AGRICULTURE AND MINING. Although there are probably 5,000.000 acres of land on the island suitable for agriculture. only 611.1194 acres had been improved in 1891. Since that time the Gov ernment has offered a bonus for cleared land, and the area under cultivation now amounts to about 100,000 acres. located almost wholly along the southeast coast. The principal crops are pota toes and turnips; hay and oats are also raised. The most important mineral exploited is copper, the output of which has increased eonsiderably in recent years. The value of the exports of copper ore in 1900 was $616,170. Pyrites and iron ore follow' with a combined value of $415, 764.
FisnEttiEs. Fishery far exceeds all other occu pations. and the only manufactures worthy of mention are subsidiary to the fisheries, such as the manufaeture of cordage. biscuits. etc. -More than 50,000 inhabitants of Newfoundland are engaged in the fisheries, and the fishing fleet in 1900 consisted of 1119 vessels and over 20,000 boats. The fisheries on the Grand Bank (q.v.) have I leelined. and are no longer important for Newfoundland. whose inhabitants are engaged chiefly along the coast and off the coast of Labrador. Along the west eoas.t of the island, known as the French Shore (see History below). the French still enjoy the exclusive right to fish. and the United States enjoy similar rights on the southwestern coast. The cod-fisheries are the most important. the quantity caught annually in
the waters of Newfoundland being valued at 99.000.000, about two-thirds of which are caught by Newfoundland fishermen. Next in importance eome the seal, lobster. herring. and salmon fish eries. Seal fishing is conducted from steamers which enter the solid drift ice upon which the young seal are suckled by their mothers. The number of seal has lately declined, and the sea son for hunting has been restricted by law to one month, from March 161h to April 16th. The values of the fishery products exported from Newfoundland in 1900 were as follows: Dried cod. $5,446,0(37; cod oil, $301,091; seal skins, $1d2.005; seal oil, $433.011; canned lobster, $441,593; pickled herring. $146,611.
Com m EWE AND COMM UNICATIONS. Trade is ell it' ly with Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. In 1901 the total imports were valued at $7,287,200, and the exports at $8,125, 920. The chief imports are dour and other food products, textiles, and hardware. Coinmunica tion between the coast settlements is still effected chiefly by water, there being few roads, and practically none in the interior except the transinsular railroad. The transinsular railroad was completed in 1897, and with its branch lines had, in 1899. a length of 638 miles. There were also in that year 1314 miles of telegraph lines.