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L'exempiaire film* fut reproduit grAce A la gintrositA de: La bibliothdcue des Archives publlques du Canada Las Images sulvantes ont ht6 reproduites avec ie plus grand soln, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettet6 de l'exempiaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. 1/ u6es Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or Illustrated Impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated Impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplalres originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprlmte sont fllmis en commen9ant par ie premier plat et en termlnant soit par la dernlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par ie second plat, selon Ie cas. 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Lorsque Ie document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seui clichA, 11 est fiimA d partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant Ie nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes sulvants illustrent la mAthode. ly errata ed to int ne pelure, ipon A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 w ^ A VOICE FROn THE COLONIES. Eiiglisli and American Farming Financially and Morally Considered. BY- Alfred C. Thomas, C. E. * Author ok Comparisons of English and American Farming. Pub- lished and circulated by the Nova Scotian Legislature of l88o, with a bonus to the writer in addition. "I have had this MS. examined, and the subject has been ably handled." John Carling, Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa. * "This book is sensibly written." — Field. The most sagacious philanthropists of the day ioolt to capital scientifically applied to the land as the great social moralizer of the day. V^ 1893. AJL.-L, flXa-ZXXS XiSSSRVSC -^ ii ■•' - .ti^ INTRODUCTION TO A rAMl'HLET ENTITLED BEARING ON THE PRESENT POLITICAL CRISIS. 'HI BY ALFRED THOMAS, C. E., Autlior of "Conipiirisons of English luul Ainericjin Farming.' HALIFAX, N. S. 1S90. Ottawa, 16th May, 1891. Dear Mr. Putnam : I duly received y->ur letter of the 4th with an enclosure of a pamphlet by Mr. Alfred Thomas, C E., for which you say the author is desirous of receiving some aid from the Government. I have taken some time to have this pamphlet examined, with the result that it is not seen how it can be used to distribute for immigration purposes. It relates to the tjuestiou of American farming, financially and morally considered, and there is no vote at my disposal for which I could authorize an appropriation for the object desired. Believe me. Yours truly, JOHN CARLING. Alfred Putnam, Escj,, M. P., House of Commons, Ottawa. iiid I'M ill Ottawa, 4th January, 1803. Sir, — I am directed by His Excellency the Governor-General to inform you that he has received from the Right Honorable the Secretary of State for the Colonies communications addressed by you to members of Her Majesty's Governaent u ion the subject of the development of agriculture in Canada. These communications, His Lordship thinks, deal with matters which are for the consideration of the Dominion or the Provincial Governments, and have accordingly been referred by His Excellency to His Ministers. I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, A. ST. AUBYN, major, Governor-General's Secretary. Mr. Alfreu Thomas, C. E. Windsor. 1891. et by Mr. ■^ some aid examined, migration d morally thorize an ING. 1893. I you that '■ Colonies u ion the h are for nd have ary. 1 " [iiHira«'tiiii]»I<' tl)»'f)ri('s glow out of tlionulit witliout laltor. 'I'ho man ..lio wislu'S to I'ftbrin tlio world must lifiii' ;i, jiiiit in tlic! worM's ij»tiM'(\sts and OL'CUpntions, Ik; most do liis s!i:uo in tli(! l;dior of tho world as it, is, oi- \n\ ounnot \v)\)v. in any dcgrcn; (o make; tins world as it should \y.'." --!''(( mil;/ Umihl, May |r)tl!, iSSlj. In bringing tlii'; ])am[)idi't Ixforo tlio puMic, tho writer would beg to )nali<' a ti^w explanations and remarks us, it is now luMug ustid tor a purpose tor which it was not originally inttaidcd ; thc> writor was much impressed hist wiiil.r l>y tin? high tone taken hy many of the nnigazines, J'lnglish and Anuii'.an, in (h(ur various and generally amusing and instruftivo article;! ; it then occurred to him that ho might bring his great practical t!Xi)erience of over a (piarter of a century to bear in helping to forw ard a noble cause, besides earning some fair remunera- tion during the long winter months ; tho article grew under liis pen into 'c\ space not originally anticipated; which, considering the subject, could not be well helped, and tliis combined with other reasons may have caused its rejection by the magazine to which it was sent. The manuscript was then sent to Ottawa, and submitted to the Imperial Federation League, and again rejected, 1 think, without having a perusal, on account of the title; the writer's object in taking this action will be apparent to the ordinarily intelligent reader upon reading tlie ])amph!(;t, and the rejection has fully comfirmed him '\\\ his ])revious opinion of the great wisdom of the late Mr. John IJright and other eminent men, the Premier himself being among the number, unless ho is mistaken, in attaching very little importance to tke influence of the fjeague in acoomplishing its avowed object. An energetic friend at Ottawa who had himself been an unsuccessful farmer owing, no doul)t, in part, ;it all events, to the want of the legitimate su[)port thdt had so end)arrassed the])i'!sent writer, then, on his own nisponsibi- lity, presented the manuso'ipt to the Alinistor of Agricidturo ; who acted in a most judicious manner, doing all that could be e.xpected or pf)ssible, by re([U(!sting Dr. Saundcu's, the head of the K.xperimental Farm, who jjronounced most favorably, to review it. So I am advised, oflicially. Under these circumstances the v.riter will feel himself justitied in asking for a small grant at the \\v.\t meeting of tho Legislature, as it is a fac^ well kiiown, that of all literary productions, pamphlets of the slightest philosoi>hical tendency, no matter how well written, or V)y whom, are the most diflicult of works to get an} fair remuneration for, and a rising country like? the Dominion would scarcely demand so great a self-sacritice of time, la'oor and ability as sucb a, pamphlet, even if badly written, must require: neither does tho writer anticipate any trouble, ji this way, jiarticularly after the exceedingly liberal way in which he was treated by the Local Legislature of Xova Scotia, on a similar occasion; when the subject, altho' the same, was necessarily more localisrd, and the writer liad not that exiicricnce whiili iiothin;,' hut the constant use of the pen can ;,'ivo; altlu)ii;,'li the pioductions, iU'Cfo-d- ing to the advice given hy Lockurt to yonnii; w i-itcrs, \u;\y \h' saciifucd to that great receptach; of disapp< "ntod anihitii.n — I lie wastes haslcet. The foregoing remarks are niadc mainly for thi.i jairpose: that the public are so accustomed to look for a strong parti/.an.ship in any liter- ary production, that hut few can conceive how politics can ]»osKilily he even touched on without it ; that this has fairly been cari'icd, J leave the reader to judge, hut it must l)e apparent that under tlje circuni- Btances it was inipossihle to localize them for party purpsoes. The subject is so imjmrtani, and already pamphlets ani being spread abroad, facts figures and ideas so distorted, and misrc^prcsentcd to influence the ',)ublic, that the wiiter will if possible endeavor to have n few thousand copies struck olf so that at least he may start fair mi the line of reasoning, and befoie the public mind liocomes too much biased and prejudiced. The writer has presented his views regarding the groat (juestion that should be upjjermost in the public mind ])onding tlie next (flection ; but as the letters cannot well be printtui in this piodiution, he merely reiterates what he has l)efoie stated, and which he thinks he can now prove, that the financial state of the country, and the bearing of its institutions on our different industries must be the great questions of tin; day, and take j)rec(!dence of all others; that this subject is iiot at all understood can be proved by a fair criticism of the productions befoK; referred to; also, that from a want of the application of the juinciplcs herein enunciated, all the troubles of the Maritime Piovinces spring, and that until the matter is thorou<'hiv understood the evil caimot in any way be rectified. It is no slur on the ability and characters of our legislators and representatives to state that even if omnipotent they are not omniscient, neither do they j>retend to be so, at all events those that I have come across. They are always open to conviction, and I believe at heart have more sincere patiictism than they get credit for ; but what can they do, they can only give effect by legislation to mea- sures that we farmers show to be necessary and advisable ; the initiative must proceed from us, and wliat do we ever do to give either them or the capitalists the least confidence inns? Nothing! we are as full of impractical fads as an egg is of meat, as the saying is ; but 1 must not anticipate the pamphlet itself, but I will remark oidy that of all the old, rotten, leaky boats, that you farmers expect to land you on the shores of jirosperity, low taxation, low rates of interest, and forced markets, are the worst. You lose more in one year by the misapplica- tion of your little caintal, than a nsvision of tlie three former to the lowest extremity would ever make up for, besides which, you have no direct control over the matter at all and never will ha^e ; get nioney as cheap as you can by all means, but don't discuss impossibilIti(;s ; believe me, as an experienced farmer, the only romcdy for your i)ositiou is first to thoroughly realize it ; be candid to yourself ; there is no occa- Sl( of sa' b:; (/U in sion to oxpoKo your private afTairs at all ; it doos not tako a groat deal of (l('(!p tliiiikiii;,' to shows tiiat it is had onoutjh ; as (3(!neral Hutler says, you arc poor liuauciiMs ; this is tiuo, hut it is unjust to lay the hhuiu^ entirely on you, and I don't think that my panphlet would be out of [iliKH' even in the Ic^islativf halls. Il('f(!rrini,' to tin? pi-oduclions that luivo come before the pid)lie to inlhieui (! thcui 1 shall only ref(U' to two, as I wisli to he as concise as ])ossil)Ie. 0\w pamphlet is issued on behalf of the recij)rocity party and founded on the speeches of Hon. Erasnms Wiman. Now mind, reader, .1 (lout ]);ete:id to jud^e on tlu; merits of tiie question it.self at all, and ]i;ul the writer con lined himself to that question he would liave done better, but the ])amphet itself is such a mass of mistatements, special })li'ading, inconsistencies, and shows such an entire ignoiance of the whole subject on which it pretends to advise, that were it not for the capital opijortunity it gives me of strengthening my own case — in the way that a learniid juil liave literally nothing to sell, at all events that anyone wants. What -we want is capital to develope our agricultural resources, and that the Americans cannot supply us with. Nova Scotia is a great grass and ap[il(^ country, and her proximity to England gives great opjioitunities for supplying that country with beef, but owing to our absurd financial system we cannot even supply our own mark"t ; for tlu^ sanu^ reason the fruit tia(' is not half developed. The pamphlet also confirms my opinion tha* American financial system lias been as erratic as on;- own, alt: . Teat deal more liberal, and different from that of Ontario, which is nally founded on the basis of the tenant and landlord management. This is a very important fact to know, as it meets another misrepresentation, that is of our loyalty being nothing l»ut a blind attachment to old, played-out, antiquated association, and if I am i-eally correct in my surmises, which I think the panqjhlet proves, it then turns the tables on the enemy with a vengeaiuH', showing that they ari; the parties prejudiced, not us, and when we read of tin; deplorable state that these institutions have left th(! United States in, V)y their own admission, we wonder at men like Prof, (loldwin Smith, and otheis, and feel very much inclined to tell them to stay in the land of their ado|)tion, and mind their own busi- ness. There is another feature of this wonderful production that is worthy of notice. After calling attention to the extreme poverty of the farmers of the United States, tlu; wiiter ])leads with us to deul with them, on the ground that (Jreat J]rit liu deals with poor countries. Now what nonsense all this is, a.-i if anyone cares whether they are rich or poor, as long' as they pay for what they get; but as to whether it is worth whiles to have very intimate commercial transactions with a country that hfis (•onii>l('t(']y ])!»riilysc(l its ji,'i«'u test industry \>\ iiistilutions thut wo utterly condi inn, uiid tluit t<> the dcti iinciit of it coimtiy tluit liiis enriclied and rnolilcil IicrselC, and cini do the si»iii<' ; to na thioutjli those very institutions. 'I'hiit is anothci- slory .ilto^ctluT ; the rrnicdy and ennsc of tliis state of aliiiirs ai'c (ijUiilly absurd and illoi^i'-id. As to the former, it is aliout on a ]iarall« I with that f^'ivcn to liitli' \U) Pcen on that ('elel)rated occasion well known to chilihi'li. arid as to tin- latl.ei-, the writei- altoijether mistakes cause !'or eirei-t : the yiiun'j; men lenin;,' tlnir farms was not the cause of the (le|;ression in ai^M'iciiIture Imt tiie eMert. In ]'laint(rms, they saw noclnnuf^ ahead : and .'O it would he with n.;, if there was any jilai-e to tjfo to. Don't let tiu! reaL't, lor. The matter is altoifether too serious, an 1 for my jiai't I m^'cr can fur'^et the kiiaha'ss and delicately concealed attention shown un; as a small hoy when liist crossitu; the Atlantic- -thin;L(s done for nw without even my knowledijo which i doubt \ery muidi whether many of my own ccuntiymen would have thout(ht of unless the case was promiiu'ntly hroti<,dit Ix'fore them. Aj^ain (piitc! lately J ha\(^ heard Americans defendin',; Kn^lishmen and Kn<,dish institutions when un_jnstly attacked in a way that tint writer woul^l hardly the teiMU although it is a ])retty hiijj island ; your prejuuice against tlie laniU^d aiistoci-acy of Engl.uid may only anuise them, l)ub it certainly hurts you. I am not defi^idinc; them by any means : they are perfc^ctly abh^ to take cart^ of tlieuLselves, always chncr, experienced inland manai;ement, ai\d now adversity has shaipened their wits we; had better take caie that thny are not too much for us. So much for tiie pam|)hlet ; may it be well read. I now come to the other production leferred to — the statement of the nund)er of mortgages, bills of sale and judgments on record. Sevrstand now why the highest court in the land, although ultimately ac;M.Hling to my recpiest, made pi'opositions to me so unjust, so insulting that mv lawyei's rejected them at once: in I facti lam bee L'enl thn eve T wl old his in 1 sli- oils that lIlHfc llUS U'li tlioso 111 I cull so ' former, on tliat tfcr, tliH ii;,' llit'ir I' ciVvrt. uilii II;;, tor OIK' lo ,i,'rc;it latter is .'iii(l!ie;-i.s en (iist >\vle(!i;o 1 would e lliem. len and ! writer 'iii,i,di.sli- 'articu- ot i-eal- lalo of at you h it is oc-racy I am CO eavo id now t tlioy 10 well out of ocord. 