The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-07-14
WESTERN CANADA
BEYOND The
PIONEER STAGE
llberty-loving People Have All the
Liberty the Heart Can Desire
Under Canadian Laws.

The New York Commercial Of April
18th contained an interesting article
on conditions in Western Canada. The
following extracts will prove tnstruc.
tive reading to those who contem-
plate moving to Canada. The writer
speaks of land at So to SIS an acre.
AS a matter of fact, there is very
little land that can be had now at
less 'han $18 per acre, but when one
considers the productive qualities of
this land it is safe to say that in two
years: time there will be little avail
able land to be had at less than $50
an acre. Already the free grant
lands in the open prairie districts
are becoming exhausted and the
bomesteader has to go farther back
to the partially wooded areas. This
Is no drawback, however. Some pre-
fer this land to the open prairie. A
recent publication, issued by the De-
part1nent of the Interior, Ottawa,
Canada and which is forwarded free
to applicants by mail by any Of
the Canadian government agents
throughout the United States, says
of the nNWly-opened districts:
Water Is always abundant, wood and
fuel are plentiful and the soil that
can grow the poplar and the willow
as we'll as the rich grasses that are
to be found there can be relied upon
to produce all the small varieties of
with
York Commercial article referred to
deals more pah4icularly with condi-
tons along the line Of the Grand
Trunk Pacific, but what is said Of
one line Of railway may with truth
be said of the land apd the conditions
along both the Canadian Northern
and the Canadian PAeikc- The article
says:
1T would be no exaeyeration to
say that practically all the land along
the entire distance tfaversed by the
Grand Trunk Pacific vystem is capa.
BILE of furnishing homes to those who
engage in farming. The lands Are of
three classes. They may be desig-
mated, first, as having special adap.
tation to the production of grain;
second, as having such adaptation to
mixed farming, of which live stock
will form an important feature, and
third, as being mainly adapted to the
production of live stock only. On
the third class of lands the area is
not very large, Of the second 1t is
much larger and Of the first it is
by far the largest.
"As soon as mixed farming shall
be generally adopted, land that may
now be obtained for from So to $18
per acre, and even lands open now
to free homesteads, will sell for $50
to 500 per acre. This is not an ex-
travagant statement. In natural fer
tility these lands fully equal those
Of the American corn belt. In vari-
ETY. Of production they excel them,
and yet the latter sell for 500 to
5000 per acre. In addition to the
grain crops now grown Of wheat, oats,
barley and rye, much Of the land will
grow winter wheat when properly
prepared. Eighty per cent, of the
land will grow clover and alfalfa A
still larger percentage will grow field
peas, and the entire tillable area will
grow good crops of the cultivated
grasses, timothy, bronze grass and
western rye grass. With these ele-
ments what can prevent this region
from becoming the main source Of
food supply of the Empire and I'm
perial dominions?"
Special stress is laid upon the edu.
cational conditions. The writer says:
"The foundation of the social fabric
of the agricultural country may be
said to rest on the efficiency of its
school system. Liberty-loving peo-
pie have all the liberty the heart can
desire under Canadian laws. In this
regard Western Canada has a system
of education based upon the best that
can be obtained from the United
States or Eastern Canada. It's school
system and regulations are second to
none. Every boy or girl has a school
house brought to his or her doorway.
The government is most liberal in its
support Of higher education. In Win
nipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton are
to be found excellent colleges and uni
versities, so that the problem Of
higher education is solved. The pro-
vincial agricultural schools, located
at Winnipeg and Saskatoon, give
practical courses in scientific farm
ing, preparing graduates to take up
the responsibilities of farm life.
"The newcomer settling in this
favored section will find the social
conditions far beyond pioneer stage.
He will find helps on every hand. In
stead Of his going to the 'jumping-off
place. as is often supposed when
thinking of Western Canada, he will
find himself surrounded by wonderful
opportunities for social advancement
in new country fraught with prom.
ise."
Australia Rich In Libraries.
Victoria's (Australia) five hundredth
free library was opened lately. One
and all Of the older libraries are we'll
patronized. The gross revenue re.
ceived by them in the aggregate from
halls. members subscriptions, and
grants is about $4,000 There are
about million books in these libra,
rioS and II wac claimed &hot ooyo a