58 EMIGRATION, OR 



in winter, it does not take any damage. Col. Talbot has 

 just received a sample of long wool from Lincolnshire, 

 and intends procuring some of that breed of sheep, as he 

 says government have removed all restrictions respecting 

 the exportation of sheep. I think the Leicester sheep 

 better adapted to this county in every respect, they are not 

 so liable to get entangled in the woods with their wool, or 

 to get cast on their backs, requiring less food and a 

 shorter pasture, and being more active to leap logs, &c. 

 and yet a sufficient length of wool ; but southdowns, with 

 regard to subsistence, would do better than either, and 

 perhaps in some other respect (a few at least), as finer 

 wool is getting more in request. Wool is from Is. l%d. to 

 2s. 3d. per pound, if sold; but the settlers either send it to 

 a carding machine (one or more of which are to be found 

 in every district of the county) to be carded, for which 

 twopence or threepence per pound is charged, and then 

 spun at home by the families, and perhaps wove, as many 

 farmers keep a loom in the house ; or else it is sent to 

 the little factors to be made into cloth, for coats, trowsers, 

 &c. j one half of the cloth produced from the wool is re 

 tained for making, the other is returned, which part is ge 

 nerally in rather a greater proportion than one yard of 

 cloth to two pounds of wool. Is it not singular and pecu 

 liar to this county, that sheep never have the scab, or the 

 maggot ? nor have I heard of any rotting ! Still it is not 

 properly a sheep country, till more cleared, except on the 

 plains, and there but few are kept. Generally, through 

 the new settled parts of the province, each farmer has from 

 five or six to twenty or thirty, and in some instance to fifty 

 or sixty, but rarely more. 



July 22. Cradling the wheat, and reaping that which 

 has been knocked down with the rains. Peas, oats, and 

 spring wheat nearly ripe. 



July 29. A cool week: thermometer about 70 morn 

 ings rather cold ; winds north-west at night, and south 

 only in the days. Finished cutting and getting up the winter 

 wheat j some of it a large crop, thirty or more bushels 

 per acre. Cradling the oats. The Canadians are expert at 

 cradling, and will do, for a short time, from two to three, 

 or even four acres per day, according to the weight of the 

 crop, one person tying up into sheaves after them. 



August 5. Another mild week j yesterday and to-day 



