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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 '' -.1 1 t ; Entered according to Act of Parliament, in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four, by the Publisher, Joseph Dus- SAULT, in the office of the Minister of Agricnl* ture and Statistics of the Dominion of Cana- da. . i 'i I '.\ H . 1 \ f.ymf.f'f Jtirjl.' ■ ' ■^«***'*'' ,;^t.Mw:a«*«r. V lORTn WEST OF CANADA ACTUAL RESULTS I .- if - 'A^ ■ 9\ 1 FARMING IN THB NORTH-WEST OF CANiDl ACTUAL RESULTS ■ f The following extracts are taken at random in books anil newspapers as they came at hanf the North-West, and still the are latje yield of wheat is ahonl thirty Imshcls per acre. Statement of Alexander Ross, in his book— The Red River Settlement : its rise, progress and present state, published in 1856 The hoe was at work and a small supply of seed-wheat pro- cured from fort Alexander, on Winnipeg uiver^ turned out ex- i — 4- eeedingly well. One of the gettlers from the sowings or rathei piHittiii^ of four quarts, reaped twelve and a half bushels. The plough wa.s tried wifcli considerable succefes } sixiy-tiyM retunirt froi/t wheat, after the Jioe^ diwdi forty-four from the plough, Were (he average reward of the husbandman. No country can produce finer heiferef, of one ©. two year» t>l(l, than Red liiver ) hut after that age, they grow i)nt little anti ihecowri ill particular are seldoiii large, which is attributed to their bri'cdiiig too young. All kind« o^ grain thrive well in the colony «nd grow to per- --fectaou ) but wheal \a the general crop raised and it is invariably sov^n iu liie spring. 5i r , ' . I had a biiiaUpark, which sowed ten bnshds of grain. I got it manured and ploughed in the fall and ploughed it again beforci sowing ill the spring. The season beiii^ favorable, I had 25^^ bni^hels in it. One of my neighbours tried a similar experiment :uid had, after six bjishels sowmg, 1^0 in return, k. second field^ Kowing eight bushels, which had been left fallow for two year» running, during which time it had been ploughed three diiierent times, and tluMi sown in drills, yielded for a first crop 280 bushels. White clover is said to thrive well, but is little nsed. Timothy U the only artificial grass yet sown here with any degree of succest*^ and it thrives exceedingly well. In truth, the present state of Ucii River with its abundance of waste knds and their Inxuriaiico in natural grasses, leaves but little inducement for raising ariili- cial grass of any kind. The natural grass iar so easily got and so nutritive, that it is considered a mere waste of time >and loss of laiMiur t' cuttivate any of the foreign specie^. Timothy thrives well, although but little of it is nsed^ as thw seven- years old behmging to tlie writer was killed some time ago auilr. yielded lOo pounds of clean rendered tallow. n i^v ^■^^€ ^5 — Statement of Hon. Donald Gunii^ a praotioal fltf- mer, in his evidence befbre a eomliiittae of the House of Assembly, in 1857. ^*a M-ff-C Ah,^ 'TheBoil of Red River is composed of the dihrisQi ^anite ^ Hud linieiitone) with a large ]>ropurtioii pf decayed vegetahlu mat- tter. Thiti soil is from 12 to 18 niches deep ; under it is a thick bed ^«f tenncions clay, of blueish color and nearly impervioas to water. f'iheweBt side of the river may Uncalled praiiie land, the east -side are wooded lands. Our eoil is extremely fertile and, when 'well cultivated, yields large crops of the finest wheat, weighing from 64 to 70 pounds per imperial bushel. The yield per acre ^ Ih often as high as sixt^ hnshela and hatr occasionally been known "to exceed that j and, when the average returns full below 40 * buHheU to the acre, we are ready to complain of small returns. ^Sonie patches have been kuown to produce twenty successive crops -of wheat, and that without fallow or manure j but in general we, ^ ' Vxact no more than five or six succSssire crops of wheat j *hei» wo ^pnt in one of bai ley and then fallow for one year. These excessive crops do not exhaust the soil : but weed joverepme ail our efforts to keep them dow»* and therefore we an* ioiiliged to have recourse to the plough to destroy them. Harl«*y grows well if the ground be not too rich, or the season t<» wet. ': when it throws up too much straw, lies down and does not ni4*at. HiM'ley weighs* from 48 to 55, pounds p.M' iniperiul bu!a adapted to sheep-raising, and from my expemnee I have found it prohtable. 1 haue raised sixty bmhels of spring wUeatpei' acre, weighing sixty-six pounds per bushel, the laud having been measured and the graiu weighed carefully. I Iiave also received reliable infor- tnwtiori to the elfeot that seventy {JQifhtiilieU of wheat have Imn produced from one bushel sown. St Via" B. I was bear grass sod, as we do not require to break so deep. Q. What month do you consider best to break it in ? A. June and July, but earlier will do if you have time, as later does not answer so well. Q. What kind of a plough do you use for breaking ? A. American, made by John Deen Moline, but other Ame- ricans make good l»reaking ploughs — light with gauge wheel in front, and revolving coultermould boards and coulter and shear, all steel. No use for any other material here in ploughs but steel. The soil is rich and very adhesive, and even to steel it will stick a little in wet weather, nujre so after it is broken and cultivated. Q. What kind, and whose make, of a plough do you consider best adapted both for breaking and after ploughing *? A. The American ploughs answer for both at present. I have |a Canadian plough which does very well, but I think a good light [Canadian, all steel, or even glass mould-board, woulabe better lafter the land begins to be old or long broken. We cannot eo [deep enough with the American ploughs when land is getting (ud md needy. Q. How many horses or oxen do you use with each plough rheu breaking the prairie f ^^■:A ,i: i — K — VJ. How liiany acres will « ^ ? ^^ **"*^*'- «o.eV:r-{rr^^5^^^^^^^^^^^^ to or A. I have tried fall wW I ^ "^?")'