The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-22 00:00:00

be within the mark throughout. And the means
to attain all this is in itself so simple—is one so
completely within our reach ! We have but to
stretch forth one hand and shake these " ripe
pears" (as the Napoleonic phrase is) upon Africa.
For the sake of humanity, for the sake of com-
merce, for our own conscience sake, shall we not
do this P

Already we have recently taken occasion to
descant upon the many attractions revealed to the
emigrant by Canada. We have pointed out the
scope that noble colony affords to every kind of
development. We have commented upon the ad-
vantages secured to it by the mere vastness of its
dimensions. We have particularised a few of
the more striking excellencies appertain-
ing to it from the mere circumstance of
its geographical situation. The extent of its mag-
nificent seaboard ! The wondrous facilities afforded
for inland navigation along the broad and majestic
current of the St. Lawrence, The diversity, and
for the most part the salubrity and loveliness, of
the climate! The fecundity of the soil ! And so
forth. We have gone further than this. We have
particularised the marvellous rate of increase ob-
servable of late years in the population of the two
Canadas, on the extent of country traversed by the
Canadian railways, in the development of the mer-
cantile enterprises of the colonists there generally.
Yet is there, of course, very much more to be said
upon each and all of these themes, upon which we
have been expatiating at so much length.
Even in reference to the agricultural capabilities
of the soil of Canada, might not much more be
said in evidence of their amazing amplitude, from
the simple text that in the valleys of some of the
largest rivers of Upper Canada during the last
twenty years wheat has been grown after wheat !
Grown, of course, not with impunity. Cela va
sans dirs. Still, that such an insensate course as
this could have been persisted in, is of itself a
fact sufficiently indicative of the marvellous fruit-
fulness of the land so harshly dealt with ! No
thought there of the rotation of crops. But, on
the contrary, for twenty years and upwards con-
secutively, wheat after wheat grown, as we have
said, upon the same soil ! According to this
system, or rather by reason of the absolute want of
any rational system at all, it is not by any means
surprising that we should have to read now as the
consequence of all this—that " the first crops
yielded an average of 40 bushels to the acre, but
under the thoughtless system of husbandry then
pursued the yield diminished to 12 bushels to the
acre, and compelled a change of system which soon
had the effect of restoring the land to its original
fertility. This system of exhaustion," we learn,
however, " has effected its own mire, and led to the
introduction of a more rational method of culti-
vating the soil. Years ago, when roads were bad
and facilities for communicating with markets few
and far between, wheat was the only valuable pro-
duct of the farm, so that no effort was spared to
cultivate that cereal to the utmost extent. Now,
since railroads, macademised roads, and plank
roads have opened up the country, and agricultural
societies have succeeded in disseminating much
useful instruction and information, husbandry
has improved in all directions, and the
natural fertility of the soil of the old settle-
ments is in great part restored." So that
the very blunders of our Canadian agriculturists
have tended perhaps the most clearly to demonstrate
the extraordinary natural capabilities of the soil,
its astonishing fecundity, its grateful return at all
times, and in all due seasons, to the labours of hus-
bandry whenever judiciously applied! Having
referred thus more particularly to the character of
the agricultural development of Canada, we shall
take an early opportunity to comment upon the
rise and progress of many of the more remarkable
cities and towns of that noble colony.