth
stop growing, so
>e done in fancy
iultivation, gave
ife,

1 sow. He con-
crop is stowed
years' fanning
one year an
the house, is
will not only
luch damage to

of wild apple-

a good fanner

IV.., whose farm

of Mr. William

y round his 120

of South Down

principally from

ed. Mr. Marsh

i it might be cut

He took nine

year.

ell. Mr. James
est animal, male
bronze, and one
IS. He has now
its head ; also 35

Also some very
) acres here and
iition. Some of
J lb, ; 8-year-old

leep, and it was
le best wool and
it into the yard
Balvea were very

place for me to
ito tVeekly Mail
dea of what can

remarks on this

I the old country
ming consists in

no farmers like
els, sugar beets,
irer seen before,
id knowing that
uted some years

roots as well as
e exhibit is now
iced on exhibi-

y be mentioned
ord; red globe
turnips, two of
od red carrots,

Mr John Sagat^s JRepoii.

119

fed, white, and yellow onions, and parsnips. He also showed some long red mangels, Which
were sown 25th June, and pulled 25th October, one of which weighs 18} lb.

'I^Ir. S. Rennie, of Markham, also showed some remarkably tine specimens of his
skill in farming. Long yellow mangels,' long red mangels, red and yellow globe mangels,
the yellow weigUuig 56 lb.; white carrots, a beautiful sample; parsnips ;ja citron, weigh-
ing 33 lb. ; a field pumpkin, weighing 37 lb. ; and, to cap all, a mammoth squash, weighing
803 lb.

'Mr. H. J. Clark, of Muskoka, exhibited a vegetable marrow weighing 14 lb. ; Mr. John
Finlis, of Leslieville, some very fine yellow and red onions ; and Mr. John Wright, of Parkdale,
among other articles, some graystone turnips, weighing 10 lb. apiece. Messrs. George Leslie
and Sons, of Toronto Nurseries, exhibit specimens of shipping apr'es.'

During our stay at Hamilton we had several pleasant drives into the country. One of the
first places we visited was the vineyard of Mr. Thomas Barnes— the name of his place is Carrook
Lodge — and were shown over the vineyard and farm by the proprietor. Various kinds of
grapes were shown, and the methods of cultivation explained to us. The vines were heavily
laden with fruit, and I must say I had no idea that Canada was capable of growing the grape to
such perfection, considering that the latitude was about 46 degrees north. This does not point
to the climate being such a terrible affair when we consider that these grapes grow and ripen in
the open air and are left unprotected during the winter. The same remark also applies to the
fruit-trees, apples and pears, to peaches, melons, tomatoes, and such like. In travelling along
the road I was much struck with the neat and substantial farmhouses, far better than the
average in this country, and the furniture I noticed in those I visited is of a more costly abd
better description.

Our party next visited Mr. Jardine, at Vine Vale Farm, where a fine herd of Ayrshire cattle
were let out for inspection, and, taking animal for animal, I think England and Scotland #ould
find very few to equal it. Two or three of the animals were especially fine. The whole herd
of about forty are, with one exception, native-bred, and have taken a number of medals at
different fairs. After viewing the cattle we were shown over Mr. Jardine's hop-house, and saw
some of the hops which were just being cured. There is great competition among hop-gatherers
here, as in England, as to who can place the first in market. Mr. Jardine was ahead this year,
having placed his in the market on the 26th of July. The last of this season's product he
harvested during the first week in August.

Our next journey was through a portion of Halton county, bordering on Lake Ontario, in the
neighbourhood of Burlington. We had the pleasure of being accompanied by Mr. H. Hurd and
his brother. A short stop was made at Oaklands Farm, where we saw a fine crop of corn ; the
stalks were so tall that we had to look up at them. The next farm visited was Mr, Hurd's, at
Burlington, the attractive feature being an extensive cultivation of fruit. The farm consists of
75 acres, on which are 600 bearing apple-trees and 1500 pear-trees just coming into bearing ;
and, besides, there were 25 acres of nursery stock and an excellent crop of oats and barley. The
farm is all under-drained, and everything \,as in prime condition.

We noxt went to view Mr. O. T. Springer's farm, close by, where there was an orchard of
2000 apple-trees in full fruit.

The drive was continued to the farm of Mr. John Fothergill, known as the old Baxter Form,
and one of the finest in this part of Ontario. It consists of 200 acres, only 30 of which are in bush,
nearly all the remainder being under cultivation. On arriving at the farm, we were met by Mr.
Fothergill in person, who gave us a cordial reception. We first inspected the stock, of which
Mr. Fothergill has a fine collection. Some 25 head of cattle were shown, all thorough-breds,
mostly of the chorthorn Durham breed, and generally imported animals. We were then
escorted over the farm to view the grain and root crops, which were generally commendable.
There were fine fields of oats and barley, promising heavy yields to the acre, while the root-crops
were also very good. One field of turnips, thirteen acres in extent, deserved special attention.
The ground had been thoroughly manured in the ordinary way, and, in addition, 400 lb. of
Kingston phosphate per acre had been applied. The good effect of this fertiliser was seen in the
result of an experiment which Mr. Fothergill had made to test its value. Two rows which
had been left without the phosphate were easily picked out, and there were unmistakable
indications that from them there would only be one-third of a crop as compared with the rest
of the field. Mr. Fothergill haj another farm of 250 acres, which he works, some little distance
•way.

Our next visit was to inspect the world-famed Bow Pai-k Breeding Establishment, where we
were met by Mr. Hope, the manager of the farm and herd. We had ample opportunity afforded
us by the courteous manager to inspect the farm — comprising 1000 acres — which is under the
highest state of cultivation, and worked principally with the view of soil-feeding and the produo«
tion of roots for winter. The crop of cereals and loots upon the estate was excellent. The cattle
then came under inspection, which for number, the variety of its families, and the piurity and
•xoellenoy of its blood, is said to excel not only anything in America, but is unapproached by any
otii«r herd in the world, and is one of the monuments left to the Dominion by the late and
^«»t«d Bjon. G«orge litovu, th« fottaii«r of this fel«l)r»teci family of shorthonu, We vttra

120

3fr. John Sagar'i Report.

V

iii'

much indebted to Mr. Hope for his kind attention and hospitality. Mr. Clay, the resident ahare*
holder of the association, was absent in British Columbia as assistant to the British Royal Agri.
cultural Commission.

We also went to Guelph to see the Ontario Agricultural College and Model Farm at that plaoa^
which is supported by the Government. It is about 550 acres in extent, and is presided over by
Professors Brown and Mills. Its objects are to give a thoroughly practical agricultural education
to persons who intend to adopt fanning, and to conduct experiments which may tend to the ad-
vansement of agriculture. Its benefits are largely availed of, so much so that an extension of the
premises is being made, I may add that each student is paid for his labour on the farm, and it
>.<<.Baid to be possible to cover one's expenses of board and lodging in this way ; the tuition
U free.

We next made a tour through the district around London, the principal town in the county ol
Middlesex, Western Ontario. It has a population of 25,000, and is likely to become a large city.
What strikes one here is the repetition of the names of our own Metropolis. It has its Hyde
Park and Kensington ; the river running through it is called the Thames, and the bridges also
bear familiar names. Our first drive was through the Westminster district, and severfd farms
were visited — the land was of an excellent description and undulating — suitable for arable or pas-
turage purposes.

We then went to the Eobson settlement and saw good herds of fat cattle ; on one farm of 200
acres there were 80 head, and on another 50, in very good condition. Through the western part
of the township of Westminster, and to Fort Stanley, on Lake Erie, and from there to St.
^omas, was the next journey mapped out for us. We saw many fine farms throughout this
district, and the houses were of a substantial description ; in fact, some of them might almost be
called mansions.

While in the London dist-ict I paid a visit to Petrolia, in the township of Enniskillen, the
great mineral oil district of Canada. Theoil is pumped out of the earth and is refined, and is already
a great industry in these parts. We were driven through the township by the mayor, Mr. Kerr, and
saw some very good land. It would be improved by better drainage, it is true ; but in coimec<
tion with this fact it should be observe 'lat land can be bought for 10 dollars per acre. A good
deal of it is uncleared ; but this is not considered a disadvantage, as I was told that the
timber often realises more than the price of the land. I consider it a good place for grazing
farms.

We continued our journey to Sarnia, at the foot of Lake Huron. This is a great fruit-growing
district ; apples, pears, plums, and peaches, flourish luxuriantly, and are very cheap. During our
Btay here we had an opportunity of examining the system of registering titles to land in Cimada.
It is ^^Tty simple and complete, and I may add that the cost of making a transfer ia very snxaU,
and need not exceed 30s., including lawyer's fee.

Our next trip led us into the counties of Kent find Essex. There are a good many French
[Settlements in this district, where the land was fairly good, though the farming did not come up
to a high stand ud. There is some better land at Colchester, about eight miles from Kingsville,
which is well farmed. Fine orchards and good farm -buildings meet the eye, and I also noticed
some good herds. At Morpeth we inspected a fine farm owned by Mr. Gardiner, consisting of
245 acres all iu excellent order. The land a short time ago -vus considered a poor one, and the
tliree former owners could not live on it, but by proper farming it has been brought into good
condition. He uses salt largely as a fertiliser. He has some good cattle, some of them imported
animals.

We also went to the farm of Colonel Desmond, 245 acres,, which Is In still better order,
having always been well farmed. It has been in the colonel's possession over aixty years. Ha
la a hale old gentleman, and works on the farm himself.

V7e then made our way to Chatham, in the county of Kent, which is the centre of a fine
farmu>g district. This town is situated on the River Thames. Wo visited the farm of Mr.
Dodson, which is in excellent condition and well drained. There are 26 acres of orchard
attached to the farm, and fruit was so plentiful as to be rotting on the ground. I think the
land in this district among the best I s iw in Canada.

The county of Kent is second to none in the province for its fertility or the variety of its
products. It stands perhaps first as a fruit-growing district, apples, pears, peaches, plums,
cherries, quince?, and grapes being produced in vast quantities. Grape culture is made a spe-
ciality by some persons. While all the cereals grow well, Kent is one of the few counties
where a considerable area is devoted to the growth of Indian corn.

On the Lake Erie front the soil is a gravelly loam, further back clay loam is met with, and
In the northerly and easterly parts of the county a sandy ioam prevails. There is a good deal of
very fine stock in the county, much attention having been paid' to the breeding of improved
animals during late years ; this applies to horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs. Prices of farms vary
from 10 dollars (£2) to 100 dollars (£20) per acre, depending mainly on locality and the extent
4)f improvements effected. The lake supplies ample water navigation, and this is supplemented
by the Great Western and the Canada Southern Railways, which cross the county from
IMH;(ib*«Wit tp nouth-weatt wd » Urq i«i now being coastruet«d from Rood E«u to CbathiuEo, theaoflt

y, the resident share.
British Royal Agri.

IPannatthatpIaofc
i is pre»ldrd over ^
jricultural education
may tend to the ad-
i an extension of the
on the farm, and It
lis way ; the tuition

>\rn In the county o!
)ecome a large city.
8. It has its Hyde
md the bridges also
;, and several fanns
>le for arable or pas.

on one farm of 200
h the western part
from there to St.
ms throughout this
m might ahnost be

of EnniskUIen, the
ned, and is ahready
yor, Mr. Kerr, and
e ; but in connec*
per acre. A good
i^as told that the
I place for grazing

reat fruit-growing
eap. During our

0 land in Canada,
sf er is very small,

ood many French
' did not come up
from Kingsville,
'nd I also noticed
ner, consisting of
x>or one, and the
rought into good
>f them imported

till better order,
«xty years. He

centre of a fine
the farm of Mr.
ores of orchard
>d. I think the

ie variety of its
caches, plums,
» is made a spe*
e few counties

met with, and
a good deal of
ig of improved

1 of farms vary
*nd the extent
supplemented
I county from

AtbMo, theooflt

Mr. John Sagar** Itq>ort,

121

northward to Dresden, and finally to Samia, not only intersecting in its course th« two main
lines already referred to, but also connecting at Samia with the Grand Trunk syst -tx.

On oiur way back from Chatham to London we passed through a very fine farming district,
the land in the last forty miles, nearing London, being especially good. I may state that the
'soil varies from a heavy clay to a sandy loam, and can be bought at from £7 to £20 per acre,
including buildings. The average production of cereals and roots is said to bo as follows :
Wheat, 20 bushels ; barley, 30 ; peas, 12 ; oats, 35 ; potatoes, 100 ; turnips, 300 ; hay, 1 J ton
per acre. The rent of farms varies from £20 to £80 per 100 acres.

We next inspected the district between London and Wingham, Huron county. The view of
the land one generally gets from a railway car is not very good, as the lines seem to pass through
the worst land, but in our present journey this will not apply, as the country we passed through
seemed to be a fertile district. We were driven around Wingham by the mayor, Mr. B. Wilson,
and Dr. Tamlin, an old resident in this part of the country. The land on our way to Teeswater
has only recently been cleared, as wo were told, but it appeared very good land. We visited tho
Teejwater Butter Factory. The butter, it was said, commands a very high price in the British
markets. We were shown a large number of packages, ready for shipment, for which Is. 2d. per
lb. had been refused. The butter is not touched by the hands during its manufacture. We also
visited a cheese factory at this place controlled by "Mr, Wilson. The cheese waa of a very good
and uniform quality, and ought to bring a good price.

