The districts in which agriculture has devel oped most are Prince Edward Island. the pro tected valleys of the Annapolis in Nova Scotia and the saint John in New Brunswick, the nar row valley of the Saint Lawrence above Quebec City, peninsular Ontario, and the Red River Val ley in Manitoba.
Ontario far exceeds any other province in agri cultural importance—indeed. it is equal to all the others combined. Especially remarkable is the extensive cultivation of oats. the acreage being about 2.400.000. In barley and peas, particular ly the latter, it also greatly outranks the other Frovinces, each crop having considerably over 500.000 acres devoted to its cultivation. Its acreage (1.400.000) and yield of wheat is almost as great as that of the more famous fields of Manitoba, and it is practically the only province of the Dominion in which corn is raised. Much attention is given to the raising of hay in On tario and all the eastern provinces. large quanti ties of which formerly used to be shipped into the States, particularly from the eastern townships of Quebec.
The Maritime Provinces, excepting Prince Ed ward Island, have never entered so extensively into agricultural pursuits, but have become well known for the production of certain crops. Po tatoes and turnips receive great attention, and the yield and quality of the product are remark able. The same is true of the apple crop of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. and, to a less degree, of the Saint John Valley, New Bruns wick. The annual shipments of apples from these provinces together with those from Ontario and Quebec are enormous. The Lake Erie coast of Ontario has become noted for its grapes. It has been found that larger fruits do not thrive well on the western plains, but throughout the whole of southern Canada and well to the north ward, various kinds of smaller fruits, particu larly berries, thrive abundantly. British Colum bia, though not possessed of such large tracts of arable land as the other provinces, can still boast of its greater adaptability for fruit-raking, and the production of hops is being extensively engaged in.
On ninny farms throughout agricultural Can ada. particularly in Manitoba, wheat formerly constituted almost the only crop, but more re cently there has been a growing tendency toward mixed farming and the raising of cattle and other stock. Canadian stock has a wide reputa
tion for the purity of its breeds, and great care is taken to prevent deterioration. The raising of beef for the English market has long been an important source of revenue. Probably no phase of agricultural development in the East is so remarkable, however, as the dairy industry. In Ontario alone the creameries increased from 71 in 1893, to 323 in 1899, and during the same period the cheese factories increased from 897 to 1203. In all the eastern provinces poultry-raising is attended to, and the exportation of eggs is very large.' In the absence of other recent sta tistics covering the whole of Canada, the export tiLmres are the fairest available test of agri cultural development. The total exports of the domestic agricultural products increased from $19,341,000 in 1868, to $81,000,000 in 1900. Wheat and flour had not increased very material ly until the last three years of that period, when it averaged over $18,000.000. considerably more than twice the average for former years. Oats has averaged a little less than $3,000,000 for the last three years mentioned, which is also over twice the average for former years. Barley, on the contrary, shows a decided falling off, while peas continue to fluctuate about $2,000,000. But ter, while showing great fluctuations. reached its high-water mark in 1900, when it exceeded a value of is'5.000.000. Cheese, however. shows a constant increase, having been $5-tS,000 in value in 1868, $9.000.000 in 1890, and .$19.000,000 in 1900. Cattle shipments increased rapidly until 1891 and more slowly since that period, the value amounting to $9,000,000 in 1900. The exports of sheep for two decades have fluctuated at about 1,500,000 in value. The exportation of horses, whose value averaged about $2.000.000 for the decade ending with 1890. averaged about ;4500. 000 less for the succeeding decade, but subse quently increased, due to the demand for the x•ar in South Africa.
The Dominion Government has established a central experimental farm at Ottawa. and four branch farms in more remote parts of the Domin ion. The several provinces have encouraged agri culture by grants to societies and fairs, bonuses to creameries and cheese factories, and in various other ways.