The Virginia enterprise., 1901-09-20
A GLOWING REPORT.
AN INDIANA MAN COMPARES
WESTERN CANADA WITH TIE
UNITED STATES,

UNITED STATES.
What Mr.. Frank Fisher, a Prom
ineut Dunknrd, Has to Say After a
Trip Through Canada.
The Department Of the Interior at
Ottawa has just received from Mr.. u.
T. Holmes, the agent of the govern
ment stationed at Indianapolis, lno.'
the following letter, which requires NJ
comment. 1t Is only necessary to state
that Mr.. F. Fisher, the writer OF the
letter, Is one of the most prominent OF
the Dunkards and q man upon whose
word the utmost reliance can be plac-
ed. His home is at Mexico, Ind. ana
he will be pleased to substantlate verb
ally or in any other way all that ne
says in his letter.
Anyone desiring information apply to
nearest Canadian agent, whose ad-
dresses are here given:
NJ. Y. McInnes, z Avenue Theater
block, Detroit, Mich.
James Grieve, Sault Ste. Marie. Mich.
]. S. Crawford, PA w. Ninth street.
Kansas City, Mo.
Benjamin Davies, 154'k East Third
street, St. Paul, MINI. =
L. O. Currie, room II, B. Callahans
block, 2O3. Grand avenue, MilWaukee,
Wis. .. .w ::
C. ]. Brougl1ton, 927 Modadhock
building, Chicago, iii. :: "':
*jW..'V. Bennett, sol. New York Life
building,4 Omaha, Neb.:.! .::,,:,:~
w. III. Rogers, WatertoWn, S. p.
N. Bartholomew, 3o6 Fifth street,
Des Moines,< Iowa:
j: II. NJ. Parker, $50 Chamber Of
:Comrnerce, Duluth, MINI. :. .~. :..x
E.:T. Holmes, room 6. Big -Four build
ing, indianapolis, Ind.
Joseph Young, 51h State street, Co.
lumbus, Ohio.
10 My Many .Friends:'1 am pleased
to make report to you Of the pleasant
visit my wife and l had in Western
Canada.
We visited the territories of Alberta,
Assiniboia, and Saskatchewan, and
found them far surprising our imaglna-
ton, but little did I expect to find such
rich, loamy soil, SO much Of 1t, and so
uniform in It's level prairie lay. l do
think the soil of Canada as rule
equals If not excels the finest prairie
farm lands of Indiana. These lands
are immense in their richness, and
when once the sod is rotted and pull
verized, it is as pliable and as easily
cultivated as Indiana sandy soil.
Western Canada, from my point OF
view, offers as fine opportunities for
mixed farming as any place In my
knowledge. The long. sunshiuy days,
together with the rich soil, produce
very fine wheat, oats, barley, fax and
other cereal products. There is scarce
ly any attempt to raise corn, except
early varieties for table use. The sea-
son is too short to depend upon matur
Ing field corn. From the standpoint of
getting this land ready for the plow, l
must say that l never saw such vast
extent, practically all ready, 80 all that
one has to do is to hitch up the plow
and 60 to work. This is not the case
with all the Canadian land, however:
some Of It has quite a bit Of timber,
much of it may be called brush land,
and some Of it has lovely forest groves.
dotted here and there, thereby covering
hundred and sixty acres.
have no doubt but that this country
excels as grazing or ranching coun-
try, because they have such rich grass.
having an abundance Of rain to keep it
fresh. They also have plenty of water
streams, and as a rule water may be
reached at a depth Of from twenty to
forty feet. From this you see there
can be plenty Of hay mown for winter
feeding, and l have had reliable farm
ers to tell me that their stock will feed
on hay alone, and be ready for mark ct
In the spring. Upon inquiring about
the expense Of raising a steer, a farmer
replied that he did not consider 1t
would cost any more than 81 or sc to
| develop 3-year-old steer.
l truly think Canada offers a fine
opening for a young man or man
who is renting land in Indiana. One
hundred and sixty acres of good black
land will cost you only $40 at the time
you enter it, and by plowing and cul-
tivating five acres each year for three
years, gives you one hundred and sixty
acres Of good land for $40. This land
can be bought from the railroad COM
panies, private corporations or the gov
ernment for So to 81 per acre.
From financial standpoint, l believe
that for series of years (five), 4 young
man can make $40 in Canada, whereas
he would only make 81 here, and l feel
sure that l spent more money to get
my eighty-acre farm in White County,
Indiana, cultivated than 1t would cost
me to cultivate eight hundred acres in
Canada. This may seem a strong view
to take of the matter. but when you
take into consideration the clearing,
ditching, fencing and the expensive
breaking in of the stumps. and then
compare the expense to that OF land
needing only the breaking, you will
conclude that it is not such q wild or
exaggerated statement as you might at
first think.
l enjoyed the balmy. breezy atmos-
phere. which was bracing and refresh
ing, and the cool nights which made it
SO pleasant for sleep.
On making inquiries regarding the
winters in this country learned that
| the people never suffer from the cold.
as the weather is dry and invigorating,
and In a great many places farmers
and herders allow their stock to run
outside the year round.
One great advantage to the settlers
l %NS~~H H. t.