in North-Eastern America. 



17 



wards beyond the borders of Pennsylvania, where in the line of 

 section they reach a height of 1000 feet above Lake Ontario.* 

 These rocks belong to the Devonian series of Englisli geologists, 

 and lie immediately under the old red sandstone, which begins 

 to cover them beyond the Pennsylvanian border — further towards 

 the south than the map or section extends. 



The district occupied by these groups of rocks presents a 

 complete contrast to the wheat -region — a contrast rich in evidence 

 of the close relation between geological structure and agricultural 

 capabilities. When first cleared the virgin surface produces 

 crops of wheat, but after the first crops — as is the case in many 

 parts of New Brunswick, which rest upon similar rocks — winter 

 wheat becomes uncertain, and spring grain only can be sown. 

 Being thus found naturally poorer, it is less cleared and culti- 

 vated than the more favoured land in the plains which border the 

 lakes. Like poor land among ourselves also — I may say like 

 poor land in all countries — it is occupied for the most part by a 

 poorer race of cultivators, who direct their chief attention to the 

 rearing of stock and to dairy husbandry. 



The cross section, taken along the line N S in the map (p. 18), 

 exhibits at a glance the relations — physical, geological, and 

 agricultural — of this interesting district. It commences from 

 Lake Ontario on the north, and is continued nearly to the Penn- 

 sylvanian border on the south. 



The above section sufficiently explains itself. It exhibits in 

 brief what in the preceding pages it has been necessary to state 

 verbally a little more in detail. The points it is intended chiefly 

 to illustrate are — 



a. The physical and geographical position of this celebrated 

 wheat-region in reference to Lake Ontario. 



b. The special agricultural relations of the several groups of 

 rocks which in this district form the Silurian system of English 

 geologists. 



c. The sudden and striking change of produce and capability 

 which manifests itself when we ascend from the calcareous soils 

 of the lower region, to the stiff clays of the more elevated 

 Hamilton group of rocks. The wheat region, par excellence, 

 is then entirely left behind, and a dairy country commences. And 



d. The still further contrast presented by what in our island 

 would be the heathy hills and moors of the Portage and 

 Chemung groups — destined, like our own poorer hills and high- 

 lands, to rear the hardier breeds of stock. 



On all these points I have already dwelt probably in sufficient 



* Ontai'io itself is 231 feet above tide-level. 



VOL. xm. c 



