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MARCHANT, INGRAM-COURT, FENCHURCH-STREET. 1824. // ih^iGl INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE CANADIAN COMPANY. It is proposed, after giving a slight sketch of the present state of Upper Canada, briefly to point out the benefits to be derived from the establish- ment of a Company, for the purchase of the Crown and Clergy reserves in that province. Upper Canada, to which these observations particularly refer, has been thus described:— " The province of Upper Canada is situated upon the north side of t'ie river St. Laurence, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods, &c. and from A 2 ihem.e upon a line undefined to the Pacific Ocean. " From Lower Canada, along this inland navi- gation, which is so singularly convenient, beau- tiful, and extensive, to the extremity of Lake Superior, is a length of about thirteen hundred and fifty miles, of an almost uninterrupted con- tinuation of a fine fertile soil ; and, in every re- spect, a most delightful country ; a very consi- derable proportion of this extent, however, is still unsettled. The settlements, at present, only extend to Detroit, which is situate between Lake Erie and Lake Huron, being a distance of about five hundred and fifty miles from the border of Lower Canada; but the fine climate, the supe- riority of the soil, and the conveniences and ad- vantages of local situation, are such that the settlements are extending upwards very rapidly."* Since the late American war, the whole of this fine province has been in a state of languor and depression. This appears to have been owing to the folio '»nng causes : — * Anderson*s Canada. 1st. During that war the settlers were obliged to leave their peaceful occupations, and take up arms in defence of their families and their pos- sessions ; they had literally to fight pro aris et focis. In consequence, their agricultural labours were suspended, and their farms neglected. In addition to this, in many instances, their houses and properties were attacked, plundered, and laid waste ; and, when peace allowed them to return to their labours, many found themselves quite destitute of the means of resuming them with any effect. 2d. The stagnation in the demand for and the consequent depreciation in the price of agricul- tural produce which ensued after peace, not only in America, but all over the civilized world, cramped their energies and exertions, and pre- vented them from effecting what their local ad- vantages might otherwise have enabled them to accomplish. 3d. The great delay which has taken place in their obtaining a compensation from the mother- country, for the actual damages they had sus- tained during the war ;— the poverty of a great a proportion of the people, and their distance from the seat of government, prevented, for a Jong time, their employing an agent here, or getting their claims put into a form that could be recognised or taken notice of by his Majesty's Ministers. At length that was effected, and the documents were laid before Government,' who immediately appointed Commissioners to investigate the claims. Above £200,000 in amount have already been allowed, and arrange- ments made to pay them, so that this money will soon be distributed in the Colony. 4th. The existence of the Crown and Clergy reserves has been, universally and uniformly, given as one great cause of the little improve- ment the Colony has made of late years.* 5th. The mode in which fresh settlers have been introduced into the Colony has also been • In all tho l„l, ,vorkH „po„ Canada ll,i, (,a, teen re- verted o and it has been ni.I ™„re parUcnIarly noticed in the seatistical report, „hieh ,vere madt by the principal nhab.ta„u of the different townships a L years ago (extracts from these will be found in the Appendix ;) and' above ,, ,„ ,fc, „^p^^^^ ofLegisIative cLmittees ap- pointed to .pqMlre into the state of the Crown Land« . 9 frreatly against its progress. Instead of locating them upon the lands in the neighbourhood of the old colonists, they have been sent to form fresh settlements in distant quarters. By thu^ scattering the population over a vast extent of country, the physical strength of the Colony has been much weakened, and the new settlers have been subjected to great inconveniences and dis- tress, and their progress much impeded. After arriving at Quebec, and then undergoing a passage up the river, frequently both tedious and expensive, the emigrants find themselves, upon their arrival in the upper province, under the necessity of making a land-journey of 50 to 100 miles, on roads scarcely formed; over which they have not only to convey themselves and their families and baggage, but also all the pro. visions, clothing, farming utensils, and imple^ ments they require, nothing ct the kind being to be found among the wilds they are to inhabit. On arriving at the place of their final destina* tiou, they find themselves in a wilderness, with every thing to be done, land to be cleared, houses- to be built, roads to be made; and, while all 8 !! ; I this is doing, provisions and every thing wanted have to be brought from a great distance, and at a very great expense. Even with all these in- conveniences, and under all these discouraging circumstances, such are the natural advantages of the country that above 10,000 emigrants annually repair to it. The proposed Company will make a wonderful alteration in a country so gifted and so circum- stanced. 1st. It will throw into the country that stimu- lus which alone is wanting— capital. 2d. It will direct the tide of emigration into an incomparably, more beneficial and useful channel. 3d. The certainty of finding immediate em- ployment, and that in cultivated districts, without having to go into the wilds for it, will attract a greater number of emigrants into the Colony. 4th. The settling of these upon lands partly cleared and built on will much sooner call their energies into action, and will enable them to make a much quicker progress towards indepen- dence and wealth. - . 5th. The extra demand for agricultural product will encourage the old settlers to increased exer- tions, and the employment that will be given to them in clearing the lands will enable them to become purchasers themselves of many of the lots. 6th. The attention of small capitalists in this country will be attracted to the Colony. There are at present in Great Britain a number of persons of small fortune who, since the fall in the value of money, and the difficulty of em- ploying it to advantage, are at a loss to support themselves and families, and have, therefore, been looking out for countries to emigrate to. As matters have hitherto been conducted, however, no one of that description would ever entertain an idea of going to Canada to place himself and family in a wilderness, at a distance from all habitations, with no neigh- bours but the wild beasts of the forests, out of reach of a church, and equally so of a market, either for the disposal of his surplus produce or the purchase of the necessaries he may require; but inform such a man that he may purchase, at a very moderate rate, a lot of rich and fertile land, i:.