64 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Canada. Hops were successfully grown at Sillery and a sufficient quan- 

 tity of barley was raised for the supply of several small breweries at 

 Quebec, which furnished the province with ale, porter, and table beer. 

 The recent great demand for wheat in England and the consequent ad- 

 vance in price had given a great stimulus to its cultivation in Canada. 

 In 1796, the colony had exported only 3,106 bushels of wheat, 4,352 

 barrels of flour, and 3,882 ewt. of biscuit. In 1802, the exports of 

 wheat amounted to 1,010,033 bushels, besides 28,301 barrels of flour, and 

 32,051 cwt. of biscuit. In 1807, the exports had diminished, however, 

 to 234,543 bushels of wheat, 20,424 barrels of flour, and 28,047 cwt. of 

 biscuit. Colonel Henry Caldwell, the Receiver-General of the province, 

 and other English residents, had built several large grist mills which 

 carried on a very profitable trade. The French-Canadians in general 

 were considered rather slovenly and negligent farmers, and were slow to 

 adopt improved methods of cultivation. The average crop of wheat was 

 estimated as low as twelve bushels to the acre.^ 



Since the ports of the Baltic had been closed to British commerce, 

 the timber trade of Canada had flourished greatly. In 1797, the total 

 exports of oak and pine timber were valued at £32,144. Ten 3^ears later 

 they amounted to £134,344. Shipbuilding had also been sncc(>ssfully 

 carried on at Quebec and Montreal for many years. There were four 

 ship-yards at the fonner and one at the latter city, each launching an- 

 nually six or eight vessels of from 200 to 500 tons brurden, and paying 

 out in wages more than £20,000 among them. The forges and iron 

 foundry at St. Maurice near Three Elvers had been much enlarged and 

 employed three hundred workmen, who were chiefly engaged in the manu- 

 facture of stoves, potash kettles, plough shares and mill machine^}^ The 

 iron made from the native ore was considered as good if not better than 

 the best Swedish. The furnaces were kept in operation with charcoal 

 biumt in the neighbouring forests. Anotlier smelting works had lately 

 been established at Batiscan.- 



The town of Three Elvers contained 1,500 inhabitants, and besides 

 being the distributing point for the products of the St. Maurice forges 

 carried on a very thriving trade in furs and potash, which were brought 

 in from the adjacent country and exchanged for manufactures of all 

 kinds. The principal merchants were the three brothers Hart, English 

 Jews, who had acquired considerable wealth and influence and were 

 much respected. Here also was situated the only brick-yard in the 

 province. 



1 Lambert Travels, Vol. I, pp. 134, 232. 



2 Lambert Travels, Vol. I. 



