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Those too lerge to be uded in one exposure are filmed 1 the upper left hand corner, left to p to bottom, BS many frames as le following diagrams illustrate the Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est f ilmi d partir de I'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent le mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I FACTS CONCERNING THE FERTILE BELT OF THE NEW BRUNSWICK Land and lumber Company, {LIMITED), NEW BRUNSWICK, (CANADA). RT. HON. LORD ELPHINSTONE, MussEi.noKouciH, Scotland, HON. ISAAC BURPEE, /'resident. St. John, New Brunswick, Vice- President. SAINT JOHN, N. B. J. & A. McMii.LAN, 98 PkiNCE William Street. I 8 8 .4 . krBL.':»H»si^M.iUM FACTS CONCEKNINt; THE FERTILE BELT OK Till-; NEW BRUNSWICK Land and Lumber Company, {L/Mn /■:/■>), NEW HRLWSWICK, (CANADA). RT. HON. LORD EI.PHINSTONE, MuSSKLliOROUGH, SCOTLAND, HON. ISAAC HURPEE, J'residml. St. John, Nkw ISkinswick, Vice-President. i SAINT JOHN, N. B. J. & A. McMillan, 98 Prince William .Street. 1884. INTRODUCTION. THE objt'ct of this pamphlet is to svX forth the a(l\anta!2>;cs which the domain of the New Hrimswick Land ami Lumber Company in Canatla otilers tt) intendiiijn settlers from Kurope. Scarcely iny attempt has been made by the (iovernment (jf the Canadian Province of New Hrunswick to brint; the extent and value of it;; agricultural resources under the attention of the l)eople of the Old World. The settlement of the best districts of New Hrimswick has, durini; late years, proceeded rapidly : as soon as roads have bei-n made through unsettled districts, all j^ood land within reach of them has been at once taken up — lar^'^ely by settlers from Lnnl.uul, Scotland and Ireland; but chieHy by per- sons born in the Province itself, or in the .uljacent Provinces of Quebec and No\a Scotia. About ten years ajt^o, the Pro\incial Legislature agreed to give the New lirunswick Railway Company a bonus often thou.sand acres of land i)er mile, to secure the con- struction of a railway connecting the interior of the Province with existing railway systi-ms. This land was to be taken in the counties along the St. John river and its tributaries ; and in ortler that the subsidy might be available when called for, it was found necessary to reserve nearly all the vacant land in those counties, although it was being rapidly taken up and occupied by settlers. The railway having been completetl, the land grants were duly issued to it, and were afterwards sold by the Railway Company to the present propriet(jrs, the New Brunswick Land and Lumber Company: so that the latter Corporation is now al)Ie to oti'er to intending colonists a magnificent extent of country, lying adjacent to the most thriving settled districts in the Province. Those who are about to settle in America ought, in silecting a home, to be governed by several considerations — such as the terms upon which land can be obtained, the fertility of the soil, the nearness of good markets, the salubrity of the climate, prox- imity to the ocean and consequently to Lurope, the rati- of taxation, and the like. In the laws governing the tenure of property and the rights of citizenship, there is not much difference between one locality and another : personal freedom, the unrestricted right to (3) 4 Introduction, transfer real and personal property, exemption from compulsory military service, free public schools, and the absence of religious tests being universal in America ; but in many other respects the difference between the various districts open to settlers is very great, and to disregard this fact is one of the greatest errors which settlers can conmiit. No matter how fertile the soil may be, if the terms of purchase are oppressive, if the cost of transportation of the crop to a market is excessive, if the climate is unhealthy, or the rate of taxation high, a settler will find, when it is perhaps too late, that he had not bettered his position by going to the New World. The important thing for him to do, therefore, is to make a wise choice in the first instance. Many portions of the Western States and territories, which aie advertised abroad profusely, while possessing a great extent of fertile soil and yielding luxuriant crops, have so many drawbacks, in the shape of unjust land regu- lations, the great cost of sending produce to a market, the preval- ance of storms, Hoods and malarial diseases, and recjuire the settler, if he hopes to be successful, to have so large an amount of capital at his disposal, that their advantages do not fully compensate for their disadvantages, and the European settler there will find much to disajipoint and discourage him. The occurrence of great Hoods, covering the whole face of the country for hundreds of miles, sweeping away homesteads, drowning thousands of cattle and other live stock, and scores of human beings, great winter storms, coming without a moment's warning and destroying everything in their path, snow storms impeding travel for weeks together, and occasioning great loss of life, both of men and animals, such as every season are recorded of the western or prairie sections of the United States, are absolutely unknown in New Brunswick. The settler of a\erage means will also wish to choose a home in a country which is not so far away that it will cost him the greater part of his capital to reach it, and from which, if he ever wishes to revisit the land of his birth, the journey will be comparatively short and inexpensive. He will also prefer a coun- try where the material for his house, his farm buildings, and his fences is cheap, and where fuel is plentiful. He will also desire to take his family, if it is possible, to a place where they will have the benefit of schools, where he with them will enjoy a settled govern- lutroduction. 5 ment, and have all the ad\ antajj^cs of ci\ ilization luar at hand. One other consideration will also have j^reat weij^^ht vvitii him, namely: whether in his new home he can look forward to beinj^' snrrounded by- his fell<)w countrymen, or if a larj^e colony wish to IlJo from the same neijLjhhorhood, they can locate themselves in one place so that their social and relij^ions associations may re- main unbnjken. Most luintpean farmers will prefer a country where they can practice mixed husbandry or make a choice be- tween the different de|)artments of airriculture, or engaj^^e in dairy- inj^ or cattle or sheep raisinJ^^ instead of bein^ forced by circum- stances to pursue one or two lines of farming alone. In all these particulars the district hereinafter tlescribed will compare favorably with any part of America, and in some respects the ad\ anta,i;es are all in its favor. No claim is made that it is without drawbacks — no place in the world is — but they are comparatively few, and it may be asserted without fear of disproof that the settler from I-.urope will find it better suited to his habits of life than any other part of the American continent now waiting development, and will be as well able to establish himself in comfort, and, ha\ inj;- j^iven his chil- dren a good educati(jn, t(-> start them in life under as favorable cir- cumstances as he can in any country which he can select. He may count with absolute certainty upon enjcjying from year to year a safe home, a settled j^^overnment, and a sure reward for his labors. Comparinj^^ the distance to New Brunswick with that to any other British Colony, the advantage will be seen to be with New Brunswick. Of all the ct)lonies offering any large area for agri- cultural operatit)ns, it is the nearest to (ireat Britain. Its mag- nificent uplands, clad with luxuriant forest of great and increasing commercial value, and possessing unsurpassed fertility, are only half as far from Europe as the prairies are, while the tlistance to Australia and New Zealand is from four to fi\e times as great. This of itself is a consideration of the utmost im])ortance, as well to those who wish to settle with their families in the colonies, as to those who desire to establish their sons u|)on farms in a new country. In these days of swift ocean steamers, and daily mails to America, to remove from the British Isles simply to the other shore of the ocean is scarcely like leaving home, especially as all the surroundings in the new country, so far as the comforts and conveniences of life go, are the same as at home. tluir lallacv luiiij^^ exposed cast discrt'dit on what is really reliable. This section of country will bear to be judj^ed upon its merits. The experiince of" persons who have settled upon similar land in New Brunswick is the best proof which can be (^iveii of the adap- tability of the country t(j farminj;^. The hardships incidental to life in a new settlement are, in New Hrunswick, tempered by the prox- imity of rich and prosperous farminjji; districts, and the complete- ness of the system