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And the first great problem to be solved by caf)italists, by parents with rising families, by young men of bone, sinew and courage, anxious to better their fortunes, is— WHERE SHALL WE GO 1 Let all such ])ersons carefully study this pamphlet, which is written not by speculators, but by actual settlers engaged in the general callings of life; who having found a most desirable country, are convinced that, so soon as its scenery, great fertility, genial climate, abundant minerals and vast capabiliiie.^ are known, its speedy settlement will be ensured. Does the Eastern Farmer want fertile lands with luscious grasses, plenty of water, timber, coal, wild fruits, tish and game, charming scenery, railway facilities, and a mild climate favourable to the cheap wintering of his stock ? Let him try the free lands of Alberta, and his experience will not vary much from the testimonies exj)ressed in this pamphlet by farmers, some of whom having tried their fortunes in various parts of the world, have chosen the laruls of this district in preference to all others. Does the Eastern Capitalist desire investments which are safe and will ensure a speedy return of interest \ Let him invest his money in this rising country, whose mineral resources and advantages for stock raising, wool growing and the industries connected therewith, are, without controversy, acknowledged by all persons wl o have seen them, to rank among the finest in the world. The best time for settlers to g6 upon their land is early in the spring, say about the first of April. From this period until the end of September is the proper time for ploughing up the sod which will be sufficiently rotted for back setting to be done later on. Good crops of oats, wheat, peas, potatoes, turnips and beets have been grown on sod during the present years, bub farmers generally consider that immediate cropping, except in the case of vegetables hinders the 8):)eedy rotting of the turf. The Calgary District Agricultural Society in placing the contents of this pamphlet before the public, do so to refute the many false statements that have been so wilfully circulated in respect to this, one of the wealthiest and most attractive districts in the British Empire, and one unequalled as a field for immit>ration. The Officers of the Society will always be found ready to give intending settlers such information or advice as they may require, and will be pleased to answei any questions relating to the country that may be desired. L^ .» SCENERY. To give the reader anything like a projier descri])tion of the natural scenery that abounds in this district of country is beyond the power of the pen to describe. The traveller, after being carried over that monotonously level stretch of ' i airie that extends from east of Winnipeg to the western boundary of Assiaiboia, finds himself suddenly ushered into a district where the scenery is of remarkable beauty. The eye is gladdened by hill and dale, by verdant 8lo[)OS and grassy meadows, by tree and foliage, by the crystal ■waters of mountain rivers in their tortuous windings, and by the cloud- pierced, snow-capped Rocky Mountains as they girdle the western horizon. The mountain streams that traverse the whole Province of Alberta would, in the east, be considered rivers of prominence and importance. Tlie rapidity and strength of their currents make them invaluable for alfording power for the manufactures required for developing the varied and numerous resources with which the country abounds. Those rivers and their vicinities abound in fish and game. Throughout the Province there are dotted picturesque lakes, luxuriant foliage and well wooded forests. Skirting the western boundary of the Province tower the Rocky Mountains in bold and iuipressive majesty. Crag upon crag and pe-dk upon peak they rise, many of them piercing the clouds and averaging fully 12,000 feet above the level of the sea. The peaks of many of them are covered with j)erpetual snow. As these castellated battlements and hoary fortresses of nature rise before the eye of the traveller he beholds a sight unequalled for rugged grandeur and sublimity. Throughout the different mountain ranges are lakes fringed with foliage and verdure, picturesque as in their quiet beauty they repose amid the mountains of rock that surround them. As a summer resort, where health, climate, scenery, sport and recreation are sought, the mountain region is unequalled in the Dominion. To the whole District of Alberta nature has been lavish in the creation of landscape and scenery. Throughout the whole Dominion no Province possesses in the works of nature the beauty, grandeur and sublimity that are apparent throughout the District of Alberta and its surroundings. THE COUNTRY. The District of Alberta contains 107,700 square miles. Out of this area there are about 24,000 square miles covered with mountains. The balance is compo ed of agricultural and grazing lands and j'ivers. It is estimatet! thr'^ there are at least 45,000,000 acres of good agricultui'al lands in the distri^ . The most of the land south of High River is under lease and occupied by stock raisers. The land north of High River (extending from there to Edmonton 200 miles north of Calgary) is perhaps the best for agricultural purposes. The soil is generally a deep dark loam with clay bottom. There are sections whei-e the subsoil is gravel. This land, though not so good for grain growing, makes excellent pasturage. The land is generally rolling, and tree from stones; although these are found in some localities, and appear to mark Die water line of dry inland seas or lakes. There is no alkali in the land or water in Alberta. The climate of Alberta is undoubtedly better and more enjoyable than that of any district or province in Canada. This is due greatly to the prox- imity of the mountains. The summers are usually warm and dry, with cool cvf^ninrra ur\A liAnw rlpAWQ ThpsP d'^'WSi HPrvP f.hfi samn i-»nmr»aA fbof jiinnrinoi« "Si" •'"•' --"'• -J ■• - — _..