Canadian Agriculture. 
427 
seem to come to the front, and is less known in Britain than 
are most of the other Provinces. Perhaps the Provincial 
Government authorities are a little apathetic in the matter, or 
possibly thej think it better to allow people to learn what they 
can for themselves, should their inquiries be opportunely turned 
in that direction. 
Forty years ago the Province of New Brunswick was, by 
order of the British Government, explored by Major Robinson, 
R.E., who, in his report to the Imperial Parliament, said : — 
" Of the climate, soil, and capabilities of New Brunswick, it is impossible 
to speak too highly. There is not a country ia the world so beautifully 
wooded and watered. An inspection of the map will show that there is 
scarcely a section of it without its streams, from the running brook to the 
navigable river. Two-thirds of its boundary are washed by the sea; the 
remainder is embraced by the large rivers the St. John and Eestigouche. 
For beauty and richness of scenery this latter river and its branches are not 
to be surpassed by anything in Great Britain. The lakes of New Brunswick 
are numerous and most beautiful : its surface is undulating, hill and dale 
varying to the mountain and valley. The country can everywhere be pene- 
trated by its streams." 
The Province has a Board of Agriculture, which takes 
charge of agricultural affairs and supervises the local societies. 
There are fifteen members — one from each county — and a 
secretary ; the chairman must be a member of the Government. 
The office is at Fredericton, the administrative capital. Unfor- 
tunately there are no agricultural statistics made up, except the 
meagre returns by the secretaries of the agricultural societies. 
Reliable returns would be invaluable, but there appears to be 
an indisposition to supply the funds which would be necessary 
for the official collection of figures. The areas under cultiva- 
tion as shown by the last four Census Returns were : — 
Acres. 
1851 643,954 
1861 885,108 
1871 1.171,157 
1881 1,253,299 
But the acreage of improved land in 1881 was hardly more 
than one-tenth of the area capable of being profitably culti- 
vated, and last year Mr. Julius L. Inches, Secretary to the 
Board of Agriculture, reported that not over 5 per cent, of the 
Province had been cleared of its timber. 
I cannot discover the average yields of crops, but the 
following statement from the Census Returns shows the total 
yields in bushels in the years immediately preceding in each 
case : — 
2 F 2 
