308 
SKETCHES OF CANADA. 
sides and on the table land, which spreads out 
into a broad extent on top of the mountain, is 
a stiff, brown clay, and one of the best soils for 
wheat in North America. Owing to continued 
indisposition, while I remained at Hamilton, I 
was unable to visit many of the neighboring 
farms. 
The agricultural capabilities of the district 
around Hamilton, and on westward towards 
London and upon Grand River, are probably 
equal to any tract of the same extent upon this 
continent ; and I believe there are some very 
good farmers; but there is, upon the whole, a 
very great lack of that enterprising spirit which 
alone can bring a rich soil into a high state of 
culture and productiveness. 
On Thursday afternoon, August 15th, I left 
Hamilton, and reached Toronto in four hours, 
run close along the north shore of the lake, 
where a good many flourishing farms are to be 
seen, if we may judge by what I have always 
considered a good sign, that is, good barns. 
Toronto is also situated up a bay, though not 
back from the shore like Hamilton. One of the 
most prominent objects in approaching this city 
is the Lunatic Asylum, and next the extensive, 
commons lying waste in front of it, though not 
quite so worthless to the world as the barracks 
and their occupants, also seen in the same view. 
What a number of persons might support them- 
selves by cultivating this tract of rich, alluvial 
land now lying idle, or only serving to show 
off' the trappings of the few swords not yet 
made into pruning hooks and plow shares. I 
was disappointed in finding Toronto so much 
more of a lively, thriving business place than I 
expected. The population is about 27,000, 
which, I presume, includes somewhat extensive 
suburbs. One of the best farming regions of 
the province lies contiguous, and gives trade 
and wealth to this city. 
By the politeness of Mr McDougal, editor and 
proprietor of the Canadian Agriculturist and 
the North American, I had an opportunity of 
viewing the farms some ten miles out " Yonge 
street." This name is given the continuation of 
the principal street leading north, in the direc- 
tion of Lake Simcoe, which is about 37 miles dis- 
tant. It has been graded and Macadamised upon 
a straight line, without regard to any obstacles, as 
creeks or ravines that might intervene, and like a 
great many similar foolish efforts to make a road 
straight, going through and over hills, instead of 
going round them, it has caused a great outlay 
of money in places where a slight bend would 
have saved the largest portion. It is a govern- 
ment work, and is kept in repair by tolls. The 
farms are laid out one fourth of a mile wide and 
one and a fourth deep; then comes another 
road, and so on. These strips are called " con- 
cessions," and are numbered according to situa- 
tion. Cross roads, also, run a mile and a fourth 
apart; so the whole country is divided into 
squares of a mile and a quarter. This is an old 
French fashion, adopted, at first, along the 
streams for the purpose of giving a greater num- 
ber of frontings upon the water. In the interior, 
it certainly is not so perfect a system as the 
United States have, of mile-square sections and 
square subdivisions, all numbered by a system- 
atic rule. 
Leaving Toronto, we ascend very gradually 
from the lake, a couple of miles, and then up a 
low ridge corresponding with the curve of the 
shore, composed of sand, gravel, and clay, like 
the present beach. All the soil below the ridge 
is more spongy than above, though much more 
sandy. The upper level is a rich clay loam, 
without hills, though broken by ravines. Por- 
tions of it were covered with white pine, and 
other parts, with hard wood. This was made 
up of maple, beech, elm, ash, hickory, basswood, 
butternut, and some other sorts; oaks not being 
plenty. Farms of 200 acres, with a good com- 
fortable brick house and out buildings, and good 
barn, and well fenced, and under fair cultiva- 
tion, averaging 25 bushels of wheat, and 35 or 
40 bushels of oats, and 200 of potatoes, will sell 
for about $50 an acre, along this road, within 
ten to twenty miles of the city. Corn is only 
grown for home consumption, and does not prob- 
ably avei'age much more to the acre, than wheat. 
The soil here is excellent for grass, but the 
winters occupy half the year, and are sometimes 
very severe. I did not see so many cattle as I 
expected, though I did see a few herds of good- 
looking cows, and some small flocks of fine 
sheep. As for horses, I venture the assertion 
that I can count a greater proportion of good 
substantial, real serviceable farm horses upon 
this road than upon any other that I have ever 
travelled. 
I observed here the same scarcity of good 
orchards, that I have elsewhere. There are a 
few rather tasty and somewhat ornamental 
places, but the great portion of them show the 
owners to be very plain, and probably, com- 
fortable-living farmers, that have not yet heard 
of "agricultural chemistry," nor " scientific agri- 
culture." Almost all we see, reminds us of Auld- 
Lang-Syne in farming, such as we were wont to 
look upon forty years ago, when the old Gary 
plow used to kick our shins, in Connecticut. 
The plow in most common use here, is the 
'■ Canada Scotch Plow ;" and any argument en- 
deavoring to convince these people that there is 
a better kind, or even any kind at all, equal to 
this, is argument thrown away. There are a 
good many other improvements in agricultural 
implements and machinery, that are as a sealed 
book to the Canadian farmers generally, and I 
fear will continue to be so, during the age of 
the present non-reading generation. 
A gentleman by the name of Hurlburt, of 
Toronto, has spent a good deal of labor upon a 
machine to go by steam, to supersede the plow 
in some cases, and thinks he has now got it so 
it will work advantageously. The principle is 
more like spading than plowing. I hope with 
all my heart, he may be quite successful. There 
are many more things I might have seen in this 
part of Canada, and much more that I did see, 
that I might write about; but as I am only out 
for a " flight," I must plume my wings and away. 
So let us step on board the Princess Royal 
steamer, a very good boat, of the slaw and 
