Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-02-03
THE BASIS Of
CANADA'S RICHES
A Theme Discussed by the Wall
Street Journal.

In speaking of Canada a short time
ago the Wall Street Journal made the
statement that The basis of Canada's
riches is the fertility of the soil. and
/ no freak of warfare can inture 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-
/ pecially coming from such a source as
this eminent financial journal With
a land area exceeding that of the
| United States and with tillable 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 $15 to $50
an acre produced crops worth $40 to
SIS an acre. Stock raising and dairy
/ lAt5 we're equally pTOuldDles
The year 1915 saw most wonderful
crops and magnificent yields over the
entire country, and many farmers
wiped out indebtednesses that had
hung over them long before they came
/ to the country, and the year 1915 put
! them in 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 phenOm-
email. This is a southern Alberta story;
A farmer wished to rent an adjoining
/ farm on which a loan company held a
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 threshilg
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 S16 to $50 per acre Won
derful yields are reported from all
! parts of this district Recently 4,640
! acres of a ranch were sold to an Hi
nois farmer; 300 acres of wheat in
! 1916 sDrOduced a yield that averaged
! 42d5 bushels of wheat per acre. George
Richard, formerly of Providence, II. l..
on southern Alberta farm got 2,052
bushels Of wheat from a 50-acre field,
! or over 40 bushels per acre. and from
a 50-acre field of oats got a return Of
/ rs 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 28 bushels per
acre IS bushels of oats and 80 bushels
of barley.
Travellers through Alberta's wheat
/ belt have had revealed to them scenes
of agricultural productiveness unap-
preached in any other part of the
world.
Alberta farms, selected with even
moderate discretion, have raised men
/ to independence and afTluence 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 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 5000 produced wheat
which was sold for 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 to face every year is the
! labor to handle the harvesting and
! threShing of its big crops This prob
/ lem, indeed. is always present in any
country thar has big agricultural pro-
/ ductiOn in the case of Western Can
/ ada 1t is enhanced by the comparative
/ sparsity of population and the long dis
I lance from industrial districts, which
can be expected TO offer a 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 ne Canadian forces in Europe.
/ and ut the present time there is gen
orally speaking no surplus of labor for
/ TIE ordinary channels of industry, to
/ 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