NO EMIGRATION. 119 



and patronised in both provinces. On some conspicuous 

 part of almost every large farm hereabouts, there is a 

 wooden cross set up, and ridiculously surmounted by a 

 wooden weathercock. Crossing one of these farms, 1 saw 

 a piece of sward land, manured with common farm dung; 

 the good effect was equal to any thing I had seen in Eng 

 land, although it was badly spread. A few years back, I am 

 told, people hired others to take it out of the way, to either 

 throw it into the river, or lay it in heaps out of town ! The 

 large quantities of dung necessarily made in such a place 

 as Montreal, and the apparently little value set upon it even 

 now, by the heaps thrown into holes and treading to waste, 

 the goodness and cheapness of old cleared land, free from 

 stumps (about 51. to 61. only per acre) in the neighbour 

 hood, and the comparative plenty and low price of labour 

 (30s. to 35s. and board per month), point this place out as 

 an eligible part for enterprising farmers with some capital, 

 for any kind of produce, and particularly, I think, for the 

 raising of hemp and clover, as there are no taxes. Hemp 

 grows very luxuriantly about yards and fences, and the 

 labour required for manufacturing it for sale may be done 

 in the winter, when other work is scarce, and labourers, of 

 course, plenty ; and as government will purchase any 

 quantity, and premiums are given, I think it would prove 

 a most profitable speculation. A rope walk in connexion, 

 would succeed excellently. Winter wheat is but little sown 

 in Lower Canada as yet ; but a Canadian informs me he 

 knew a small piece this season, that answered extremely 

 well, much better than the spring wheat, yet farmers are 

 afraid to try much on account of the severity of the winter ; 

 but I think their fears are groundless, as the snow would 

 preserve it. Several days racing, which were numerously 

 attended. Some good horses, and carried on with con 

 siderable spirit, with a good deal of betting, and it is said, 

 not a little jockeying. An English horse here, and two or 

 three English jockeys. Houses in the city are covered 

 with tin, cut in diamond shapes, and also the churches. It 

 is very bright and durable, and the dryness of climate keeps 

 it from rusting ; this, with sheet-iron shutters to the windows 

 and doors, in the best streets, is a great preventive of fire. 



Sept. 2. Was sultry, close, and warm, thermometer 30, 

 some little rain came, and wind changed to the north-west ; 

 and the next morning it was chilling cold, then not much 



