Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-03-04
WELL PLEAsEr WITH wEsTERE
CANADA
Good Crops, Splendid Climate and
WeII-Enforced Laws.

WeiI-Enforeed Laws.
Mr.. George E. Hunt is Maidstone
farmer. who writes a Canadian Gov
eminent agent as follows: 1t was the
first week in November. 1907, when we
arrived here. There was very little
snow or cold weather until after the
holidays, then the snow and cold in
creased. but TO no great extent. l think
the coolest / heard of was so degrees
below zero, but that degree Of cold
would not be felt here any more than 10
degrees below zero would be back home
in Michigan. owing to the beautiful,
dry atmosphere of this couT try. There
came a good thaw every month that
settled the snow. the fields soon became
bare and on the 10Th of April l COM
menced ploughing. The snow was then
all gone and summer at hand. This
last season was something more than
an average year around here with fine
crops gathered from large acreage.
In parts the crops were less than av-
erage, but generally speaking they were
above it. The price of wheat was quite
good. Some fine yields sold at Sl.lO
per buShel.s while some were marketed
at much less. but hardly any went be
low about 60 cents bushel
Oats started on the market at 80
cents a bushel barley about 90 cents
and fax from 80 cents to 81 bushel.
AS this was my first year in this
country, it was a hard year for my
horses owing to their being Eastern
horses and not used to the Western
climate, but they will soon get eli
ma tiZed.
The soil ON my farm is black loan
about one foot in thickness. Below
that we find about six feet of clay and
below that again gravel and sand, with
an abundance of excellent water. This
was the condition of the ground as |
found it when l dug a well. l can say
that the water is as sweet and as free
from alkali and impurities as | ever
saw.
Ny opinion is that the man who
comes here with little means can do
no better than invest $500 or $1,000 in
cattle after locating homestead adj
joining or near some billy part of the
country where it will not be taken up
as soon as there is plenty Of grass and
hay TO be found in the billy country
and small lakes and sloughs will afford
sufficient water for any amount of cat
tie The bluffs with a few hay or
straw sheds will make sufficient shelter
for them. There is no need to worry
about the market for cattle, as there
is already great call for stock Of all
kinds to satisfy the continued demands
of the large packing house at Edmon-
ton, established by Swift & Co.
The dairy business should by no
means be forgotten. 1t is one Of the
paying enterprises of this great West.
The price of butter seldom goes below
% cents and reaches as high as 40
cents a pound. Also the new cream
cries that are fast being erected along
the lines of railroad are calling on the
farmers for their cream.
These creameries are greatly well
coined in all communities, because sell
ing cream is better than making butter,
even at an average price of % cents 4
pound For Il new country the railroad
transportation facilities are good; not
yet, of course, what they are in older
countries. but the new lines are swift
" gaining as the country gets more
settled and supplies them with produce
to ship. 1t is hard to say too much in
favor of this country. All one needs
is a little money with grit and ambi-
ton have seen homesteads that were
filed on a little over three years ago
that the owners have refused $1,000
for. There is much more that can be
said in favor of Western Canada, but
| think my letter has been long enough.