During my stay at Toronto a large agricultural exhibition was held, which I visited. Tho
exhibits of cattle were very creditable indeed, some of the animals being equal to anything I
have seen in this country. A white ox and a roan one particularly attracted my attention. The
show of sheep also was excellent, and notwithstanding the winter, which necessitates housing,
they seem to do very well. No disease is found amongst them : no scab, foot-rot, or maggot ;
and this remark applies also to the cattle, which are allowed to enter England alive, while thoso
from the United States have to be slaughtered at the port of debarkation — certainly a great
advantage to the Canadian dealers. The pigs also were of good quality. The show of cereals,
fruits, and roots I have rarely seen equalled. Lnplements also formed an attractive feature at
this show. They are lighter than those of English make, and easier to work. I went to see a
trial of a binder and reaper, worked separately, and although it did not seem to act as well as was
expected, it was considered to be satisfactory, and will doubtless be heard of again. The maker
was John Watson, of Ayr. The mowing machines seemed to me to be better than those wo
have ; they are used both for hay and clover. As stated previously, I did not have an oppor>
tunity of visiting Manitoba, but I must not omit to mention the ' Manitoba Exhibit ' at this show.
It gave a good idea of what tha district can produce, and I shall be mistaken if my fellow-
delegates have not something surprising to say about it. I had always understood that its
climate was something to be avoided, but there cannot be much the matter if the country can
produce such wheat, barley, oats, and roots as I saw in Toronto.

I also "visited an agricultural show at Hamilton, which was very much like that at Toronto,
the exhibits of fruit and implements being larger, if anything.

As regards the price of land, improved farms can be boug!" t throughout the province at prices
ranging from 40 to 100 dollars per acre, according to the quality of the soil and the state of the
buildings. Free-grant lands are also obtainable ; and as to these, full information can be obtained
from the Canadian Government offices in this country.

To start farming on cleared and improved land, I think a man ought to have from £700 to
£2000 — the more the better. In some of the best districts farms of 100 acres are purchasable for
from £1000 to £1200, such as would cost treble the price, or more, in England ; but I should
recommend anyone to rent a farm in the first place, until he has time to look about him. No
one should be in a hurry to buy. Of course, on a free grant of land a very much smaller suni
than that I have named would suffice. I may mention here, as an instance of what can be done,
the case of Mr. Coward, of Maple Grove, Brantfcrd. He has an excellent farm, and as good a
stock of cattlo as I saw in Ontario; he has twelve acres of orchard, from which he realised 160
dollars in 1879 ; and grows good wheat and fine thin-skinned barley. He is now well off, but
started on a very small scale. Mr. Stock, of Hamilton, too, started without means. He now
owns a fine farm, which his sons work ; he himself has retired. These are only a sample of many
cases I came across ; but of course this success is not obtained without hard work.

I made inquiry as to why so many farms were for sale, and found that many reasons w er©
assigned. Many of the farmers are the pioneers in their districts, and some, having a liking for
that sort of life, wish to sell their farms and go with their grown-up families to new dist icts
(many make their way to Manitoba), where they can get a larger tract of land at a lower « est,
and employ their capital in developing new properties. Others have got up in years, and wish
to retire. Others, again, have their lands heavily mortgaged, and owing to the high rates of
interest charged for money, have to sell out ; while others have impoverished the soil, and do
not care for the trouble of recuperating it.

While on this subject, I may say afoAV words about the system of fanning. In the past, th*
idea seems to have been to get as much out of the soil as possible, and to put nothing hAcka
Suooessive oroppings of wheat have been resorted to, and have naturfvlly had the effeot of

.1

1»

Mr. Jchn Sagar*t Stporl

I

it

I;

ill

weaLenfng the land. Manuring has been a matter very little thought about } In fact, the sfrftiv
and stable manure has evidently been deemed an incumbrance rather than a benefit. I am glad
to say, however, that there is a likelihood of a better state of things prevailing. Ontario farmers
are beginning to see the importance of cattle-raising, and as a consequence, more roots and green
fodders are being grown, and the straw utilised. This cannot fail to be productive of good
' results.

The educational system of the province is very complete, and the tuition is free. Taxes are
light, ranging from about £5 10s. to £6 per 100 acres, including school-rates. The church is
self-supporting, and consequently there are no tithes.

The roads are good, generally about 66 feet wide, and the markets are easily reached The
nrovince is very much like a district of !5ngland, villages and towns scattered about ; but still it
cannot be said to be thickly populate^!, the inhabitants only numbering about 1,800,000.

There is a good opening for agricultural labourers, who can get 48. to 5s. a day, or £30 to
a£36 per year, and iuoard. A careful, hard-working man has a good prospect before him.
Domestic servantt; ara in great demand, the wages ranging from £10 to £15 per annum.

The average crop of wheat, so far as I could learn, wu3 from 20 to 34 bushels per acre ; oats,
86 to 40 ; barley about the same ; Indian corn 40 bushels. Potatoes were excellent. I pulled
«p some roots on which there were from 10 to 13 tubers. The price of wheat ranged from 90
to 95 cents per bushel ; butter, 25 cents per lb. ; eggs, 25 cents per dozen ; beef and mutton,
2|d. to 5d. per lb. Living is certainly cheaper than in England, and clothes, of Canadian stuffs,
are about the same price ; of course, if one requires English goods, a higher price has to
be paid.

I had almost forgotten to mention my visit to the Muakoka district, which is now being
opened up. It contains much soil that is good, bad, and indifferent, many parts being rocky. It
ifi, however, considered to have a good future before it, both as a wheat-growing country and for
oaittle-raising, and some of the produce shown to me certainly seemed to bear this out.

Now, as regards the climate, it is certainly hotter than in England during the summer, or the
fruits could not be brought to the perfection that is apparent, but the heat is not felt to so great
an extent as it would be in England. Owing to the great lakes and to tb") dryness of the air,
the thermometer at 90° in the shade is not so uncomfortable as one would expe A The winter is
longer than nie are accustomed to, and more severe ; but the Canadians look forward to it with
no unpleasant feelings. T':ey say that the air is so dry, clear, and bracing that the season is
most exhilarating and enjoyable. The worst feature about it is that cattle and sheep have to be
carefully housed ; but when roots are grown, and the fattening of stock more practised, this need
not be any great disadvantage. As to this, I may say that I hear that a Torriito syndicate have
contracted with the Allan Steamship Line to convey 21,000 head of cattle to the English markets
during the next three years.

I came across an interesting letter, dated October, 1879, in one of the books recently published

SjLthe Government of Ontario. It is by one of the Professors (Mr. Brown) of the Agricultural
oUege at Guelpb ; and being, therefore, reliable, I quote portions of it, as it may be of interest
to my readers.

From a British Farmer in Ontario to British Farmert,

* , . , My claim to be an authority on this subject is a twenty-years* daily professional inter*
course among yourselves, and an eight years' one as practical and as intimate with Canadian
farmers. Now, just as I make a speciality of addressing a particular class of agriculturists, so I

shall confine my remarks to a particular part of this Dominion (Ontario) Two-thirds of

this garden is under cultivation ; the remainder consists of woodland, swamp, pasture, and water.
Comp>*ratively few tree-stumps remain to mark the progress of clearing during the la«t half
century, for this short period practically limits the history of the plough in Ontario ; neither can
we count many log-huts, though primitive rail fences are plentiful. Dwelling-houses of stone
and brick, equal and superior to many of your own, are very common. Men from England,
Scotland, Ireland, and Germany have done all this. Wealthy landed proprietors here were
formerly Yorkshire cattle-men. Highland shepherds, or Paisley weavers, Ulster ditchers, and
German labourers. Many of them are still alive, driving their own reaper, or representing their
pwn county in the Parliament at Ottawa, or the Legislature at Toronto.

* We have two long seasons in the year, summer and winter, with a smell of your spring and
aTitiunn--winter from the middle of November to the middle o! April. The health of the
province is about the average of civilised countries for all sorts of life. There is no mistake about
the weather I 85° in the shade is — 85° ; and zero is unquestionably 0°.

' The wheat of Ontario is, at present, from about equal surfaces of winter and spring sowing,
and with a tendency to an increase in the latter, producing 25 and 15 bushels respectively with
poor farming, and seldom under 40 and 25 by good management. Straw and head are not so
heavy as with yourselves, because growth is pushed too much ; but quality is superior by reason
of the same cause. The over-cleavance of forest has made wheat-growing more precarious by the

In fact, the sfraw
lenefit. I am glad
. Ontario farmers
re roots and greetj
rodiictive of good

i free. Taxes are
8. The church \a

illy reached The
ibont ; but still it
1,800,000.
a day, or ^£30 to
3ect before him.
r annum.
Is per acre ; oats,
cellent. I pulled
t ranged from 90
)eef and mutton,
' Canadian stuffs,
her price has to

ich is now being
being rocky. It
: country and for
is out.

le siunmer, or the
t felt to so great
ryn«^ss of the air,
t. The Mrinter is
»rward to it with
lat the season is
sheep have to be
MJtised, this need
0 syndicate have
English markets

«ently published
the Agricultural
ty be of interest

ofessional inter*
with Canadian
•iculturists, so I
. Two-thirds of
ture, and water,
g the laflt half
io ; neither can
louses of stone
from England,
tors here were
ditchers, and
resenting their

our spring and
health of the
mistake about

spring sowing,
pecti vely with
lad are not so
rior by reason
carious by the

Mr. John Sagar'$ Hqaort 128

#ant of ImmecUate shelter, snow not lying on the exposed parts. But replanting and a second
natural growth of timber are in progress. We have never had what may be called a general
faUure in the wheat crops, even with all our carelessness ; so you may judge what Bkill and
capital should do.

' I have, in my own experience, proved that what la called exhausted land can b« thoroughly
recuperated in four years, by liberal treatment and systematic management, at actually no cost on
an average of seasons ; for the simple reason that much of this poor condition has beeb brought
about by one class of crops, and not a variety in any form. Land sick of wheat is not necessarily
•xbausted ; we have but to deal properly with present unavailable fertility to bring out large
productive powers.

' Barley is invariably a sure crop, and is always a valuable one, whether for malting or animal
food. From 30 to 40 bushels per acre is common. Oats, in quality of meal, are equal to your
owe, but lighter per bushel, being thicker skinned, as the result of rapid growth ; 40 to 50 bushels
per acre. As a vule, the 8tr.iW of the cereals is got at the rate of 3000 lb. per acre. Com (maize)
Is not generally a common crop for production of grain, though very plentiful and valuable for
green fodder, ab elsewhere noted. Peas and beans are important farm crops, the grain
and straw of the former being first-class food for sheep ; the yield is usually 25 bushels per
acre.

' In the improved system of breeding and fattening stock, green fodders are now taking an
Important place. The climate is particularly suitable for successive rushes of vegetation during
one seasoi Under liberal treatment they can be so arranged as to afford a continuous supply
from middle of April to 1st of November. Thus :

1. Lucerne, four cuttings 20 Tons per Acre, -^

2. Winter Rye, two cuttings 4 >

J 8. Red Clover, two cuttings 6 „ ,

4. Tares and Oats, one cutting 3 „

6. Millet, two cuttings 4 „

6. Maize, one cutting 30 ,|

7. Rape, one cutting 7 „

8. The thousand-headed Kale and Prickly Comfrey have just

been introduced with success.

•In the cultivation of roots, Ontario has already made herself a name in the world, even under
the difficulties of more heat and the shortness of her autumn, in comparison with Britain. We
lure gradually realising the facts that for a thorough cleaning and manuring, along with a crop
nnequalled for a winter supply of health and feeding to all animals, turnips, mangels, and
carrots arc now indispensable. For size and quality they are almost equal to your own
growing. Potatoes may be included in this character, in which we are superior, both in quantity '
kad quality. Swedes, 18 tons ; mangels, 22 tons ; carrots, 15 tons ; and potatoes, 8 tons per
acre on an average.

' We Lave difficulty in establishing a variety of grasses, either for rotation or permanent
pastures ; but persistent trials are gradually adding to the number of those able to withstand
the winters. Cultivated pastures invariably tax our best distribution of animals to overtake the
luxuriance of growth, and though the same stamp of beef as yours is not always to be had from

Eass, we always find our stock in improved flesh as autumn comes. Hay is a standard of
rge value, as it is often a cause of mismanagement, by reason of its prolificness — in inducing
to over-continuance of the crop in the hands of the lazy and incautious, not realising, as they
Bhoulrl do, that grasses proper are about as exhaustive as the other grasses called wheat, oats, and
birlty. From 3000 to 5000 lb. of hay per acre is common. The clovers, Bei)arately *nd in
tirbsociation with hay, are most luxuriant and valuable, both as a cropper, a restorative of ax-
hausted soils, and an improver of poor ones. We look to root and clover cultivation ia the
means of making good the past mismanagement in excessive wheat-growing.

'We can grow first-class beef and mutton with the products of our ovim soil, as fast and for
lees than you can do. We can teVe a Durham or Hereford cross-bred steer from its milk, Wlien
six months old, put it upon gieen and dry fodders, acc^'-ding to the season of the year, with bran
imd pea-meal or corn-meal, and within 24 months place ic on our seaboard at an average live Weight
of 1400 lb., and at a cost not exceeding £li. In this and all its connections there necessarily
results a large profit.

'You have heard of the woodlands of this country, and the diSculty in many cases of clearing
and getting rid of the stumps and roots. This is true to those new to the axe, and as .true that
our hard-wooded lands give more choice of site and soil than prairies, and certainly are mor
reliable for alternate farming and more valuable as an investment. The tree crop itself '
Ontario Is as costly as the best arable, so that, when you come to purchase, the desire will be

Sore tree suriace than is generally to be had. Be sure of the long and dear-bought experi
our pioneers, that no land on this continent is so safe and so kindly as from the prir
forests. Then again, few Governments are ao liberal as ours in the encouragement to agric

I

124

Mr^ John Sagar'i Repori

And arta. Our township, county, and provincial exhibitionB are a moat Important and IntereBtinji; |
feature In connection with tbo progress of agricultural industry.

