Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1911-07-06
WESTERN CANADA'S
GOOD CROP
PROSPECTS
YIELDS Of WHEAT WI l.s9L,tsEIYs.
BE IS TO 80 BUSHELS
PER ACRE. a5

In an interview with Mr.. w. s.
White, who has charge Of the Cana
dian government immigration Offices
in the United States, and who has re-
Gently made an extended trip through
the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatche-
wan and Alberta in Western Canada.
He said that every point he visited
he was met with the one report, uni
versally good crops OF wheat, oats
and barley. There will this year be
much increased acreage over last
year. Many farmers, who had but
one hundred acres last year, have in
creased their cultivated and seeded
acreage as much as fifty per cent.
With the prospects as they are at
present, this will mean from $12 to
Sis additional wealth to each. He
saw many large fields running from
300 to 1000 acres in extent and 1t ap-s
peared to him that there was not an
acre of this but would yield from 20 !
to Is or 80 bushels of wheat per acre,
while the oat prospects might safely
be estimated at from 40 to 20 bushels
per acre. In all parts Of the west,
whether it be Manitoba, Saskatche-
wan or Alberta, north and south, east
and west, and In the districts where
last year there was partial failure
Of crops, the condition of all grain is
universally good and claimed by most
of the farmers to be from one to two.
weeks in advance Of any year for the
past ten or twelve years. 1t does not !
seem that there was single foot of
the ground that was properly seeded
that would not produce.
There are those throughout western
Canada who predict that there will be
200,000,000 bushels Of wheat raised
there this year. and II the present
favorable conditions continue, there
does not seem any reason why these
prophesies should not come true.
There is yet a possibility Of hot
winds reducing tbs quantity In seme
parts, but with the strongly rooted
crops and the sufflciency Of precipita-
ton that the country has already
been favored with, this probability is
reduced to minimum.
The prices of farm lands at the
present time are holding steady and
lands can probably still be purchased
at the price set this spring, ranging
from SIS to $40 per acre. but with q
harvested crop, such as is expected,
there Is no reason why these same
lands should not be worth from $40
to $25 per acre, with an almost abso-
Lutte assurance that by. next spring
there viii still DO = fur ssiiie1 ats
in prices.
Mr.. White says that these lands are
as cheap at today's figures with the
country's proven worth as they were
few years ago at half the price
when the general public had but q
vague idea of the producing quality
of western Canada lands.
The land agents at the different
towns along the line Of railway are
very active. A large number Of acres
from the different states in the south.
where lands that produce no better
are sold at from $3.50 to 5000 per
acre.
The homestead lands are becoming
scarcer day by day and those who are
unable to purchase, preferring to
homestead, are directing their atten-
ton to the park acres lying in the
northerly part Of the central dis
tricts. 1t has been found that while
these are somewhat more difficult to
bring under the su5jugatioa CT the
pillow. the soil is fully as productive
as in the districts farther south. They
possess the advantage that the more
open prairie areas do not possess:
THAI there Is on these lands an open
acreage Of from fifty to seventy per
cent of the whole and the balance is
made up Of groves Of poplar Of fair
size, which offer shelter for cattle.
while the grasses are Of splendid
strength and plentiful. bringing about
more active stage of mixed farming
than can be carried on In the more
open districts to the south.
The emigration for the past year
has been the greatest in the history
of Canada and 1t is keeping up in
record shape. The larger number Of
those, who will go this year will be
those who will buy lands nearer the
line Of railways. preferring to pay
little higher price for good location
than to go back from the line Of rail-;
ways some 40 or so miles to home
stead.
Mr.. White has visited the different
agencies throughout the United States
and ha found that thE c0rrpsn0ndenra
at the various Offices has largely In
creased, the number Of callers II
greater than ever.
Any one desiring information re-
eardfnr western Canada should aDnly