Stranica 218 [218]
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answering certain queries proposed in an address
from Robert Gourlay, respecting the local situation,
soil, produce, agricultural improvements, etc., of
this Township, we give the following as an unani¬
mous opinion :—
ist. Township of Leeds, situated on the River St.
Lawrence, commencing about 15 miles below
Kingston—6 miles in front, about 16 miles in
depth ; laid out regularly in concessions, or ranges
of lots of land, each range a little exceeding one
and one-quarter miles in depth, and each lot 19
chains in width, with an allowance for roads between
every six lots.
and. Commenced settling in the year1792. Num¬
ber of inhabitants, 319 ; houses, 46.
3rd. One good frame building erected and finished
for a school house in the Village of Gananoque, and
also to serve occasionally for a place of Divine wor¬
ship, and free for ministers of different denomina¬
tions. There are no regular preachers resident, but
those of the Methodist and Baptist congregations
preach every alternate Sabbath day, and occasion¬
ally those of the Presbyterian persuasion.
4th. There is one medical practitioner.
5th. Number of schools, one ; under the patronage
of the Board of Education for this District (viz.)
Johnstown, comprehending two Counties — Leeds
and Grenville. Salary, £20 6s. 3d. currency per
quarter, including an allowance of £5 from the
Government per quarter.
6th. Stores. 3; all in the above named village.
7th. Inns or taverns, 2.
8th. Grist or flour mills, 1, working one run of
stones: saw mills, 4—one of three sets of gins,
occasionally having from three to six saws in oper¬
ation; one of two saws, and two single mills.
When timber is sawn upon shares, the owner
receives one-half. Grist mills for grinding draw
every twelfth bushel.
gth. Soil, mostly of a brown, marly clay, having
a black earth on the surface, of from two to
three inches. In many places the soil on the
ridges or heights of land consists of a sandy loam,
of a reddish yellow cast, intermixed with black
earth towards the surface. In the 3rd Concession
or range, the soil is black earth on the surface, two
or three inches, then a reddish brown loam, six or
Seven inches, on a marly clay bottom. In other
ridges, and in some low grounds, the color of the
clay approaches to white, and is of a hard loam
nature; but these are by far the smaller tracts
of land, as in other places the rock rises to the
surface. Near the water, in several large tracts,
the soil is a deep black earth, upon a brown clay.
17
bodies of water termed lakes, all of which dis¬
embogue themselves into the Gananogue River.
Adjacent to these waters, the soil is a very deep
black sandy loam, and near the said tracts are
other extensive tracts of black earth of great
depth. This Township may be considered as well
watered; and although the surface is in many
places uneven, yet in general it is fit for cultivation.
roth. Different kinds of timber trees: (1) Hard or
sugar maple, from which large quantities of sugar,
of an excellent quality, are annually made; (2)
white or rock maple ; (3) beech; (4) pine—white,
red, yellow or Norway, and black or pitch; (5) oak
—white and red; (6) ash—black and white; (7)
basswood ; (8) hickory or walnut; (9) hemlock ;
(10) cedar—white and red ; (11) elm—white, red‘
rock and slippery bark ; (12) tamarack ; (13) aspin;
(14) poplar; (15) ironwood ; (16) birch—white,
yellow and black ; (17) cherry ; (18) butternut; (19)
spruce, in small quantities ; juneberry, alder, horn¬
beam, hazel, etc., etc., underwoods.
rith. Building Stone: (1) A good, firm sand
stone, tolerably free, in abundance; (2) a white and
grey stone, free, and very easy to work, in abund¬
ance ; (3) fire proof sand stone, in good quantities,
in the rear of the Township; (4) a greyish flint
stone, intermixed with red ; excellent mill stones are
made of this kind of stone ; (5) greenish, blue soap
stone, resembling marble, has been discovered,
which hereafter may be found useful for chimney
pieces and other ornamental work. The price, per
toise, for quarrying stone cannot well be ascertain¬
ed, as people generally procure the article them¬
selves or their own hired hands; therefore it only can
be calculated from the price of labor in Query 16th.
12th. Minerals: Iron ore, of a good quality, has
been discovered. Indications of large quantities are
favorable. It has been reported that there are indi
cations of coal, but this is not as yet ascertained.
Indications of lead are more favorable. A discovery
has lately been made in rear of the Township of
large quantities of a white substance or earth, much
resembling lime. It has been applied to purposes
for which lime is used and found to answer ex¬
tremely well. Weare not sufficient mineralists to
determine the specie or even the genus to which this
substance belongs, but must express that our hopes
are very sanguine respecting its utility.
13th. Bricks have not been made in this Township.
It is allowed by persons understanding that art, that
there are suitable materials in abundance fit for the
purpose, k
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