'd me 'W. I it you ' liiive now en an luund u my ii tlio ns to ^: in I fact, T liave settled in a foroii^n land. 'Tin tnio tl»p people spoak tho samo laiiL,'ua!^'e. and some of the laws are pretty musentin'j; his last n invested at a hi^h rat(^ of interest, and I myself should have become one of those excre.sences that sjniini; out of our presf lit s}stem, and eat at the foundation of all morality, a fat otRce- holder. I presuim; that the publication above referred to is intending to show how un]»rosperous the country is under confederation ; it has appeared in papers representing both sides of politics, and I have looked in vain for an answer. Were the matter not so serious, involving men homes, hajipiness, and the whole fate of the rising generation, it would bo amusing to watch the paper warfare that will issue As it is, I must anticipate ; thri answer per contra will be in all probability : How much betfer would Nova Scotia have been ott' under the old state of affairs? Look at th(^ general ])rogres-i of tli(^ Dominion, etc., etc., and, as far as Nova Scotia is eonccn'iied, the old Ho Peep advice; will be reiterated. Now. let us look into the matter fairly and set; what an amount of fallacy there is all round. [ admit that the judgments in con- nection with the bills of sale look, to say the least, fishy ; and knowing the way business is pose our nuning friend is a ])it of an expert, recognizes fully the value of his ])roperty and feels inclined to work it himself; if ho is judicious he will get thorough set of plans and, se(?t,ions and estimates made by a competent engineer. Armed with these he api)roaches the capitalist, and if the article is really good and in demand the chances aie that lie gets his money. A mortgage is filed and ho adds an encundirance to his encumbrance ; the work then com- mences, wharves are built, sliafts sunk, rails laid, [lumping ap|)aratus purchased, earth removed, and each iSaturday night the men are paid with the promises to pay of institutions that have not advanced a single cent towards the success of the work ; however it proceed.s, and the capital is exhausted without producing anything that can be immediately turned into casii. Our friend then, again, n|)i)eals to his engineer who marks the exact })rogress made on the original plan, ho then again approaches the capitalist who, on deliberation, declines to advance any more on the fee simple of the property, but agrees to advance on a bill of sale of the stock, &c. This is done, and another inciunbrance filed ; so the work ])roceeds, the capital is again exha>.isted, and still ihey don't "strike ilo ;" the capitalist then requires his interest, and not to embarrass his mortgagor, and to save himself a judgment is entered by mutual consent, and this may bo the whole solution of this great Tempest in a'i'eapot. But on the other hand, su])- pose the desired con.summation is not arrived at, and the work is closed, ]>erhaps by a sheriff's .sale, the capitalist is re-imbursed, and the mine"'ownor loses his propeity, and has wasted a good [lart of his lifetime, his credit is mor(; or loss shaken, iind things look black indeed ; the chances are, having neglected all other Itusiness for this, he may want a little tomjiorary accommodation to almost keep his family from starving ; he gets an endor.soment from some brother in adversity for a few ])altry dollars, for the pioor only help the poor, and it is refused by these vei'y institutions thiit his own pluck and energy har, made their " promises to |)ay " anything but w.aste pap('r, and at the same time young Sci'oogo, who has started a liijuor and irroceiy store* round the corner, e.schanging endoisf;m(>nts with young Marhiv, doing a sin:ilar business, is gladly pas.sed, and respectable shareholders di-aw a dividend therefrom, and then go away and preach pi'ohiliition. 'JMie ndno ifself may tlu ti pass into other hands, becoming equal to a pr(;forontial security, if even left untouihed. So nnudi has been don(^ for the pros- perity of the country of which no account whate\'er is taken in the official retui'ns, no valuation is made )[' the pi'op(!rt.y before and after, it is sim]>ly classed as (Hicuinbercd. As for our friend, the niiiuM', his futur of jiis pamphlet, but he wiites only as a practical man, who has deal!, with natunt all his lifetime^ and recogni/cs fully tlu^ bciielicence of a higlKsr jjowcr in laying out our work for us, which we ourselves in our own nariow-nnnded obstinacy 10 are making obnoxious, distasteful and burdonsome in a way n')ver intended, diveitinf> healthy, purifying pursuits into channels just the reverse. When the only financial institutionfj of the country will support men supplying articles, the sale of v,diich are actually legislated against, and frowned down by the whole of tlie professing religious men of the country ; while we, under any circumstances, ure denied the legitimate fruits of our industry and any f lir return lor ouv invested capital, as any intelligent reader must see is the case on perusing the pamphlet, then I say ho is justified in appealing to the sound, moral sentiment of the country. However, the writer anticipates no trouMo whatever in having th.e matter rectified, provided it is gone about in a ])roper way. W(> are all interested in making our country a success, Init it must be done in the proper way, and not by wiinging the very Mfe-blood out of our be.st men, the producers. I have illustrated the position of the unsuccos.sful miner, and the same mav be said of the farmer. If a thousand enterprising young men, Nova Scotians or strangers, settled in Hants County to-morrow, commencing as the present writer did, an enormous impetus would be given to trade, large dividends declared by the banks, and the country declared to be progressing, and yet, it is as certain as I am writing this, that not one of them could ever realize the fruits of their labor, and if this is the ])rinci[)le on which our country is to be made, I say let it fall. The fact is, we all mean well but are working at sixes and sevens. The motto at the head of this article is too much iifnorerl. 1 have refeired to the industries started in Hants Countv ; let me re|)eat conv(>rsationH that actually have taken place with some of the originators. "i)on'tyou think, .Mr. Mounco, that good su[)erphosi>hato will pay a hundred per cent: to the farmer ? It would pay a hirgo percentage t:< you c,\^ you:.' land. Why 1 because of the thorough drainage and pulverization it woidd be all assimilated. But what advantage does a farm(>r get by using your phospliate and sidling the hay produced at pre.scnit prices ? Nothii\g, except the stimubis given in sowing down " Again to Mr. Pidgeon : " I suppose you think you are conferring a great benefit on the country in circulating a first-cla.ss artichi of food plant? Wei!, 1 certainly do, why not? and the banks aie helping in this noble work. Well, [ will just tell you the effect ; tlu; lianks and you aie IxMiefittcid temjtorarily, and the farmer is giving his time, land, labor, for literally nothing; he sells hay to meet a note, at about the value of the original elements that you suppl}' liim with, no more. Then you would argtie that artificial manures aie no good. Ceitainly not, they are one of the gieatc^st blessing of modern science, but like anything el.se, borrowed money or anything, can Ik; tuiiu^d into curses by misapplication. A ton of first-class malting barley utili/c,s no more phosphate [lotash. ammonia, than a ton of hay, yet one is worth as many piunds as the other is dollais. Then why not all grow barley, and accept the jn-oHcred assis- tauiM' of the minister of au;ricutur » ? [Tm'e wo ar(^ a-jrain all working in harij rotaj the rotaj Kovl as til and su'i isl inyn will and on tJ retu] per 11 ay n^ver just tho itry will lei,'islatecl ;ious men 'uiod the invested usiiiiv the fl, moral ) trovil/io )Out in a success, the very ated the d of the >tian.s or as the ■"> trade, sd to be not one s is the riie fact notto at h>fc me ! of the osnhato a l;ir<,'e loroni^h t what ing the s i^iven nk you •st-chiss ul the ell you w] the i.ijr; he >ri,ij;inal ai'gue ot (he riovved A ton mouia hn ;!ssis- iii.,' in is harmoniously. Tf, as a leading Halifax paper states, we could throw all rotation over, theii it might woik, but unfortunately, that would entail the feeding of weeds of which you would grow any amount, and rotations require through ilrainage, and it is perhaps necessary more in Nova Scotia than any where,and even where rotations are fully established as tlu>y nnist l)e iu some parts of Ontario, I would say to be cautious, and do not ignore the souul rule of agricultural tinancial economy, but .substitute stutFs inferior as food for man, but rich in nr,nnirial ingredients; you will make slightiy inferioi' meat in quality but you will not be exhausting your ca{>ital. With O.itario .selling her apatite and cojirolites to enrich J'lnglish estates, lean cattle to be finished off on the same properties, malting barleys exported without an equivalent return ; the great north-west exporting wheat at a cost of thirty cents per buohel deterioration, Xova Scotia literally sacrificing her grass crop for want of capital to manufacture it, nothing but the most judicious and enlightened legislation can save us from tlie sad fate of our neigh- bors, and yet in the face of these facts we have ignorant and .self conceited men constantly interfering in our business, attempting, as they call it to checic the borrowing propensity of the farmers which means, iu diverting English capital into other countries; even Ontario has a tremendous competitor in the English farmer who can use all his resources as working capital I refer again to the story of incumbrances as indicating the state of the country ; could the present \vrit(M' have borrowed mon(;y for the purchase of lean cattle to fatten on his grass, a bill of s do would have b(!en lileil for the amount, and old mother Giuudy, sitting in her bank parlor, would have refused him any temj)orary accommodation on theses grounds, and yet the writer declares, that it would have at least trebled his income. If Ontario is borrowing money for tin; ))Ui'[)ose of t:le draining properly, that is so as not to emlarrass the farmer, you can safely add in valuation one Imndred per cent, to the value of the commonwealth for every dollar borrowed and this will not anything like uuiefc the case; the sul)soil jiloiigh follows the drainage, phosphates and feeding stuffs ar(> liberally used, and your farmer becomes a m:unifacturei'. A great deal is talked about loyalty and ]>atriotisin, and the h]nglish Hag is pretty well biandied uViout, and is suitpossed to cover everything for good or for evil, you forgetting that it is merely an inanimatresent condition of things'? that is the; point, ■nd to this I. say no, and J should \h' very Sony that sin; should be, as it would Ix; one of the saddiist sights that OIK! could possibly imagine, and show that the country was morally and socially degraded biyond all r('d<'uq)tion. If ilie I'aiglish ling does not covei' priiici[)les and ideas tliat make it superior to those of other nationalities, it is not worth bowing obcMlieroe 12 to at all, and no ono recognises this nioic than Her Mnjosty, she fully recognising her power and where it enicnates from. THE PREMIER AND THE GOVERNMENT POLICY REV TEWED. Since writiniij the preceeiling pages, avo have received a visi': fioni the Premier, who has generally (lechue<( the government policy fur the future, also justifying the past action. WhethiM' it \viil be satisfactory to the county at large or not, I am unj)i-e])arod to say, and as far as tlu^ writer is concerned he would niei(>Iy remark, that generally it is entirely in accoi'dance with his ideas ; the only trouble l)eing that no system of legislation for the future to meet the present emergeacy, caused, not only l)y the action of the Unite! States', b;it l>y past neglect, is even as much as hinted at. This as the whole tenor of this hrochure will show is perhaps quite excusable, and might be antici])ated. The remarks made regarding the system of borrowing money, both by governments, and ])rivate individuals, have been so ventilated by the writer for the last qurjter of a century, from his tirst ]iublic aiticle, published by the Jourmd of A'jr'icuUure, and entitled : " On the applica- tion of farm capital," and some years after comparisons of English and American farming, up to date, that the ))ublie can have no doubt about his thorough coincid«'nce in opinion with .SirJohnon this great point, but at the same time it should bci boine in mind that capital can be abused, and that without being ]ait to any r<^ally bad uses, and this system of imputing the worst mntive.s to what may only l)e an error of judgment is one of the unfnrtunate outcro]'.s of our political sy.stem, and belongs ecpially to both parties, Imt th(^ world discriminates but little iietween an error of judgment, caused often by enthusiasm, and a positive sin, as the wiiter but too well knows ; it looks only to the iinal r(>sult. And this applios e(im\lly to eountri(!s and privat:> individuals ; eon.serpiently in all legislation we should be guided as much as possibh' by the motto at tlm head of this article, while taking cart! at the same time that all the strict principles ol" fair play, justice and morality are carri( tl out. Th other : a whole net- work of railways and macadanii/.ed roads all ovei' tin; J'rovince do.'s not me(!t the emergency of our necessities in the slightest degree, it mm-ely fai'ilitates the trans[)ortation to market of what we have to produce I ^>y1 our to of i\ call The I by s| wrc to com draij carrj the trou up mg l;3 ty, she fully 3LICY- I' vi.si 'j from ilicy fur th(! i^isfiictory to IS far as tlw. ertiWy it in 'in;j; that no emeri^eney, it \;y past Riior of this mticijiated. ;'y, both I)y ted by the )lic article, :he applica- of English e no doubt tliis gve-dt capital can s and this II error of ^1 system, nafos but sm, and a the final li\iduals ; s possibllace this pro- vince on the same footing as Ontario, they have been guilty of negli- gence and extravagance. If there is anything at all that will have a tendency to break down the confederation and prev3nt it being a