20 IMPROVEMENTS IN CANADA. 



of the finest countries in all his Majesty's territories for the 

 growth of hemp. 



But lately be- It is only about five years since this valuable tract began 

 to be occupied at all, and though by industrious farmers, 

 yet by such as have brought little to the country. A few- 

 cows and sheep, a pair of plough oxen, one or two horses, 

 a small stock of farming tools, such as two or three axes, 

 as many hoes and iron wedges, one or two ox chains, being 

 the most that a new settler (generally speaking) possesses 

 on his arrival ; with these they* make a shift to clear away 

 the woods, and divide and fence the land with split timber 

 into fields, and they are greatly encouraged to continue 

 clearing away the forest, in consequence of the high price 

 given for the ashes by the potash makers: this eventually 

 will be vastly in their favour, in future, when hemp becomes 

 the object, as it gives time for the roots and stumps of trees 

 to rot, and their stock of horses and oxen to increase, which 

 is essentially necessary before the farmer can expect to be 

 successful in the growth of hemp. It is in this progressive 

 manner, that this fine country will be settled ; the nature 

 of things demands the pursuit; and the first settlers are in 

 a situation capable of putting the same in practice ; their 

 stock of horses and oxen are sufficiently strong to work the 

 ground a second time over, tear up the stumps and roots, 



Hemp requires plough and pulverize the soil; and until the ground is 



vcrkelT 11 PUl " bought to tms state > i* * s not nt for hemp, as hemp, in its 

 nature, depends chiefly upon a tap root, and when this root 

 is interrupted in its progress downwards, it will throw out 

 horizontal ones, which produce horizontal branches also, 

 and the open spaces round the stumps of the trees admitting 

 so much air, permits these branches to grow to such a 

 length and strength as greatly to injure the bark or hemp 

 of the stem. Such hemp, when it comes to the hackle, 

 breaks off, and drags away at the knobs of the branches, so 

 as to leave it short, and make a very great waste. Notwith- 

 standing, if there was a sure market for as small a quantity 

 as 50lb., there are few farmers but would try the experi- 

 ment ; and if one was more successful than the rest, his 

 neighbour would endeavour to find out thej reasons why it 

 was so. Thus, step by step, the knowledge in the manage- 

 ment 



