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Ontario (Province of the Dominion)

a province of the Dominion of Canada (formerly called Upper Canada, or Canada West); bounded on the W. by Manitoba, on the N. by Keewatin and James Bay; on the N. E. and E. by the province of Quebec, on the S.

E. by the St. Lawrence, on the S. and S.

W. by Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior; area, 222,000 square miles; pop. (1917) (est.) 2,750,000; capital, Toronto, pop. (1919) 499,278. Ottawa, the Dominion capital, is situated in the E. part of the province. Other important cities are Hamilton and London. The chief lakes of the province are Simcoe, Nipissing, and Nipigon. The chief rivers are on the boundary, the Ottawa, the Albany, and the Niagara, the Falls lying partly in the province. The surface is generally low, no elevation exceeding 1,000 feet. The province is crossed by the Laurentian hills. The climate is healthful with extreme cold only in the N. part. The richest, most thickly settled, and most highly culti vated portion of the province is the peninsula between the St. Lawrence and Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron. A large part of the province is covered with timber, and this, with the water facilities, makes lumbering one of the chief industries.

Minerals. Mining is the principal industry of the province, the minerals including silver, copper, iron, nickel, gypsum, marble, and salt. The province is rich in petroleum. Lambton county containing the largest oil-producing districts. In 1883 nickel was discovered at Sudbury, the deposits since proving to be the richest on the Continent. The total value of the mineral production in 1918 was $80,208,972. Of this the gold was valued at $8,502,480; silver, $17,- 415,882; nickel in worth, $26,578,200; marble (metallic), $1,262,116; copper, $8,262,360; natural gas, $2,498,769; cement, $1,910,839; salt, $1,287,039. Agriculture.-Farming is an important occupation and most of the soil is of excellent quality. The chief crops are hay and clover, Indian corn, wheat, barley, oats, peas, root crops, potatoes, and tobacco. The value of the crops in 1918 was $363,909,778. The value of farm buildings, land, livestock, etc., was $1,- 633,413,528. The butter production was valued at $13,126,470, and the cheese at $24,356,019. Stock raising, dairy farming, and bee culture are among the industries of the province. The value of