NEIGHBOURHOOD OF KINGSTON. 265 



whole province, arising out of the political differences 

 and recent burnings at Montreal 5 the other — peculiarly 

 its own — connected with the show of the Agricultural 

 Society of Upper Canada, which was to be held in its 

 suburbs during the course of the week. The interest 

 taken by all parties in the political question was great ; 

 and the comments on the procedure of the Government 

 and the Governor-general, numerous and free. The 

 influence of all this was not insensible upon the affairs 

 of the agricultural meeting, at which, until almost the 

 last hour, his Excellency's presence was expected. On 

 the whole, however, the meeting went off very well, and 

 very creditably to the agriculture of the province — though 

 with the introduction into the after-dinner speeches of 

 more politics than would have been permitted by an 

 experienced chairman on such occasions at home. 



The neighbourhood of Kingston is an inferior agri- 

 cultural district. A thin, generally light soil, rests on 

 the Trenton limestone — a solid deposit of dark-blue 

 fossiliferous rock, which here skirts the northern shores 

 of the lake, and extends inland to a considerable distance. 

 The richest lands of this division of Canada lie towards 

 the north and west, a portion of the province which I 

 regretted that my previous arrangements did not permit 

 me to visit. 



In Canada, every one is satisfied of the paramount 

 importance of the agricultural interest ; a very general 

 desire exists, therefore, to advance it by every reason- 

 able or available means. The superior class of settlers, 

 of whom so many are scattered over Upper Canada, 

 will greatly facilitate the adoption of such means of 

 improvement as are usually employed, or are easily 

 available by agricultural societies. 



The Agricultural Society of Upper Canada had been 

 in existence only three years, and the excited state of 

 political parties had retarded that general union, even 



