St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-07
FARMING In MANITOBA.
ssRhamnus'' Insists That Frost 10
Too Early There,
And That Emigration Th1ther Should
Be Discouraged.

To the Editor Of the Globe:
My letter on Manitoba, published in the
GLOBE of the Sd ult., evidently produced
considerable CONSERVATION amidst the CO.
terie that are planning to entice immigra-
grafton into Manitoba, and several attempts
have been made to contravert my plain
statement of facts, but as it generally
happens in every bad cause information
arises out of the evidence of its defenders,
SO has the truth of all l wrote regarding
Manitoba as an undesirable field for the en-
lgrant been proven and eXemplitied by all OF
those who have sought to deny it. A gen.
tleman writes to the Dakota Farmer from
Grand Forks and signs himself ''Dakotian."
lie hints that l have been led aStray by
narrow minded partSanship, that | have
written for temporary gain and in preju-
diced spirit regarding the wheat-growng
interests OF Manitoba, as compared with
Dakota, but such oblique insinuations usu-
ally prove to certainty that they are
made in the consciousness of falsehood.
''Dakotian," while charging me with writ
Ing inconsistencies, fails in single instance
to disprove the truthfulness of statements,
or correctness of my conclusions. ''Dako-
COMPILED BY SCIENTISTS
show that the first killing frost in 1882 was
recorded at Morehead, Mimi, On Sept. 20,
and at Emerson, Man., on the same day.
That date was sufficiently late to permit of
successful harvesting. If Emerson Suf-
fered so did Morehead, but, as matter of
fact too well known to be disputed, the
harvest has generally been abundant in
both these great districts during the years
regarding which he (Rhamnus) attempts
most successfully to give information"
''Dakotian" wisely avoids the giving of
similar scientific information regarding the
frosts of previous and subsequent years
named in my letter, and, while [ do not
admit the correctness of the date he gives
in 1882, it may be interesting to him and to
the public in genera to read a few facts
from an eminently practical official source
respecting the great districts" he names.
AT time when so many eyes were di.
rected towards the prairie province by the
official pamphleteers, who had scattered
their productions over Europe thick as the
leaves of the forest. few localities in the
province presented to the emigrants the at
fractions of Emerson. situated at the gate
way of Manitoba, surrounded by the bound
less prairie, rapidly filling up by class of
settlers of
THE VERY BEST
character to develop the resources of new
country and having the earliest railway
communication with the outside world, to-
gether with river navigation. There was
apparently grand future in store for
Emerson. AS a weIl-known divine OBJ
served at the time, The prosperity and the
future greatness of the city of Emerson
were apparently assured beyond peradven-
ture AS matter of course all depended
upon the success of agriculture. the sole in
dustry of that region. and we will see by
the following to what extent these glowing
anticipations have been realized. Emerson
rapidly filled up capital flowed freely and
the new city and substantial business blocks
were built, handsome public buildings that
would do credit to any country, and ele-
CANT residences were erected. and the popu-
lation having rapidly increased city char
ter was secured, and the citizens had rea-
sonable expectation of prosperity, but
THE SEQUEL SHOWS
how their hopes were blighted. I copy the
following from the Canadian American of
Oct. 10. 1885: Mr.. John Osborne, public
accountant. of Winnipeg presented report
on Emerson finances. The report says:
An official census taken during the audit
shows the population reduced from between
1000 and 5000 to 944 all told, of whom
only 243 are males of 81 years of age. Of
272 dwellings 11S are vacant. Of SO stores
81 are vacant. From this state of affairs
it will be evident to the creditors of the
city there are no present resources avail
able for their claims, and that the only
help for them is to enable the ratepayers
OF the city so to arrange the load of debt
that its ultimate security and the amount
charged of interest thereon is practicable
with their continuing to live under it,"
What commentary on the letter of ''Da-
kotan," who describes such a country as
the favorite province of Manitoba" and
of all who by Misrepresentation would al
lure any of the
TOILERS OF THE WORLD
to embark their future in such an uncer-
tainty as farming in Manitoba So serious
was the effect of the frost on grain crops in
Manitoba, that the only public elevator at
Emerson has been closed for nearly year,
because little or no marketable wheat could
be handled there, and here let me say that
l have no i'll will towards Emerson, rather
the reverse, and that her case is not excep-
tlonal, because from my point of view, as
will be shown by reference to my letter. to
which such umbrage has been taken by
''DakOtian." that if any locality in the
province should prosper it should be Emer-
son, and l confne my remarks to that dis
trct more exclusively in this letter, because
it has been singled out by ''Dakotian'' in
his letter of accusation against me. ''Da-
kOtian" writes that
INJURIOUS FROSTS.
when they do come. which is rarely the
case, are quite as early in the wheat fields
OF portions Of Dakota as they are in those
OF Manitoba" If that be so how does it
happen that it has not been found necessary
to establish in Dakota grade for frozen
wheat, as became imperative in Manitoba
for, although Dakota had crop last year
of rs, 600, 900 of bushels, and Manitoba and
the whole Canadian Northwest only some
5000, 600 bushels, the Manitoba crop could
not be marketed or its value ascertained
until the government established an official
grade for Frosted wheat Nos. 1, 2 and s."
RHAMNUS.
Aug. 4, 1856.