108 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



F. — Sometimes to an individual it is : but you must re- 

 collect that the hay is sold from one farmer to another ; the 

 farmer is the consumer after all ; what one gains another 

 loses ; the farmers, as a class, reap no advantage from the 

 very highest price of hay, whatever profit individuals may 

 realise. 



C — What do you think of this country as a place of 

 emigration for the farming class at home ? 



F. — My opinion is, that much exaggeration, and very 

 highly coloured, if not absolutely false, statements have been 

 made in many of the pamphlets, and in some works of higher 

 pretensions, holding out expectations to the settler, which, in 

 a majority of cases, he no more realises than the loon who 

 chased the rainbow, in the hope of obtaining the golden cup. 

 Travellers generally come here in summer, when the country 

 is clothed with beauty ; they see the crops growing, they 

 have no anxieties, no labours, and are usually inclined to 

 be pleased with all they meet with ; they pass a few months 

 in going through the pleasantest part of the country, and 

 then think themselves qualified to give a description of Ca- 

 nada, setting forth in glowing colours all the pleasures, and 

 never noticing the disagreeables, probably because they know 

 nothing about them. A very remarkable instance of this in- 

 fatuation has come under my own personal knowledge. A 

 person whom. I had known thought of emigrating to Canada; 

 but previously, he determined on coming to see it. Accord- 

 ingly he arrived here in July, was of course kindly received 

 by his friends, who, as was natural, laid aside all gloom and 

 care, and even the ordinary labours of the farm, to entertain 

 him, and endeavoured to make him welcome to the best they 

 had. He was charmed, enraptured, with all he saw; purchased 

 a farm at once ; built all sorts of castles in the air, in project- 

 ing alterations and improvements ; remained a few weeks ; 

 and then returned to bring his family to his estate in the fol- 