of internal communication. Pioneer life, such as the last generation (jf farmers experienced, is a thiny; aitoj^ether of the past. Mut they con(iuered all difiticulties, and l)efore leaving their farms to tlu'ir children, ccnild point with pride to the com- fortable homes which they had estaljlished by their industry. Progress is more rapid in these later years. In four or the seasons after he lirst breaks the soil of the virgin forest the farmer of to-day is as far ahead as his predecess(jr of twenty years ago would be in half a lifetime, so much griater are the facilities and acKaiUages which tlu' present affords. Hut notwithstanding the disa(i\antage under which the earlier settlers labored, the new comer will find in their experience and success the strongest recom- mendation ot Xi'w Hrunswick asa home, antl the surest guarantee he can recjuire that the Pro\ince will afford him an oppc^rtunity to reali/A' a reasoiiat)le reward for his industry and secure himself a competency for his declining years. No class of people are so comfortably situated in New Hrunswick as the farmers, many of whom landed on its shores with scarcely any ca|)ital but stout luarts ;uul willing hands. .Scores, yes, huntlreds of such men, who, iu the land of their birth were, as their fathers before them had been, nure " hewers of wood and drawers of" water,'' now enjoy a green old age on the broad acres which their hands have cleared. Thev are the lords of the soil, paying tribute to no one, but honoicd and respected by a community of busy, earnest men. Their sons are landlortls too, and they can give their daughters marriage portions in land and cattle. Ask them, and they will tell you that though they have toiled hard, seed time and harvest ha\e never failed, but each year has added to the comforts which former years have bestowed. CHAPTER I. Gl'NERAL Dl'SCRIlTION (IF nil'; PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK AND THE Domain of rni-: Land and Lumukk Company. NEW Brunswick is one of the Provinces of the Dominion of Canada, a vast country extending from tiie Atlantic Ocean on the East, to the Pacific Ocean on the West, and from tlie United States on the South, northward as far as the Hmits of the Continent. The area of Canada is 3,471,392 scjuarc miles: its population was, at the last census, 4,3I5,(xxd, and is constantK- in- creasing. In fertility of soil, healthfulness of climate, and abund- ance of natural resources, Canada is unsurpassed hy any country, and is destined to become one of the greatest nations in the world. This great Dominion is at lirescnt divided into seven pro\ inces and three territories. Of the provinces, New Hrunsvviek, X<>va Scotia, and Prince Ixlvvard Island lie on the Atlantic sea-board : Bridsh Columbia on the Pacific Coast ; Ontario, Oueijec, Manitoba, and the territories being in the interior. The largest of the Atlantic Maritime Provinces is New Brunswick, which has an area of 27,322 square miles, and a population of 32o,cxx). It lies in the same latitude as .Southern Germany, and is all in a more southern latitude than the British Isles. On three sides it is washed b\- the ocean, — the fisheries on its coast Ijeing among llu' finest in the world. It is intersected by many large rixers, abundaiuly slocked with fish, some of the best streams in the world for salmon ti^hing being in New Brunswick. The great ([uantity and variety of fish is important, because it places this nutritious and wholesome food within reach of every class t)f the jjeoijle. 'i'his is an advantage which,of course, settlers in the interior of America do not possess. (7; 8 General Description of the Domain. Its \aluc is attested by the fact that tliousands of tons of fish are aniuially sent from New Brunswick to the West, where the\- are in threat deniaiul. The j4eoi^rai)hical position of New Brunswiclv, the excellence of its harbors, and the character of its produce i^nve it many advantages in the j)rosecution of tradt* with F.urope, the West Indies, South America, and the I'nited States. This has already assumetl larye propt)rtiT:)ns, and when the connexions between the railway system of the Province and that of interior Canada are completed, there can l)e no doubt that it will assume much g^reater ini|)()rtance. The soil of New Brunswick is of hiijh average fertility. There is very little waste land, the mountainous antl barren tracts form- ing only a small fraction of the area of the country. There is a difference in the fertility of dilferent sections, the richest in an agricultural sense being the lowlands along the great rivers, and the uplands of the Upjjcr .Silurian formation. Of these latter there are al)out 3,(kx:),oc)0 acres in the Province, about one-ciuarter of which is settled, and forms the most thrifty and progressive section of the country. The land to be hereafter particularly descril)ec! is all upon this formation, and embraces a considerable extent of lowland, or ri\er " Intervales," as they are called. In strength and protluctiveness the soil of New Brunswick has been shown to average higher than that of the celebrated farm lands of Western New York, and that of her hrst-class uplands is fully e(iu;'i to that of the choicest i)rairies. Of grains, wheat, oats, rye, barley, and Indian corn yield luxuriantly. All the ordinary root cro])s thrive wonderfully well, — potatoes raised in New Bruns- wick being rated highest in the American markets, and the crops per acre being prodigious; of grasses, suitable for pasturage and hay, all the better \arieties are grown, and their quality is such that the country is especiallx' adapted for dairy farming, and sheep raising, — New Ikunswick mutton being considered among the best sold in the B(Jston market, which is supjilied from various parts of the United .States. The principal fruits are apples and ])lums ; the quality of both being ecpial to any in the world, and the yield very large. Berries of various kinds are abumlant. and the culti\ation of strawberries General Description of the Domain. 9 and raspberries for export, as well as for the home market, is be- coming^ an important indnstry. The Climate is salubrious, and malaria is unknown. The natives of the country arc conceded to be above the averajLje standard in strength, vigor, and longcv ity. The greater part of the Province was originally covered by forests of pine and spruce, and for many years tlu' cutting down and marketing of lumber were the ])rincipal occupations t)f the peo[)le, — agriculture taking a second place only for two reasons: first, because the vast forests made tlie country almost impene- trable; and secondly, because luml)ering, as it is called, was a ready means of making a living, ^'et by degrees many fine sec- tions were settled, and the adaptability of the country for farming proved so great, that Professor Johnson, V . R. (i. S., who reported upon the Proxincc to the ( iovernmcnt thirty years ago, classcil it among^ the first sections of America in |)oint of fi-rtility and gen- eral fitness for farming. ./;/c occupied. Since tnat tinu- a great impetus has been gi\ tii to farming by the construction of highways and railways, and the oi^ening of large foreign markets; so that to-day it is far ahead of all other industries in iuijjortance, and abundant ])roof has been givi'n that it will, with its kindred pursuits of sheep and cittli" raising, continue to form the princi|)al occui)ation of the people, and the foundation of the prosperity of the Province. Of that portion of New Brunswick which remains unscttU'd, the largest continuous area of first class I'arming Lantl is owned by the New Hrunswick Land and Lumber C\)mp.iny, whose total domain consists of i,65o,(xx) acres, abi)Ut i,CKX),tx)o of which are of the highest fertility, and adapted for immediate settlement. This land is situated in the north-west <>f the Province, on the St. John River antl its tributarii's. The .St. Jt)hn is the largest river in tlu' Proxince, and is about equal in size to the Rhine. It rises in the north of the .State of ALiine, antl has a general south-easterly course through New Brunswick to the Bay of Fundy ; its length being about 450 miles. At the mouth of this river is .situated thi- important sea port of St. John: Population — including the adjoining^ City «jf Portland lo General Description of the Domain, and suburbs — 50,000, St. John does a very large trade in lumber with (}reat Britain and the Continent of Europe ; and the lines of railway converging here, and the lines of steamers on the river, give the farmers in all parts of the Province every necessary facil- ity for reaching this important centre for the sale of produce, or the purchase of goods if they so desire ; although, as a general rule, the farmers in the interior find a ready sale for all they wish to dispose of to buyers nearer home, and in most cases at their farms themselves. Eighty-five miles