Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-24
Bread Line in the Far North.

, northern Canada is just now attract
ing considerable attention. The rap
i'd filling up of the Canadian north
west with immigrants from Europe
and the United States promises That
the population will soon be pushing
northward toward the limits of sue
cessful agriculture, although 1t VII!
probably be several generations be-
fore any general settlement of the
country beyond the borders of Sas
katchewan and Alberta will be at
tempted. The northern boundary OF
these provinces comedies with the
55th parallel of latitude. Up to that
border 1t is practically certain that
wheat can be grown successfully on
the wide and fertile prairies that are
soon to be opened by the new rail-
ways to settlement.
Beyond the 55th parallel wheat
raising is yet more or less of a prob
lem, though the outlook is hopeful.
In small patches wheat has been
grown as far north as Fort Simpson,
on the Mackenzie river, in latitude
60 degrees and 40 minutes. Here
wheat weighing sixty-two and one
half pounds to the bushel has been
raised. Four degrees south of this
place, at Fort Chipewyan, on Lake
Athabasca, wheat has regularly been
grown for many years, and as long
ago as 1876 a sample of grain from
there took gold medal at the CEN
tennial exposition In Philadelphia.
At Fort Vermilion, in latitude 5S
degrees, "a minutes, or almost 10
degrees beyond the United States
boundary, there are three small -four
ing mills supplied by local grain.
One of these mills is owned by the
Hudson's Bay company, has been
operated since 1902, and has a capac-
ity of 80 barrels a day. Its product
supplies the company's trading posts
In the far north. At Peace River
Landing, little farther. south, there
are two other small mills.
Thus 1t Is probable that the great
plains watered by theMackenzie river
and its tributary streams and lakes
will in time support a considerable
population of wheat-growers. st.
Petersburg, in Russia, is on the Goth
parallel of north latitude, and east
ward of that city are great wheat, rye
and barley fields extending several
degrees farther north. Wheat Is
grown, though less extensively than
rye and barley, in Finland, and the
northern limit of profitable wheat
production ranges from about the
62nd parallel, in western Russia,
across that empire in slightly
southern direction, reaching the ST.
berian border at about 60 degrees
and thence crossing Asiatic Russia
W wv 'N'Ai NNNlNN pl Aiit dNiHC
coast. Northward of the line other
grains are grown, supporting a mod
crate population. There is little rea-
son to doubt that the American eli
mate will permit wheat-growing
within practically the same limits as
those established for this agriculture
In the interior of Russia. Wheat Is
more widely grown and has greater
powers of adoption than any other
grain, its culture extending from the
tropics to the 65th degree in Nor
way, The climate of interior North
America is, like that of interior Rus
sio,one of the great extremes, with in
tensely cold winters and long, hot
days through the brief summers.
Nature will probably provide wheat
and other grains for the support of
humanity as far north as the Cana
dians will find climatic conditions
endurable Tacoma Ledger.