' Vt'e have also to offer you variations in your profesaion that now command the attention of |
our most enterprising capitalists. I refer to fruit-growing and dairying. Cheese and butter-
making is conducted here on a scale and by methods unknown to the average British fanner — a I
branch of our rural economy characterised by immediate returns on moderate capital. It appears ai
most unnecessary to note that the excellence in bulk and variety of our fruits take no second
place in the world's competition. The farmer's orchard here means one-sixth of the family keep,

' While a very large country, Ontario is not yet thicldy populated. Ontario all over has only
Irom 1,800,000 to ?. 000,000 soula, and as we plough some 10,000,000 acres, an estimate of our
surplus may be made. That surplus, though not so largo as it ought to be, will ere long be an
immense one, even on the doubling of population. Our flour is well known in your own markets
as of superior quality. The United States grade our No. 2 barley as equal to their No. 1
(cause, soil and climate), and take all we can afford to send them. The herds and flocks of
Onvario are now looked up to by all on this continent as fountain-heads of excellence, purity, and
bealthfulness. We are at the present moment unable to supply the demand for Cotswold sheep
and Hereford cattle, and thus all over we are desirous of adding to our wealth and skilfid
management by the accession to our ranks of those who have the pluck to endure a few years'
personal labour with the certainty of success in the end. I purchased 220 acres for 5280 dollars
(£4 18s. 6d. per acre) ; beautifully situated upon the shores of a navigable lake within five miles
of a town, which is the centre of a rising district of a midland county of Ontario, that soon
became the junction of two railways. Soil, a rich clay loam, naturally dry, except ten acres, and
about fifteen very stony ; has been very poorly cultivated, is well sheltered (lake, south and east,
excepted) by one-third of the area which is under a maple, beech, and birch bush ; garden and
small orchard indifferent, fences old and poor, houses fair, roads good ; a stream runs diagonally
through the farm, and there existed no dil&ulty to a good title and a well-surveyed boundary.
Here I considered that judiciously laid-out money in permanent improvements, with better
farming, and steady self -application to labour, would bring about a change.

' I shall xce in juxtaposition to the Ontario case that of a farm many years In my own
hands in a midland county of Scotland, which consisted of 100 acres arable, 40 acres of meadow
pasture, and 800 acres of hill-grazing, and which comes in well in most respects as a fair, com-
parative example. The case of both was for a husband, wife, and five children : —

'Ontario Propnetorsldp. — Taxes, including road-money, school-rates, railway bonus, ftnd
•ounty rate, 55 dollars, or £11 63. 4d.

* Scotch Tenantship. — Rent and taxes : Ara'o'e, SOs. per aero, £150 : meadow, 18b., £36 ; hill
pasture, £40 ; poor-rates (half), £4 16s. ; road-tax (half), £2 18s. ; fire insurance on buildings,
£2 2s. ; cartages for proprietor, £1 83. ; " Kan," 15s. ; interest on fence protecting from game,
£17 15s. ; total, £255 9s.

'Comparative Abstract. — Ontario Proprietorship: Sum invested, £2162; taxes, £12;
annual maintenance of farm, £352 ; household expenses, £199 ; gross annual returns, £635 ;
surplus revenue during five years, £363 ; realisation after five years, £2550. Scotch Tenantship :
' Bum invested, £2600 ; rent and taxes, £255 ; annual maintenance of farm, £724 ; household
expenses, £265 ; gross annual rentals, £1308 ; surplub revenue during five years, £305 ; realisa-
tion after five years, £2400.

* It appears, then, that a capital of £2600 invested in British fanning takes fully one-third
of itself for annual support, of which one-fourth is household ; and that there is an annual gross
revenue equal to half the invested sum, which sum does not always increase in value, but may
be considerably lessened under certain conditions. It also appears that £2152 invested in the
purchase of land and the farming of it, in Ontario, requires one-fourth of itself for annual main-
tenance, of which one-half is household ; and that there is a gross annual revenue equal to nearly
one-third of the invested sum, which sum increases 22 per cent, in value during years under
special conditions. The return per acre is much larger in Britain ; living is not so different from
your class as may be supposed, and the great difference of annual maintenance is largely in rent
and labour.

' I could say much more that would be of interest to old countrymen and colonists, but a
letter having to be a letter only, I must defer until a better opportunity for details. I trust very
many of you will at once take advantage of the present condition of things, that is (1) your own
difficulties, and (2) the fact of land here being 25 per cent, lower in price than four years ago.'

And now just a few words as to Canada, and particularly Ontario, as a field for emigration.

This is a question which I approach with some caution. The country is undoubtedly a fine one,

I and I was very nearly buying some land for myself there. It, of course, has its drawbacks, as

\ every place must have. In the first place, its v, 'nters are nearly five months long ; but, from all I

I heard, the principal inconvenience is that the sheep, as well as cattle, have to be housed during

^,that eeasoa. Then, the yields are not so great as on our English farms, and wages are higher ;

■tantandlntereBtlnR)

»nd the attention of
Cheese and butter-
ro British farmer—a
pital. It appears at
■uits take no second j
of the family keep,
•io all over has only
an estimate of our '
will ere long be an
» your own markets
ual to then: No. 1
lerds and flocks of
ollence, purity, and
for Cotswold sheep
wealth and skilful
ndure a few years'
es for 6280 dollars
e within five miles
Ontario, that soon
cept ten acres, and
ce, south and east,
aushj garden and
m runs diagonally
irveyed boundary,
ents, with better

years In my own

acres of meadow

sts as a fair, com-

Iway bonus, and

^1 18s., je36; hill
nee on buildings,
cting from game,

2; taxes, £12;
■ returns, £635;
otch Tenantship :
E724 ; household
3i £305 ; realisa-

Mr. John Sagar*$ Report

125

but, to counterbalance this, neither the cost of land nor the rent and taxes are so high as in this
country, and cattle and the cost of living are cheaper. These small yields, too, are in many
cases accounted for by bad farming, an error a new settler need not fall into ; and, as it hasi
reduced the price of land, and as manure is cheap, it is not altogether a great disad^ntago from
an English settler's point of view. My advice is, to people who are getting on well in England,
or who hope for better times and can hang on, ' Stay where you are ;' but for men who are seeking
new fields in which to employ their capital and farming knowledge, and especially those who
have grown-up families, I believe that Canada offers an opening which is second to none. Ono
can reach Canada much cheaper than any other colony, and land is at a lower price, with a bettei'
chance of selling the products to advantage. There are many men in Canada who started
aa pioneers years ago with no capital but an axe, but are now well off. This cannot but bo
regarded as hopeful.

Anyone with a small capital need not, however, go through the hardships of a back-woods-
man's life, now that cleared land is so comparatively cheap and can be rented at such a low price.
\gricultural labourers get good wages, and, I consider, have a good prospect. But the Ontario
farms cou!'' c et a better and more satisfactory system of labour if they would establish a class of
resident labourers on their land, similar to those we have in England, providing cottages for
them, with small garden lots, which could easily be done.

I have been asked, if Canada is so fine a country, why the people who have lands there and
get on so well do not write for their friends, in the same way as is done in the States 7 As
regards this, in the fir^t place, it must be remembered that, the United States of America has a
population more than eleven times as great as Canada, so that it is not astonishing that emigra-
tion should be greater than to the latter country. I quote the following figures taken from
Parliamentary returns, which show the relative emigration (British origin only) to both countries
from 1869 to 1873 :

'! i

Canada,

United States.

1869

. 20,921

. 146,737

1870

. 27,168

. 153,466

1871

. 24,954

. 150,788

1872

. 24,328

. 161,782

1873

. 29,045

. 100,730

Excepting last year (1879-80), the emigration during these periods has boon the largest ever
known, and it will be seen that, according to the respective populations, Canada has secured a
greater proportion of British emigrants than the United States, But she not unreasonably
wants to get still more to occupy the large tracts of country which are yet only very partially
inhabited, and thinks, as a British colony, she has a greater claim to them.
I now conclude my report.

8 fully one-third
an annual gross
I value, but may
I invested in the
or annual main-
(equal to nearly
ing years under

0 different from

1 largely in rent

colonists, but a
8. I trust very
is (1) your own
a years ago.'

for emigration.
Jdly a fine one,
drawbacks, as
but, from all I
housed during
:es are higher ;

I!

II

I

A PAPER

ill

ooiraniBUTKD

By MR. JAMES RIDDELL,

0/ Miami, Manitoba, formerly of Ilundalee, Jedburgh, Scotland, who is temporarily

staying at the latter address.

it haa been suggested by the High Comtni^sionet of the Dotninfon of Canada that I might
write a paper giving my personal experience of Manitoba and the North-West Territory for the
benefit of those who are intending to settle there. In doing so I must confine my remarks
principallv to Manitoba, where I have been for nearly four years. It L impossible to enter into
any detailed account of the country without going over much that has already been written, but
my remarks will be practical and based upon my own experience. Appreciating the difficulties
of the Scotch Tenant Farmers' Delegates in their hurried visit to the country, I will first tftke
the liberty of corroborating generally the statements they have made.

The class of people most likely to succeed in Manitoba and the North-West Territory are
those who intend farming, as the country i i almost purely agricultural. They would have
greater advantages if men of practical experien'te, and willing to work themselves when necessary.
Owing to the richness of the soil crops can be grown with little trouble ; still, when farmed
according to the rules of good husbandry, it fully repays all extra time and care given to ita
ooltivation. It follows as a certainty that the British farmer is, as a nile, capable of working
the land of Western Canada to the best advantage to himself and to the country.

The best time for settlers to arrive depends on their proposed line of action. By arriving in the
apring a difficulty arises through the absence of good roads, but this want is now being removed
by railway extension westward, and by the province bein^ divided into municipalities, which
have the power to assess landholders for the construction 61 t-oads and bridges. The amount of
BBsemment on a 320-acre farm ranges from 6 to 8 d6llars a year, khd i!f judiciously ex-
,pended will, within a few years, make substantial roads. To ente^ on Uniittproved land and
begin work immediately for the purpose of cropping the following year, spring (notwithstianding
the state of the roads) is certainly the best time. The reads become good in June, and remain so
if the season is dry ; during the winter they are of course excellent. But any Reason would be
suitable for th« arrival of young men who are in no hurry to begin farming for themselves, and
wish to gain information from those who have been some time in the country. Those with
families and who pos^^ess capital should allow the summer to be pretty well advanced before
going to Manitoba.

There are lines of steamships to Canada, sailing from London, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow,
Londonderry, and Cork, and I can speak as to the comforts and attention to be obtained on
board the Liverpool and Glasgow steamers. Through tickets can be had to Winnipeg, the entire
tnp taking fifteen days.

Passengers by rail in Canada are allowed a certain amount of baggage, about 300 lb. weight ;
all above that weight is charged extra. It is well to take out personal clothing, such as tweeds
(which will be found to be most profitable wear), flannels, blankets, cutlery, or any light house-
hold articles. Furniture and heavier goods can be bought in Winnipeg at reasonable prices. A
few pairs of boots, not too heavy, without iron, would be found useful. It is only in summer
that~boots are worn, as moccasons, a kind of shoe made of dressed moose and buffalo hide, are
used during winter.

On arrrval at any of the ports, there are In waiting a staff of customs officials who do their
duty agreeably, and all made-up clothing for personal use, and settlers' effects, are passed free of
duty. When once your baggage is into the hands of the railway officials, you are relieved from
turner care of it, as a 'check' system is in use, which has been found to work satisfactorily. Every
parcel is numbered, a check with a duplicate number is given to the ovimer, and on presenting
this at the end of your journey your baggage is handed to you.

Now that the railway system is extended to Winnipeg, that city is perhaps the best centre for
settlers to make for. On arrival, ample accommodation can easily be found at moderate charges.
Settlers should be on their guard against persons who have land to sell, and on no account

A Paper Contributed hy Mr. Jamet EiddeU.

127

3 w temporarily

'ada that I mfght
Territory for the
ifine my remarka
ible to enter Into
'een written, but
'g the difBcuIibies
1 1 will first tekb

Mt Territory are
hey would have
I when necessary.
". when fanned
Bare given to ita
»ble of working

■

^arriving In the
being removed
"Polities, which
The amount of
ludiciousJy ex-
roved land and
Jtwilhstknding
and remain so
tason would be
lemaelves, and
• Those with
ivanced before

'ool, Glasgow,
e obtained on
'eg, the entire

>0 lb. weight;
ich as tweeds
' light house,
le prices. A
y in summer
'alo hide, are

'ho do their
M«ed free of
Bliftved from
Jrily. Every
1 presenting

It centre for
*te charges,
no account

should they make a purchase until the land has boen viewed, as many have been dl8app<^ted

under the circumstances.

The seloution of a location depends on the inclination of the settler, as well as the amount of
money at his disposal. It is necessary to find out the prices of land in the different districts,
Which can be obtained on application at the Government Land Offices at Winnipeg, and elsewhere,
or from the Land Regulations issued by the Department of the Interior. The Canadian Govern-
ment have made provision for the sale of lands extending 110 miles on each side of the proposed
Canadian Pacific Bailway, through Manitoba and the North-West Territories ; and until final
survey they have assumed a line running in a westerly direction from near Winnipeg. This
district is divided into belts. The first belt of 5 miles on each side of the linens oalled A, and
is sold at 5 dollars per acre ; a belt of 15 miles (B) on each side adjoining belt A, at 4 doUars ;
a belt of 20 miles adjoining belt B, at 3 dollars per acre, and so on until the 110 miles are dis-
poed of, the price decreasing the further the land lies from the railway. The above regulations
apply to about one half of the area taken in, which is to reimburse the cost of constructing the
railway, the other half being open for homesteads (free-grant lands) and pre-ensptions (s(Md at
half the price of railway lands) of 160 acres each, excepting school and Hudson's Bay Company's
lands, for which 4 square miles are retained out of every township (f36 square miles). It is usual
for those who wish for more than 820 acres of homestead and pre-emption to buy a piece of the
i^joining railway land. The railway lands adjacent to the line, although held at 5 dollars per acre,
in many canes are not so valuable as some 50 or 60 miles away, for the reason that unless the
land is dry and loamy it is not so easy to work. Those who settle at a distance from the
Cans>di"<n Pacific Bailway may be fortunate enough to be within easy reach of some of the
Colonisation Bailway lines, which are being made to act as feeders to the main line.

Tho plan of survey is so simple, that when anyone meets with land on which he may desire
to locate, its position is easily determined. The whole country is divided into to\frnship3 of tax
miles square, each of these is divided into squares of one mile, which are again divided into four
squares o\ 160 acres. Around every square mile a road is laid of about 100 feet wide. AU
surveys start and are numbered from the International boundary line.

