Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1916-07-06
ADA'SEXCELLENT
STANDING
Bank CIearings Increase-AgrI-
culture Is a Paying Indus
try-Manufactures
Doing Well.

Business experts assert that Can
ada Is ON the threshold Of perhaps
the most prosperous era In her his
tory. The unprecedented value of
the farm products Of 1915, together
with the very large output Of factories
working on munitions of war has sud
denly brought the country into po-
sition, financially, scarcely hoped for
as q nation for years to come. Elk
port surplus of $5O,0O0,00O month is
making Canada very strong III cash"
Extract from official bulletin of Feb
ruary II, 1916.
The response by the farmers Of Can
ada to the call for increased produc-
ton in 1915 was total net output
exceeding one billion dollars. an in
crease over normal years of at least
three hundred millions. The three
Prairie Provinces contributed prob
ably nearly one-half of the total prod
uct.
The wheat crop was worth $310,OOO,-
600, and accounted for about 30 per
cent Of the total agricultural product.
Other things counted also. Look at
dairying. In Ontario the dairy pro-
duction was increased 20 per cent,
and prices were over 10 per cent
| ahead Of 1914. Other provinces shared
In the increase. especially Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova SEQ
tia. The dairy cow was ION the job
In 1915. So also were the beef cattle,
the pigs and the hens.
1t Is not fair to the farmers of the
Prairies to call the wheat crop Of 1915
a miracle" crop. The farmers cult
waited more land and gave attention
to their seed. Providence gave them
favorable weather. Then they toiled
early and late In the harvesting and
threshing. Good cultivation gave big
ger yields than careless work, 45 bush
els as against 25.
The wealth Of Western Canada Is
by no means all in Its wheat crop. II
the country had no wheat at all II
would still be famous as land of sue
cessful farmers on account Of its stock
production. From one shipping point
(High River. Alberta) over S75,OOO.W
worth Of horses have been sold In the
last two months. The average price
to the farmer has been about $175.O(
per head. According to Government
returns there are a million and hall
| horses in Manitoba, Saskatchewan anc
Alberta, worth probably $l5o,OOOOOO
The investments which farmers oil
Western Canada are making In live
stock and farm improvements are
good evidence of the fact that the!
have money for these purposes. 1t IL
| apparent, however. that they are alst
spending some of their profits OF
those things which will bring greater
comfort and enjoyment to themselves
| their wives and their families. Th'
automobile trade all through th'
country Is particularly active. ant
farmers are the biggest buyers. A re
cent report Of the Saskatoon dlstric
shows that In two months million
| dollars worth Of automobiles have
| ueeu Sottt lui SCIS W Avn 80
all of these cars of the cheaper makes
some high-priced machines are in de
mand.
Bank clearings throughout the West
ern Provinces show greater CONNER
cial activity than at the same season
| in 1915 or 1914. the increase for tn
last week Of February being $S.0Oo,OO
and almost $9OOo,0o0, respectively
for the first week Of March $4,000
900 over 1915 and S1S,0OO.OOo owe
1914. The same excellent story come
from Moose Jaw. Sash, where the
showed from 40 to 100 per cent owe
the previous year. Calgary. Alta
bank clearings continue to reflect tn
greatly improved business condition
as compared with year ago. Cana
da's bank clearings for the month O
February. 1916, were the greatest fo
any February in the country's histor!