The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-18
CANADIAN GRAIN EXPERTS
FIGURE ON THE 'O7 CROP
Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta Ex-
peeled to Produce One Hundred Million Bush.
els Of Wheat Next Year.
Correspondence Of The Journal,

Correspondence of The Journal.
Ottawa, Ont, Nov. 9.-Members of
the government interviewed as to the
western Canadian harvest express
themselves as we'll satisfied both with
this years yield and the prospects for
the future. While the most optimistic
forecasts have not been. fulfilled, the
yield is better than many imagined it
would be a few months ago, and as it
grades well the western farmer has
been assured Of a good profit. \ -.
Year by. year the wheat crop of the
three western provinces is becoming
more and more the barometer Of Cana
dian prosperity. If the crop is poor,
the effect is felt far and wide. If the
crop IS good one, as it is this year,
the prosperity of the farmer is reflected
from end to end Of the country.
e.. Next Years Grain Crop.
The director of Dominion experiment
tai farms, than whom no man is better
agricultural conditions in Canada, ex-
presses the opinion that under reason
ably favorable conditions the three
provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan
and Alberta should easily produce next
year over 100000 900 bushels Of wheat.
Some western forecasts have already
placed the 1907 crop at 125,OOO,0OO
bushels, but DR.. Fletcher takes a more
conservative view. He bases his esti-
mate on the increased acreage assured
for next year, and the average yield
to the acre during the last ten years.
What a 1O0,000,000 crop means to
western Canada can readily be mag
med. It means prosperity for the
fv 20 ii
And it means an additional impetus to
the steady stream of immigration from
the western states, England and north
ern Europe; which will eventually re-
act in further increase in the acreage
under cultivation, and another Jump
forward in the aggregate yield of
wheat.
West Has ''Made Good.'
Canadians have every reason to
feel satisfied with the situation in the
west,' said leading member Of par
lament today. "There has been no
unhealthy boom either in the towns or
the country. The optimism of the peo-
pie is backed by solid cash or it's
equivalent. No one nowadays dreams
OF questioning the marvellous produc-
tiVeness Of the western Canadian prai-
RE. The most extravaganza predictions
of ten years ago as to the prosperity of
| the west have been more than fulfilled
And we have only made a begin.
ming. The available acreage has hard
ly been scratched. One scarcely dares
to say. what western Canada s yield of
grain is likely to be ten or fifteen years
hence. One thing is certain, however
| and that is that there is land, equal to
the best now under cultivation, waiting
for the. largest conceivable influx of
population for many years to come. If
that influx continues at anything like
the prcportionate increase maintained
during the last two or three years, the
| dream of western Canada becoming the
granary of the British empire will be
more than fulflled.''
Work for Canadian Parliament
AS indicated in previous letter, the
most important question likely to be
dealt with at the approaching session
Of the Canadian parliament is that of
the tariff, and the long talked-of revis-
ion following the investigation and re-
port of the tariff commission. Nothing
has since occurred to change the opin.
ion then expressed that the revision
likely to be in the direction of a lower
! ing of duties, rather than an increase,
in spite of the. indignant protests of
the manufacturing interests thruout
eastern Canada.
a.. In conversation with politician who
stands close to the administration, I
was assured that unless something I'M
foreseen occurred before the delivery of
the budget speech, the tariff as outlined
then by the minister of finance would
be found to meet the views of western
Canada and particularly the western
farmer, much more than it would be
likely to meet the views Of the eastern
manufacturer. The government. while
anxious to encourage in every way pos
sible the building up of trade between
eastern and western Canada, and to
give the preference to home Industries
is not disposed to handicap the western
farmer by shutting him out from the
United States market by prohibitive
tariff and forcing him to buy all that
he requires in the eastern Canadian
market irrespective of quality and
price. The eastern manufacturer will
still have reasonable protection in the
home market, but he is expected to give
the western farmer value for his money.
The last six months have been fruit
full in unsavory political disclosures, in