success, it will be entirely our own incapacity and bad legislation ; if we choose to ignore all good sound moial teaching and then fail, we at least have no right to drag the British Empire into the mess. Sir John admires British institu- tions, and in practice utterly ignores them, or at least the most valuable of them, tho:se that give the farmer the control of his capital. We hav(! now had a visit i'rom the leadctr of one party, and will soon in all ])robal)ility liav(! another visit from the opposition leaden-, and we will bee wdiat he has to say about the matter. In the mean tiuie, that is before i general election, \\g owe our duties to ourselves and families 14 to ])Ost ourselves tlioroii;(lily. Patriotism and loyalty aro terms altogotlier too thouifhtlossly used uiul abiistid. No iiiuu can give a greater or more acce[)ta1)l(! od'ering, at least I take it to bf^ so. to tlie giver of all than the results of a successful life. A life based on pure moral work; work that elevates the whole country, and that all can ])artieij)ate in. Agt eat writer calls success a sacrament ; is it so t I don't like to tread on dangerous grounds, hut J should like to (-ill the atten- tion of my readers to the wond(nful allegorical story of (.'ain and Abel ; how often has it been misinterpreted. The Almighty })lainly blames Cain lor his want of success, not refusing his b(!st, as is giv.ierally thought for his best was bad, and if we cannot take these toachi igs to lieart, and act on them in tluj [)ractical every day alfairs of life what a farce religion become.s. \V(! are legislating now not for Canada, but for the future of the whole North American Continent, to go no further, and the wretched, miserable way in which the whole; matter is being undertaken is enough to make anyone who really believes in anything at all fairly heart sick. However, I trust a great deal to the sound moral feeling of the people, that only wants awakening. Alfkkd C. Thomas, C. K. A great many suggestions are being given as the best means of averting the evils caused by the passage of the McKinley Bill, and emenating as they mostly do, from inexpsr.'enced men, they are vision- ary and impractical. One man has ma'Ie tho wonderful discovery that too much hay is sold off the f irm, another that too many hens are kept, and so on, and the remedies proposed are easier talked of than carried out. Without a thorough knovvledge of our subject, both practically and theoretically wo can do nothing of any value and this remark applies particulary to our legislature, at the present time. To commence at the theoretical part. What is the reason, that from almost time immemorial, our farmers have continued so manifestly unprolitable a business in everyway as hay selling must be under any ordirmry circumstances'? Simply for the reason that under our present financial system they could not, and even now cmnot help themselves. Were they to attempt feeding on any scale as things now stand, in one year they would be insolvent. Why ? Because, selling even as they do now, at the price of the original elements, only plus the unpaid labor of their families, and exhausting their land, it is intinitely more profitable than feeduig. 'Tis true the evil day is only put olf until the property has to be settled up by death or foreclosure. Then the old, old, story is told again, sons are turned adrift in a ])Oorer condition than any work- ing man, with a life's labor lost, and a repetition of the same iniquitous business commences, to eud in the same way. and yet the writer of this has been accused of want of patriotism because, in answer to an English magazine, in which emigrants with means are advisesi to pass through Nova Scotia, !ie fully justifies the remarks of the editor, praising the country, but condemning the financial institutions. The tact is that the I id< cril anl wil diil wr fail nul doi on I at as the ■y :il-t! tonus ' bo so, to the •asod oil [)iiro that all can it so 1 I ilon't til tho attcii- in and Aljr;l ; lainly biuuios is gcnoi-ally toachii^'s to litu \i'li;it a (■ail a da, but t, to n-o no -'holo iiiattor :i.lly bejiijves a .'^reat deal iViikeuiii". is, C.K/' st means of 7 Bill, and ' are visioii- I discovery ly hens are ked of than ibject, both e and this time. To I'om almost nprofi table ty ordinary lit financial ilieinselvos. md, ill one as they do paid labor ! [)ro{itable e property d, story is any woi'k- iuiquitoiis ov of this n p]ii,<,dish s throu only iieen in practice in one section of tlu.' J^ominioii is a veiy g)a\e relieetion, to s ly the least, on some of our legislators. If the syst(*m of lomis, ;i 'airied on in (Ontario is right and pioper and can be justilied, then we in Nova {Scotia have been treated most disgracefully. I merely e.^taidishing the principle of tenant and landlord, without its advantages and none of its objections, in fact ai»pioaching the great desideratum of all good thinking philanthropists, that every j)oor man who wishes can share the benelits of the land equally with the rich, and to do that he must have the means to make that land valuable or anything but a burden, and these means can only be furnished by institutions constitutionally established for that purjiose. At present, we in the Maritime Province are jn'etty much in the same state as our neighbors in the neigh- boring Republic, whether in attenijiting to avoid an aristocratic scylla, they are in danger of stranding on a plutocratic Charybdis, as a sound oligarchy is our only salvation, and this can be establishel by a sound system of finance. To exemplify the hay .story by illustration : an ox weighing seven hundred w-eiglit of beef and put n{) in say November, would consume the twenty pounds of hay per diem for 200 days, and would come out in the spring exactly as he went in, if not poorer, the food mereh' supplying the heat of the body and ordinary waste of the tissues. Cvjuld he be made to consume double the quantity, which on account of its bulk would be impossible, then a fair potit would be made or a! all events, the farmer would be paid a fair market value for his hay plus the manure. That he can condense that surplus hay is almo.st an impossibility', conse(iuently he is compelled to go into sup})!imentary fefding, giving more concentrated food, and this food has to h(> pur- chased, and a cash price paid, which is an investment that our farnuir does not feel inclined to go into. Now what is the result of all this ] that the hay or grass croi)S is com])letely sacrificed as raw matm-ial, and this in a country that prides itself on its capacity for protecting manu- facturing interests. V.S.— A VOICE FROM THE COLONIES. PART I. CHAPTER 1. Instntctioii, iiml roligious thouKht often combined in philoHopliiciil treatises in tlic ■ present (iay, without infrini;ing on Kood taste. Selrtsliness, and divided interests, greater obstacles to true progress tlian want of education. I niaj^i nation, and cnerj^y requisite for statesmansliip VVritt rs on AKriciilturc in America, too indefinite and partial f(jr Legislation. The best system in Enjjland was initialed, and developed by the people. The English system will not suit America. Position or tenant and landlord, defined. General position of American Farmer. He mnst become a loser dirccdy lie bieomes a proprietor unless supported by projier financial institutions. Any extensive reader of what may he fjenerally ealletl light .st;ieMtiHc and instructive literature, must he struck with the great tendency there is in the present day to uiix up sound moral teaching, and religious thought with amusing instruction ; the mere proving your case, or thoroughly ventilating your suhject, does not seem to he sutlicient. The cause of this great tendency can no douht he traceahle to the advance of real civilization ; general diffusion of knowledge ; ancfc increased facilities for education. Writers now dare to tread on what was formerly considered to he forhidden ground, to all hut th«^ sacred few ; the public heing protected from an infringement of gootl taste hy this very high standard that has been arrived at. To state tliat any one branch of industry or employment fully discussed, would convey more< knowledge than another, would be perhaps errotieous, as all employ- ments and industries are so mixed up and dependent one on another, that to discuss one, if not to di.scuss all, at least compels the ventilations of principles that cannot well he iguorod Tliere can he little doubt but that prejudice and seltishness, are the great enemies to advanced civilization, and that too many people lead then)selves into a way of thinking that they don't -eally l)elie\e in, and whei-e their consciences appeal to their common sense, l)ut too often in vain sub-divided interest* h.ive (lone far more to stop the introduction of sound useful measures than any real want of kriowledge, and as (.'ardinal Newman says, a proposition once fairly put requires no discussion, hut how often is it so put ? A talented young college professor writing in an article stating that the use of education was to enable us to deal witli the affairs of life^. when asked if ho could not take a higher standard, . admittwd that he- II l.s |i ! could hut tlmt he would \m iiifriii<(iMfi; on the piero<,'ativft of ot/icrs, tin's reserve and caution is perhaps necessary, and is certainly in ^(Dod taste Although prejudice and seltishness are great obstacles to in)proveinent, mental indolence, and what sometimes passes for stupidity, Wut is in reality want of imagination, ar s drawbacks in this way. A quarter of a century's experiei._i ., agitating ix\u\ pro[)()undiiv«j; the princif)Ios of this article has fully convinced the author as to that, it is astonishiui,' how men of intellect and education will coolly succumi) to a state of air.iirs that their judgment condemns, nierely because they do not see their way clearly to re-orga!n'zation, without a great mental effort, it is not in fact their business, the way things are managed suits them well enough and will no doubt improve and l)esides they hate publicity, tlie writer has been told over and over again that his views are correct but that unfortunately he is ahead of the times, were these men coolly to review their lives they might find to their astonishment that although anything but slothful in business, and generally esteemed and respected they niiglit still come to a certain extent under the category of that class that Dean Stanley stigmatises as the cowards of life. Man was not put here and given intellect merely to live and acijuire wealth, but to develop himself, the world he lives in and also to lead, support, and assist his weary fellow travellers in the way ; some are so narrow- minded, that they cannot possibly look Ijeyond the enactments of their own legislatures forgetting the stigma and abuse constantly heaped on "t^e component parts of these very institutions. Because a measure does not exist, and is not on the statute book, consequently it is undesirable, and cannot be carried, these ideas no doubt influence a great many on account of there being so many legal gentlemen in our various legisla- tures ; if you go to law, you must abide by the law, right or wrong, or got it constitutionally repealed to suit your case, but in advocating a use- ful measure for the benefit of society, the utmost latitude should be .allowed. A writer on imagination states that no man can really arrive at great eminence unless he has a powerful imagination and yet many lawyers declare this to be a most undesirable quality in their profession, be that as it may no man can possibly hold the position, or be classed as a statesman who has not this quality developed in a njore than ordinary way ; he may be a politician and represent a party, and that will be all ; a man vv^ith powerful imagination, and the capacity of acquiring informa- tion from others, with great habits of observation, and industry and above all recognizing fully the great aim and object of life, is sure to make his mark, and happy is the nation that possesses many such men; this apparent 'igression must be excused, but looking at the time, money, and misspent energy, expended by our host of writers, politi- cians, and others in their vain attempts to elevate and improve the world, the reader cannot but consider in this essay or article that these remarks are out of place. In regard to the very branch of industry that we are writing of, that is of agriculture, of all the journals and papers that are published on the subject in America, there is not one that 4 la VfJ \vi| wll Stf th^ th 19 of ot/uTs, tin's in ^ood laste iinprovHriKMit, rlity, Wut is in :his way. A pouiuliHiL; tlu! < to tliiit, it is .succiiiiil) to a cause they do ^reat mental Managed suits vs they hate liis views are re these men lishnient that steemod and le cate<,'ory of f life. Man luire wealth, ead, support, re so narrow- ents of their ly heaped on measure does undesirable, eat many on ^ious legisla- wrong. or eating a use- should be really arrive d yet many profession, )e classed as an ordinary will be all ; ing informa- dustry and is sure to such men; the time, ters, politi- nprove the that these diistry that and papers t one that appears to advance agriculture in the slightest degree, 'tis true they are amusing, and instructive, and perhaps play the part of the whips to a pack of hounds, that is they keep the tail up to the leading hounds, they are too indetinite, they advocate no plain decisive measures, that the legislature can t;ike a good hold of even if they wisiied to, and they themselves cannot well help ic. The common school system of Scotland, laid the foundation of British agricultun? in spite of the great disad- vantages in soil, climate, etc., that the former country had to contend with, then a few noble men in both countries put their siioulders to the wheel and reduced sound theory to practical fact ; the legislature then stepped in at tlie proper time, and gave a very valuable assistance to the permanence of the work. I refer only to the passage of a drainage act : loaning money at the lowest rate of interest to land-owners, and repayable in fifty years ; and this action is the more remarkable in a country like England, where the very principle of tenant and landlord allows of so much capital being employed on tlie land, and when we consider that government under- takings for the benefit of the community are the exception, not the rule. As to the second class, papers that pretend to be published in the interest of the farmer, it is not too mucli to say that they are get- ting to be a nuisance. If they contented themselves with (liscussing sound abstract principles, reviewing facts, and encouraging really ex- perienced farmers to write they at least could do no harm, and migiit do good ; but not content with that, every article out of the beaten track plainly shows to any intelligentcritic, that itis subservient to some purpose of the writer's, why the possession of a certain amount of type, paper and a limited capital, and an office, should constitute a man an adviser, and often a dictator, about an enterprise that perhaps requires more sound, theoretical and practical knowledge, not only of scientific subjects, but of political economy, than any other is a great mystery. These gentle- men cannot even let the statistical returns alone, but must dish them up to suit their party, even as indicating the state of the country. The reader, from the preceding remarks, may think that the writer is infatuated with English farming, and believes in no other system than that of landlord and tenant. This certainly is not the case, as these remarks will show : Mr. Howard, the M. P. for Bedford, and chair- man of the Alsace and Loraine relief fund, a man of large experience, farming one thousand acres, on which his machinery is tested, declared that the landlord and tenant system is the best in the world for develop- ing agriculture, elevating the farming profession and ofiering remunera- tive employment to working men ; this statement should, however, be received with a certain amount of reserve, and he should have said the best in existence. J'esides which, a system that suits Great Britain, or will, after a great deal of legislation and liberal sentiment, may not suit America. Prejudice, however, and the irony of circumstances has led to its adoption in the latter country to a much greater extent than may be at first imagined, and not by any means advantageously to the con- .