Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-12
FARMING BY PROXY"
Novel Government Experiment In
Alberta, Canada.
A RICH DAIRYING REGION.

Dutch Immigrants to Newly Opened
and Irrigated Lands Helped by Rail-
way Company and State to Establish
Observation-Disclosures to Sell Butter.
Immigration Of a new type is begin
ming to flow into the territory of Al
berta, Canada. Driven by the same
pressure of increasing population that
forced their ancestors to seek homes in
the British isles, the farmers of Hol-
land are beginning to migrate.
The particular district to which the
immigration is directed. Is the Bow
river valley reservation, at the base Of
the Rocky mountains, a tract Of 3,000,-
600 acres formerly belonging to the
Dominion Of Canada, one-third of
which has recently been opened up for
settlement. The entire tract is four
times the size of the state of Rhode
Island and contains the largest irriga-
ton project on the continent, says a
Calgary (Alberta) correspondent Of the
New York Post. Several hundreds Of
the thrifty Dutch farmers who, with
wives and children, are settling are
said to be the advance guard Of a gen.
eral movement similar to that which
has been taking place in Italy and the
Scandinavian and Slavic countries.
This community is different from
any other in the United States or Can
ada because of a unique experiment
in agriculture which is being under
taken this year by the Dominion and
provincial governments with the new
settler as a beneficiary. This venture,
which is being watched with interest
by the United States department Of
agriculture at Washington and agri-
cultural experts elsewhere, is sys-
tenn Of farming by proxy" by which
the settler is assisted in preparing his
acres, breaking his land, planting his
crop and, in the end, marketing parts
Of his produce. In this work the rail-
road also plays the important part
The purpose Of the system is to pro-
mote intensive farming and to help
the settler get established during his
first season on the land. "
Area included in the plans is tract
Of prairie plateau in southern Alberta
100 miles long by 20 miles wide and
shaped like an enormous crescent,
with it's southern boundary along the
Bow river. On the west are the foot
hills OF the Rocky mountains, while
on the east is a gradual slope toward
the fertile plains Of Saskatchewan and
Manitoba. The land originally be-
longed to the Dominion Of Canada,
but was turned over to the Canadian
Pacific railway with the understand
ing that the company would con-
struct and maintain an irrigation
plant, for which the water would be
furnished at a nominal rate. The
project, which exceeds many times
over the largest works Of the United
States reclamation service, called for
the excavation Of 24,700,OO0 cubic
yards of material, at total cost Of
between 100000 and $60O0,O00.
Some idea Of the nature OF the un-
dertaking may be had from the fact
that the canals and bitches to be dug,
II put end to end, would stretch 1900
miles. One section Of this work has
recently been completed, and water
is now available for 100000 acres.
The decision Of the government and
Of the railroad to take hand In the
farming Of this tract originated in a
desire to help new settlers with their
first years crop, which often has to
be sowed before the farmer Is estab-
lished on his land and when he needs
all his time to build home. As re-
suit the transportation. company step