The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-04-24
NEVER SAW SUCH large
YIELDS.
The Climate II Healthy-!The VIM
tiers Are Pleasant In Western /
Canada 81 s- SRI

r Z E%- z. - &1I.E' g :
Writing from Stirling, Alberta, to
one. of the agents representing the
Canadian Government Free Home
stead Lands, Mr.. NJ. Pickrell, for
merly of Beechwood, Kentucky,%says
of Western Canada:
In the first place we will say that
the summer season is just lovely in
deed. AS to the winter, wen we never
experienced finer weather than we
are now enjoying. We have just re-
turned from Northern Alberta and
will say that we found the weather
to be very mild, the air dry, fresh
and invigorating. Considering every
thing we can say that the winters
here are most pleasant. healthy and
enjoyable to what they are in the
States. Here it gets cold and con.
1inues SO till Spring-there are NO
disagreeable winds. In South Alberta
it is some warmer-two to four
inches of snow may fall and in a
few hours a Chinook wind come
along. evaporating the entire snow,
leaving terra-fir1na perfectly dry, in
fact, we did not believe this part
until we came and saw for ourselves
and we now know what we herein
write to be just as we write it.
There has not been a day this winter
that | could not work out doors.
Farmers here are calculating on
starting the plough the first Of
March.
AS to farm wages. we would not
advise a man to come here with the
expectation of living by his days
work, but all who do want a home
advise to have nerve enough to get
up and come for there never has
been, and may never be again, such
a grand opportunity for a man to
get a home almost free.
"As to the crops. l have been in
the fields before harvest, saw the
grass put up and the grain harvested,
and l never saw such large yields.
! saw oats near Edmonton over six
feet tall that yielded 80 bushels per
acre, and l talked to a farmer near
st. Albert who had a field year be-
lore last that averaged 40 bushels
per acre. and weighed 40 pounds to
the bushel. All other crops would
run in proportion-as to potatoes and
vegetables, the turnout was enor,
nous I have such reports as the
above from all sections that I have
visited, and that has been every COM
munlty between the Edmonton dis
trict and Raymond in the Lethbridge
district.
LAS to stock raising, l would advise
a man to locate in this place, or any
place, in South Alberta. but for mixed
farming, I would say go up farther
north, say near Lacombe, Wetaskiwin
or Edmonton. where it is not quite
SO dry and where there is some tim.
Der to be had. I will say that no.
where I've I ever seen a better op-
portunity for a man. whether he has
money or not, to obtain a home.
Nowhere can be found a more pro.
ductive soil, better water and a bet
ter governed country than Western
Canada affords. Inducements to the
homeseeker are unexcelled. I met
two men lear Ponoka on the G. e.
f. r.. r.. who borrowed the money
to pay for their homestead and in
four years those two men sold their
farms-one for So. 800, the other for
$4,000. l met a man near Wetaskiwin
who landed here with 25 cents six
years ago. He is now worth $4,000.
. The advantages for ranching are ex,
c%cllent, in fact I do not believe this
section can be beat. Markets are
good; as to living: a family can live
us cheap here as they can in the
States. The average yield of oats
in this neighborhood. last year, was
70 bushels. per acre; wheat averaged
IS, barley 40, and the, beet crop was
good. In consequence of the success
full cultivation of the beet, a large
beet sugar factory is being erected
at Raymond, seven miles from here.
I'm conclusion. I will say that y.
w. T. from Manitoba to a long dis
lance north of Edmonton produces
most wonderful crops. Lakes and
rivers abound with fish. and game is
plentiful. And that this is unqucs-
tionably the country for a man to
come to if he desires to better his
condition in life. I would advise the
prospective settler to look over the
Lethbridge, Lacombe, Wetaskiwin
md Edmonton districts before locat-
ing.
II will locate in the Edmonton dis
trict next Fall and several families
from the States will locate with me.
In the meantime. l will receive nv
mail here and will be pleased to- give
the interested all the information de-
sired"
For information as to Railway
Rates. etc. apply to any agent of
the Canadian Government whose
ain appear elsewhere in this pa.
per.
Tampa, "a child of Havana in the
cigar-making industry, has outgrown
its mother as a purveyor for the
United States of all Havana cigars.
The San Francisco, a river of Bra