Page 218 [218]
OCR
E Pay eo ates We. Fo 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 unanimous 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. Number 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 worship, and free for ministers of different denominations. There are no regular preachers resident, but those of the Methodist and Baptist congregations preach every alternate Sabbath day, and occasionally 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 operation; 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 disembogue 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, hornbeam, 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 abundance ; (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 ascertained, as people generally procure the article themselves 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 extremely 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 at
