Mexico Missouri message., 1914-12-17
MANIT0BA'S AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRY
REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
THAT PROVINCE 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 so good,
and with the high price received. every
farmer was placed in a good financial
position.
For some years, as is probably the
case in all new countries, Manitoba
went largely into the growing OF
grain, and while this paid well for
time, 1t was found that having to pur-
chase his meat, his milk and num-
Der of other daily requisites, the farm
did not pay as II should. Now, there
is another side to It, Fodder crops
are grown, cattle are being raised,
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 farmer today but has real
lied that the growing 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
h. 80 rt. - he Go
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 was sown on 24,912 acres, rye
grass on 21,917 acres, timothy on
11S,7I2 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 25,444
acres, 100 acres, los $50 acres, 1912
acres, and 10, $50 acres and &c, 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
| is 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 roo
crop acreage indicate, there have beer
increases in the holdings OF all kind:
of live stock during the past twelve
months, according to the correspond
ent for the Toronto Globe. Beef cattl,
number $4,000 head this year, al
against $1,000 last year; mich cowi
are 160,474 head, as against 1896
head; pigs number $4,000 as agains
24S,000; sheep number $4,000, a
against $4,000; and there are 325,00
horses, as compared with 100000 a
this time last year. These are tn
latest Provincial figures, and the
show that despite the great efiux O
live stock to the United States sine
the opening of that market to Car
ada, the capital amount of live an
mails has increased instead of ha,
ing decreased through the extra d.
mand.
Dairying the Principal Industry.
Dairying is the industry, however
which is making dollars for the Man
toba farmer. 1t Is developing at a raj
id rate in this Province for that pa
ticular reason. The output of cream
cry butter last year was 100000
: pounds, at an average price of 81
cents per pound, which was an II
! crease over the previous year of
million pounds. The output of dali
butter was recorded last year at 4,2St
; 276 pounds. The Government depar
ment says that again this year a su
stantial increase in the dairy outp,
. will be shown from this PROVING
From this same source OF informatic
one finds that through the splend
, growth in winter dairying, Winnip,
.. now, for the first time In years,
, able to obtain sufficient supply
milk and sweet cream from its CT
!. diaries to satisfy its demand throug
!. out the year without having to impo
: large quantities of these produc