Social The most widespread, fundamental and characteristic type of the French Canadian is the habitant, or farmer, of the province of Quebec (q.v.). From a study of his conditions there may be gathered the clearest idea of the capabilities and limitations of the race as a whole. Three main groupings are distinctive of social life in the French Canadian country: the habitant's household, the range, the parish.
(1) The habitant's household normally con sists of two families, that of the senior house holder, and that of an associate son and heir; it includes generally sisters and 'younger brothers of the heir, children of the younger couple, and, in some cases, sisters of the senior father of family. We have thus a group of some 10 or more persons, closely bound to gether, not only by ties of kinship and family love, but by co-operative effort, community of interest and habits of mutual dependence, which extend, in a measure, even to those mem bers of the group who have settled outside of the family circle. The habitant's household is primarily a labor organism, a workshop. Agri culture is its mainstay; but it is of a type neither extensive nor intensive, its scope being nar rowed down to the task of satisfying directly the household's needs, and limited by the house hold's internal supply of labor. The farms seldom exceed 100 acres in area, and outside help is resorted to in very exceptional cases only. To avoid this contingency, women and children are called upon to work in the fields, especially in haying and harvesting time. On the other hand, the object being to provide directly, as far as circumstances will permit, for all the requirements of the family, habitant farming is greatly diversified. On almost every farm there are to be found, beside the kitchen garden and its few fruit trees, small patches of flax, tobacco, potatoes, Indian corn, buckwheat and barley, while larger areas are given to other cereals, hay and pasturage. Similarly, all kinds of stock are kept on each farm, though seldom any in large numbers or of excellent quality. Various home industries, such as the spinning and weaving of both flax and wool, the manufacture of maple syrup and sugar, car pentry, joinery, cooperage, brush-making, leather-working, etc., are an important factor on many farms. Agriculture is seldom the sole means of living of the habitant, since in the newer settlements the mere gathering of natural products, such as fish, game, wild fruits and wood is largely resorted to, while in the older and more densely populated sections by industries are conspicuous. Then again tempo rary emigration to and employment•in the man facturing, mining and lumbering centres of Canada and the United States is, in all situa tions, an occasional means of securing capital to start out in life or of bridging over hard times. The methods of farming of the habitant, his rotation of crops, his processes of retting and breaking flax, dyeing wool, making candles, etc., are traditional and have been in use for centuries in certain provinces of France. How
ever, in recent years, the wave of modern prog ress has been felt, agricultural machinery has come into fairly general use, co-operative butter and cheese factories have been established, and, especially in the vicinity of railways, improved methods and a more specialized type of farm ing have been adopted. Through hard work and close economy a capable habitant will suc ceed, with the help of his family, in building up a homestead of sufficient area to meet the wants of the household. Should his acquisitions of land during his lifetime remain within that limit, then the homestead will be transferred in its entirety to the associate son or heir, who in turn will be charged with providing for the whole family, in the same way as the testator would have done. On the other hand, should the acquisitions of the father of family exceed the area required for the support of an ordinary household, the lots in excess are freely used in helping out other sons who, after contrib uting to the sustenance and welfare of the pater nal household in their early life, undertake to make an independent living through agriculture. Girls receive very little aid from the family estate, as it is considered they will be provided for either through remaining as members of the paternal household, or through marrying into some neighboring family. Likewise, sons who are sent to college and enter the liberal profes sions or the priesthood receive very little else from their parents. In the management of the family affairs, the influence of the mother is about on a par with that of the father. As a rule she is better educated than her husband, sees to the corresifondence and accounts, is consulted in all matters of importance and leads in the family worship. Through working with their parents on the farm the children acquire a variety of aptitudes, but no particular proficiency in any of the arts, nor any strong desire of attaining eminence in the various walks of life, barring possibly priesthood and politics. Education is reserved for the few who take to the liberal professions and the Chutrli. The style of living is plain, and in'many respects old-fashioned. Food is in abundance, though lacking in delicacy. The house, usually of wood and whitewashed, is often rather small for the accommodation of its inmates, but as a rule kept clean and tidy. Homespun, still in use in a few families in isolated sections, is fast being replaced by the cheap cotton and woolen goods supplied by the trade.. Births are numerous, but owing to defective hygienic conditions, or to overwork on the part of mothers, this ad vantage is partially offset by the high propor tion of deaths among infants. Amusements are simple, pertaining to the daily work, the family circle, Church festivals. Many of the songs and dances are importations or adaptations from Old France. However, here, as throughout the whole range of social phenomena, outside influ ences are apparent, and features of recent origin are found grafted on old and quaint usages.