Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1904 — OPINION OF THE EDITOR OF THE "NEBRASKA FARMER.” [ARTICLE]

OPINION OF THE EDITOR OF THE "NEBRASKA FARMER.”

He Expresses His Approval of A meetcan Emigration to Canada. During the winter months the head of the family consults with the otheß members as to the prospects for the future, and doubtless one of the mosfl interesting topics discussed Is that of moving to some district where It isj possible to more easily secure what in necessary for a comfortable where it Is an easy matter to become! possessed of sufficient farm land to assure a competence for the future.) This not only interests the head of the family but every individual member of it Having before me the knowledge where he can secure a home with the’ expenditure of but little money, it la well for him to obtain all Information possible regarding the productiveness of the land in the country , that he may select For several years past a large number of Americans have removed to Western Canada, and as nearly as it! can be ascertained almost all of thesej have expressed themselves satisfied! with the conditions that exist therm. During the past summer a number ofl the editors of farm papers throughout the United States made a personal visit on a tour of inspection, and the re-t ports of these gentlemen prove inter* ing reading. Mr. H. E. Heath, editor of the Nebraska Farmer, a paper en* joying a wide circulation, as well an the confidence of its subscribers, after* giving some idea of the extent of this wonderful country, says: “Western Canada is the last unoccupied and unimproved good agricultural! land in America available to-day." He then discusses its possibilities for raising live stock and the advantages it possesses for dairying, farming and wheat growing, and saye, “What has been said about the country as to the! ability of the soil, the yield of won-* derful crops of wheat. Is quite justified.” To quote further from Mr. Heath,! he says, referring to climate: “These people (skeptical ones) do nofl know or realize that altitude more* than latitude makes climates; that large bodies of water, both fresh and! salt,- that never freeze over, exert a! wonderful Influence on climate. Another Influence on climate, more po-' tent than those named above, which! applies more to the Alberta district,! is the warm Chinook breeze from the 1 Pacific Ocean, which is 600 or 700 miles nearer than Colorado or Wyoming, besides the Rocky Mountain range Is not nearly so high nor half! so far from the ocean as it is downj in the States. “In further considering the climate of the Canadian prairies, we should not lose sight of the fact of the influ- 5 ence of the rains; the total average rainfall for the season is but 18.35 Inches for the territories and 17.84 inches in Manitoba, and that the amounts falling between April 1 and Oct 1 are respectively 9.39 Inches and 12.87 inches or about three-fourths of the entire rainfall From the middle of June to the middle of July there are over two hours more daylight In every, twenty-four hours than there la ln< Nebraska. The main reason why Western Canada wheat grows to such perfection is the effect of solar light or longer period of sunshine It gets each day. This is what makqg seeds or grain more perfect grown in this country than elsewhere. This extraordinary rapid growth of vegetation under the influence of this long continued sunshine exceeds anything known in lower latitudes. “We do not wish it understood that wheat alohe Is the main product of this country; it leads in that yet it id destined to become famous for its cat* tie, bosses and sheep and for its dairy products. We saw more and larger bands of cattle and sheep grazing iq, Asslnlboia and Alberta than we ever saw on the western plains of the United States. One band of cattle numbering 5,000 head were grazing on thn rich grass and sheep without number.” The Government of the Dominion of Canada is still using the same energetic enorts which have been used for the past five or six years to settle up these western prairies, and on application to any Agent of the Canadian Government the settler will be able to secure a certificate entitling billin' to a low rate, which will give him the opportunity of visiting any portion of •Canada’s grain producing domain.