The Forrest City times., 1909-02-26
YELL PLEASED WITH WESTERN
 CANADA.
GOOD CROPS, SPLENDID CLIMATE
 AND WELL ENFORCED LAWS.

Mir. George E. Hunter is Maid. stone. Saskatchewan Central Can. ada), farmer, who writes to a Cana, dian Government Agent as follows: Ut 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 increased. but to no great extent. think the coldest I heard of was 30 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 codn- try. There came good thaw every month that settled the snow, the fields soon became bare, and on the 18th of April l commenced ploughing. The snow was then all gone and summer at hand. This last season was some thing more than an average year around here, witA fne crops gathered from large acreage. In parts the crops were less than average, but gen orally speaking they were above 1t. The price of wheat was quite good. Some fine yields sold at $1.10 per bush. el. while some were marketed at much less, but hardly any went below about 50 cents a bushel
 Oats started on the market at 35 cents bushel, barley about 50 cents. and flax from 90 cents to $1.OO a bushel.
 AS this was my first year in this country, 1t was hard year for my horses, owing to their being eastern horses, and not used to the western climate, but they will soon get eli. matized.
 The soil on my farm is a black loam, about one foot in thickness, be- low 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 1t when l dug a we'll. can say that the water is as sweet and as free from alkali and i'm purities as l ever saw
 My opinion is that the man who comes here with a little means can do DO better than invest $500 or $1 ,00O in cattle, after locating homestead ad- joining or near some hilly part of the country where 1t will not be taken up as soon. There is plenty of grass and hay to be found in the hilly country and small lakes and sloughs will afford sufficient water for any amount of cat tle. The bluffs with few hay or straw sheds will make sufficient shel. ter for them. There Is no need to worry about the market for cattle. as there is already a great call for stock of all kinds to satisfy the continued demands of the large packing house at Edmonton. established by Swift and Company.
 The dairy business should by no means be forgotten. It is one of the paying enterprises of this great west. The price of butter seldom goes below
 25 cents and reaches as high as 40 cents pound. Also the new cream. cries that are fast being erected along tho lines of railroad are calling on the farmers for their cream.
 These creameries are greatly vel comed in all communities. because sell ing cream Is better than making but ter, even at an average price of 25 cents pound. For new country the railroad transportation facilities are good; not yet. of course. what they are in older countries. but the new lines are swiftly gaining as the coun- try gets more settled and supplies them with produce to ship. It is hard to say too much in favor of this coun- try. All one needs is little money
 with grit and ambition. I have seen homesteads that were filed on little over three years ago that the owners
 have refused 5000 for.
 There is much more that can be
 said in favor of Western Canada, but ] think my letter has been long enough"