90 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

which purpose a bottle containing Atropina, a deadly poison, rested on his dressing table, and which as a draught was mis- takingly administered as Morphine, causing his demise in less than five minutes.

In consequence of Prince Albert, -—Consort to her Majesty —becoming patron of the Agricultural Society, it from this date assumed the title of Royal. The usefulness of this Society was evident from the great progress the Island was making in the science of agriculture, and in improved stock, particularly in horses. It may also be confidently asserted that with the exception of a few bogs and swamps the whole Island consists of valuable farm land, of which Mr. J. P. Sheldon, Professor of Agriculture at the Wilts and Hants Agricultural College, who visited the Island thus writes : “In some respects this is one of the most beautiful Provinces in British North America and it has probably the largest proportion of cultivated land. The soil generally is a red sandy loam, of one character throughout, but differing in quality. On the whole, the grass land of the Island and the character of the sward, consisting as it does of indigenous clovers and a variety of finer grasses, reminded me strongly of some portions of old England. The people, too, are more English in appearance than 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 parts of that country.

A geological survey of the Island was made about this period by Dr. Abraham Gresner. And recently Mr. Francis Bain, who after much study produced a small treatise on the Island’s natural history, comprising Geology, Botany and Zoology. This latter work became introduced as a subject of study for the junior classes in all the primary schools in the Province.

The new Colonial Building which had cost some £28,000 being completed, was opened in January 1847, by the Legisla- ture meeting therein for the first time. As on all previous