The Arvada enterprise., 1917-01-25
THE BASIS Of
CANADA'S RICHES
A Theme Discussed by the Wall
Street Journal.

ago the Wall Street Journal made the
. statement that The basis Of Canada
riches Is the fertility of the soil, and
no freak Of warfare can injure that.
while her grain Will increase In de-
mand as the population Of the world
grows. AS an investment field Canada
Is worthy of consideration" These
words are well worthy of attention, es-
peclally coming from such II source as
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 be 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 at from So to $50
an acre produced crops worth $40 to
$50 an acre. Stock raising and dairy
ing were equally profitable.
The year 1918 saw most wonderful
entire country. and many farmers
wiped out indebtednesses that had
hung over them long before they came
to the country, and the year 1916 put
them in n condition of absolute indie
pendence. A report to hand verified
by high official might seem marvel
Gus, were the particulars not well
known, and where are not other cases
that would seem almost as phcnOm-
email. This is n southern Alberta story:
A farmer wished to rent an adjoining
farm on which n 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-third. After threshing
he paid into the bank at 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 $50 and In addition the
first ten bushels of wheat. Land on
this same security can be purchased
for from SIG to $50 per acre. Won
derful yields are reported from all
parts of this district. Recently 4,GlO
acres of n ranch were sold to an ILL
nois farmer; 300 acres of wheat in
1916 produced yield that averaged
42lA bushels Of wheat per acre. George
Richard, formerly of Providence. II. l..
on southern Alberta farm got 2.O52
bushels Of wheat from 5O-acrc field,
or over 40 bushels per acre, and from
n 5O-acre field of oats got return of
20 bushels per acre and still had some
sheavcs left over for feeding.
A report just issued by the Alberta
government gives the yield of wheat In
the showing of 1916 as IS bushels per
acre: 45 bushels Of oats and 30 bushels
of barley.
Travellers through Albcrta's wheat
belt have had revealed to them scenes
Of agricultural productlveness unnp-
proached In any other part of the
world.
Alberta farms, selected with even
moderate discretion, have raised men
to independence and nnluencc 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 oats 10 bushels.
Numerous records show that the cos,
OF farms has been more than repaid by |
this years crop. In one Instance, land |
purchased for $500 produced wheat
which was sold for n little over 500
During the year 1917 there will be |
an Immense amount of labor required
TO take care Of the crop In Munitoba. |
Saskatchewan and Alberta.
One Of the problems which Western
CANADA has to face every year is the |
securing of nm adequate supply OF
luhor 10 handle the harvesting and
thr"shing of It's big crops. This prob. .
lem, Indeed, Is always present In any
country that has big agricultural pro.
duction: In the case OF Western Cnn.
ndn II IL enhanced by the comparative |
spnrslty Of population aud the long dis. |
lance from Industrial districts. which
cnn be expected to offer surplus of
labor.
In Western Canada the present din.
cuItics nrc Increased by the wnr. A very
large number OF Western Cnnndn's
small population have enlisted for scry. !
Ice with the Canadian forces In Europe
ma nj the present time there is gen.
orally speaking no surplus Of lnbor for
III" ordinary channels Of Industry. 10
say nothing Of the abnormal demands
OF harvest time, The situation, how.
ever, has TO some extent been met by
III" action Of the CnnndInn mIlI,In dc.
rnrtmrni, who hnvc released nil such
men who nrc still IN training in tho
western military cnmps and who desire
10 "nsng" In harvest work for period
OF generally one month.
Tho nctunl number Of mon onpnycd
In 1910 In harvest work wns between
forty nnh nifty thousand. Wages wcrn
higher than usual running from $3.50
!" SLN a day with board, nud fru,n