96 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



In daily talks with settlers throughout the investigation there was 

 general agreement that, in their own language, "this country was never 

 meant to be farmed" and that " they would get out if they could." 

 They were anxious to know the possibilities in Northern Ontario and the 

 western prairies, and envied the immigrant farmer with his fertile soil. 



It may be here expUcitly stated that the settlers throughout are an 

 energetic, hard-working, resourceful people ; but they face an impossible 

 proposition. They are, to a large extent, emigrants from the more 

 southerly townships attracted years ago by free land. In addition, 

 work in the limiber woods was plentiful and a livelihood was assured. 

 A study of the conditions of occupancy shows that some 75 per cent 

 of the lots were patented when the patentee had the right to the timber 

 without pine reservation. It caimot be doubted that much of the land 

 was patented for the timber it carried, and not on account of its agri- 

 cultural suitability. But, with the gradual disappearance of limibering 

 activities the settler was finally forced to make a living by farming. 

 This largely explains the present conditions. 



The yearly sale by the coimty treasurer of lands for taxes unpaid 

 for three years is the closing scene in this struggle to wrest a living from 

 non-agricultural soil. Incidentally, these sales reveal the low cash 

 value placed upon these farms by their owners. 



The following figures are compiled from the official hsts for 191 2 : 



I. Peterborough County : 



NtTMBER OP Farms . Aggregate 



Township Advertised . Taxes fob 



a Acreage „ _, 



fob Sale 3 Years 



Methuen 6 1,000 $ 69.28 



Burleigh 6 639 110.57 



Chandos 6 592 81.26 



Galway 9 900 59.69 



Cavendish 4 400 44.99 



Harvey 4 430 53.03 



