15G RURAL MIVIIKIAN 



of eiglity, one hundred and twenty, one hundred and 

 sixty or two hundred French acres (embracing some 

 four-fifths the area of an American acre), each on 

 a narrow river frontage .of twenty-three to fifty-eight 

 rods. Eventually there were several hundreds of 

 these French farms (442 in 1805) extending eight 

 or ten miles, sometimes farther, up the Rouge, the 

 Eaisin, the Iilcorse, the Clinton and Huron rivers, 

 with still others on the Detroit and St. Clair. 



As a farmer, the Frenchman here was very unlike 

 the Yankee soon to appear. He saw no reason for 

 aggressive energy in clearing the land and putting it 

 to agricultural uses. His tillage was strictly limited. 

 His interest in horticulture was greater, and apples 

 and pears, peaches and cherries were grown in con- 

 siderable quantities for home consumption and for 

 export by themselves or in the form of cider. As a 

 husbandman, the Frenchman was quite as thriftless 

 as his Indian friends. He is charged with habitually 

 depositing his barnyard manure on the ice of river 

 and lake or of removing his out-buildings when the 

 accumulations became insurmountable, rather than 

 spreading them over the fields: and some state that 

 he threw away the wool sheared from the backs of 

 his sheep rather than spin it into yarn — a practice 

 which, however, was undoubtedly exceptional. Ac- 

 counts seem generally to agree that, if his farm 

 buildings were shabby and his agriculture not suf- 

 ficient for home needs, the Frenchman's heart was 

 light, his loyalty certain, his piety complete, his hos- 



