Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1900 — A Minnesota Farmer Does Well is Canada. [ARTICLE]

A Minnesota Farmer Does Well is Canada.

Virden, Man., Not. 18, I®**Bon. Clifford Sifton, Minister of the < Interior, Ottawa, Canada: Sir—Thinking that my experience in Manitoba might be both useful and interesting to my felow countrymen in the United States who may be looking to Manitoba and the Northwest with the Intention of settling there, 1 have much pleasure in stating that through information received from Mr. W. F. McCreary, Immigration Commissioner at Winnipeg, I was Induced to visit Manitoba in February, 1898. When 1 called upon Mr. McCreary he spared no pains' to give me all the information, etc., in his possession, the result of which was that I came here with a letter of introduction from him to the secretary of the Virden Board of Trade. That gentleman provided me with a. competent land guide, and although there was considerable snow on the < ground, I had no difficulty In selecting three homesteads for myself and sons. Having made the necessary homestead entries at the land office in Brandoo, 1 returned to my home in Lyon County, Minnesota, and came baek here in May following, accompanied by one of my boys, bringing with us two teams of horses, implements, etc. Our first work was to erect a temporary shauty and stable, after which we broke and leveled 75 acres and put up 30 tons of hay.. I went back to Minnesota about the 20th of July, leaving my son here. I returned in October, bringing my family with me. I found that the land we had acquired was of good quality, being a strong clay loam with elay subsoil. Last spring I sowed 100 acres in wheat, 50 acres in bats and barley (75 acres of this grain was sowed on “goback” plowed last spring). My crop was threshed In October, the result being over 2,700 bushels of grain in all. Wheat averaged 15 bushels per'acre and graded No. 1 hard, but that which was sown on land other than sod (“goback”) went 24(4 bushels per acre. To say that I am well pleased with the result of my first year’s farming operations in Manitoba does not adequately express my feelings, and 1 have no hesitation in advising those, who are living in districts where Mind is high in price to come out here, if they are willing to do a fair amount of work. I am ten miles from Virden, which Is a good market town, and nine miles from Hargrave, where there are two elevators. This summer I erected a dwelling house of native stone and bought a half-section of land adjoining our homestead, for which I paid a very moderate price. There are still some homesteads in this district, and laiyl of fine quality can be purchased from the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. at >3.50 per acre on liberal terms; Good water is generally found at a depth of from 15 to 20 feet. I have 175 acres ready for crop next year. . The cosvof living here Is about the same as in Southern Minnesota. Some commodities are higher and others lower In price, but the average Is about the same. I remain, your obedient servant.

(Signed)

JACOB REICHERT.