Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/536

 522 NOVA SCOTIA Cape Chignecto, at the end of a peninsula jut- ting out into the bay of Fundy from the isth- mus which connects Nova Scotia with the mainland, and having at either side of it Mines basin and Chignecto bay. The coasts through- out are lined with small islands, close to which there is deep water. Sable island in the At- lantic, 100 m. S. E. of the peninsula, belongs to the province. There are numerous small rivers, mostly navigable by coasting vessels for short distances. The most important are the Shubenacadie, Avon, and Annapolis, emp- tying into the bay of Fundy, and the Clyde, Liverpool, La Have, Musquodoboit, and St. Mary's, into the Atlantic. The surface is in- terspersed with numerous lakes and ponds, the largest being Lake Rossignol in the southwest, 10 or 15 m. long, by about 5 m. wide. The geological formations of Nova Scotia range lengthwise with the peninsula from S. W. to N. E. Along the Atlantic coast nearly half the breadth is occupied by the lower Silurian, N. W. of which the country, including the isthmus between the bay of Fundy and North- umberland strait, consists for the most part of the upper Silurian and carboniferous groups. Along the bay of Fundy S. of Mines basin is a narrow belt of triassic rocks, and in Annapolis co. occurs a small area of the Devonian forma- tion. Granite, syenite, &c., are found in iso- lated localities in various parts of the penin- sula. Cape Breton is occupied by the upper Silurian and carboniferous formations, with occasional areas of granite, syenite, &c. The most valuable mineral products are bituminous coal, gold, and gypsum. The coal is found chiefly in the N. E. part of the peninsula and on Cape Breton, the three most productive counties being Cape Breton (S. E. portion of the island), Pictou, and Cumberland. Nearly all the gold has been mined in districts scattered through the lower Silurian belt. Guysborough co. produces more than half, Halifax and Hants cos. standing next. There are between 30 and 40 mines in operation. Gypsum is quarried chiefly in Hants co., but it occurs throughout the N. E. portion of the peninsula and on Cape Breton. Iron is mined in Annapolis, Colches- ter, and Pictou cos. to a limited extent only ; but a superior quality of ore is abundant there, and also in Cumberland co. and on Cape Bre- ton. Galena and copper ore occur in various localities. Limestone, freestone, granite, and marble suitable for building purposes, and clay for brick making, are common. The granite of Shelburne co. is celebrated. Grindstones are manufactured from the sandstone strata, chiefly in Cumberland co. The mineral product of the province in 1874 was valued at $2,104,633, viz. : coal (872,720 tons), $1,787,098; gold (9,141 oz.), $164,538; gypsum (104,140 tons), $104,- 140 ; other products, $48,857. The total yield of coal from 1827 to 1874 inclusive was 13,- 752,618 tons. The gold product from the opening of the mines in 1861 to the close of 1874 was about 260,000 oz., worth $4,790,000. The climate is remarkably healthy, and its rigor is greatly moderated by the almost insu- lar position of the country and by the Gulf stream, which keeps the ports facing the At- lantic free from ice in winter. The ther- mometer ranges from more than 20 below zero to more than 90 above. Though the spring is backward, vegetation is remarkably rapid. The temperature sometimes varies 50 in 24 hours ; but the weather is considered pre- ferable to that of most other parts of Canada, as it is milder in winter and not so excessive- ly hot in summer. The mean temperature of the western (where the thermometer rarely falls below zero) is higher than that of the eastern counties. Dense fogs are prevalent in spring and summer both in the bay of Fundy and along the Atlantic coast, but they do not extend far inland. The mean temperature at Digby, in the southwest, for the year ending May 81, 1873, was 43'6 ; at Halifax, 42'8 ; at Pictou in the northeast, 41 ; at Sydney, Cape Breton, 40. At Halifax the mean temperature of summer was 62 ; autumn, 48'4 ; winter, 22-1; spring, 38-8 ; warmest month (July), 64*8 ; coldest (February), 20'6 ; maximum temperature, 93 '1; minimum, 14-4. The total fall of rain during the year at the same place was 40-04 inches; of snow, 103'4 inches; total precipitation of rain and melted snow, 51 -1 inches. Along the S. shore the soil of the highlands is light and poor, but toward the north there are large tracts of fertile uplands. The valleys are exceedingly rich. Nova Sco- tia has extensive tracts of woodland, from which lumber and ship timber are obtained. Oak, elm, maple, beech, birch, ash, larch, pop- lar, spruce, pine, hemlock, &c., attain a large size. The rock maple yields sugar. Currants, gooseberries, strawberries, blackberries, blue- berries, &c., are abundant. Apples, pears, plums, and cherries grow well, the apple or- chards of Annapolis and King's cos. being par- ticularly productive. The principal agricultu- ral products are wheat, rye, oats, barley, buck- wheat, Indian corn, peas and beans, potatoes, turnips and other root crops, hay, vegetables, and dairy products. The season in most parts is rather short for Indian corn, but it yields a full crop in Annapolis and King's cos. There are considerable tracts of marsh land reclaimed from the sea along the bay of Fundy by means of dikes, which produce abundant crops of grass. Considerable numbers of horses, cattle, sheep, and swine are kept. The wild animals and birds are the same as those generally found in other parts of North America, but, with the exception of some of the smaller species, their numbers have been greatly reduced. The ad- jacent waters swarm with fish of various kinds. The manufactures of the province are limit- ed, consisting chiefly of coarse cloths (home- spun) made and generally worn by the farming population, coarse flannels, bed linen, blankets, carpets and tweeds, leather, boots and shoes, saddlery and harness, furniture, agricultural