up the St. John, and at the head of naviga- tion for sea-going vessels, is Fredericton, with important suburbs, having altogether a population of about 10,000. This is the Cap- ital of the Province. It has railway connexion with all points, and is an important distributing centre for trade, as well as affording an extensive market for all kinds of farm pr^xluce. Sixty-three miles above Fredericton is Woodstock, a rapidly growing town of 5000 ])opulation, situated on the b(jrders of the great I'pper .Silurian formation above referred to. Its growth and prosperity are all of recent date, and are due entirely to the devel- opment of the magnificent agricultural region immediately to the north. Railway trains are almost always const.uUly passing througii Woodstock, laden with the produce of the farms on its way to a market, or witli merchandize being carried into the in- terior. He re also is an important centre for the sale of produce, and it is the nearest of the principal towns to the domain of the Land and Lumber Company. Above Woodstock, on l)oth sides of the ri\er, and situated at short distances from each other, are numerous towns and villages, the countr\- forming a continuous settlement for one hundred and fifty miles along the \ alley of the ri\er. Two great tributaries enter the .St. John about fifty miles above Woodstock : the Aroostook from the west, the Tol)i([ue from the east. Tlie country through which the former flows is nearly all settled, and has been well called "the (iarden of New l-Lngland." Several towns and numerous \ illages are here, and a branch of the New Brunswick Railway intersects it. The country through which the Tobique fiows, though in all respects similar by nature to the Aroostook section, is yet, for the General Deseription of the Domain. 1 1 most part, unoccupied, and is now, for the first time, opened to settlers by the New Hrunswick Land and Lumber C(jmpany, to which it belonjrs. Above Woodstock there is scarcely any vacant land in New Brunswick exceptini^' that which belongs to the Company. A few comparatively small tracts yet remain vested in the Crown, or are held by private individuals for speculative pur[)Oses. As before stated, the Crown lands were for some years reserved for the railway subsidy ; but the subsidy ha\ ing been provided for, the remaining portion is open to purchasers, and now, as rapidly as roads are constructed through them, they are taken up by settlers, who, the Cjo\ernment returns show, are making marked progress. In this way the settlements ha\e reached the Land and Lumber Company's domain at nearly e\ cry point along its western frontier. A continuous line of railway, aggregating, with its numerous branches, 443 miles in length, and operated by the New Bruns- wick Railway Company, extends from the C'ity of St. John ;uid the ports of St. Stephen and St. Andrews, to all the principal points in the .St. John Ri\t'r \alley, and to within 79 miles of the St. Lawrence Ri\er, to which it is intended to extend it, so as to connect with the railway system of the interior provinces. The Intercolonial Railway furnishes at present a connexion, though a circuitous one, with the proxincis of Ontario and Ouebec, and the New Brunswick Railway itsrif unites with the Lnileil .States railway system, the latter connexion gi\ing farniers along its line the best facilities for sending their produce to the I'nited .States markets. When the .St. Lawrence connection is c(jnipleled, the New Brunswick Railway will become an important through line for traffic between the interior of Canada and Europe, South America and the West Indies ; and this will increase the value of all the farms along its route, by extending the market for their productions and making them adjacent to the shortest of the great American transcontinental highways. A portion of the domain of the Land and Lumber Company is timbered with spruce and pine, as are also adjacent Crown lands on the east. Very extensive lumbering oj^erations are annually carried on upon these tracts, and they ati'ord a ready market for 12 General D esc rip Hon of the Domain. vast quantities of farm produce of all varieties. Settlers on the Company's lands will have a j>reat advantage in selling to the lumbermen, being nearer the scene of operations than any others. In brief, the advantages which the domain of this Company offers to a large colony of emigrants, or to individual settlers, are these : I St. Its extent — there being ample room for a farming pojni- lation of one hundred thousand persons. 2nd. Fertility — its productiveness being equal to that of any portion of America. 3rd. Nearness to the markets of Europe, the United States and South America, and the excellence of the home market. 4th. Excellence of means of internal and external communica- tion. 5th. The value of the growing timber. 6th. The salubrity of the climate. 7th. The social and political advantages which Canada offers. These features will now be considered in detail. CHAPTER II. EXTENT OF THE DOMAIN'. ''PHE domain of the New Brunswick Land and Lumber Com- 1 pany embraces 1,650,000 acres. It is divided into two nearly- equal parts by the River Tobique, a tributary of the St. J^hway road between these railways must shortly be constructed, and will form the basis of the largest farming district in the Maritime Provinces of Canada, upon soil unsurpassed for fertility in America. As has been intimated, of this central highway thirty miles would be upon the land of the Company. Range after range of farms may be laid out on either side of this main arter\', until the whole country has become a net-work of roads bordered by thriving settlements. Leaving Orand Falls Station, already spoken of an important railway station, and crossing the St. John river by means of a sub- stantial suspension bridge, well-kept highways will take the traveller in every direction through well-established, prosperous seltlements. (irand Falls is a town of some importance, not only because it is a trade centre for the surrounding countrv, but also because it is a favorite resort of tourists, who are attracted thither by the remarkable beauty of the scenery and by the excellent angling aftbrded by the streams in the vicinity. At seven miles from Grand I^'alls a drive o\'er a go(jd road will take the settler to the borders of the Company's land. The farms along the road are all thrifty looking. It will be observed that those next adjoining the Company's land are much newer than those nearer the town. The reason of this is that under former land regulations speculators could lock up valuable tracts by paying a small instalment of the purchase money, antl under this arrangement the land just spoken of was closed to settlers. A few years ago all such sales were declared void, and this land being thus thrown open for settlement was taken up im- mediately. Settlers on the part of the Company's land nearest to (irand Falls, that is, on the western border, will be within an hour's drive of a railway station, whence their produce can be sent to any market, and in the summer season the St. John river will furnish a means of transportation, preventing high freight charges from being possible. Settlers upon the other side of the Company's land, or the eastern border, would be upon the head waters of the Tobique, a river navigable for large boats capable of carrying several tons 1 6 Extent of the Domain. of freijrht. They would also be near the scene of the great lumber operations, where all kinds of produce can be disposed of for an advance on the prices ruling elsewhere. As the settlements ex- tend southward from the central highway they will reach the thriving farming districts in the Parish of Lome, and to the northward approach the thickly peojiled Parishes of Madawaska County. It will thus appear that the principal tract of settling land owned by the Company is surrounded on three sides by settle- ments already well established, and on the fourth side is abutted by fertile Crown lands, into which a colony could extend itself for forty miles, or as far as the line of the Intercolonial railway, and that while the settlers on the borders would have ready access to the markets afforded by the towns and cities, those in the interior would have an independent market at the scene (if the logging operations. Woodstock, already described, and a score of smaller towns in the Province are supported by a district no larger than this. The manufacture of the \aluable lumber, with which the whole country is covered, tends to the si)eedy establishment of villages, and gives a greater variety of employment to the people than can be afforded by the prairie sections of the West. When the lands of the Company have been fully settled, towns and \illages will spring up as they have in other similar districts, and perhaps even more rapidly, because on the streams which intersect it are numer- ous facilities for the erection of water mills, and the value of hard- wood lumber, as an article of commerce, has greatly increased since Aroostook and Carleton Counties were settled. Reference has hitherto been made chiefly to the great farming tract, which the Company owns west of the Tobique. In addition to what has been described, there are two outlying blocks near the Quebec boundary, which, though principally selected for the growing timber, contain a large area of good settling land. On the south and east of the Tobique there are several comparatively small blocks of farming land, and one large block adjacent to the prosperous new settlements of Beaufort and Red Rapids. This tract is within a short distance of the St. John River and the rail- way, and is in every way desirable as the site of a colony. Extent of the /domain. 