- *^» you c-row ? , . ^. S .fS^p-^^t"^ "'"'' "" y-" grow » «""b it is «„.,ed^"'P' '^""^•'^ <"• Fife, l„d ^a jiVe Rio Grande I ""^^ I": :r;; '?^' "-'--- - A. Common 4 ro^edLtl'"i ^'"^ ^ % What IB the overage yield f A. I think this year about 20 or 25 bushels per acrej my kwd being new till this year^ they did not do bo well. Q. What kind of oat» do yoa grow 1 A. Black oats. Q. How inany bushels do you sow per acre t A. Two bni^ht'is. Q. What is the average yield of butshels f A. 1 have hut little, but I see fields from here coPopIar Point, I think will yield fr(nn 45 to 60 per acre. Q. l>o timothy and clover grow sueessfuUy ? A. I havt; had both do well ^ but timothy seems to do best. Q, Do rye and flax graw successfully ^ A. Uy<' is a fair crop, aniie8 r« trouble uh, and I have not a single rood lod- ged this y<*}ir, although my crops are very heavy. Straw is gene- rally Btin here, and not apt to lodge, This year we have excellent crops of potatoes, and a neighbour of mine, Mr, Hugh G-raiit, yes- terusiy, dug an early rose potato, weifjhing over ti > youndSj and \\{\l tlien full grown. Ihnvc uoi seen grain or other crops in eitlier Min^iesota or DaJcofah to equal ours in Manitoba. 1 have been in th<>8e States in all Efeascms oi the year, and have friends farming in Minnesota, who are desiroui*, if they can sell out, of coming here. I have seen pcoph'. newl}'^ arrived fnmi the old country, gruntble for a time, and afterwards J'^ou could not induce them to go back. Some that did go back soon returned. I have heard of some fiiint-hearted Oainuiians who, frightened with tales of grasshoppers and other drMwbncks, returned without even examining the country, but I think, we are well rid of such a class. We have a large increase this y6ar, prici pally from Canada, and I think they are likely to prove good settlers. Report of Mr John P, Sheldon, professor of agri- culMire at the Wilts and Hants Agricultural College, Dovrnton Salisbury, England, on his visit to Manitoba, in the fall of 1879. The Province of Manitoba, so far as I saw it, is, as a rule, flar. wanting in trees, and, consequently, somewhat dreary -look- ing ; but in many parts the land is of strikiny richness. I was i,j» there ill time* to see tHie latter part of the harvef^ting, and I was cnounvoHMnonfttMng for Molveat to be iwiee in the hag ^H/oilhin yo ilaps-^hAt is, ^mm, narveBt«id'afid thraehod witlifti that } period. I saw also a erop of oats which was soWn at intervals, a» '4he land was ploiighttd. from the 7th to the 17th of June ; the oatH iWere the biacK tairtarian variety^ and thcfngh not ripe when I f^aw fit, I t;hoiild say the crop would »^«efe '45 h:.i(kel9 per acre. It was hh Htyong. well headed crop^ aiid the oats promised to be a g'ood w»uHi»»le. The crop, too, Was on the first prairie edd, on a fsinii b('i<»«»giiig to Mr. .Ross, of Winnipeg, but noam ten or twelve mile h >away.fio*»i the city. Land increases rapidly in v^lue near to the city. Por tliia •«elf-8ame farm Mr. Ross paid $367 j now he wants $.%0(K) for it. It in 240 acres in extent, and the owner has put up a snuill house >take all they can out of it in the shortest possible time, and return nothing whatever to it in the form of manure. By turning up an inch or two of fresh soil now and ngain. the fertility of the surfuce tis renewed, and the same exhaustive pystem of growing wheat, -year by year, may be pursued for a long period with impunity. It Its true, in fsict, that for iseveral of the first yearn, at all events, manuring the soil would do much more harm th:;n good ; and, ^ntitil an Act was passed to prevent it, tlie farmers wer€\n the habit offjettinff their litter and manure out of the way by sleigh- ing At out on the ice of thf frozen rirei'8 iu tointerj to be carried Jdncag somewhere when springtinie and floods come, and the ice iiroken up ^ nuw they leave it to r4»t in heaps, outtside the siablet*. and find it an eat«ier ta.-ted soil, or -luaintaining the fertility of a rich one. At a still later period the operation of subsoiling will bring up new earth fnnn below, and »lhere d<»es not appear to be nny proliability that the better soils of ithe Province will ever become sterile, providing that the fariuers ^18— • ■ I make nso of the means they will always have at hand for keepiMi them up to the mark. At present, however, these rich wheat sam do not need improving ; they are rich enough for years to co^i^ and in some cases too rich for the welfare of the crop, much of j^ strain, therefore, is valueless, and really a cumber to the farnxif. It must not he supposed that the seil of Manitoba is Ht ot^ for wheat and oats. The wild grasses, it is true, are veiy coaAm in character, and there are many weeds and worthless piHi|||» among them, yet cattle flourish ou these immense plunts of prairtld grass. The *' prairie meadows " are generally damp landi, (situated near the d^amps. The Province is not adapted. to gnWt maize j it is too far north for that • bur, it will grow garden veg»» tables veiy well, and turnips and potatoes, beans and peas, in tlin fields with complete success, wMle such " tame " gme8«^p, as tinii^- thy and the lye grasses, and also red and White clover, grow satis- factorily on land that is at all decently cultivated. t . Outside the city of Winnipeg I saw a large market g»rde|i^ run by a Yorkshire man named Ijongljottoni. in which very lurfu erops of onions, pototoes, corr<»ts, pens, beans, tomatoes, celei-y, and a hundred other things, were grown in a rough-iind-reHthr sort well that he did not return. Duriiig the first ycjiT he looked out for a suitable place and purchased one .'320 acres for himself andone of 320 for his son, in the North of the l'n>vinc«i. The following is a statement bv Colin, his son, of the cu|)iibii> lities of thv land presently farmed by his father. •• Wheat (2 bushels sown per acre) produced .