Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-08-01
CROP CONDITIONS IN WESTERN
CANADA.

S1sO1 CONO1IlCNS I'm WESTERN
CANADA.
Aatenexs of Spring Overcome by Eek.
cclient Growing Summer Season.
Once more the farmers of WesterE
Canada rest at ease and grow rich
while they slumber. Their season of
anxiety is over. For a time it looked
as though the backward season was for
once going to prevent the western coun-
try from maintaining its pre-eminent
position rs leaser Of the grain growing
countries of the world. The unusual
latcneSs of the spring, coupled with the
rapid advance in the price of food
stuffs, gave the pessimists some reaSon
for their gloomy forebodings ana
among even the optimistic Westerners
imbued. as they usually are, with a
spirit of buoyancy and hope. there
commenced TO glimmer Il fear that per-
llars this year their sanguine eXpec-
tations were not to he realized. On
May day. when a large proportion OF
wheat has usually been sown. there
WAS this year very little seeding done.
FINALLY, however, winter. which had
tarTied so late in the lap of spring in
all paris of the Continent vanished be-
fore the vertical rays of the sun, and
the hurry and hustle of spring work
commenced OF the western prairies.
by the Goth of May So per cent Of
the spring wheat was sown and the fall
wheat in the districts devoted to its
cultivation was covering the fields with
Il mantle of green. Wheat sowing fin
isied on May 30th. and by June 10th,
the ccarSer grains were also in the
ground. Th" heavy Snowfall during
the winter left the ground in excellent
Shape when once seeding operations
commenced. and from the time weather
cord tons permitted the commences
il"nt of work until planting was COM
p.eted. the farmers were a busy class.
The area in wheat is not much larger
than last yenr hui oats. barley and flax
are much in excess OF past records. the
ia.piers deeming il wiser on account
o. the lateness of the season to put in
Il heavier proportion of the coarser
grains. From the most reliable reports
to hand it appears tina the acreage as
coiApared with 1906 will show an in
crease Of II per cent in oats, 10 per
ccat in barley and IL per cent in flax.
Around Okotoiis. High River, Nan
ton. Ciaresl.olm and other winter
wheat ccnters. if the present weather
conditions continEe. the winter wheat
Will he in head by the middle of July.
The backward weather in the early
part of May allowed the newly-sown
grain to get n firm root in the ground
and now. with an abundance of mois-
turc and warm weather. fhe growth is
remarkable. All dan.Ar of injury from
drou=hts is practically over. as the green
crop covers the ground. retaining the
moisture required for its growth, and
preventing the too rapid evaporation
which might otherwise take place.
Crops in Western Canada mature in
one hundred days OF good weather. and
as the weather conditions have been
ideal since seeding, and with spring
wheat now from II to is inches above
the ground. Il full average crop is con-
lidently expected.
In addition to the cheering prospects
Of this years yield the farmers are to
be congratulated on the fact that they
still have in their possession five mil
lion bushels of wheat from last years
crop which they are now disposing of
mt high prices.
The splendid yield of m.OOO.O 600 BUSH
els of wheat raised in 1906 in the three
provinces of Manitoba. Saskatchewan
AID Alberta, together with the almost
certain assurance that this year will
see Il considerable increase, is, as in
the pas. calling TIE attention Of the
world to the Last Best West" and ,
thousands from United States and the
agricultural Districts OF Europe are
each month securing free grant lands |
or purchasing farms in the lanu which
has proved itself peerless among grain
growing countries Of tue world.