The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-08-03
CHEAPER MEATS FROM CANADA,
boston Transcript

CHEAPER MEATS FROM CANADA.
boston Transcript
Hope for cheaper meats in the United
States is held out by the rapid growth of
the alfalfa-fed beef-cattle and sheep in
dustry in the Western provinces of Can
ada, attention to which has Just been
called by the arrival in that section of
the advance guard of an invading army
of Australian sheep growers. F. w.
Fairbain, an Australian wool raiser, with
headquarters in London, recently pur-
chased four thousand acres in Alberta
for sheep raising purposes. Mr.. Fair
balm is the largest grower of wool in the
world and his determination to have his
son engage in the sheep industry in
Western Canada is taken as an indica-
ton that his future operations on large
scale will be on this continent.
A study OF the business at the Chicago
stock yards and at the other packing CEN
tres in this country. and the reports of
the Federal Government, indicate that
unless the livestock of this country is
largely increased, or there is some relief
from our neighbors, the prices of meats
will continue to remain high and may go
higher.
There are four million fewer cattle in
the United States than there were four
years ago, while there are approximate
ly seven million more people to feed.
The cattle number 47,279, 900, according
to the Government figures. In 1907 the
number was 81, sos, 900. The number of
cattle decreased in the United States in
the last year by "A per cent. There
eli in fha olor ~
sheep, although there are 6, $50, 900 fewer
than there were in 1903. The following
table of percentage increase in the last
inces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and
Alberta show how Western Canada is
rapidly preparing to meet the meat de-
felt in the United States.
SHEEP.
Increase in the United States in year. ...
Increase in Canadian provinces. ..........44
CATTLE.
Increase in Canadian provinces in year. ..2.7
Decrease in the United States. ...........4.4
Thus our northern neighbors are in
creasing their supply of sheep more than
twice as rapidly as we are, and they are
maintaining substantial increase in the
cattle supply while we are unable to make
any gain.
Alfalfa that has been acclimatized, and
that has been found byssexperiments to be
as good as any fattening food for cattle,
sheep or hogs, is responsible for most Of
the rapid growth.
The alfalfa which has been found to be
the best producer for this part of the
country was imported from Germany by
settler in northern Minnesota nearly
sixty years ago. His name was Wendelin
Grimm, and the alfalfa has been given his
name. The plant has become thoroughly
Americanized and a series of exhaustive
tests both in Canada and the United
States have proved it able to take care
of itself and furnish bumper crops under
conducted between 1904 and 1909 at the
katchewan proved Grimm capable of
to the acre, withstanding temperature
of more than forty degrees below zero,
and with only nineteen inches of rainfall
during the growing season.
Mr.. Angus Mackay, superintendent in
charge of the experiments, reported:
From the first Grimm alfalfa has
never Oeel WlILel VI ping hllltu III Tic
least and on this account consider it the
most valuable strain for this country"
There are millions of acres of land in
Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
which can be converted into alfalfa fat
tening fields for cattle, sheep and hogs.
Mr. Fairbain saw the possibilities in these
acres and instead of buying small cattle
ranch, as he originally intended before
arriving in Calgary, he decided to pur-
chase the 1000 acres for sheep.
THE western Canadian provinces, he
said, twill supply the world with wheat
and meat in time to come. make this
statement from the standpoint of one
who is in a position to know what the
future has in store for this country. Now
that it is being rendered accessible to the
markets of the world through the con-
struction of the two new transcontinental
railroads, the Canadian Northern and the
Grand Trunk Pacific, and the further ex-
tension of the Canadian Pacific, this coun-
try will be developed beyond the expec-
tations of the most optimistic.