*J.5 ImisIi^'Is. The wheat is sown in spring. Full wheat is not generally sowu in — rj- - acre, retnrn 60 Mftnitohu, Imt a teet has been made, and ii has f^iicceeded. Reup- iiig oominenceH iii Aiigu&t. The land is ploughed right np that Hainie fall, when wiieat is sown fij^ain in Kpriiig in Bueoession fur years. Weight, 64 ll»8. never lens than CO lbs. per bushel. •' Osits average 75 bushehi per acre, but it is. not '.mnsual to take 100 bu^help <>ff. Sow 2i to 3 bushels per acre. Oats weigh ;j4ibs. " Barley does well. Sow 2 buBhels per bushels. •* Potatoes— 3 bnehels planted produced 87 bushels j 400 bushels have been raised per acre, but not on his father's farm. •• Turnips do well. *< Indian corn does not ripen. Fai%ier8 cut it green, imd it makes an excellent feed. "" ^' Cabbage, carrots, lettuces, parsnips, cucnmbers, melons, ^(luashes. etc., dowell. *• Have not yet grown apples. Old settlers have grown them. We sejourned with Mr. Joseph Wells Johnstone (on the Boyne) who came frcnn county Oxford, Ontario, in 1870, and Ket- tied 0 to ()0 bushels. ^ ' The .-ystem he adopts is : Starts ploughing about 15tli June. and breaks land till 15th July. Leaves it lying till foUowing fall. This ploughing is as slialifTw as possible— say 2 inches —and from 12 to 14 inches broad. In the fail he backsets it— that is, ploughs it the same way, being 3 inches uecn and 12 to 14 inches wide. He harrows it in spring, and sows it with broadest seeder. Has a JO horse power thrtjsher j charges 4ic. for threshing wheat j 3^ for barley, and 3c. for oats. Sows tinn)thy and white clover. Timothy is a splendid success j has one j)iece which he cut in July, uf»d expects to cut it again before wmter. Mangel-wurzel does well, and so do turnips : also onions, carrots, gooseberries, currants aud rhubarb. Buckwheat ^ows well, so do cucumbers, melons, squashes and strawberries. ' « We started ou the morrow for Nelson ville, but were oveii- ; taken by Mr. Inmann, of the Boyne, who owns 800 acres of liind -.80- ■■'''^?i^ there. Mr. Inman spoke of a blue flower that always indUMted^ by its presence, goud water .^ He mentioned that he paid $1U for J 60 acres, and got 160 acres for pre-emption price. He 'bought scrip for for the balance. He has 60 acres in crop. Wheat Will average 30 bushels per acre, 60 lbs. Oats " 40 " 34 " Barley' " 40 « 48 " Potatoes ** 230 *** 60 u "■ He stated that he does not make bntter, but rears cattle. The price of wheat is $1 per bushel ; oats^ 65c. ; barley^ 60c. ; pota-> toes. 25c. ill the fsill and '^Oi'. in the f«)>ring ; butter 20c. Young cattle canbu b<»ught in the'^fall for fi^oin $7 (£1 88.) to $10^ £2) per head. Hay can be made here, dodncting expense^ tear aud wear, for $1 per ton. Two tons of hay, with somW straw, will winter a yeiirling well. Mr. Nolson. (of Nel8onvill«), founder of the towh, 8tiit<«d that when searching for wiiter and digging his well, which is the well from whi<5h the inhabitants obtain drinking water, the vegctabhi mouki was 18 inches to three feet dc^ep 5 then 3 to 4 feet di marly clay J then 5 feet of f^olid ffrey clay ; thfen black soapstono. Tb(< water is generally found IjetWeen the clay and soapstone.- •• If not successful," added Mr. Nelson, " ti7 another place." Wheat produces 20 to 30 bushelsper acre. Weight p. b. 64 to 66 Ibi*.. Oats •'* 40" 9(0 . " " "48 Barley. Potatoes 40**50 200, u n 50 u Mr. J^elson came to Manitoba in 1877. He had planted cucumbers, potatdes, cabbage*— very' weakly plants —on tue 28th June, ahd they ai'l' came good;' ' '^ BeetSj turnips, and maiig6l-wurzel do Well. N^i^oriville is a thriving little place, and the inhabitants are kindly. It is destliled to be a place of considerable trade, as it is on the track to Tujrtle Mountain, Which is fast settling' up. Mr. ' Neteon showed ' me next day tomat6es sown on the lOth May, which' pf'omised t6 ripen. I itobk samples, b^it they did not keep^ He' showed m^eaxiUjV&wers; e«jtimatea by hihi at 4 to 5 Ibis. weighti> Pe'tatoes-i^early rose— keep tiHthe now ones come again. Plant them- f^oitt 1st May to '1st Jutife. _ I took two samples, and onepotateefromaffeed'plahted ou 3M JnlJ^. Wh^n the hill was ' dug there were seventeen potatoes on it, the sample tsiken being the biggest; I also t60k a^ aVerag^ otiidii. lif: i*. 21:^ some straw, Kvp9t%'otMt. R: H. a P. Anderson, of Listowell, oounty Kerry, Ireland on a visit to Bianltoba; in 1879. June and July, and, in a wet year, part of Auguf^t, is the time for bteakiiig the nrairic : tlie m\) is wvU np in thii grass, etc.. whicli is inasily killed by the snmniei* ht^ar. when turned up, :in(l ♦,he ground is wet, making easy ploughing. The sod- is merely pared, the more lightly the better ; the turrow turned is about iift't»en inches wid<'. In the autumn or spring the furrows are backset, the plough turning about thr<'e inches of noil. In the spring the need is sown, often without further ploughing, and har- rowed in pis often as not) rolling is neglected. Wheat is sown from the I5ih of April to the 1 5th of May, the earlier the better ; outri till the end of May, and barley till the end of June. I have seen bairley doing well that was sown on: the 10i*li of-July. The quantity of seed per acre is about the same of each, viz., two bushels. Hiirvest begins in the middle>of August. ^ potatoes, tur- nips, etc.f can be sown till the *20rh of Jutie. and faill ploughing, the great secret of success, can be carried well into Novenrber« The hay harvest, in July, is a simple affair. Frairiuhtty costs about a dollar a ton by the time it is in the stack .; a crop can be raised i^nFthe turned-up sod, but except as a makeshifr. the iirst year, it ought not to done, theyield is sure to be poor.. The farm- ing iihuleinents are all