The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-02-08
THE BASIS Of
CANADA'S RICHES
A Theme Discussed by the Wall
Street Journal.

riches Is the fertility Of the soil, and
no freak of warfare can injure that
while her grain will Increase In de-
mand us the population Of the world
grows. As uu investment field Canada
Is worthy of consideration These
words are well worthy of attention, cs-
peclally coming from such II source as
this eminent financial journal. with
a land area exceeding that OF the
United States and with tillnble areas
coming under cultivation. the wealth
of Cnnada's future can scarcely he esti.
mated, while the wealth today Is such
as 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 of
their land. Lands ut from Sl5 to $50
an acre produced crops worth $40 to
S75 an acre. Stock raising aud dairy.
Ing were equally profitable.
The year 1915 saw most wonderful
crops and magnificent yields over the
entire country, and many farmers
wiped u Indebtedness thut had
hung Over them long before they came
to the country, and the year 1910 put
them In u condition Of absolute indie
pendence. A report to hand verified
by II high official might seem marvel
Gus, were the particulars not well
known, and where are not other cases
that would seem almost rs phenom-
email. This Is II southern Alberta story {:
A farmer wished "a rent an adjoining
farm on which u loan company held Il
mortgage. The applicant said he want
ed the first ten bushels OF wheat, after
which he would divide, giving the loan
company one-third. After threshing
he paid into the bank ut Calgary SIG
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-thirds was So 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 all
parts of this district. Recently ago
acres OF n ranch were sold to nm Iii.
nois farmer; 800 acres of wheat In
1915 produced n yield that averaged
42lk bushels Of wheat per ucre. George
Richard, formerly Of Providence. II. J.,
on II southern Alberta farm got 2,052
bushels Of wheat from a J0-acre field,
or over 10 bushels per acre. and from
a 50-acre field of oats got u return Of
70 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 % bushels per
acre ~ bushels OF oats and 30 bushels
OF barley.
Travellers through Alberta's wheat
belt have had revealed to them scenes
OF agricultural productiveness unup-
preached in any other part Of the
world.
Alberta farms. selected with ever
moderate discretion, have raised men
to independence aud afluence 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 20 bushels per acre
and outs li5 bushels.
Numerous records show that the cost
Of farms has been more than repaid by
this years crop. In one instance. land
purchased for 5000 produced wheat
which was sold for u little over $4,000.
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 10 face every year Is the
securing Of nm adequate supply OF
labor TO handle the harvesting and
threshing Of Its big crops. This prob.
lem. indeed. Is always present In amy
country that has II big agricultural pro-
d%uctlon; In the case OF Western Can
ada II Is enhanced by the comparative
sparsity of population and the long dis
lance from Industrial districts, which
can be expected to offer u surplus OF
labor.
In Western Canada the present din,
culties are Increased by the war. A yer,
large number OF Western Canadu's
small population have enlisted for serv
Ice with the Canadian forces In Europe
and ut the present time there IL gen
orally speaking no surplus Of labor fol
the ordinary channels OF industry, [,
say nothing Of the abnormal demand,
Of harvest time. The situation, how
ever. has to some extent been met b!
the action Of the Canadian militia de
partment, who have released all sucl
men who IRE still In training In tn,
western military camps and who desir
TO engage In harvest work for u perio,
of generally month.
The actual number of men engage'
In 1916 In harvest work was betweel
forty and fifty thousand, Wages wer
higher than usual, running from $50