The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-08-21
CROP CONDITIONS
OF THE NORTH
Two Weeks Tour Through Iowa, Min
nesota, North Dakota and Canada
Assures One of Splendid Crops
II HARvEsTERs IN ONE FIELD
Great Change Taken Place in New
Country Over Few Years Ago
Improved Towns and Farms.
Editor Review

Editor Review
1t is by travelling about the coun
try that one becomes impressed will
the greatness of other localities thar
the one in which he or she happens t.
be spending their short life.
It was about two weeks ago thai
we started from Denison to take q
trip through the northern country, in
tending to go as far as Calgary, In
Alberta, Canada, going by way of St
Paul and Minneapolis and crossing
the boundary line between the United
States and Canada at Portal, from
there to Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat and
finally to Calgary; the last named
place we reached on the morning of
the third day after leaving here. The
railroads furnish such excellent &C
Communications that one feels quite as
much at ease as if spending the time
in their own home; if one is interest
ed in scenery along the route, even
more pleasure is derived from such a
trip than so much time spent in the
home. The question uppermost in
the minds of the people, whether on
the farm, in the city or on the train,
is the question of crops; and about
the first thing inquired about when
two strangers meet and locate each
other is how the crops are in their
respective localities. 1t is gratifying
to know that crops are universally
good this year, not only in Iowa, be-
tween Denison and St. Paul. but
throughout the states of Minnesota,
North Dakota and Canada, which
places were visited on our trip. No
better crops have been had for many
years than this year; the yield OF
wheat in northern Iowa, Minnesota,
North Dakota and Canada is larger
than usual and of a better quality.
The crop is two or three weeks
earlier as you 60 north than it was
this time last year. We remember on
the first day of September last year
that in Alberta, on account of ex.
cessive rains, the wheat standing in
the field was green and still growing
with the appearance that the crop
would not be ripe before the goth OF
September and few fields of spring
wheat matured before that date; this
year the harvest will be in full blast
before the close of this month in ev-
.ery portion of western Canada and
the quality of the grain will be of a
superior grade. The oat crop espec-
tally will be larger than usual and the
prediction is made that the railroads
will be unable to furnish cars to de-
liver all the crops inside of year.
It was a pleasure while passing
across the valley of the Red river OF
the north in North Dakota to count
seventeen harvesters following each
other around the same field of grain,
it was wheat field showing crop
which would yield not less than TWEEN
ty to twenty-five bushels of wheat to
the acre and of as fine quality OF
wheat as will be grown anywhere IN
the country. Seven years ago after
crossing the boundary line on the 500
railroad there were few fields under
cultivation to be seen from the train,
for the full distance as far west as
the mountains and this was especial
ly true between Moose Jaw and Cal
gary; this year the view presented to
the traveller is that of an almost con-
tinuous field of grain for large por-
tion of the distance in which wheat,
oats, rye and barley are the chief
crops. although occasionally a field OF
alfalfa is seen. The surface OF the
ground is not always free from stone
and considerable effort is required to
pick up and haul out to the side OF
the farm the stone which are either
plowed up or taken out by other
means. In some instances enough
stone is taken out to build a sub
stantial wall which answers for a
fence around the field, but it is gen
orally the case that good rich black
loan soil is found in such localities.
Another thing which shows the re-
markable change which has taken
place in the new country is the thriv-
ing and growing towns and cities along
the road 1t was but a few years ago
that little showing was made in the
way of towns, but now it is not an in
frequent thing to find towns and
cities ranging from thousand to
five thousand people on the line and
even much larger cities such as Swift
Current, Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat,
Lethbridge and Calgary. Medicine
Hat is place of about 5000 inhabi-
tants: Moose Jaw, $4,000; Lethbridge