of the very bet^t ilescription, made with a view to the saving of labor. A man with a breaking -plough and a good- team can break or backset one and a half or two acres per day, and with a gang-plough and four horses about double that qn:tn|;ity. With a self-binding reaping machine attended by two stookers, from twelve to fifteen acres can be cut., bound and stooked iU' a day. I have seen these machines do- wonderfully clean- work. Manure is of no value, and is either burned or carted to the nearestriver (the Mennonites make' fin^I of it). It will be years before the land requires it, or indeed Wtould hear it. 1 do not say that our high-class English and Scotch farming is at all' necessaiy ibr success^ but I am persaaded, and it is proved that .oare aiid«kiii are anqjljr.rewarded ; no fai'mer need fear failure; in Manitoba. I have, among my, notes, a list of fourteen men all netting on well, who totd me that until they came to Manitoba, mey never lived out of town. CMi^;jh(eep and horses thrive well, and iu. spite of theJong^ •■ t- — 22 liili ^'!!l!.ii[. ii 1- winter, during which they must be housed. Stock raising is found wry profitable, l»:iy ciu he 1ir<1 in abundance, and cattle keep well (Ml it. I «ee no reason wljy they couM umi, be shipped to England tVoni Maniioba, when the Canadian Pacific Kailway is finished (it will be fijiished between Winnipeg and the sea-ports oFtlie Sniiit-Lawrencc bd'ore tlie end of 1884.) 'J'he soil varies much, as it is liatiiral lo snpj)Ose over so large a track ; but as a rule it is a rich, black, vegetable mould, work- ing very like chiy — rich bj*yond imagination - and resting on a nniriy clay. The de}>th of the surface soil varies a good deal, in some places not more than ten or twelve inches, in others as nmny feet. I am infoimi d that chemical analysis have oroved ih" soil to be the best a.da})ted of any i)i the W(n"ld for tin; gmwth of wheat, and certainly practical exoerience bears this out, ft js very easily worked, beccmiing as fine as powder. However, there are all descriptions of ^'oil to be had here, from the heaviest clay to the lightest sandy l.oam. Wheat, of coiirsH, is the piincipal product, barley next, and then oats. Indian corn (maize) does fairly in some plac<',s, but is not grown to any x^xtent Oats seem to ripen to fast, and while it yields a great number of bushels to the acre, is not up to the mark fts regards (jualiiy. Potatoes are an excellent crop, both as regards \ ll '••^ J? 'ca- ncan wheat, would leave a large margin for freight and oth^r expenses. I will here state the cost of raising wlieiit per acre on our own land for the years J87i) uud 18H0, likewise the average amount of produce'for these two crops. First, the cost, which \ shall give at contract prices : — Ploughing...^ $2 00 Seed J)() Sowing and harrowing oO f Reaping ^ $0 65 Harvesting iJ^;"f!'8^ ^ ^^ ° I Stocking j ;^o I Carrying sind stacking J J 10 Thrashing 2 05 7 95 $ 8 05= £ I 1.3 1 Av. of crops for 1879-80, 28 b. p. acre at 75c. 21 00 =£4 3 $12 95:= £2 1:3 3 Cost of prc'.luction per bushel, Is. .Id., leaving a margin of nearly $13 per acre. • This certainly is above an avernge yield for Manitoba at the present time, but I believe that with good management and fair seasons, the average will come up to this, or even more. Cattle-rearing is likely to ])ay well, as it is attended with little expense. They kiep their condition through the winter (where wind-brakes are provided) on nuirsh hay, and this can be had in abundance in almost any kind of season. It is cut in July or August, the earlier the better fodder it makes. The march(^s are level, and mowing machines nnik good work in ihc cutting. The expense of making this hay does not excecMl $ i per ton, and the usual winter allowance i)er head of various ages is 2^ tons. At present, cattle are alloWt^d to graze on ;i,ny unfence i land during the summer, and find any Mnioiuu of feed, such a* w Id tares, peas and grasses. The best s;;a>ioii for cjw^ to ca!v(! is abjit the (snd of April. — 24 — ^Extracts fW>m the reports of the Englii^h and Scotch farmers, selected by the farmers in their respective districts, who iwent out to Manitoba in 1879 to report upon the country. Mr. Jamks BiGGAR, of the Grange,' DdlheaiUCj Bays :— **We heard very different statements of the yield of wheat, vaiying from 25 to 40 bushels. McLean, a farmer near Portage, had 1/^30 hmhels of Fife '"'heat, off 40 acres. Another man, a native of Itoss-shire, who was jrloaghing his own land, told us he had crop- ped it for seventeen years in succefj^ion, hi« last crop yielding 35 bushels par acre. Mr. Ryan. M. P., a good authority, said the average of wheat might safely he taken at 25 to 30 bushels, and Of oats 60 bushels. « * * Next day we drove over Messrs. Riddle^s farm ; their wheat has averaged fully 30 b iirhels per acre."| Mr. GicoHGK Cowan, Gienlnce, Wigtown, says: — ** Mr. Mac- kenzie's farm is at Buinside. about 9 miles from Portage-la-Prai- rie.... He favored me with his average for the seasons of 1877 and lB78, and his estimate for the •j)rescnt year. Wheat crop, 1877, 41 bushels, 1878, 36 bushels j this year (1879) he expects it to be close on 40 bushels, average weight, 60 to 62 lbs., but he has grown it as high as 64 lbs. per bus! ;!. OatsJast year (1878) he had a yield of 88 bushels from two busLds of seed iown on one acre j this year ( 1 879) his estimate is from 75 to 80 bushels per acre. Mr. Mackenzie also grows excellent root crops, his swede turnips averaging 30 to 35 tons; and potatoes without any care in cultiva- tion, sometimes even not being moulded. up, yield between 300 and 400 bushels of 60 lbs. Onions when cultivated, are also veiy prolific, yielding as much as 300 bushels par acre. Mangel also grows very heavy crops, but I did not see anf on the ground.".... *^ We spent a short time on the farm of iMr. McBeth, and walked over a field which T was informed had been continuously under crop for fifty-four years * * * I was uM it would ave- rage 28 or 30 bu.'ihels per acre." Mr. R. W. Gordon, Annan, mys :— '• Wheat may safely be estimated to yield with reasonable cultivation 30 bunhels of 60 lbs., and oats m hm\wU of t« lbs." Mr. i^OGAN, Earlsion, speaking of the yield about High Bluff, says :— '< The hind here hfis grown wheat for forty years in suc- cession, yielding from, 25 np to 'lO bushels per acre... " We arriv<*d at Portag*^ on Saturday ufternoon. • • • He tcHd us he had grov, u goof turnips to the acre, and 60 bushels of beans has also been raised by him per acre. 8. 