RESOURCES OP BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 353 



recommending an extensive plan of colonization of the Irish 

 population, tliis is the portion of the world selected as the best 

 fitted for the purpose. " It is in the part of the world where 

 the greatest abundance of human food is brought into the 

 market at the lowest price. It already contains a population, 

 for the most part engaged in agriculture, exceeding any pos- 

 sible amount of annual Irish immigration ; and so very large 

 a portion of its fertile soil is still uncultivated, that for many 

 years to come every addition to its numbers by immigration 

 will add to its capacity of receiving more immigrants. . . . 

 If a large body of Irish emigrants were despatched to an unin- 

 habited country, or one containing but few inhabitants, it 

 would be necessary to supply them for a year or two with food 

 procured from other countries at a great expense. The first 

 colonists of South Australia and New Zealand imported nearly 

 all their food during the first two or three years of their settle- 

 ment, and the greater part of that food was sent to them from 

 this country. If a million of Irish emigrants were sent to any 

 other country but North America, it would be necessary to 

 send along with them, or after them, about four million barrels 

 of flour. But," by going to North America, "the emigrants 

 would fall in with a great store of food ready for the mouths 

 of new coiners, because it is there only that an abundance of 

 fertile land exists in combination with a skilful agricultural 

 population many times more numerous than any conceivable 

 amount of annual emigration." 



That the United States of America also possess immense 

 resources for the production of food is well known. A journey 

 acrobs the State of New York affords the most satisfactory evi- 

 dence of the great natural advantages of this region, of which 

 New York itself is the great outlet. 



Around the great chain of the North American lakes, of 

 which Lake Erie is tlie most southerly, is a vast territory 

 about six times as extensive as the whole of England, con- 

 taining one hundred and eighty millions of acres of arable land, 

 a large portion of which is of surpassing fertility. It is ex- 

 pected that a vast population will eventually spring up in this 

 attractive region, which has already drawn great numbers to 

 its culture. Viewing this state of things prospectively, the 

 Financial Report of the Legislature runs thus : "There are 

 peculiar reasons why the proportion of agricultural products of 

 this great inland population should so far exceed that of other 

 nations. The exuberance of their soil, the salubrity of their 

 climate, and the cheapness of their lauds, (arising from, a vast 



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