— .- — . J - showers do in the east. The present summer, however, we have been visited with an unusual quantity of rain. We occasionally have heavy winds, but in >t. 1 consequence of the usual absence of moisture from them, the winds are not unpleasant. The autumn weather here is very agreeable, and it continues warm often till late in the fall. The winters are almost always very enjoy- able. "We have very few heavy storms, and but little extrenje cold. The thermometer is generallv above zero, and often last winter it was GO and 70"* above, though for a few days it will go down to 20 or 30° below zero. The air, however, is so dry that the cold is not felt so severely as it is in districts in which the air contains moro moisture. The " chiuook " winds temper our winters very greatly, and assist very much in rendering them pleasant. The " chinooks" come from the Pacific Ocean, laden with warmth and moisture. In passing through the mountains they are robbed of their moisture, and come to us dry and warm. The thermometer rises ra[)idly as soon as a '^ chinook " appears, and the snow as rapidly disappears if there happens t-j be any. CALGARY. Calgary is, to-day, perhaps the most prominent and important town in the North- West Territories. It is centrally located in the District of Alberta on the C.P.R., 120 miles from the summit of the Rocky Mountains and destined to be the capital of the District when the latter is erected into a Province. The site has been very finely chosen at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, on a broad flat basin between the two rivers. It has been said that it is much the grandest town-site either in Manitoba or the N.W.T. It is surrounded by romantic spots, precipitous bluffs and in the distance to the west and south-wer\t very gi-and views of the Rockiss are to be seen. A little over a year ago there were to be seen only the M. P. Post, H. B. trading post and a couple of stores. Now we have a population of from 800 to 1000, which is continually increasing, four churches, a school, and a full supply of stores of all kinds and enough mechanics and j)rofessional men to supply the wants of the residents and surrounding settlers. Calgary is a natural distributing centre for the great trade that is going on in the moun- tains with those connected with the railroad, miners and others, also for the whole Macleod district south, and for the immense trade with the Red Deer River and Edmonton country to the north. The mails are sent out from here to all these points and the H. B. Co. have made this their chief trading post for this immense territory. Calgary is the centre of a rich agricultural country as is proved by the crops that have l)een i-aised this season as well as in former seasons. Through this town run all the principal tr Us leading to Edmonton, Peace and Athabasca Rivers, on the north, Macleod to the south and Morlev and the mountains on the west. We have here on both the Bow and Elbow Rivers excellent water powers, suitable for mills or factories of any kind. There is a good opening for a grist mill here now and also for a first-class hotel. The C.P.R. ofler gieat inducements in the way of site to any- one who will build a first-class hotel. It is a charming and healthy place to reside in and there is no doubt but as the country settles up it will continually increase in importance and wealth. HINTS TO EMIGRANTS- their advantage not to Intending settlers in this district will find it to lay out their money in purchasing a stock of- provisions or supplies for their farm and household before reaching Calsrarv. All kinds of provisions, dry goods, hardware, harness and implements can be purchase^ in Calgary more cheaply than they can be bought in the east and fi-eighted here, and the settler has not the trouble and risk of transportation. A settler will always do well, however, in bringing with him any kind of choice stock in the way of cattle, horses, shsep, pigs or poultry, especially if he can secure advanta- geous freights. Calgary is well supplied with live merchants, and competition in the different lines is very keen. There are seme very large stocks held heie, and a large trade is done in jobbing and wholesaleing. In consequence of the necessity for freighting goods so far a comparison of prices of staple goods with those in the east may not appear to -the advan- tage of the Calgajy merchants, but we give a few quotations of present prices of goods here, viz. : — Fh ur, Ogilvie's. .$3.50 to $4.25 per sack. BacoD, Bide 14c. to 16c. per lb. Tea 30c. to 75c. « Sugars 8 to 12 lbs for $1. Beef 15c. to 20c. per lb. Butter, packed 28c. to 35c. " Eggs 25c. per doz. to 3c. per lb. Potatoes 1 ^c Oatmeal 5c. per lb. Rice 7c. " Beans 7c. " Coffee 35c. "■ Lard ,. 