17 Of the reinaiinkr ot tlic Coinpaiiy's tlotnaiii, say joo.cxx) acres, no large part is adaptctl lor laniiing ; but iiuich of il will be utilized in course of time for sheep raising, for which il is well suited. It is of great value to the Company as a timber piescrve, and under the prudent management of the Company's utiicers, it will continue for an indetinite time to be the scnnxe ot a large annual revenue. It should be renumbered : tirst, that the main- tenance of the timber preserves will not intirfere to any large ex- tent with the free extension of the settlements ; and secondly, that their existence ensures to the settlers in the m()re remote parts of the tract, an excellent market for their produce almost at their doors. Owing to the abundance of good land at one time held by the Crown in New Brunswick, and the almost nominal terms at which it could then be obtained, farmers have been \ery |)rodigal (jf it, and the system of cultivating extensive tracts superficially, instead of smaller areas thoroughly, has generally pre\ ailed. The census gives the acreage of impro\ed land per he.ul of the population, including merchants, mechanics, laborers, vSrc, as six in the County of Carleton. which, as has already iieen said, is similar to the Com[)any's land in point of fertility, and in the diameter of the crops, and the other industries, besides agriculture, for which it is best adapted. Six acres per head of the pt)pulation may seem a large amount, and it is, but the reason is that systematic cultiva- tion of the soil was for a long time almost unknown in New Brunswick, the farmers of the last generation preferring to clear new land, rather than maintain the fertility of that alread\- under cultivation. In this way very large farms, much of the lantl being uncultivated, though "improved," became common. This in- creases the rate of" impro\ed " land in proportion to the [lopula- tion. At this rate, the first-class farming land owned by the Com- pany would sustain a resident pojjulation of 1 50,00x3 people, and, according to estimates compiled res])ecting the adjoining County of Aroostook, could produce food sufficient for 600,000 people. It will thus appear that there is upon this tract a field for the establishment of large colonies, to be reinforced from year to year, as the breadth of cultivated land increases, and other indus- tries, besides agriculture, engage the attention of the people. B CHAPTER III. THH SOIL AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS. 1'^HK luxuriance of the forest ja^rowth upon the lands of the Com- pany afford the stronjj^est proof of tiieir fertility. Observers are unanimous in praising the unrivalled beauty and grandeur of these forests. Dr. Hailey, ofthe New Hrunsvvick University, writing, in 1864, in his report to the (iovernment of the Province, speaking of the river \alleys in the land now owned by the Company, .said : "Tliese intervale laiuls. wliile tliey forbade any attempt at jj^eological e.xploratiun, coiiki scarcely fail to attract attention for their evident fer- tility, and for the very reniarkal)le Jiixnriance of their vegetation, elms and nuninlain ash attaining an enormous growth, arbor vitie, spruce, fir, birch and i)o|)lar i)eing very numerous, while the shrubs, herbs and ferns, some of the latter attaining a height of four or five feet, were generally of a kind to indicate great fertility ofthe soil supporting them." Of the uplands, Charles S. Lugrin, Secretary of the Agricul- tural Board, thus s])oke in his report to the Legislature, made in 1870: ''The 'ridges,' as the uplands are called by the people, are covered with a luxuriant growth of rock maple, yellow birch and other hard woods. Copious springs of water abound, and the open character of the forest renders it easily cleared. One cannot speak too highly of the fer- tility ofthe ridges and their value to the Province. I have passed over some of them and have found for miles the same unbroken succession of luxuriant forest. The trees stand wide apart, very little underbrush obstructs the view, and the whole scene looks more like a beautiful park than an unclaimed wilderness." It may be explained that the term " ridges " is applied to any land except the flat lowlands in the river valleys. A " ridge " may be five or ten miles wide, and have even less elevation than the surrounding country. The elevation of the surface of the country would be nearly uniform if it were not for the valleys in (18) The Soil and its Characteristics. 19 which the rivers flow, and the descent into them is generally gradual. To an observer, standing upon the summit of one of the hills at the head of the Tol)ique, which are by courtesy called mountains, the highest of them being less than 2,70(5 feet above the sea level, the northern fertile belt of New Brunswick, on which the Company's lands for the most part lie, looks like a broad plain. The greatest altitude of any jjortion of it is probably not more than four hundred feet above the sea level, and as the ocean is more than two hundred miles distant to the south, it will be seen that the country is practically of uniform altitude, an average ascent of two feet in the mile being merely nominal. Hon. John Costigan, Minister of Inland Revenue for Canada, says : '* I beg to state tliat the vacant {i.e., uii<)cciij)iecl) land in Victoria and Madauaska is tlie larj;est and best tract of agricultural highland in the rrovince. The soil is good, and there is an ahiindaiice of the best water in the world." The reader will bear in mind that these e.xjjressions (jf opinion, and others which will l)e gixen, as to the value of this land for farming, are from persons not connectetl in any way with the Company, and are taken from official reports made to the Govern- ment of New Brunswick, (jr that of the Dominion, unless (Jtherwise stated. They are, however, fully corrol)orated by the obser\ations made by the Company's officers and l)y those members of the Company who have had an opportunity of seeing the land for themselves. The soil of this tract has been formed by the "weathering " of Upper Silurian slates and limestone, fertilized by the decaying forest leaves and other vegetation during thousands of years. It possesses the valuable property of increasing in fertility whenever it is first ploughed, the first one or two crops being invariably put in without ploughing. Prof. Johnston, above referred to, after extensive enquiries and explorations said that "of this formation (the upper Silurian) a large part of the richest upland soils of the Province is formed, the fertile, cultivated and equally promising wild lands of the Restigouche, and those on either side of the St. John, rest upon and are formed chiefly from the debris of these rocks." 