Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1901 — Saskatchewan, Western Canada, Is Called the “Garden of Eden” by a [ARTICLE]

Saskatchewan, Western Canada, Is Called the “Garden of Eden” by a

former Resident of Reed Mich. In a letter to the Reed City, Mich., Clarion, Mr. Jas. G. Armstrong of Meltford, Saskatchewan, says, writing on 27th of May, 1901: “This is a fine country for a poor man, as he can go out on the hay slews and cut.all the hay he needs. He turns his cattle out on the prairie, and when he is not using his horses, he turns them out also. There is such an abundance of food they never wander away. “A lady,, who has lived here eight years, told me that this was the original ‘Garden of Eden.’ I certainly would believe it, if we could only find the apple trees. But as it is, we have many varieties of fruit —strawberries, -cranberries, saskatoons, huckleberries, red and black currants, dewberries, plums, red and black cherries, and-red raspberries. All of these fruits grow wild. Then the flowers that dot the prairies, making them look like a real garden. We have eaten of the wild red currants, and they are equal If not superior to those grown in Michigan. We have sweet corn 7% inches high. As the western farmers are all done seeding, branding cattle and sheep shearing are now progressing. Wool is only five cents a pound, and many ranchers have on hand last year’s clip. I inclose you a potato blossom, slice of new potato, which measured 6% inches when cut. This is no fairy tale, if we are so much farther north than Reed City. It is all facts. Come up and see. This has been truly called the ‘garden of the West.’ With fruits and flowers, lakes and streams, fish and fowl, beautiful rivers, tracts of timber and mountains, what more does a man want?” Information concerning all parts of Western Canada will be cheerfully given by communicating with the age tof the Government of Canada, whose advertisement appears elsewhere.