Mower County transcript., 1908-08-12

E0lENN
CANADA
How Far North will Civilization.
and Agriculture Extend?
As one travels along the line of the
Canadian Northern Railway and sees
the succession Of young towns and
villages which have sprung up during
the past few years in country which
was unknown to tho world ten years
ago, question arises whether there is
not good land still further to the north,
and one asks where the limit of pro-
ductive land is to be reached?
An interview with j. j. Hill, of the
Great Northern, appeared some months
ago in the New ork Times, in which
references was made to this matter.
In this interview Mr. Hill IS reported
to have referred to the severity OF the
climate and to have stated that the
amount Of land in the countrv, capable
of settlement, does not cover a larger
area than two ard half states the
size of Iowa. What Mr. Hill said was
as follows: :-"You hear much of
Western Canada and its wheat
areas, but what does it amount to?
What of last seasons record? The
wheat crop was nearly twenty-five
million bushels short Say what you
like, all Of North Western Canada that
is capable of settlement does not cover
larger area than two and one half
states the. size of Iowa.
A very different opinion was express
sed by Earnst Thompson.Set the dis
tinguished naturalist, on his return
from trip through what is known as
the Barren Lands, which lie west of
Hudson's Bay, and far north of any
point where any white people have
yet located. Mr.. Seton stated that in
! the region called the Barren Lands he
walked through grass waist high, and
that these lands would support count
less herds of cattle He also stated
that between Hudson's Bay and the
Rockies and north of the present line
of settlement, there was, a country as
large as two German Empires, equally
capable of supporting population.
Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, is
now the most northerly city of " estern
Canada, and it was formerly supposed
that it was impossible to carry on ag.
ricultural operations in the vicinity of
that city. Last year, however, there were
sent out by the Winnipeg Free Press,
thousands of samples of flour, the
wheat for which had been grown at
Fort Vermi!ion, five hundred miles
north of Edmonton. This wheat was
ground in mill at Ft Vermilion, which
has been in operation for many years
past. Wild hay is cut every year by
Hudson's Bay people, seven hundred
miles north of Edmonton. photographs
are shown of a potato patch and wheat
fields on the Mckenzie River five hun
dred and fifty miles north of Edmon.
ton, and one is shown of a potato patch
IN bloom one thousand miles north of
Edmonton.
1t is not so long ago since the best
Informed people in the world thought
that there was little or no land in Man
itoba which was capable of profitable
cultivation. One of the members of
the Royal Geographical Society of
Great Britain, in an address to that
body in 1858, stated that the climate of
Manitoba was too cold to admit of ag-
riculture, that the frosts were fatal
and that the area capable of cultivat-
ion was very limited. Manitoba is to-
day, however, one Of the prosperous
agricultural countries in the world.
All along the line Of the Canadian
Northern, which is traversed on the
way to Edmonton, there are districts
where good lands may still be got by
those who apply for them. The best of
these lands are only found after search
and careful inquiry, but they are to be
had. Statistics furnished by the of1ic.
ials Of the Department of Crown Lands
indicate that hom esteads are still avail.
able in all parts Of Western Canada
although in the older settled portions
q large number Of these are Of little
value. Farther west and in districts
at present remote from the railWay
lines, there are still homesteads to be
had as good as the best.
In the y erkton district there are
about three thousand homesteads which
are open, and in the Humboldt district
there are between four and Ave thous-
and. all Of these being quite suitable