^^ JO free of {itheii and poor-rates, with little or n6 taxes, situated in a cultivated district, with neigh- hours on each hand, and where a very little la- bour will open a communication with both church and market, and he will immediately think of going to such a quarter.* 7th. The capital of the Company, and its * That this is no fanciful idea will distinctly appear from the following facts. In the year 1822, a Mr. Nathaniel Ward came over from Ohio to Glasgow, where he pub- lished a smajl pamphlet, setting forth that he had numerous tracts of valuable farming lands, in the several counties of the State of Ohio, which he was willing to dispose of in lots, from 40 up to 3,000 acres, at from 9s. to 42*. per acre in the wood, according to quality and location. The consequence of this was, that twenty individuals in Glas- gow formed themselves in!o an association, which they chose to call the " Glasgow Ohio Company," and purcha- sed from him a site for a town and the territory around it, consisting of 2,760 acres, for which they paid him £3,350,' and they immediately sent a Committee out to take posses- sion. A Report from that Committee, narrating their pro- ceedings, has lately been published and circulated in Glasgow, inviting others to settle on these lands. Now, the land on the Ohio State is in general no better, if so' good, as that in Upper Canada, and tfid climate is deci- dedly worse, especially for people from a colder country, it being so extremely ho* and. at times, d^mp and wet,' that the ague-fever is almost universal on th^ Ohioi while in Upper Canada it is scarcely known. r * m power of acting will enable it to do more in teh years, than could be effected by individuals in half a century. If such be the results that will flow from the operations of this Company, its gains will be in proportion. The value of the lands will rise very considerably, in a short time it will be doubled, tripled, quadrupled. Before thfe war, it was calculated that the price of land doubled every five years. Sir . the peace, it has, for the reasons given, been almost sta- tionary; but it will now rise rapidly. It would be doing great injustice, however, to the highly respectable gentlemen who have already come forward in support of this measure, or to those who may be expected to do so, to suppose that they would confine their views of the benefits to be derived from it to pecuniary ones, without taking at all into consideration the political, which It is conceived will be still greater and more brilliant. ist. By filling up the blanks in the old settle- ments, the propulation will be concentrated, and 12 the physical strength of the Colony greatly aug- mented. 2d. By the stimulus given to cultivation of all kinds, the productions of the Colony will be pro- portionally increased, and consequently its riches, so that it will soon be able to relieve the mother- country from a part, and in time from the whole expenses of the administration of both provinces. 3d. The increased population along the line of the river St. Lawrence and the lakes, where the old settlements principally lie, will mul- tiply the natural means of defence, and, by augmenting the militia, will do away with the necessity of keeping a large military force in the country, and so save in that expense also. 4 th. The increase in population and wealth will create an increased demand for the manu- factures of the mother-country. 5th. The same causes will increase the exports from the province; and it is calculated that it may soon be able to supply Great Britain with all vhe lumber, flax, hemp, &c. she may require, and thus prevent her from being immm Jatly aug- tion of all II be pro- its riches, 3 mother- he whole Tovinces. ;• the line s, where k^ill mul- and, by with the 2e in the ). I wealth i manu- exports ed that Britain c. she 1 being 13 under the necessity * pplying for those articles to the countries of the Baltic, the governments of which are taking such pains to exclude her ma- nufactures and produce from their ports.* 6th. A more certain, easy, and beneficial channel will be opened to relieve that redun- dancy of population, under which this country has been labouring for some years past, than any that has yet been offered, and a considerable an- nual expense will, in a great measure, be saved to Government; while, at the same time, the emigrants will be much better provided for. It has been thought necessary to submit these hasty sketches, because very little is known respecting Upper Canada. And to show that there is no exaggeration in what has been stated, a few extracts from diffe- rent works published on that country, together with some original communications, are subjoined. • It may be remarked, that one of the objections made to Canada (that she is frost bound half the year) is equally applicable to those northern countries, with whom, how- ever, Great Britain has carried on for centuries a very great trade, without experiencing inconvenience from that circumstance. ( 1 APPEiNDIX. Extracts from Books of Travels and Private Communications. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. From St. Ann's, upvrards, to the border of Upper Canada, which IS about sixty miles above Montreal, being a length of about one hundred and seventy-five miles upon both sides of the St. Lawrence ; and from the border of Lower Canada upwards, to the extremity of the settlements of the upper province at Detroit, being an extent of about five hundred and fifty miles upon the north banks of the St Lawrence and the lakes, makes, from St. Ann's, upwards, a length of about seven hundred and twenty-five miles of a beautiful and level country. The general characteristics of the face of the country, throughout this vast extent, afford but little diversity in point of appearance. The kinds of soil, how- ever, consist of considerable variety: but that which mostly prevails is d strong deep loam, which in many parts consist, of a mixture of rich blue clay and friable earth. This is a kind of soil which, in whatever country it is found generally constitutes that of the best quality. 