Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-03-23
FARMING IN WESTERN CANADA.
The Great Natural Fertility Il the Soil 10
Manitoba, Assiniboia, S~askatche.
wan and Alberta.
What Has Been Done by Premier
Greenway, Himself a Lead
ing Farmer.

Hon. Thomas Greenway, Premier Of
the Province of Manitoba, one of the
foremost farmers of Western Canada,
writes an excellent article to the press,
from which the following extracts are
made:
The writer came to Manitoba from
Ontario in the autumn of 1878, and has
ever since been engaged In agricul-
tural pursuits. From the day, nearly
twenty-five years ago, when he select
ed his homestead, he has had unbound
cd faith In the country as a place where
farming can be successfully carried
on, If pursued upon proper lines. There
Is a large number in this province who
should rather be called wheat grow
ers' than farmers. On account of the
facilities, natural advantages, and
therefore cheapness with which wheat
can be grown, no doubt many have
done exceedingly well by raising wheat
only; still, it is far from ideal farming.
Not only will such a course, If persist
ed in, have the effect Of causing the
land to run out, as has been the expe-
rience Of those who pursued the same
plan In the wheat-producing prairie
States to the south Of us, but it is far
from being the most profitable course
to adopt.
This fact is already being demon
strated in Manitoba. Let the farmsNin
this Western country be managed upon
the lines which were successful in the
Eastern provinces, and much more can
be done here in a given time than was
nUap 1nnn tn f1n I,oct Tha Ia ltlt
ties of failure are practically nil. Upon
the farm there should be found horses,
cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry, accord
ing to the ability of the farmer-with
respect to his means and the extent of
his holding. The wanton waste which
has hitherto been practiced by many
farmers, that of burning vast quaint
ties of excellent fodder after threshing
Is done, should cease; 1t should all be
used upon the farm and converted into
the old, sensible kind Of fertilizer ma
nure, and afterwards be returned to
the soil, so that what has been taken
from 1t by the crop may be restored.
Although admitting that the great nat
ural fertility Of the soil in Manitoba
and the success that has attended the
growing Of wheat after wheat for
years upon the same land have a ten
dency to make such a course as the
one mentioned tempting. yet, If contln-
ed, wheat growing upon the same
land year after year is undoubtedly a
mistake.
The writer knows Of no country that
offers advantages SO great 10 the agri-
culturist as does Manitoba. The vari-
Gus branches Of farming ear be carried
on successfully, as twenty-five years OF
practical operations and observations
OF what others are doing have proven.
TO those desiring TO make new homes
for themselves, the low price Of some
of the best lands in the world (al-
though rapidly advancing in price this
year, offer still great opportunities. To
all such the invitation Is cordially
giyea to ''come and see." There need
be no poor people here. There is land
for all who choose to come, land upon
which happy homes can be established.
and from which ample can
be gathered against old age. All that a
man needs to achieve competence in
this domain is common sense and in
dustry. With these qualifications he
Is bound to succeed.
y Particulars of these lands, and how
to obtain them, may be had on appli-
cation to any agent of the Dominion
Government, whose advertisement ap-
pears elsewhere.