No. II.

Southland Times, Issue 667, 8 May 1867, Page 3

No. 11.

» - (PBOM OTTB SPEOIAIi COBBESKHTDEIfT.) In continuation of a narrative of my visit to the Northern Districts, the aim will be to give an approximate estimate of the land actually occupied, the quantity under crop, and the result of the harvest of 1867. In doing this the acknowledged distriots will' be classified as far as possible, and the figures aa near as my information will allow, convey a good approximate estimate of the cultivation and capabilities of each. The information collected has been received from either the settlers themselves or reliable neighbors. It is scarcely possible that all the farms in each district could be included, and therefore the statement must be taken as under the mark — that both the land occupied, and the produce set forth is less than the returns represent. It must further be understood that this is purely an agricnltural report, that land purchased unless more or less cultivated has not been taken cognisance of further than to enable me to give a general estimate of the character of. the country and the future that is before the Province. It is satisfactory to be able to.state that it is universally conceded and that the harvest of 1867 has been the most prolific ye^ known,' that not a single settler 1 met with expressed discontent with the result of this year's crops. The average returns supplied by the growers vary considerably, the lowest expected returns is put down, as 20 bushels to the acre of wheat, and 30 of oats, while the majority give wheat 30 to 35 to the acre, and oats 40 to 45, while those farms that have been a few years in cultivation reach as high as from 50 to 60 for wheat, and 70 for oats. The potatoe crop has been exceedingly good, ranging from 12 tolß tons to the acre. I was informed by one settler in the New Kiver District that his potatoe crop, though apparently fine, did not turn out well ; that a disease resembling the Irish potatoe blight and displayeditself; and thathehadfoundin the Eastern District, from which he had just returned similar symptoms had been observed. The turnip crop is particularly prolific, 45 tons to the acre having been obtained. This root is not extensively cultivated in this district, a small number only of the farmers having a few acres. What I have said of the growth of turnips will apply with even greater force to carrots. The finest samples of thi3 vegetable are everywhere met with, some that I saw taken out of the ground weighed from 4 to 61bs each, sound to the very core. The article of barley, I was surprised to find, had not been much cultivated, few'of the farmers having put in more than 2or 3 acres, and many none at all. What I did see was fine full grain, well adapted for malting purposes. The disposition to cultivate English grasses" is most manifest, a large majorty of the farmers having resorted to this system of increasing the value of land that they did not intend for a time to further cultivate. The subjoined is a' statement of the information obtained in the districts passed through.