11 H If i 1^1 {\ i f ■ H ! ill H 16 A large proportion of this vast extent of country is of the first-rate quality, and the average of the whole may be said to be excellent. Reckoning to the depth of about fifty miles from the St. Lawrence and the lakes, (which depth would include all the land yet granted by the British government,) perhaps there is scarcely ^o be found, either in Europe or America, a tract of country equal to this in extent, which compara- tively contains so large a proportion of a first-rate quality of land; and certainly there is not in any other part of the United States, excepting Louisiana, and other parts upon the west side of the Allegany mountains, and upon the banks of the St. Lawrence and its lakes, an equal territory, wherein even one-third of the first-rate soil would be found. Indeed, in many parts of this vast country, there are oc- casionally to be found uninterrupted tracts of land of a first quality, even to the extent of a hundred miles in length ; whereas, in most countries, one-third of that extent of an uninterrupted range of such quality is rarely to be met with. — Anderson. Nature has, probably, done more for Upper Canada than for any other tract of country of equal extent; and Art seems to conduct herself upon the modest principle that it would be an act of unpardonable presumption in her to attempt the further improvement of a country so greatly indebted to the kind indulgence of her elder sister. Here is the fairest field for the exercise of human industry and in- genuity ;— a soil not only capable of producing in abundance^ all the necessaries of life, but equal to the culture of its greatest luxuries !~a climate not only favourable to the hu-, man constitution, but, also, eminently calculated for the' cultivation of every species of grain and fruit. And yet, so', great is the delusion under which many Europeans stijl la-' bour with respect to the real character of this fine country,! 17 that most ot those who have not seen it compare it in imagmation, with the deserts of Siberia, and receive all that travellers relate in its favour with no more candour than can be expected from persons who evince no wish to be unde- coived. Its real advantages, however, are now becoming so well appreciated by the inhabitants of Great Britain, that, on a moderate calculation, it annually receives an accession of eight thousand European settlers, in addition to those who pass over from the American confines.-E.A. Talbot, on Ca^ nada, just published. In most parts of the world, and even in the United States, a most erroneous opinion has been formed of th^ clunate of Canada. So strong is the force of prejudice, that the word Canada suggests the idea of a country bound up with ice, covered with snow, and desolated with per^ petual winter. Now, on the contrary, the climate, par- ticularly that of Upper Canada, is a very fine one. In the winter, indeed, there is a great deal of cold; but then It IS a pure clear cold, that enables a person, who is well clad, to take a great deal of agreeable exercise in the opert air, uninterrupted by thaws or wet. There is no Spring, but a Summer of intense heat comes on at once. On the sixth of June, at the Falls of the Niagara, my pocket thermometer stood at 84° in the shade, and in the sun the heat was nearly insupportable. On the same day I saw two humming birds on the Canadian side of the river. This, which was only the commencement of the hot weather, may give some idea of the heat in July and August. I should consider both New York and Canada far pre- ferable to the Prairies of the West, not only on account of proximity to markets, but because the climate Js in- comparably more healthy. So strongly am I persuaded of this, that I would r&ther pos-ess a farm of 200 acres in the Western part of the State of New York or in Upper Ca^ i! I .* .1 y n S^^: th»B one of thre^ times the exieat in Iqdi . .: > r. % cli^aate, is not iaten^e^ the situation of the province ift teference to. degrees of latitude, but the ge^eral tempera- ture pf the ait This is, iu som^ nieasure, aflfected by the winds, which, also, are influenced by the configura- tion of the country into mpuntaips, valleys, beds of rivers, &c. The prevailing winds of Upper Canada are the south- -west, the north-.east, ajid the nojrth-west. In sum- mer ihp wind blows two-thirds of th? time down stream, that is from the south-west. As it passes over the lakes ^e air collects ^ moisture, which excitps an unpleasant seiir »>|tion. In spring and autumn this wind is sometimes quite uncomfortable. However, comp^ed with the north- east axtd nprthrwest, it is generally njc)derate. The north- east is 4amp and chilly, but not to such a degree as at :fyisififx and other pl^pes. on the Atlan-^c board. The longest ftprn^s of, r^n and the, deepest, fall pf snow are usually accompanied by easterly winds, The north-west, which is m»»% fr«quent in wiuter, is d^y, cold, and elastic. The ^s^tt^-east is soft, thawy, and raiuy. The wind blows less ^requeBtly from the west and sou^, ^ stiU mo^ seldom from due north. . Almost every day in the sun^m^r, especially when the ^d blows from th^ south-wpst, it rises about nine or ten sk*^\%fik in the foreAqpn,^^ ^pRtinuesto increase ia strength till tpwards evening, wh^ft it gradua^y lulls away; r This ordiawgr s^at? pf thet winds- is conformable to the •^ape of the cpufttry. Upper Canada is generally level, « Y 1 T "u " "^^ '^J'*^"' '^^ '^^ Vermont aod Ken York. The broad valley which extend, from the lower pro- Twce along the St. Lawrence, around Ontario and LMe and thence over to the Ohio, i. not interrupted by one sinrie moun^n IT.e descent of 300 feet from'the jiain of Eri 7^ol Tlu "'* -<^^ - »t-«Ption Eastward of the Oh.0, the Alleganian chain from the south stretches up mto the state of New York ; and south-east of Ontario m the American states, there is a range of highlands, spread^ ing from the Black River towards Lake Champlain. On that elevated ground about the Black River, the snow is commonly deeper, and the cold more severe than on thfc north side of Lake Ontario. The south-west wind, which sweeps this country, i, a conunuauon of the vast etherial stream impelled from the Gulf of Mexico, along the basin of the Mississippi, the Ohio the lakes, and their rivers, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence ' commg from a warm region it imparts warmth to the climate as It passes. On the Mississippi side of the Alleganies th* air IS generally considered to be warmer by two or three degrees of latitude than on the Atlantic side. Some natural cause, probably the same, produce, a similar, perhaps not equal, effect on the climate of Upper Canada, where the feet has been philosophically determined by an accurate series of thermometncal observations, that the cold is less severe than It is m corresponding degree, of latitude in Maswt- chusetts. New Hampshire, and Vermont. This is the uniform dedaratkm of inhabitants, who, from their own- re- sidencemboth situation., are qualified to form a just com. parison. (^ntlemen setUed on the Bay of Quinte, who once resided m the state of New York, have assured me, W the chmate of their present residence i. not colder ^an that of Albany. A similar assurance was expresired byi« Qb^ervmg inhabitant of Windham, in the county oTNuIik, B 2 I 1 1 I 1 •' 1 1 I 1 1 who