Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1914-12-16
MANITOBA'S AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRY
REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
THAT PnovlNcE DURING THE
PAST FEW YEARS.

The past year has shown that the
Province of Manitoba. the Premier
Province of Western Canada. stands
out prominently In point OF wealth in
her agricultural productions. Mani.
toba had an excellent yield OF wheat
In 1914, the oat crop was not 30 good,
and with the high price received, every
farmer was placed In a good financial
position.
For some years. rs Is probably the
case In all new countries. Manitoba
went largely into the growing of
grain, and while this paid well for a
time. II was found hat having to pur.
chase his meat. his milk aud q mum
Der OF other daily requisites, the farm
did not pay as II should. Now. there
Is another side to II. Fodder crops
are grown, cattle are being raised,
cheese factories and creameries are
established. and the result is that the
financial position OF the farmers of
Manitoba Is as strong as that of those
In any other portion of the continent.
Scarcely a farmer today but has real
lied that the growi.ig of grains alone
has a precarious side, and that posi-
tive security can only be assured by
diversified farming, and securing the
latest modern and most economic
methods. Therefore timothy, clover,
alfalfa, rye grass and fodder corn are
universally grown. Most wonderful
success meets the efforts of the farm
ers In the cultivation of these grasses,
and the yields compare favorably
with those of many older countries,
while in many cases they exceed them.
II Is worth while recording the acre
age of these crops this season as com.
pared with last, because the figures re-
fleet the remarkable progress that is
being made in dairying and In the
beef and pork industry. In 1913 bronze
grass vas sown on 24,912 acres. rye
grass Oh 2i,9l7 acres. timothy on
1lS,I12 acres. clover on 5.32S acres, al
falfa on 400 acres and fodder corn on
20,223 acres. In 1914 the respective
acreage under those crops were 25,iii
acres. 27,100 acres. 165. $3.50 acres. 7.2l2
acres. and 10,25O acres and 30,430 acres.
Alfalfa particularly is coming into its
own, the acreage having been more
than doubled last year.
1t is simply the natural process of
evolution from the purely grain farm
ing which Manitoba knew as the only
method twenty years ago to the more
diversified forms of agriculture that
IL responsible for the development
along these other lines in this Prov
ince. Alberta Is coming to 1t at an
earlier stage than did Manitoba. Sas-
katchewan. too. Is following rapidly
In the same direction.
Then. as her fodder crop and root
crop acreage indicate, there have been
increases In the holdings of all kinds
Of live stock during the past twelve
months. according to the correspond
ent for the Toronto Globe. Beef cattle
number $4,000 head this year, as
against 81, 900 last year; milch cows
are 100, ia head, as against 157. 500
head; pigs number $4,000 rs against
24S.000; sheep number $4,000, as
against so, 900; and there are 325. 900
horses, as compared with 300, 900 at
this time last year. These are the
latest Provincial figures, and they
show that despite the great efilux OF
live stock to the United States since
the opening OF that market to Can
ada. the capital amount Of live ami
mails has increased instead of hav.
ing decreased through the extra de-
mand.
DaIrylng the Principal Industry.
Dairying Is the industry, however.
which Is making dollars for the Mani
toba farmer. II Is developing at a rap
Id rate In this Province for that par
ticulsr reason. The output of cream
cry butter last year was 1000, 900
pounds. at ar average price Of 27.5
cents per pound. which was an In
crease over the previous year Of a
million pounds. The output OF dairy
butter was recorded last year at 4,2Ss.-
276 pounds. The Government depart
ment says that again this year a sub
stantial increase In the dairy output
will be shown from this Province.
From this same source Of information
one finds that through the splendid
growth in winter dairying, Winnipeg
now. for the first time in years. is
able to obtain a sufficient supply Of
milk and sweet cream from its city
diaries TO satisfy its demand througa,
out the year without having to inns
large quantities Of these prod 80
from the United States as was dony
mt lnn0nr than txrn uaaru sn-A1.