The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-30
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prise even to people who have lived
In the country for many years. The
crops OF 1901 ard 1902, and the re-
suEtlng inrni grafton are to mark an
epoch in Canada's history. Western
Canada has awakened to find the
eyes of the world upon her The crop
this year is the greatest proportions
ate to acreage ever grown ON uafer-
tilted land.
~ Bushels the Average
The average yield of grain Ia
! Western Canada has, with the excep-
ton Of 1900, when the crop conditions
were disappointing, always been high.
Most Of the production of wheat in
1901 and 1902, came from Manitoba, but
but the official ,returns from the
! Territories just to hand, show that the
districts to the west, which are now.
being settled by thousands OF Arneri-
cans, are capable of the same results.
The average yield Of wheat per acre
| in these districts is given officially
this year as a little over twenty-five
bushels. This same soil has to it's
credit for a period OF ten years an
average yield OF 1892 bushels = Of
| wheat. Not since 1895 has the y:e.d Of
wheat ,ina.M anito ba created $50 much
surprise as it JAS this year; In that
year the average was twenty-eight
bushels. Last year 1t was twenty-five
and this year it will average twenty
seven. Reports Of astonishing yields
in certain sections of the West have
been recently received by the provin-
cial department of agriculture. One
farmer wrote that his yield was forty
eight bushels to the acre. Reports
of yields ranging from twenty EIGHT
| to thirty-five bushels an acre were
quite common in the most favored
districts of Manitoba. +
| A Strenuous Life
That the returns of grain produci
ton from The west will surprise many
goes without saying. Canadians then1-
selves, particularly those residing in
| the east, will be as much surprised as
their American cousins They have
been slow to accept the rich possibili4
| ties Of Western Canada, which has In
consequence been developing gradually.
They have always appreciated the
productiveness Of the soil, but not until
last year when the official returns Of
the increased acreage, and Of the bump
CT crops, were InaQo Ola tney
realize fully the wealth that is coming
from the mighty region that stretches
| west from the Red River Valley to the
Saskatchewan and northwest into the
Peace river valley. The people Of
Western Canada, and the government.
railroad and immigration officials are
willing to confess now, that the enor-
nous crops of last year also made
them involuntary participants in the
general surprise party. All had al
strenuous experience in harvesting
and housing the crop. Twenty thous-
and men from the east entered the
harvest fields and worked for three
months, and machinery and the nee
essary material poured into the grain
districts as fast as they could be Sec
ured, but still there was the inevitable
grain blockade. This year, when it was
ascertained that the crops would be
large. every preparation possible was
made for handling them. But with
harvest that exceeded all expectations,
another strenuous experience Is sbeinsl
experienced by all concerned, and the
operations will extend in many dis
tricts away into the winter.
No Grain Blockade This Year
According to c. G. Castle, Dominion
warehouse commissioner, who has
just returned from Fort William
where he inspected the arrangements
made for the handling of the wheat
output, there is no danger of a grain
blockade this year, notwithstanding
the. record crop. In an interview he
said: ~
There is no wheat at the lake
port now and this is just what is
wanted at this time. We are a month
ahead of last year, SO far as the
weather is concerned, and with the
continuance of the present weather,
much will be accomplished by the
railways before the end of September.
Il enough bottoms can be secured on
should be any grain blockade. In
fact the conditions could not be better
than at present. BY the time navi-
cation closes the elevator capacity at
Fort William will be sufficient to
take care Of. an enormous amount OF
wheat. and the capacity at country
points is far in excess of last year.
Fortunes in Coarse Grains
One Of the first questions asked BY
the average American who comes to
Western Canada Is, do you grow any
fsXf.ont fy,1tssrls IN, $ t,ae,e uivN