«!** 20 tracting parties. Mortga<,'efl farms are generally classed liy outsiders as rented ones, so that when we review the land in America as held under those circumstances we see that the farmers are not by any means in that independent position that optimists assunje, and this no doubt accounts for the unsatisfactory state of the agricultural community. The Americans generally are not supposed, by the writer, to be much in- terested in the landlord and tenant system, except as to what extent the knowledge of its working may affect themselves in their eHbrta to better their own agricultural position. That they do liot understand the matter is evident from the various articles that constantly appear, and on this one great discrepany of ideas appears to hang the whole mis- understanding, which is desolating New England and the older parts of Canada, and driving the sons and daughters of farmers into the towns and cities. To put the matter in plain English, farming in America after a certaii\ time does not pay, at least under present conditions, and the best educated of our young people cannot fail to see it. There is neither pleasure in the present or in anticipation. Any divergence in practice in Americans from other people is always accounted for in the one way, and that in the excitability and general nervous temperament of the people, and the very difficult task of restoring to the country what has been lost is easily got over in the same way, or is to be. Hut better and more sensible opinions are beginning to prevail. America (I in- clude the whole continent) has her duties to her country, people and the world, to go no farther, and she must fultil them or stand the conse- quences. Makiiiii railways, exhausting virgin soils and prairies and building up cities and factories fi'oin the accumulated wealth of these soils does not by any means constitute a hifjh civilization. Neither can the disposses- sing of a few thousand ignorant savages of their homes, merely to 0(!cupy the land in a temporary way, until nature restores it to its pristine con- dition, be considered as a means of fulfilling that great destiny that the continent of America proudly aspires to, should ciTCumstancrs continue, lust as they are with regard to our system, or rather want of system of agriculture, the West must follow the East ; virgin soils are soon ex- hausted, or at all events the yield becomes insufficient for anything but the bare necessities of pioneer settlement. Then comes, or should, a higher class of cultivation, which also means civilization, for the virgin soils cannot possibly be for any other purpose than to sustain man in his first effort at occupation. What then ? No etibrts have been made to put the older lands under a proper system of cultivation — you have massed population into your towns and cities, your sources of supply are gone, the best of your citizens demoralized, and this is the accomplish- ment of your great destiny. It would be very unsatisfactory for any writer to draw such a picture without offering at least some suggestion for the commencement of improvement, and this, " considering the gi-eat magnitude of the question, should be offered in a way suitable to intelligent readers, real inv wh far hoi cul 21 y outsiders as s held under tiy means in liis no doubt ni unity. The he njuch in- nt extent the )rta to better lerstand the appear, and i whole inis- Ider parts of the towns in Anierioa id i lions, and t. There is iver^'ence in 1 for in the eniperanient ountry what Hut better lerica (I in- iple and the 1 the conse- •uilding up s does not disposses- to occupy ristine coii- that the continue, system of e soon ex- ^thini^ but should, a the virgin n man in >een made -you have upply are complish- w such a encement ie of the readers. who should have ample opportunity afforded them to discriminate for themselves," the writer only claiming that superior knowledge that a lifetime of study of this subject, with practical experience, can give; but it is at least absolutely necessary, that the situation should be realized, and for this reason I again refer to the position of the English landlord and the gicat error entertained in America regarding his position. The Kngliah landlord obtains his rent, not by any means on account of the great value of the land, or any exclusive control he may have over it, but partly on account of the certainty of the land being worked in an orthodox way, if the term may be used ; and hia rent is also in part merely the interest of his own investment, at a low rate of interest, and it is to this point I wish to call the attention of American readers, as it directly atfects their own case. But the reader asks what investment can a landlord be called upon to make on his own land, when he owns it '/ Just the same as you expect your own hard working farmer to make. You think because a farm is clear of stumps, has a decent house on it and is fenced in some way, that it is fit at once for high cultivation, when in fact, in the majority of cases, as much labor and cash have to be laid out as would repurchase. 1 cannot enter into details in this article, but I would say the drainage alone would double the cost, and not one clay farm in a hundred is cultivatable without it. Now all this extra expenditure falls on the landlord and he only can charge the lowest rate of interest, or should, as the investment is classed as pern)anent. This arrangement, when justly and fairly carried out, leaves the tenant with his whole working capital intact, to be applied to its legitimate use as working capital, and that alone, any deviation from this is unjust and generates trouble in the end. Landlords are often impecunious, mean, and sometimes not good business men, and are unwilling or unable to fulfil thair share of the contract ; tenants are thus, in clear self-defence, compelled to invest their own capital in the land, in improvements ; and, even when they are fairly compensated for it, it hardly comes within the legitimate province of the arrangement, I take it " that the more a tenant infringes on his working capital for landlord's work the more he is deviating from the correct principle that can accomplish so much. Many men farm their own lane's, but always distinguish between their landlord and tenant capital, "otherwise they coulu not possibly know to what extent theirs was a paying business : and this is a very important point for Americans to look into. The land- lord's capital is generally so many years purchase on the capacity of the annual produce of the land. Thus if a farm, under fair management, is capable of yielding a rent of six dollars per acre, at twenty years pur- chase, this would be $120, which, at three per cent., would yield $3.60 per acre ; this much representing the landlord's income, and on which he is taxed at the ordinary rate of other incomes. So much for the absurd stories about land being so highly taxed that no one can buy it. Is it at all likely that a legislature, constituted as that of Great Britain is, would so voluntarily tax themselves t The tenant's, or working capital, 22 varies from 812 to $100 per acre ; but for a large farm, in good order, §50 may be taken as a fair sum, provided it is all employed as legitimate wo:-king capital. The interest on this capital depends on a Tariety of circumstances — markets, seasons, skill, etc., etc., some of which are entirely beyond the farmer's control ; but it is not too much to say that an ample working capital puts a fanner in a far more independent position than one otherwise situated. Tenants in old times, before the great depression in agriculture, were supposed to make about 10 per cent. The largest dividend that I can remember being recorded was that of of Mr. Prout, 17 per cent, on working capital and 3 per cent, on permanent investment. Mr. Mechi also realized 14 per cent, on work- ing capital ; but then both these men farmed on a system that can hardly be classed as orthodox — the former trusting entirely to artiticfal manures and deep cultivation ; the latter was an enthusiast and can hardly be looked upon as an example. What men like Mr. Hope, of Fentonbairns, make 1 cannot say; they make money anyway, but then their skill and knowledge is great, and their monied investments in other peoples land would astonish many of our newspaper men, and legislators, who are constantly groaning and complaining of the grow- ing propensity to borrow, of our enterprising farmers. It is to be understood tliat a tenant, under this arrangement, takes the whole of his capital away with him intact, and that this shall be accomplished, the legal enactments made from time to time amply provide, that the whole system, no matter how well managed and pro- vided for, is hardly what is to be wished for as indicating that state of independence, and moral happiness and felicity that we hear so much about is plainly to be seen. Agriculture becomes merely a mercantile transaction, and looking at it in that light, and to those whose tempera- ment it may suit, the system may do well enough, but it certainly destroys many of our antiquated and time honored ideas. All the skill, integrity you can command, even with success, is no sure guarantee that a man may not be turned out of the home of his ancestors, and recommence life iinder entirely new circumstances, " as witness the case of this very Mr. Hope referred to," no reference has been made to the Irish land question at all, for the reason that the whole trouble from beginning to end has been caused by the ignoring this great question of right and wrong on the part of the landlord ; and nothing so plainly shows the great ignorance on the part of the American public of the matter, when con- demning the whole arrangement of landlord and tenant on account of the unhappy state of affairs in Ireland. The reader may be able to form a pretty good idea of the relative position of tenant a:id landlord in England ; or as it ought to be anywhere, that is wljere no other or bet- ter system prevails. To refer to the American farmer I only describe what has come under my own actual notice for a period of over thirty years, backed up by such ideas and facts as have been obtained by carefully reading the different periodicals, newspapers, &c., so that as I have to trust a great deal to recollection, the reader will I hope, con- f 23 in good order, 'd as legitimate n a variety of of which are much to say e independent les, before the about 10 per recorded was 3 per cent, on ent. on work- 5tem that can y to artiticfai siast and can Mr. Hope, of way, but then ivestments in per men, and of the grow- 's. It is to it, takes the his shall be time amply Lged and pro- that state of lear so much a mercantile lose tempera- inly destroys ill, integrity ? that a man recomn)ence of this very i Irish land >eginning to of right and vs the great when con- account of ble to form landlord in ther or bet- ly describe over thirty stained by o that as I hope, con- i sidering the large amount of area covered, pardon any gross misrepre- sentations. .A. great many farms are rented in America, the same as in England, as far as the fact that the tenant has no claim on the fee-simple of the land; on account of the cheapness of the land, and other circum- stances very few tenants take anything like the working capital on to their farms that would be recjuired in England ; in fact they are mostly composed of laboring men who by industry and economy have saved a liti/it; u.oney that enables them to purchase a small quantity of stock and machinery, and commence farming. Some on a small farm but the most eiiergetic want a scope to work on, and generally recjuire a certain aniount of land that is capable of producing something in its then nor- mal condition, such land as interval, or dyked marsh, this is absolutely necessary under the circumstances, as their rent is not paid from the ac- tual increased produce of the soil, but from the labor that is required to convert this normal produce into cash, and their living is the small sur- plus and gradual increase of the stock, &c., &c. ; if these men are for- tunate they generally in time accumulate a small sun. of money, they always have a few hundred dollars in the Savings l>ank that they can lay their hands on, and are consequently ready for a speculation or trade, and in this way increase their hoard ; they have few responsibilities be- yond their rent, so that this class of men can always get accommodation and utilizti the banks, then comes the desire for proprietorship so natural to every American, they see others going in for it, why not they ? a certain farm that they have long had their eye on will be sold, the owner has long been going behind hand in his interest money and foreclosure must take place, they as laboring men have so far got ahead, and surely as owners they cannot fail, even if they have to pay a certain amount of interest, they compare their circumstances with those of others, and everything seems fivorable, they detect defects in management that they think they can easily rectify, utterly ignoring the fact that they are lighting against the very principles of sound political economy. Thej) then pnrchasf. The small