The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-09-19
THE LAND OF GRAIN
JAMES OLIVER CURW00D

JAMES OLIVER CURWO0D
Author Of "American Farmers euitd- !,
ing a New Nation In the NORTH /,
"canada-The Land OF Greater
Hope"-"The Invasion Of Canada by
American Farmers"@"A thousand
Miles on Horseback Across the Do
n,inion Provinces" Etc, Etc.
Not so very many years ago the major
ity 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 will dispel the doubts OF the
remaining few. From Winnipeg
westward to the foothills Of Alberta.
over a country nearly thousand
miles in width, the grain production
this year will be something to almost
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 cuiti-
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
125,00O,000 bushels of wheat, 100000
600 bushels of oats aid 25,00O,O00
bushels of barley. 1t has been "for-
tune making year" for thousands OF
American farmers who two or three
years ago owned hardly more than the
clothes upon their backs. and whose
bumper crops from their homesteads
will yield them this season anywhere
from 81 500 to 81. 500 each, more money
| than many Of them have seen at one
| time in all their lives.
Very recently passed through the
western provinces from Winnipeg to
Calgary, and in the words of fellow
passenger, who was astonished by
what he saw from the car windows In
Manitoba, we were, metaphorically
speaking, in ''land of milk and
honey" The country was one great
sweep of ripening grain. In fact. SC
enormous was the crop. that at the
time there were grave doubts as tc
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 l made my first trip through
he Dominion west I doubted yer,
much the stories that l had heard o
this so-called "grain wonderland
across the border. l believed. as un
numbered thousands of others be
lieved. that the stories were circulate'
mostly to induce immigration. quick
ly found that l was wrong. AS on
! Alberta farmer said to me a FEY
weeks ago, ''If the whole truth wer
told about this country / don't SUI
pose you could find one American 1
ten who would believe it."
This year the prospects OF tn
wheat crop of Saskatchewan, Man
toba and Alberta are an average G
over TWENTY-FIVE BUSHELS II
THE ACRE, and that this grain
far superior to that raised in th
states is proved by our own govern
ment statistics, which show ths
American millers are importing mi
lions of bushels of Canadian hard
to mix with the home product in ordt
that THIS HOME PRODUCT MA
BE RAISED TO THE REQUIRE
! STANDARD. 1t is peculiar fact th'
, while the Dominion Government
anxious for it's western provi- ces
ill ND with the very best of INN
grants, there has been no blatant
sensational advertising of those land
For this reason 1t Is probable that n
l one American farmer out OF mr.
} knows that Canada wheat now hol'
the worlds record of value-that, 4
other words. 1t Is the best wheat
Z earth, and that more of 1t Is grow
to the acre than anywhere else In Il
world.
A brief study Of climatic condition
: and those things which go to MAJ
|. Q climate, will show that the Earth
. one travels northward from the Nc