Page:The empire and the century.djvu/428

 By JAMES W. ROBERTSON

is essentially an agricultural country. Most of its wealth must come first from its farms. Its material prosperity, at present in sturdy evidence on all sides, rests upon gainful agriculture.

The soil, the climate, and the intelligence and industry of the people, are favourable for the production of a great variety of food products of exceptionally good qualities from farms, gardens, orchards, and vineyards; and the extensive sea coasts, great lakes, rivers and streams, abound with the finest of fish.

Over 45 per cent of the population of Canada are engaged in agricultural occupations. There are vast areas of fertile soil from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and the climate or climates range from subtropical to subarctic, with a rainfall varying from 67 inches per annum in British Columbia, 17 inches in Manitoba, to from 80 to 45 inches in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The mainland practically lies between 60° W. longitude and 125° W. longitude. The distance across Canada from east to west is rather more than one-sixth of the distance around the earth at that latitude. It extends from a little south of 42° N. latitude to the Arctic regions. The latitude of the settled portions of the eastern half of Canada coincides with that of France. To the west of the middle line—95° W. longitude—lies the great prairie region, begin- 385