capital that has been deposited in the- Savings Bank is withdrawn, and this sum with the amount allowed to remain on mortgage so much reduces the mortgage that they feel com- paratively independent. What is the result? both practice, theory, and experience shows but one thing that the American tenant farmer has seen his best days tiie very moment he withdraws his capital and assumes- the duties and expenses of proprietorship. I don't lay any great stress on the amount required for repairs of buildings, itc, altho' in a close operation like farming it is not to be despised, but the withdrawal of the actual working capital is equivalent to the depriving the whole operation of all vitality. How this class of men progress afterwards I cannot say. With a good working family they struggle out an existence, and that is about all ; that the boys are satisfied with the arrangement there is very great reason to doubt. To look at the matter from a clear financial point, the farmer in withdrawing his working capital ; if he is lit for his business at all, he ought with his land to work on, be 24 • snaking from twenty to a hundred per cent., he is taking inferior stock, stock bearing the lowest rate of interest. This is no imaginary sketch. The general position of the American farmer has been given, and it is hardly worth while going into the question of that >f the pur- chaser with ample capital, as the same rule applies ; workin^, 'apital is iliterally working capital, and it is as much required in agricui 'ire as in ^ny other business, and if locked up in a permanent investment or what is classed as such, it is no longer working capital. Now what relatively is the position of the tenant in England as compared with the so-called occupier of land in Anierica, whoreall}' is in the best position ? Is either in that position that the philosophical, and philanthropical tendencies of the age would require 1 Both systems are radically wrong, because they are compromises against principle. Were I to attempt in an essay like this to make comparison of the different systems I should soon be lost, so that I must confine myself to the great question of mor- ality and practicability. Any intelligent reader would see the effect that the different systems would have on the prosperity and the morality of the country. CHAPTER 11. Sentiment must bo put aside, and Agriculture treated as an ordinary business Iransaetion. Illustration from experience of loss by proprietorship The present system disadvantageous to mortgagor, mortgagee, and country. 'I'lic farm must be made to pay. Full working capital absolutely necessary. <'omp€arisons of creative, and accommodation capital. Money rarely borrowed on a farm to increase returns. The jniblic must all work in harmony to ii.....,- agi (culture a succ ss. Ordinary emigrants, should be enabled to use ah their capital as working capital. The government can furnish no capital unconstitutionally. Put sentiment aside ; treat agriculture as you would any other busi- iness transaction. Cant, hypocrisy and ignorance has done more to injure agriculture than many can believe. Agriculture is enobled just as you enoble it. There is nothing particularly fascinating in spending a great deal of your tinie in a ditch covered with mud ; the idea of con- verting order and pi'ofit out of chaos is the only stimulant. The present writer never in a period of thirty years had a thoroughbred animal on the place, although appreciating good stock as he would a good locomo- tive for economizing fuel, but fully realizing the absurdity of putting the cart before the horse or the engine before the railway ; consequently his whole time and means were taken to creating, and by being conipelled utterly to violate the great principles of financial economy, as explained in this article, the result has been exactly what might have been antici- ; pated, a loiij; period of great financial trouble, ending only with the satisfaction of seeing others enjoy the greater part of the fruits of his :labor, skill and industry, and this must and will always be the case any- where under such a system. You cantiot eat your cake and preserve it « 25 inferior stock, no imaginary as been given, lat >f the pur- loin,- capital is ricui 'ire as in ment or what hat relatively I the so-called on ? Is either !al tendencies rong, because tempt in an ems I should istion of mor- le effect that B moral ity of inary bu.sinc's.s iinfry. rking capital. Other busi- ie more to lobled just n spending dea of con- he present animal on od loco mo- ulting the uently his compelled explained ^en antici- with the its of his case any- reserve it i if your working capital is laid out in what is legitimately classed as permanent investments ; then unless the country has provided financial institutions to af^sist you, others who have been more cautious and re- served their capital will always be in the position to take advantage of you. One illustration, although perhaps out of place in an article like this, might be allowed, as it applies so aptly to the question being dis- cussed. The present writer from various circumstances, such as the approach of old age, the entire dependence on high-paid labor, &c., &c., determined to place himself and his family in as near an independent position as possible : the state of the farm suggested the graizing of cattle to fit them for the butcher as the best way to meet the emergency. The land had all been previously tilled, drained, subsoiled, manured and sown down to pasture grasses ; a great many ornamental trees from New York nurseries with native trees had also been previously set out and largely developed, and although only intended for on:ament, these would serve for shelter. All this work, besides purchasing and exten- sive building, had exhausted the capital of the owner, besides sli^jhtly embarrassing him, and there still remained a great extent of fencini: to be erected before the forementioned plan could be carried out. Uusly stated is Its off the evil Under these I I together ad- purchase it is 1 to recall a gitimate pur- h such a vast ; the public ideas of right , from ignor- Ltter that we and common I conducted loney should abject of the 3n this capi- , confidence ?iven him — ly to others, II not make of that for y pertinent n a farmer i^any, and ement, but tical farm- ' suggest a astern, will some ma- enormous 5y offer no -where in and in all . Farming owner be 1 the way n i that a merehant woul(.' in similar circumstances, by reserving a certain amount annually from income. The difficulties to be encountered and overcome in any scheme for the improvement of agriculture must depend entirely on the way it is met by the general public. As all classes arc virtually interested in the matter so is their co-operation required. The capitalist must fur- nish the capital and know what his security will be ; the farmer, the intelligence and ability required, not only to use his own but secure the remainder of the capital furnished ; and last, but not least, the legisla- ture must become an active principle in the furtherance of the work. The schemes that are brought before the public from time to time f<»r the purpose of placing agriculture on a sound basis command but little attention, because they are unconstitutional, impractical)le, often com- munistic, and are advocated by men and papers, who have no practical knowledge of the requirements of agriculture, and are generally governed by cither the desire of notoriety or by party spirit. To such an extent is this carried that iu nine cases out often the article plainly indicates the paper without reading the name, but occasionally well- meaning and respectable journals and writers commit ihomselves sadly from want of a thorough knowledge of their subjects. T'lie attein[)t to invite respectable emigrants with capital to restore the worn-out and exhausted land of America is under present circumstances inconsistent with either honor or honesty — if they bring their working capital and skill it is as much as can be expected, and it sliould be remembered that the very best of these men are only actors in a great scheme of progression that it has taken centuries perhaps to perfect and the prov- ing its adaptability to another climate, different class of people, il'c. , tfcc, is entirely be3'ond their capacity or capability. It is "ou that should be preparing the field for them to operate on as well as \ )ur own countrymen similarly situated. One great scheme of political agitators, and it takes amazingly with farmers, is something by which they may have their liabilities removed and a low rate of interest substituted for the 1)1 escnt ; these men don't go into details — that is to them un- necesaiy — where the money is to come from and who is to resume these liabilities. In some countries it is the government that is to do all this, particularly when the opposition party happen to be in power. Now what the leal and true functions of a government are, and to what extent they can go constitutionally I do not pretend to say, l)ut they have no right to speculate with the peoples' money ; neither should they raise it for investment except on undoubted security and for the benelit of the whole country, and even then only in cases where valuable indus- tries are checked and cannot possibly be renovated by private enter- prise. In the case of agriculture any direct legislative assistance can- not be given except in advancing funds for tile draining. The security is perfectly good (always provided other means are employed for pro- perly cultivating the land, not otherwise), for I still maintain the ground originally taken that land is valuable, or the reverse, exactly as 1 :'^n 30 I ' (I railway would be accorcllng to the working facilities given ; it is to the interest of the farmer that the work shall l)e properly done ; there is little or uo chance of peculation, aud it really is the foundation of the most important productive industry of the country, and last but not least the position it holds as an almost permanent investment, and not ill the least speculative render it justly an iuvestm.nt for a very low rate of interest, which alone would make it ol)jecti()nable as a private speculation, as the object of the government of any country should be not to make money, but to put the country in a stale for the inhabitants to do so. CHAPTER III. I'riiixn'ly oi-^MTiized tliiaiicial institutions with a govoriuiient (Iniinage act have far bcjilor sucMirity t'lH' tiiuii" loans than any private partiep. Want of proper linanoial institutions tend to morally injure the agriculturis'> and the <'onvniunity. The ideas enunciated, not chimerical or impractical, the same work having been (h)ne under another system. ,\ cast? in point, as an dlustration. Our y )un.;- men slio ild not b.; ene )ura^cd to ^ive their lives t:5 agriculture until their success ia belter assured by legislation. Cheap drainage b ,'ing [)rovided for and working capital retained in abundanct', a great deal has been done to make agriculture a success, but not all by auv means, neither have we shown concisely how the fee simple of the land can be held and retained, neither can it without the co-operation of others, unless the farmer having sufficient capital, chooses to curtail his operations by purchase, also reducing his income, by investing a large part of his capital in his land. He can then again reduce his income or total percentage bj- building out of his capital instead of borrowing mone}' for these purposes. This is perfectly justifial»!e, aud sometimes judicious ; but the farmer should fully realize ills position, and what he is committing himself to, and not complain of his transactions being unprofitable, for no other business would allow these luxuries, aiul this explains why so many amateurs, often success- ful business men. signally fsiil as farmers. The}' employ the best practical and theoretical advice and assistance, yet generally in the lung run '^Qt disgusted with the whole transaction, attributing the blame to e\eiyone and everything but the right which has been their own ignorance of the vvjiole principle of finance. Again nothing seems so .sail as the faults and failings and delinquencies attributed to the un- successfid farmer, an honest industrious hard-working farmer, one who rises early, goes to bed early, indtilges in no unseemly luxury, dies, his affairs, which few imagined would be so, are sadl}' muddled then every little fault and peccadillo is found out and magnified ; and the wise- acres who have the most to say are literally pursuing the same course, but have not the brains to see it. The writer once heard the character 31 given ; It IS to y done ; there ! foiiiulation of md last but not Lment, and not for a very low )le as a private ntry should be the inhaltitaiits nixge act have far agriculturi^-^ and rtork having been culture until their tal retained in B a success, but y how the fee it without the icient capital, educing his and. He can iing out of his lis is perfectly d full}' realize ot complain of } would allow often success- iloy the best generally' in ttributing the las been their nothing seems ited to the un- mer, one who s:ury, dies, his ed then every and the wise- same course, the character i of such a man commented on, anxious to hoar tlie reasons given for the disastrous finale of such a life, he gave utlention to the conversation and all that could 1)0 gathered was that the deceased had actually, so far outraged the idea of agricultural propriety, as to keep a separate talkie for self and family, and this was said in such a way as to indicate what must necessarily be the fate of all such men, and this in a district were farms rate on about the highest scale in tiie Province. Tne only logititnato source now remaining for the fanner to ot)tain ca|)ital from, is either private capitalists themselves or a coml)ination of capitalists incorporated in some way for the purpose cf transacting business of this kind, either as bjinkers or under the denomination of loan societies, there appears to be a considerable prejudice against these societies both in the United States and in the AJaritime Provinoes, chioHy on acc(junt of their functions, responsibilities and duties not being fully understood. In this category, societies that merely lend on real estate are not in- cluded, for although often very useful they do not meet the require- ments of advancefl agriculture, neither can the}" i)ossibly pay any vvvy high rate of interest legitimately. To refer to principle, we have all heard the old adage that extra interest means extra risk, but this only a|)plies to men who do not supervise the employment of their ca|)ital in the slightest degree, otherwise what would become of trade ; we should also consider that men who partly supervise the employ luent of their