108 AGRICULTri.ML RKSOUltCES. 



SMALLER AGKICT LTUi: AL SECTIONS. 



Wu have now gone over tlie great agricultural regions on the 

 Avestern ami eastern divisions u[' tlie islands, and shown the ex- 

 tent and character of the lands suited for settlement in those 

 regions, as well as their chief topograjjhical features. Tlie 

 smaller ti'aets of land fitted for agricultural operations are too 

 numerous to admit of a iletailed account. They are found along 

 the hanks of the smaller .-^treain^ and around the heads of all tlie 

 great bays. In many places they are in small and detached 

 jiatclies, witli large stretclies of swampy, rocky, or huulder- 

 eovered land between ; but uniti'd, they constitute a large area of 

 valualile land. The principal of these minor farming districts 

 are in Bonavista Bay, arouud thi' >lHircs and arms of wliicli there 

 is much fertile soil ; the nortli si(h' of Smitli's Sound, Trinity 

 l>ay, Placentia Bay, St. Mary's Pcnin-ula, and esjiecially the 

 f^alnionier Arm of that bay. Thuugh much of the great Penin- 

 .sula of Avalon consist of a ]>nL)r, roiky, swampy or absolutely 

 barren soil ; yet tlu-re are, hei>' and there, wide area^ of soil 

 wliich a<lmit of ju-ofitable cultivation, and which when duly 

 treated with manure, yield excrUent root-crops of all kinds, as 

 Avell as oats, liarley and luxuriant grass-crojw. The gardens and 

 cultivated areas in the neighbourhood of nearly all the settlements 

 in Avalon l)ear witness to this ; and the neat and comfortable 

 farmsteads along the various I'oads testify to the industry of the 

 people. Avalon, liowi'vei', is specially adapted to becouu' a cattle 

 and shee])-raising region. lis rather thin soil furnishes ad- 

 mirable grazing ground, au'l extensive areas of it miglit be thus 

 turned to protitable account. 



A TOWNSHIP SUltVEY. 



That ]iait of Ax'alon, whicli lic-s between ('once[)tion and 

 Trinity Bays, and tliiough which llie j'ailway i'rom St. John's to 

 Harbour Grace runs, has bei^n laid out in towushijis, in order to 

 promote settlement, and witli satisfactory I'esults. The town- 

 ships are each >ix mih's scpiare, and tlius contain thirty-six 

 .s(j[uare miles, 'i'hey are sul)-ilivided into S(piare mile blocks, 



