APeriod of Transition 143

Since, in general, the directors and the vast majority of the mem- bers of these societies were farmers, agricultural issues dominated the agendas. Such was the case for the discussion circle founded in Mis- couche in 1876. The Moniteur Acadien wrote that being “composed almost exclusively of farmers, the society does not neglect agriculture. On the contrary, it appears to be the main goal promoted and most of the meetings are devoted to discussing the best ways to raise the standard of this noble profession” (TR)'?'. In Abram’s Village the debat- ing club was also dominated by farmers. In November 1874, shortly after it was founded, the club organized a ploughing competition’”’.

Within the context of the Maritime Provinces, Acadian farmers on the Island appear to have been ahead of their compatriots in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Shediac native, Pascal Poirier, pointed this out in a speech he gave in Quebec City in 1880. After a trip to the Island in 1890 a mainlander described the situation of the Acadian farmers in an article published in L’Evangéline:

Several Island parishes are remarkably prosperous due to the industry of people living on farms. Let us hope that this noble activity of our Island neighbours will be passed on to their children: this activity in farming indicates a great wealth of patriotism, a rightful love for well-being granted to the most sanctify- ing of labours for which man was created. (TR)'”

On the whole, the Acadians benefited from the overall improve- ment that took place in agriculture on the Island. In their own milieu, however, they were greatly stimulated and supported by the Farmers’ Bank of Rustico, the granaries and educational meetings organized by various groups.

LAND USE

Spurred on by increasingly widespread education, Island farmers began seeking better ways of exploiting the land. All the newspapers of the time showed a keen interest in farming. They reminded their readers frequently that cultivating the soil was a science and that to succeed in agriculture one had to keep abreast of new techniques and put them into practice.

The major problem in agriculture around the middle of the nineteenth century was the impoverished soil and lack of fertilizer.