238 REMARKS ON EMIGRATION. 



change of their profession or trade. Custom anfJ 

 fashion, in lieu of talents, too often render a profes- 

 sional man successful ; and his necessary preliminary, 

 as well as essential education, too frequently elevate 

 the mind to treat with scorn the means necessary to 

 win the confidence or approbation of the public; so 

 that from pride, disgust, or necessity, or all conjoined, 

 men, whose talents and lives should be used and 

 honoured in their native country, seek refuge in the 

 wildernesses of the colonies ; and in the circuit of a 

 few miles you may, at times, find a M. A., a M. D., a 

 W. S., &c., chopping wood, or digging potatoes. 



There are some other powerful reasons for locating 

 in the *' townships," provided that a prima facie case 

 in their favour, can be made out, their contiguity to 

 the ordinary landing-places of emigrants, so that a 

 mere 'trifle can place them, their families, and their 

 baggage, on any part thereof in a few days, in lieu of 

 the tedious, circuitous, expensive, and, worse than 

 all, the varied water and land route to the Upper 

 Province. 



We return from a digression, lo the consideration 

 of the essential qualities of the " Eastern Townships,'* 

 believing such district to be the most eligible in 

 Lower Canada. 



Its facilities for producing wheat have been gene- 

 rally considered inferior to those of the Upper Pro- 

 vince, and such 0[ inion is probably a true one: but 

 the difference is in great part to be attiibuted to bad 

 farming and ill management. 



The first is neglect of the change of crops ; impo- 

 verishing the soil by endeavouring to get a successsion 

 of wheat crops, taking every thing out of the ground 

 without putting anything in, whilst manure is accu- 

 mulating in the farm-yard from year to year. If any 

 doubt this, let them visit the farm of Colonel Heriot, 

 at Drummondville, the last spot in the country that 

 any English or even native farmer would choose for a 

 location, and see what fair cropping, manuring, &c. 

 have eflTtcted. While, if he visit a series of farms 

 lying on the same line, of the same soil, he will find 

 little difficulty in divining whether they be held by a 