formerly lived in Duchess county, in the state of New York, and who thinks there is no material difference in the temperature of those two places. Many of the settlers in the vicinity of Niagara, and at the head of Lake Ontario, emigrated from New Jersey. By conversing with a number of them, men of intelligence and observation, I found it to be their opinion, that they enjoy as mild a climate as they did before their emigration, notwithstanding the difference of more than two degrees of latitude. Such appears to be the concurring testimony of those inhabitants, who have had sufficient personal opportunities of comparing the climate of this interior with that of the Atlantic states, which, although corresponding with the eastern shores of Asia, in respect to cold and heat, are known to be colder than the same pa- rallels in the west of Europe. The land-crab, an animal of warm climates, is seen upon the north shores of Lake Erie. It is the belief of the inhabitants here, that their winters are less rigorous and snowy than they were when the province was first settled. A snow which fell in February, 1811, about two feet and three inches deep, was every where •poken of as remarkable for its depth. Snows are not so liable to drift here as in the more hilly districts of New England; nor so much exposed to the thawing influence of south-eastern winds as in places nearer the sea-board. Yet sleighing, although a pleasant mode of travelling, and very convenient for transportation, especially when summer roads are new and incomplete, is «ubject to too much uncertainty from the fluctuations of ■weather, to be safely depended upon, even here, for distant journeys. The climate of Upper Canada is favourable to health and kngevity. At the first settlement, indeed, in common with all new countries, this was afilicted with the fevers incident !' !i :2i 16 that stage of cultivation ; but those effects ceased with their cause, and ^he country is now very healthy. Thi»' opinion is founded upon the information of medical gentle- men and others, confirmed by observation and my own personal experience. I have found travelling and residing ia it to be salutary and restorative to a feeble constitu- tion. — Qourlay. The general character of the climate of Upper Canada may be designated as varm and good; but these two cha- racteristics vary under particular circumstances, and exist in proportions somewhat unequal. From the eastern boundary of the province to Kingston, tod between the St. Lawi-encc and Ottawas rivers, its pro- portion of warmth is least ; from Kingston to the head (or north-western border) of Lake Ontario, and southward of the line of small lakes and rivers which intersect the coun- try between Lake Ontario and the Ottawas, the proportion of warmth is somewhat greater. From the head of Ontario to Port Talbot on Lake Erie, including the Niagara district, the warmth increases; and its greatest degree is from Port Talbot to the Detroit and St. Clair rivers. The western ex- tremity, as it has permanently a greater proportion of heat, 80 may it, perhaps, in very hot and dry seasons, be a shade less healthy than the other parts of the province. Such seemed to be the case in the summer of 1819, when a de- gree and a continuance of warmth was experienced, greater than had been known for the preceding twenty years : and when, amidst the universal sickliness which prevailed in both provinces, that of the western district of the upper province seemed somewhat to preponderate. Perhaps, however, it would be impossible more strongly to characterise the general salubrity of the climate than by recording the fact, that in a season, wherein arose such art extraordinary concurrence of unhealthy influences, as those ( I,' I'll 1 I' / ilill I n iillll 28 Which mk ^lft% io that •ummer ; and when a limilar paraf. W •f Waijte -■ the Uniud Htates was visited will* that dr^fol disease, which is commonly cMcd the yellow fever, W^r Canada, including us western distn. ^ experienced ©nly a l, /er of a mUd a. '^ totaUy non-infectious type, tedi- o»«, indeed, and perplexing, but, generaUy speaking, very far fi\,tii '1 tngjerous. — Stewart. SOILS, STONES, MINERALS, &c. Upper Canada is the most fertile British province in Ame- rica. It contains a variety of soils, but that which predo- mmates is composed of brown clay and loam, with a small portion of marie intermixed. This compound species of ■oil, m various proportions of the component parts, prevaiU m the eastern, Johnstown, Midland, and Niagara districts, not, however, without some excepUons. Around the Bay of Quinte it is more clayey, especially near the lake shore where it resembles the soil of the country about Lancaster! m Pennsylvania, and is rich and productive. Throughout these districts, generally, it rests on a bed of limestone, which lies in horizontal strata, a few feet be- neath the surface; and, in some places, rises to the surfacei of the ground. In colour, this stone is of different shadet of blue, interspersed with grains of white quartz; it is used for building, and is manufactured into excellent lime by an. easy process of calcination. It also enriches and invigorates the soil The hmestone of Niagaia district differs from the rest, both m colour and quality, being gray, and not so easily calcined into lime. . The front of NewcasUe district is of a rich black soil. Ai Bome distance back, towards the Rice Lake, there is a sandx plain. ^ A numbe. * townships in the east riding of York, an4 ilar paral- witli thftt How fever, :perienced ype, tedi- Ling, very i in Ame- ch predo-. h a small pecies of , prevails districts, the Bay ce shore, ancaster, >n abed ' feet be- s surface! t shadet t is used le by an 'igoratea ihe restf easil}; ioil. At asaodj^ rk, aii4 23 lh« land on the Ouse, or Grand river, and the Thariies festittibles the front of I iwcastle, in reip-^-ct to toil. At York, and thence through Yon gt -street, the soil it fertile, but stones are so scarce that thei is a want J thetA for common uses. There is likewise a scarcity of stones in several townships bordering upon Lakes Erie ai 1 Sinclair, and the Detroit Barton, Ancaster, and other places around the head of Lake Ontario, are a light sandy soil ; so is a considerable tract near the shuve of Lake Erie. Notv.lth«t tnding the predominance of calcareous stones, there are other kinds, as granite and sandstone ; but not in so large quantities, except in the north-western regions, Where Mr. M'Kenzie says granite abounds. In the Indian land, opposite to the Delaware township, oh the river Thames, there is a quarry of soft freestone, of k dark colour, very useful for buildings. It extends a quar- ter of a mile on the bank of the river ; the Indians hew it out in long blocks with their axes ; it will not endure the heat of fire. Near the (Jananequi Lake there is found a soft stone, of a smooth oily surface ; it is called