1 8c. to 20c. Cheewe '. 18c. to 20c. Dried Apples 13c. to 17c. Syrup $4.50 per keg. (I (I MINERALS. The District of Alberta is undoubtedly destined to rank as one of the richest mineral districts in the Dominion. It is alieady known to contain enormous beds of coal of the best quality, immense deposits of petroleum and copper ore in abundance. Thei e are many indications of the precious metals and of other economic minerals than those mentioned, and what is still to be discovered may be sur- mised from the fact that a couple of years ago nothing whatever was known of our minerals, and the only known coal was in a series of outcrops on the Belly, St. Mary's and Bow rivers; while now it is a well ascertained fact that uninterrupted beds of first-class bituminous coal extend from the southern boundary on the St. Mary's River to the Red Deer River, a hundred miles, north of Calgary. From these points westwaitl into the very heart of the Rockies, outcro[)s are frequent. Dr. Dawson finding upon exploration large tracts of coal -bearing rocks in the mountains themselves, of which at present the most prominent development is the anthracite region near the Cascade Creek. Next in importance to our coal come the large deposits of a magnificent copper ore, lately discovered near the Bow River, about a hundred miles west of Calgary. This is one of the best paying copper ores, is close to the railway^ and a seventy-five pound specimen that Capt. Retallack took to the British Museum was estimated to produce about sixty pounds of pure copper. Some specimens in the same vicinity taken from the solid rock assayed sixty-six per cent, of the mass copper and $29 per ton in gold. Galena also seems to exist in considerable quantities, some veins of eight feet to eighteen feet having already been struck, but capital is yet lacking to thoroughly test the percentage of silver contained therein; and though na silver ore of importance has yet been announced, yet many of the specimens brought in by prospectors show great promise, and it is safe to say that in the near future silver will be one of the important exports of the country. Iron also appears in many forms of ore in small quantities, and that no large deposits have yet been found does not prove its nou-existence, for it must be remembered that the mountains in our vicinity are almost unknown as yet> prospecting having only j ust begun. if 4 ; f — 5 — With regard to the common economic materiiila, good buikling stone may be seen in every river bank, magnificent fire clay between the coal seams, and first class terra-cotta clay in many places. There is plenty of material for the very best brick. Limestone exists in abundance, and much of the sandstone wonld be excellent for grindstones. TIMBER. The quantity of timber in Alberta has been much underestimated. It is only lately that explorers, having gone pretty well through the country, off the heathen routes, found that there are millions of good clear spruce ^nd cypress pine, which will be ••^sily available for the supply of the whole North- West. This timber lies principally along the valleys of the innumerable streams which, flowing eastward from the mountains and foothills, gradually join one another until they form the great Saskatchewan rivers. These streams and rivers provide abundant water-power and numerous good mill sites. The timber consists principally of sj)ruce and cypress pine, making fair common lumber; red fir, a hard, close-grained wood, excellent for inside finish; tamarack in small quantities, and plenty of cottonwood and poplar which makes good firewood. HORSES. The number of horses in Alberta is estimated as over G,000 head, valued at $400,000. Up to recently the class of horses in the country were of a poor description, a great many of them being descended f»om the native cayuse, or Indian ponies. Our leading ranchmen are doing much to improve the breed. They have imported a number of first-class sires from the old country, includ- ing Percheron, Clydesdales, Thoroughbreds and Steeplo-chasers, so that Alberta will in the near future be in a position to compete with the older portions of the Dominion in horse flesh of every description. CATTLE. The stock interests of Alberta are much greater than may be imagined. Considerable capital is already invested in this industry. At the close of last season the number of cattle in the district aggregated about 37,500 head valued at $1,875,000. Since then about 12,000 head have been driven in from Montana by the different stockmen. Range cattle are neither sheltered nor in any way cared for during the winter. Many of the stockmen placed their losses during the winter of 1884 under 1 per cent. The warm spring weather proved very favourable for the calves and very few were lost, an increase of 75 per cent, being the estimate. The success of the different stockmen proves beyond question the adapt- ability and suitability of Alberta as a cattle country, and attention is now being directed to it by some of the largest stock-raisers in Montana, one of whom, the owner of 30,000 head, remarked to the writer, that what were considered the poorest pastures in Alberta for stock-raising excelled the greater part of Montana. It is safo to say that in a few years . Alberta will furnish the beef and mutton, not only for the large centres in the eastern provinces, but