Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-05-04
BIG CROP ACREAGE.
OVER MILLION OF WHEAT IN
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
Cultivation of Other Grains Increases
in Even Greater Proportion
Agriculture in Can
ada.

The statistics issued by the depart
ment Of agriculture for the northwest
territories show that the area under
crop In 1904 is estimated as follows;
Wheat, 1,O54,212 acSes; oats, 654,64S
acres; barley, 111,979 acres; fax, 20 ,9SS
acres. These estimates are generally
found, however, at the end Of the sea-
son to have been considerably below the
truth. AS they are. they show that the
area under cultivation in the Canadian
territories has increased by half mil
Hon acres over the last season, and that
It has fully doubled in the last five
years.
That Is a fairly satisfactory showing
of progress, but it gives no adequate
idea Of the extent of the settlement
that has been taking place in this coun-
try within very recent years. While
we have an increase in cultivation OF
half a million acres, the fact must also
be considered that last year not less
than 100000 acres were taken up for
settlement, says the st. Paul Globe.
Enough has been done In all sections
to demonstrate the capabilities Of the
country Hence the anxiety of those
who know to take up additional land
before all the homesteads have been
preempted or the corporation lands
have reached their full value At
every point it will be found that set
tiers who have been in the country a
few years are thus devoting their spare
resources to the acquisition of more
land rather than in pressing the devel-
opment Of what they already hold.
Even as far back as the census year Of
1901. over one-third of the farmers ex-
ceeded 20 acres, while many ran into
the thousands. Those who have lived
in the country long enough display
their appreciation in this unmistakable
manner.
Again It is interesting 70 notice that
while great areas of breaking are being
sown to wheat each year in eastern
Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and north
western and southern Alberta, the cul-
tivation of other grains increases in
even greater proportion.
The more one studies these figures
the more he is impressed with the
greatness of these fertile plains and
the wide range of their products, as
we'll as the remarkable climatic condi-
tons. Wheat seeding, for instance.
was commenced and finished In the
Edmonton and Saskatchewan districts,
400 or 500 miles north Of the frontier
almost as early as in the districts ad-
joining the United States.
The acreage of oats and barley has
increased much faster than that Of
wheat, the proportion of the coarser
grains having increased from one to
two-thirds, roughly speaking of the to-
tai area. This is due to the develop
ment Of mixed farming, which has been
remarkable, especially in central AL
berta, in the country tributary to Cal
gary. The market for meat and dairy
products here has been found go advan-
tageous, owing to the development of
the mines in British Columbia, and the
growth of the towns, that the cultiva-
ton of wheat, has been discarded Oh
lands which formerly yielded an average
OF % and even % bushels to the acre.
The value Of the statistics Of the de-
partment of agriculture for the Cana
dian territories resides in the fact that
they show the successful and diversified
development of agriculture in every Sec
ton of the immense country, with the
gaps rapidly closing up between the old
er settlements.