LENGTH OF THE AGRICULTURAL YEAR. 195 



leave the land more friable, and in better order for green- 

 crops, than any number of ploughings done in winter 

 could make it.&quot; If the land be ploughed once in the fall, 

 it requires only to be harrowed with the seed in spring. 

 Tims, if the period for out-door work be shorter, the 

 labour required in preparing the land for crop is also 

 less. 



The average length of the agricultural year in the 

 province between the earliest spring and the latest fall- 

 ploughing is six months and twenty-two days. And 

 the average period between the sowing and reaping of 

 grain-crops is three months and seventeen days, leaving 

 an open period of three months and three days for labour 

 ing and preparing the land. And it is fairly enough 

 remarked, that though this period is much shorter than 

 with us, yet the smaller number of rainy days, and the 

 friable nature of the soil in spring, will enable an indus 

 trious farmer, with the same force, to do considerably 

 more work during these ninety-five open days than could 

 be done in Great Britain or Ireland in the same time. 



There is another aspect in which it is not uninteresting 

 to look at the condition and prospects of agriculture in 

 this province. We have seen the absolute produce of 

 the land according to the best existing data, but what is 

 the money-value of the crops to the farmer ? This, of 

 course, depends on the prices of produce. 



By collating all the reports I obtained from the several 

 counties in the province, I deduced, for the average 

 prices of raw produce in 1849, the numbers in the fol 

 lowing table, per imperial quarter : 



New Brunswick currency. Sterling. 



Wheat, . . 60s. 8d. 48s. Ckl. 



Barley, . . 34s. 27s. 3d. 



Oats, . . 16s. 13s. 9d. 



Rye, . . 38s. 8d. 22s. 9d. 



Buckwheat, . 30s. 24s. 



Indian corn, . 37s. 4d. 35s. 



