19 



The siune lroul)l(' exists I'or tho raniicrs of liivii;ro Bluuehe and Si. .To- 

 roiue (l- Malrtiu', two hir^V! and pupulous parishes whosi^ a^i'ricultural 

 devi'loimnMit is arvi-stcd. The tarmers ol' these three parishes cannot raiso 

 call 1.' because they cannot sidl theia or 1)er;iuse they have to sell llunn 

 ehfup on the si)ot. We liave. therefore. thre>' lari^'e parishes whieli are 

 entirely nnabh' to engage in one oi' Ih-- ni<\sl iuiporhmt hninehes of 

 farming;. 



1' is Mow adiiiitl.'d 1> 'yo:id question that the Pro.iu''. of Quebec 

 cairi ii .'iirich ii^'lf by (niltivaiiiej;' v'Oieal-. Oar e;)Ujitry is an agi'i.'uii.ural 

 eouulrv, of eoiir.-e, ])ut ii! its own way ; tli- .-it vial ion must 'oe consiib'red 

 from various points ol" vi 'W. The I'rovinci' of (Quebec is esjveinlly adapted 

 for -lo k-r;ii.-ia^' lud in ihis resi)e(.',;, tlie eountieii of Maiaiie lud Uiini>uski 

 can u!id()ubi'(lly ]).' count'-d auu)iu;'st i.h ■ lirst 



I Jo iioi know o)' any part of I he eoun'ry, wlvTe die lt.--,!ii ol b h-vcs 

 and <iie:'p is mov" I'ud'.'ror suei.ealeni tiinn in ih-s- iwo couniie.s ; all 

 thr i I'.tvelli'i's who pass throuu'h tlii'Sii invariably iiotici- this iN"ov>' ir is 

 preciv 'ly of this biiuKdi of I'armia!.;-, which mi^'hl b> so lncr;!'.ive, thai iho 

 inhabitants of the riv-'r-[)arishe,- of the county of IVtatane avi' d 'prived. 

 Fortuualciy i he many strangers wiio si)eud two of the summ t months 

 at Litilc .Metis, allcviaic, th" situaiiou to some ^-xieiit. Tli-'y cousu.ii.! ^'i-.-at 

 (|uaiilities of meat and the tarmiu's of all the neighboriiig parishc.-. take 

 adv anlan' ■ of tliis annual i>'ai lieriuu- fo di-^pos ■ of at least a portion of their 

 produ •:' ; bat thai is not aniarlct. We may at one.( slave that the number 

 of r.'-id.'iii or visiting tranii'-rs who go to Little Metis would be uudoul>t- 

 edly l)c doubled if I iun\' was a, rail way there. 



'I'iiey would spr. -ad along i he .v^ea-sliore becw-' m LilileM 'iisan.l }.Iala- 

 ne, would brinir abuiulaiu;(! with t!i in aiul eonlri!/ate to aceruiin e.vtent to 

 arre-.t ih- evil of emiivralioii. To ihnn i>reat imnnjveni 'uis aa'c already 

 due. -^uch as roads, market-gCcrdeiiing, etc. 



\eveiilieless. lanning has iriude great progress duriiig the past 

 lifte en years. Tli" inha))itauts are mostly adl freed from th • thraldom of 

 routine ; they h-avv' educated themsdves, have ma.de. th.'!nselv(^s famijiar 

 with new methods and agi'icuhural imphnnenls are in us ' ou uoarly 

 every farm. Th'' [>opulaiion is lab.arious and brigii:. aiid i:- only loo d \si- 

 rou> of going aliend provided ii is li'iven the means oi doieg so. At 

 pres mt th.e nuu'ehauts themselves will not buy th.j farm 'I's' produce 

 bociiuse th -y di) not wish to dispone of it or they buy it at their own 

 pric 's. In the same manner thcysdl the farinersthe grain they recpiire at 

 exorbitant i)ri(.'es : whe.it for in-itauv'.; at !:?:12r) [)er bushel of sixty pounds, 

 while 111 Quebec it costs only ^ijl.-i". 



If they had a railway the farm 'rs would pro.nire th > grain th.-y 

 require, at town prices. The i I'ad > in potatoivs alone would make the 

 pari.^h ofSandy l>ay w.'althy. Well, th w sdl there for only twenty cuits 

 a bushel while they sell at lifty cents, only a few miles away, near the 