capital, thiough agents, as directors, &C., might also look for a hi^^her than ordinary rate ; this being the case loan societies have an immense advantage over private capitalists, irrespective of the privile,^<^s given then by their charter; their combination enables them to take invest- ments on real and personal property that under their supervision by expeits would be safe enough, but risky to the majority of private capitalists, and their investments in personal property would often secure those on real estate, on the principles before explained. The passage of a drainage act would also add greatly to the security of their investments and enable them to realize a greater rate of interest. The great objection farmers as borrowers have to the establishment ot these institutions is the high rate of interest that they are supposed to de- mand, they, the farmers naturally arguing that as we find so great a difficulty in paying our present rate, how can we possibly pay more, these ideas originate entirely from a very defective education on these points and a total want of any theoretical knowledge of their business, l)ractically or financially, and perhajjs they are not to blame either ; men of standing and education from downright dogmatic selfishness or from more condemnable ignorance because ignoring the ethics of con- troversy, they will not allow the point to be elucidated, stifling the main points of the argument, ignoring facts such as the present unsatisfac- tory state of the farming population, and building their bare assertions on utterly worthless founciation encourage these very false ideas that the farmers have in every way. In the course of n'.an}' 3'ears the writer never yet failed to convince any ordinary farmer of the soundness of i' 32 his views as enunciated, hut these other gentlemen have to be aban- doned lo their own local self satisfaction ; but unfortunately they have a certain amount of influence, as they are found as editors politicians, lawyers, capitalists, professors, in fact everywhere ; as editors they are particularly obnoxious, the one old story with them told over and over ag'nln, is that farmers must learn to live within their incomes, that they caniiot possibly afford to borrow money with any hopes of repayment, these ideas being constantly instilled in the unreasoning farmer's mind with no one to combat them, he sees no way of alleviating his circum- stances but by close economy, he has no means of increasing his in- come, so ho must decrease his outlay, economy soon degenerates into meanness, that into dishonesty, the majority tlo not as yet accept the dogn)a of Dr. Johnson that there is no necessity for a nian to live, it appears thai the point between meanness and dishonesty can be whit- tled down pretty finely. Jt is quite natural that the farmer l)eing com- pletely cut off from all chance of legitimately increasing his income by the direct application of capital should look to everyway for decreasing his expendiiure so that their minds offer a very promising: ground for the various fads and schemes constantly offered b\ agitators to take root in, the reducing the rate of interest, controlling markets and reducing cost of transportation and taxes and prices of laud the latter being the favorite (vve do not object to these matters being in- vestigated as long as the main [)oint at issue is not ignored) as regards the reducing the rate of interest we have shown pretty well how that is governed in agricultural as in all other loans, now farms uncier our present financial system cannot [)ossibly be looked ui)on as first- class security, the very necessity of retaining a part of the purchase money has anything but a tendency to increase the value of the pro- pert}' in the eyes of any practical financier, would the lowering of the rate of interest combined with the other changes agitated for if obtained make such a very great change in American agriculture ? We think not, in England to-day a good many of the best authorities consider, that reckless legislation as engendering a want of confidence combined with four or five vei'y disastrous seasons has done more to bring agriculture to its present state than any outside competition. The object of loan societies will be of course to make money. You cannot expect them to be patriotic enough to undertake the develop- ment of the country on any other terms, so that if farmers ever expect to get their rates of interest on their farms reduced it must be by making their investments so attractive as to induce competition, this. can onlv be done in one wav and that is by |)racticallv demonslratino- that they themselves are succeee advisable at the time, but must end in dis- aster ultimately. Any scheme or plan that aims at any great pro- gressive improvement in agriculture must, to be effective, oe based on science and the principles of political economy, or otherwise they become fads. The attempt to encourage the farmers to grow malting barley for sale is a fad, and a dangerous one too, as in the Dominion it should be fed, to make a market for the hay and provide the raw material for another year. Silos, cheese factories, creameries, super- phosphate, ttc, are all fads when too much importance is attached to them ; in the work of agricultural progression ; fads* become dangerou.9 directly they tend to mislead the public, as in the case reported on the experimental farm, on the comparative cost of feeding steers, when the ensilage is charged on at the price of the labor expended, and the turnips and hay at the selling price of these articles; tile drainage, were the writer to trust to this alone to accoujplish the work he is agitating for, would become a fad, and this shoultl be a sufficient apology for his refus- ing to give his ideas personally, until this work was in circulattou. Development by capital would also easily become a fad, for in no branch of industry has it been so abused, particularly in the United States, and even in this snmll valley over half a million dollars have been sunk without developing a single idea. The great question now is : what is to be done to combine all these fads and make them subservient to one genera I useful purpose ? We say at once, put the agriculture of the country on a sound financial basis and then leave the farmers to their own ingenuity. But the reader may- ask, how is this to be done 1 This is exactly what we are aiming at, *This instance would not have been referred to, only the Meas encouraged are so antagonistic to the scheme ot practical development that depends so much on the suc- cessful cultivation of roots in a certain rotation, that the writer intends bringing for- ward that it could not be avoided. The question of silos was discussed by the writer, and Genl. Laurie some tinieago in the Journal of Atjriciiltnre, and Dr. Voekler in the Field, soon afterwards, expressed the same opinion that silos were only production of urgent necessity. ing no ited lavo lese We asis may at. re so suc- ;for- iter, 1 the on of 40 In answer, wo wouM s;iy that if the ortlinary careful reader cannot now see the matter in somewhat phiinor light, then 1 have written in vain ; hut to make the matter as clear as possil)le I would say, pass a drain- age act, simplify its working as much as possihle, and then have the principles here enuciated taught in ev«!ry high school and college in the Dominion ; teach them theoretically, and illustrate them practically as O. an example when it is possible. Looking at the matter from the only really sound reliable data, and one that now is beginning to be almost universally recognized as such, that of sound agricultural development ; confederation, unless the gov- ernment decide on a strong and soiuid progressive agricultural i)olicy has been a retrogrative movement ; for nothing is here advocated but what was in existence, in some of the I'rovinces before their union (also in England under dirteient institutions) so that it must be plain, that when several sections of any country become united, the most ad- vanced institutions are those that should be grafted on the whole, while with us the open declaration of the minister of agriculture declares a policy just the reverse. VVlien the great (juestlon comes to be looked at from the high stand- ing point taken by the writer, England's position and responsibility . become apparent. Any >ne of the colonies, or even province^ could inaugurate and carry out this great work independent of her, or of each other, and it has already, as has been shown, been done partially, but this isolated movement would necessitate the working at a great disad- vantage, and the* benefits to humanity would be reduced to a minimum. It is true the developing and showing the practicability of such a scheme would advance civilization enormously, and the country that adopted it would gain great material beneKts ; but then we should re- collect that while we were showing an example to our own nation we are also doing it to the whole world. This is right, and as it should be ; humanity before nationality ; but in this case it would show great moral selfishness and disloyally, and would be an exceedingly bad policy into the bargain. It is true that England, or rather her politicians, have never shown an inclination to adopt a high toned policy towards the colonies, and in her action towards Nova Scotia has so far violated the very principles on which the Empire is founded, as to make one sometimes think that the legislation that is constantly going on apparently, against her inter- ests, is but a case of just retribution, still, we must remember, that her politicians and statesmen of either side of politics, are not the nation, and this great question in its full importance, significance and practica- bility, has never yet been brought before the public to stir up the en- thusiasm of the mass of the people who give but little attention to ordinary political questions, but who really are the great life of the nation. 50 CHAPTER II. Kncourageiiipnt given to the writer to continue liis work by different publications and writ- ings. En^lnnd's intereats can only be advanced by cooptTution witli tlie colonies in sound agricultural development. Wlio really are the citizens of the British Empire? The work of settling and developing tlio country agriculturnlly, being a great advance step in social and moral evolution, can only be accomplished by England inconuection with the colonies. The gap made by tlic violation f sound constitutional principles, unless speedily closed, will make the groat work wo must accompliBh almost an impossibility. We have given illustrations of agricultural fads; and are there no others that are infinitely more injurious in retarding the prosperity of the world and the British Empire ? If a fad is so injurious when applied to only one branch of industry, what must it be when governing and in- fluencing our whole political system ? AYe have given a kind of defini- tion as to what constitutes a fad in agriculture, and we will now endeavor to do the sam.; in political economy. To use pretty much the same line of reasoning, it must be plain that any plan or system of reform that aims a' anything but the moral civilization of the world is not only a fad, but a very dangerous and useless one ; but a great many that we shall refor to are really the outcrop of earnest, good-thinking men ; but are fads nevertheless, because they aim to accomplish by ways means that appear feasible to them what is directly antagonistic to the designs and intentions of the only power that can bring them to a successful issue. The most dangeruu.-. cf Jiese that are now agitating the world are the question of prottcl'ou vs. free trade; we say dangerous, because monopolizing as they now do tl s minds of the people they put a stop to true progress. That each l.as its own merits as adapted to circumstances there can be no doubt ; bui they are connected with no principle and never can play any great part in really sound development in them- selves. That the public has tolerated their discussion so long to the almost total exclusion of all other political ideas of progress is not very flattering to our boasted civilization, and can only be accounted for by the dislike the mass of the people have to think for themselves, pre- ferring to take at second-hand any ideas the newspaper press choose to give them, fully justifying Kinglake's remark that newspaper reading destroys all originality. With us, as with any new country anxious for progress, protection is a disagreeable necessity, not by any means intended for the sole purpose of establishing and maintaining a lot of manufacturies, but for the development of the whole country. If it fails in that it is nothing but a gross imposition on the public. Agriculture properly developed must, particularly in a country like ours, be by far the greatest manufacture, giving profitable employment to everyone who has a taste for it, and becoming a wholesome check on , the crying evil of the day, that is the over-populating of the towns and .cities beyond their capacity of giving remunerative employment. In 51 fading ig but like yment ck on IS and t. In the United States one hundred years ago, only one person in every twenty-live lived in the cities ; the record is now one in three, and the constant increase is a cause of great anxiety to philanthropists. Chicago and New York might as well be suburbs of London or Manchester, as an American magazine puts it, for all the difference the abundance of land makes. With us, as our population increases, matters will be infinitely worse, that is with the present agricultural policy ot the Gov- ernment, for our vigorous climate makes a larger investment of capital necessary to make agriculture profitable ; and yet we find our politicians with the very best of raw material in the country, that is grass, for manufacturing an article that is in constant demand in England seeking a market for this as raw material, and at the same time im- porting from a distance what they cannot grow to manufacture, and this they call a national policy. Of course if you give special advantages to any one branch of industry it becomes preferential, so that financially, the national policy; in the Maritime Provinces, has driven agriculture out ot the field ; and when we come to consider that it is by agricultural produce alone that we can increase and keep up our commercial con- nection with England we see how absolutely necessary, if we really wish to do this, it is that this industry should be placed on a firm basis. It is worthy of note also that the Minister of Finance congratulates the country on finding a home market for a million dollars worth of produce owing to the increased duties in the United States, while we were always given to understand that it was the increased