soap-stone, and is useful for inkstands and various other utensils. Gypsum is obtained in large quantities in Wilson's town- ship (now Dumfries), on the Grand river, north of Dundas- Btreet. A gentleman, accustomed to the use of that of New Bnmswick, has examined and used this, and pronounced it to be equally good for purposes of man'ufacture or manure. In a new comtry manures are less needed, and, therefore, Ic^s valued than in districts of old worn-out land. But plaster- will, probably, be an article of value even here, a# it has longbben in places of similar soil in Pennsylvania, and has- begun to be in the western parts; Of the state of New York. 11 •■"i, ;! ■ : I ■lit iff ni! I t I i iii 24 .Marie abounds, more or leas, in- every district of the pro- vince. It is of different colours in different places ; that of Woodhouse and Charlotteville, near Long Point, is of a bluish, or lead colour. Clay, proper for bricks, is frequent ; and some of it is of a quality suitable for potter's ware; there is a large mass of that description in a marsh in Ernest townj it is blue, and unmixed with other substances. Pipe-clay, of a good quaUty, is found at Burlington Heights. In the township of Rodney there is a bed of that species of fine calcareous earth, which is known in commerce by the name of whiting, or Spanish white, and which is used in painting, and for putty, and in the manufacture of fine wares. Brick buildings, however, have not become common; and but little potter's ware, coarse or fine, is manufactured in the country. There is plenty of iron-ore in some places, particularly in Charlotteville, about eight miles from Lake Erie. It is cf that description which is denominated shot-ore, a medium between what is called mountain-ore and bog-ore ; the iroo made of it is of a superior quality. Black lead is found on the shores of the Gananoqui Lake, and in some other places, chiefly in the eastern section of the province. Yellow ochre is dug up in Gananoqui, and in the township of Ernest town. — Gourlay. The surface, to the depth of several inches, is composed almost entirely of decayed vegetable matter. The withered leaves, strewed by every autumn, speedily decompose and unite with the soil; and a thin layer being thus added an- nually, a stratum of considerable thickness is soon formed, which has hitherto been allowed, in most places, to accu- 25 »f the pro- i& l that of It, is of a of it is of ^e mass of blue, and Surlington at species rce by the i used in e of fine non; and ictured in cularly in It is of medium the iron }ui Lake, ection of township omposed withered ose and ded ani- formed, to accu^ raulate without disturbance from the plough or harrow. Fallen trees likewise add a great deal to the surface by their decomposition : they may be observed in all stages of decays from simple rottenness to that of absolute disintegration, A soil of this description, as you may easily conceive, is rather too rich for the common purposes of agriculture; and consequently the first crops never are^so good as those that follow. As a proof of its luxuriant quality, I may mention, that two fields were pointed out to me which had been crop- ped twenty-one years in succession, without receiving any manure whatever. That part of the soil which has been, some time under cultivation presents an appearance superioc^ to any thing of the kind I have ever seen ; being formed, entirely of a rich black loam resting upon a bed of clay. This combination is peculiarly adapted for agricultural pur- poses, as it possesses the double advantage of being easily worked, and, under proper management, not capable of exhaustion. Indeed, were it not for the uncommon richness of the soil, which yields profusely almost without cultivation, the set- tlers could not obtain a subsistence from their farms until after many years occupation. In sowing wheat they use the small proportion of one bushel, and one bushel and a half, to the acre. In England, three are required. This extra- ordinary diflference can alone be accounted for by supposing, that, in Upper Canada, the fertility of the ground causes every individual grain to germinate and come to maturity. Notwithstanding the quantity of labour necessary in clear- ing a piece of land, the first crop seldom fails to afford a return more than sufficient to repay all that iias been ex- pended. The clearing, fencing, sowing, harrowing, and harvesting an acre of waste land will cost about £5 : 5. The prqduce is usually about twenty-five bushels of wheat, which, on an average, are worth £6. After the land h?s ( 1 i \ \ ill!: I M m I 26 been ia crop, iU cultivation bfecoraes much lets expeiisive; The cB8t of putting in a second croJ> (ploughing being tHen uwessary), irtll ^ot exceed £t m^ ^u, i»hile the produed will amount to perhaps thifty-five or forty bushels j tlt«« affording a clear profit of ftotti £4: 15 to £ 6 : m, aftet £1:10, has been deducted for hamming and threshing.-- Howison. PRODUCTIONS, NATURAL AND CULTIVATED. In 1784, the whole country was one continued forest. Some plains on the borders of Lake Erie, at the head of Lake Ontario, and in a few other places, ^ere thinly wooded : but, in general, the land in its natural state was heavily loaded with trees; and, after clearing for more than thirty years, many wide-spread forests still defy the settler's hier The forest-trees most common are beech, maple, birch, elm, bass, ash, oak, pine, hickory, butter-nUts, balsaffi, hazel, hemlock, cheny, cedar, cypress, fir, poplar, syca- itaore, (vulgarly called button-wood, from its balls resembling buttons,) whitewood, willow, spruce. Of several of these kinds there are various species; and there are other trees less common. Chestnut, black walnut, and sassafras, al- though frequent at the head of Lake Ontario, and thence westward and southward, are scarcely to be seen on the north side of that lake and the St. Lawrence. Near the line between Kingston and Ernest Town a black walnut has been planted, and flourishes and bears nuts. The sumach, whose leaves and berries are used for a black dye by the curriers here, and by the dyers of Manchester, and other manufacturing towns in England, grows plenti- fully in all parts of the country. Elder, wild cherries, plums, thorns, gooseberries, blaek- berries, raspberries, grapes, and many other bushes, shrubr, and vines, abound. Wortleberries and cranberries (botii i':il!, 2J tht tall and the low or viney) grow in some places, but not generally throughout the province. The sugar -maple is common in every district; its sap, which is extracted in the spring, and from which molasses and sugar are made, is useful to the inhabitants in the eariy stages of their setUement, and might be rendered of more extensive and permanent use by proper attention to the pre- servation of the trees, the manner of tapping them, and some practical improvements in tlie