The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-22
LAND IN CANADA
IS GOING FAST
HOMEsTEADs WON'T LONG BE
AVAILABLE, SAYS KNAPPEN.
Secretary of Western Canada Immi-
grafton Association Returns from
Trip Thru the Provinces and Says
There Will Be 100000 Americans in
British Colony Within Ten Years.

The craze for new country is alb
solutely irresistible once it gets good
hold on people," said Theodore NJ
Knappen, secretary of the Western
Canada Immigration association, who
has just returned from an extended
as well as the United States has had
a very late spring. The Canadian
government, the railways and the land
companies, approaching this fact, eX-
erted themselves to hold back the
movement of settlers until the weather
became more settled. These efforts
had a slight effect, but nevertheless
almost as many people went into
western Canada in March as in March,
1908, and the movement during April
has been even larger than the corre-
spending month last year. AS early
as April 1 there were 500 carloads Of
settlers effects scattered along the
500 line between Minneapolis and
Regina, and owing to the unseason-
able weather many of the owners of
these goods have suffered many hard
ships.
The heavy SHOWS and rains Of the
last month, however, have been hailed
with delight by the farmers of west
ern Canada, for they regard them as
the forerunner Of an immense wheat
crop this year, especially as they have
followed a severe winter in which the
frOStS penetrated to an unusual depth
It is the prevailing opinion in western
Canada that the colder the winter and
the deeper the frost goes into the
ground the better the crops are likely
to be the following season, because
the frost, gradually coming out of the
ground, insures abundant moisture for
the roots of the grain. 1t may seem
! strange to one who notes the vast ex-
panse of western Canada on the map,
! but it a fact that before long there
| will not be any desirable government
| land in western Canada; by desirable
[ mean possessing the necessary quail
| tiles Of soil, moisture and climate, and
within easy hauling distance of rail
ways. Last year $1,000 persons took
| homesteads in western Canada; thai
means that about 5000 square miles
passed from the public domain to pri-
vate ownership.
when you allow for railway land
grants, the lands owned by the Hud-
son Bay company, and the schoo
| lands, you will see that even in the
| great stretches Of western Canada less
| than half the lands now available fol
settlement belonged to the govern
ment before the present rush began
At the rate of 5000 square miles g
year it will not take very many years
to dispose of all the government lane
| within an area or GOU,OO square
miles. Moreover, the indications are
that the land will go even faster thar
the present rate. This indicates one
reason why the value Of land is rising
so rapidly in western Canada and why
millions of acres are being bought by
actual settlers. Wherever possible
| the American who goes into western
Canada to live, buys as much land as
he can and then takes a homestead
| besides.
"At the present rate Of influx there
will be 100000 Americans in western
Canada within ten years. They are
the best class of settlers going into
that country and are highly priced b!
the Canadians; their thrift, industry
experience and good management
combined with the fertility of the soil
will make them one Of the riches
agricultural populations in the world.
Malta Ceres, the real breakfas
} food-buy it-try tat all grocers.