532 



NEW BRUNSWICK. 



Agriculture.. The number of horses in the 

 State on Jan. 1, 1887, was 44,654, valued at 

 $2,461,449; mules, 1,657, valued at $121,251 ; 

 milch cows, 17,683, valued at $638,256 ; oxen, 

 and other cattle, 317,059, valued at $6,949,933 ; 

 sheep, 674,486, valued at $1,153,371 ; hogs, 

 14.543, valued at $77,339 ; making a total of 

 1,070,082 animals, valued at $11,401,599. The 

 number of animals in the State one year pre- 

 vious was 1,024,425, valued at $11,356,092. 

 The cattle interests of the State are next in 

 importance to its mineral resources. It is esti- 

 mated that the shipments of beef cattle to San 

 Francisco in 1887 exceeded 200,000 head. The 

 wool product of the State in 1887 was about 

 3,000,000 pounds. The acreage of alfalfa will 

 be doubled this year. Esparat, a German grass 

 highly recommended for its cattle - fattening 

 properties, is being successfully grown on the 

 rocky, barren hillsides in Douglas County. 



State Lands. There were 1,306 applications 

 to purchase State lands tiled during 1887 at 

 the State Land-office, covering 428, 783-03 acres. 

 Of this amount there was selected of the Two- 

 Million-Acre-Grant : In the Eureka Land Dis- 

 trict, 226,504-27 ; in the Carson City Land 

 District, 156,206-15; total, 382,710-42. Nine- 

 ty-two contracts were issued in duplicate, cov- 

 ering 16,401 '68 acres at $1.25 per acre, and 

 twenty-eight contracts, covering 2,267'08 acres, 

 at $2. 50 "per acre, representing $22,935.84. 

 State land patents were issued covering 24,008-- 

 67 acres. The State received during the year 

 $140,260.63 from the sale of its lands. 



Irrigation. The Surveyor-General reports as 

 follows: "There is no regular system of irri- 

 gation or use of water. Every farm is inde- 

 pendent of the other, especially along a stream 

 where each irrigator takes the water out 

 through a ditch of his own. When irrigators 

 are supplied through a corporation ditch, a 

 system is made use of and little water is wasted ; 

 but even then lawsuits occur from water being 

 run from one farm on to another, to the dam- 

 age of the latter. In most places a system is 

 very badly needed, as much more land could 

 be cultivated and the present places more easily 

 and profitably handled. There are many places 

 where reservoirs could be created and water 

 stored, and where in flood season the surplus 

 waters from melting snow or falling rains could 

 be turned into and kept for the dry periods of 

 the year. The State might engage in this en- 

 terprise of storing this valuable material that 

 annually goes to waste." The Legislature con- 

 sidered the subject at some length this year, 

 but failed to pass any helpful legislation. 



NEW BRUNSWICK. Government. The Pro- 

 vincial Government remains as described in 

 the "Annual Cyclopaedia" for 1886, with the 

 exception that A. G. Blair, Attorney-General, 

 has succeeded Mr. Gillespie as Premier. 



Commerce. New Brunswick and Prince Ed- 

 ward Island are the only provinces of Canada 

 whose trade increased in 1886. The following 

 table shows the imports and exports of New 



Brunswick for five years, including both home 

 and foreign produce : 



The following table shows the trade of New 

 Brunswick with the United States in the same 

 period ; the exports including foreign produce : 



Legislation. The twenty-sixth General As- 

 sembly of this province met on March 3, 1887, 

 for its first session. Among the most impor- 

 tant legislation of the session was the act au- 

 thorizing the appointment of a Provincial 

 Board of Health, of not more than seven 

 members, to "take cognizance of the interests 

 of health and life among the people of the 

 province." The board is directed to make an 

 intelligent and profitable use of all information 

 available as to deaths and sickness among the 

 people; to make sanitary investigations and 

 inquiries respecting causes of disease, and 

 especially of epidemics; the causes of mortal- 

 ity and the effects of localities, employments, 

 conditions, habits, and other circumstances 

 upon the health of the people ; to make sug- 

 gestions as to the prevention of contagious and 

 infectious diseases ; to advise the officers of the 

 Government and local boards of health in re- 

 gard to public health ; to disseminate sanitary 

 literature; to receive evidence on oath in 

 special sanitary investigations; to provide for 

 compulsory vaccination ; and to make and en- 

 force quarantine regulations. The act also 

 provides for the appointment of local boards 

 of health by cities, towns, and municipalities, 

 with extensive powers. 



Liquor-License Law. Another important act 

 passed by the General Assembly was the liquor- 

 license act. This provides for the granting of 

 only two kinds of licenses tavern licenses and 

 wholesale licenses. A tavern license author- 

 izes the licensee to sell in quantities of not more 

 than one quart. The license duties are to be 

 fixed by the councils of the various districts, 

 but must not be more than $200 nor less than 

 $50 in cities and incorporated towns; elsewhere 

 the minimum is $25. Applications for licenses 

 must be supported by one third of the rate- 

 payers in the polling division. Objections may 

 be filed on the ground of the character of the 

 applicant; the condition of the premises; on 

 the score of contiguity to a place of worship, 

 school, or hospital, or simply on the ground 



