s fuel to consume them.
This he is compelled to do, for the land having been so long smothered
by the want of air and sunshine, arising from the denseness of the
forest, has a degree of _acidity_ in it, which the alkali of the wood
and ashes are required to correct, previous to his obtaining a crop. I
do not believe that a settler ever sold a tree when he was clearing,
although if water-carriage was convenient, he may afterwards, when he
was in competent circumstances, have done so. Having raised his crop
from the first year's clearing, what is his employment during the
winter,--cutting down timber on the Ottawa for the English market? no;
cutting down timber on his own property as fast as he can, so as to have
it ready for burning in the early spring, and having a crop off this,
his second clearing. And so he continues, with full employment on his
own farm, until he has cleared sufficient for the growing of his corn
and the pasture for his cattle. When he has become independent and
comfortable, and has a few thousand dollars to spare, then he will erect
a saw-mill, and work up his own trees into lumber for sale, but by that
time he must be considered as a rich man for a settler. The _timber_
trade, therefore, is hurtful to the Canadas, in so much as it prevents
them from clearing land and becoming independent people, who by other
means would become so. The timber which is cut down for exportation, is
chiefly from the forests on or near the Ottawa river, and the emigrant
settler has neither interest or concern in it.

It may be argued that, as settlers do, as soon as they are in better
circumstances, erect saw-mills, and work up their trees into _lumber_,
that it would be unfair to deprive them of that advantage. I will grant
that; but the fact is, that you will not do so; for of the quantity of
timber and lumber exported from the Canadas, it is only one-half which
is sent to the British market, the other half is divided between the
West Indies, the United States, and their own consumption; and the
demand of the United States will so rapidly increase, that, in a few
years, the Canadians will care little for sending their timber to
England, even if the present duty were kept on. I consider that this
bounty upon cutting timber is very injurious to the American provinces,
as it distracts their attention from the real source of wealth, which
must consist in clearing the country; for, to show how great a
difference t