process of reducing the sap to sugar. The wood, also, being beautifully veined and curled) is valuable for cabinet-work. The butter-nut tree is useful for various purposes; the kernel of its nut is nutritious and agreeable to the taste. If gathered when young and tender, about the first of July, ti.e nut makes an excellent pickle. The bark dyes a durable brown colour, and an extract fromit is a mild and safe ca- thartic. A healthy beer is made of the essence of spruce, and also of a decoction of its boughs. The juniper is an evergreen, the berries of which are used here, as in Holland, in the manufacture of gin, and give to that liquor its diuretic quality. The prickly ash is considered to possess medical virtues. A decoction of its berries, bark, or roots, is taken for rheu- matic complaints. Red cedar, being the most durable of all known woods when exposed to the weather, is highly valued for fence- posts and other similar works. It is also a beauUful material for cabinet-work. For a number of years past, large quantities of oak and pine timber have been annually cut on the banks of the St Lawrence and Lake Ontario, and its bays and creeks, and flo?.ted down on rafts to the Montreal and Quebec marketa for foreign exportation. if 'I la2-;.ii i ilii 1 28 The principal fruit of Upper Canada is the apple. Th* various species of this most useful of fruits grow in all the districts, but most plentifully around Niagara, and thence westward to the Detroit, where they have been cultivated with emulation and success. No country in the world ex- ceeds those parts of the province in this particular. In the north-eastern townships, orcharding has not been so much attended to, and, perhaps, the soil, although good for fruit, is not so pecuUarly adapted to it But there are many con- Wderable orchards, most of them young, and some valuable nurseries of trees, not yet transplanted. A general taste for apples and for cider, a beverage most suitable to this phmate, begins to prevail. Peaches flourish at Niagara, and at the head of Lake On- tario, but not on the northern shore of that lake. Cherries, plums, pears, and currants, succeed in every part of the' country. Strawberries grow freely in the meadow, and are culUvated with success in gardens. Sarsai-ariUa. spikenard, gold thread, elecampane, lobelia, bloodroot, and ginseng, are native plants. The latter root Fhen dried, has a sweetish taste, similar to that of liquorice' but mixed with a degree of bitterness and some aromatic' y^armth. The Chinese esteem it very highly, and it might, therefore, be a valuable article of exportation to China; but tt seems to be neglected. . Snake-root, also, is a native of this province. It is of a pungent taste, and is stimulant and sudorific. The Indians are said to apply it as a remedy for the bite of the rattlesnake and hence its name is derived. * Spearmint, hyssop, wormwood, winter green, water- cresses, pennyroyal, catnip, plaintain, burdock, horehound, »iotherwort, mallows, and many other aromatic and medi- cinal plants are indigenous. White clover springs up spontaneously as soon as the lill 29 2n, water- ground is cleared; greensward, also, is spontaneous. There are several other native grasses. But red clover and most of the useful species of grass must be sown, and then they grow very well. The most common are timothy, herdsgrass^ foul meadow, and red clover. Lucerne is cultivated in some places. The soil, however, is not so favourable to grass as to grain. Wheat is the staple of the province. When the land was first opened, the crops of this precious grain were luxuriant They are still plentiful, although they become less abundant as the land grows older. Wheat that is sown as early as the first of September is found to be less liable to be winter-killed, as it is termed, than that which is later sown, the former being more firmly rooted in the ground. As this injury from the frosts of win- ter, or more commonly spring, is one of the principal causes of a failure of crops, it is an object of importance to the husbandman to seed his wheat-fields in good season. Some years ago, when the country was infested by that destructive insect, erroneously named the Hessian fly, it was dano-erous to sow this grain early, because it was then more exposed to the ravages of the insect; but, happily, that scourge of agriculture is no longer felt here. , Other grains, such as rye, maize (here called Indian corh), pease, barley, oats, buckwheat, &c. are successfully culti-. vated. The township round the bay of Quente produces large harvests of pease, and generally furnish supplies of that article of provisions for the troops of the various garrisons. Wild rice grows in marshes, and on the margin of lakes. It has even given a name to the Rice Lake, a smaW lake about twenty-five miles long from south-west to north- east, and four or five miies wide, in the district of New-: castle, north of Hamilton and Haldimand. I r" m 30 ^ Wildiowla feed a«d 'atten on this .pontaneou, graio, ke Indian, also gather it by thrusting their canoes into the ^t of it, and then beating it into the canoes ^ith sticks. I^ey eat It themselves, and sell it to the white inhabitants, who uae it in puddings and other modes of cookery. It is rather larger than the Carolina rice, and its shell is of a dark brown colour. The soil in all districts of the province is adapted to flax and m some of them to hemp. Legislative encouragement has been given to the latter. Seed has been purchased and distributed gratis; a bounty has been granted to the growers of It m addition to the price they could obtain for it in the market; and at last, a liberal price, above that of the mar- ket, has been paid by government for the purchase of the nemp, on public account The gardens produce in abundance, melons, cucumbers, tquashes, and all the esculent vegetables and roots that are planted m them. The potato, that most valuable of all roots, for the use both of man and beast, finds a congenial and productive soil-^Gowiay. The whole province produces abundanUy, when cultivated •very kind of British grain, and pulse or vetches; together with all the common fruits and vegetables of Britain, besides others which Britain has not so commonly. ^ The maize, or Indian com, is raised in every part of if but abundantly and securely only in the western districts. In other parts it is apt to be blighted before it comes to ma- turity, by the early autumnal frosts. Of course, this dis- aster may occur in the western districts also, if the corn be planted too late; but then it is the fault of the planting, and not of the climate. ^ ^ Tobacco is also produced in every part of the province j but the western district is probably the only part where it could be advantageously cultivated to commercial extent- iiiii m and there it need have hardly any U»it but the m^fma and .other views of the cultivator, U