Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-06
THE FARMER IN WEsTeRN
CANADA.
The Quality Of No. I Hard Wheat
Cannot Be Beaten.


Cannot Be Beaten.
The Canadian West in the past Ave
or ten years has given a set back to
the theory that large cities are the
backbone Of a country and q nations
best asset. Here we have q country
where no city exceeds 100, 900, and
where only n within easy
distance Of that figure according to
the census Just taken and where no
other city reaches a population ex.
ceeding $4,000. The places with a
population over 5000 can be counted
upon the fingers Of n hand, and yet
the prosperity that prevails is some.
thing unprecedented in the history Of
all countries past or present.
prosperity is not hard to seek. The
large majority Of the $4,000 people
who inhabIt Manitoba, Saskatchewan
and Alberta, have gone OF to the farm,
and have betaken themselves to the
task OF not only feeding and clothing
themselves. but of raising food for
others less happily circumstance.
The crop OF 1906, although not alb.
normal, Is an c%ye-opener to many who
previously had given little thought to
tho subject. Ninety million bushels OF
wheat at 20 cents per bushel-$63, 000..
600; 76,000,0 900 bushels OF oats at 30
cents per bushel-$22. 800, 900; 17,000,.
900 bushels Of barley at 40 cents per
bushel--$6,S00 900; makes a total OF
$92, GOO. 900. This is altogether outside
tho root products; dairy produce. and
the returns from the cattle trade; the
beet sugar industry and the various
other %by-products of mixed farming.
When such returns are obtaInable
from the soil 1t Is not to be wondered
at that many are leaving the congest.
ed districts Of the eayst, to take upon
themselves the life of the prairie farm
and the labor of the housbandman.
With the construction Of additional
railroads new avenues, for agricultur.
al enterprise are opening up, and i'm.
proved opportunities are offered to the
who understands prairie farm.
ing, and is willing to do his part in
building up the new country.
4 ! thC lucIlc llldI AhI. ~ y. IIIlI,
the veteran railroad builder in the
West, has laid before the people in a
series OF addresses which he has
given at various points during the
past few months, and, having been
for SO long identified with the devel-
opment OF the West, there are few
men better qualified than he to ex.
press an opinion upon 1t. Take care
Of the country. say he, and the cities
will take care OF themselves.
The farmers of the Western States
and the Canadian West, arc more
prosperous tirxa ever before, and
when 1t ome to measuring up re.
suits. the Canadian appears to have
the better of 1t. His land
Is cheaper in fact. the government
to give free homesteads to
and the returns per acre are
heavier when the crop is harvested.
land in the Western States
runs from $50 to $3.50 an acre and up,
whereas equally good soil may be pur.
chased In Canada for So to SIS per
acre, within easy reach OF a shipping
point, and much OF this is available
for free homesteading. The quality OF
the Canadian No. / hard wheat can.
not be beaten, and the returns to the
acre are several bushels better than
on this side Of the line; the soil and
climate of that country being peculiar.
ly adapted to wheat growing.
The fact is evidently appreciated
by the large number Of American
farmers who have In the past two oil
three years settled in the Canadian
West. The agents Of the Canadian
Government, whose address will be
found elsewhere, advise us that for
the fiscal year 1904-5, the records
show that 43,543 Americans settled in
Canada, and in 1906 the number
reached 57.796. From all of which. 1t
appears that at present, there Is a
good thing in farming in Western
Canada, and that the American farm.
or Is not slow to avail himself Of It.