The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-02-21
LAND OF WEALTH
Western Canada Has Unbounded
Possibilities.
Glorious Opportunities for the Stock
Raiser, the Wheat Grower, and the
Mixed Farmer-lts Fields to
Feed the World.

Before there were any cattle in
Alberta. or it was known that 1t was
possible to feed them outside all the
round. the Indian hunters could
always find the buffalo during the
winter months pasturing in the foot
mills. In the mn the herds wan
dered on the plains and fed on the
prairie grasses. The plains have since
become grain fields, but the foothil!
district extending north from the IN
rernational boundary for a thousand
sniles will always be q natural feeding
ground for live stock. In the southern
part Of Alberta the altitude is greater
than in the more northerly districts,
but while the herds in the south have
winder tracts of treeless pasturage, in
she north from Red Deer on into the
Peace river country there are more
trees. a richer vegetation and ri
natural shelter.
Those who have been advocating
stock raising and mixed farming for
she past few years point to the number
of hogs marketed as an evidence Of the
increased production Of the Western
Provinces. They may also take credit
FOR the increase in cattle and sheep.
which Is very great. but perhaps not
SO marked as what has been accom-
plished In hog raising. For the first
six months alone last year about half
u million hogs were shipped from
Manitoba. Saskatchewan and Alberta.
4 very conservative estimate value OF
these animals t o the farmer would be
$500 a head.
The Canadian West is fast forging to
she front Of the wheat-producing u
uies Of the world. and mo. | hard
10 without doubt the best wheat in the
market today. When It is considered
hat the three hundred and fOrty-three
aiiiiOA four hundred and seventy-three
shousand bushel crop Of 1915 was from
ealy eleven million acres Of her hun
-1reds Of millions Of acres. 1t gives an
IDA Nf what her future will be.
It is felt. however, that on account
ct the great money there will I'M
4subtediy be in growing wheat during
the next few years there Is q POSSIBLE
~ that farmers may he tempted to
drop the growing OF coarser grains.
which might result In less stock being
raised. Every effort Is being made by
he Agricultural Departments Of the
various Provinces to impress on the
farmers that forage crops and coarse
feed In abundance mean production Of
Aesh and milk. and that In the long
run the great future Of the Western
provinces lies In mixed farming which
witt found her prosperity on a more
enduring basis
Mixed farming has always been the
vule in the Eastern Provinces where the
formation Of the land invites variety
&f crop, but it has not been ms common
- the Western Provinces, though the
practice has grown In recent years.
Hitherto the man mining wheat from
The rich soil has purchased most OF his
household food and necessities, his
energies being devoted to getting every
possible bushel Of grain out OF every
foot Of his land. and he has paid prices
for his supplies that have made a big
dent In his profits. 1t has now dawned
On him that he a raise vegetables
and poultry. and supply his own table I;
that with very little effort he can raise
. lot Of garden produce and In n very
simple manner solve his own problem
of the cost OF living. Further. that
vhere is an increasing market for do
nestle necessities such as poultry.
egg butter. milk and cheese, which
command very high prices. and that
there are other roads to prosperity
besides that through the wheat field.
In 1916 Canada imported 7,9S9,o69
pounds of butter. most Of It from as
Sar away as New Zealand. and for the
first time in GO years failed to ship
butter to England. a condition due to
the home consumption, which is esti-
stated to be increasing at the rate OF
$3,OOO.OOO worth "a year, being great
iy in excess Of the increased supply.
This condition has brought about a
change In farming methods that Is far
reaching. and will result In greatly in
creased production oil round OF the
necessities demanded by the home
market.
Natural Resources.
One Of the most important consider
ations to the farmer is fuel. In north
~rn Manitoba, Saskatchewan AMI Al
berta. where portions OF the country
are we'll wooded, the settler has little
dificulty in getting all the wood be
requires and thousands Of men hnd
employment In the winter cutting
wood. which Is shipped all w the
rsaire portions Of the provinces.
-Phere Is an abundance Of coal
throughout the country. 1t Is estimat-
- that the coal deposits In Alberta
cover over $1,000 square miles and
represent an available tonnage Of over
zen hundred thousand million tons,
while those In Saskatchewan cover nm
area OF $1,000 miles. containing over
5p.OOO,OOO tons. In Manitoba the coal
reserve II not as large. but even there
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