The land along the Bed and Assiniboine Bivers is heavy, strong clay, and in wet seasons is
difficult to work ; but with a dry spring and summer good crops can be grown. It is unlike the
rolling prairie to the West, with its rose-bush and buffalo grass — unfailing marks of good
dry, loamy land — where the soil is from 2 to 4 feet deep and is neither more nor less than
decayed vegetable matter, resting on a layer of sand, with a subsoil of heavy blqe cl^y. These
dry prairies are naturally drained by shallow ravines and small streams, which now and again

Spread themselves out, forming a marsh or hay meadow. On land as described timber is geners^jF
eficient, but the Government has taken the precaution to reserve timber lands Math a view (9.
sell to settlers on homesteads and pre-emptions to the extent of ten to twenty acres, aooording to
quality. This arrangement has been a great boon to the community.

It must be admitted that there is a deficiency of spring-water on the surface, but by sinking
wells from ten to twelve feet a plentiful supply can be obtained. In the neighbourhood of run«
ning streams wells are not necessary, as the stream water is wholesome and pure. These dry lands,
are most preferable for settlement, and settlers would do well to locate there. A good deal has
been written about the wet lands in Manitoba ; and, no doubt, up to the present time they have
formed a hindrance to settlers along the Bed Biver Valley, but now that the Government are
undertaking the drainage it will be to a great extent remedied, and the richness of the soil and
the cheapness of the land will make it to the settlers' advantage to continue in the same
direction.

Keeping in view that this paper is designed for the guidance of parties intending to settle in
Manitoba or the North -West Territory, it may be necessary to allude to the mode of starting on
a homestcd. If the location is entered upon in spring, the party ought either to board with
some neighbour, or, as is often done, tent out for the summer. This arrangement causes no delay
in preparing the prairie for the following year's ctop. The erection of house and other buildings
can be left till the fall. As a rule, oxen are employed for the first year or two, until oats are
grown for the keep of horses. It does not require a large capital to commence farming comfort*
ably on a free-grant claim with^e intention of gradually reclaiming it ; the following is the
ostial outlay :

Two yoke of oxen ... ,« ... ... $260'00

One wagpon ... ... ... ... 80*00

Two ploughs and harrow ... ... ... 68*00

Chains, axes, shovels, etc ..« ... .«, SO'OO

Stoves, beds, etc. ... ... ... ... 60*00

House and stables ... ... ... „„ 200*00

Mowing-machine ... ... ... ... 80*00

Cow .,. ... ... ... ... 85*00 '

Provisions for one year, say ,.. .m .» 150*00

$923*00 - £198

123

W

A Paper Contr^uted

Of course many men start on a smaller scalo than this, with ono yoke of oxen, one ploagh,
and without a mowing-machine.

If land ia purchaaed from the Government or private parties the price paid will require to be
added to the above. Wild lands can be bought from private parties at from 2 to 5 dollars per aero,
according to locution. Those with larger capital wmild do well to buy some improved farm with
60 or 100 acres ready for crop, with dwelling- houso and stabling. In this way a return is got at
once for the outlay, and at the same time saves many of the hardships one must naturally mcut
with in settling on a bare prairie. These improved farms can often be bought for less than the
oost of improvements.

On an improved land the following is the mode of preparing for crop : The grass must be
allowed to grow for some time, say till the middle oF May, then plough aoout two inches deep,
and ploughing can be continued till about the beginning of July. This is allowed to lie until
the end of September, when it is turned back with an inch or two of extra soil. In this state it
is ready for seeding with wheat or other crops. Care should bo talcen not to plough too deep
either the first or second time — a mistake farmers from the Ola Country invariably make, and
thereby cause an excessive growth of straw. Linseed is grown with groat success on the first
ploughing in June, the seed being of much importance in stock -rearing. The land being dry, as
soon as the snow melts and the frost is a few inches out of tho ground the following spring, wheat
should be sown ; barley and oats in succersion. Broadcast machines, eight or nine feet wide,
with light cultivators attached, are chiefly in use, and have been found to make a great saving
in seed. The quantities sown v/ith this seeder are : Wheat, 1 bushel and 1 peck per acre ;
oats, 2 bushels ; and barley, 1^ bushel. Vegetation is rapid, and harvest is generaUy begun
about the middle of August. The reapers in use are all self -binding or self -delivering. They
are lighter than the English make, but are capable of doing a deal of heavy work. Wheat
requires to ba bound almost as soon as cut, the straw being dry and brittle ; but oats are usually
allowed to lie a day before lifting. The Canadian system of lifting and binding is a decided
improvement on the English or Scotch style : one man makes the band, lifts and binds bis own
sheaf. On a good average crop of wheat (say 25 bushels per acre), four men can lift and bind
to a self -delivering machine, cutting 10 to 12 acres per day. After June or July almost no rain
falls, consequently grain stacks are not thatched, but are thrashed as soon as ploughing is stopped
hy frost. Travelling machines, with horse or steam-power, are for hire, and are paid by the
bushel or the acre. Owing to the number of emigrants coming into the country, the towns and
"Tillages springing up, and the construction of railways, the market for wheat is local ; but by
the time there is a stirplus, railway communication will be opened so as to admit of its being
sent to Great Britain and elsewhere. Wheat at 76 cents per bushel would amply repay the
grower in Manitoba, and, at present prices in London or Glasgow for American wheat, would
leave a large margin for freight and other expenses.

I will here state the cost of raising wheat per acre on our own land for the years 1879 and
1880, likewise the average amount of produce for these two crops. . * : r

First, the oos<i which I shall give at contract prices :

Ploughing .....

Seed ......

Sowing and harrowing ....

! Reaping ....
?Sg : : -. :
Carrying and stacking . .

Thrashing i . . . .

Average of crops for 1879-80, 28 bush, per acre at 76 o.

•

12-00

t

•90

'

•

•60

. -65

I

. -85
. -35

1

>

:2-95

.1-10

)

•

1-70

'-"'

$8-05 =

.£1

13

1

t

1

21-00 =

•£i

6

3

$12-96- £2 13 3

Cost of production per bushel. Is. 3d., leaving a margin of nearly 13 dollars per acre.

This certainly is above an average yield for Manitoba at the present time, but I believe tihat
with good management and fair seasons, the average will come up to this or even more.

If I mistake not, the two Royal Commissioners, Messrs. Read and Fell, stated that wheat
eonld not be sent from Manitoba to Liverpool to pay the grower below 47s, per quarter ; I have
been nnable to get a definite quotation pf freights from Winnipeg to Liverpool or Glasgow, but
the following is an approximate :

Wheat has already been sent from Winnipeg to Montreal — by rail to Duluth, thence by
steamer to Montreal — at 80 cents per bushel. From Montreal to Glasgow freights for wheat
have ranged from 68 cents to 1 dollar 44 cents per quarter, nay on an average 1 dollar 6 cents.
This gives

one plough,

require to be
liars per aero,
'cd farm with
stum is got at
aturally meet

less than tbo

Tass must ba
inches deep,
>d to lie until
n this state it
'gh too deep
'!y make, and
3 on the first
being dry, as
spring, wheat
ne feet wide,
great saving
•ck pep acre;
lerally begun
ering. They
ork. Wheat
ts are usually
is a decided
linds his own
lift and bind
Imost no rain
ing is stopped
paid by the
he towns and
ocal ; but by
i of its being
ply repay the
wheat, would

sars 1879 and

wre.

believe that
ire.

that wheat
•ter ; I have
rlasgow, but

i, thence by
i for wheat
[lar 6 cents.

hp Mr. Jam«9 Riddell.

From Winnipeg to Montreal 80 centa por buuhol . i

„ Montreal to Glasgow ......

Insurance, landing charges, etc., tnoluding weighing and allowance
forshurta •••..,..

129

. $2*40 per quarteri
106

•36

Cost of production per quarter
Total cost per quarter •

S3'82=16a.
10

9d.
0

26s. Od.

If these rates arc correct — and I have every reason to believe they are — It Is evident Measn.
Read and Pell have been led into error in their Btatcmcnts. American wheat at the present
time is worth 639. per quarter in Glasgow, wliich shows a large margin for the growera' profit in
Manitoba. As soon as the Canadian Facifio Railway and the Hudson's Bay routes are open,
there cannot be a doubt that the cost of transit will bo reduced.

Cattle-rearing is likely to pay well, as it is attended with little expense. They keep thoir
condition through tho winter (whcro wind-brakes are provided) on marah hay, and this can be
had in abundanco in almost, any kind of season. It is cut in July or August, the earlier the
better fodder it makes. The marshes are level, and mowing machines make good work In tho
cutting. Tho expense of making this hay docs not exceed 1 dollar per ton, and the usual winter
allowance per head of various ages is 2^ tuns. At present, cattle are allowed to graze on any
nnfenced land during the summer, and find any amount of food, such as wild tares, peas, and
grasses. The best season for cows to calve is about the end of ApriL Young cows are worth
86 dollars per head ; a three-year-old steer ready for work, 60 to 60 dollars.

Sheep can also be raised with profit. They can be kept during the winter without covering,
and get fat on hay grown on dry prairie, this being finer than the marsh hay. A cross between
the Lincoln and Cotswold will bo found aa profitable as any. Mutton ia worth 12 centa per lb.,
and ' ool SO to 36 centa.

The climate baa been represented as being almost Impossible to live in. It musV be admitted
that the winters are more severe than iu Britain, but the air is ao clear and dry that the cold is
not much felt.

Writera on Iowa and other States seem to attach much Importance to the severity of our winters,
but it must be borne in mind that most of them have never experienced a winter in Manitoba.
I have noticed a letter in a Scotch newspaper from a Mr. Lauder, Dunfermline, givin,T5 a most
alarming occouiit of the climate and soil of Manitoba. I find that many of the atatenaents he
makea are quite incorrect, and no wonder, as he was only there for a very short time during
summer on a hunting expedition. Aa an instance of his inaccuracy, he states that there are
eight months of winter and only four of summer, instead of this there are four and a half montlia
of winter, and the rest spring, summer and autumn 1

I have no idea of entering into the comparative merits of Manitoba with Iowa, or any other
country, but it would be an injustice if I did not add my testimony to the advantages of Manitoba
as a field for emigration. It has been said that Manitoba and the North-West Territory will be
the granary of the world, and its rapid development, the amount of capital and akill which
is being expended on the cultivation of its soil, and the towns and villagea that have sprung up,
are all strong evidences of the progress that has been made.

Winnipeg, in 1874, had a population of only 6,000 inhabitants, while now it is fully more than
double.

Emmerson, Portage la Prairie, NelsonviUe, and Kapid City, and many other villages, have
also become places of importance.

With the privileges offered in Manitoba and the North-West Territory, where free grants ol
land are offered to the agriculturist, where land can bo purchased for less than is paid in Britain
for merely occupying it, where all improvements are one's own, where education ia free, and, in
fact, where nearly all the comforts of the Old Country are to be had, it is surprising, at this time
of continued depression in British farming, how few have availed themselvea of such a favourable
opening, . ,

EXTRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF MESSRS. CLARE SEWELL READ AND
ALBERT PELL, M.P., UPON CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, PRE.
8ENTKD TO BOTH HOUSES OF PAllLIAMENT BY COMMAND OF HEB
MAJESTY, IN AUGUST, 1880. -

! K

OANADA.

Upon the arrival of the Cihf of Montreal at Now York, we wore waited upon by the Hon,
Robert Bead, senator, with an invibntion from the Canadian Qnvernnaent to viait Ottawa, and I
make a prolonged tour in the Dominion. We were compelled to decline the greater part of tbli
kind invitation, but Mr. R. Read courteou.'^ly asninted us in our investigations in New York, and
remained our guide and companion till we left Toronto.

Many of the general agricultural remarks that have been made apply equally to Canada and
the United States. It will bo onlyposHible now to say a few 8|iucial words upon the farming oj
(he Dominion of Canada. We had not time to visit Lower Canada, nor did we see very muco
of Ontario. The arable farming around Toronto is decidedly in advance of anything we saw in
the United States. The cultivation strongly resembled that of England, and for cleanlineai
Mid produce would compare favourably with some of its well-farmed districts. The soil is deep
and fertile. The country has almost all been reclaimed from the primeval forest, and the labour
that has converted that woody region iuto miles of smiling com-iielda, must have been no easj
tatk. But in the groat North- West, the country so recently opened to the over-populated
oountries of the Old World, there is no forest to subdue, or Gcrab to uproot. The whole is one
TMt plain, more or lees fertile, which can be converted into a grain-field by the simple operation
of two shallow ploughings. The soil around ' >rtage la Prairie is a rich black loam, light of
tillage, yet sufficiently retentive to withstand oevere drought. In many places there appeared
little or no variation to the depth of three feet In some spots the land is swampy and low, bnk
a few main dykes would dry many hundred acres, and with a soil so friable, no drainage foi
lurface water could possibly be required. This vast region, called by some ' the future wheat
gBftnary of the New World,' had not in September last the advantaq;ei of any railway. In thii
lespeot Canada seems greatly in arrear of the United States. While in the latter country rail*
wads, made sometimes with English capital, are run through a country almost unpopulated in
Older to develop it, in the Dominion no railroad is made until it has a population on or beyond
it that may be expected to pay the working expenses of the new line. It may be that the
original shareholders of the pioneer railroads of the States are often sacrificed, and their line ii
■old for a small sum to some wealthy company. But if Canada is to be developed with •
rapidity approaching that of the United States, the Dominion Parliament must spread its railway
i^stem somewhat more quickly. A far-seeing policy must anticipate eventual profits from
opening a now inaccessible though rich region, rather than expect immediate payment from the
traffic iJong the new lines of railroad that must soon be made.

