6 
     
    
   
   
    
     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