0. Jffifff/inson, of OaMaitd, — has pi-oduccd ciibbages weigh- ing I7i lbs. r'aeh. Allun Bell, of Portaye- La- Prairie, — has had cabbages 45 inches around, and turnips weighing 25 pounds each. TJios. B. Patterson, -has realized 40 tons of turnips to the ucre. some of thetn weighing as much aK 20 pounds each. Bobt. E. Mitrhtll, of (hole's Creek, — raised a squash of six weeks growth, measuring 5 feet 6 inches around the centre. Wm, Moss, ofllif/h Biuff,— him produced carrots weighing 11 pounds each, and turnips measuring 36 inches in circumference. James Airth, of Slouewali, ~ states that the common weight of turnips is twelve pounds each, and some of them have gone as high as tliirty~two and a half pounds. Isaitt; (Jassou, of Green Ridrje, — has raised 270 bushels of onions to the acre. John GeddeSy of Kildonan, — states that he has raised 300 bushels of carrots and 800 bushels of turnips per acre. John Kelly, of Morris, —has produced from 800 to JOOO bushels of turnips to the acre. Joshua Appleijard, of 8to}wivall,~'AhQ states his crop of tur- nips to have been 1000 bushels per acre, the common weight being 12 lbs. each. Bd, Scott, of Portaf/e- La- Prairie, — raised 400 bushels of turnips from halt' an acre of laud. W. It. J. Swain, of Morris, — had citrons weighing 18 pounds each. Francis 0fPortafjc-La- Prairie,— took 200 buehelH ol^'^ turnips from one-quarter of an acre of land, some of them weigh- ing 25 pounds each. He has produced carrots 4 inches ' diamerer and 14 inches long, has had cabbages )iieasuriiigl26 inches in diai- meter 8oiid head and four feet with the leaver on. His onions have measured 16 inches in circumference, and cauliflower heads 19 inches in diameter. Jas. Lawrie and Bro.j of Morris^- have pnjduced turnips 30 inches in circumference, onions 14 inches and melons t30 inches. He had one squaji^h which measured about the same size as an ordinary flour barrel. James Owens of Pointe-du- Cheney— hud turnijjs 30 pounds each; onions 14 inches around, and cucumbers 18 inches lonwth of roots and vegetables in the Canadian North- West, not one has been unfa- vorable. Reports on crops in Manitoba for 1882 (Oondeuaed from the Winnipeg Timen.) The season was, upon the whole, an extremely favourable one. The spring was a late and, in many places, a wet one, so that seeding svas delayed; while, the fall, being remarkably dry, did not suit root crops, althcmgh of course it enabled the farmers to house their grain is fine condition. Rust is reported from only one point, viz., Reinland, near Emerson. At Mowbray, 90 miles from Emerson, there was a hailstorm on July 24, which seriously damaged the grain. Late and early frosts are reported from one or two points, but the crops throughout the Province at large did not suffer to any appreciable extent from that cause. THIC AVEUAGK YIELD of wheat ot the 84 points heard from was a fraction short of 32 -27- :^ inches iif. Jie weight o^jj K) buehela of^ them weigh- s diaraeter iichea in tliii- His otiiona iflower heads i{\ turnips 30 ns 30 inches, le size as an |)S 30 pounds shes lon^r. 1 .000 bushels ind Ife inches dies througli. ushels of tur- 1 the farmers oduce the re- ts which we of roots and been unfa- 882 ourablc one. ()n«^, 80 that biy dry, did farmers to Id from only [ay, 90 niiles jh 8«'riou8ly led from one lat large did short of 32 Imshek ])or acre. The largest yield is reported at Miilford, where 104 bushels were threshed off two acres. The smallest yield was jn the Mowbray district, where the July hailstorm played havoc with crops of every kind. The yield of oats all over averaged 44 bushels per acre; barb-y. 30; roots ran from 250 to5C0; and peas, when' grown, from 20 to 25 bushels. Some flax seed was growa and the yield was a fair one. The average yield of potatoes was 274 bushels. The largest yield reported was at Selkirk, where 400 bushels were raised off hall an acre of sod land at the list breaking. The hay crop was an exceedingly heavy one, and was well saved. An enormous area of new land was broken this year, ready for nev ('ar's cropping. Stock-raising, of course, is still in its in- fancy , In some of the older districts, however, the farmers are importing good breeds ^':im Eastern Canada, and the richness of the prairie grass will fc..al)le them to turn out summer-fed stock at a minimum of cost. Agricultural machinery is coming into use ail over ; in one disfict 45 self-binders where at work in the field. (From I he " Toronto Globe' ') The crops report covering as far west as Troy shows that the season on the whole has been extremely favourable. The spring was late, and in many places wet, so that seeding was delayed. The fall was remarkaoly diy, and did not suit roots, but the grain was house0 to 500 ; peas. 20 to 25 bushels ; and potatoes, jit Selkirk, 400 bushels were gathered. Hay crops are^ lieavT. much of the land being only broken and back-setted. Stock raising shows marked progress with the heavy importations of good breeds. Agricultural machinery is largely employed. Jn one di8tric^ 45 self-binders were at work. The settlers almost everywhere complain of the difficulty in getting their crops to market. (From the " Toronto Mail") Grain orops and Cattle-raising at Battlefbrd N.W.T. From a Correspondent Battlkfoud, N.. W. T.. Sept. 12. 