The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-06-23
is HIGHLY PLEASED
WITH HIS NEW HOME
Wilbur kuth Writes a Second
Letter to the PaIiad-
ium from Canada.
ALBERTA'S GREAT FUTURE.
PRICES OF PROVISIONS MUCH
THE SAME AS THEY ARE IN
SOME LOWER.

Airdrie, Canada, June ID, 1907.
Editor Richmond Palladium:
We have been in this locality seven
weeks and are better pleased with pros
poets than when first arriving. In
fact / think Alberta has a great future
before it, Very little farming is being
done here at present as ranching can
be followed with very little expense by
taking a homestead or buying few
acres. and letting the stock Craze on
the thousands of acres of unoccupied
land.
These conditions are fast passing. as
in this community. where five years
ago there were only four or five hous-
es in several square miles. there is now
an average of three residences per
square mile. These conditions apply
only to the territory less than five
miles from the railroad. We are two
and one-half miles from the railroad
and can stand on the pump platform
and count twenty houses. These
improved farm lands are being offered
for sale at 500 to $40 per acre by the
original settlers as il is past being
fenced and they wish to move farther
out where free range is yet to be had
for many years. Farming in this To-
cality is yet in it's infancy and a break
ing pillow. disk harrow moving ma
chine and binder constitute the imple-
ment equipment of the average farm
er's outfit. The principal crops are
wheat. oats barley and wild hay.
Oats generally sell in the granaries
for DC per bushel: barley at 35c per
bu.: wheat at 6Jc per bu.: hay. loose, at
Sl2 to S14 per ton in the cities, or 50
to IS in the stack.
We have sown about 50 acres of oats
from which we expect to reap 100 bu.
per acre: according to the average
crop report; also have sown over 80
acres of barley. which should produce
90 bu per acre. Also have two acres
of potatoes which are expected to pro-
duce 400 bu per acre. Potatoes gener-
ally sell at 75c on market. Also have
about three acres planted in carrots.
parsnips etc, which sell somewhat
higher than on Richmond market
While we are much farther north. the
seeds which we have planted have not
shown much difference in time and
season of termination from that of
home locality. which proves that there
is very little difference in climatic and
soil conditions.
l have noticed many wild strawber-
ries on the prairie and have found no
frosted blossoms and think berries will
be ripe about last of June.
Many have asked me about the cost
of provisions. From experience
have found the following: Corn meal
sc per h.: lard. 2Oc per lb: bacon, pc
per h.; potatoes S1.O0 per bu. Canned
goods are just twice Richmond prices.
Flour SO per 9S h.: salt. &c per ID. :;
butter. soc per h.; eggs. soc per doz;
lemons, SOC per doz.; apples. 50 per bu. !;
rhubarb 25c per 3 lbs; beans, &c per
h.: crackers. 15c per h.; stove coal,
$3.50 to S7.1J per ton: wood So per
cord. Farm implements about 20 per
cent higher. Lumber also much high
er than at home Wages in the vari-
Gus lines of work are also higher and
skilled employees are in demand, but
believe the merchants and railroads
is worth two or three in the bush, but
in following this principle are robbing
the people. and in so doing. are more
than all other elements. retarding the
development of the thousands of acres
of soil. which to me appear to be the
equal of any have ever SEEN
WILBUR KUTH