NOTICES OF NATURE. 171 



are generally rock-elm of the finest description, but as others 

 equally good could be found a few yards from the road, those 

 on its centre ought to be removed as interruptions. 



The soil of Captain A s farm in Blenheim is a rich 



soft loam of easy cultivation. The land of this township, and 

 the adjoining one, Wilmot, which we passed through, is loam 

 of excellent quality. The wood is chiefly maple, interspersed 

 with elm, oak, cherry, and beach. On our way from La- 

 motte to the Goderich road, we saw what is called a wind-fall 

 in the forest, or havoc of a whirlwind, where the decaying 

 trunks of trees were scattered in wild and mutilated confu 

 sion. Many single trees were lying up and down, with 

 large masses of earth raised by, and adhering to, the roots, 

 termed cradle-knolls, which, in some places, were so numerous 

 as to resemble graves in a churchyard. The soil in the 

 township of East and North Hope seems considerably inferior 

 to that of the two mentioned, and a great deal of bad land is 

 afterwards met with, consisting of swamp and wet clay, cover 

 ed with stunted wood of various kinds, and partially settled 

 by poor looking people, lodged in miserable hovels. I was 

 grieved to see human beings had set themselves down on bad 

 soil, while so much of good quality remained unoccupied, 

 and which would havo better rewarded them for the labour 

 of clearing. It is perhaps the policy of some to fix settlers 

 on bad soil, in the first instance, as the good will be sure to 

 attract others. One person told me, with seeming self-satis 

 faction, that his consisted of an inch or two of black mould on 

 top and fine white clay below. 



Chess was plentiful in all situations on the Goderich road ; 

 timothy the prevailing grass, a few plants of cocksfoot, with 

 narrow leaves, and white clover, were occasionally seen. 



A deer was observed standing on the road for some time, at 

 no great distance from the waggon, and suddenly bounded off 

 into the forest. 



