PKODUCE OF POTATOES. 413 



men settle upon, and how, at this time of potato-failure, 

 they have husbanded their seed-potatoes, 1 may mention 

 the returns obtained this year by several of these settlers 

 on the forks of the Eel Eiver, as I took them down from 

 their own mouths. One of them planted 4 barrels, cut 

 into small sets, and dug up 142 barrels ; another planted 

 3 barrels and housed 60, besides eating of the crop 

 all summer ; a third planted 3J, and took up 60, besides 

 consuming, since the 1st of August, what were required 

 by a family of six children three times a-day. These 

 large crops are given by land on which the wood is cut 

 in the fall, the trees burned in spring, the ashes spread, 

 and the seed put in. The comparative greatness of the 

 returns may be judged of by the fact that, in the highly 

 farmed and highly manured land around Edinburgh, 4 

 bolls, or 16 cwt., are usually planted ; and 6 to 8 tons 

 (8 to 10 fold) are reckoned large crops to raise on the 

 West coast. In Ireland 10 to 12 tons are frequent, 

 but even this return is small compared to that of these 

 necessity-compelled, thrifty New Brunswickers. 



I went into the furthest log -hut upon the last clearing. 

 It was warm and comfortable ; and a good stove in it 

 not only kept the inmates warm, but gave them the 

 means of cooking. These cooking stoves are found very 

 convenient in North America. Numerous varieties of 

 them are exhibited at the larger agricultural shows, and 

 some of them do their work with a great economy of 

 fuel — an article which lavish expenditure in past years 

 is beginning to make scarce and dear in many of the 

 more densely-settled districts. 



I found the wife and five clean healthy children in the 

 hut. She was very content, and would not go home if 

 she had an opportunity. It was foolishness which 

 brought them away ; and they are not so well off yet as 

 when at home, but hoped in a short time to be better off, 

 as I have no doubt industry would soon make them. 



