Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1915-01-08
MlNITOBES 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, it was found that having to pur
chase his meat, his milk and num-
Der of other daily requisites, the farm
did not pay as it should. Now, there
is another side to 1t. 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 farmer today but has real
lied that the growing of grains alone
has 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 fayorably
with those of many older countries,
while In many cases they exceed them.
1t 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
1872 acres, clover on 5,32s acres, al
faifa on 4.709 acres and fodder corn on
20,223 acres. In 1914 the respective
acreage under those crops We're 25,444
acres, q, 100 acres, 165,990 acres, 1912
acres, and 10, $50 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
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 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
number $4,000 head this year, as
against $4,000 last year; milch cows
are 160,474 head, as against 15f963
head; pigs number $4,000 as against
2fS,000; sheep number $4,000, as
against $4,000; and there are 1000
horses, as compared with 100000 at
this time last year. These are the
latest Provincial figures, and they
show that despite the great efflux of
live stock to the United States since
he linz ~ that 10
ada, the, capital amount of live ami
mails has increased instead of hav-
ing decreased through the extra de-
mand
Dalrying the Principal Industry.
Dairying is the industry, however,
which is making dollars for the Mani
toba farmer. II is developing at a rap
i'd rate in this Province for that par
ticular reason. The output of cream
cry butter last year was 100000
pounds, at an 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 1885,
ZIG pounds. The Government depart
ment says that again this year sub
stantial increase in the dairy output
viii 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 10 Obtain q Sufficient supply of
milk and sweet cream from its city
daIrles TO satisfy its demand through
out the year without having to import
large quantities of these products
from the United States as was done