The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-09-05
THE LAND OF GRAIN
BY
JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD

JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD
Author Of "Ameriean Farmers Build
Ing . New Nation in the NORTH
"canada-rhe Land Of Greater
Hope"L"The Invasion Of Canada by
American Farmers"-"A Thousand
Miles on Horseback Across the Do
minion Provinces" Etc, Etc.
Not so very many years ago the major.
lily 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's
vast grain growing regions: the crops
of this year viii dispel the doubts Of the
remaining few. From Winnipeg
westward to the foothills Of Alberta.
over q country nearly a thousand
miles in width, the grain production
stagger the belief of those hundreds
Of thousands of American farmers
whose average yield is not more than
from ten to fifteen bushels of wheat
to the acre. and who are finding that
their product is also outclassed in
quality by that Of their northern
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 more than
1s5.000.000 bushels of wheat. 100000
900 bushels of oats and $4,000. 900
bushels of barley. 1t has been ''for-
tune making year" for thousands of
years ago owned hardly more than the
CtOSuSS upon OlSiI udNhS, anu WuOS6
bumper crops from their homesteads
win yield them this season anywhere
from $500 to s.. 500 each. more money
than many Of them have seen at one
time in all their lives.
Very recently I passed through the
western provinces from Winnipeg to
Calgary. and in the words of a fellow
passenger, who was astonished by
what he saw from the car windows in
Manitoba. we were, metaphorically
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 THE
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 l doubted very
much the stories that had heard OF
this socalled grain wonderland
across the border. l believed. as un
numbered thousands OF others be
lieved. that the stories were circulated
mostly to induce immigration. quick
ly found that l was wrong. As one
Alberta farmer said to me a few
weeks ago. IF the whole truth wers
told about this country I don't sup
pose you could find one American il
ten who would believe it"
This year the prospects OF the
wheat crop of Saskatchewan. Mani
toba and Alberta are an average o
over TWENTY-FIVE BUSHELS TC
THE ACRE. and that this grain Il
far superior to that raised in tn
states is proved by our own govern
ment statistics, which show tina
American millers are importing mi
lions of bushels Of B Canadian hard
TO mix with the home product in orde
that THIS HOME PRODUCT MA,
BE RAISED TO THE REQUIRED
STANDARD. II is peculiar fact tina
while the Dominion Government
anxious for its western provinces t
iii up with the very best OF imm
grants. there has been no blatant o
sensational advertising Of those land.
For this reason II is probable that nc
one American farmer out of lift
knows that Canada wheat now hold
the worlds record of value-that. 1
other words. it is the best wheat o
earth. and that more of it is grow
to the acre than anywhere else in th
world
A brief study of climatic conditions
and those things which so to max
n climate. will show that the farths
one travels northward from the MOI
tana border the milder the climate b
comes-up to certain point.
other words. the climate at Edmonton
Alberta. is far better than that ,
Denver. 1900 miles south: and viii
thousands of cattle and sheep are d
ing because OF the severity of ii
winters in Wyoming. Montana ar
other western states. the cattle. shet
and horses of Alberta CRAZE o
a A