20 The Soil and its Cliayacteristics. Of the composition of the soil itself, which he classes as first- class upland, he says : " Tlie rocks from which it is formed aru generally slatey clays more or less hard, hut usually crumhiiiij; down into soils of C(jnsiderable strength and great tenacity. Among them are beds of valuable limestone, and so far as I am informed, from the reports of Dr. (iesner, the presence of lime as an ingredient of the slatey rocks themselves, a chemical character of much value, distinguishes the soil of these upper Silurian strata." Professors Hitchcock and Gootlale, and Dr. Holmes, recog- nized authorities on this subject in the United States, said in a report to the Government of Maine that the soil in this belt, which extends into Maine, is " the best of upland." They also say that "it is capable of making an excellent stock-growing country ; " that the character both of the soil and climate adapts it particularly to wheat growing, and that its capacity for sheep raising is practically unlimited. Mr. r^lls. of the Canadian Geological Survey, reported that in this northern fertile belt there was over four th(jusand scpiare miles of area, a very large proportion of which is highly suitable for settlement. He also expressed his belief that if the district were opened to settlers it would be at once occupied. Much other similar testimony could be given, such as that of Mr. Inches, present Secretary of the Board of Agriculture, who says, " I am well accjuainted with the character of the land, and have no hesitation in recommending it for settlement." Or of Mr. Richard Bellamy, a practical woodsman and farmer of great experience, who says, " I think it is the best tract of land for settlement purposes in New Brunswick." Or of Mr. E. Jack, one of the best Canadian authorities on forestry and wild lands, who says that — " For the largest body of good wilderness farming land in New Brunswick, I beg leave to point to the tract lying north of the Tobique (the Company's estate), embracing nearly a million acres. By far the greater part of it is agricultural land of excellent quality, free from stone, and well covered by a splendid forest of rock maple and other hard woods." With the result of the observations of Mr. T. Nealis, a pro- fessional woodsman, this branch of the subject will be brought to a close. He is speaking of the Company's estate. He says : llic Soil (If 1(1 i/s Chanutirisfics, 21 " III tin- iiiMiUli uf Sfptt'inlKT, iSS(), I went up tin- St. Jolm to Graiul River, wliicli 1 ascciKhd to tin- W'a^^aii, and li\ it crossed to the Rcsti- jjoihIu'. I tluMi travclkd up tin- iiortli side of tlie lattt-r river at a dis- tance of alx ml twi) miles tVoni its hank, lor sixteen miles. Iloiind the land excellent tor farmiiijj purposes tor the ulmle nridj,HS wherever tiiere is a swale. There ari' neither heaths nor harreii lands visihle in this country. On m\ journey from the St. John to the Kesti;;oU( In- 1 noticed the jjrowth of cro|i on a l''ri-nchmairs t'arin. It was a second crop and had been sown wiliioiit manure. The wheat stuoil as liiyh as my shoulders and the rye was even better." Of laiid of which so tnaiiy iiulcpcndciU observers, with no interest whatever to iiiisrepii'sent the facts, speak in sucli terms of approval, it is (hfticult to speak too highly, but perhaps the I)est proof which can be jj^iven of its real vaUie is afforded by an i-xain- ination of e.xistinn settlements on similar land. All the theories and scientific observations winild be worthless if the experience of practical men did not corroborate them. CHAPTER IV. MINERAL DEPOSITS. LITTLE is known of the mineral deposits in this domain. Prof. Hitchcock, above quoted, said in his report upon the geology (jf Maine, that the portion of New Brunswick now owned by the Land and Lumber Company offered one of the most promising fields for exploration in America ; but as yet scientific exploration has been superficial, and necessarily so, owing to the denseness of the vegetation. Of actual prospecting for ores of value there has been none. It '.s not probable that upon any part of the fertile belt minerals of economic value will be found in any large quantity, except gypsum, roofing slate, limestone, and perhaps iron. Limestone, of excellent quality, is very abundant, and a valuable bed of slate has been discovered on one of the streams which How through the most fertile part of the Company's land. Large deposits of iron ore are found in Carleton County, adjacent to the Company's estate, and in the heart of one of the finest farming districts in Canada: so that it is not unlikely that similar deposits may be found on the Company's land. The great gypsum deposit, which is partly upon the Com- pany's land and partly upon Crown lands, is one of the most interesting and valuable features of this interesting country. The deposit is of unknown extent, but sufficient is visible to sujjply the commerce of the world with this commodity for an unlimited period. The deposit comes to the south bank of the Tobicjue River, in a cliff over one hundred feet high and half a mile long. It is known to extend back from the river five miles, and probably reaches much farther. This gypsum, or plaster, when ground, makes a fertilizer of great value. Thousands of tons are quarried and hauled away every year, farmers coming many miles in the winter season for it. It is used either as top-dressing for grass or (22) Mineral Deposits. 2t as a manure for roots, and it is one of the best means of keepinjr the natural fertility of the soil from becoming deteriorated. Farm- ers who have used plaster as a manure will need no argument to convmce them that the existence of this great deposit in the centre of the Company's domain is a consideration of the first importance to setders. In that portion of the Company's land, not classed as first-class agricultural, there is some reason to believe that valuable metallic deposits may be found. In most of the streams flowing through this tract gold may be found, though in very small quantities. Gold and silver bearing quartz have also been found. Ores of copper and lead are known to exist, but have not yet been observed in quanddes sufficient to justify working. _ The most casual investigation will convince any person that It IS impossil,le to speak with any certainty upon the existence- or non-existence of these minerals in paying quantities. Indications favorable to their existence are very numerous, but in our present state of knowledge it is not advisable to express any opinion. Upon a formation, similar to that which crosses the Company's estate immediately south of the fertile belt, the very profitable -old mnies of Quebec and Nova Scotia are tbund ; and other vahuble mmerals are found in Maine. It is therefore not improbable that mineral deposits, besides the gypsum, slate, and limestone, will be found which it will pay to work, and will furnish an additional market to the farmers of the fertile belt. CHAPTER V. AIA'AXTA(.i:S OI- SniATlOX, ''PHK importance of an emigrant selecting^ as his future home a 1 locaHty from which there is a ready access to a market has ah'eady been referred to. The advanta<>e of so dointj needs no demonstration, as it will be admitted without argument that the less the cost of trans|)()rtation, the greater the value of ])roduce will be upon the farm. It has alread\- been pointed out what facilities the settler on the Company's land will ha\e for reaching the princi|)al domestic markets, in which respect it has been shown that he will be most fa\'orabl\- situated. To the l)ei4inner, this is of course the chief consideration. The first question which will suggest itself to him is : " l\ I ha\e a small quantity of surplus ])roduce, can I sell it? " And the answer is : " ^'es." The farmer with a thousand bushels of grain or roots, or the stock raiser with a hundred or more sheep, and a herd of beef cattle, may look to foreign markets, because the magnitude of his sales enables him to bear the ex])ense inci- dental to exportation; but the majority of farmers, in the first years of their life in a new country, will be more anxious to know whether, if they ha\e a hundred bushels of grain or potatoes, or a fat ox, or half a dozen sheep, tlu'y can fmd a purchaser promptly. It is in this respect that the New Hrunswick farmer's j)osition is of great achantage to him. He is not forced to wait until towns and cities ha\e grown up around him before he can sell the surplus of his small beginnings. Vov anything which he may raise, from his hay and grain from his fields to the chickens of his barn-yard, there is always a sale. The reason of this is that the Province is so siluatetl that its market cannot be overstocked, the demand from abroad always keeping prices up. There was a time when this was not the case, but now that all kinds of produce are worth as much on the farm as in the city, less the cost of (24) Advaiitaocs of Situation. 