Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1908 — AWAY UP IN MANITOBIA. [ARTICLE]

AWAY UP IN MANITOBIA.

Fred Jessen of Morocco returned from Manitobia, Canada, last Sunday, after having spent several days in visiting his brother George who has been farming in that faraway land since the early spring of 1904, owning 240 acres 22 miles west of Winnipeg, the largest and finest city in Western Canada. The difference in that and this country is so vast, in almost everything that a short resume of farming conditions and the laws under which they live will make good reading. Mr. Jessen rode a binder a half day while there. His brother had just commenced cutting his oats, of which he has a considerable acreage sown. He had commenced while they were somewhat green so as to get his 340 acres of oats, wheat and barley cut, as this must be done in his case with a six and eight foot binder. These oats were so thick on the ground and so high that it was impossible to cut a full swath with the eight foot binder. They will make a very large yield. The wheat is also good, but the barley is very poor in both yield and quality. All the land in that country is bought in 240 acre tracts, as originally it was allotted to the Indians in that sized allotments, and farms are made up of multiples of 240 acres. The richest man in that country has only 720 acres, and thereto hangs a tale. Some years ago, we have not been advised how many, this province revised its system of taxation, and at this time, in the country at least, all taxes are levied on land, and you don't have to be worried about notes or money in bank, as the same amount is assessed on every piece regardless of what improvements it has, or whether it has any at all. Personal property is not assessed. Wild land that does not belong to the government is assessed to the owner at the same price as though he had fine buildings thereon, and other improvements in proportion. And the result is that land is worth from sls for wild land, and about half of the land is still covered with wild grass, up to $35 for improved land, or enough difference to cover the improvements. And very few tenants! Think of that. The poor speculator don’t have any show at all. He can’t afford to hold the land for a raise in price for the tax has to be paid, he can’t get out of that, and the wild grass that is cut off of it will not pay them, making the land a dead loss as long as it is not worked. Land being so cheap tenants are not profitable for the same reason. The same wild grass and the same wild flowers that grew in this country before the plowshare turned them under grow in that country. Blue stem, sagegrass, wild oats, which we used to pick and throw like darts, and the Sweet Wiliams and nigger-head, are all found in that country 250 miles north of the 49th parallel. Then they have the Canada and Sow thistle, both of them the worst weeds that ever grow. These grow from the seed which fill the air on windy days and from the least little root that is left In the ground and so fast that the fields must be left cropless once in four years, and plowed continuously to keep these pests down, and last year the government took a hand and have appointed men to Took after the farmer that does not take care of these noxious weeds. Mr. Jessen is now negotiating for a farm up there and thinks he will get it. although his brother George declares he will sometime come back to the States, and although a republican he also thinks that we could get some excellent pointers from our Canadian neighbor.