Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-01-25
The BASIS OF
CANADkS RICHES
A Theme Discussed by the Wall
Street journal.

WINE HSl gram VIII increase IN de,
mand as the population of the world
grows. AS an investment field Canada
is worthy of consideration" These
words are we'll worthy Of attention, es.
peclally coming from such a source as
ms eminent financial journal. With
a Ian urea 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 $50 to $50
an acre produced crops worth $40 to
$40 an acre. Stock raising and dairy
ing were equally profitable.
The year 1915 say 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 1916 put
them IN a condition of absolute indie
p~endence. A report to hand verified
by Il high official might seem marvel-
Gus, We're 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 y-bi,l, n I@a, I'M
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 SIC
per acre for every acre cultivated, TO
the credit OF the loan company, as
their share OF their third of the crop,
Sixteen dollars per acre rent. His
tWo-thirds was $50 and in addition the
hTst 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.G4d
acres of a ranch were sold to an Iii,
nois farmer; 300 acres of wheat in
1916 produced Il yield that averaged
421l2 bushels of wheat per acre. George
Richard, formerly OF Providence. II. T.,
ON a southern Alberta farm got 2,052
bushels of wheat from Il 50-acre field,
or over 40 bushels per acre, and from
a 50-acre field of oats got Il return Of
tG bushels per acre and still had some
shcavcs left over for feeding.
y report Just issued by the Alberta
government gives the yield of wheat in
the showing of 1916 as % bushels per
acre; 45 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 afiuence with rec
ords of wonderful development unsur-
passed amongst the phenomenal indus
trial success of which Canada we'll ma
boast.
many ulliipNt illt cdlDlc SlcIuS nave
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 $4,000 produced wheat
which was sold for a little over 10000.
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 IN adequate supply of
labor to handle the harvesting and
threshing of its big crops. This prob
lem, indeed, is always present in any
country that has a big agricultural pro-
duction; in the case of Western Cam
ada it is enhanced by the comparative
sparsity of population and the long dis
lance from Industrial districts, which
can be expected to offer Il surplus OF
labor.
In Western Canada the present diff
culties are increased by the war. Avery
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, 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 a period
of generally one month.
The actual number of men engaged
in 1916 i'll harvest work was between
forty and fifty thousand. Wages were
higher than usual. running from $3.50
to $500 Il day with board, and from
Ss335 to $50 a mOnth.-Advertisement.
Coal miners in Georgia have re-