Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 102, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1904 — WESTERN CANADA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WESTERN CANADA

Special correspondence: Tlio old Romans used to say that Gaul was divided into three parts; so is the Canadian Northwest. Gaul’s divisions were political; those of the Western Canada’s prairies are created by the unerring hand of nature. Chiefly because of the elevation of the country, the absence of large lnkes and rivers, and the operations of the “Chinook” or Pacific ocean winds, which readily cross the Rocky Mountains in Southern Alberta through gaps and passes, the southwestern portion of the Canadian provinces is regarded as somewhat arid, and less fertile than other tions of the country. Although this has been a prevailing idea in the past, it has been left for Americnn settlers, who have invaded this district within the past two or throe years, to prove that splendid crops of grain can be grown on the laud, which had hitherto been the feeding ground for the herds of cattle and bands of horses that ranged there. That ranching is carried on most successfully in oilier portions of the prairies West, just as agriculture is to a limited extent conducted suece r :s': ”y within this boundary is fully establL.ied, but taken as a whole it constitutes a territory above all others most admirably adapted to this particular industry. The buffalo, bunch and other grasses that grow in profusion in this district and retain their nutritive properties the year round, and the moderate climate of mid-winter rendered such by the Chinook winds preventing any considerable depth of snow at any time, especially fit the district for the peculiar methods of the ranchers —raising his herds the year round in the open country. While there are no large lakes or rivers In this whole country, there are numerous fast running streams fed the year round by melting snow in the mountains, furnishing an abundance of the coolest and purest water, tlie best-for beast as well as man. The country lias at once an abundance of the best of food and drink the year round, a clear sky, but little wet or stormy weather and a favorable climate the year through. This makes Southern Alberta more especially the most favorable rapehing country in the known world, and the enterprise is making most unprecedented headway. Ranchers, however, as well as others, learn that it® pays best to raise thoroughbred stock aud accordingly the wild herds of scrub horses alid" cattle are fast giving way to better animals through the importation of thoroughbred males. Just how many ranchers, ranches and horses, cattle and sheep

there are in this district of country at the present time, it is hard to say, as there are no positive statistics available. It is known, however, that the country Is settling up fast. Englishmen and Americans In the western territories are bringing in their herds as fast as they can and leasing or purchasing land in lots from 1,000 to 20,000 acres from the Dominion Government. An idea of the growth of the industry will, however, be gathered from the fact that in 3899 there were but 41,471 head of cattle shipped and sold from the ranches, these figures ran to 55,129 in 3900, and to 100,000 in 3903, averaging S4O per head for the owners. But it takes a great many ranchers and a large number of cattle to cover an area of 200,000,000 acres, the area available for ranching in the Canadian Northwest. It is not at all necessary that large Investments should he made at the outset. Many men commenced with small capital and small herds, aud have worked themselves into large herds and great

wealth. There is still in the country plenty of room for those who desire to go and do likewise. The Second Part. The second part of the Canadian prairies embrace the great wheat growing belt of the country, which is easily a half larger than any other in the world. It Includes about 150,000,000 acres. As It Is comparatively free of broken land, large lakes aud rivers about 125,000,000 acrea of It can be brought under the plow. Placing a farmer on every half ■ectlon (320 acres) it can comfortably locate 800,000 farmers or 4,000,000 of •n agricultural community, A glance now at what the farmers of the territories ' are doing will give the reader a better idea of what can be done in this great wheat growing zone. The territorial government reports show that in 1903 there were raised 10,629,149 buah-

els of spring wheat off 837,234 acres, an average of 19.04 bushels per acre; off 440,062 acres of oats there were grown 14,179,705 bushels, an average of 32.17 bushels per acre; 09,007 acres produced 1,741,209 bushels'of barley, 24.05 to the acre, and 32,341 acres produced 292,853 bushels of flaxseed, 9.03 to the acre. As but 1,383,434 acres, or a little better than one per cent of the entire wheat growing area of the territories, was under crop, a little figuring shows 33 per cent of the entire country under wheat will raise the 200,000,000 that Great Britain annually requires from outside countries. It is a fairly safe statement to make that in 12 or 15 years the Canadian prairies will be supplying the entire demands of the mother country. In this part of the country wheat la king, and here it is raised in the greatest possible perfection by a combination of soil and climate in its favor, and the tendency lias been to neglect the. more laborious branches of husbandry for which the country is equally well adapted. Free Homestead Lands, There is yet a large quantity of government land for homesteading in this

country and as in everything else, “the early bird catches the worm.” Those who come first are first served- When it is preferred to purchase railway or other company lands they can be got at from $5 per acre up. This section cannot be better closed than by showing practically what is made by wheat growing in this district. The average from the first of operations is 20 bushels per acre. Breaking the prairie, as first plowing is called, is, of course, an exceptional expenditure, as when it is once done it is done for all time. This costs about $3.50 per acre.. After the breaking, plowing aud seeding, harvesting threshing and marketing —all expenses combined amount to about $5.25 per acre, that is, if a man likes everything done it will cost him $5.25 per acre. If he does the work himself

he is earning wages while producing at that figure, now as the average yield is 20 bushels, and the average price 00 cents —$12 per acre —the difference between the result and cost, $0.75, is the profit of grain growing year in and year out in the great wheat belt of the Canadian prairie country. If a man has a half section of land and puts half of it, 160 acres, under wheat, which is a very common occurrence, lie makes SI,OBO on wheat alone, and should make, if he Is iK capable farmer enough, out of other crops, sale of cattle, dairy and other products, to keep himself and family the year round besides. The Third Division. The third division of this great country lies to the north of the wheat belt, between it and what is known as the forest country. As wheat, growing implies the raising of all cereals, that can profitably be raised in the country, the remaining branches of mixed farming are dairying and the jaising of farm stock. It must not be supposed that dividing the prairies in this way is saying that any one portion of the country possesses better soil than another, for such is not the case —all districts are equally fertile, but tlie topography and climatic influences, etc., difftw, as well ns the conditions for production. Ranching and grain growing are carried on quite successfully in this northern zone; but it is found more profitable to combine all the features of the industry. On account of the land being more broken than in the southern district, though the soil is equally fertile, there are not the same opportunities for extensive operations; and while cattle raising is ns profitable here ns elsewhere, different methods linve to be adopted for their protection, especially in the winter season. An authority on the subject lias stated that agriculture in any country never reaches the minimum of development until the farmers engage at least proportionately in dairying, though the surroundings must always determine the extent to which any feature of the industry may be prosecuted. It is a certainty then M)at of the agricultural possibilities of this portion of the prairie country be Estimated by its adaptability to dairy farming, even the most skeptical must acknowledge they are unsurpassed In any country in the world. Aa intimated above, even dairying may be successfully carried on in any corner of the territories, bat this cone has everything to recommend it u the ideal spot for thj* branch of the business. _ .

SCHOOLHOUSE AND FARMS, MORDEN, MANITOBA.

CORN CUTTING IN CANADA.

TYPICAL WESTERN CANADA TOWN.