Mower County transcript., 1908-08-05

We saw no grain yet in shock while
down in Minnesota / suppose the bar
icy crop is going into stack and the
oats are being laid low at rapid rate.
i was surprised to see the large amount
Of summer following of land in all
sections, crop every other year. This is
done, SO 1 am told, in order to get early
plowing. by the time the crop is off
the land it is too late to plow to ad-
vantage if at all. So much of the land
lles idle over winter and is plowed in
July for the next years crop.
we saw steam plOws at work in the
nelds and these are rapidly increasing
IN use. Sixteen of them were unload
ed at Lethbridge this spring and have
been kept busy. They are not perfect.
y satisfactory in all respects but there
Is no doubt that tho practical needs
OF the large land workers will
De met by the manufacturers. one
difficulty is the weight OF the power
twenty and thirty tons which cuts
down and makes harder travelling. An
other is the expense. A blowing out
1T, power and plows, costs $500 de-
llvered. This costs more than a
country newspaper Office or Canada
half section and is out of reach of
many. The crops are as yet all seeded
and harvested by horse power and the
ordinary farmer has to keep teams for
this work and for getting his grain to
market so that the steam plow is not in
any general use. One can hire break
lhg by steam plow for $500 to $3.50 an
acre and stubble for So. A good aver.
age to keep up is 25 acres day with
lS-plOW outfit. 1t takes two men to
run plOW one at the engine and one
at the plows. Higher records for
days work are told Of but to keep up
% acres q day right along with neces
sary stoppages for tinkering is good.
In judging of the country here at
higher latitndes one needs to know
that the isothermeral lines do not follow
the parallels of latitude. 1t IL pract-
lcally as comfortable at Edmonton as
at Winnipeg and it has been proved
that excellent wheat crops canbe rails
ed in sections much farther north than
Prince Albert. There seems to be
some Influence similar to apan current
on the other side of the Rockies which
tempers the severe cold of winter in
the tar northwest sections around Ed.
monton and Prince Albert. One thing
that helps out the crops in the north
erly sections is the long summer days
We have noticed this ali through our
trip: In the longest days, the sun
shines for over 18 hours DAY making
the evening and morning tWiIights
come within less than four hours of each
other, eleven O'Clock at night until
three in the morning. This putting in
OF day and half Of sunshine into
each day certainly hastens the maturity
OF grain and gives rapidity of growth
which is wonderful to Texas chaps and
beats even Minnesota growth in rapid
!ty. The gardens show a vigor and
thrift which are remarkable. Tender
stuff like vines and tomatoes are not at.
tempted much but the staples, cabbage,
potatoes, carrots, beets, etc. are crisp
and excellent. The long days help
greatly in growing grain to maturity
in short summers. The quick growth
shows itself in vigorous, healthy plants.
We could read out of ,ors at 2l:30
o'clock in the evening. One of our
party facetiously remarked that God
Almighty knew what they had to have
up here in these short seasons to raise
anything and made the length of sum-
mer days accordingly.
Time of day is not noted here as
with us. All the railroad time tables
are based on the "a hour continuous
system commencing at one O'Clock IN
the morning and keeping right on until
"a o'clock. One o'clock in the afternoon
with us is l3 o'clock here 1t sounds
queer to hear of l9 o'clock and "a
o'clock. One of the tourists asked
native what time it was and the reply
was 1895 and being asked what the
population of the town was replied
eight elevators. Midnight is "a o'clock.
The visitor in Canada is impressed
with the respect for law and order
which generally prevails tits fact
that there is a law abiding spirit and
respect for authority which is often
lacking on our side. On Sunday the
stores are closed tight in all lines.
Saloons are closed absolutely at seven
O'Clock Saturday night until Monday
morning. There is a conspicuous ab-
sence OF the saloon as we Know it in
the States. A hotel with forty rooms
or more. may obtain a bar license to
sell liquor but 1outside of that there is
none Of the saloon as we know it. The
result is seen in the good order which
is apparent everywhere. We noted this
contrast at Fort Frances and Internal
lOnal Falls when we entered Canada.
There on the Canadian side were no
saloons or indications of wide open
policy while directly across the river on
the American side were eleven saloons,
with lot OF gambling dens and red
light hell holes added. They have a
system all through these western prov
inces Of a mounted police which trav.
erses the country districts and police