56 EMIGRATION, OR 



sweet some days from morning to night, through having a 

 bad &quot; milk- house&quot; (dairy) situated above ground and with 

 out shade. 



June 4. The last two days foggy, but no rain, which is 

 wanted. This is &quot; training day,&quot; when the militia meet at 

 appointed stations near home, throughout the province, to be 

 trained, some with guns and some without. I need not say 

 they learn but little, when the reader is informed this is the 

 only day in the year they meet, and then not half of them, 

 perhaps ; and nearly one half their officers know as little 

 of military exercise as themselves : it is merely a &quot; frolic&quot; 

 for the youngsters; nor is it necessary to train, except in 

 prospect of a war speedily coming on. All males between 

 the ages of eighteen and sixty, with few exceptions, are 

 subject to the militia duties. Those between the ages of 

 eighteen and forty-five only are called out in ordinary cases. 

 Some Indian corn coming up, and some yet dry in the 

 ground for want of rain ; oats up, and grow apace ; peas on 

 the bottom or meadow land look well ; those on the uplands 

 too dry. Finished planting potatoes, and hoed the first set 

 ones : they are planted thus ; being cut as in England ; 

 three or four of these cuttings are dropped together in one 

 place, then the soil hoed over them into a &quot; hill,&quot; 2| feet 

 apart each way. This is the only method that can be used 

 on new cleared land among the stumps, and before it is 

 ploughed ; but this method is adhered to when there are no 

 stumps, or necessity for it, which I think an injudicious 

 practice. 



June 5. Sheared the sheep to-day ; the Canadians shear 

 the belly and neck, and then tie the sheeps legs, and shear 

 along them, or rather any, or every way, and are not nice 

 about their appearance when finished. One Canadian sheared 

 near fifty. The Canadians are generally active, or smart as 

 they term it, in which they pride themselves, and generally 

 at work strive to outdo each other in expertness ; but they 

 do not like long, and steady hard work, yet at times submit 

 to it, and in general are able to endure it. Castrated the 

 male lambs, and cut all their tails at the time of shearing. 



June 6. The thermometer to-day 81: it has been as 

 high here once before this season ; but by a Montreal paper 

 I see it has been at 88 there some time ago. Clover get 

 ting on the head. I have found some bunches of vernal- 

 grass, and some of cocksfoot (the latter here termed orchard- 



