CANADIAN THORN-HEDGES. 293 



to throw obstacles in the way of such transfers. This 

 is a temptation by which the best of men among the 

 Roman Catholic clergy may be insensibly biassed, and 

 to which the law ought not to expose them. 



Fruit, and especially apples, grow well on the low- 

 lying black land I visited to-day; and orchards are 

 numerous around Montreal. At Mr Penner's, I saw 

 some fine apple-trees, and gathered some excellent 

 fruit. Among other eatable varieties, the ^pomme grise 

 is one which is highly esteemed as a good bearer and of 

 high flavour. Some of the valuable rennets also, such as 

 the large white Canadian, called also the large English 

 rennet, are said to be of Canadian origin. Besides table 

 fruit, cider-apples also are grown ; and in addition to 

 those of his own orchard, Mr Penner buys and crushes 

 those of the neighbouring orchards. 



For the first time in Canada, I saw here some hedge- 

 rows of our English thorn, CratcBgus oxyacantha. The 

 mice are said to be their greatest enemies. When the 

 snow is on the ground, they often destroy this and other 

 valuable trees, by gnawing off the bark for food — as 

 hares and rabbits, in severe winters, do with us. I saw 

 also some very nice and well-kept fences of the American 

 thorn — the Crataegus crus-galU^ or cockspur thorn, I 

 believe.* No other objection was stated to the general 

 introduction of these hedges, except the trouble and 

 expense of keeping them in repair. 



Before leaving Mr Penner's farm, I ought to mention, 

 in connection with the high-manuring of his hop-lands, 

 that he has a bone-mill upon his farm — that there is 

 another at Montreal ; but that, as I was informed, 

 scarcely any true Canadian has as yet seriously thought 



* In the State of New York, four native species of thorn are known, 

 of which this is considered the best suited for hedges, and is most 

 frequently employed for this purpose. I am not aware if all these species 

 are natives of Canada also. 