Much has been said against the long and severe winters of Manitoba. No donbt the cold ii
Intense, and that for well-nigh five months in the year all field-woi'k is suspended. But it is a
(fflap dry cold that is not so unpleasant, and with the first sharp frost and fall of snow the roadi
that were before impassable become excellent highways for the cartage of timber and of grain.
No donbt the grasshoppers did in the years 1875 and 1876 destroy the few cereal crops of tha
early settlers. But should they again invade the territory, it is confidently expected that with
the increased acreage planted with grain, their ravages must be distributed over a much larger
area, and vrill not he so severely felt. It is also ai^ued that no Indian-corn can be ppodaced in
that northern latitude, and therefore it will never be a region of cattle and of sheep. Certainly
stock must be boused during the winter months, and provender of some kind must be grown to
feed them during that long and dreary season. But there is no reason why abundant crops of
naturid bay and artificial grasses, such as timothy, rye-grass, clover, and Hungarian millet should
not be grown in great abundance, and the deep and friable soil seems well a(Upted for the colti*
ration of mangels and other roots.

No man should emigrate to the Far West who is not prepared to work hard and live hard.
He may successfully transplant an English family into this region of ' rude abundance,' but be
cannot expect to take with him the comforts of an English home. For years all new settlers, but

£»traoti from Mtun. Head and Pell's Report

181

lgpeoi»lly the females, must expect to rough it. The old, the Ricklv, and the f*lnt>heivrted ihould
never emigrate, however poor and Had thult lot may be in the Old Country. But to the young,
the vigorous, and the oouragooua, who cannot get a comfortable living in England, Manitoba
offen a home that will soon provide all the nco<;HHariefl of life, and in a few yean of atoody and
well-directed toil, will probably enflure a computnicy, and ponsibly a modemte fortune. It may
be a very good country for a farm labourer t4> uettlu in, but it A|>ptinrH eiipucially adapted aa a field
for the practical hardworking atulwart young farmer who hoa a few hundred pounda in bit pocket,
tod who would know how to apend it to the beat advantaf^e.

In the Appendix will be found the Government regulations, recently Isatied, reapecting the
difDoaal 9t public landa for the purpoaer of the Canadian Pacifio llailway. The Order in Council
of November, 1877, ia now cancelled, and aettlurd who had taken up land under the order are to
be dealt with, and their elaiins adjuated under the new proviaiouH, which certainly are more
encouraging to aettlement than the old ones. Wo have alno addod in the Appendix • abort
account of the laud ayiitera of the dilTorent provincua of the Dominion,

To thoae who could not endure the rou^'h life of «he WcHt, there are many farms of 100 or 200
Borea to be bought in Ontario and Lower Canada at from 50 to 100 dollara an acre, Theee farms
maybeneara good town or railway, and are well fenced.and ujmju which decent farm^housea and Huit*
able buildingu have been erectod. There are aKio in those localities sundry such farma to let at
from 3 dollars to 6 dollars an acre ; or they can be hired by the tenant paying the rent in kind
bj a fixed portion of the produce, while occoHionally the farm ia worked in anares, the landlord
finding all or a portion of the live stock of the farm. This may be an easy meana for a farmer
without capital to work hia way up, but it seldom leads to any permanent friendly relations
between landlord and tenant.

Our regret at not being able to describe more fully the agriculture of Canada U considerably
modified by the fact that in the autumn of laut year 14 tenant farmers' delegates from Scotland
lud the north of England viaited the Dominion, and have since written a series of most useful
tod exhaustive reports. These reports have been freely circulated by the Department of Agrloul*
ture of the Canadian Government, and their contents are widely known. But there waa one
great feature of Canadian farming, viz., its dairy produce, which seemed to us to require some
■pecisl notice, and we have therefore to call attention to the separate report ol Mv. John OtAjTi
junior, upon this subject, which will be found in the Appendix.

The following Is a short Sumuabt of the Land System of the different PBOvmott of tbs
DoMiviON OF Canada :

16 Manitoba and the North>West Territorl^ free grants of 160 acres are given to ant head
ef a family, male or female, or to any penon over eighteen years of age, on condition of three
Mara' settiemeat from time of entry. For the necessary documents for the registration and
taking up a free grant the fee is 10 dollars), payable when the title is issued. A person entering
for a homestead may also enter the adjoining quarter section (160 acres), if vacant, as a pre*
emptien ri;;ht, and enter into immediate possession thereof, and on fulfilling the conditions
of his homestead, may obtain a patent for his pre-emption right on payment for the some at
the rate of 1 dollar per acre, if outside the railroad belts, but if within such belts, at the
price set forth in the regulations, the maximum price being 2 dollars 50 cents per aero (lOa.).

Free grants of land are sJso made for the culture of forest trees outside the railway belts,
hi addition to the homestead, but eettlers cannot take up the pre-emption land as well as the
grant for the culture of trees.

The Legislature of Manitoba, in 1872, passed a Homestead Exemption Law, which in
additien to exempting from seizure for debt the debtor's goods, aa follows : — furniture, tools,
farm Implements in use, one cow, two oxen, one horse, four sheep, two pigs, and thirty days*
prevender for the same ; also enacts that his land to the extent of 160 acres shall be free from
seizure, as also the house, stables, barns, and fences on the same, in the case of all writs issued by
any court in the province.

t'ree grants of from 100 to 200 acres are also made in the provinces of Ontario and Quebeo
on retfidential conditions, and they also have homestead exemption laws, but not quite so liberal
M that of Maaitoba. Lands can also be purchased in these provinces at reasonable rates.

There is also land available for settlement in Nova Scotia^ New Brunswick, and British
Oelumbia oc vexy reasonable terms, .,

I yl

EXTRACTS FROM THE CHAPTER OP THE
'COLONIZATION CIRCULAR' RELATING TO CANADi

Issued hy the Imperial Colonial Office,

Canada :
general
description,
extent,
climate, etc.

Local

Govern-
nient.

Educatloa.

Population.

Trade.

GUmato.

• DOMINION OF CANADA.

The Territory comprised in the Dominion of Canada contains about 3,600,000 squM
miles, extending from the Atlantic to the Paci6c Ocean, and at its southern poii
reaching the 44th parallel of latitude. It possesses thousands of square miles of tb]
finest forests rn the Continent ; widely spread coal-fields, exteiisive and productini
fisheries ; its rivers and lakes arc among the largest and most remarkable in thii
world, and the millions of acres of prairie lands in the newly opened-up North-Wedl
territories are reported as being among the most fertile on the continent of America,

Canada is divided into seven Province--, Each Province is divided into Countla]
and Townships, ha\'ing their own Local Boards, and Councils, for reg^olating locil
taxation for roads, schools, and other municipal purpo-^es.

Keligious liberty prevails.

The Educational system is under the control of the Governments of the varioo]
Provinces. Free schools are provided, and facilities are afforded to successful pupilij
for obtaining the highest education.

The population at the last census (in 1871) was 3,602,596. Among its inhabitanbl
there were 219,451 natives of Ireland, 144,999 of England and Wales, 121,074 ol
Scotland, 64,447 natives of the United States, and 24,162 natives of Germany. The
census will be taken again in 1881, when the population will no doubt be found to
have much increased.

The following figures show the imports and exports for the fiscal year ending
June SOth, 1830, and also the value of the exports to, and imports from, the United
Kingdom during the same period.

Value o; Imports ... ... ... ... $88,489,747

Value of Exports ... ... ... ... 87,911,458

Exports to the United Kingdom ... ... 45,846,062

Imports from the United Kingdom ... ... 84,401,224

An examination of these figures, compared with those of the United States, shows
that the imports of Canada from Great Britain, in proportion to the population,
represent 82s. per head, as against 8s. 4d. per head in the United States.

In a country like the Dominion of Canada, extending northward from the 44° of
latitude, the climate is naturally variable ; but speaking generally, the summers are
hotter than in Englan i and the winters colder. However, if the climate of a country
is to be measured by its productions, then Canada, in the quality of her timber, grai;ia,
fmits, plants, and animalf?, must be accorded a front rank.

The extremes of cold, tiiough of short duration, and the winter covering of snow,
have given Canada the reputation of having an extremely severe climate, and atten-
tion has not been sufiiciently directed to the circumstance that by the warmth of the
summer months, the range of production is extended, in grains, from oats and barley
to wheat aad maize ; in fruits, from apples to peaches, grapes, melons, nectarines, and
apricots; in vegetables, from turnips, carrots, and cabbages, to the egg-plant and
tomatoes.

Snow and ice are no drawback to the Canadian winter. To Canada they mean
not only pix)tection to her cultivated acres, almost as valuable as u covering of manure,
but the conversion of whole areas, during several months in the year, to a surface upon
which every man may make bis own road equal to a turnpike, in any direction, over

Entaelt fr(m A# *Colom»ali(m OiircuXar^ Belatmg to Canada. 133

F THE
rrO CANADJ

mt 8,600,000 squ(t
it its southern poii

square miles of
sive and producti?i

remarkable in _
ned-up North- Wat!
itinont of America,!
vided into Countial
or regulating locill

nents of the variool
to successful pupilij

nong Its inhabitandl

d Wales, 121,074 d]

I of Germany. Thej

doubt be found tot

I fiscal year endinjl
>s from, the United I

38,489,747
37,911,458
15,846,062
(4,401,224
nited States, shows
to the population,!
States. '

ird from the 44'of|
', the summers are!
imate of a country)
her timber, grairis, [

covering of snow, 1
limate, and atten-
the warmth of the (
»m oata and barley i
ns, nectarines, and
the egg-plant and

/anada they mean
)voring of manure,
', to a surface upon
>ny direction, over

■wamp or field, lake or river, and on which millions of tons are annually transported
at the ndnimum cost, whereby employment is afforded for man and horse when culti-
vation is arrested by frost.

Intensity of winter cold has little effect upon the agriculture of a country except
the beneficial one of pulverising the soil where exposed. High spring and summer
temperatures, with abundance of rain, secure the certain ripening of maize and the
melon in Canada.

The difference between the mean annual temperature of the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts of Canada for the same latitude is very great, that for the latter being much
higher, and thus wheat is raised with profit in lat. 60° N., long. 122* 31' W. In
Manitoba in lat. 49° 3'^' N., long. 97° 30' W., wheat is sown in May and reaped tho
latter end of August, after an interval of 120 days.

The great prairie region of Canada has a mean summer temperature of 65°, with
abundance of rain ; the winters cold and dry ; climate and soil similar to iuxt part
of Kussia where large cities are found. It is free from pulmonary complaints and
fevers of every type, and the country generally is healthy.

The snow-fall in the West and South-Weat parts of the Territories is compara-
tively light, and cattle may remain in the open air all the winter, subsisting on the
prairie grasses, which they obtain by scraping away the snow where necessary.

There are nearly 7000 miles of railway in work in the Dominion, extending from
the western portions of Ontario to Halifax in Nova Scotia, and St. John in New
Brunswick, while its rivers and lakes form a highway during the summer months
from the interior to the ocean.

It may be mentioned that Canada possesses the most perfect system of inland
navigation in the world.' At the present time vessels of 600 tons go from Chicago to
Montreal by way of Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and the River St. Law-
rence, a distance of 1261 miles. The locks on the Welland Canal (coiiiecting Lakes
Erie and Ontario) and those on the St. Lawrence River are, however, in course of
enlargement to 270 feet long and 45 feet wide, with a depth of 14 feet ; and when
this great work is completed, steamers of 1500 tons burthen will be able to carry
produce direct from Western Canada and the Western State^of America to Montreal
and Quebec, which will effect a further reduction in the cost of transit of cereals and
other products.

The distance from Chicago to Montreal (vrhere ocean-going steamers of 4000 tong
can be moored alongside the quays), by the Caradian route, is 150 miles less than
from Chicago to New York, vid Buffalo and the Erie Canal, and there are 16 more
locks and 89^ feet more lockage by the latter route than by the former. It is there-
fore expected that upon the completion of the enlarged canals, within two years, much
of the grain from Western Canada, as well as from the Western States of America,
will find its way to Europe vid Montreal, as, in addition to its other advantages, the
distance from Montreal to Liverpool is about 300 miles less than from New York.

Canada possesses excellent postal arrangements : a post-office being found in
almost every village, and every place of any importance is connected with the electric
telegraph.

The best time to arrive in North America is early in May, when the inland navi-
gation is open, and outdoor operations are commencing. The emigrant will then be
able to take advantage of the spring and summer work, and to get settled before the
winter sets in.

The voyage to Quebec occupies on an average about ten days by steamer, and the
journey to the North-West four days longer.

It is now proposed to offer a few remarks on each of the different provinces of
wbiob the Pomimos of Canada is composed.

Means of
coinmuui ca-
tion.

Festal and
Telegrai>h
arrange-
ments.
Time to
emigrate.

Time of
transit.

•*.". ;#

'n:'*

MANITOBA

"' * AND

THE NORTH-WEST TERRlTORtES.

The country now known as Manitoba and the North-West Territories was granted Mar:^toba
by charter to tiie Hudson Bay Company, in 1670, during the reign of Charles II., as 5?^|:'™
a hunting and trading ground, and was held by them and the North-West Company xen^ries.
(these two corporations amalgamated in 1821) until 1870, when their rights were
transferred to the Dominion. These facts form an intelligible reason why this part
of the ooubtry has only recently become known as an agricultural region ; for the
distnrbance of the lands would naturally have led to the interruption of the staple
tr*de ol the company which controlled it for so many years.

Bxtent of
Manitoba
and the
North-west
Territories.

Freegrrante
of land.
Manitoba
and t\ <i
North-Weat
Territories.

Ouldei.

Capital
required.

Oostot

breaking

upland.

Improved
Carau.

FueL

Canadian

Pacific

Bailway.

184 Extracts from the ^Colonization Circular* Relating to Canada,

Manitoba, a province which has been made out of the North-West Territory, ii
Bituated between the parallels 49°— 50° 2' north latitude and 96°— 99° west longitude,
in the very heart of the continent of America. It ia 185 miles long and 105 mile*
wide, and contains in round numbers 14,000 square miles, or 9,000,000 acred of land.

Roughly speaking, the North-West Territories belonging to Canada cover about
2,600,000 square miles, and contain about 200,000,000 acres of fertile land, which an
now waiting settlement.

Any male or female who is the head of a family, or any person who ha« attained
the age of 18 years, can obtain a free grant of a quarter section of 160 acres ; and
can also make an entry for pre-emption rights to the adjoining quarter section, at
the Government price ranging from one dollar per acre upwards.

