118 FARMING ON THE SCOTTISH BORDERS, 



route lay along this brook, therefore, for the rest of the 

 day. While among its forks, we passed over four miles 

 of carriboo plain, blue-berry swamp, arid sweet-fern 

 barren. When we subsequently reached the main stream, 

 rounded hills and sloping accumulations of sandstone 

 drift accompanied us along the wide valley ; while high 

 hills on either hand, clothed and crowned with wood, 

 wanted only a bright sunshine to bring out their beauties. 

 Clearings now began to appear on the dry lighter gra 

 velly soils of the sloping sides of the valley, and within 

 a few miles I was surprised to see clearings and culti 

 vated fields scaling the steep hill-sides, and covering the 

 red lands with corn to the very tops of the hills. 



The traveller who has visited the Scottish Borders, 

 and has looked at the tillage near the town of Wooller, 

 or has followed the streams from Cornhill on the Tweed 

 to Yetholm, where the gipsies live at the foot of the 

 Cheviots, has admired, no doubt, the cleanness of the 

 fields, the richness of the crops, and the perfection of 

 mechanical husbandry, which accompanied him along 

 every step of his progress. But that which has most 

 called forth his admiration has been the marvellously 

 steep hills which are subjected to the plough, and the 

 lofty summits on which the luxuriant turnip or the 

 golden corn gladden the eye on the bright sunshine of a 

 midsummer day. He has thought, no doubt, of the 

 industry of the farmer, and of his skill, but especially of 

 his energy and perseverance, in subduing to the plough 

 steep places like these, and crowning such lofty summits 

 with most productive crops. 



It is no disparagement to these skilful Border farmers, 

 that, in this remote corner of New Brunswick, on the 

 steep slopes which girdle the stream called Smith s Creek, 

 the same indications of energy and perseverance were 

 seen. Steep slopes were cleared of forest, and to their 

 summits were covered with crops. The same skill and 



