Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1917-01-24
THE BASIS Of
CAMADA'S RICHES
A Theme Discussed by the Wall
Street Journal.

Is worthy of consideration" These
words are well worthy of attention, es-
peclally coming from such source ns
this eminent financial Journal. With
land area exceeding that of the
United States and with tilable areas
coming under cultivation. the wealth
of Canada's future can scarcely he esti.
mated. while the wealth today Is such
rs to bring her most prominently be-
fore the world.
During the past year thousands of
farmers In Western Canada sold their
crops for more than the total cost 0i
their land. Lands at from SIS to $50
nm acre produced crops worth $40 to
$40 an acre. Stock raising and dairy
Ing were equally profitable.
The year 1915 saw most wonderful
crops ana magnificent yields over the
entire country, and many farmers
wiped out Indebtedness that had
hung over them long before they came
to the country, and the year 1915 put
them In n condition OF absolute inde-
pendence. A report to hand verified
ny n high official .ight seem marvel
Gus. were the particulars not well
known, and where are not other cases
TINT would seem almost ns phenom-
cnal. This Is n southern 4 % srta story:
A farmer wished to rent an adjoining
farm on which loan company held
mortgage. The applicant said he want
ed the first ten bushels of wheat. after
which he would divide, giving the loan
company one-thlrd. After threshing
he paid into the bank at Calgary $40
per acre for every acre cultivated, to
the credit of the loan company, as
their share or their third of the crop.
Sixteen dollars per acre rent His
two-thlrds was 81 and In addition the
first ten bushels of wheat. Land ON
this same security can be purchased
for from $40 to $50 per acre. Won
derful yields are reported from nll
parts of this district Recently 4,Gi0
acres of n ranch were sold to an ILL
nois farmer; 300 acres OF wheat In
1915 produced n yield that averaged
42ia bushels Of wheat per acre. George
Richard. formerly of Providence. X, L.,
N southern Alberta farm got 2,0J2
bushels of wheat from 5O-acre field,
or over 10 bushels per acre, and from
50-acre field of oats got n return of
40 bushels per acre and still had some
sheaves left over for feeding.
A report just issued by the Alberta
government gives the yield of wheat In
the showing OF 1916 as 2S bushels per
acre; 40 bushels of oats and 80 bushels
OF barley.
Travellers through Alberta's wheat
belt have had revealed to them scenes
OF agricultural productlycness unap-
preached In any other part of the
world.
Alberta farms, selected with even
to independence and aflluence with rec
ords of wonderful development unsur-
passed amongst the phenomenal indus
trial success Of which Canada well may
boast.
Many almost incredible yields have
been reported by reliable authorities,
wheat exceeding 10 bushels per acre
and oats 145 bushels.
Numerous records show that the cost
| Of farms has been more than repaid by
this years crop. In one instance, land
purchased for $500 produced wheat
which was sold for little over $1,000
During the year 1917 there will be
an immense amount of labor required
to take care Of the crop In Manitoba
Saskatchewan and Alberta.
One of the problems which Western
Canada has to face every year Is the
securing of an adequate supply OF
labor to handle the harvesting and
threshipg of Its big crops. This prob
lem, indeed, Is always present In any
country that has big agricultural pro
duction; In the case of Western Can
ada 1t Is enhanced by the comparative
sparslty of population and the long dis
tance from Industrial districts, whicl
can be expected to offer surplus OF
labor.
In Western Canada the present diff
culties are increased by the war. A very
large number of Western Canada's
small population have enlisted for serv'
Ice with the Canadian forces In Europe
and at the present time there Is gen
orally speaking no surplus of labor for
the ordinary channels Of Industry, IL
say nothing of the abnormal demands
| of harvest time. The situation. how
ever. has to some extent been met by
the action of the Canadian militia de-
partment, who have released all such
men who are still In training In the
western military camps and who desire
| TO engage In harvest work for period
| of generally one month.
The actual number of men engaged
In 1919 In harvest work was between
forty and fifty thousand. Wages were
higher than usual, running from $3.50
to $500 II day with board, and from
$50 to 500 month.--Advertisement.