River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-12-25
GREAT STRIDES MADE.
Wonderful Richness of the Soil on
western Canada Has Turned the
Tide OF Immigration.

The great strides which Western
Canada is making, and the wonderful
richness of the soil, is creating CON
siderable excitement, not only in
Canada, but in the United States and
Great Britain. The large crops of
the past two years, with phenomenal
yields, have enacted a movement to-
wards the west, which will not be
checked until every available home
stead is taken. The Edmonton But
letin, one of the "farthest north
newspapers, in a recent article on
the Northwest as wide and open
field, says: There must be fertile
soil, there must be a suitable climate,
there must be the possibility of build"
ing up modern civilization; and tho
conditions must be such that Labor
can reach the land; or in other
words, land must be cheap. The
Canadian Northwest contains tho
largest unbroken area of country on
the continent, or in the world fulfill
ing these conditions. In its thou
sand miles of plain which stretches
from the Lake of the Woods to the
Rocky Mountains Canada is able td
offer land to the landless of the con.
tinent, and of the world. This year
(1902), the only complaint, over all
the vast stretch of territory, of the
farmers and ranchers, is that the
railways have not sufficient rolling
stock to move to market the returns
of the past season.
The area under crop in WesterE
Canada in 1902 was 1,987,33O acres,
Yield 1902, 1T, 1922, 754 bushels. Wealth
waits on industry ia Canada. There
is Plenty of Room.
Prices have advanced in Western
Canada so per cent. in the last two
years, and the upward movement
seems still on. The migration into
Canada is becoming notable. Some
body has estimated that $4,000 acres
of Canadian land are sold a day to
people from the United States.
Whatever doubts there have been
as to the suitability of the Canadian
Northwest for settlement, those
doubts have been set at rest by the
successive yields of previous yeaTs.
and by the browning glory of the
past year (1902), which gives solid
assurance as to possibilities that
would not otherwise have been he.
lieved. The fact of the grain prodNc-
ton of the past season in Manitoba
and the Northwest, T17,922,754 buSh,
els from 1,9S7,330 acres, and that a
| certain number of farmers have pro.
duced a greater value of wheat, oats,
| and cattle for sale than any other
equal number anywhere else in the
known world, is the best possible an.
swer to the question: us there
wealth in the Northwest?" Not only
in the Northwest but in the whole
country has there been prosperity.
The Canadian Northwest is not all
alike in its production Wheat grow
ing is the speciality of one part, cat
tie ranching Of another, and mixed
farming-the growth of grain and
live stock together-Of still another.
DPCdhlHB IouBhly, lHc SoulHeaSleTH
parts of the Territories and Manitoba
are wheat growing; the southwest
ern part of the Territories is ranch
ing, and the northern part of the
Territories is mixed farming. Differ
ences of soil, climate, and other con
ditions are the causes of these differ
ences in agriculture in the various
sections. But it is safe to say thai
in no other area of the world is there
an equal possibility of the productions
of wealth from the soil, whether by
one branch of agriculture or another.
Rice in South Texas.
The Government report for 1902 shows
that Texas holds the worlds record for the
production Of rice. Some of the best rice
lands in the State are along the line of the
M. X. & L. Ry. An interesting book on