eir agricultural produce, that the farmer of course first
feeds his own family, and that price affects him so far as it relates to
his surplus produce, and that price rather affects his luxuries than his
means of subsistence. I am not aware that the present prices would
prevent a farmer obtaining that return which would enable him to
purchase at least all his necessaries."

_Q_. "What do you suppose is the average expense of the conveyance of
wheat from the remote parts of Canada to Montreal?"--_A_. "I believe
the cost of bringing wheat from Niagara to Montreal was about 15 pence
colonial currency, but I am not certain; it is not now lower. I once
made a table showing the cost of taking produce of all kinds from three
points on Lake Ontario and on Lake Erie, and sending up articles to the
same places."

_Q_. "What is the freight from Quebec to England?"--_A_. "The ordinary
rate has been from 8 shillings to 8 shillings 6 pence a quarter for
wheat."

_Q_. "Do you know the price of wheat in this country?"--_A_. "I
believe the last average was 40 shillings."

_Q_. "If at 40 shillings you would probably allow 10 shillings a
quarter, by your present statement, as a fair deduction for the expense
of bringing it into this market?"--_A_. "I should think so."

_Q_. "Do you think the price of 30 shillings would pay the agricultural
producer in Canada for the production of wheat; would afford a return
for the investment of capital in the production of wheat in
Canada?"--_A_. "I should be loth to speak to a point on which I have
not sufficient knowledge."

_Q_. "Is it not indispensable to form an opinion upon that point to
justify the opinion you have already given?"--_A_. "I think not. I
have that feeling, that the consequence of their not having the timber
trade would be, that they would produce other articles, and that their
condition would not be deteriorated. I am led to that conclusion by
seeing the present condition of the State of New York, which once
depended on the timber trade; I look also to Vermont; and when every man
tells me that he laments and has lamented that he ever meddled with the
timber trade, I think that I am justified in my opinion, for no one will
pretend to state that the land of Vermont, or even of New York, equals
that of Canada. While speaking of the soil of Canada, I would observe
that Jacobs has estimated the average return for wheat on the Continent
at four to one, of Great Br