The Ely miner., 1909-12-31
DEVELOPMENT OF
CENTRAL CANADA
THE STORY OF BIG YIELDS OF
GRAIN COMES FROM EVERY
SECTION.

When the man in the States was
told that he could get 160 acres of
land in Central Canada-comprising
the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatche-
wan and Alberta-that under cultiva-
ton would produce from 20 to 80 BUSH
els of wheat to the acre. or if seeded
to oats the yield would be 40 to 60
bushels, he was skeptical. The same
story was told the man who wished to
get nearer to existing lines of rail-
way, and was only asked to pay $40
to $12 an acre. But many tried it,
some one plan and some another. The
man who accepted the 160 acres as a
free gift, as homestead, and was
willing to put in the required resi-
delce duties of three years has now
farm worth from fifteen to twenty
dollars an acre. The man who chose
to purchase, and did SO, took up his
residence just the same. He has land,
that, in many cases, is worth twice
the money he paid for it. Both have
found that the story of splendid yields
was verified. They have had crops
exceeding that promised; they have
seen oats that yielded 100 bushels to
the acre, and have grown wheat that
averaged 40 and as high as so bushels
to the acre. Their wheat was not a
81 lb. to the bushel article but 62 and
63 lbs. They have seen within the
past year or two trunk lines of rail-
way constructed through their district,
and throwing out branch lines to the
gates of their farm. They have seen
schools established in their neigh.
bourhood and the Government con-
tributing largely to their expense.
Churches have been erected, villages
have been established, towns have
sprung into existence and cities are
rapidly springing up, as if the magic
hand of some unseen conjurer was at
work. But it was not; it was the le-
gitimate offering of the wealth of the
field which made all these things come
about, naturally, and easy. The prai-
rie that three years ago was merely
prairie, a patch of brown, just waiting
for the ploughman, is to-day dotted
The line of elevators with their glis-
tening metalled fireproof sides and
roofs, indicate the location of the
town and the railroad. There is the
glow of newness about it all, but the
elevator, the splendid store buildings
and the comfortable hostelries denote
wealth, beyond that of the strength
of the man who fashioned and built
them but the wealth of the soil, which
means that the newness will be fol-
lowed by steady growth. The writer
recently was passenger over the
Grand Trunk Pacific, the latest fac.
tor in this great marvellous field of
development. The rapidity with which
towns were being built up, the farm
steads occupied, was something even
his experienced eye had not looked
for Everywhere along the line of
this new transcontinental was the dis
tinguishing mark of progress. There
was not mile of the length of the
road from Winnipeg to Edmonton and
west that did not bear token of its
ability to pay tribute to the revenue
of the road. Mention is made of this
line, not because it is the last in
the field, but because it is one of the
best built roads on the Continent and
traverses one of the best districts
of an excellent country. 1t is well
operated, and already has gone into
active service as another means of
making it possible to secure more
speedily transit from the grain fields
to the shipping centres. 1t had been
the intention in this article to have
spoken of some of the yields of grain
that have made the farmers of Gen.
trail Canada contented this year, but
space will not permit, so that delight
full task will be taken up in another
issue. In the meantime it would be
we'll for the reader, if he is interest
ed, to put himself in touch with some
official of the Canadian Government
and get information that might be use-
full in making a selection for a home
in Central Canada, and become one
of those who will be instrumental in
building up a great country to the
north. In doing so, you will be as
sisting the United States. In a few
years time the United States will be
a wheat importer. Canada will sup
ply the wheat and you will be one Of
the producers.