REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I QIC 1 55 



Fertility. The deep rich residual soil that overlies the plateaus 

 of the lower land levels has an unbounded fertility and on the knobs 

 and demoiselles where the red sandstone runs into the gray its fer- 

 tility is carried with it. Today a mere scratching of the surface of 

 the land produces an abundant return of grass, barley and oats and 

 deep plowing is seldom done. Indeed, year after year gives the 

 same fair return of hay without any cultivation. With the simplest 

 mode of planting, potatoes produce enormously and are the common 

 winter food for hogs and cattle. The natural situation of the islands 

 has made them the home of fisherfolk. The lobster, cod, mackerel, 

 herring and seal abound here as they do nowhere else in the gulf 

 and it is these that absorb the energies of the people. Farming 

 only tides over the intervals between the fishing to maintain the live 

 stock and to afford a supply of vegetables. The fertility of the soil 

 seems to have been entirely overlooked as a commercial factor but 

 even recognizing the limitations of the season, it has tremendous 

 possibilities and in the matter of potato cultivation would give 

 large returns at a minimum of cost. 



RECENT LITERATURE RELATING TO THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS 



S. G. W. Benjamin. The Athintic Islands as Resorts of Health and 

 Pleasure. Chap. 4, 1878. 



James Richardson. Report on the Geological Exploration of the 

 Magdalen Islands. i88r. 



S. G. W. Benjamin. The Cruise of the "Alice ]\ra3\" The Century- 

 Magazine, April 1884. 



A. M. Pope. In and around the IMagdalen Islands. Catholic World. 

 39:369- 1884. 



George Patterson. The ]\Iagdalen Islands. Nova Scotian Institute of 

 Science. Proc. and Trans, v. i, pt i, p. 31-57. 1891. 



Anon. Among the Magdalen Islands. Chambers Journal. April 1893, 



p. 193-95- 



Frank Yeigh. Among the Magdalen Islands. Canadian ]\Iagazine. 

 October 1908, p. 505. 



W. Lacey Amy. The Magdalen Islands. Canadian ^NFagazine. Febru- 

 ary and March 191 t. 



For Cartier's route along these islands, 1534, 1535, see J. P. Baxter: Jacques 

 Cartier. 1906. 



