64 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The cases of these settlers who have been successful are generally 

 similar. They are records of dogged perseverance under conditions 

 which would readily daunt the faint-hearted or the impatient. A 

 particular case, chosen at random, will serve to illustrate. It is that 

 of Mr. Lehaye, who is located two miles north of Neptune, where 

 the characteristic features of the "burn-out" are about at their worst. 

 Mr. Lehaye came from France about 1908 with a capital of somewhat 

 less than $1000. He possesses the fortunate characteristic of being 

 cheerful under all circumstances, is not easily overcome by obstacles, 

 and can keep doggedly to a fixed purpose, as the present state of his 

 farm shows. He owns three-quarters of a section. He has ploughed 

 the soil deeply and in an endeavour to change his two-soil farm into 

 one of uniform soil, he has put every available hour on the field, after 

 ploughing, with team and plank drag moving the lighter soil from the 

 high spots, so covering the heavy clay of the low spots with a dressing 

 of the lighter soil. At the present day his crop shows little of the 

 patchiness characteristic of the "burn-out." He has been enabled to 

 put up the necessary barns and house, has horses sufficient to work 

 the farm and is in a sound financial position. 



Causes of Non-Success. 



Among the causes which have operated in those cases of non- 

 success, to which the unenviable reputation of the "burn-out" is 

 ascribed, three classes may be recognized: psychological, financial 

 and physical. 



Psychological. Doubtless among the settlers coming to the dis- 

 trict at first some would be found lacking the cheeriness and dogged- 

 ness in the face of adverse circumstances, or lacking the patience 

 required under those conditions. Such types would almost certainly 

 be unsuccessful in the "burn-out" district. 



Financial. The settler with sufficient capital to enable him to 

 commence operations in the "burn-out" district with little or no 

 outside help would be more liable to succeed than the one having to 

 borrow capital at the outset. A time limit to the repayment of capi- 

 tal and the piling up of debts as a result of a series of poor seasons 

 have doubtless operated in squeezing out some of the settlers. 



Physical. The chief of these is the two-soil character of the land, 

 which has been discussed above. The other important one is said to 

 be the lack of adequate water supply. But according to the writer's 

 investigations during the summers of 1917 and 1918, the "burn- 

 out" district lies within an area in which a sufficient water-supply for 

 a farm is obtainable at depths which may range from 100 to 400 feet 



