70 Description of a Machine for Ireaking Hemp, 



Simcoe, and to the east and north-east almost as far as 

 Grand or Ottaway River, and to within a few miles of the 

 south and south-east side of Lake Huron. I have not failed 

 to make annually from one to three journeys through this 

 tract ; I have crossed it in all directions with Indian guides, 

 great part of which no white man, except myself, has ever 

 set foot in ; and I find, that chief of the interior part con- 

 sists of a rich deep black soil, which I am well convinced, 

 when well inhabited with farmers, will become one of the 

 finest countries in all his majesty's territories for the growth 

 of hemp. 



It is only about five years since this valuable tract began 

 to be occupied at all, and though by industrious farmers, 

 yet by such as have brought little to the country. A few 

 cows and sheep, a pair of plough-oxen, one or two horses, 

 a small stock of farming tools, such as two or three axes, 

 as many hoes and iron wedges, one or two ox-chains, being 

 the most that a new settler (generally speaking) possesses on 

 his arrival ; with these they make a shift to clear away the 

 woods, and divide and fence the land with split timber into 

 fields, and they are greatly encouraged to continue clearing 

 away the forest, in consequence of the high price given for 

 the ashes by the potash makers : this eventually will be 

 vastly in their favour, in future, when hemp becomes the 

 object, as it gives time for the roots and stumps of trees to 

 rot, their stock of horses and oxen to increase, which is 

 essentially necessary before the farmer can expect to he suc- 

 cessful in the growth of hemp. It is in this progressive 

 manner that this fine country will be settled ; the nature of 

 things demands the pursuit ; and the first settlers are in a 

 situation capable of putting the same in practice \ their 

 stock of horses and oxen are sufficiently strong to work the 

 ground a second time over, tear up the stumps and roots, 

 plough and pulverize the soil j and until the ground is 

 brought to this state, it is not fit for hemp, as hemp, in its 

 nature, depends chiefly upon a tap root ; and when this root 

 is interrupted in its progress downwards, it will throw out 

 horizontal ones, which produce horizontal branches also, 

 and the open spaces round the stumps of the trees admitting 



so, 