population and prosperity of the country caused by manufacturing that was to pro- vide a home market and remedy that great imaginary bugbear of the farmer. We see also that in spite of our three thousand mile boundary line that according to Mr. Hlake, should make the United States our natural trading outlet, and although the whole country is altogether undevel- oped in producing those articles that England most requires, still the trade with that countr}' continues to outbalance that with the other, and how much of this is due to the national policy, and how much has grown up in spite of it, and owing to the financial institutions that that policy totally overlooks, is to us a matter of the most serious consider- ation. We have dwelt more on this point, than our space should allow, as it now occupies so much of public attention, and we think we have proved pretty clearly that the national policy is a fad. We now come to another fad, and cJne that we touch on with a great deal of reluctance, as one is so apt to be misunderstood, and some- times wilfully, but the reader can see that fads are not indiscriminately condemned, and complaint is made, not on account of what is done, but neglected. We now refer to prohibition, and we have but to point to page 10 of the introduction and the letter of the minister of agriculture and we say plainly, if our reformers cannot at once jump into that Uto- 52 plan state of affairs depicted by Edward Bellamy, do not at least en- courage a policy that leaves the weak and irresolute completely to the insidious attacks of their dreaded enemy. We cannot help thinking that the peace at any price idea is a ff d, and that had Mr. Bright, with his matchless eloquence taken up the Nova Scotian question of coercion, from a constitutional point then he would have done far more to for- ward the real progress of the world, than by any remonstrance with the Emperor of Russia. What has it all amounted to ? Europe can put ten million men under arms immediately, and our government congratu- late themselves on turning the produce of the country from its legiti- mate and healthy channels into the manufacture of an article totally condemned by the people. Would these ten million men as things now are, turn their swords into pruning hooks, like the Americans did V We fear not. At the same time we maintain that our great nation could make more concessions, with dignity, to a country like the United States, and had Lord Salisbury in the Behring Straits affair, left the matter entirely to the American and Can.^dian governments, offering to pay a share of the bill for losses to all poor fishermen, in the mean- time, we would have gained a great moral victory, and the recording angel would have marked one to the credit of the P^mpire ; but no — one hun- dred times the value are lost annually, by the destruction of the salmon and trout, etc., all over the Dominion, but to take stringent measures to protect them, would not bring our great rising generation of states- men into prominence. There are many other prevailing fads that we need not here describe, even religion itself, unless carried into our daily practical business life, becomes a fad. Looking to the far-famed work of Edward Bellamy, Esq., " 2000, or Looking Backwards," we are at a loss for a definition ; he can scarcely be classed as a faddist, as lie totally ignores, in fact con- demns all ordinary' and familiar methods of development ; he is any- thing but of the earth earthy ; however, if the writings of these men are impractical, the}' at least arouse others from their lethargy by their very earnestness, and the writer fully confesses that had it not been for such works as this, with the essays of the Family Herald, which, with its valuable statistics, and letters from and to colonists all over the world, which has been iiis js:reat standby in this work, combined with the knowledge of what philanthropists, particularly Genl. Booth, were undertaking, he must under the depressing circumstances in which he was placed have abandoned his work long ago, besides when we come to look into the matter, his ideas and those of the author referred to do not differ to any very great extent, except in the use of capital to ac- complish this end. Both of us trust entirely to co-operation, and if the writer's schemes of development appear to be too much connected with the old established burden and toil, we must recollect, that our very Matures are so constituted as to make this work absolutely necessary for 53 tlie ordinary enjoyment of life ; and but few, particularly of the Anglo- Saxon race would care for such a tame, cut and dried existence us that depicted, and our burdens are only grievous because we make them so. The prejudice against capital is quite natural to men not techni- cally educated to see how it can be used as a power for good. They only see the reverse picture, but on the same principle you might con- demn the verv earth itself fery for CHAPTER III. The Hants Central in tliis country can be made the means of inaugurating this great work and proving its practicability. The road to l)e undertaken by an Agricultural co-operative ; society, with a (iovernnient drainage act. Short synopsis of the writer's farming life and experience to fully illustrate liis ideas. He has, by a. judicious use of his capital, under tlie greatest disadvantages, demonstrated tlie feasibility of his scheme, and has a legitimate right to Government aid. England's interests can only be advanced in co-operation with the colonies in agricultural development- Some little excitement is being caused just now by Nova Scotia giving a long lease of a large area of her coal mines to an American syndicate. The idea appears to be that it clashes with Imperial interests. Looking at the matter merely from a strategetical point of means that may be required for defence, we should say that for a country continuing a policy like England appears inclined to, that is to maintain the P^nipire by purely physical power that it was a very great error, but looking at it from the only real sub- stantial basis, that of sound development, we should be glad to embrace the opportunity. If the money that comes from the working of the coal mines is to be used for the development of the Province, and to give employment, it must be beneficial to Nova Scotia ; and this country is as much an integral part of the Empire as England is, consequently it cannot be against Imperial interests if England really wishes for this development. If on the other hand the same policy is pursued that now prevails, then it must be patent that we are encouraging a trade with the United States, and giving her an unfair advantage to that which we do to the mother country. But even this would not justify us in refusing a fair offer, and the remedy is before us. The United States want coal ; the mines are in that state by the application of capital that they can supply them ; England wants agricutural produce, and although for all practical purposes we might be a part of that island, we cannot supply her with anything except a few apples, so the. trade returns next year will show a corresponding increase to the former country, and people will judge accordingly. No concessions through the tariff that we may make to England can possibly be of any material benefit to either country so long as such a narrow policy is pursued by both parties. The duties of the Minister of 54 Finance are entirely to his own country, and all sentiment should be subservient to that ; the manufacturers of England no more represent that country than it does the Empire, and while we might be throwing them a sop of sentimental loyalty 'by slightly extending their markets, we are infringing on principle, and may be loosing finances that properly employed would be of infinitessimal more value to these very manufac- turers themselves in time, for the very vitality of manufacturing depends on a cheap and certain supply of food and raw material, and when we can supply that we can talk of a reciprocating tariff. This point of the discussion brings another question to the surface, and of infinitely niore importance, as to who really constitute the British Empire, and it was this indefiniteness that has been the ( ief means of bringing this little pamphlet before the public. The magazine before referred to in an article headed " Are we Wealthy f speaks of a thousrnd poor and half-paid sewing girls working for an equal lot of their more fortunate sisters for a ball or assembly in the heart of the chief city of the Empire, and asks the very pertinent question as to what is their share in this great Empire. We give another illustration asking the same question : thousands of British subjects, educated men with small means and refined ideas, are " and must be" thrown off from the public schools, universities, competitive examination failures, and from the army and navy retirements, &c., ttc. Their education, thanks to the establishment of the modern schools, fits them for almost anything, but from want of any properly co-operative organization there is literally no place in the whole of this great world of ours for this class of men and their little capital, without their unwillingly pushing some weaker brother to the wall or further overcrowding the avenues to existence that are alreudy too full, and yet they should be able to play an im- portant part IK the development of our great Empire, while ensuring for themselves a comfortable and sufficient living according to their means and capabilities and securing themselves and families in the future. That this great organization doto not exist on the face of the earth the writer is confident ; also, that as it will be a great and advanced step in the moral and social evolution of the world, it must be manifest that it is the work for England in connection with her colonies, and that she cannot neglect it without total loss of prestige, in fact it is the only real bond of union among us that can ever stand. It is also plain that no country in the world is be''er fitted, by her institutions, surplus wealth, position, and the character of her people, to initiate this great work then England ; also that the time, opportunity and position of affairs is extremely favorable, and that all delays must be attended with great danger. All that is now required is statesmen to bring this mass of heterogeneous material together. That such men exist among us we are confident, for great genius is not required ; in fact our constitution gives no sphere of action for work of that kind ; we want honest, true men, who care only for the integrity of the Empire, 55 and the well being of the poorest of Her Majesty's subjects. Carlyle, while professing belief in the ability of the aristocracy to govern the Empire, always declared that in any great emergency they would be found wanting, and present appearances almost justify this remark. But there is one point that the writer always carefully considers in dealing with so important a matter as this ; does not a wise Providence only concede this intelligence, as it becomes necessary, and the world is pre- pared for practical work ? It would be absurd to accuse Mr. Gladstone or Lord Salisbury of want of ambition, patriotism or ability, neither would Lord Beaconsfield have made his celebrated declaration that ours was only an Oriental Empire, at this present time. Had it not been for the tastes and habits of the English landed aristocracy, which Carlyle so viciously condemns, what would be the present aspect of this country, tnat now comes the nearest to the highest standard of moral and social civilization, and excites the admiration of the world, had it not been, as the writer stated in the Field a long time ago, that there existed a class who were willing to take the very lowest rate of interest, and reinvest their capital on their own properties and estates this could not exist, and no class of men can be better able to take the lead in extending this admirable work, shon. of its objectionable features and to suit different circumstances and position than these men. It is true they have made a very false and dangerous step in relation to Confederation, but the correspondence that has lately taken place shows at least that no one party can be blame'^' for the indecent haste with which it was forced on the country, without any necessity or any proper groundwork or basis to work on, which is all the better, as now the nation is morally responcible in every way for its success, and it cannot be made a party affair. Dr. Talmage in the Ladies Home Journal, says that the world is altogether too slow. We are glad to find so high an authority confirm- ing our views. It is true there is a kind of superficial civilization that takes with a great many, but the many component parts are fearfully irk want of organization for one good end. Our constitutional system, and equally that of the United States in bringing about good results, is slow, but very sure ; in fact we hold what we get, for we know individually the benefit of it ; so that there is all the more reason that we should not allow its principles to be ii ^ringed on, which we are constantly doing in the Dominion. If heads of departtoents will persist in adopting and dogmatically carrying out policies that merely recommend themselves casually to them, it is plain that the whole country will be confined and limited to their ideas, and as we do not as a rule send our best men, in the true meaning of the word, into parliament the progress of the couLtry may be greatly retarded thereby. Thus, ac we have shown, the Dominion Government having no agricultural policy beyond the mere sowing, gathering and marketing, and knowing nothing of the principles and re- 5G quirenients of agriculture, the leader of the present Government when in Halifax, gets over the failure of the national policy to accomplish at least something of what was expected, by the cool remark, that people will flock into large towns, thus actuallv surrendering, unconditionally, what the active philanthropists of the day are using every effort to stamp out and condt.nning us as altogether unflt to play our part in the great scheme of advanced civilization, which we ought to be leading and were, actually in the van. It will be also quite natural for the new minister of agriculture to do the same, no one has greater admiration than the present writer, for French economy, industry, and progressiveness, and their colony of Algeria is a credit and an honor to their great nation, ut their beaurocratic system will never be tolerated by us. Our stupid, persistent dogmatism that insists in being allowed to do things our own way, has made the Empire what it is, and the moment we part from these ways there is danger of disintegration. The story of the dude and