NOTES FROM CANADA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 6

NOTES FROM CANADA.

Bt Gbobgh M. Davidson

(Lat» of Gore, New Zealand)

THE HARVEST OF 1898. Arriving from New Zealand on the 15th day of August, 1898, aftor one month's trip, I landed at Indian Head just in time to see the harvest start. The fiolda were laden with a bountiful harvest. Never had I seen so many largo fields of wheat so even and level as here. The farms range in size from 320 to 640 acres. I wai well satisfied with tho land and the results of the harvest. The harvest w?s an unusually wet on© all over tho North-west Territory and Manitoba, the latter-mentioned place faring worst. Much of tho Manitoba, wheat was damaged by the rain, and wa« onty graded No. 2 hard instead of No. 1 hard, as is generally graded. This country (as is generally known) is one of the best wheat-growing countries in the world. It produces the hardest wheat grown. This is owing to tho fast growth and the largo amount of sunshine. The general time from when the wheat is sown till cut in from 90 to 100-110 day.". Most of the grain is threshed out of the stook. Tho machines used aro of a different construction from those used in New Zealand and Australia. As long as tho grain is taken out of tho straw and the chaff removed, that " is aIJ the farmer wants. It is not dressed any more on tho farm. The wheat is run into bins, built alongside each set, and the farmer bags it a* he draws it away The wheat is drawn to the elevators, which are large building* containing large bins. Hero the wheat is dressed and weighed, and the farmer lecoivei kh« market price for his grain. These largo bins are used for different grades of wheat, and each farmer's of the same quality i>» all dumped together. Some years there is a largo percentage of the wheat frozen. Howover, tho last year chore was a very small amount frozen. This i 3 the wheat-grower's greatest drawback. This drawback has of late years been overcome by the better aietkoda of working the land. M&uy oi the

farmers in this locality had from 10,000 to 15,000 bushels of wheat this last harvest. Tha. price ruled from 50 to 63 cents per bushel, equal to 2s to 2s 7£d in English money. This is considered a. good paying price here. In the spring of 1898 wheat was as high as Idol -to 1.25d0l — 4s to 5s per bushel. The elevators are builb alongside the railway, and the wheat is run out of a shoot into the core, no bags being used. This- method makes rery little handling. MODES OF WORKING THE LAND. The land in its prairie state resembles the meadow fields very much, only not quite so smooth in places. In many places it is very hummocky. This is caused by fire. The ground in the dry Weather cracks, and than perhaps a fire may run over it and burn tha soil in these cracks and leave the ground all littk moles. This, however, is not a bad fault. The hummocky land is always the best, as the heavy land cracks most in dry weather. The prairie is firstclass pasture in its natural state, a thick sole of grass grows all over it. Stock fatten very quickly on the prairie grass. When starting to break in spring, the' grass is generally burnt off, and the land broken about 2^in deep, with what we call in New Zealand a " swing plough." They are used on account of the hummooky land, as it is * hard job to do good work with any other kind. The breaking is generally don« first thing after seeding in spring, and can be> broken at this depth on to the middle of June. (It will be remembered the seasons here are opposite to those of the Australian colonies.) After this deep breaking may be done on to the 10th. of July ; but this kind is not so profitable as light breaking. After this is finished the farmer begins to backset 1 — i.e., ploughing the' light broken land the second time. (The land does not take long to rot here.) This is done about sin to 6in deep, and with a '' sulky plough.," very much like a digger plough. It is fitted up with a seat, and generally takes four horses for the on© furrow, about 16in wide. The land is then disced and made all ready for the drill the following spring. The deep breaking is only ploughed the or>ce, and worked up in similar manner. The difference in the two breakings are that off the light breaking and back-setting two crops can bo taken without anobher ploughing, whereas only one can be taken off the deep breaking, and does not leave the ground in as good shape. After the first orop is out, the stubble is burned off the following spring, mid drilled in again. This gives very satisfactory results, and enables the farmer to put. in a large amount of crop with little labour. After tho second crop ia taken off the land is generally summer fallowed — i.e., ploughed very light about June or July, and allow any weeds or seeds- to grow up, and when they have germinated and started, plough the second time deeper, burying all. This is >* good way to keep the lnnd free from noxious weeds. ■Some plough three times if time will allow them. This -leaves the land in s;ood shape for another two crops. Three, and even four, are sometimes taken ofF before ploughing nf>ain; but it is not profitable to take more than two, as noxious weeds get too big a hoH if left longer. The average yields are — backsetting 35 to 40. deeo breaking 28 to 35, summer fallow 40 to 45 bushels per acre., ftecond crop — back-setting 30 to 35. summer fallow about the same. This mode of working enables the farmer to have two-thirds of his land in crop every year, and keep it in good shape. Potatoes and roots of all kinds grow well without manure. Many of the farmers burn their stable manure : they claim the land is too heaVy already? This. I think, is a mistake. The time will come when the ground will run out, although in some places the land has been cropped for 15 years, and srives as good results as. if not better than, at first. Very little else is grown here but wheat. Scarcely enough oats were grown for feed this year. They are at present being shipped in from the East and States. Consequently they are a high price.- .from 2s to 2s 6d per bushel of 321b. This is very expensive feed. The general price is from Is to Is 3d por bushel. "FREE LAND GRANTS." Tho Canadian Government offers great inducements to people willing to settle on the 10-nd. The free land grants are still to he had from ihe Government. Every male over 18 years of age and any widow is entitled to 160 acres of land (quarter section, half mile square), at the cost of lOdol (of £2 in English money) for entry fees. The conditions aro: every homesteader lias to live on live land six months in each year for three years, cultivate 300 acres during this time, and build a habitable house. At the end of this term tha homesteader gets his partent (or deeds), witlii out any further cost. All the even-numbered sections throughout Manitoba and the Northwest Territory are Government lands, onen for homeateading, excepting 11 and 29, which aro reserved for school purposes in every township (which is six miles square). Any" person can have the pick of any of the lan.l open for entry. There are largo tracts of good land not yet settled close to railways and markets. There are also large traots of land not fit for wheat-growing, but providing first-class pasture oirhor for cattle or horses, equally as good as any pasture field in New

