The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-08-06
Letter From Colcord
Mere About caasda.-.Crops II Sunny
Southern Alberta.
Continued from last week.)


1t is well to look over the country
carefully, steer clear of the foxq land
men who are numerous in this part
Of the country, and pick out their
own land. There is no good cheap
land left in this part OF Alberta. The
day of the seven and eight dollar
land seems to be thing of the past.
There are just as good opportunities
Of making money in this section OF
the country as ever, but it just takes
a little more money to swing the
deals. Men have grown very wealthy
up in this country in the past Ave or
six years, and money Is naturally
very plentiful. People do not work
very hard and enjoy life to its utter.
most.
Speaking OF the small wheat area
again, will say that IN am told by re.
liable farmers that the real good land
lies within small radius of Granum.
say thirty or forty miles. They tell
me that one must be careful in buy.
ing land in the foot hills to the west
Of US, and the land lying east Of
Granum Is perhaps the best there is
The wheat land last year was frost
ed little in this country and snow
came in September which blighted the
hopes of the farmers for the time
being. But the wheat was not badly
damaged and the farmers Jared about
as we'll last year as ever In some
parts of Canada however, the frost
did things to the farmers which they
will always remember. We had frost
Saturday night which nipped the gar.
den vegetables and the potatoes We.
ry slightly. but fortunately did not
hurt the wheat. The farmers will be
in the earlier sown fields by the lat
ter part Of the week. The fall or
winter wheat as it is called, will be
the first to he harvested. The farm.
ers are very much wrought up over
report that the millers and eleva.
tors have combined to place the price
of the winter wheat at about 26 cents
less than the spring sown wheat and
many who were contemplating SOW.
ing winter wheat next week, will let
their ground lie idle until spring.
This country seems to be one of the
very few where. both spring and win
ter wheat can be successfully grown.
The government is powerless to
cope with this combine and is now
thinking seriously of controlling all
elevators.
The farmers are very optimistic
concerning the value of their land.
They say that within two or three
years, this land will be selling for
fifty dollars an acre, and one would
not be surprised to see this very
thing happen. This part Of Canada
is undoubtedly the best wheat grow
ing country of the world. Naturally
the summer fallowed land and the new
breaking is the best, but old land
yields well. Very little or no fax
is raised here, wheat being the prin-
cipal crop.
The garden vegetables do we'll here,
tho potatoes are not nearly Up to those
Of North Dakota.
l still like North Dakota better
than Canada, altho IN am certain that
for wheat growing purposes we are
not in it. We have just as good op-
portunities for making money in the
states, IN believe and would advise
any farmer who has good farm.
free from debt and under a good
state Of cultivation, to consider we'll
1.-THE proposition before making a
change of location. There are draw
backs in the country the sassaP -
elsewhere. All is not a bed of roses
with the Canadian farmer. l am told
that there has never been failure
in this part Of the country, tho there
are some obstacles in the way of get
ting bumper crop every year. One
farmer tells me that he makes a prac-
tice Of summer following his land
every third year which assures him
good crop the next. The farmers
are held up for their farm machinery
the best of which comes from the
states. A Deering binder sells for
nearly two hundred dollars and a
drill costs nearly $3.50. A duty Of thir-
ty or forty per cent is added onto
nearly everything that comes from
the states, and then little extra is
tucked onto the duty to make the
transaction paying one. There are