66 CLEARING LAND. 



scale in Scotland applies here with redoubled 

 force; the expense of the improvement is 

 more than, when improved, the land is worth. 



It may give some idea of the disadvantage 

 under which the clearing of land in Upper 

 Canada must be accomplished, to advert to 

 what takes place in clearing a fir wood in 

 Scotland. There, although labour costs little 

 more than one-half of its price in Canada, and 

 although the largest trees are but as walking 

 sticks in comparison with the Canadian pines, 

 wood-land cannot be cleared and put in a 

 condition for a corn crop, for less than L 20 

 per acre. The crop of trees may go far, per- 

 haps do more than answer this expense ; but 

 in Upper Canada, in clearing land, the trees 

 are altogether valueless and yield no return 

 for the trouble and expense of cutting them 

 down and collecting their immense trunks 

 into piles to be burnt ; and after all, their 

 stumps remain for a great many years to en- 

 cumber the ground and obstruct cultivation. 



In short, the art of cultivating land is not 

 perhaps practised in any country where, 



