The Dolores star., 1919-02-21
Land OF WEALTH
Western Canada Has Unbounded
Possibilities.
Glorious Opportunities for the Stock
Raiser, the Wheat Grower, and the
Mixed Farmer-Its Fields to
Feed the World

Before there We're any cattle in
Alberta, or 1t was known that IL was
possible TO feed them outside all the
iear round the Indian hunters could
llways find the buffalo during The
winter months pasturing In the foot
mis-. In the summer the herds wan
Tered on the plains and fed on the
prairie grasses. The plains have since
'ecome grain fields, but the foOthill
district extending north from the Ill
:ernntional boundary for II thousand
niles will always be natural feeding
sround for live stock. In the southern
part of Alberta the altitude is greater
han In the more northerly districts.
,ut while the herds in the south have
Sinder tracts of treeless pnsturase. in
he north from Red Deer on into the
'eace river country there are more
rees, n richer vegetation and more
natural shelter.
Those who have been advocating
uock raising and mixed farming for
he past few years point to the number
" hogs marketed as an evidence of the
increased production of the Western
'rovinces. They may also take credit
or the increase in cattle and sheen.
which is very great. but perhaps not
30 marked as what has been accom-
llshed in hog raising. For the first
tx months alone last year about half
| million hogs were shipped from
Manitoba. Saskatchewan and Alberta.
very conservative estimate value of
hese animals to the farmer would he
$500 n head.
p The Canadian West is fast forging to
he front of the wheat-producing coun-
ries of the world. and NO. hard"
without doubt the best wheat in the
market today. When it is considered
hat the three hundred and forty-ihree
million four hundred and seventy-three
thousand bushel crop of 1919 was from
,nly eleven million acres of her hun
!reds Of millions Of acres, it gives an
dea Of what her future will be.
1t is felt. however, that on account
u the great money there will un-
loubtedly he In growing wheat during
he next few years there is possihl-
ty that farmers may be tempted to
irop the growing of coarser grains.
which might result in less stock being
alsed. Every effort Is being made by
he Agricultural Departments of the
iarious Provinces to impress on the
armcrs that forage crops and coarse
eed in abundance mean production OF
iesh and milk. and that in the long
.un the great future of the Western
Provinces lies in mixed farming which
will found her prosperity on a more
,nduring basis.
Mixed farming has always been the
nle in the Eastern Provinces where the
formation of the land invites variety
u crop, hut 1t has not been ms common
the Western Provinces. though the
practice has grown in recent years
Hitherto the man mining wheat from
he rich soil has purchased most of his
household food and necessities. his
'nergies being devoted to getting every
possible bushel of grain out Of every
loot Of his land. and he has paid prices
Tor his supplies that have made big
lent In his profits. 1t has now dawned
,n him that he can raise vegetables
and poultry and supply his own table !;
that with very little effort he can raise
/ lot of garden produce and in very
simple manner solve his own problem
Of the cost of living. Further. that
here is an increasing market for do
nestle necessities such rs poultry,
Eggs, 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 7,9S9,2G9
pounds of butter. most of it from as
lar away as New Zealand. and for the
arst time in 60 years failed to ship
oater to England, condition due TO
'he home consumption. which is esti-
uated TO be increasing Mt the rate OF
SWOoOO worth n year. being great
In excess of the increased supply
Inns condition has brought about n
uahge in farming methods that Is far
taching. and will result in greatly in
ueased production all round of the
iecessities demanded by the home
market
Natural Resources.
iOne of the most important consider.
uOas to the farmer is fuel. In north.
w manitoba, Saskatchewan and Al.
"'a' where portions of the country
ss ss wei wooded, the settler has little
sANu''y In getting all the wood he
n ,'lures and thousands of men find
.p,o!meht In the winter cutting
,.., s%, which is shipped all over the
III ma me portions of the provinces
II m. sre an abundance of coal
II 'aShout y .aut the country. 1t Is estImat.
ii NV. .ua' the coal deposits In Alberta
n,. a over $1,000 square miles and
ba besent an available tonnage OF over
nm. "ahored thousand million tons
N. nose In Saskatchewan cover IN
Aooomn,l l3'ooo miles. containing over
V tons. In Manitoba the conl