ioK PAST AND PRESENT OF ward, because-the condition of soil products and climate make this Island pre-eminently fitted for hog raising. Perhaps the greatest advance along the line of farm produce has been the dairy out¬ put. One year the exports of the factories have exceeded half a million. A recent fall¬ ing off has resulted from a short fodder crop in 1905 and the migration of so many of our young men and women to the northwest of Canada . These people have been lured away by misrepresentation and by the de¬ spondency and pessimism produced by the failure of the Dominion to fulfill the terms of union, which can only be properly and effect¬ ively done by the construction of a tunnel un¬ der the straits of Northumberland. Yet let not hope perish or faith depart. MERCHANT MARINE OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. By Fred W. Hyndman . It is by no means an easy or pleasant undertaking to write of an industry that is of the past, and practically dead, and that is what may be truly said of the shipbuild¬ ing industry of Prince Edward Island . There are two good and substantial rea¬ sons, over which the residents of the prov¬ ince have no control, for this state of things namely by the introduction of steam to¬ gether with iron and steel ships, and the ex¬ haustion of the timber once plentiful for shipbuilding purposes. Probably it was owing to the fact that a large majoVity of Prince Edward Island 's population was born within sight of the deep blue sea, together with its isolated po¬ sition, that during the greater part of the last century, the Island produced more sea¬ men and navigators in prportion to its pop¬ ulation, than any of the other provinces of British . At one time it was not an unusual oc¬ currence to meet men in the Island who were accustomed to go into the forest, fell the trees, haul them to their shipyards, con¬ struct their ships, launch and rig them, and afterwards sail them successfully to all parts of the world. In those days the Island de¬ pended almost wholly upon its own ships to carry to market its farm and other prod¬ ucts, as well as for the importation of its necessary supplies from Great Britain , the , and other countries. Shipbuilding in the colony, it is well known, commenced about the middle of the eighteenth century (1740), and went on in¬ creasing in volume until about the year 1865, when, owing to the reasons above stated, a gradual decline set in, which has continued to the present time, when it may be said the industry has completely died out. It is not possible to obtain absolutely correct or reliable data, but it is well known that amongst the earliest of our shipbuild¬ ers the names of Hill, Chanter, Cambridge , Lepage , Duncan and Donald McKay took a prominent place. Following these the names of Andrew and James Duncan, McGill, Peake, James Yeo , Richards ( Georgetown ) and Douse, also Angus and Hugh McDonald , were prominent builders; and later still we have the names of Richards ( Bideford ), Yeo, Welsh, Owen, McDougall, White, Coffin,