1882. — As we seldom see anything in your columns from this quarter of the \orth-We8t, 28 — !i" II' ;ii -* II ^ M perhaps a Bhort letter might not prove nninterps'ting' to tho«<^ of| your readers whfe purpose turning their fjices towards this, the?^ new land of Promise. Until the present summer Buttleford hits been avoided by the great nrass of emigraHts. reports having been widely eirouJated that the land in its viciniiy was (tf a niot»t infe- rior cnaracter. The visit of the Governor-General Inst snuimer, and tiie letters of yonr own aiwl the Globes correspondent, went far to rectify this error. Interest once awakened^ it was then only^ necesttary to point the crops grown and to the fact that sujnmer frosts are absolutely unknown, in tliis section. The land, too. with the ezceptHm of a strip five miles long/ and three wide at the cbn- flaence of the Battle and Saskatchewan rivcnj, was shown to be a rich loam, equal for farming purposes to any in the Territories. The result is that SKTTLKRS HAVK COMK IN THICK AND FAST, until it is almost impossible to secure a claim within several mile* of the town unless the Saskatchewan is crossed. The land on the north side of the Saskatchewan is even richer than that on tliu south, the* only drawback being the ;. sence of a feny. This i» obviated in part br using small boats, but in all probability a feny will be established ere long. Both sides share in ct)mraon an abun- dence of hay and firewood, the latter a much jx'ized advantage in prairie eouotiy. , • ■ ■ ♦ THK HARVEST has now been gathered in. Reports from Edmonton, Prince Albert's- Mission, and other settlements indicate that it has been a pronomiced eruccess. In this vicinity the weather was most pro- pitious, ho rain having fallen; the quality of grain is excellent and the yield magnificent. Oats have averaged 55 hushels to the aere and bdrley iO bushels /wheat, what little was sown, average 40 bttshels ; potatoes are an unusually large crap. Up to the present no one has established a giist mill here, which accounts for the small acreage of wheat. Mr. J. G. Oliver is erecting a saw mill about twenty- five miles above Battleford, on the Saskatchewan, so that next year there will be no difficulty in procuring lumber. \ ■•f ui STOCK RAISING has proved a decided success in this locality, though on a smaller scale than in the Bow river country. In tne spring of last year Measitt. Wyld & Bourke brought in about seventy-five' head of S^ -29— vJ*catUe, wintering them on the north side of the Sankatchewan. The experintent succeeded eo well that this year they hrougfiit in ftoiii the south almost as many more. Mr. 'J'liomas Dewaii. wiio has been in the country for s^everal years, nrrived lately with a large i band of brood mares, and two thoroughbred stallions — Montana stock. As these winter out, requiring neither hay nor stables, and but little care^ they cannot but prove a profitable investment. Next summer the numerous steamers on the Saskatchewan will be able to bring through freight and settlers outfits much more cheaply than has been done heretofore. The railway, too, will have progressed considerably, so that the journey will be a mere trifle when compared with the past. (From the Toronto ' Globe ") , FARMING IN MANITOBA WHAT AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN'S SON ACCOM- PLISHED ' ' ' ^>. ' »■ KKSUr.T OP TWO YKARS' OPKKATION3 Mr. William Hardie, of Sturgeon Creek, Man., is one of the eminently successful fanners in the Prairie Province, and the results ot his operations are significant, us showing voimi a gentle- man's son, not hrottffht up to the work, may accomplish on a North- West farm. Mr. Hardie. who is a Manchester man, knew nothing of the business except what he liad learned at an English agricultural college. Three years ago, mya the Winni}»eg Sun, he came out here and bougnt a ia>!'m of 500 acres nt Sturgeon Creek. A small i i>wa,s put in the first season, but attention was mainly directed to putting up comfortable and commodious farm buildings^ It was not till last year that he can be said to have commenced HIS FIKLtJ CAMPAIGNS in earnest. Then during the spring, summer, and fall he had pretty constantly twelve men in his employ, and about half that number in the winter. One item in last year's returns was 6,000 bushelB* of potatoes, ^of which he sold a large quantity in the fall. -30 when prices had risen to the inttMestinff height of $2 per huAel. lie .^tored away 4.000 hiishels till the following spring, and then again he was m luck, for he got rid of this inimenfcc (juantity at from $2 to $2 50 p(;r bushel. That of itself was as nice a little operation as any agriculturist could fairly expect as the result of one season's operation!* in one branch of the farm. But his hay, too, proved a veritable boiianza. He put up 500 tons of it, and marketed the same in Winnipeg at frves con- B barrier to ^y two of the le wintered in constant ty being to ,ow, so that |of stabling eeks prior .ution none [e put some |lway ties— ions to the ur hundred balance in L and car- rm, but Mr. [ty of which le Sturgeon Creek he has one cellar which holds 6,000 buHhelr<, and it is so well arranged that he can, contrary to general practice, go into it any day in the winter without damaging the roots. In fact it is entered almost every day in order to see that the temperature is just what is necessary. When it is too warm the ventilators are opciied. When it is too cold the aid of a small stove in the cellar soon enables them to warm the air sufficiently. J.ast winter they had occasion to use the stove only five or six tiiuesj and then chiefly as a matter of precaution. MANUUING FOU FIKLD KOOT3 While on this subject fin- roots, it may be stated that Mr. Hardie manures all the gi-ound part under roots, and has