the salanmnder hat will clearly illustrate the point, " Why, stranger, I declare if you have not got a salamander hat ; thought they had lost the art of making them ; I'll bet you ten cents that's a real salamander ; you can put it into the hottest fire and it won't burn." The poor dude allows his six dollar hat to be tested in this way and is handed a ten cent piece, with this cool remark, after losing his hat ; " We'll, I'm blowed 'taint a real salamander, after all." So with us, we want to be helped to help ourselves, and in our own way, we have too much at stake altogether to trust implicity to any government ; they mean well enough no doubt, but it would be poor satisfaction after years of trust to fine' that they were only a ten cent arrangement after all. If they cannot find out by intuition, observation, inquiry and try in their own country what measures are required for advancement, they are utterly unfit for their position. England has done an almost irreparable injury, not to Nova Scotia particularly, for as shown in the introduction, she had just as good chances as Ontario before Confederation, and has now, to put her agri- culture on a good basis, but to the Empire, and the example is spreading rapidly, and an opening has been made between herself and the colonies, which if not rapidly closed up will utterly unfit us for the great work which our forefathers have entrusted us with, as a sacred duty ; thus we must do, or the days of the Empire are numbered. Censure aiid acute criticism are painful at any time, and the writer has tried to put the very best interpretation on the political acts of his leading fellow-countrymen ; but it is quite plain to him that the Empire has now got completely beyond the control of England's politicians by thep^selves. The whole of tlie remarks of the press relative to the colonizing of the Dominion with tenant farmers ; the very choosing of such men, and adopting such inadequate means for such a gigantic worL ; the utter indifference shown by those in authority to the welfare and prosperity of men, who as General Gordon shows, are the pioneers and advance guard of the Empire, all point plainly to this. tial not is c( and this be won looki hith 1his Act. hi If Piiigland alone cannot place the Empire on a sounti, solid substan- tial basis, at least she should be able to hold what we win, and she does not appear to be aV)le to do this. The writer alone, and unassisted, as is conceded, has accomplished in this Province, what Ontario has done by powerful combination and legislation, as the next chapter will show, and the way is now opened for further systematic progress, but to make this a thorough change of basis is absolutely necessary, and we must all bo willing to submit to a certain amount of self-sacritice, or we are un- worthy to be a part and parcel of that great nation that the whole world looks to with so much anxiety, and on whom a wise Providence has hitherto showered innumerable blessings and advantages to fit us for this great work. CHAPTER IV. Act, Prospectus, and Ksncral position of the Hants Central Railway. To be built by a ("ooperative Agricultural Loan Soaiety, assisted by a (iovcrnmont Drainage A short synopsis of the author's Farming Life and Experience. He lias met witli suflicient success, to warrant tiie Uovornmcnt in assisting hix project. The writer before explained that he has gradually been led into this work by circumstances, and it has in three years grown to its present proportions, and that he had not the slightest idea of making use of this railway as means to this end is patent, from the fact, that a company already had a charter, and although from the way in which the whole thing was managed he did not take much stock-in-trade of it, as likely soon to be built, he never anticipated having any connection with it himself, but it seemed like a good many other seemingly chance events, since he identified himself with this work to have been thrown in his way purposely. The reader will see, in perusing what has been written, that the direct work required to be done by the Government is confined con- sbijUtionally to the passing of a drainage act ; now as this in itself will be a great gain, and is imperatively necessary, much yet remains to be done, as the agriculturist, let him be rich or poor, native or immigrant, •he must be in a position to use all his capital as working capital, at the same time retaining the fee simple of his land ; so that capital what I shall here call landlord's capital must be provided in another way. This t am aware has all been pointed out before, but I am desirous to show the application. Now whether any capitalists will undertake this work with the bad reputation that Nova Scotia has agriculturally, even after the passing of a drainage act, I am unable to say ; the only society of this kind we have is not a success ; but it has not had a fair vchance, neither is it managed as it should be. 58 This line of railway has in itself considerable merits, forming as it being the pre- will if properly located the base of a triangle, the apex sent junction, and as anyone looking at a map of Nova Scotia will see that it will form the sole connection between the Eastern and Western parts of the Province, reducing the distance for heavy traffic greatly and saving the heavy grades over the Ardoise Hills. The traffic now is considerable, but not enough to trust to entirely ; besides, we main- tain that railways should always be made to play this double purpose, and that it is not more done is the cause of them generally paying such poor dividends. The subsidies for these railways are .**r),200 per mile and 2,000 acres of land ; this the Government does not possess in this case. What portion of the construction the subsidy will pay nothing but a proper survey will show, and this point will be again referred to. As the ob;ject in undertaking this line is to demonstrate the practicability of a very valuable scheme of progession that will, if successful, apply not only to the whole county, y:>ut Province and Dominion, it is plain that a great deal of judgment must be used in the selection of a route so as to make it subservient to many interests, and above all heavy expen- sive structures must be avoided. The main oVject will be that it shall pass through good land fit for cultivation in the second stage of progressive civilization, so that there must bo a considerable area clear of stump. Fortunately all these con- ditions are lulftlled in the route now contemplated. There is also abundant deposits of minerals of all kinds, such as lime, plaster, slate, etc., and last but not least, large tile drain manufacturies, that produce a very superior article. The main features of the company, the writer now proposes to or- ganize, will be the same as of many now existing in Canada, only more thoroughly co-operative. The writer maintains that any intelligent man who understands the theory and practice of agriculture, should earn at least thirty per cent. for his capital under a properly organized system, and when he holds the fee simple of his land and is not too much confined by too contracted ideas and regulations, this gives a poor man a chance of existence, but to do this his capital must be all used as working capital, but so that the matter may be plainly understood he will illustrate from his own actual experience. The writer has often been accused of misusing his capital, thereby bringing disaster on himself and family. These charges have not only been unjust and dishonorable, and almost altogether false, but have been made purposely, by men who have been annoyed at his openly expressed independence and action, had the term misapplied been used we would grant every word as true, and as to the other term, all the better if it is true, for there will be no occasion, we hope, to follow in his path in either way, and if such results can be brought about as are here plainly 59 shown under such tremendous disadvantages, and with such a lack of personal qualifications, it speaks. volumes for the practicability of this scheme, under a properly organized system, and better men to carry it out. The reader who has taken the tone and spirit of this work all through will see that as regards the term of misapplication that nearly the whole of his capital may be said to have been used in that way, simply for the reason that he could not help it. There was no system of organization in this country or in any other at the time, neither is there to-day on the whole face of the earth, to enable any man to use his capital as he should to obtain the greatest advantage from it in agri- culture, and at the same time retain his thorough independence in the occupation of his farm, and this is what I am now aiming to bring about. In the Ontario of to-day an infinitely better chance would be given, and In England, under such men as Lord Tollemache and the Duke of Sutherland, no doubt, the whole could be used as working capital, but the greatest fascination and inducemeiU to courageous and enterprising men that of proprietorship and organization, and sole responsibility, would be wantiner. That no very great economy was used except in a business way the writer freely admits, neither was there any necessity for it at that time ; his capital was comparatively large and he had no idea of looking to farming as a means of living, in fact he drifted gradually into it. The purchasing of a farm without even looking at it would condemn any man as an economist, and that was the first false step, and the paying for it was the next, for assuming as we do on the principles ofc sound financial economy that an article costs a man not what he pays for it, but according to the value of the money he deprives himself of, so at thirty per cent, capitalized he paid an enormous sum for a very poor piece of land. With regard to house building, anything beyond mere shelter is more or less of a luxury, and although it is but right that it should be indulged in with judgment, the money should never trench on the work- ing capital of the farm. The same may be said in regard to furniture, only this is a loss that any respectable farmer who values the refinements of life for self and family should cheerfully submit to. Tile draining was the next operation, and this which should almost be a contributor of capital to a poor man commencing farming was another dead drag on his capital ; the work, however, was performed greatest economy, as the writer's professional knowledge with the enabled him to do As for the stock, machinery, and other necessary adjuncts of farm- ing, the outlay was small, for the land was literally unfit for anything to be done with them ; the farm had to be made, the land was there mostly devoid of stumps and some buildings on it, and this about truly represents the state of the farms on the line of location of the proposed railway. (50 Now by the time the writer had accomplished this work specified he had exhausted one-half his capital, a great deal of energy, and he had not gained a single point that he could not under the system proposed liave done without expending a single dollar; he had present security for his property, and that was all, The writer cannot here give a detailed account of his farming ex- perience, although he hopes to in another cjdition ; but the reader can see that he was in a position that he must either submit to the loss of one-half of his capital or risk the remainder. He cannot sa}', he adopted tiie latter course deliberately ; he could not have done so had he wished to; the farm was too snuiU and he was laboring under what will wreck the best and most enterprising farmer in the world, even if assisted by the best of financial institutions, and has done so to thousands in America, and that is indefiniteness of purpose. He was completely working in the dark, laying out capital all the time, in fact learning his drill before the enem^'. To be as concise as possible he bought an additional farm, having already added to the one originally purchased, and this brought on the final crash ; capital was refused and he was told clearly that although right, his ideas were ahead of the times, so he found himself with a small but valuable farm of 60 acres, made entirely with his own capital, fifty dollars worth of personal property, and capital either sunk or exhausted, as the future may show. He had prudently secured the first purchase value of the farm to his family, which would prevent any further borrowing had he wished to, and the sequel will show that so much judgment had beon sliown throughout that with all these disadvantages a dividend could be declared on it, as a sound basis of investment, but "mind," onh' as landlord's capital. As this pamphlet will have to be the writer's almost sole credentials to induce capitalists to invest money in this scheme, he must go a little further into the details of the management of his own farm. The land having been all drained, and subsoiled, and sown to a mixture of the best pasture grasses, imported in the days of prosperity,' had so developed as to suggest the idea of grazing "not pasturing* merely ; the only loan society in the Province refused to give money on collateral security for the purchase of lean stock for grazing, what could the writer do '< He hud to submit to circumstances and see others enjo}' the fruits of his labor. As this pamphlet is neither a romance or a work of fiction, no attempt whatever is made to draw on the sympathy of the public. Charles Dickens, and Charles Reade and others have thoroughly exposed the canting hypocrisy of supposing that men do not suffer because they know they are doing right ; in fact they suffer twofold, for a double bur- den is placed on them of justifying themselves, and saving others from the dreadful slough of despondency that they themselves hare entered into, and this is exactly the state in which the writer is now placed. VI Vf gres; thee as 01 When England M'ith her encimous capital of two billions in forci«>n investments, returning an interest of one hundred millions a year, all seeking reinvestment, and twice the national debt of the Dominion of Cauada, which is not a national debt at all, has to fall back on her own poor helpless population to prove by the exhaustive process, or the sur- vival o.*^ fittest what men can actually do entirely unsupported by the greatest motive power in the world, this is carrying the Darwinian theory to an extreme, and testing humanity and forbearance to the utmost. England has now her work before her, and it is as plainly indicated as if it was written across the clouds, she will never get any other signs, and in the meantime other nations are pressing on her. W'e would rather take the optimist views of Edward Bellamy than those of Napoleon Ney, though is not emancipated, an