CANADA FOR BRITISH FARMERS.

Western Star, Issue 346, 24 April 1880, Page 5 (Supplement)

CANADA FOR BRITISH FARMERS.

[Abridged front-the The North British Agri-; culturist, reports on the agricultural ’ ’! \ feature of land, by Mr -E Wi Gordon, Ooihlohgan Mainsj the delegate chosen by the farmers of Lower Annandale. ; ' the- PBoyiKTOES J comp Abed. /• : iii Comparing the several provinces, Mr Gordon!. said':—-Is Canada the place to emigrate to ? and, ;if sp. Which of her provinces is the most' desirable? The first question ! Will!answer in the (1)'; Because of itshbufid less! 'extent' of cheap" and at the sauietim'e fertile lands; (2) Because of its' proximity, to our own coup- i try'arid, therefore,; to the best market in l the world ;--(3) Because pt the similarity; !J of ite people to ourselves'; and (4) Because of its loyal allegiaUce . to , the British flag, i The secohd I Will leave; you to decide’ for 1 yourselves, after out shortly the 1 advantages and disadvantages ot each pro- 1 virtce.asT Was;^hle : tq discover them.'. The j capitalyeqUireflj. varies, of course, aCcord- 1 lug tb 1 the systeni adopted and the district i chosen; And may be roughly estimated at 1 ftbin L3.to L3O gn acre. This includes < •the thVTahd;’, After of: ; 1 I cbursp, 1 -there is up Tent 5 to pay. ’ The yield ; of Wheat in Quebec ’and f Or(tario ? Varies, ; Trbur lOto/AO^Msh,;/!pyr : hgt; the, i ■ aVeragC,. I ;cah* hardly he put!do WW at ‘ more .than 17 'bush. ;pf hb'lb jWei ght;, This, , low atey4£e : '\s ;a result' Rfthe, land haying ;s ; been spvhadly ifafiiied f in i ' thd;past. ' The! howeVer; 'are‘npW^hliyh,tp; the lacT r thatHhey muShturu ‘ their. attentiph ; joaprC,J! ■ to thArCarihg.ahd ,fe^ 'expdrihtlba man to 4

