quoted by Humboldt.) The tendency of the destruction of forests is, cæteris paribus,

"1. To elevate the mean temperature of the summer months.

"2. To lower the mean temperature of the winter months, but to shorten their duration.

"3. To accelerate the advent of spring.

"4. To dry up swamps and shallow springs, and to diminish the supply of water in creeks.

"5. To hasten the disappearance of snow from exposed districts.

"The comparatively gradual approach of spring, in the Canadian Peninsula, is a great advantage to the husbandry of the country. High maximum means of temperature, at that season of the year, with low minimum means, are treacherous, and often indeed ruinous to the agriculturist. Their influence on health is also very detrimental. Compare Toronto with Muscatine, Iowa, to the west of the Lakes, in these respects.

"Hence, April, with a mean temperature at Muscatine of 50°.7, sufficient to force on vegetation, suffers occasional

mean minimum temperatures of ten degrees below the freezing point; whereas the mean April temperature at Toronto is nearly eleven degrees below that of Muscatine, and effectually arrests the progress of vegetation until the danger arising from killing frosts is greatly diminished. These are important considerations in estimating the adaptation of a climate to the purposes of agriculture.

"The destruction of forests seems to have a marked effect upon swamps, springs, and running streams. In all parts of the country neglected saw-mills may be seen, having been abandoned by their proprietors owing to the 'want of water.' It is indeed a constant and yearly increasing complaint, that springs and rivers are drying up, and that the supply of water in mill-creeks is year by year diminishing. This decrease may reasonably be ascribed to the destruction of forests, whereby extensive swamps are exposed to solar radiation, and that supply of moisture which they received in the summer months from the condensation of the aqueous vapour of the atmosphere, by the leaves of the trees overshadowing them, being altogether cut off. The frequency of extensive swamps is one acknowledged cause of the retardation in the advent of spring, and the production of early spring frosts; it is evident, that with the progress of the settlement of forestcovered tracts, these causes will gradually exert less influence in producing one of the most objectionable features in the climate of this country."*. —p. 25-27.

*Whether from climate or other causes, the proportion of persons of florid complexions and robust frames appeared to me much greater in Canada than in the United States.

The comparatively even monthly distribution of rain is also of great benefit to Canadian hus

bandry. By the tables given at p. 30 it is shown that while at Muscatine the rain fall for the year 1849 was 57.9, nearly 50 per cent. of which fell in two months, June and August, it was at Toronto 32:18, and pretty evenly distributed throughout the year. In the months of May, June, and July it appears that the number of rainy days at Toronto were in each of those months respectively 8-6, 104, 10.5, 78. The bearing of this fact on the important matter of turnip husbandry is very evident, as well as upon many other forage crops; and the general humidity of the climate is shown to be only 7°.5 less than that of Greenwich.

Geology. The admirable Reports of the Geological Survey of Canada which are published

by order of the Legislative Assembly," and are in a very convenient form for reading and reference, give so complete an account of the geological distribution of the various strata and their agricultural capabilities, as far as the survey under Mr. Logan has yet been carried, that

K

no emigrant or landowner can be at a loss for the fullest information as to the best purposes to which to apply his land, or as to the "economic materials" it contains. These Reports show what vast resources lie yet undeveloped in the splendid lands of Canada. It is most striking to one who has never before witnessed such prodigality of nature, to see whole districts of many square miles in extent composed of alluvial deposits from 30 to 80 feet deep of soil in some places so rich as to bear good crops of wheat for several successive years without manure ; and others of nearly equal value resting on red sandstone, trap, serpentine, limestones, and other strata most favourable for agriculture; the evidences of the strength of the soil being manifest over all that still remains in the state of aboriginal forest, in the noble trees that occupy the ground in every stage of vigour and decay. There are also for many miles in succession (as along the Grand River), soils too rich for wheat; others of a good sandy loam, suitable to, and requiring, the usual English rotations; other tracts of rich black mould, but requiring drainage-too rich at

first for wheat, but which have been cropped with wheat for thirty or forty years without manuring. (Report for 1849-50, p. 92.) "The natural growth of these lands" (along the valley of the Thames, Western District) “is oak, elm, with black walnut and white-wood trees of enormous size; the black walnut timber is already becoming a considerable article of export. Fine groves of sugar maple are also met with, from which large quantities of sugar are annually made," p. 93. The rich soils of the neighbourhood of London, Woodstock, Zorra, Goderich, Galt, Paris, Brantford, Port Stanley, Port Dalhousie, St. Catherine's, Hamilton, Toronto, Lake Simcoe, Coburg, &c. &c., are in the course of being analysed, and the results of several of the analyses have been already published. The scientific agriculturist therefore has these valuable preliminary points of information ready to his hand.

Farming.-In consequence, perhaps, partly of the very fertility of the soil, there is undoubtedly a great deal of very bad farming in Upper Canada. Judging from the state of the farms of a very