has been tji*4 Oft a fmall scale near Amherstburgh, and has been judged ^qv»\ in ma- nufacture to any obtained frooj th? United States, AH the British fruits, &«, are congenial to tb^ province ; but the garden gooseberry does not appear to thrive tn the western district; although the gooseberry, in a wild state, is universally indigenous. The melon, in its various species, and the vine may be everywhere reared with a facility unknown in England. The wild vine, the fruit of which is small, harsh, and unpa- latable, abounds throughout the forests. The various species of plums appear to suffer, to the west- ward, from too luxuriant a growth. But the peach and the vine there seem to have found their congenial climate, and, whenever cultivated, flourish abundantly with little care. A superior kind of pears needs introduction. Their cherries also, though abundant where cultivated, are not select. Gu^ rants thrive admirably. Wild strawberries and blackberries are common in Cleara- nus ; but the real raspberry is rare. A few other berries are found; some plentifully. But the nuts are the pride of the woods. Where you meet the apple or the plum, in the forests, it is a diminutive, harsh, repulsive fruit The nuts, on the contrary, seem perfectly at home. They tower, of various kinds, amidst the lofty heads of the trees, and scat- ter around their treasures, the natural granaries of the squirrel, the hog, and the bear. They are. The walnut, or black walnut, as it is caUed, of a peculiar and rather disagreeable flavour. The white walnut, or butter-nut, and the hickory-nut, which much resemble each other, and both of which are ex- cellent The chestnut, equal to that in England. ii'.t 'i ■ ■•) 1 ' (l 32 ' The filbert, of a good quality. The beech-nut, and some others of an inferior description, a store for quadrupeds. None of these, I believe, are peculiar to any part of the province; but it is in the western peninsula that they prin- cipally abound. — Stewart. t * ■ FLAX. ' Flax is raised throughout the country. The crops are generally good ; and, indeed, in some instances, excellent. This, however, appears to be a secret which the people do not know, for so little is the management of this article un- derstood, that notwithstanding the good crops which are produced, it seldom turns out to be worth the trouble and expense incurred in working it; and, perhaps, there is hardly any instance of its being found profitable, merely from the circumstance of its being improperly managed after it is pulled ; for both flax and seed are completely spoiled in the process of management which succeeds the operation of puUing. Yet such is the favourable state of the clunate and superior quality of the seed, that notwithstanding all the bad treatment which it receives, that which remains is generally found to be of a good quality; indeed, if properly managed, it is, in point of quality, equal to Dutch seed, and would answer tlie soil and climate of Great Britain equally as well as that from Holland. HEMP. Hemp.— For some years past a considerable quantity of hemp has been produced in Upper Canada, nearly in a sufficient quantity for the supply of that province with cordage. The proper and profitable metliod of cultivating and managing it, however, in all the stages of the necessary process through which it goes, from the time of its being liiili 33 sown to the period of its being cleaned, is far from being well understood in that province. From the bad system of cropping, which is practised, the land, in point of fertility, is rather in a reduced state. This circumstance, therefore, certainly in some degree generally operates against the cultivation of both hemp and flax. There are, nevertheless, to be found, throughout the Canadas, generally, upon every farm, even where the land is most reduced, certain pieces of land fit for producing very fertile crops of either hemp or flax ; for instance, land newly taken in, small pieces under pease, meadow, or what may have otherwise been several years under grass, or spots that may from one or other of a variety of causes, be more than ordinaruy fertile ; amongst these such a choice might be made by any one who possessed a tolerably ac- curate idea of agriculture, and the cultivation and manage- ment of hemp and flax, as would ensure the profitable cul- tivation of these crops. Considering that the land is in general well adapted to the cultivation of hemp and flax; that our Government are disposed to give encouragement to the growth of hemp ; and that good crops of flax, although spoiled in the watering, are raised throughout the country in general ; it is there- fore evident, to any at all acquainted with agriculture, and the means which have generally proved successful, in the introduction of improvements in other countries, particu- larly the rapid success which attended the means used for improving the cultivation of flax in Scotland, that the re- sult of a litUe well directed attention to the cultivation of hemp in these provinces would, undoubtedly, be the abun- dant supply of the British market with that important article. — Anderson. fi i i-m m m I! II I ¥'t ■i::) ill 34 Remarks on the Province of Upper Canada. Bj^ the Founder of the " Talbot Settiementr POSITION ANI> EXTENT OF UPPER CANADA. Thb province of Upper CanAda commences at between 73 and 74 degrees of west longitude, its western extremity being at about 84«; Its southern boundary extends from 45° 20' to 41« 4(y of north latitude. To the north it may be said to advance as far as the pole. That portion of its territory, which is now in course of settlement, is cdrnputod to be not less than seven hundred miles in length from east lowest, having a miean breadth of one hundred tod fifty miles or thereabouts. Th2 whole of this extensive tract of land possesses pecu- liar advantages in point of situation ; the Rivet of St. Law- rent?, and LaJces Ontario, Erie, and St. Clair, furnishings conUnued and easy water communication along its entire •outhern line. There are several other navigable lakea and nrers which intersect it in a northern direction, all of which »re connected with the St. Lawrence. CLIMATE, SOIL, AND PRODUCTIONS. Climate.