WEST FLAMBORO' AND BEVERLY. At a numerous Meeting of the Inhabitants of West Flamboro' and Beverly, held in pursuance of a Public Notice, at Matthews's Tavern, in West Flamboro', on Monday the 1st of December, 1817, for the Purpose of taking the Address of Mr. Robert Gourlay into Consideration, and answering the Queries by him proposed. At which Richard Hatt, Esq. was chosen Chairman, and James Crooks, Esq. Secretary. 3d. No Episcopal church or public place of worship in either township, or any resident minister, though we are sometimes visited by the resident clergyman of Ancaster, and by Methodist preachers regularly attended every Sunday at private houses. The Tunkers also have divine ser vice regularly performed. 8th. Two carding machines, charge 6d. per lb. One fulling mill. One oil mill. 9th. The soil of Beverly, rich loam, and intervals; West Flamboro' the same; both very healthy and pleasantly diversified with hill and dale; are well watered with spring streams. 10th. White oak, red oak, pine, chestnut, sugar maple, beech, basswood, elm, hickory, black walnut, butternut, cedar, cherry, mulberry, plums, and crab apple trees. 11th. Salt springs, and indications of iron ore, as yet but little explored. Plaster of Paris and marl are found in these townships. 12th. Limestone abounds, and some freestone, both of very good quality for building; the expence of labour in quarrying being the only one. 16th. Wages of labourers from 11. 10s. to 41. 10s. per month. 24th. We generally sow one to one and a half bushel of wheat per acre, and get in return from 12 to 40 bushels per acre; average crop about 16 bushels per acre. 25th. Quality of pasture, clover, and Timothy; white clover springs up naturally after clearing. Our young cattle and cows generally run out till after harvest, then we put them into our folds. 26th. On new lands we generally harrow in wheat first, then seed down with grass, or plough, sow oats, or plant Indian corn, then pease and wheat again; or fallowing, sow wheat, then rye, and a succession of spring crops. Very little land has yet been manured, and that generally orchards, and ground for flax and Indian corn. Our orchards produce apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, and cherries. Gooseberries and currants are the natural productions of this country. We generally cultivate our orchards in grain, which produces us large crops; such is the genial nature of our climate. 27th. The ordinary mode of renting land is on shares. Landlord furnishes lands fenced, team, utensils, and half the seed; for which the tenant returns half the produce in the bushel. Tenant feeds himself: or landlord furnishes only land fenced; gets one-third in the bushel; tenant finding team, seed, utensils, and feeds himself: lands are always to be obtained on these terms. 28th. Wild lands at first settling, sold for 101. per lot of 200 acres; and now sells from 10s. to 11. 10s. and 21. per acre. Cleared land sells from 21. to 121. 10s. per acre, according to its situation and advantages. A farm house may be built of logs for 251.; frame house, 751. to 2501.; a good frame barn, 1251. 29th. Much land is for sale in these townships, and if a good price is offered, scarcely any farmer will refuse to sell his improved farm. ment. 30th. Our roads are tolerably good, and are improving; they are yet capable of much improveWe consider the water communication of these townships not much improvable by canalling, the ground being too high. We have at present a very flourishing village, increasing fast, in West Flamboro', on the head waters of Lake Ontario. 31st. The remainder of these townships, that is, the uncultivated lots, are in the hands of persons not resident in the province, or in the hands of such residents in Canada, who keep them-asking high prices depending on the industry of the inhabitant settlers for making roads, and improving their own lands, by which means the unsettled lots become valuable enough in time to bring the high prices demanded for them. With respect to the province in general, could some other mode be de vised, to dispose of the vacant lands of the crown, or part of them, rather by selling them, than granting them in the present mode, it would, no doubt, not only bring capital into Canada, to make purchases, but it would also beget a further interest in the purchasers, to bring in useful settlers, as well those with property, as those wanted for clearing the lands, and handicraft tradesmen. It would settle the country with a yeomanry, who in times requiring soldiers, would no doubt be found such as were wanted; besides procuring a fund to the crown for its lands, which at present appear to produce little or nothing. Under such policy, we think Canada would immediately shew another face; and would, we presume, improve full as fast as we have seen the country opposite to us in the United States; our natural advantages being infinitely superior to those enjoyed by the citizens of that country. RICHARD HATT, Chairman. JAMES CROOKS, Secretary. Names of persons present. WILLIAM HARE, J. P. CONRADT COPE, WM. NEVILLS, ROSWELL MATHEWS, ANDREW JONES, JACOB NEVILLS, JOHN Keagy, JuN. JOHN HEAGY. NICHOL. SIR, To ROBERT GOURLAY, ESQ. Niagara Falls, Nov. 18th, 1817. HAVING seen in the Upper Canada Gazette your address to the resident land-owners of the province, and it appearing to us that should your views of publishing a Statistical Account of Upper Canada be carried into effect, it will be of much benefit not only to the province, but also to our mother country, we therefore take upon ourselves to answer your queries as far as relates to the township of Nichol, in the district of Gore, we being the proprietors of that township. This township is a part of the tract of land given by Governor-General Sir Frederick Haldimand in 1784 to the Six Nation Indians who had adhered to the British standard in the former American war, as a residence, and in compensation for the lands they had left in the United States. This tract commences at the mouth of the Grand river, where it empties into lake Erie, and extends about ninety miles up stream, being twelve miles deep, that is six miles on each side of the river. This extensive tract of country was originally intended as a residence for the Indians and their posterity, as also to serve them for hunting ground-for which purposes it answered very well for many years; and until the advancement of the settle |