found, to his satisfaction, that this process increases the yield by fully one-third. In the drills, when they are opened for )»otatoes, ma- nure is first spread. Then the potatoes are planted and covered up. As are the other field roots, they are sown on land used for potatoes the year before, and in that way get the benefit of the manuring. The locality in which Mr. Haniie has settled. Stur- geon Creek, is one of the finest in the Province for agricultural purposes. He hun h;id means to make a good start and push operations when needful. At one time last spring he was paying wjiges at the rate of thirty dollars a day. (From the J'oronto " Globe") THE BELL FARM AT QU'APPELLE 56,000 ACItKS UNDKR ONK MANAGICMKNT The mammoth farm of the North-West is owned and operated by the Qu'Appelle Valley Fanning Company. It c(mi prises a tract ten miles square, which, after deducting the Hudson Bsy Company's sections and the sections allotted tor school purposes, leaves A FIFTY-SIX THOUSAND ACRK'fAU3I, the largest farm in the world, owned by one company in one block. The land is situated on the old trail from Winnipeg to Fort Qu'Ap- pelfe, and the main buildings are just twenty-two miles in' an alm(»st direct lino souih of the Fort. The C. P. K. runs through : the centre of this valuable tract, which is in reality one of the ]i III fl f If! ** gilt-edg-ed '' pieces of the North-We«t, and a Btation to be known by the iiaiiie of Iridiati Head it* located near the centre. Here an interes*iiug viiinge is rapidly springing up. In taking np this landi the Company entered into an agreenic^nt with the Governnieni which it U presumed they intend and will be required to adhere to faithrnlly. Tiiey agreed to pay the Government $1 25 per acre and to break 4,000 acres every year fur five yeare — or in all tweniv thousand acres. In addition to this the Ctnnpany binds itself under penalty of forfeiture of the purchase money to place each year within the tract as tenants at least fifty families, and to spenperRte an enterprise so vast. Having sold his Miaue' sota interest, he will devote his entire attention to the farm at Qu'Appelle, which, by the way, is a scheme of his owa suggestion. 'ill 1 I' I • m THK WOKK lilCGU-I The plan Major Bell intends to pursue to bring the extensive area oi prairie land under cultivation. anal)le hloughs, the caravan finally reached the farm and commenced breaking about the 15th of June. At the time of. the reporter's visit three thoiisand acres wereunder plough and the breakers were on their fourth thousand acres, which was expected, to be under plough before the close of the season. m — 33 — be known . Here ait lip this land }l4»verniiienk to adhere to 25 uer acre n all twentV binds itBelf ► j»lace each md to epend working the le Conipanv T dealt with [fyantageB t«» who has sole K^ville. He m in Minne- 8. and which a hi» Mittue- the farm at 1 BUggeetioo. he extensive H of liis ^ork lulties of the irson Inter- ^)erations up loubtless be eaking outfit as in opera- of its desti- rnules, and ttiggons, audi [u May, a^*i> ly hardships and flouM- lavan finally I5th of June. ^ were under 1 aeres, which Le«eu80ii. THE son. is a rich sandy loam, eighteen inche.^ to two feet in depth, with clay subsoil, and is easily broken. Once broken it does not re- quire *• backsetting," as does the soil of the Red River Valley, but simply requires harrowing to be in shape for the reception o? seed. The sight of the vast str etches of rich mellow loam turned up to the pulverizing rays of the sun would make the eye> of the average Ontario farmer bulge out with amazement. The simple statement *• four thousand acres" gives little ideaof the extent of the ploughed fields, hut when one imagines a field two miles wide hy tiiree and one half miles long, then some idea is obtaineil of the size of the fields on the Bell Farm, by which title the place is now ijenerally known. Take another comparison. Were the furrows m these four thousand acres stretched out in one continuous furrow it would reach a distance of 38,000 miles, or encircle the earth nearly one and a half times. Or were theltod ploughed into a stretch twenty feet wide it would reach from "Winnipeg to Montreal, via St. Paul and Chicago, a distance of 1,800 miles. The company proposes to break 7,000 acres next summer, and will have a force capable of breaking ONIC THOUSAND ACHES PER WEEK. Oxen are chiefly employed in breaking, because they are most easily kept. Early in the season three yoKe pulled a gang plough of lii* ploughs, cutting each a furrow fifteen inches wide. The seHsofl Having been very dry, the sod has become tough, and tivo yoke are now required to pull a gang of two ploughs. It is a novel and interesting ^ight to see a number of the ph)Ugh8 in line, five yoke of oxen to a plough, and the whole forming quite a caravan, converting the brown prairie into a sea of black wavelets, turning up a rod or more of sod at a '• swath." The breaking force com- mence work at daylight and work till 11 o'clock a. m., when the oxen are turned out to grass and allowed to feed till 3 o'clock p. m., when the oxen are again put to work and kept at it till dark, the calculation being to cover FOURTEEN MILES EACH DAY. The oxen get no other feed except what they pick up on the prairie. Eighty yoke of oxen are employed in breaking at present, and in addition to these 35 mules and 34 horses are used in plough- ing and other work. Next year only mules and horses will be employed, as a good supply of hay (400 tons) has been put up, and now that the railway is in operation oats can be otained at a n mt I u m comparatively low rate until next season^s crop can bo harvested. Major Bell's plans are comprehensive, and evervthing is done systematically. Besides himself there is a general stiperin ten dent of the farm, Mr. T. Routledge, an Englishman, and a number of foremen. At present 100 men are employed in erectinj^ buildings, breaking, &c. Hand»onie and substantial stone buildings are being erected. In the erection of his buildings Major Bell has struck an idea that can be adopted with proiit by a great many settlers in ihe North- West. Scaltercd over the farm, always on the surfnce, are to be found a considerable number of hardheads, lime and sandstone. These stones supply the building material for the NUMKROUS HOUSICS AND STABLES that are being erected on the farm, and ^' thus two birds are killed with one stone," so to syeak-rthe farm is cleared of stones, and cheaj) building material is secure!