Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-02-07
Bushels per
acre 1919

Bushels per
acre 1918
All Canada ................2 20
Western Canada only % Is
Province of Manitoba ..........2 % AS
Province of Saskatchewan -. .2S 1-2
Province Of Alberta ........... 30 40
United States, all .............17
Montana ...s............... 20 l-z
Washington ..................25 10
wisconsin .......s.s........ ~ "a
Ohio OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ~ 70
Iowa ..................'. ~ 40
ILLINOIS, .........."'..s''ss ..10
Pennsylvania .................lo IL
Nebraska .................... IL 20
North Dakota ................lS 10
Indiana ..................'. ..ld 10
South Dakota ............s....l1 1-1V
Minnesota
Texas .............-.''' 10 liz
virginia .......s.....'..'.s 10 80
Kansas ...............'... LIZ LIZ
Missouri .......s........... IL o-IU
Oklahoma ................... II DO
In 1916 the crop was not as heavy.
but the yields IN many districts were
very large. So large, indeed, was the
acreage under cultivation In 1915 that
the resulting crop proved too large to be
ali threshed the same fall. 1t over
loaded railroads, and made marketing
slow. A less amount of fall blowing
was done than. would have been done
in a less heavy year, because the aver
age farmer was too busy with his
threshing. All these conditions nee
essarily reacted upon the acreage
seeded in the spring of 1916. Add to
this that labor last year, owing to the
great number of Canadians who have
enlisted, was scarce and high-priced.
and one factor in the decreased yield
smaller acreage under crop was evil
dent.
Another factor is that this year
Western Canada has experienced, In
common with the entire North Ameri-
can continent, conditions that tave
been less favorable to the production
of big crops. The conditions have re-
suited in smaller yield per acre and
reduced grade of grain In certain local
tiles.
The average yield of wheat in the
three western provinces is estimated
by the government at about 16 bushels
per acre, oats 43 bushels, and barley
q bushels.
The financial value of their crops to
Western Canadian farmers has been
greater this year than ever before.
Owing to the high prices Of grain that
are prevailing, returns have been re-
ceived that are extremely profitable.
With wheat standing at the present
time at over $1.90 per bushel at the
Great Lakes, wheat crop at present
figures would pay the farmer. even
supposing he had only the average Of
16 bushels per acre, over $1,000 per
acre. large number are receiving
5000 per acrc-some have received
$500. and a few even more than that.
This price. of course, is not all profit:
II represents the gross return, and the
cost of operation must be deducted.
But It does not, even at the highest fig
ures cost more than 90 cents to raise
bushel Of wheat in Western Canada,
so that the profit can be figured accord
ingly. 1t must be emphasized that the
acre which produces a $1,000 crop costs
in the first case, probably less than
that. In the United States the same
class of land would cost In many dis
tricts from 500 to $500 per acre, and
even then o return of $1,000 would be
considered extremely satisfactory. In
Western Canada the best class of ag-
rlcultural land. capable Of producing
crops that in size compare with any
country In the world except. perhaps.
some European countries, can be OBJ
tanned at, on the average, from $50 to
$50 per acre, with irrigated lands some
what higher. II is no exaggeration
whatever to say that q number Of
Western Canadian farmers have paid
for their land entirely from the pro-
ceeds of last years crop, and this In
cludes men sghO last year began for the
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