25 transportation only, agriculture in the Province is advancing with rapid strides. Hut some may ask what inducements are there for me to look forward to farming on a large scale with the \iew of shipping my produce to Kngland or elsewhere. In answer, it may he said that the Canadian farmer has tluee foreign markets — Pau'ope, the Eastern States, and the West IniHes and .Soutii America, the second named being the chief A New Brunswick farmer has less land and water carriage to reach thi'st; markets than ;iny other farmer in the Dominion, and as New Brunswick farm produce is of the highest class, it follows that for purposes of shipment abroad it is worth more than similar produce elsewhere. This has been demonstrated by persons engaged in the cattle trade with England, and is further proved by the fact that thousands of dol- lars worth of protluce are annually sent from New Brunswick to the United .States market, where, after paying duties, it can l)e sold to comj)ete with that brought from the Western States. Eminent authorities agree that no part of America is better adapted for cattle and sheeii raising for the European market than New Brunswick, whose i)()rts are nearer Europe than any others in America excepting those of Nova .Scotia. No long journey is necessary to reach the seaboard. In two days cattle can lje taken from the most remote farm in the Province to a sea port whence steamers sail to Europe. They will thus, besides being carried more cheaply, reach market in better condition than if brought from the for West. An examination of price lists will show that the price of the stajile articles of prixluce is always higher in New Brunswick than it is in the Western States, and as the productiveness of soil is as great in the former as in the latter, it follows that a greater prolit can be derived in New Brunswick from the same expend- iture of capital and labor. The West Indies and .South America purchase large fjuantities of northern agricultural produce. For obvious reasons Nt-w Brunswick has not sold much there as yet, but this branch of trade is likely to become very imjiortant at an early date. The New Brunswick Railway Company intend to prolong their road to intersect the Intercolonial not far from Quebec, and thus afford ^^^^j^^^mBm 26 Adva7iiagcs of Situation. the shortest route through Canada from the Western Provinces to the sea. St. John and St. Andrews, termini of tlie N.. B; Railway, are exceptionally well situated for vessels from the West Indies, and a very large part of the demands of the Western Provinces for the pr(jducts of southern countries will be brought to those ports, and for return cargoes the vessels will take lumber, manu- factures and farin produce. In furnishing these return cargoes- New Brunswick has a great advantage over all competitors. Brief reference has been made to the United States market- By this it must not be understood that farmers themselves go to the United States to sell their produce. In every part of the Province are traders whose business it is to buy produce of all kinds, and pay money for it, the old time practice of compelling farmers either to take merchandize at exorbitant prices in exchange for their produce having passed away as the country became opened up by railways. When farms are within thirty-six hours railroad travel of the largest markets of America, their owners are able always to secure the best prices for whatever they may have to sell. This brief review will show that a settler upon the Company's land has advantages in point of location far exceeding those enjoyed by settlers in any other part of the Continent, where large tracts of land are open to new comers. It is such facts as these which have led to the occupation of land in the St. John River Valley to such an extent that scarcely an acre lit for tillage remains vested in the Crown. CHAPTER VI. SHHHP-RAISIXG. A VERY lar^^e section of the Company's land is better adapted .l\ for sheep-farming than for agricultnre. There are extensive areas, not included in the Fertile Belt, which would make excellent sheep runs. In the opinion of so excellent an authority as Pro- fessor Brown, of the Ontario Agricultural College, and one who has had an extensive experience in sheep-raising in Scotland, no better in\estnient need be wished than would be afforded by sheep-farming in New Brunswick. He gives the following estimate of the expense and jjrotit of a sheep run. His estimates and his report upon the adaptability of New Brunswick for this industry have attracted much attention in the Province of Ontario, and Prof Brown thinks will lead to investments being made in the business by some of his fellow provincialists. He says : — " British Cohimhia excepted, you hold now the only extensive and naturally suitable lands in the Dominion for tiie cheap production of wool and mutton. At a rough under estimate, tliere are in New I'.riins- wick and Nova .Scotia some 2,000,000 acres of sheep runs, outsidt' of all arable bush, rock, water, meadow and the richer cattle grazing of the valleys. These should carry such a number as to produce aniuially, not maintain, but to sell off every year, 40,000,000 pounds of nuitton and 2.000,000 pounds of wool — an annual gross revenue of, say, $2,300,000. This is no wild speculative calculation, but one based upon my own hand- ling of the same subject in Scotland and Ontario and upon the experience of other Canadian Hock masters. The subject has two aspects — an inside one and an outside one : the system of breeding, rearing and furnishing all the Hock, or the bringing from a distance and furnishing of the runs during October. On the former there may not yet be sufticient arable area to produce fodder and grain for winter maintenance to give encouragement to large enterprise — that is, thousands in place of hundreds of sheep' on one range. This would be the indep.endent and, provincially, the most progressive and wealthy plan. " but it is not the one for immediate speculation and greatest profits. If sufticient blocks of land of the right stamp can be had to rent or pur- (27) .28 Sheep Raisin o\ chase at reasonable figures, I am satisfied tlie migratory system would be best. From Scotch experience of a similar cliaracter, as well as knowledge of what can be done with sheep in Ontario, and making allowance for all possible contingencies, a capital of |i2,o(X), properly handled, would make the following annual history : — SUKEl' GKAZINC IN N'KW IIKINSWICK AM) NOVA SCOTIA. (Area recjuired, 6,oo(3 acres.) Cost of 2,000 shearlings in Ontario, averaging roo lbs , ist May, at Is, 510 000 Expense of purchasnig and concentrating, 500 l'"reight, 15 cars, Toronto to Moncton i 200 Food by rail, 100 Capital required, • $11 Soo Two shepherds, six months, 400 Assistance siiearing, 150 Freiglit, to seal)oard, ist November, 300 Grazing, 50 cents per liead, i 000 Interest on ca|)ital, 500 Incidentals, 200 Total debit, $\j, 350 Clip of 2,000 head, 15th May, medium wool, 7^^ lbs., at 15 cents, $ 2 250 Value of 1,940 (60 deaths) at seaboard, averaging 140 lbs., at 5,'4 cents, 14 838 Total credit, 17 08S Balance, being clear profit, per annum, $2 738 " Double the rent, if you choose, and allow for greater loss than I have d'Mie, and there would still remain a large margin of i)rofit — so large as to throw doubts on llie wiiole character of tiie estimate." Mr. Lugrin, when Secretary for Agriculture, caused a series of enciuiries to be made among the farmers in all parts of the Province in reference to slieei)-farniing, and he was able to report that it was found, wlien conducted simply as one of the branches of a general farming business, to pay a profit of at least 30 per cent, per annum. Mr. J. D. M. Keator, one of the best known farmers of New Brunswick, in writing lately to the St. John Telegraph, said that shcei)-raising was beyond a question the most ])rofitable '.•usiness in which the members of his calling could engage. This iae'c is well understood, and thousands of sheep are annually raised for the United States market, especially by the farmers in the St. Sheep Raising. 2c> John Valley. Something has been done in the way of shipping mutton to England, and it has been demonstrated that the business can be profitably conducted; but the demands of the American market are sufficient to take all the surplus sheep which New Brunswick will have to sell for many years to come. The quality of New Brunswick mutton being superior to any other which finds its way into the market of the cities in the Eastern States, the farmers who have sheep to sell ex])erience to the full extent the advantages of their situation alongside a great trunk line of railway which gives direct and speedv connexion with those cities. To most persons a sheep run is associated with remoteness from cities and the centres of poi)ulation ; but in New Brunswick the best ranges for sheep are within two dax s" journey Irom one of the best markets for mutton on the Continent! The home market will take all the wool : the product of wool m Canada not being equal to the demand, and the domestic market for woollen goods being as yet largely supplied from abroad. CHAPTER VII. A CENTRAL TOINT IT may be mentioned that in the heart of the Fertile Belt, on what is known as the Sisson Branch of the Tobique, is a natural water power of larije volume, and admirably adapted for the seat of a large woollen mill or other manufactory. Water powers abound all over the domain, but this is worthy of especial mention on account of the volume of the stream and the central location. Near this point we may look for the establishment of a con- siderable town, as it is surrounded for miles on all sides with land eminently fitted cither for farming or sheep-raising, and is within easy reach of the best lumber reserves in the Pro\ince. Streams abounding in salmon and trout and picturescpie lakes are near at hand. The scenery in the neighborhood of the lakes is wonder- fully attractive, a score of mountain peaks, not high, but singularly rugged and interesting diversify the landscape, making what is sure to become a favorite resort for tourists in the summer season. V^ery little of this rough land is upon the Company's estate, nearly the whole of it being Crown Land in the County of Northumberland. The area of this rugged district, wliich indeed has not yet been fully explored, is about three thousand square miles. It is proposed, and the idea will probably be acted upon, to convert it into a great Provincial Park and Lumber Preserve. Enough is known of it to know that it is not adapted for farming. In this region the moose, the deer, the caribou^ and the bear abound, other fur-bearing animals are numerous, and a hundred streams and lakes furnish delight for the angler. The headquarters for tourists into this interesting wilderness must be at some point on the Com- pany's estate, and it will probably be near, if not at the Nictau, or forks of the Tobique, a most beautiful spot only two miles from (30) A Central Point. 