^The climate of Upper Canada is considerably milder than that of the lower provmce, and the winter shorter m the saffle proportion. In both these respects it improves as you proceed to the wfestward ; so much so, that although the frost generally sets in in November at the Point au Bodet, on Lake St. Francis, its eastern extremity, and continues in that neighbourhood till the middle of April, it rarely commences on the shores of Lake Erie before Christ- mas, and it usually disappears between the 25th of Marbh -.nd the 1st of April. The greatest depth of snow around Lake St. Francis is about three feet, which gradually 35 diminishes to eigliteen inches on the borders of Lake Erie. From York, on Lake Ontario, upwa ds, neither black cattle nor sheep require housing during the winter ; and the new settler, with the addition of a small quantity of straw, can keep his stock on the tender branches of the trees felled by him in clearing his land, until the return of spring-. On a comparison with the climate of Great Britain, the heat in the summer months is somewhat greater, but never oppres- sive, as it is always accompanied with light breezes. Ther6 is less rain than in England, but it falls at more regular periods, generally in the spring and autumn. The winter cold, though it exceeds that of the British Jsles, is the less sensibly felt, in consequence of its dryness, and seldom continues intense for more than three days together, owing to the regular fluctuation of the wind between the north- west and south-west points. It may be observed that the winter season is the most favourable to land-carriage, as the roads then admit of sledging in all directions, which is a very expeditious mode of conveyance, and attended with but little draft ; so that one horse or ox can in this manner easily draw double what he can npon wheels. It is hardly necessary to state that in a country so overspread with timber there can never be a deficiency of fuel. As the forests disappear the climate improves. SoiL—Vpfer Canada is blessed with as productive a soil as any in the world,, and it is easily brought into cultivatlott, as will appear when the agricultural system there pursued is noticed. The nature of the soil may be invariably discovered by the description of timber it bears. Thus, on wh&t i^ called hard timbered land, where the maple, beech, black birch, ash, cherry, lime, elm, oak, black walnut, butter- nut, hickory, plane, and tulip tree, &c. are found, the soil consists of a deep black loam. Where the fir and Iiemlock pine are intermixed in any considerable proportion with other c 2 ^III jl I' m 111 36 n ( 7 I trees, clay predominates ; but where they grow alone wtnch ,s generally on elevated situaUons, .and prevail,' This also happens where the oak and chestnut are the only trees. These sandy soils, though naturally unfavourable to meadow and pasture, are found to produce the brightest and heavtest wheats, and can, with the assistance of gyosum which abounds in many parts of the province, be miiii. 42 roads, improving the navigation, and other projects, to which the geographical figure of Canada offers every invi^ tation. BARTON,— GORE DISTRICT. The wild lands of the Grown intermixed with the setUe- ments thi^oughout the province, commonjy called Crown reserves, lying in the unimproved state, they would, were they sold at auction by the Government, not only produce large sums of money, which could be applied to useful pur- poses, but tend essentially to improve eveiy part of the province. NICHOL,:r^QpRE DI3TRIPT. We have further to remark, that we think it would be of much benefit to the province, as also a reUef to the mother- country, were alUhe jingranted lands, In the already sur- veyed townships, sold at a moderate price per acre; when epu-rants and others could select soil, situation, and neigh- bours to their mind, for which they would far rather pay than go to the wilderness by lottery ; the fund thereby raised could be well applied to the improvement of the mternal navigation of the province and other public pur- poses; as also help to relieve many of the claimants who suffered losses during the late war. WEST FLAMBOROUGH AND BEVERLY,-GORE DISTRICT. The remainder of these townships, that is, the unculti- vated lots, are in the bands of persons not resident in the province, or in the hands of such residents, in Canada who keep them, asking high prices; depending on the in- dustry of the inhabitant settlers for making roads, and im- proving their own land ; by which means the unsettled lots become valuable enough, in time, to bring the high prices 43 projects, to every invi- the settle- lied Crown irould, were ily produce useful pur- part of the ould be of he mother- Iready sur- cre ; when md neigh- rather pay d thereby int of the ublic pur- aants who -GORE ! unculti- snt in the Canada^ I the in- and im- tled lots rh prices demanded for them. With respect to the province in gene- ral, could some other mode be devised to dispose of the vacant lands of the Crown, or part of them, rather by selling them, than granting them in the present mode, it would, no doubt, not only bring capital into Canada to make purchases, but it would also beget a further interest in the purchasers to bring in useful settlers^as well those with property, as those wanted for clearing the lands and handi- craft tradesmen. It would settle the country with a yeomanry, who, in times, requiring soldiers, would, no doubt, be found such as were wanted ; besides procuring a fund to the Crown for its lands, which, at present, appear to pro- duce little or nothing. Under such pohcy, we think Canada would immediately show another face ; and would, we pre- sume, improve full as fast as we have seen the country op- posite to us in the United States ; our natural advantages being infinitely superior to those enjoyed by the citizens of that country. KINGSTON,— MIDLAND DISTRICT. The second cau^e which, in our opinion, retards the agri- cultural improvement of this township, is the Crown and Clergy reserves. If they could be disposed of, so as to allow good roads, and a free communication from one con- cession to another, it would tend, in our opinion, much to the improvement of the township. YARMOUTH TpWNSHIP.-LONDON DISTRICT. The lands granted to persons not resident at present in the province, or living at the seat of government, or in ^ther towns of the province, and the Crown and Clergy re- serves intervening so often amongst our farms, have a ten- dency to retard the improvement of our settlement very materially. What, ja our opinion, also, further retards the growth ul" our settlement, is an improper system 44 4'r of emigration ; and we are confident that the introduc- tion of men of capital would much tend to the improve- ment of the same. SOUTHWOLD.— LONDON PISTRICT. Nothing retards our settlement more than the lands of absentees, and the Crown and Clergy reserves being inter- spersed amongst our farms ; and nothing would contribute more to the improvement of our settlement than their being sold to active and industrious persons. We are confident that the province in general would be much benefited by the sales of the lands of absentees, and the Crown and Clergy reserves to actual settlers. DUNWICH.— LONDON DISTRICT. The Crown and Clergy reserves intervening so frequently amongst our farms, impedes the improvement of our town- ship; and we are of opinion that the growth and pros- perity of the province in general is impeded by them. These being removed, or disposed . .VAnrUAN-r, IMilNTKR, y^ r.p_ , yt-c QV m, /.O.tDOS.