The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-02-02
LAND CROWS RICH
Wonderful Development Of Can
ada in Forty Years.
-Four Decades Ago Little Considered,
Today One Of the Greatest Gran
aries and Dairying centera

The recent announcement that
the sale OF the irst section Of Cana
dian Pacific land a sold forty years
ago. and when you read that the
FIRST carload Of wheat was shipped
from Winnipeg forty years ago. the
changes that have taken place since
then are matters OF reminiscence but
yet OF interest. What forty years ago
was an unknown quantity. barren be-
cause but little production was at
tempted. Ia today m Of the greatest
granarieS In the world. Then there
was scarcely any farm live stock In
the West Dairying was not engaged
IN at all. Today there are 6,D9S,317
farm animals On the prairies, of which
SSl 800 are mich cows; and dairying
Is only second In Importance to grain
growing. In the West.
Forty years ago the shipment Of n
carload Of grain was a notable ex-
plot.
Today. Canada ranks as the second
largest wheat-producing country In the
world, with 329, IS5,30O bushels. 90 per
cent OF which vas crown In the three
prairie provinces. Of which the pro-
vince OF Saskatchewan produced more
than half. The Dominion Is today the
second largest producer Of oats. with
b30.7l0.OOO bushels. OF which 60 per
cent was grown between Winnipeg and
the Rocky mountains; and the nth
largest producer OF barley with G3.3l1,-
600 bushels, OF which the pralries
yielded So per cent.
Forty years Z scarcely any Of the
rich soil had been brought under cuE
tiyation. The farm machinery Of tile
time VAS crude there were no ON
petent advisers; government experi-
mental farms were a blessing that
came years later.
Yet these hardy pioneers stuck II
0ut, and In forty years numbers OF
theIs are enjoying their declining days
In the communities they wrested from
the wilderness, prosperous. contented.
with their children's families gathered
about them or seeking their own for
tunes still further westward or north
ward. They have seer civilization
step In TO the West and tile wilderness
swept out. Today are thriving cities
and towns where bleaching buffalo
bu4les marked the OK trails of forty
years ago. Today are mighty freight
trains. each with Its ~thOusand-ton car
60 Of wheat or merchandise, roaring
down the roads where the old carts
creaked. Today are schools within
walBsig distance Of every farmhouse.
churches within driving distance OF
every home. Today are telephones
and every modern convenience linking
communities over vast distances by the
common bond OF the spoken word.
Forty years ago the Rockies were
practically an impenetrable barrier.
tile Pacific coast being reached from
the east by ships smiling round Cape
Hnrn. The province of Manitoba had
a population OF 62.2G0. compared with
6l3,OOS In 1871. Winnipeg was then
O frontier town with 1887 people. and
Brandon. which was regarded MS a
far-fiung outpost Of the West. boosted
OF u few hundred In population. In
1891 II only had ATS. Such places
as Calgary and Edmonton were mere
trading posts In the Northwest terri
tories. Buffalo roaned the prairie In
their native stare.
To-day on these plains are TO be
seen herds Of cnttle. bands of horses
and DRIVES Of sheep. from any of
which u easily be selected stock
that can carry off premiums, sweep
stakes and championships In compe-
tition with the best In any other part
Of the worid.-Adyertlselient.