SECRETARY'S REPORT. 27 



food and turn them out in spring in a condition duly to thrive on 

 their summer feed ; next, to obtain the most desirable breeds, with 

 which to commence the undertaking ; buildings also, for storing a 

 sufficiency of winter stores, by no means forgetting an abundant 

 supply of roots, safely stored in well ventilated, yet warm cellars. 

 That this might be done, and the operation yield a satisfactory- 

 profit, seems sure enough, but from whence will such come ? Cap- 

 italists, or those possessing means to enable them to do this, can 

 easily get a living where they now are, in all probability comforta- 

 bly settled, and in the enjoyment of greater privileges than can be 

 expected in a new country, so that after all, inducement seems but 

 scanty to cause such to emigrate and "rough it in the bush." 



In estimating the comparative advantages of emigration to the 

 new lands of our own State, and to those of the great west, there 

 are many considerations to be taken into account. Land may be 

 had cheaply in either case, but cheaper here than there, in fact, 

 almost for nothing, as the half dollar per acre, which the State asks, 

 may be chiefly paid in making the settlers' own roads— roads which 

 he would have to make for his own convenience, if not thus paid for 

 by the State. But in going west, cheapness ends with the price of 

 land. Tlie settler may get enough at a dollar and a quarter per 

 acre, provided he go far enough from roads and rivers to find such 

 as is not already taken up, but house, barn and fences are as neces- 

 sary as land, and when he proceeds to their erection, he finds timber 

 can only be obtained at a high price, usually at considerable dis- 

 tance, often having to be carted several days journey. Other 

 building materials, bricks, lime, stone, nails, in fact, all, bear very 

 high rates. Labor, especially mechanical labor, is costly and scarce. 

 These considerations alone, leaving out many others, neither few nor 

 trifling, (as the scarcity of water and its bad quality, when obtained, 

 the agues, prostrating fevers, etc.,) I found to have proved operative 

 in deciding the question in the minds of some residents of Aroostook, 

 who had visited the west for the purpose of personal examination 

 and deliberate balancing of advantages. They came home, content 

 to remain, fully satisfied of the superiority of a residence here, and 

 congratulating themselves that they went first to look before selling 

 out, and thus taking a step not so easily or cheaply recalled — satis- 

 ^fied, that although a man possessing abundant means, might there 