31 the Sisson Branch water power. Some of the best farming land, both upland and intervale, is to be found at Nictau, there is a good highway road to within five miles of it, and settlers there would have good neighbors in the thrifty people of Lome, a few- miles further down the Tobique River. Within five miles of Nictau are a score of excellent mill sites. Situated in the heart of a forest country, where the supply of the most beautiful hardwoods is practically inexhaustible, and the remaining stock of pine and spruce exceedingly large, it follows, that as the settlement of the country progresses, large manufac- tories of wooden goods will be located here. Within a few years, it is confidently expected, the duties on lumber imported into the United States will be removed, aiui the result will be to enhance the value of every acre of forest in New Brunswick, and give a g;reat impetus to the manufacture of wood into shape suitable for export. It will lead to the utilization of much lumber which is now wasted, and mills will be erected for this j)uri)ose wliere\er they can be located with advantage. Indeed everything points to Nictau as a future centre of ]K)pulation. It is midway between the two railway systems, con- venient of access to the people who may settle upon two million acres of the finest farm land, is near one of the best districts for sheei)-farming in the Province, the greatest lumber preserves, and the future Provincial Park. The children of the settlers who are first to occupy the land here will, if the history of other localities with half its advantages is rejieated in the case of Nictau, be the citizens and land owners in one of the most imj)ortant inland towns in the Province. CHAPTER VIII. MEANS OP COMMUNICATION. LITTLE remains to bo said upon the question of means of communication except what has ahx-ady been incidentally touched upon in the previous chapters. Until the settlement of the country warrants the construction of a branch railway through the heart of the Fertile Belt to Nictau, Grand L'alls, on the New Brunswick Railway, will be the principal depot for the trade of settlers on the Company's land. From this, as from all other stations, and in fact in all the settled j^arts of the Province, excel- lent hij^hway roads, with good bridges over the rivers, extend in all directions. These roads and bridges are maintained without exception by grants from the Provincial Treasury, and by what is known as " statute labor ; " that is, every male inhabitant of the country has to do three days' work upon the roads, and an additional amount regulated according to his property, the maximum rarely exceeding a week. Those who desire may pay a small sum of money instead of doing the labor, but most persons prefer to do the work ; first, because it ensures better roads, and secondly, because the road surveyors always select a time for the work to be done when the farmers can spare a few days from their fields. This labor and the money grants have secured the Province a very excellent system of roads and bridges, and there is not a toll-bar or toll-gate in all New Brunswick. A company did construct a toll-bridge over the St. John River, near the City of St. John, but the Provincial Government purchased it and m.ide it free for ever. In carrying out any plan for settling the Land and Lumber Company's domain, the first step will be to extend existing highways, so that the settler can drive in a carriage from the railway station to his farm, and all he will ever be called upon to do to maintain this highway will be to do from three to six days' work on it during his leisure days when his crop is growing. (32) Mca/is of Couunmiication. "^"h When the scttkr n-achcs Grand Falls, or any other station on the N. V>. Railway, he has, if he wishes to take his produce to the large markets, the choice of rail or water carriage to Woodstock, Fredericton, or St. John,*or he may go partly by rail antl partly by water to either place, or to St. Stephen — a thriving seaport on the St. Croi.x River. He can leave his home early in the morn- ing and reach either of these towns the same tlay, anil return in the same time ; or, to give a different illustration, the settler may in the morning leave the ocean steamer which brought him across the Atlantic and sleep that night upon the farm which is to be his and his children's after him. No long journey for days and sometimes weeks in suffocating cars far into the \V\'St ; no tedious drive when the cars are left, o\er reserved huul or large stretches of barren soil, to take up a life (;f isolation until specu- lators see tit to sell the tracts which they are hokling until the labor of the settler has made improved land of greater \alue, but on the ocean one day antl on the farm the next. The sound of the wa\'es breaking against the staunch ship's sitle are scarcely lost before the settler hears the sighing of the breeze in the noble forest which adorns his new home. From St. John vessels of the largest size can and do sail constantly to all parts of the world. Its harbor is really one of the finest ports on the Continent, never having been known to freeze over. Owing to the great rise and fall of the tide, it is perhaps a physical impossibility for it to freeze, be the weather ever so cold. When New York harbor is a sheet of ice, which tugs and steamers find it difficult to -break up, St. John harbor is as open as the ocean itself. Its importance as a great depot for shipping must, therefore, increase, especially after the two pro- jected short railway lines to the interior Provinces are completed, which will be within a few years. Already ocean steamers sail regularly between St. John and London, and a whole ileet of steamers and large sailing vessels are engaged in carrying lumber to European ports. For communication with American ports there are lines of steamers and scores of coasting vessels. These latter sail up the St. John River as far as F'redericton, and cargoes are transferred directly to them from the cars of the New Brunswick Railway. 34 Means of Coinuuuiiiation. The construction of tin- Central Ilii^liway throii]i;h the Fertile Belt will give settlers on the Company's land iiccess to a market which New Hrunswick farmers have never as yet attempted to a\ail themschc's ol' to any lari>e extent, namelv. that ol" New- foundland, where there is a larni- demand tor farm jjroduce — the maiority of the ])o])ulation of that island ix-inj^ cnj^ai^ed in t'lshin^-, and a!4;ricultur<' luinn almost enlirdy ncj^lected. hrom the ports on tlif North Shore (»f the I'roxince.to which this hiylnvax- would eNt'.iid, the sail to Ni'Wloundland i> very short. A railwax' would probably follow the construction of this highway in a comparati\'ely short lime. Reteri-nce has alrt'ady been UK'.de lo the ( arly extension of the New Hrunswick Railway to the St. Lawrence, and mention is niadt.' of it lu're only to point out that the land now olfered to .settlers for the first time lies betwi-en two great mil way systems — the New Hrunswick and tlie Intercolonial — both of which con- nect the interior Province with the Atlantic seaports, and will likely, at an early day, l)e intersected by a railway joining the two systems together, passing through the- heart of the best farming land, and near to the central lumber reserves, crossing streams afffU'ding am])le water power lor the manufacture into articles of commerce of the millions of dollars worth of hard and soft lumber growing on every hand. These facts justify the cl.iims maile al)o\e that the lands of the Coni])any arc exceptionally well situated so far as internal and external communication are con- cernetl, and they ought to possess great weight with a settler seeking to form a wise conclusion as to in what jxart of America he will be likely U) enjoy the greatest advantages in the matter of transportation of his produce to market. The problem of trans- ])ortation is saitl to be that which causes the farmers in