192 AVERAGE PRODUCE OF THE COLONY. 



temptation to clear right away is great, and is already in 

 some districts as I have already described to be in 

 some measure the case in Sussex Vale causing- fuel to 

 be comparatively scarce and dear. The larger the extent 

 of cleared land at any place, the more distant and expen 

 sive must wood for fuel be, unless there be coal to supply 

 its place. If coal, therefore, is not to be hereafter easily 

 obtained, early steps should be taken in each neighbour 

 hood to preserve a sufficient extent of the native forest, 

 to prevent any future scarcity. It should be reserved by 

 legislative enactment. But these steps will not be taken, 

 nor will the necessity for taking them be understood, 

 unless a careful examination by a prudent and unin 

 terested party, skilled in practical mining as well as in 

 theoretical geology, be made at the public expense, with 

 the view of determining this point. 



I have given, in the preceding pages, the average 

 produce per acre of the more usually cultivated crops in 

 some of the counties of New Brunswick. I might have 

 given similar averages for each of the counties I passed 

 through, as, in answer to a circular issued by the 

 provincial authorities at my request, returns were 

 furnished me from every part of the province. I have 

 withheld these, however, for fear of overloading my 

 pages with such matters. But out of the entire county 

 averages I have prepared general averages for the whole 

 province, which very much merit the attention of such of 

 my readers as may be interested in the rural condition of 

 this colony. These averages give for the produce per 

 imperial acre of the different crops : 



Wheat, 18 bushels. 



Oats, 33 ... 



Rye, 18 ... 



Potatoes, 204 ... 

 or G tons. 



Barley, 27 bushels. 



Buckwheat, 28 

 Indian corn, 36 



Turnips, 390 



or 11 tons. 



the turnip-culture being still in its infancy. 