Lands can also be purchased along the line of the Canadian Pacific Kailway at
prices ranging from 4s. to £1 per acre, according to distance from the railway.

Intending settlers should go at once to the Land Office in the district where they
Intend to settle : and guides will be sent with them freo of charge to point out vacant
lands available for settlement.

The following is the amount of capital considered necessary for a man with a family
to start farming on a free grant of prairie land. It has been compiled f v tro varioug
works that have been published on Manitoba "and the North-West Te^ vitovj , aal may
be accepted as reliable. - •

Provisions for one year .« fMO

One yoke of oxen

One cow

One waggon

Breaking plough and harrow
Chains, shovels, spades, hooks, etc.
Cooking stove and furniture

Seeds

Building contingencies, etc, «,

130
80
80
30
20
30
20
60

$600 or £120.

It is of course based upon the assumption that all payments for goods are to be
made on delivery, but as a settler could obtain many of his requirements on credit
until such time as his iiist crops are harvested, it is fair to assume that a much lower
«um than that named above would really suffice, especially as a settler and his fami' '
who have not much capital would be able to command a good price for their o\ i
labour during harvest time, and thus add to their capital until they have a sufficiev'
quantity of their own land under cultivation to keep them fully occupied.

It may be added that an energetic man landing in Canada with only a pound ni>
two in his pocket is able to look at the future cheerfully. Many such men have taken
up tb" 'ree grants, and then have hired themselves out to labour, cultivating their
own laud during spare time, and employing a man at harvest or when necessary. By
this means they are able to stock and cultivate their farms in a few years, with the
results of their own labour and the profits of their harvests, and there are many men
in Canada now in positions of independence who conmienced in the way above
described.

It will be understood that the figures named above do not include the passage of
the settler and his family from England to Manitoba and the North-West.

The cost of breaking up the prairie land is estimated at 3 dollars per acre, and the
ploughing, sowing, harvesting, and thrashing, the second year, 4 dollars per acroi

Improved farms can be purchased from £1 per acre upwards.

There is not so much woodland in the prairie districts as in other parts of Canada,
but there is enough for the purposes of fuel and fencing, and timber for building pur-
poses can be purchased in the larger towns and settlements.

This line of railway, which is to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is now
in course of construction by the Government of the Dominion, and is expected to
cost from 75 to 80 millions of dollars. Two hundred and sixty miles of the line ara
now in operation. This will be increased by about five hundred 'n ISSi, and in 1882
over seven hundred miles will be open, extending from Lake Supt^ior through Mani-
toba and westward through the Territories to near Fort Ellice, thus eiiecting a saving
in the distance from Manitoba and the North-West Territory to the potts of ehipmetit
for Europe of about four hundred miles, as compared with the existing route froiit
the Western States of America, vid New York. This railway will pass througii ek«
tensive coal-fields, which will ensure an unlimited supply of fud«

i

5f a

Canada,

Extracts from the ^Colonization Circular* Relating to Canada. 135

^est Territory, ],
" west longitude,
png and 106 mile»
100 acre* of land.
Inada cover libout
|e land, which ai«

■who ha« attained
I 160 acres ; and
narter section, at

cifio Railway at
lie railway,
■strict where they
^ point out vacant

lan with a family
tiled fi >w varioug
'\-itoi';i', an i may

!200

130 ^

80

80 •

30

20

30

20 .

60 .

1600 or £120.

goods are to be
aments on credit
lat a much lower
er and his family
ce for their o*u
have a Bufficiei.^
ipied.
only a pound or

men have taken
cultivating their
n necessary. By
' years, with the
re are many men

the way abov*

) the passatre of

West.

)er acre, and th«

^» per acre.

•arts of Canada,
or building pur-
Oceans, Is now
is expected to
of the line ara
8i, and in 1882
t'arough Manl-
ecting a saving
fts of ehipmeat
ng route froiii
B» througik ek*

It may be mentioned that there are two routes by which an intending i*oUler can Routes and
twah Manitoba from Quebec, or any other Canadian Port, namely the ' all rail route,' ^*®™^j_^
tni Detroit, Chicago, and St. Paul to Winnipeg, or by what is called the Lake route, ^qq,
i,e, by railway to Samia or Collingwood on Lake Hurvn, thence by steamer to
Pnluth on Lake Superior, and by rail from Duluth to Winnipeg. The journey by ^

the former route is quicker by about a day, but the latter is more economical. By . ' '

either of these routes the settler will be met by the Agents, of American Land and
Railway Companies, who will endeavour to persuade settlement in the United States ' ^ ■

M preferable to Canada ; but the settler is advised to proceed direct to his intended
destination, and decide upon his location after personal inspection. In 1882 a line of
railway will be completed from Thunder Bay (Lake Superior) to Winnipeg and
westward. It will pass entirely through Canadian Territory, and its benefits both to . , . •
new and old settlers will be very great. It may be added that most of the rivers and
lakes in Manitoba and the North- West are navigable, and that steamers now ply
during the season on the Hiver Saskatchewan, between Winnipeg and Edmonton, a
distance by water of about 1200 miles, with passengers and freight, calling at Prince
Albert, Carlton, Battleford, and other places on the way. Steamers also run regu*
burly between Winnipeg, St. Vincent, and other places on the Red River. There is
ilso steam communication on the River Assiniboine, between Fort Ellice and
Winnipeg.

Manitoba is situated in the middle of the continent, nearly equi-dist&nt from the CUmat*.
Pole and the Equator, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The climate gives con-
ditions of decided heat in summer, and decided cold in winter. The snow goes away, and
ploughing begins in April, which ia about the same time as in the older provinces of
Canada and the Northern United States on the Atlantic seaboard, and the North-
Western States of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The crops are harvested in August.
The long sunny days of summer bring vegetation of all sorts to rapid maturity. The
days are warm and the nights cool.

Autumn begins about the 20th of September, and lasts till the end of November,
when the regular frosts set in. The winter proper comprises the months of December,
January, February, and March. Spring comes early in April. The summer months
are part of May, June, July, August, and part of September. In winter the ther-
mometer sinks to 30 and sometimes 40 degees below zero ; but this degree of cold in
the dry atmosphere of the North-West does not produce any unpleasant sensations.
The weather is not felt to be colder than in the province of Quebec, nor so cold aa
milder winters in climates where the frost, or even a less degree of cold than frost, il
siAOompanied with damp or wind. The testimony is universal on this point.

Snow does not fall on the prairies to an average greater depth than eighteen inches ;
snd buffaloes and horses graze out of doors all winter. Horned cattle also graze out
.if doors part of the winter, but in some states of the weather they require to be
bi-ought in. Instances are, however, stated, in which horned cattle have grazed out
all the winter.

The following table represents the mean temperatures of Winnipeg, Toronto, and
Battleford, for each month of the year ending July, 1879 :

^

'■r.

August ...

September

October ...

November

December

January ...

February ...

March

April

Mwy

June

July

Toronto.

Winnipeg.

Battleford.

66-38

67-34

67-79

58-18

52-18

47-10

45-84

35-84

84-52

3606

80-66

28-6Q

25-78

11-97

6-48

22-80

—6-10

0-45

22-74

—12-32

—10-25

28-93

14-14

16-80

40-72

39-10

46-70

51-74

53-13

63-35

61-85

63-20

60-45

67-49

68-19

63-95

It will be noticed that from Toronto westward, the temperature rises during the
lummer months, and as the average yield of wheat per acre in Manitoba and the
North-Wost is equally as large (if not larger) both in quantity and in weight as in the
United States, it would seem that in conjunction with tho fertility of the soil, thii
temperature is very favourable to cereal crops. The fall of snow is iJso less in the
Weiitem portion of the Dominion, In the first half of the year 1878 it was
28i inches, and in the second half 29| inches ; but the snow Is no drawback to the
growth of the crops, which are sown in April and May, and harvested in Augiist
and September.

136 Extracts from the ' Colonization Circular ' Relating to CaiMda.

'I

IBI

iiiKi"-

1:. U .

BoU. The soil !s a deep alluvial deposit of unanrpasaed richness. It ia mostly prairia,

and covered with grass. It produces bountiful crops of cereals, grasses, roots, and
vegetables. So rich ia the soil that wheat has been cropped off the same place for
forty years without manure, and without showing signs of exhaustion.

The following extracts from the reports of the English and Scotch farmera,
selected by the farmera in their respective districts, who wont out to Canada in 1879
to report upon the country, are interesting and reliable on this subject :

Mb. BiaOAB, Th<i Grange, Dalbeattie.
' As a field for wheat-raising, I would much prefer Manitoba to Dakota. The
first cost of the land is less ; the soil is deeper, and will stand more cropping ; the
sample of wheat is better, and the produce fivb t<> ten bushels per acre more, all of
which is profit.'

■;,, Mb. GEOnaa Cowan, ^nnan, tr ,;'rJ<

speaking of Mr. Mackenzie's farm, at Burnside, says : ' I was certainly surprised
at the wonderful fertility of the soil, which is a rich black loam, averaging about
18 inches of surface soil, on friable clay subsoil, 5 and 6 feet in depth, beneath which
is a thin layer of sand, lying on a stiff clay. The land is quite dry, and ia well
watered by a fine stream which flows through it.' *

' The land between Bapid City and the Assiniboine, which lies to the southward,
25 miles distant, is a nice loam with clay subsoil on top of gravel. I was very highly
impressed with the fertility of the soil, some of it being without exception the richest
I have ever seen, and I have little doubt it will continue for many years to produce
excellent crops of grain without any manure, and with very little expense ia culti<
vation.'

Mb. John Logan, Earlaton, Berwick, says :

' All the land round this district (Assiniboine) is very good, being i feet deep of
black loam, as we saw from a sandpit.'

' Mb. John Snow, Midlothian, . • -r«-

' Along the Red River and about Winnipeg the soil is very strong black v^etable
mould, and I have no doubt most of it would carry paying crops of wheat for thirty
years ; but it is very fiat, and I must say that I like the country better west of Win<
nipeg, and the furthest point we reached, 150 miles west of Winnipeg, best of all
You have here the Little Saskatchewan River, with fine sloping ground on each side ;
the soil, and what it produced, was good, as you will see from the samples of each I
now show you. I also show you samples from other parts ; and, as I will show you
further on, the Americans themselves admit that we have ground better adapted for

growing wheat and raising cattle than they have.'

* ♦ * » #*» • •

•We saw that a block vegetable mould covered the surface from 18 inches to 2,
8, or i feet deep.'

Mb. Robehtp Pkat, Silloth, Cumberland.

'Soil, — Contrary to my expectations, instead of finding a wet swamp, as I pictured
to my own mind, I found a deep black loamy soil, varying in depth from 2J^ to 3^ feet;
and in some places where it haa been cut through on the banks of some rivers, it has
been found to the depth of 10 to 12 feet, and la specially adapted for the growing of
wheat, being preferred by the millers to almost anj other on account of it being so
dry and thin skinned. It has been known to grow wheat for many years in succession,
without manure. If the report was correct, the soil I have sent down to you baa
grown wheat for thirty years, and the last crop yielded 85 bushels per acre,'

Mb. John Maxweli^ Carlisle,
' The soil throughout the country is a rich black loam, 6 inches to 6 feet deep,
almost entirely free from stones, and varying in quality in different districts, on a
subsoil of strong or friable clay or sand.'

Averag* The average wheat-yield in Manitoba and the North-West would appear to range

•"li** from 20 to 80 bushels per acre, and the weight from 60 to 63 lb. per bushel. Barley

and oats yield good averages, as also potatoes and other root crops.

The following figures, taken from the reports of the delegates of the English and

Scotch tenant farmers, may also be found interesting on this point :

Mb. James Biooab, of The Orange, Dalbeattie, sayi t
'We heard very different statemtnts of theyield of wheat, varying from 26 to iO

"^

Canada.

is mostly prairie,
■asses, roots, and
e same place for
n.

Scotch farmers,
> Canada in 1879
ot:

to Dakota. The
'6 cropping ; the
acre more, all of

rtainly surprised
averaging about
1, beneath which
dry, and is well

0 the southward,
was very highly
ption the richest
years to produce
expense ia culti*

ng 4 feet deep of

black vegetable
wheat for thirty
ter west of Win-
ipeg, best of all
nd on each side ;
tmples of each I
I will show you
etter adapted for

a 18 inches to 2,

np, as I pictured
m 2]^ to 3^ feet;
oae rivers, it has
r the growing of
t of it being so
aa in succession,
9wn to you has
r acre.'

to 6 feet deep,
i districts, on a

appear to range
bushel. Barley

ibe English and

g from 25 to iO

Extradta from the ' Colonization Circular ' Relating to Canada, 137

hoshels. McLean, a farmer near Portage, had 1230 bushels of Fife wheat off 40 acres.
Another man, a native of Boss-shire, who was ploughing his own land, told us he had
cropped it for seventeen years in succession, his laut crop yielding 35 bushels per acre,
ill. Byan, M.P., a good authority, said the average of wheat might safely be taken
at 25 to 80 bushels, and of oats 60 bushels. . . . Next day we drove over Messr?.
Riddle's farm ; their r/beat has averaged fully 80 bushels per acre.'

Me. Gkohqb Cowan, Olenluce, Wigtown, says :
' Mr. Mackenzie's farm is at Bumside, about 9 milefi from Portage la Prairie. . . •
He favoured me with his average for tht< seasons of 1877 and 1878, and his estimate
for the present year. Wheat crop, 1877, 41 bushels ; 1878, 86 bushels ; this year
(1879) he expects it to be close on 40 bushels, average weight 60 to 62 lb. ; but he
has grown it as high as 64 lb. per bushel. Oats last year (1878) he had a yield of 88 .
bushels from two bushels of seed sown on one acre ; this year (1879) his estimate ia
from 75 to 80 bushels per acre. Mr. M. also grows excellent root crops, his swede
tnmips averaging 80 to 85 tons ; and potatoes without any care in cultivation, some-
times even not being movlded up, yield between 300 and 400 bushels of 60 lb.
Onions when cultivated are also very prolific, yielding as much as 300 bushels per acre.