the Western Stati's and territories the greatest anxiety. Nature herself sohed this ])r()blem for the farmers of New Brunswick. ciiaiti:r IX. VAU'i: or tup: (;Rn\\i\(; riMin-R. '"pin-. fiinn lands of Ni'w Hrunswick diltrr tVoin tlmst,- of the i ux'stcni prairii'S in that, wliilc tin- lattiM- arc tri't-Kss, tlu- foinu'i" arr coMrcd 1)\- a most luMiriant forest. Tliis forest lias to be cleared a\\a\- lufore any croi) can l)e sown. l)tit tlu' first crop always |)a\s ihc In]] cost of clearinif the land, ])lantinL;, and har- vesting;. The Xew Ihunswick faimer has. for the lahor of ciittin;^ it, the niateri.il for his hnildinj^s and tences. and an iiu-xhaustiMe sn|)iily ol tnel, and these considerations iar oiitwi'i^h any supposed achanta^i- which the prairie farmer may have' in preparing for his fust cr(j|). The e\|)erience of farmers in Xew ilrunswick has clearly proved that the existence of tlu- forest is one of the t^reatest advantaj^es which the settler can possess. In the matter of luel nothing' hut experit-nce can tell the differenci' in comfort hi'tween the luit^e hre of hlazin^' lo^s which a Xew Hrimswick farmer heaps up on a winter nij^ht as much for the pleasure of looking at it as f(jr warmth, and a smoulderiniL; hre of coal or of wf)od, so scarce that the pieces must be counted, which his brother in the far West has to be content with. When the lo^s blaze and crackle on the hearth, their streaming li.^ht illuminins^' every corner of tlie room, what matter if the storm blows fierce or the mercury drops below the freezini; point. .So loujL^' as the forest lasts, and there is no reason why the preserved wood lots should ever be exhausted, the New lirunswick farmer need never fear the cold. The problem of fuel is one with w hich the settler in this Province need not concern himself. The item of fencing- is a very important one. The faxorite material in America for farm fences is cedar [joles, and ntarlv every lot on the Company's estate contains enough cedar to pro- vide all the fencing which will be recjuired for many years. Practically speaking a good cedar j)ole fence will never decay, so (35) 36 Value of tJic Growin^Q Timber. that when (Mice built they never need renewal, except in case of accident. They are reiitlily moved from one i)lace to another. It is said to cost more money to keep the fences in the I'nitcd States in repair than it does to pay the interest on the natit)nal debt. This will illustrate the great advantajne which it is to the farmer to get his fencing for the mere labor of cutting it. Many reasons make it desirable that the first buildings erected upon a new farm should be ine.\|)ensive. I'^rame houses can be built very cheaply, but most beginners prefer log houses, antl oftentimes log barns, although tiiere is a very gene" "1 disposition among settlers who can afford the additional expense, which is not large, to put up at least one frame barn in the first instance. If the settler is willing" to be contented with humble, though very comfortable, buildings, he need not go off his farm for matt-rials. A log house is built by laying logs upon each other nolcheil at the ends so as to fit together closely and lirmly. The chinks l)elween the logs are filled with moss and clay or mortar, so as to be impenetrable l)y the wind. The roof may be of "splits" made on <^he fanu, but the better and more generally ado[)ted plan is to put on a light shingled roof A l)uilding such as this may be finished internally according to the means and tastes of the owner, and it will make an exceedingly comfortable home. Many farmers are content to live in their log housi's until they have cleared a wide areJi of land, and have erected spacious barns with all motlern improvements, and then the new farm house follows, with its si)acious rooms, its shady verandas, and its general architectural beauty. Often the traveller through the country will see< standing side by side, the old home and the new, telling" more plainly than words can tell the story of patient toil ant! a bountifiil reward. Thus we see that on a New Hrunswick farm the settler will have all the materials he needs for his buildings during the first years of his residence, and all the fencing and fuel he will retpiire at any time. The value of such advantages as these are not easily over-estimated. The value of the growing timber is not limiteil by its appli- cation to domestic uses. The principal varieties of wood found in the forests growing upon the land of the Company are as follows : — J\ilne of t lie (irai^'ino Timber. 37 EVKRCRKF.N TREKS, OR SOFT WOODS. Pine, Spruce, Hacinatack, Hemlock and Cedar. oixinrors trkks, or hard woods. Maple, Hirch, Heech, I'.lin, Ash, Poplar, aiul luiinerous ither varieties. All of these woods have a conuuercial value. Spruce tleals form the largest article of export from New Brunswick, and their manufacture i;ives employment to thousands of nu'U. If a settler has growing; upon his lot a number of spruce trees, as then' is upon every lot, he may cut them and sell tluMU, or he may pre- serve such of them as are not upon land which he proposes to clear until he re(iuires them for his own use, in which e\ent he will haul them tluring the winter to tiie nearest saw mill ant! have them cut up into boards, deals, or in such dimensions as he may reciuire. In this way he will 3i;^et a larj^e cpiantity of \aluable buildint>' material at the mere e.\{)ense of sawin_i>' it, as the cuttini; and haulinq; can be done at a season when there is no farm work to do. As no better wood exists for buildin,^' pur|>ost>s than spruce, the benefit of havini;" such trees upon the farm will be readily seen. The same remark applies, though in a less degree, to fir, and in a much greater degree to pine, which is of greater value for finishing purposes. The quantity of pine usually found on a good upland farm is not large. Hacmatack logs may be manufactured intt) building material in the same manner as spruce, and the butt of the tree and its principal root are maile into ship-knees, which command a ready sale. Hi'.Mi.ocK is valuable, first, for its bark, which is employed almost exclusively for tanning purposes in Canada, and is con- sitlered preferable to any other material. It usually commands so high a price that l)ark-pei'liiig is considereil oni' of the most j)rotital)le industries in which the country people can engage. The wood of the hemlock maki's I'xcelleiil boards, taking a tenacious hold upon nails. There is a limiti-d demand for this wood in the shape o|" timber. It is also xcry \aluable as fuel, being the best of all tlu' soil woods tor this purpose. Ci;dar. — The \ahie of Cedar for fencing has ahi-ady bi'cn spoken of Its commercial value is due in part to the liict that it is ^^ Va/iit of the (iroivino Timber. extensively used in ihc manufacture of shingles for the coxering' of roofs. It is especially adapted for this purpose because of its light- ness and duraliility. The annual export of cedar shingles from New Hrunswirk is very large. Cedar is also of the greatest value for railway "ties" or sleepers. Th lusands of these art." made annually either for the hKi:cii is becoming very popular in the United States for flooring. For Pori.AR there is not at present any large demand. It is a very light wocxl, l)(»th as respects color and weight. A great and increasing demand exists for what is called cord- wood, that is, wootl cut into con\enient sizes for fuel. This is Vaiuc of the Growing Timber. 39 used in very larm' (luantitics by the N. B. Railway Companv. and the price paid is sufficient to make the gettinj^^ out of cordwix.d a profitable business. It is, ot" course, an achantage to tlu- lu w settler, who must cut down the forest to clear his land, t(j be able to g'et for the wood when cut a i)rice sufficient to handsonu '.y remunerate him for his labor. The market for all these woods is at present comparati\(.'ly speaking- in its infancy, but it is every year l)econiin!L;- m«ire extensive, as their great beauty is l)ecoming" known and the supply of other woods is fallinjn short. Tiie value of forest land in America is constantly increasing-. Very little care has i)(.ea exercised in respect t(^ growing trees. They have been cut down as though the f irests wouKl last forever, until the future su[){)ly of lumber for the constantly increasing population has become a subject which engages the attention of all economists. The preservation and restoration of forests engages the attention of some of the best minds of the country, and in several of tiie States and Pro\inces a day has been set apart in each year I'or the planting of trees. This is called" Arbor Day," and the whrant from the Pro\incial Treasury. Second — An assessment made l)y the County Councils, equal to thirty cents a head upon the population of the County. Tiiird — An amount voted l)y the rate-payers of each school district. Tile latter am