AGRICULTURAL NOTICES. 193 



S3 per acre. Our lower line, from Bear creek to the Thames, 

 was invariably fine loam. 



I consider the soil on the banks of the Thames, around 

 Chatham, superior to what I saw on Bear creek, from con 

 taining a greater portion of clay ; both are, however, ex 

 cellent, and objectionable only on account of their low- 

 ness, and proximity to&quot; the marshy plains around Lake St 

 Clair, though only ten or twelve feet above its waters, yet 

 twenty miles distant from its shore. The forest exhibited 

 few cradle knolls, which proves the soil of stronger texture 

 than that of Blenheim, Wilmot, or the neighbourhood of Go- 

 derich, cradle knolls being a sure indication of sand, except 

 where trees are prostrated by a whirlwind or hurricane. 



The agriculture of the Thames and Bear creek do not 

 merit much notice. Bear creek, and the country between it 

 and the Thames, is very thinly settled, and the clearances of 

 small extent. The habitations are mean, and the inhabitants 

 seemingly poor, and without enterprise or industry. The 

 chief market has hitherto been Detroit, and the population 

 have, in a great measure, been shut out from the rest of the 



world. Mr B told me thirty bushels of wheat have been 



given for a bushel of salt now five is the price. I did not 

 see a clearance of any extent going on, while some portion of 

 rich cleared soil had been abandoned or neglected ; and when 

 overgrown with weeds, and destitute of grass, exhibited com 

 plete sterility. Natural clover of any kind was not visible, 

 nor had the seeds of any been sown. The settlers had never 

 applied any manure, and seemed to lead easy lives. The 

 wheat harvest was gathered previous to my visit. Buck wheat 

 was uniformly a poor crop, being injured by drought, and 

 in many cases also by frost. Indian corn was by no means 

 good. A field of barley on Bear creek, as the first crop on 

 bottom land, was destroyed by mildew. A portion of millet on 

 the same field was uninjured, and the only instance in which 

 I have seen such a crop. 



Bear creek is a small stream, about half the size of the 

 Thames, and propels two grist mills, and a third at Mr 

 B s is being erected. We examined the lowest mill ; the 



N 



