THE PEDALTO INSTITUTION FOR INCORPORATED ART

 
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DEPARTMENT OF PRESCRIBED YIELDS

DIRECTOR   Sisal Siskin

ABOUT

The foil varies greatly : in many parts it is thin and gravelly on a bed of rock ; for many years this was what they endeavoured to cultivate, but ill fuccefs taught the inhabitants a change which has proved very advantageous. They fixed in the fait marfhes on the bay of Fundy, which, although they required a very expenfive drainage, yet, from the fertility of the foil, repaid the farmer much better than other tradts gained with much lefs difficulty. The foil in thefe marfhes is a white or blue clay, mellow when in culture and marly; if the water is well conveyed off, it is capable of producing great crops, being luitable to the heat of the fummer. But the expence of getting this land is not fmall; the fea is to be dyked out, thofe dykes are to be kept in repair, and the temporary flames conveyed off. Further, only the line next the coaft is of value, as that only has the benefit of harbours for boats and fchooners, and for carrying off lumber for the Weft Indies. Moft of the advantageous tra&s were patented feveral years ago ; but the lotts change hands often, and at prefent many of them are to be fold cheap enough, though under culture. B z An An idea of their management may be gained from the following particulars: upon the fettlers firft going they fix upon a piece of marfh, with an adjoining one of wood-land, feldom lefs in the whole than from five hundred to eight hundred or a thoufand acres: if the marfh is already banked, they pay an annual tax for that work ; if not, they muft execute it before any profit can be made. They build the houfe on the edge of the wood-land ; a work that cofts nothing in materials from the plenty of wood, which is fine, confifting generally of oak, pine, or black birch : but all the trees are grubbed, which makes the labour heavv. Three years are nominally given to fetr tie the tradls afiigned; but this is not ftrictly adhered to, but extended by favour to fix or feven. After ten years a quitrent is paid to the king of two fhillings for every fifty acres ; alfo a covenant entered into of planting two acres with hemp of every fifty taken up : the planters are kept to this article, but wiih very little effedr, for the climate is utterly improper for that production.