THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



397 



There were in Upper Canada in 1842 575,730 sheep 

 and 504,963 cattle, and in 1848 833,807 sheep and 

 505,845 cattle. In Lower Canada there were 003,821 

 sheep and 469,851 neat cattle. The decennial increase 

 was, therefore, 519,082 sheep and 301,297 head of 

 cattle. 



Canada, and especially Western Canada, is essen- 

 tially an agricultural country. Three-fourths of her 

 people are engaged in agriculture, and the other fourth 

 is mainly dependent upon these. Whatever, therefore, 

 contributes to the prosperity of the farmer tends to 

 advance the interests of all classes in the community. 

 The facilities afforded to the agriculturist by the intro- 

 duction of railways into Canada have added to the 

 value of real estate in the colony an amount almost 

 incredible. In many parts of the province land has 

 risen from 6 to 40 dollars per acre. This increase in 

 value, however, can only bo rendered profitable by a 

 fuller development of the various products of the soil. 

 The experience of the past eight years shows the risks 

 to which the wheat crop is exposed. The chances of the 

 crop itself, and the fluctuations in the price, are greater 

 than those of any other commodity. The labour of 

 the mechanic yields a certain return, but the return of 

 the farmer is dependent on many contingencies. 

 Within three years wheat sold at lis. 9d. and 4s, 2d. 

 per bushel in the Toronto market. To the ordinary 



risks of the crop and the fluctuations in the market 

 must be added the undeniable fact, that continuous 

 cropping must speedily so deteriorate the soil, that the 

 wheat culture will be abandoned in Upper Canada. 

 Like the once fertile valley of the Hichelieu in Lower 

 Canada, which in 1790 yielded 40 bushels per acre, 

 the wheat fields of Western Canada under this present 

 system will become exhausted, and their owners de- 

 pendent upon the Western prairies for their daily bread. 

 In this we are but echoing the sentiments of well- 

 informed colonists on the subject. For most other pro- 

 ducts of the soil there is a steady market, and fair 

 prices, if the Canadians would but turn their attention 

 to their production, instead of allowing their American 

 neighbours to supply the leading cities of the province 

 with the common necessaries of life. Animals and 

 dairy produce, poultry and eggs, lard, tallow, and 

 meat, hops, seeds, fruit, vegetables, plants and shrubs 

 are all easily supplied by the Americans. With a 

 soil and climate adapted for raising the best fruit in the 

 world, why should the Canadians import a large quan- 

 tity of apples from the United States ? 



Much as has already been done, the agricultural 

 resources of Canada have yet to be developed, and 

 dairy produce and the rearing of stock, and attention 

 to the noble river and lake fisheries, will hereafter con- 

 stitute a considerable source of wealth. 



THE LEADING FEATURES OF THE IMPLEMENT DEPARTMENT 

 OF THE CANTERBURY SHOW. 



When discussing, previous to its meeting, the proba- 

 ble results of the implemental department of the Canter- 

 bury Show, men's minds ran forward to those which 

 were likely to arise from the plough trials, which it was 

 supposed were instituted mainly with the view of esta- 

 blishing data by which to estimate the comparative ad- 

 vantages of the Kentish turn-wrest, and the ordinary 

 wheel or swing-plough. We say supposed to be insti- 

 tuted for this purpose; for the advantages of such a trial 

 were so obvious, and the facilities for making it so ap- 

 parent, that the notion of making it simply such a trial, 

 or, to speak truly, an attempt at a trial, as did take 

 place, was scarcely likely to occupy men's thoughts. 

 Yet a perusal of the conditions of the prize list would 

 have shown that the framers of it never contemplated 

 any such comparative trial — were, indeed, obviously un- 

 aware of the immense advantages to the practice of 

 agriculture arising from it ; for the conditions were so 

 framed as to exclude all competitors who did not come 

 forward with ploughs of a certain make and style of 

 operation, that is, on the Kentish turn-rise or turn- 

 wrest principle, or on any principle calculated to turn 

 the furrow according to the Kentish system, A casual 

 observer, or reader of the conditions, would have sup- 

 posed that by the insertion of the words in italics " for 

 the plough on the turn -rise principle, or otherwise, a 



door, so to speak, was opened, by which manufacturers 

 of other forms of plough were open to compete with the 

 Kentish men ; but this was shut by the words which 

 followed — " best adapted to turn the furrow slice ac- 

 cording to the Kentish system of ploughing ;" these 

 two clauses being virtually contradictory of each other. 

 It is quite clear that the Society, in framing the prize, 

 was either unaware of the value of the opportunity 

 placed within reach, of trying the two great classes of 

 ploughs against each other, or, knowing it, were indif- 

 ferent to its being taken advantage of. In either case 

 it is placed upon the horns of a dilemma, from 

 which its best friends will have a difficulty in relieving 

 it. It is a most unfortunate phase in the history of the 

 Society, that of late years, and most markedly in this 

 year, a studied or careless indifference to the best, be- 

 cause the most practical interest of agriculture, has been 

 evidenced in the loose unbusiness-like way in which the 

 prize conditions are drawn up, and the red-tape ab- 

 surdly official manner in which it persists in maintaining 

 this ambiguity of phraseology after it has been exposed, 

 and the prejudicial influence which it creates has been ex- 

 plained. We have made bold to speak very plainly as to 

 the line of conduct pursued by the leading implement 

 makers in withdrawing from the Society's shows ; we now 

 say no less plainly, that in great measure the Society has 



