Potosi journal., 1922-02-01
Bettsvs % be called ~ Impractical
idcalist BY the pre*snt generation than
q TOO, b tn next one,
LAND GROWS RICH
Wonderful Development Of Can.
ada In Forty Years.
-Four Decades Aee Little censidssed.
To-day One Of the Greatest Gran.
ariss and 0Airyino centers.


the sale Of the first section Of Cana
dian Pacific land was 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 "Reminiscences. hut
yet OF interest. What forty years ago
was an unknown quantity, barren BE-
cause but little production was at.
tempted. 10 today one Of the greatest
granafies In the world. Then there
was scarcely any farm live stock II
the West. Dairying was not engaged
In at all. To-day there are d,p0e.3l1
farm animals on the prairies. Of which
SSl. $40 are milch cows: and dairying
h only second In Importance 10 grain
growing. In the West
Forty years ago the shipment of one
carload of grain was a notable ex.
ploit.
Today. Canada ranks n the second
largest wheat producing country In the
world. with nc. lB5. 800 bushels, 90 per
cent Of which was grown 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
$50, 10000 bushels. OF which ~ per
cent was grown between Winnipeg and
the Rocky mountains: and the Hfth
largest producer Of barley with 63.31l..
900 bushels, Of which the prairies
yielded ~ per cent.
Forty years ago scarcely any VI the
rich soil had heen bruugh, under cui,
tiyat!on. The farm machinery Of the
time was crude: there were no com.
petcnt advisers: government, expert.
mental farms we're blessing that
came years later.
Yet these hardy pioneers stuck Il
out. and IN forty years numbers of
them are enjoying their declining days
In the communities they wres,ed from
tho wilderness, prosperous. con,ented.
with their chlldrrn's families gathered
about them or seeking their own for.
tunes stiil further westward or north.
ward. They have seen civilization
step In to the West and the wilderness
swept out. To-day are thriving cities
and towns where bleaching buffalo
homes marked the OK trails II forty
years ago To-day nre mighty freight
trnins. each with It's thousand ton car
90 Of wheat or merchandise, roaring
down the ruads where the old carts
creaked. To-day are schools within
walking distance OF every farmhouse,
churches within driving distance Of
every home. To-day 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,
the Pacific coast being reached from
the east By ships sailing round Cape
Horn. The province of Manitoba hGd
n population Of r.. 900. compared with
8i3.OO6 In 1921. Winnipeg was then
a frontier town with 1881 people. and
Brandon. which WAS regarded "a
far-hunS outpost Of the West. boosted
of n few hundred In population. In
1901 II only had SITS. Such places
A. Calgary and Edmonton were mcre
trading posts In the Northwest terri
tories, Hnhaio rnaucd the prairie In
their native state.
To-day on these plains are to be-
scen herds ~ cattle. bands of horses
and drov~s Ut sheep. from any ~
which cap easily be- selecscti stock
that can carry OF premInms, sweep.
stakes and championships IN cotnte.
tition with the hest In any other part
Cf the world. Advertisement.