The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-01-13
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, Saskatchewan
and Alberta-that under cultivation
would produce from 20 to 80 bushels of
wheat to the acre, or if seeded to oats
the yield would be 40 to so bushels, he
was skeptical. The same story was told
the man who wished to get nearer to
existing lines of railway, 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
16O acres as a free gift, as home
stead, and was willing to put in the
required residence duties of three
years, has now a farm worth from
fifteen to twenty dollars an acre. The
man who chose to purchase, and did
so, took I'D 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 90 pounds to
the bushel article, but 81 and %
pounds. They have seen within the
past year or two trunk lines OF rail-
way constructed through their dis
trict, and throwing out branch lines
to the gates of their farm. They have
seen schools established in their neigh
borhood and the government contrib
uting largely to their expense.
Churches have been erected, villages
have been established, towns have
sprung into existence, and cities are
rapidly springing up, as IL the magic
hand Of some unseen conJurer was at
work. But it was not; 1t was the
legitimate offering of the wealth of
the field which made all these things
come about, naturally, and easy. The
prairie that three years ago was mere
ly prairie, patch of brown, just wait
ing for the ploughman, is to-day dot
ted with titled farms and splendid
homes The line Of elevators with
their glistening metaled 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-not imported 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 followed by
steady growth. The writer recently
was a passenger over the Grand Trunk
Pacific, the latest factor in this great,
marvellous field Of development. The
rapidity with which towns were being
built up, the farmsteads occupied, was
something even his experienced eye
had not looked for. Everywhere along
the line of this new transcOntinental
ress. There was not mile of the
length of the road from Winnipeg to
Edmonton and west that did not bear
token of it's 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 CONT
nent and traverses one of the best dis
tricts 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 centers. 1t had been
the intention in this article to have
spoken of some of the yields of grain
that have made the farmers of Central
Canada contented this year, but space
will not permit, so that delightful task
will be taken up in another issue. In
the meantime it would be we'll for the
reader, If he is interested, to put him
self in touch with some official of the
Canadian government and get infor-
nation that might be useful in max
ing selection for a home in Central
Canada, and become one of those who
will be instrumental in building up a
great county to the north. In doing
so, you will be assisting the United
States. In few years time the Unit.
ed States will be a wheat importer
Canada will supply the wheat and you