92 RUNNING FIRE IN THE FIELDS. 



farm very beautiful. Sown on the 19th of July, they 

 already covered the ground. 



Two farms of 100 acres each, 30 acres cleared on each, 

 and a small house, were offered me together for £100, or 

 £50 for each. Another farm of 205 acres, with 120 

 cleared, and a really nice house on it, was to be had for 

 £750 currency. 



The hop grows well here, as I afterwards saw it in the^ 

 most northern parts of the province. Though there is 

 little local demand for the produce of this plant, it might 

 be cultivated for exportation, and would have, in the 

 English market, at least an equal chance with the hops 

 now imported in large quantities from the United States. 

 It was very striking, on one of the farms I visited, to 

 see how rapidly fire was capable of running along a field, 

 burning the parched grass, and endangering the crops. 

 Advantage had been taken of the extreme drought to 

 burn up some stumps, when, by a sudden freak of the 

 wind I suppose, the fire took to the grass, and spread so 

 fast towards a field of oats that it was necessary to turn 

 out all hands to arrest it by throwing earth on the 

 advancing line of fire ; and it was finally shut out only 

 by yoking the horses into a plough, and hastily running 

 a furrow between the fire and the oats. 



Returning from Stanley to the main road, we passed 

 through some fine hardwood land upon the Company's 

 grant, well adapted for farming. It was like driving 

 through a beautiful green lane, the narrow road opened 

 by the Company being for the most part covered with 

 verdure, and the shade of the lofty trees affording a grate- 

 ful shelter from the mid-day sun. 



We came upon the Nashwauk where it ceases to be 

 navigable, and where the ancient Indian portage across 

 the country to the south-west MiramichiEiver commences. 

 The Nashwauk, as I have already mentioned, falls into the 

 St John opposite to Fredericton. Along its banks there 



