The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-15
THE BUMPER CROP OF 1901

The crop around Regina at the harvest just
| passed was SO immense that the facvilties for
threshing and shipping could not be found
| In the vicinity. According to the official fig
ures of the Northwest Government, the .av-
erage yields per acre were as follows: Wheat,
29.7O, reaching as high as $3.50; oats 1881,
| reaching in many instances over 100 bushels;
| barley, 40.67. Some extracts from the report
of the Regina Board of Trade for the cur
rent year relate to the splendid crop, and
will read with interest The report for
1902 says in part:
NO sooner was last years immigration at
an end than there were signs that the pres
ent seasons immigration was about to be-
gin. Indeed scarcely week passed during
the winter now over but settlers, intending
settlers, farmers delegates or persons seek
| ing land have arrived in Regina; while even
at this early period of the season imnigra-
| ton in numbers has set in. There is every
indication that the influx this year will be
phenomenal. Most of the newcomers are a
number are from the United States. next in
number are from Ontario and there is a
sprinklng from the old country and the other
nations of Europe.
From beginning of the season the board
| recognized that the promise Of prosperous
| times would not be without attendant diff
culties. The first task assumed by the board
| was to assist in obtaining an adequate sup
opened a labor bureau The plan succeeded,
| but it was found impossible for the farm
! hands who had come from the east to
| harvest the crop to get through the work
in time to return by the date allowed by tl:eir
transportation tickets. Representations were
,, made to the Canadian Pacific railroad with
ously extended. A still further favor was
| grant1d by enabling those engaged on thresh-
| ing to remain behind without FORGETTING their
tickets until threshng was completed when
ever that might be-. The assistance thus
| rendered by the Canadian Pacific railroad
| is highly appreciated and gratefully acknow-
! lodged.
1.-THE next difficulty that presented itself
was the threshing of the crop. The yield of
| wheat, and indeed Of all grains, was one or
| magnificent bounty. and the board soon re-
allied that there were neither machines nor
| men in the vicinity. to cope with the vast
crop to be threshed. The board therefore
| caused advertisements to be inserted in the
| Winnipeg newspapers calling attention TO tho
state of affairs and suggesting, as $threshing
| was through in Manitoba, that outfits from
| there should come over and help to thresh
the. crop in this locality me step ma. had me
| desired effect The carrying out OF the plan
! entaied great amount Of correspondence,
attention and work. but in the end the thresh-
| ing outfits and the necessary labor came from
! Manitoba to the Regina district and the crop
was threshed. The Canadian Pacific railway
again came forward and helped the scheme by
carrying the threshlng OUTFITS and men at
| very reduced rates.
| ''These two difficulties having been success
| fully overcome the board found itself con-
I fronted with a still more serious state OF
affars. There was not any appearance OF
i adequate transportation facilities for remov-
I ing the crop or of elevator capacity for stor-
! ing it. The fact that the country had pro-
duced "a greater crop than it could either
move or shelter was admittedly a good ad-
vertisement; but it was felt that this would
be too dearly bought if the penalty we're to
be the sacrifice of a third of the crop With
which Providence had favored the district.
The board did what it could in the matter
cific railway the necessity of more rolling
stock and Increased facilities in other re.
spects, and by advocating the erection OF
more elevator capacity. d In both. these re-
4 spects the action of the board had some eff
feet, but it is to- the northwest government
| that Regina is indebted Sfor transportation
! over the Great Northern and the 500 road to
| Duluth, and there is now certainty that the
bumper crop will be shipped"