AGTtlCULTUKAL ItESOURCES. Ho 



■even in tliis reuin^iula of Avaldii, wliicli is i|uotL'd Ijy all au- 

 thorities as the Imst proihictive jiortiou ut' the ishiuJ, you van 

 produce ]i\-e-stock, root-crops aud i'\-eu cereals worthy of a phice 

 in exhibitions of far greater jjretensions." His Excellency then 

 referred to a visit he had recently paid to Placentia, and gave it 

 as liis opinion that "the encouragement of agriculture was of 

 cardinal importance," and dwelt on " the facilities presented here 

 for stock-raising, and general cultiAation of the soil ami the vast 

 additions to the prosperity of the country that Avere thus possi- 

 ble." At this exhibition were 656 entries for produce and 304 

 for stock. In addition to fine specimens of horses, cattle, .sheep, 

 dairy cows, poultry, geese, turkeys, etc., .-specimens of root-crops 

 were exhibited which would compare favourably with those of 

 any other country. There were cabliages weighing each fmiu 

 ■30 to 40 lbs. ; turnips — 20 of which tilled a barrel, and splendid 

 beet, carrots and parsnips. The butter, cheese and cream exhi- 

 Inted were s])ecially good. The potatoes could not be surpassed, 



PKODUCTS OF CUI^TIVATKI) LANI>. 



Pei-haps the best answer to those who are incredulous i-cgard- 

 ing the agricultural capabilities of Newfoundland, is to show 

 what has been accom])Ushed already in the cultivation of the 

 soil, and the rearing of farm-stock. Owing to the causes already 

 enumerated —the early pi'ohiliition of settleuient, the want of 

 roads and railways to a com])aratively recent date, so that the 

 larger tracts of good laud were inaccessible ; and the aluiost ex- 

 clusive em})loyment (jf the ])eople in the fishing industry, — the 

 progress of agriculture has been very slow. Still, with all these 

 drawbacks, it is marvcdlous to fiud how great are the results of 

 the liuiited industry as yet devoted to farmiug. The cultivation 

 of land is coufiued to the neighbourhood of the settlements and 

 towns, and the jiortions opened up by the roads which c(jnnect 

 them. There are l)Ut few farms more than three or four miles 

 from the sea-coast ; so that ouly the poorest portions of the soil 

 have yet been brought under culture, aud in the regions least 

 favoured in regard to climate, — the ca>ti'rn shore. 



