Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/374

 322 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Area and Population. — The province, which is the smallest in the Dominion, lies at the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and is separated from the mainland of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by Northumberland Strait. The area of the island is 2,184 so. miles. In 1911 the population was 93,728 (47,069 males and 46,659 females), or 4291 to the sq. mile. In 1901 it was 103,259, showing a decrease by 1911 of 9 - 23 per cent. The rural population in 1911 was 78,758 (88,304 in 1901) ; the number of houses in 1911, 18,237 (18,530 in 1901); the number of families 18,425 (18,746 in 1901). Population of the principal cities (1911): — Charlottetown (capital) 11,203 ; Summerside, 2,678.

Religion and Instruction. — The population of the Province at the census of 1911 was divided among the different creeds as follows ; — Roman Catholic, 41,994 ; Presbyterian, 27,509 ; Methodist, 12,209 ; Baptist, 5,372 ; Anglican, 4,939. There are (1919) 473 schools, 17,587 pupils and 594 teachers in the Province. There are two colleges, Prince of Wales College, head of the Provincial school system, and St. Dunstan's, a Roman Catholic institution, both in Charlottetown. Total expenditure on public educa- tion in 1919, 285,960 dollars.

Finance.—

-

1914

Dollars 525,555 445,396

1916

Dollars 506,794 506,071

1917

1918

1919

Revenue .... Expenditure

Dollars 501,298 506,922

Dollars

508,367 495,577

Dollars 506.S58

720,478

The total cash assets of the Province amounted in 1920 to 893,389 dollars.

Production and Industry. — The farm land occupied is 1,202,347 acres. Field crops in 1919 covered 615,682 acres. The land in natural forest covers 316,000 acres, and in pasture 247,260. The acreage and production of certain crops in 1920 were : spring wheat. 37,600 acres, 453,000 hushels ; barley, 5,046 acres, 123,000 bushels; oats, 183,452acres, 5,095,000 bushels ; potatoes, 36,300 acres, 6,175,000 bushels; turnips, mangolds, &c, 9,400 acres, 1,5-29,000 bushels ; hay and clover, 243,000 acres, 304,000 tons. Total acreage, 536,000 ; value, 18,530,000 dollars. The number of horses in 1920 was 35,569 ; cattle, 139,143 ; sheep, 72,552 ; pigs, 49,S'l? ; poultry, 649,817 head. Silver fox ranching is making great progress. There are (1920) over 500 silver fox ranches in the Provinco, variously estimated to contain from 15,000 to 23,000 of these very valuable animals.

The total value of the fisheries in 1919 was 1,554,770 dollars, ofwhbh lobsters made up 1,080,000 dollars; for 1920 the estimated value of the lobster catch is 1,400,000 dollars; lobsters and oysters both abound, the former mar Charlottetown, the latter in Richmond Bay, where the oyster fields extend to 15,000 acres. In 1912 the Provincial Government acquired from the Dominion Government the possession and control of the oyster areas surrounding the Province. Some 20,000 acres have been surveyed and 5,000 acres leased for replanting and development. It is estimated that 100,000 acres in all will be available for this purpose. So far (1920) the experiment lias proved but partially successful.

In 1918 there were 484 industrial establishments, with a capital of 2,887,000 dollars, employing 1,670 wage-earners ; salaries and wages, 777,000 dollars ; cost of material^ 3,548,000 dollars ; value of products, 5,698,000 dollars.