Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-11-02
cANADA'S IMMENSE
WHEAT FIELDS
THE ATTRACTION FOR THREE
CONTINENTAL RAIL
WAYS.

Last August there visited the Cana
dian west the Yice-president Of the
largest individual hardware company
in the United States. AS his firm have
a turnover Of millions, and deals ex-
tensiyely with farm implements, this
man took a deep interest in crop con
ditions in Canada, and on his return
he embodied his findings in an article
for the Hardware Reporter. This ar
ticle should be Of special interest to
farmers.
The writer speaks Of the Importance
Of the spring wheat crop of Western
Canada. He might also have spoken
Of the Importance Of the oat crop and
also Of the winter wheat crop, as we'll
as barley. Winter wheat during the
past few years has been a great sue
cess, and experiments have shown
that it can be grown with success in
almost any portion Of the three PROV
inces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta. But apart from this, the
spring wheat crop is the one generally
grown, and all who know anything Of
grain, anyone who has had anything
10 do with markets, knows or has
heard Of the high character OF this
cereal and the splendid yields that are
annually produced. Reproducing from
this article
in a land Of such great sweep, and
OF such difference in soil and climate,
there are many resources, but none
are at present Of the same oYerwhelm-
ing importance as the spring wheat
crop. In the interminable prairie
stretches Of the northwest provinces
1t is the one absorbing topic of inter
est and Of conversation during its
growing and its harvesting, for upon
its success or failure hangs the veal
or woe Of q large part OF the DOmin-
ion. It's influence extends far down
into the United States, drawing thou
sands of farmers nOrthWards with the
lure of cheap lands, but likewise be
y0nd the great lakes, even to the easy
going maritime provinces. calling the
flower of their young men to its OPP
portunities. Development in these
prairie provinces goes on at high pres
sure for everything hangs on the out
come Of spring wheat. Success has
embOldened the raisers Of this one all
important crop, and each year there
is further incursion into those north
srn fields that only a short time ago
were regarded as Arctic wastes. The
Canadian Northwest seems to be one
Of those modern agricultural examples
set forth to drive the final nail in the
coffin of that ancient Malthusian de-
fusion that population tends to outrun
the means of subsistence, since the
only fear now among Canadian econ
omists is as to the danger of over
stocking the wheat market. Only
about two and one-haf per cent of
possible arabic lands in the northwest
provinces is now under cultivation,
and this year the crop promises to
be close to 2OO,0OO,00O bushels. so
that your imagination and your arith-
metic can easily supply the answer as
to the possible or even probable out
come"
During the months Of July and Au-
gust the weather was unfavourable
and the production Of 200 million
Weld of wheat will not likely be real
lied. but even with this. the threshing
reports coming to hand show that the
crop will be a splendidly paying one.