^ tvt the same time. The main buildings on the farm are loc;atc'd«il)put a mile and a half north of the railway station. A large *jind substantial stable has be<}n erected, and a handsome and substantial house is nearly com- pleted. The stable is a model of strength and comfort. It is circular in shape and looks something like the round elevators one Bees along the St. P., M., & M. Railway, only it is not so high and is more substantial, the stone walls being two feet thick. It con- tains 36 stalls and two box stalls. The noor is paved wiUi cobble stone. Overhead is a loft with capacity for 150 tons of haj^Jij the centre of the upper story is a bin for oats, with storage ci of 4,000 bushels. Major Bell has hit upon a NOVKL AND ECONOMICAL PLAN. for roofing his buildings. He first sheets the rafters with common lumber and then paints the boards. Before the paint dries heavy ducking is stretched over the boards and tacked down, and this is then painted and sanded, making a tight and at the same tim^ cheap roof All the building material, except lumber, is obtained on the farm. The company have their own lime kiln and have this year burned 1,500 bnshelr'. Next year they will commence the manufacture of brick. The MAIN FARM RESIDENCK is a substantial and handsome pile. The estimated cost of the building is $8,000 though it could not be erected in any part of Manitoba for anything like that sum. The main portion of the building is 40 feet square, two fall storeys, with a Wing ; also two hen( \' — 85- stories 24 x 50 feet in size. The upper portion of the wine fiir- nisiies sleeping accominodation for 20 farm hands, while below is the kitchen and a dining-room for the men. In the main building one side is divided into a parlor and dining-room, and the other into offices for the general manager and superintendent. The second story is divided into bedrooms. Underneath the main build- ing is a fine cellar, extending the full size of the building. The residence is situated about 100 yards south of the stable. Ac the rear of the hou^e an acre of ground has been ploughed for a gar- den, and Major Bell intends to have a garden that will astonish visitors to the farm, and show WHA.T NOUTH-WKST SOIL CAN DO Trees ifrom the Lake o, ornamentation of the road 1 is a blacksmith shop ai the latter to be filled the located six miles south o %re to be used for the on. Near the baru ouse an ice-house — r from two beautiful Ipkea use. tn addition to these, twb large sheds for implements, located on each side of the baru and eacli 20 x 150 feet in size, are to be erected. THE SYSTEM OF FARMING lowed is as follows r — It is proposecl to divide the tract IS of 200 acres each. On each farm a eUme house and rill be erected. A mail with family will be put on each ./and will be paid $35 per month and have house rent free, '^ill also be provided with luel at cost. At the end of five years he will have the privilege of purchasing the farm he occupies if he wishes at a fair valuation. The farm houses . are one stor^ stone cottages, 25 x 30, plastered and nicely finished inside, and are erected at the astonishingly small cost of $300. A number have already been erected and more will be put up before the season closes. When tlie plaoe has been fully carried out there will be 200 houses, and all will be connected with the main office by tele- phone. Four deep «!^^^p^^^^HHHEf^'ugnst or September have the most^ ]pleksam^ipppi||^^|P^^ go about, and pick out land for flifeir fatnis.' I'hey^WBave tirae also to buHd their houses atid prepare for the winter ; also to prepare for the spring by doing a little fall ploughing. This mode of sej^tlirig h^s greater comforts, but requires a little more means to live until the first crop comes. . The settler from Great Britain ijan boy ti ticket steamships offices direct to Win^uipeg, either all rail by t Trunk vt^ Chicago and St. Paiil, or vid the Ca^^b^^ Railway and their line of Clyde built steaijiers.on^,: and Superior, between Algonia Mills' and Thunder Bay. latter line has on all others we advantage of saving the settler the for^rnalities to be obki^Vved at the United St^'tes cuejtom offices^ when going either by Clucago or Duluth. Settlers should not take with them heavy furniture or imple- ments, as these can be purchased cheaply with special adaptatioif* to the country, in Mauitol^a; but clothing, bedding, etc., within the limit of 150 lbs. Wf^lglit should be taken. Some settlers have foolishlv attempted to take such things as stovi^s and stovespipes, which nave cost more than they were woith. A settler sliould always see that this lu^^gage goes wJtft him. He should alwHVs be guided by the advic6 6t ^e Canadian Government Agents. These are— Mr. S'tafFotd at Qrfebec; Mr. Qraham at Duluth j Mr. Tetu at Emerson, and Mr. Hespeler at Winnipeg. These agents will usaist in bonding luggage on entering the tlnited States, or dis- ohargitag bonds on reaohing the Manitoba province line. V't' ,ve Great ay or the sarly part his laiKi, ariie year he turns, the first t. Large September and pick mM their the spring tTs greater 1 the first ■lir 3ttler om offices, or imple- adaptatioiP to., within tiers have lovespipes, tier sliouUl always be nts. These Mr. Tetu igeuts will . or dis-