Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-08-18

readers of EXPosIToR will give more
detailed description of what / observed
and impressions made while there.
To farmers laundering after owner
ship in large tracts of land, Northwest
Canada is the place to get it, and get 1t
cheap. Land as good as ever was made,
ready to pitch in and cultivate, can be
had for from 81 to SO an acre, from
second parties. From Government n
homestead of l60 acres will cost $1,000,
settlement dues. The land is very fer
tile, will grow with little labor from 80
to 50 bushels of wheat to the acre, &C
cording to the work expended in pre-
pairing the soil. Oats can be grown 60
to 100 bushels to the acre. Barley and
peas can be grown very profitably,
while vegetables and small fruits can
be raised to great perfection. Apples,
pears, and peaches have no chance at
all. Native hay is cut in abundance IN
sloughs which abound everywhere.
The soil, not being so well adapted as
our own for timothy, little of that is
grown. The grass on high lands does
not grow very tall, but is very nutri-
tious, cures standing, and the stock
thrive on it, and are as fat as stall fed
cattle at home. The soil is very easily
worked. In breaking up land the sod
is turned over to the depth Of 2 inches,
left to rot, then back plowed, and on
this the seed is sown. Second year the
blowing is about s or 10 inches deep,
after that, many farmers SOW for sever
al years in succession on the stubble
ground, and get very fair returns.
There is plenty of water generally.
The climate is very healthy, III sum-
mer is not as warm as in Michigan,
nights cool and pleasant, not much
danger of land being flooded with
water, as the soil generally absorbs all
the rain fall, being Tree and porous and
in many cases 20 feet deep till you
reach sub-soil. Young men who want
to farm, and have 5000 or over, can
find good chances. With q team and
necessary implements, and cheap land
ready to break up, there would be no
difficulty in such, making good COM
petence in very few years. There are
no taxes on farm lands, very little road
making required, and what is done Is
paid for by the Dominion government,
fund for this purpose being placed
| in the hands of the executive council
consisting of three members, who along
with the Lieutenant Governor, govern
all the territories. A given number,
however, can petition to be set apart
as n school district, and even in that
case they are only required TO pay 20
per cent of tuition, the general govern
ment paying IS per cent.
| But while there are many good things
can be said, there are also some very
serious drawbacks. Early frosts, which
often blight the whole seasons crops,
long. cold winters, frost entering the
ground Il and Is feet, and scarcely
ever leaving it. Gophers in countless
numbers, which eat up vegetation II Ike
prasshoppers, and not the least Is the
great lack of competition in transport
alton. The G.. =. X. with its octopus
arms reaching out, grabbing, and suck
ing the life-blo0d out OF every enter
prise in the country.
So much for the practical, now toI
a scenic description and then comes an
end to my story. To lover of natures
beauties and grandeur, no trip on the
continent of America will furnish more
to crafty every variety OF taste FOL
such things, than trip across Lake
Huron to Sault Ste Marie to the locks
thence by rail from Sudbury through
the mountains of that region, and
across the great prairies to the Rocky
Mountains on the west. In former
letter | gave u slight sketch OF the
scenery on Sault Ste Marie, which Ii
grand and imposing, but 1t is largely
thrown in the shade by the wild anc
varied grandeur of the scenery along
the line of the G. p. X. from Sudbury
to Whitemouth. In quick succession
and endless variety the eye is greeted
with charming glimpses of cascades
rivers, lakes, and mountains. Fol
miles the road runs along the banks o.
wide, rapid and deep rivers, following
them in their devious courses, otter
crossing and recrossing the same
streams many times. Thenagain wind
ing round and skirting the shores OF
beautiful lakes, ever varied in size anC
form, some that look like mirrors Sc
in frames Of emerald green, and Others
grit with bold, rock-bound shores, bare
and rugged, often perpendicular, anC
towering skyward hundreds OF feet
again plunging into cuts, dark anc
deep, through solid granite, the side:
looming up with terrific grandeur
almost shutting out the light. Their
into tunnels, round bold head-lands
across deep gullies on tressel work
up hill and down dale, skirting the
base of mountains, clothed in green
and mountains, bold and bare, then
tops often piercing the skies, on, or
we go for distance of 1000 miles
nature repeating herself over and over
until seemingly tired, or her force,
which produced such extraordinary
formations, became exhausted, for hel
rugged mood now changes and the
country at this distance begins to flat
ten out, and take on the character
istics of the prairie land. But 1T is MOI
until after Winnipeg is left in the rear
that the prairie in all its lonesome
grandeur is reached. Song or story
family describes what is felt by an
imaginary mind, on the first glimpse
of a boundless prairie can scarcely
describe my feelings. But imagination
was busy and wonder was excited, as
to what caused such a wonderful con.
dition of things. For miles and miles
as far as the eye can reach stretches
out a vast level, treeless waste, al
though the land is as fertile as any
under the sun, yet produces in its nat.
ural state, nothing but short stubby
grass. Not tree, not u shrub. This
for bupd rods of p,iIac tban nOpnac n