Mangel also grows very heavy crops, but I did not see any on the ground.'

#♦♦* » » # •

• We spent a short time on the farm of Mr. MsBeth, and walked over a field which
I was informed bad been continuously under crop for fifty-f our years. • • • I was told
it would average 28 or 80 bushels per acre.' . , .,

Mb. B. W. Gordon, Annan.

' Wheat may safely be estimated to yield witii reasonable cultivation 80 bushels of
60 lb., and oats 60 bushels of 82 lb.'

Mr. Loqan, Earhton,

speaking of the yield about High Bluff, says : ' The land here has grown wheat
for forty years in succession, yielding from 25 up to 40 bushels per acre. There are

not many oats sown here, but the general produce is 70 bushels per acre.'

♦ ♦ # • * #♦ •

'We arrived at Portage on Saturday afternoon. ... He told tu be bad grown
good crops at an average of 32 bushels per acre of 60 lb. weight.'
Mn. SJiO^, Fountain Hall, Midlothian.
•I consider I keep safely within the mark when I say that, *ahmg a good piece of
!and, it will produce 40 bushels the first year, and an average oi 30 bushels for thirty
years, without manure.'

Mb. John Maxwell, Carlisle.

'I give an estimate of the cost of wheat crop in Dakota. The same system may
be adopted in the Canadian North-West to advantage, as the average yield, so far as
can be learned on present information, will be 8 to 10 bushels per acre higher than thd
yield in Dakota, United States Territory, and every extra bushel prodiued tendfl to
reduce the first cost per bushel to the producer.' • ^ -

All the other delegates confirm these figures. '■ • ^ '

In ManitolM, a homestead exemption law was passed in 1872, which exempts from Homestead
seizure for debt 460 acres of land, house, stable, bams, furniture, tools, farm imple- Exemption
ments in use, one cow, two oxen, one horse, four sheep, two pigs, and thirty days' pro« ^'
vender for same.

Any person, male or female, having attained the age of eighteen years, can enter a Tree
claim tor a quarter section (160 acres) of unappropriated Dominion lunds, as a claim *'*^*'"''
for forest-tree planting, and will receive a patent on certain specified conditions and
proof of cultivation. The fee for the necessary documents :s 10 dollars. No person
can take up both a tree-planting grant and a pre-emption ; but either one or the other
can be secured in conjunction with the free grants. t»

Farm labourers can obtain from £30 to £40 a year and board. Female domestic Prf<* of
servants 20s, to 24s. per month with board. Mechanics earn from 8s. to 128. '*^'"^*
per day.

The following are the prices of horses, cattle, farming implements, and commodities Price*.
generally :

Horses per pair, about £60 ; oxen per yoke, £26 to £30 } cow, £6 to £7 each ;
waggons, £16 to £18 each ; ox cart, £3 to £4 ; breaking plough and harrow, from
£6 to £8 ; common ploughs, about £3 123. ; reapers, £20 to £30 ; mowers, £14 to
£25 ; spades 4s. 6d. ; shovel^,, 6s. ; hay-forks, 8s. ; manure-forks, 4s. Beef, 6d. to
fd, per pound ; pork, 6d. per pcimd ; flour, 24s. per barrel ; butter. Is. per pound ;
Hggii Is, per dozen J bread, 4|d. to 6.d< J^t 4 lb, lo^f, j salt, 74, to S(L per lbt|

i^-..i I .j..» — J

■•■■ /«

_ 138 Extracts from (he ' Colonization Circular ' delating to Canada.

potatoes, 1b, Qd. to 28. per bushel ; tea, 2b. to 2a. 8d. per lb. ; sngar, 4d. to 6d. |
coffee, lOd. to Is. 6d. ; tobacco, 2s. to 2b. 3d. Colal oil, 1b. CJ ;^er gallon. Fails,
tbree-hoop. Is. 3d. each. Stoiit suit of clothing for a man, £2 to £3 J felt hats, from
4s. ; boots, 89. to 12a. ; grey blankets, Ss. to 12s. per pair.

I If

nwe grants
in Ontario.

Frieeof
tamda.

Improved
forma.

IM

Sou.

Climate.

Means of

commuiiica-

tion.

Education.

Cities and
towns.

Slinerala.

Uanufao-
lures and
•xporta.

ONTARIO.

:;«;

^i

Freegranta
in Quebec

Crown landa

Homestead
law.

SolL

Mines and
Fialieriea.

Oltlea.
Wages,
l^rioea, ma*
mtlMtart.

Every head of a family can obtain a free grant of 200 acres of lanr!!, and anj
person 18 years of age may obtain 100 acres in the free-grant districts. The con-
ditions are : — 15 acres in each grant of 100 acres to be cleared ani uuder crop in five
J rears ; a habitable house at least 16 feet by 20 built ; and residence on the land at
ea&b six months in each year. The patent is issued at the end of five years.

Uncleared lands can also be purchased at prices varying from 2s. to 40a. pet
acre.

Cleared and improved farms with buildings can be bought at from £4 to £10 per
acre. The money can nearly always be paid in inLjtahnents covering several years.

The soil of the country varies in different localities, but a large proportion is of
the very best description for agricultural purposes.

The climate is much the same as in some other parts of the Dominion ; but milder
in the winter than in Quebec.

Cereals, grasses, and roots produce large crops, and fruits grow in f3;reat abundance ;
hemp, tobacco, and sugar beet are also profitable crops ; maize and tomatoes ripen
well, and peaches and grapes come to perfection in the ope'x air.

The province possesses excellent means of communication both by railways, and
by water through the lakes, and the river St. Lawrence, with all parts of the Dominion
and to the Atlantic ports.

The public schools are all free and non-sectarian. All resident children between
the a^ss of 5 and 21 are allowed to attend them.

There are several large cities and towns in this province, a&iong others Toronto,
Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Kingston, etc.

In mineral wealth it has great resources, producing iron, copper, lead, silver,
marble, petroleum, salt, etc. Its immense forests of pine timber are well known.

Its principal manufactures are cloth, linen, clothing, leather, furniture, sawn
timber, ffaz, iron and hardware, paper, soap, cotton, and woollen goods, steam engines
and locomotives, woodenware of all descriptions, agricultural implements, eta Cattle,
sheep, and pigs, dairy and agricultural produce, and fruit are exported largely from
this province, and the trade is increasing rapidly.

^e rates of wages for farm labourers are from 40s. to 60s. per month, with
board and lodging ; for common labourers from about 3s to 4s. 2d. a day, without
board and lodging; and for female domestic servants from 14s. to £1 4b. per month,
all found. Good cooks get rather more.

Provisions are much cheaper than in England or in the United States. Beef, veal,
and mutton are from 3d. to 6d. per lb. ; pork, 4d. to 6d. ; bacon, 6d. to 8d. ; bread
(best), 4gd. to. 5d. per 4 lb. loaf ; butter (fresh), Is. ; salt ditto, 7d. to 8d. per lb. ;
potatoes. Is. 9d. to 2s. per bushel ; tea, 2s. per lb. ; sugar (brown), 4d. to 4id. per Ib.s
milk, 8u. per quart; beer, Is. 2d. to Is. 6d. per gallon; and tobacco, Is. to 2b.
per lb.

QUEBEC.

Upon eight of the great colonisation roads, every male colonist and emigrant
b«3ing 18 years of age may obtain a free grant of 100 acres. The conditions are that
at the end of the fourth year a dwelling must have been erected on the land, aQc|
twelve acres be under cultivation. Letters patent are then granted.

Crown lands can also be purchased at 30 cents to 60 cents an acre.

The province has a homestead law exempting from seizure, under certain ''on*
ditions, the property of emigrants.

The soil is of very good quality, and its productions are similar to those of other
parts of Canada.

Gold, lead, silver, iron, copper, platinum, etc., etc., are found ; but mining In this
province is only yet in its infancy. Phosphate mining is becoming an important
industry. Its value as a fertiliser is recognised in England and France, and large
quantities are being exported.

The fisheries are abundant, and in 1876 the yield was of the value of 2,097,677
dollars.

The principal cities are Quebec and Montreal, and thet^ are manj large toi^s.

The remarks made in the oase of the proviuoe of Ontario will Apply to (JfiMs^
aUk),

'S.

Chniada,

agar, 4d. to 8d. j
'er gallon. Pailj,
'i ; felt hats, fron

of lanrl, and any
trint.. The con-
uader crop in five
e on the land at
e years.
u 28. to 40s. per

m £4 to £10 per

several years.
proportion is of

nion ; but milder

preat abundance j
d tomatoes ripen

by railways, and
s of the Dominion

children between

I others Toronto,

)per, lead, silver,

well known.

furniture, sawn
ds, steam engines
lents, etc. Cattle,
"ted largely from

per month, with
d. a day, without
L 4s. per month,

iates. Beef, veal,
1 to 8d. ; bread
to 8d. per lb.;
I. to 4j^d. perlb.;
bacco, la. to 2s.

st knd emigrant
nditions are that
n the land, aQ4

der certain fori'

a those of other

t mining in this
ig an important
ranee, and large

Jue of 2,097,677

large tonhls.
ipflj to (^hbt

ExiracU from the ' Colonization Circular ' Relating to Canada. 139

This Is afforded by railways and by the river St. Lawrence. This province Means of
Bontains the two great porta of shipment — Montreal and (iuebeo, both of which have g°^ri?'"*J'
gstensive wharfage accommodation, and ocean-going veBsela of 4000 tons can be
moored alongside the quays.

NEW BRUNSWICK. 1 - -^ " -^ • -

Free grants.

New

Bninawlok.

Soil and
produotton.

Manufae-

ture.

A grant of 100 acres may be obtained by any person upon the following con<

ditions :

On pa3rment of 20 dollars cash to aid in construction of roads and hedges, or
labour of the value of 10 dollars per year for three years,

A bouse to be bu>!t within two years. Ten acres to be cleared and cultivated in
three years. Proof of residence on the land.

The soil is fertile, and produces all the fruits generally found in England. Wheat
averages about 20, barley 29, oats 34, buckwheat 83, rye 20, Indian com 41, potatoes
226, turnips 456 bushels to the acre. The potatoes and fruits command good prices
in the English market.

Ship-building is one of the staple industries of the province, but its manufactures
generally are increasing rapidly. There are manufactories of woollen and cotton
goods, boots and shoes, leather, carriages, wooden ware, paper, soap, hard-
ware, etc., etc. '

NOVA SCOTIA.

Grants of land in this province can be obtained for 44 dollars per hundred acres |'AQ<1 ^
(about £9). Nova Scotia.

The soil produces good crops of cereals and roots, and large quantities of apples ^U.
are grown for export.

The value of the fisheries in Nova Scotia in 1876 was upwards of £1,000,000 Fiaherles.
sterling, consisting of cod-fish, mackerel, haddock, herring, lobsters, etc.

Nova Scotia contains large tracts of woodland which produce timber for ship<
building and lumber chiefly for export.

Gold, iron, coal, and gypsimi are found in large quantities. Mln^;^

There are several railways in the province, giving it communication with other Baili^a^
parts of Canada.

Halifax, which is the chief city of the province, is the winter port of the Dominion.
It possesses a fine harbout, and is connected by railways with all parts of the conti*
nent

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.

Most of the lands in this province are .aken up, but improved farms can be Price d
obtained from about £4 per acre. ^^9^.

A full description of this province will be found in Professor Sheldon's report.

BRITISH COLUMBIA. .;,.,:

This province, which includes Vancouver's Island, is the most western of the Oenetal
provinces which constitute the Dominion of Canada, its boundaries being the D««Prij>tt<m,
Uocky Mountains on the east, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

It possesses many fine harbotu's, one of which (Burrard Inlet) will probably form
the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway when completed ; and 125 nules of
the line in this province are now under contract.

Heads of families, <«/idows, or single men, can obtain free grants of land from T^ftt^
160 to 820 acres according to locality ; the fee is about 7 dollars.

Surveyed lands can be purchased at 1 dollar per acre, payable over two ye^rq.J
and improved farms cost from £l to £8 per acre.

British Columbia has a large extent of valuable timber land, productive fisheries,
which are increasing in value yearly ; gold and coal are also found in large quanti-
ties. The yield oi gold from 1858 to 1876 was equal to about 40,000,000 dollars.

■■,.*■*• ",

ADDENDA.

EXTRACT FROM A MEMORANDUM PREPARED BY LIEUTENANT.
COLONEL J. S. DENNIS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR
OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA, ON THE SUBJECT OF FREE
GRANTS OF LAND AND OTHER INFORMATION BEARING ON THE
PRICE OF LANDS, etc., etc.

Canada offers to actual settlers, and heads of famiKes or male persons over the age
of 18, free lands on the following terms:

Every such person has the choice of all unoccupied lands surveyed and open for
settlement.

On selecting the quarter section or 160 acres which he desires to settle on as a home-
stead, he appears at the nearest land office, and has his name entered for it, paying at
the tim^ a fee of £2, as evidence of his intention to settle on the land, cost of the
surveys, and necessary documents, etc., which is all the land cost£ him, as, by residing
on and cultivating the same to a reasonable extent, according to his means, for three
years, he becomes entitled to, and receives a conveyance in fee simple for the land from
th« Grown. He Is allowed a period of two months (which is counted part of the three
years' occupation), after having his name entered and paying the £2 fee, within whi'^b
to move his fanuly on the land.

If desired by the settler, he will be permitted at the time of getting his name
entered at the land office for his homestead or free grant, to have his name entered also
for a second quarter section or tract of 160 acres adjoining his homestead ; this is called
his pre-emption land. He pays on this also at the time a fee of £2, which is all the
monoy required of him on account of the same till he has fulfiJled his three years'
residence on his homestead, when he will have to make a payment on his pre-emption
land of four-tenths of the price thereof, together with three years' interest on the
price, at 6 per cent, per annum, after which he pays at the rate of one-tenth each year
tor six years, with interest aii the above rate, when he will receive a conveyance in fee
simple of the land from the Crown.

