Show WHAT A LEADING agriculturist SAYS OF WESTERN CANADA arof thomas tho shaw of minnesota uni versify gives clr an unbiased opinion in a letter to the firmer farmer st paul dated sept 1901 prof thomas shaw of the minnesota state slate university has hag the following to say after having made bade a trip through western canada the capabilities ot of the immense are r known us RS western canada are but little understood on this side of 0 the line our people are apt to look upon it as a region ot of frost and snow a country in which but a small portion ot of the land relatively will ever be tillable because of 0 the rigors of 0 the tha climate true the climate is c old cold in winter but western canada has nevertheless just that sort ot of climate which makes mains it the most reliable wheat producing country in all the continent an jim mense area western canada Is not only an im am area but the same description will apply to those portions ot of the country that are capable of being successfully cess fully tilled or grazed nearly all ot of the prairie province ot of manitoba can be brought under cultivation although probably not one third ot of its surface has bee beba laid open by the plow Assini assiniboia boia to the west is a grain and stock block country saskatchewan to the north of Assin has high adaptation tor for the same this also may be faid eaid ot of alberta to the west here lies what may be termed a grain growing and stock producing empire the resources of 0 which have been but little drawn upon comparatively viewed from rom the standpoint ot of the agriculturalist when it is called to mind that even in the peace river country in athabasca and several hundreds hundred a of miles north of the canadian boundary wheat was grown which won a premium at the worlds fair in 1893 the capabilities of 0 this country in wheat production loom up more brightly then than even the bri brillant Klant northern lights ot of the land that lies toward the pole adapted to stock and grain production the region under consideration is however mainly adapted to growing grain and grazing stock much ot of it Is adapted to growing both grain and stock but certain areas especially towards the mountains are only adapted to ranching except where irrigation will yet be introduced this ot of course can be done successfully along the many streams that flow down from the and water the country towards the east and north the adaptation ot of the country for or wheat production is of 0 a high character the cool nights that usually characterize the ripening reason are eminently favorable to the filling of tho the grain and to the securing of a plump berry and consequently large yields the crop this year la is a magnificent one in manitoba and the territories it should certainly give dive an average of more mere than 20 bushels per acre but should the yield be not more than 20 bushels the crop will be a i bost ost handsome one owing to the large area sown to wheat many farmers only grow grain but those who do succeed as well in growing oats oata and barley as in growing wheat hence bence these foods tor for stock should always be abundant some grow cattle mainly and others combine the two the last named of course is doubtless the safest of the three during a long course of years that is to say where much farming is practicable quality ot of the iho ur live stock it was a pleasurable surprise to noto note the high quality of the stock the average 0 of quality in cattle la Is higher than the average of cattle in our state unless in the dairy classes this opinion is not reached rashly or without ample opportunity tor for investigation I 1 spent three long days in the show ring at winnipeg making the awards in the beet beef classes I 1 question if any of our states single handed could make such a showing in cattle it was my privilege to make the awards at several shows allows and at all ot of their fairs were evidences I 1 that hat much attention lg Is given to the improvement ot of the stock I 1 noted carefully the eb ch facter of tho the herds that grazed along the railroad and everywhere tho the high average of the quality of the stock was in evidence reasons for quality in stock the quality of the grass is good many of the settlers came from ontario and had been schooled as to tho the value of good stock before going west wesl the railroads and the government have taken a deep interest in making it less difficult and costly to the tanners farmers to secure good males those who are anxious of changing their residence should bear in mind that the lands in western canada are many ot of them free and others reasonably cheap information will aill gladly be given by any agent of the canadian government whose advertisement appears elsewhere |