Nova Scotia Archives

Isaac Deschamps

A description of the system of husbandry used by the Acadians

[after 1764]. — 4 pages : 30 x 36 cm.

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at Cumberland and annapolis some of which contain
1000 acres, also at Horton Cornwallis, Falmouth
Newport, and the District of Colchester [scratched out: which] besides
that at each place, there are large tracts of
Salt Marsh, the hay of which is useful to
cattle in the winter

The Dykes are in general on the main rivers
11 and 12 feet thick at the bottom and gradually slope
they become a foot & a half thick at top,
and are five feet in [heigth?].

Across the large creeks are considerable dams
composed of spruce brush and sods from the salt
marshes, with large sluices
in which are two or three
[three lines much crossed out and written between lines illegibly]

according to the size of the creek, from
these dams the dikes run along the sides of the rivers

The acadians found these lands of more easy
tillage, and more profitable, than the upland,
and therefore did not clear much of the
latter - Yet the Upland in General is
very fertile & by proper husbandry will yield
good crops, not so large as the Marshland.

By the present high price of labor owing
chiefly to a scarsity of laborers, Every impro
-vement is [scratched out: very] expensive.

The Expense of dyking and making dams
has on an average cost from L5 [five pounds] to L8 [eight pounds] an acre
and the land [sells?] at present from 10 to L12 [twelve pounds]
an acre

[bottom of page: reverse orientation: Acadian Husbandry S. Deschamps - ]
[very lightly written: [I hope?] Deschamps says he [ripped page] at Windsor some time before the Acadians were removed]


Including returns on wheat and grass along with a discussion of the system of dyking land and how quickly the land produced thereafter.

Reference: Isaac Deschamps Nova Scotia Archives MG 1 volume 258A item 2

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/deschamps/archives/

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