the growing of wheat., The yield of barley may be reckoned at 35 bush, of 48 1b,., outs at 50 bilsh. of 32 lb, and Indian com, where it will grow, also at 50 bush, of 60 lb. Wheat was making ss, barley, 2s 4d, and oats Is 4d per bush. Fruit .is also a valuable adjunct in these provinces. Turnips-and potatoes are similar to ouft* own crops in ordinary years. Beef was selling retail at - 5d ’ per lb ; mutton at about the same figure; and the 4 lb loaf :; at 4|d to 5d ; cheese, when we landed, at; per lb, when we left, at 6d. From alii •; could learn, a farm can be worked cheaper .r than in this country ; for, although wages are higher, fewer hands are required; Labor may be estimated, when all paid for, at 10s to 15s per acre. For every LI 00 invested in , land, the total taxes payable do not exceedlss. It will be Understood ; that, as nearly all farms are owned and occupied by the same parties, this tax is equivalent to both landlord’s and tenant’s taxes in this country. I may say. that, as a rule, no artificial manure is used. The capital required for Manitoba need not be so highly, estimated, as in no case can the sum required exceed L 5 per acre ; . but, on the other hand, no man should go there from this country with a less capital than L 500,; to attempt to cultivate 160 : acres. He can easily start and flourish -n with the half of this, provided all things go well, but there are contingencies, such as grasshoppers and severe weather, which it will be well to provide, for. r What may; , be safely estimated to yield, with reasonable cultivation, 30-bush, of 60 lb, and , oats, 60 bush; ; of 32 lb; The yield-of barley I did not, ascertain. Grain is not expected to require much outlet for some .Jh years, as the new- settlers always require - 1 seed and food,for themselves and animals ~ until their own crops are, matured; ; There ■>n is a demand also from railway contractors, arid by the time these markets fail com-; o munications will .be better. Wheat- was worth 2s 6d to 3s per, bush.j oats, Is 8d to 2s. Potatoes and turnips grow well, as I : have stated previously ; and cattle do Weil ; on prairie grass jn,summer, and on hay tin: - - winter, which ; can be got as.yet in'any-:; quantity nf.;unsett|ed ■, land: iin ; -,.ithe • neigh-i il borhood. There is nothing to pay for it- ' except/: the. labor,, -The first- breaking of: the land out of prairie can he; let by. con-- ; tract for 12s an acre, the next and following years.it/cah, be ploughed for.Ss. - Har- ' • rowing is a mere,bagetelle -after; the first year, and harvesting, owing to the dry climate and the level nature of the surface, is inexpepsiye., .. r: :. oii'r In Quebec ;(when I speak of this pro- ; - ,yince,/X mean-the. Eastern Townships) yon m* have-the ad vantage of being near the- sea-J / • -board, consequently the - freight to the -European,;market ; is low;o- You require -less capitalthan in Ontario, as land of the '< ' same quality -.is ; cheaper the ’ wages are lower ; water is inbetter supply naturally; ' and permanent'pasture is found to answer. On the other-hand, Ontario can furnish a - j greater;choice of more;'valuable land'; roads are better ;; schools more numerous ; ; win ter is shorter; and.theipeople generally i are more like ourselves. This arises from '. the absence, in a great measure,, of a foreign " - element as, compared with Quebec. Ague- • ■ is still present in some parts of Ontario, - while Quebec and Manitoba are free. \.H Manitoba, has a, disadvantage as compared : with both:these-proyinees in her distance afrom a market, in her sparse population, greater,scarcity of schools and churches/ >:/• roads and good: water* and a longer and i - moretsevere winter-.: On the other hand; * ' ■ she has a yirgin :Soil of vastly superior v«; quality, which is.to.be had at a comparalively low-'iprice,,: dess labor'-is heeded, c - although wages, are. higher (railroad men earn from..6s t.q Bs-a day), and there are-'’-,po taxes. Quebec;, and Manitoba, as-'l- - advanceS,. will have better roads, : and more churches end schools. A very ■:V good idea of the rate at which settlement 4 : in -the latter- province ;is advancing- - gathered-.from -the ;fact that the”post offices :have.!be.en. incteaaed in little mbre " than a year from 58 to 120 ; one land office j last year bad located: 900 settlers, and sold 1 - 400,000 acres of land, fh ; - <; v ■ : A; WORD TO And/ ask would.it not be well for; you, by, emigration, or. otherwise,. ; to. , : , fid yourselves of such unequal, laws as hypothec and tjhe.Jike,. : and’ (i would it . not; be well for/you-tp/acquire more security for -your capital and/more/freedom of action ,-«q than a,rC/ by the'most of your ; drawii up as .they.were by lawyer ..., • • factors fifty years ago.? , ~.,0a the other _•/ ~ hand/would ii/ not be well for landlords to , ;<i / relax sqinewhat these /stringent jclauses,. fraffied’ under which no. longer exist ? Would..it.nqt.be/well for them, to . look more ’ clpeely/ and ./personally into * s their bwh/intefests /Would it not be : \yell.. - flfereafe some generpu?,; ? , n . andUn tne'long run wise exceptions, who, have already, done, ft), to extend, to. the v t&dntry .and ..thereby tp/ fepiove a Iqaq which., is. . threaten-. -. link ; lP: if .it’ doee not’destroy,: %, M greatest industry inHbe kingdom ? By.. ■failing to,dp, ap f tli.py .paayslither { .j froth iudiis-: ~r Mous/and'frugal' tenantry, whom when

too late theyjmay wish,to Retain,,, or they may condemn them, it they stay, to a riiin frbni which they bay take event a ,lifetime toirecover. ; . ’