The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-05-14
FARMING IN WESTERN CANADA.
The Great Natural Fertility of the Soil
In Manitoba Assiniboia, saskatohe-
wan and Alberta.
What Has Been Done by Premier Green
way, Himself a Leading 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,
rom which the following extracts are
made:
The writer came to Manitoba from
Ontario In the autumn of 1873, and has
ever since been engaged in agricul-
turaI pursuits. From the day, nearly
twenty-five years ago, when he select
cd his homestead. he has had unbound
Cd faith In the country as a place
where farming can be successfully car
ried on, II pursued upon proper lines.
There Is q large number in this prov
1nce who should rather be called
~wheat-srowers" than farmers. On
account OF the facilities, natural ad-
vantages, 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 course. IL persisted In, have
the effect of causing the land to run
those who pursued the same plan in
the wheat-produclng prairie States to
the south OF us, but 1t is far from be-
tng the most profitable course to
adopt.
This fact Ia already being demon
strated In Manitoba. Let the farms in
this Western country be managed upon
the lines which were successful in the
pDAstern Provinces, and much more
can be done here in a given time than
was ever done In the East. The proba-
Dalities Of failure are practically nil.
Upon the farm there should be found
horses, cattle. sheep, hogs and poultry,
according to the ability of the farmer,
with respect to his means and the ex-
TENT OF his holding. The wanton waste
which has hitherto been praeticed by
many farmers, that OF burning vast
quantities OF excellent fodder after
threshing is done. should cease: it
should all be used upon the farm and
converted into the old, sensible kind
of fertilizer manure, 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 natural fertility Of the
poi In Manitoba and the success that
has attended the growing of wheat
after wheat for years upon the same
land have tendency to make such
course as the one mentioned tempting.
yet, IL continued, wheat growing upon
the same land year after year is un-
uoubtsdly a mistake.
The writer knows of no country that
uRers advantages so great to the agri-
eulturist as does Manitoba. The va
rious branches of farming can be car
ried on successfully. as twenty-five
years OF practical operations and OBJ
psrvations 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
che world (although rapidly advancing
In price this year, offers still great
opportunities. To all such the invita-
ton 10 cordially given to Come and
see" There need be no poor people
acre. There 10 land for all who choose
70 come. land upon which happy
homes can be established, and from
which ample resources can be gather
I'd against old age All that man
needs 10 achieve competence in this
domain Is common sense and industry.
with these qualifications he is bound
70 succeed.
For information regarding free
homestead lands, apply to any agent OF
A. A.
appears elsewhere In these columns.