Zealand for fattening purposes. The prairie grass has great strength in it. There are also liay marshes in many parts, where a farmer can cut enough hay for his stock for winter feed. It is on this hay ranchmen only winter their stock. There are still numbers of new districts opening up every year. In this part two were opened last fall— Loon Creek, situated 25 miles north frots the railroad, but expect shortly to have a railroad built through that country ; and Weyburn, which is 40 miles from the United States boundary, and is situated on the "' Soo " line, branching off southeast from Moorjaw, and running into Ihe States to Minneapolis and St. 'Paul. Weyburn has taken the lead by far this spring. Many of the people who homesteaded at ■Loon Creek have thrown up their homesteads in favour of Weyburn. This place two months ago had only two settlers (ranchmen}. Now quite a town has sprung up, containing three general stores, hardware store, blacksmith's, lumber yard, livery stable, boardinghouse, two implement agents, new post ofrhe, and many other places of business. A great rush took place in spring, and still they are coming in faster than ever. Among the later | number are many speculators from neighbour- i ing districts, as seeding is just about finished. There having been no seeding to_ be done here, j every farmer is busy breaking. L have taken up land at Wayburn under the homestead regulations, I intend to give its agri- j cultural capacities a trial. This is, no doubt, one of th* best countries for small capitalists One can get a fairly good sturt on a small seale — i.e., on a homestead — here with £100. and work himself up to be a large farmer in a few years, if he is willing to " huscle " when it is needed. All the work on the land has to be done in six months, the remaining six it is generally froze up and covered with snow. Large companies own large tracts oi land throughout Manitoba and tb,e Northwest Territory. Among the largest is_ the C.P.R. Company (Canadian-Pacific Railway Company). This company offers very reasonable terms with their land. The land can be bought at present for 3dol per acre (12s). The terms are for 10 years, in equal instalment.- 1 . The eecond payment is not collected for two years after purchase, this enabling the farmer to get the first crop off. This, too, is a good place for people with a fair amount of capital. THE CANADIAN WINTERS. The winters in Western Canada are generally known to be very severe. The past winter of 1898-S9 has been one of the severest experienced in Canada or the United States for tho past 12 or 15 years (according to settler^. The thermometer hero has been fiS I low as 55deg to 60deg below zero. This weather continued about three weeks. The general temperature is about 30dog to 40d«3 ! 'below zero. Although the temperature is so low; one does not feel the cold so much a-~ one would imagine, as the atmosphere here is very dry, and does not penetrate the body 95 much as damp atmosphere. Snow fell about the Ist of October, but did not come to slay till the 7th of November. All wheel? -are then set aside for the winter, and sleighs, jumpers, and cutter." replace them. Strings of bells are used on horses in winter when driving, being needed foi giving warning at night. They, too, are very pleasant for tho driver as well as the liortes. Jingle bella, jingle bells, jingle ill the way, Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. as the song goes. Drawing out wheat oc cupies the farmer's time a great part of the •winter and drawing firewood for the following year. After this very little else is done in January and February (which are the coldest months) but looking after dtocL. and visiting friends, etc. Furs are wore plentifully here. One cannot venture out when below 30deg or 40de>r ■without having his face and hands well cohered. The severe cold is not steady; we anay get a week or two pretty sharp, and then let up, and have fine mild weather for a few ■weeks, but very seldom thaws. The sun shines brightly nearly every day, especiallj in the coldest weather. Blizzards are most dreaded here in winter. It is very easy for one to get lost in them, and also at night when travelling on the trails. They are very hard to see, all being white. There are comparatively few fences in this country, so farmers do very little stock-rais-iuy. Many farmers do not even keep a cow for their own use, and would rathei buy their butter than do fencing. It is very hard to get grass to grow here in consequence of the severe winter; but of late years they have found a grass which stands the froet fairly well, and is being introduced into the country. It is a Russian grass, called "broom grass." The ground freezes to the depth oi from sft to 6ft in winter. The snow was about Ift to 2ft deep this winter on the level land, but much of it drifts into ravines. The snow ■generally starts to go about the 10th of April, stnd disappears very quickly when it starts.. Seeding is started as soon as the ground is •thawed out enough to put the seed in the right depth. They do not wait till the ground dries, but drill right into the mud. The ground does not bake here when worked wet. The pajßt spring has been a very backward one all over Canada and the Western Territory, and it is feared that much of the wheat ■will b« frozen if we do not get a late fall. Seeding is just about finished now, and is about two weeks later than usual. This country is not the best for a working man. The wages for fßrm labour are much the same as in New Zealand, but the days are longer, being 10-hour days. Then, again, it is hard for a man to get work in winter, even at small wages. Consequently it takes quite a good bit of the man's summer wages to keep him through the long winter. Harvest, ■wages are considerably less than in New Zealand — only 5s to 6s per day of 10 hours being the general wage. Harvest hands are gene rally pretty plentiful on account of the excursions from Ontario. June 12.