The price of the pre-emption land varies according to the distance it may be from
railway" accommodation. For instance, if the settler chooses his homestead within forty
miles of the railway the price will be lOs. per acre ; but if between forty and sixty
miles, 8s. ; and if more than sixty miles distant, 4s. per acre.

The setUer therefore has it within his power to obtain a property of 320 acres of
the best farming land for (in aiiy case) the maximum sum of £84, the payment of which
is purposely arranged to meet the circumstances of persons of limited means (only £4
having to be paid at the time of entry), and may be shortly stated as follows :

To be paid in cash at the time of entering for his land ... £4 0 0

At the end of three years from that time ... 32 0 0

Leaving due, paym'^nt of which is made in six subsequent

annual instalments of £8 each 48 0 0

i Total £84 0 0

6

I

pel

fSO

1
1

ide-
liri^

1
!ont
oal

1
ito
k f u
lom)
)ie-€
-th(
>ie8(

\

iqoa
eavi
heo
T
oSs
rarcl
oain

Aom(
iroa]
ihos(
ntei
idno
iettl(
then
hay

2
toin
)een

1
[rati
nun
thei
over
of 2
aimi
tad
intsi
«xte
M
givii

Adiknd<».

141

Should the land be sttu'ato in the Four Shilling Bolt, the outlay of the settler to
(cure bis 320 acres would stand thus :

To be paid in cash as above £4 0 0

At the end of three years from that time 12 16 0

Leaving due, to be paid in six annual instalments of £3 43.

QavQ ••• «■« ••• ••• ■»« a«« sa« tf Av 4 \j

Total ... £36 0 0

LIEUTENANT.
IE INTERIOR
EOT OF FREE
RING ON THE

Bons over the age

yed and open for

tie on as a home<
1 for it, paying at
land, cost of the
m, as, by residing
means, for three
for the land from
part of the three
fee, within whirh

getting his name
lame entered also
ad ; this is called
which is all the
i his three years'
I his pre-emption
' interest on the
5-tenth each year
onveyance in fee

3 it may be from
tead within forty
I forty and sixty

r of 320 acres of
lyment of which
means (only £4
'ollowB :

... £4 0 0

32 0 0
mt

• •«

48 0 0

• •t

£84 0 0

•J

It is to be understood, that in either case, as before stated, interest at the rate of
per cent, per annum is to be paid on the purchase-money of the pre-emption land,
80 much thereof as remains from time to time unpaid.
The mode of survey of the lands is uniform.

The Townships are laid out in squares of six miles each — that is, six miles on each

lide— these are divided into single milo squares called sections, which are in turn sub-

ded into quarter sections or half-mile squares, containing ICO acres each.

The Sections or mile squares (640 acres each) are uniformly numbered from the

lUth-Easterly to the North-Easterly angle, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., etc.. etc., making 36 sections

all

The Government have declared that the odd-numbered sections, viz.: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,
ito., etc., etc., in each Township shall be railway lands, i.e., lands to be sold to realise
k fund to pay for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the even-
inmbered sections, as 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, etc., etc., are set apart for free homesteads and
ire-emptions. Four sections, 11 and 29, and 8 and 26, are reserved in each Township
-the first two of which represent a public endowment for schools — and the latter re-
iresent the one-twentieth of the lands in tiie territories the property of the Hudson's
Jay Company.

By this it will be seen that provision b made for thirty-two homesteads and an
iqual number of pre-emptions, that is to say for thirty-two families in each Toionship,
eaving an equal area of railway lands, which, if desired by them, may be purchased by
he occupiers c*. adjoining homesteads and pre-emptions.

The railway lands are sold at prices ranging from £1 within 5 miles of the railway,
0 88. at 60 miles, outside of which the price is 43. per acre, and the payment of the
rarchase-mone^ is spread over nine years, with 6 per cent, interest on the balance re-
ining from time to time unpaid.

Should it be considered essential in carrying out a scheme to settle communities on

lomestead lands, provision could no doubt be made accordingly. The undersigned

rould however observe, that experience in Canada has proved oeyond question that

rhoee settlements succeed best on which people from the older provinces are found

ntermixed with the new-comers. Those people are practical and self-reliant and

iduoated in the ways of the country, and the example furnished by even a few of such

ettlers among a number of old countrymen, is of great value to the latter in showing

hem how to build houses and stables, to break up land, to provide for stock through

* e winter, etc., etc.

^2. Upon arrival in Manitoba the settlers will be received by agents specially ap-

inted for the purpose, who will advise and guide them to the lands which may have

in selected hy them.

The Domimon Government some years ago obtained an Act to encourage Immi-
ition, by which it was provided that persons advancing money to pay the passage of
nigrants and place them on homesteads, to erect buildings, to furnish them also with
|the necessary farm implements and seed grain, and with food sufficient to carry them
lover till they were able to obtain a crop, would be secured in each case to the extent
of 20O dollars, equal to £40, with interest thereon at the rate of 6 per cent, per
tnnum till paid, by the same being made a lien on the homestead of the immigrant,
and that no patent for the land should be granted by the Crown till such sum and
intorest had been paid. This provision was however not taken advantage of to any
tttent, and upon the adoption of the system of alternate homestead and pre-emption
^ods and railway lands, it was repealed. As the proposal to assist settlers on their
giving secmrity seems to meet with general favour m England, the Canadian Govem-
fM&t intend to introduce a meatsure whiph T^l dpubtless become law, extending the

148

Addenda,

provisions of tho repealed Act bo as to secure repayment of any moneys advanced for |
the purposes above mentioned.

There is no reason whatever, so long as people are sober and industrious, to donbt
of their ouccess. The productive character of the land, the facility with which it raaj
be placed under crop, there being no forest to be cleared, and no other difficulty in
case the emigrant arrives on the land early enough in the season, in taking off a crop
the same year, and finally the certainty of being able to got remunerative prices for |
everything he can raise, through the local demand caused b^ the constant and rapid
influx of population and the construction of public works in the Territories, all con-
tribute to render certain a measure of success to the emigrant, co-extensive with hii
personal thrift and industry.

The climate of the territories is undoubtedly healthy and congenial to the oonstitn. I
tions of the inhabitants of Europe.

The prospects of married men, who, without means, are placed with their familieil
on homesteads, are rendered all the better from the fact that for some years tliel
demand for labour in connection with the construction of railways now progressing,!
and of others contemplated, will afford them opportunities after the crops are put iii,l
and then again in the autumn after harvest, and through the winter, of supplementingl
the profits of the farm by earnings which will enable them the sooner to make theul
families comfortable, and to pay off the moneys which may have been advanced fori
their benefit. f

Under the conditions of the Homestead Law three years' occupation of the land iij
required in order to entitle the settler to the full ownership of the same, but the settletl
may be absent from his homestead for six months in each year of the said period, and]
where the man's family remain on the land and work it to a reasonable extent (whiokj
may well be done where there are children of sufficient age), the head of the f amilj I
may, if he chooses, work away from home throughout the whole of each year.

The average wages paid at the present time to men working on railway constra»-l
tion in that country are 6s. per day, out of which thev pay for board 2s. per day ctj
128. per week, leaving them nett 4s. per day for their labour. |

With regard to the amount of money which would be necessarv to pay the emign-l
tion expenses of an average family oi the poorest class, and place them on land isl
the North- West, under circumstances which would ensure their subsistence till thejl
obtained a crop, it is safe to say that from j£80 to ^£100 judiciously expended would!
cover the expense. A portion of this sum would require to be spent for actual neceg>]
saries of a character such as outfit, household requirements, and clothing, which people
able to pay their own way would already have in possession. A family of the clasil
last referred to, therefore, going out independently, could, by careful managemenJ
pdace themselves comfortably on land at a cousideraDly less cost than the sum mes-l
tionqd.

"f-.T^';

•c^:''"K -

. CA^t^

:i.-

The
1.1
lybe
nark
apt t
to
%V

uoys advanced foi

T

al to the oonstitn< I

INFORMATION FOR INTENDING SETTLERS

IN CANADA.

II best time to start for Canada is at the beginning of Apnl. , . _ .
When it has been decided to go, one of the Canadian Steamship Lines, whoB«
Uertisements can be found in the newspapers, should be written to, so as to secure
berth. There are vessela sailing from Liverpool, London, Bristol, Glasgow, London-
y, and Cork.

ihe fare from any of the places named to Quebec, the port of landing in Canada,
lends upon the class of passage that is taken. The saloon fare ranges from £10 to
8 ; the intermediate is .£8 88. ; and the ordinary steerage passage is £6 6s., but
iculturists and domestic servants have the benefit of a lower rate, which can be
ertained from the Steamship offices, or at any of the Government offices, who will
) supply the necessary forms to be filled up : children under ten years are charged
f-fare, and infants under one year a nominal sum. The fares include a plentiful
Ipply of food, and good sleeping accommodation on board.
To Manitoba through tickets are issued by all the Steamship Companies. Th6
I from London or Liverpool to Winnipeg ranges from £9 10s. assisted steerage, to
8 the saloon passage. Passengers are advised to take advantage oi tKese
kets.

To secure a berth in the steamers it is necessary to send a deposit of £5 for »
loon passage ; £l for an intermediate or a steerage passage.
Twenty cubic feet of luggage are allowed to each saloon passenger, ten to each
termediate, and ten to each steerage.

Any information or advice as to the most useful things to take to Canada, or upon
other subject, may be obtained at the offices of the Steamship Companies, or at
of the Canadian Government offices.
Steerage passengers have to provide bedding, and certain utensils for use on board,
[lich are enumeratfed in the bills of the Steamship Companies. They can be )ur-
sed at the port of embarkation, or hired for the voyage, from some lines — for a few
\\nnf^ — leaving bed- covering only (a rug or blanket) to be provided by the passenger.
<-roycn»ai<^'it a-^-oit* ire stationed at the principal places in Canada, and they
■■! \,r 'nqihrf.l r on arrival. They will furnish information as to free grant
oiuei. ittUvL vi.''f' for settlement in their respective provinces and districts, farms
sale, demand for labour, rates of wages, route of travel, distances, expanses of
ive;^ance ; receive and forward letters and remittances for settlers, and give any
ler information that may be required.

Persons with capital should not be in a hurry to invest their money. They can
good interest for it by depositing it in the banks, and can give themselves time to
around before settling. There is good banking accommodation in most of the
s, and letters of credit can be obtained from any of the English Banks.
The classes which may be recommended to emigrate to Canada are as follows : —
1. Tenant farmers, who have sufficient capital to enable them to settle on farms^
" be advised to go with safety and with the certainty of doing well. The same
^k will apply to any persons who, although not agriculturists, would be able to
themselves to agricultural pursuits, and who have sufficient meuu to eoablA
to take up farms.
Prodnoe fanners and persons with capital, saekiag investinent^

'.i

iu

-Addenda.

; ■.* * ,

'P

T

8. Male and female fann labourers, female domestio Bervanb
meohanics.

The classes warned against emigration are females above the gra
clerks, shopmen and persons having no particular trade or calling, and
to manual labour. To this olasjB Canada offers but little encouragemenq

The following are the Government agencies in Great Britain and Irebn<

CHIEF OFFICE : 10, Victoria OHAtaBERS, London, S.W.,
Ma. J. CoLMEii, Secretauv.

LIVERPOOL.. .Ma John Dyke, 15, Water Streei

GLASGOW Mr. Thomas Grahamb, 40, St. Enoch Square.

BELFAST Mr. Charles Foy, 2a, Victoria Place.

DUBLIN Mr. Thomas Connolly, Northumberland Honieb

BBISTOL Mr. J. W. Down, Bath Bridge. j

Intending settlers should communicate with these officers if in want of oni
tion or advice : and should arrange, if sailing from any of the above * ''
upon the Government Agent before their departure.

The following are the agents of the Canadian Government in Oanad
United States : —

OTTAWA .

i

TORONTO...
MONTREAL
KINGSTON
HAMILTON
LONDON ...
HALIFAX ...
ST. JOHN ...

QUEBEC

WINNIPEG
DUFFEBIN
DULUTH ...
ST. PAUL ...

...Mr. W. J. Wills, St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway Statioi

Ontario.
,..Mr. J. A, Donaldson, Strachan Avenue, Toronto, Ontarit
,..Mr. J. J. Daley, Montreal, Provinco of Quebec.
..Mr. R. Macpiierson, William Street, Kingstom.
..Mr. John Smith, Great Western Railway Station, Hamilt
..Mr. a. G. Smyth b, London, Ontario.
,..Mr. E. Clay, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
...Mr. S. Gardner, St. John, New Brunswick.
,..Mr. L, Stafford, Point Levis, Quebec.
...Mr. W. Hespeler, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
.. Mr. J. E. Tetu, Dufferin, Manitoba.
,..Mr. W, C. B. Graiiamt!!, Duluth (Minn.).
,..Mr. G. R. Kingsmill, St. Paul (Minn.).

BOOTS AND VEQETABLES IN CANADA.

^e following certificate has been given by Messrs. Sutton and Sons, Se<
Beading, in reference to the Canadian roots and vegetables exhibited on \
at the Bmithiield Club Cattle Show in December last.

'Beading, Deo. 21i

• We were honoured by the Canadian Government forwarding for oxl
onr stand at the Smithfield Club Cattle Show, 1880, a collection of root*, <
in Manitoba and Ontario, of the following weight^; when harvested.

Squash ... ... ..t 813 lb.

. . Long Red Mangel ... ... 75 ,|

r Long Yellow Mangel ... ... 65 „

] ' Yellow Globe Mangel... ... 60 „

Field Pumpkin ... ... 37 „

Citron ... ... ••• 80 „

* These enormous specimens proved objects of great interest to the Briti
,iisid we believe the weights far exceed any on record.

*(Si^ed) Sutton AWD Son

. — , M

■^.■)

3nranitf and

le gra*} of
ig, and

agementfJM
. and IrenQi

ON, S.W.,

i

want of «»n1
above • '

t in Canad

[way Statioi

ito, Ontarii

c.

on, Hamilt

d S<nui,Se<
ibited on \

g, Deo. 21i

ag for 0x1
of rootSi «

^d. I

^

t> ilie Briii