The Monticellonian., 1908-09-03


Not so very many years ago the major
ity OF people in the United States
laughed at the prediction that the day
was coming when Western Canada
would far outstrip this country in
the raising OF grain-when. in other
words. It would become The great
bread-basket of the world. During the
past three or four years the enormous
production of grain in the Dominion
West has thinned the ranks Of those
who doubted the destiny of Canada 5
vast grain growing regions. the crops
Of this yearwill dispel the doubts of the
remaining few From Winnipeg
westward to the foothills Of Alberta.
over a country nearly a thousand
miles in width. the grain production
this year will be something to almost
stagger the belief of those hundreds
IF thousands of American farmers
whose average yield is not more than
from ten to fifteen bushels of wheat
10 the acre. and who are finding that
their product is also outclassed in
4
neighbors.
The enormous grain crop of this
year in the Canadian West may truth
fully be said TO be the production of
"a few pioneers. Only a small per
centage of the unnumbered millions
of acres of grain land are under cult
walton. Notwithstanding the fact that
tens of thousands of homesteads were
taken up last year And yet. when
all the figures are in, it will be found
that the settlers of the western prai-
ries have raised this year mere than
125,000,000 bushels of wheat. 100000
600 bushels of oats and a5.000000
tune making year" for thousands of
American farmers who two or three
years ago owned hardly more than the
clothes upon their backs, and whose
bumper crops from their hemesteads
will yield them this season anywhere
from $500 to 81 500 each, more money
than many Of them have seen at one
time in all their lives.
Very recently l passed through the
western provinces from Winnipeg 10
Calgary, and in the words of a fellow
passenger. who was astonished by
what he saw from the car windows in
Manitoba, we We're. metaphorieally
speaking. in a land of milk and
honey" The country was one great
sweep of ripening grain In fact. so
enormous was the crop. that at the
time there were grave doubts as to
the possibility of GETTING ENOUGH
BINDER TWINE TO SUPPLY TIE
DEMAND. A situation like this has
never before been known in the agri-
cultural history of any country.
Before | made my first trip through
the Dominion west | doubted very
much the stories that | had heard of
this so-called grain wonderland
across the border. | believed. as un-
numbered thousands of others be
lieved. that the stories were circulated
mostly 10 induce immigration. | quick
" found that | was wrong. As one
Alberta farmer said 10 me a few
weeks ago, II the whole truth were
told about this country l don't sup
pose you could find one American in
ten who would believe il"
This year the prospects of the
wheat croD of Saskatchewan. Mani
toba and Alberta are IN average of
over TWENTY-FIVE BUSHELS TO
THE ACRE, and that this grain is
far superior TO that raised in the
states is proved by our own govern
ment statistics, which show that
American millers are importing mil
lions of bushels of b Canadian hard
TO mix with the home product in order
that THIS HOME PRODUCT MAY
BE RAISED TO THE REQUIRED
STANDARD. Ii is a peculiar fact that
while the Dominion Government is
anxious for its western provinces TO
fill up with the very best of immi-
grants. there has been no blatant or
sensational advertising Of those lands
For this reason il is probable that net
one American farmer cut of fifty
knows that Canada wheat now holds
the worlds record of yalue-that in
other words, il Is the best wheat On
earth. and that more Of il IS grown
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;@AYeE' l'9oo hilles s-1-th AND Whiie
thousands q eatl!e ara sheea are d5-
ing because OF the SEVERITY Of the