160 BRANTFORD OAK OPENINGS. 



of sand. The crops had been pretty good, especially a field 

 of oats. The straw of wheat in the barn showed no traces of 

 mildew, and the grain was equal to any I had met with in 

 America, a sample of which I preserved. Oak openings or 

 plains consist of stunted oak-trees, thinly scattered over the 

 surface, so that the plough may frequently enter without further 

 obstruction than what arises from the roots of bushes. It is 

 quite certain that fire passes over the plains every year or 

 two, and destroys all tender vegetation. The effects of fire, I 

 have no doubt, also prevents the growth of the trees, which are 

 sometimes pretty thick, and in other places several acres are 

 found without any. Oak openings are free of vegetable 

 mould, or even live vegetation of any value ; the soil is com 

 monly light sand, and a superficial observer is apt to think 

 nature hath pronounced the curse of sterility on such spots. 



But part of Mr C s soil convinced me the thinness of 



the trees, and thriftless vegetation is not an effect of the na 

 ture of the soil, which is often much under-rated. Oak open 

 ings may be cultivated by girdling the trees, and ploughing 

 with six oxen, and fallowing the ground two years. 



Mr C speaks in high terms of his oak openings, only 



a small part of which, in my opinion, merited praise. He 

 estimates the expense of raising the first wheat crop 011 

 such soil, including the price of land, and two years fallow, 

 at 820 per acre, and the return of the first crop at tv/entv 

 bushels. The price of wheat, last year s crop, 1832, was ST. 

 Gypsum, or plaster of Paris, he invariably applies to clover. 

 Labourers are always to be had at from 8 10 to 813 a-month 

 in summer. Winter lasts six months. I was pleased with 



my visit to Mr C , and on parting expressed myself so 



to him. 



After breakfast we proceeded by way of Paris, so called 

 from its quarries of gypsum, or plaster of Paris, situated on. 

 the Grand River, eight miles from Brantford, and one below 

 the Forks, at which there is mills. We soon afterwards 

 reached Gait, also situated on the Grand River, over which 

 there is a bridge. It contains a church, grist, saw, and pail 

 mill ; and several buildings are of stone. My friend had a 

 letter of introduction, which he had brought from Edinburgh, 



