Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-10
MEDICINE HATS GARDEN.
II blossoms fits the Flowers OF sprinn
In Canada's E4nCh Country.


II blossoms fits the Flowers OF Spring
In Canada's E4hoh Country.
At nearly all the stations on the
Canadian Pacific railroad through Man
itoba there are large glass jars over the
station entrance containing fine speci-
mems Of the various cereals raised in
the country. One can see nowhere
plumper wheat or finer rye or oats than
the specimens he is able to inspect as
he jumps from the train TO take turn
on the station platforms
Further west another sort OF exhibi-
ton is given at the stations. 1t is not
necessary through Manitoba to have
gardens alongside the railroad track TO
convince the traveller of the remarkable
productiveness of the SOIL The great
fields of grain along the road are suffi-
cient evidence that he is in country
of abounding harvests. But when he
reaches the western Assiniboin or AL
berta, where the country is dryer, there
are very few wheat fields to gaze at
through the window, aud the Canadian
Pacific road has started number of
gardens at the various stations. The
garden at Medicine Hat is a particular
" fine example. and has been laid out
and attended with especial care, be
cause all passenger trains stop mt Medi
cine Hat half hour, and passengers
have plenty of time to wander through
the grounds just across the track from
the station.
Medicine Hat contains, perhaps, 400
people 1t has weekly newspaper, a
neat little church, several good stores
and public buildings, and an important
station of the mounted police. 1t lies
on the right bank of the South Sas
katchewan Many travellers climb the
little knoll covered with graves behind
| the town to get view of the surround
ing country The graves are covered
with stones to prevent wild animals
from digging out the bodies Wooden
head boards, on which are painted the
names of the dead, stand over the
graves. most of which are surrounded
! by picket fences.
| Below the knoll extends the little vii
Iage, with the swift river beyond, which
| is navigabe for nearly 500 miles from
this point almost to Lake Winnipeg
Far away on every side ~tretch the
plains, but toward the no. rhwest are a
line of buttes, perhaps 400 feet high,
which vary the monotony of the land
scape with their grim, bare and per
pendicular fronts. Beyond the river
are farms where some grain is raised,
butthe chief industry of this country
is stock raising. An ocean of grass
covers the prairies, and cattle ranches
are multiplying.
The company desires to prove that
by means of irrigation good crops may
| be raised. Its garden at the station,
therefore, is carefully watered, and it
is as fine a garden as can be seen any
where, except on the Pacific coast it
self. ~Cabbages, potatoes Indian corn,
flowers in great profusion, and small
trees are seen in very tiourishing con-
dition. A number of apple trees are
growing very well.
The garden is a most pleasing spec
tacle to tourists, wearied perhaps by
the unending prairie through which
the train has been passing. 1t is not at
all unlikely that some day considerable
land in this region will be irrigated by
means of the streams that flow through
it, and the success of the Medicine Hat
garden seems to show that nothing but
water is needed to produce abundant
crops. New York Sun.