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those of any other of the Provinces, with the exception of New Brunswick. This is probably owing to a cooler climate, and the contiguity of the sea. Prince Edward Island is covered with a soil that is easy to cultivate, sound and healthy, capable of giving excellent crops of roots, grain and grass -—an honest soil that will not fail to respond to the skill of the husbandman. The Island grows very good wheat, and probably better oats than most other parts of the Dominion. of the former the crops are from 18 to 30 bushels and of the latter 25 to 70 bushels per acre. Barley, too makes a very nice crop. Wheat, at the time of my visi', was worth 4s. per bushel of 60 lbs.. oats ls. 9d. per bushel of 34 lbs and. barley 2s. 6d. to 3s. per bushel of 48 lbs. The Island is noted for its large crops of excellent potatoes, which not uncommonly foot up to 250 bushels an acre of fine handsome tubers. Swedes make a fine crop, not uncommonly reaching 750 bushels per acre of sound and solid bulbs.” The following table gives the yield per acre and present prices :—

_.._

‘Vt VALUE. per Bushels. bushel. Decimal. Sterling. l Wheat ..................... 60 lbs. 18 to 30 $080 to 51'0“ 35.4(1. to 4s. 2d. Oats ....................... 34 “ 40 to 60 0‘24 to 0-30 ls 0d. to 1s 3d. Barley .. . 4S “ to to 45 0'50 to 0 60 2s. ld,to 2s, rd. Potatoes ....... 60 “ 150 to 300 0 18 to 03) 9d. to ls. 3:1. Turnips.. .. 60 “ 400 to 1000 0-12 to 016 Gd. to 8d'

In addition to the natural fertility of the soil, the great facility for obtaining manure may be set down as one of the principal advantages. In most of the bays and rivers are found extensive deposits of mussel mud, formed-by decayed oyster, clam and mussel shells. These deposits vary from five to twenty feet in depth. and their surface is oiten several feet below low water level. Machines placed upon the ice, and worked by horse power, are used for raising this man- ure, which is then carried off by sleds and dlstributed over the fields while the covering of snow still remains. Procured in this way, in large quantities, and possessing great fertilizing qualities, it has vastly improved the agricultural status of the Island . An eminent authority Sir J. W. .UaWauu, F.R S. C.M.G., Principal and Vice Chancellor of McGill University, Montreal, says : “ The great wtalth of Prince Edward Island consists in its fertile soil, and the preservation of this in a productive state is an object of imperative importance. 'l he ordinary soil of the Island is a bright, red loam, passing into stiff clay on the one hand, and sandy loam on the other. Naturally, it contains all the mineral requisites for cultivated crops, while its abounding in peroxide of iron enables it rapidly to digest organic manures, and also to retain well their ammoniacal products. The chief natural manures aflorded by the Island, and which may be used in addition to the farm manures to increase the fertility of the soil, or restore it when exhausted, are (l) mussle mud, or oyster shell mud of the bays. Experience has proved this to be of the greatestvalue. (2) Peatand marsh mud and swamp soil. These aflord organic matters to the run out soil,at a very cheap rate. (3) Seaweed, which can be obtained in large quantities on many parts of the shores, and is of great manurial value, whether iresh or com- posted. (4) Fish Ofi'al. The heads and bones of cod are more especially of much practical importance, (5) Limestone. The brown earthy limestones of the Island are of much value in affording a supply of this material, as well as small quantities of phosphates and alkalies. Where manures require to be purchased from abroad, those that will be found to produce the greatest eflects are those capable of affording phosphates and alkalies. more especially bone earth, super- phosphates of lime and guano ; but when fish oflal and seaweed can be procured