will also send large consignments to the old country. SHEEP. During the present summer over 12,000 sheep have been driven into Alberta from Montana, one company alone bringing in a flock of 8,000 head — 6 — and several compuniea and private individuals intend going into the industry next season, when it is exf>ectod the drive will far exctjed that of this year. She()[) wore first brought into this district by Mr. James Yotier some five years since and though he had every success he was tempted to accept high figures and his flock were soon killed off for mutton. That our climate and grasses are well adapted for sheep raising and wool growing is beyond a doubt and it is reasonable to suppose that ere many years Calgary will have one of the largest and best wool markets on the continent. Few countries can boast the same advantages for this profitable industry as Alberta can. The boundless rolling prairies carpeted with grasses of the most nutritious description, the [)lentiful su|)ply of pure water, the mild winter and warm summer weather make Alberta all that the sheej) farmer could desire. The writer has had several years' experience in Australia and New Zealand and does not hesitate to state that if the sheep farmer pays the 8ame attention to breeding and management as the sonthern breeders do the industry will bo far more profitable in Alberta. Hero we have all the essentials to ensure a fiist-class growth of wool and no country can possibly excel this in pioducing carcase. Added s ■ t f — 7 — That the manufacture of cheese has not commonced before now is chiefly owina to the rapi.l development of the country. Practical men who have settle"! in the district this year profess themselves so pleased with the induce- ments that they intend starting in the business next season. A berta possesses every essential necessary for the production of tirstclass cheese, grasses of the richest and sweetest description and innumerable streams ot the purest and coldest water. The country ofiers the brightest nulucements to practical men and capitalists to embark in this industiy, and we venture to say that no other country can produce a better article or one at less cost. It requires no stretch of imagination to predict that in a short tune Alberta will create a name as a cheese-producing country excelled by none. ^ SETTLERS. Everywhere throughout the district settlers are found prosperous and contented, happy in having chosen Alberta as their new home. It would be .difficult to find one who. has aught to say against the country or its climate, and if such an one is to be found it is more than probable that the tault lies entirely in his inadaptability to suit himself to pioneer life. The universal verdict of those that come to Alberta is that the country is rich in all the requisites necessary to build u]) a great and rich Province and the climate is delightful. Mr. S. Livingstone, who has a s[)londid farm near Calgiry, and who has resided hero for over sixteen years, states tha' this has been the most back- ward season that he has known, that he has succeeded in growing splendid root and grain crops each and every year, and that he knows of no country offering greater inducements to settlers j.ossessing sufficient capital to start farni- m having ^oud water for my stock is a great source of wealth to nie. The country is simply unrivalled for HLock raising. I consider it pays hest co engage in mixed fanning. I have net suffered from tlie much talked of sunnner fiosts, nor tlo I think tjjey will be any injj)edimeiit to Buccessful raising of cereals and roots. M. McInn'is, Farmer, September 4, 188 I. Pino Creek, Alberta. T came into this countj'v ao!ne fourteen years ago. On my arrival there was no cultivation of the 1 md, and I fear*- 1 there would bo a bage, cauli- flowers, wheat, oats, barley, ]>eas, aiid other kinds o*.' grain. My crops this year are very heavy, and I can truly say the longer i stay in the country, and the more I see of it, the better I like it. I would be glad to see it tilled up with good farmers, as I know they could not fail to succeeu. James Votier, Farmer, September 4, 1884. Fish Creek, Alberta. I have been in this district since July, 1883, and having heard this eountry so much run down, on account of summer frosts, I comrjienced taking ii careful record of the thermometrical readings since August 1, 1883, to present date. This record com[)letely contradicts such assertions. I enclose you the record, which, without further comment from me, will at once show that not only has the farmer nothing to fear from summer fi-ost, but that he enjoys exceptionally fine winters; for although two or- three weeks of severe cold are exper-ienced, these are loilowecl by a like period of warm, spring-like weather, thus reducing the actual period of cold weather to about two mor;ths. The soil is all that a farmer can desire, for both grain-growing, sheep or stock-raising. My experience ia confined to sod, on which 1 havo about five acies of oats, ar^d a siriiilar piece of barley. The oats are well headed and about four and a half feet high, and probably thresh out about 45 bushels to the acre — these wore sown in May, on land ploughed the end of April. The barley was sown June 15, on land ploughed June 10, and is now ripe. As regards vegetables, I have some very good potatoes, turnij)s, carrots, etc., and also beans which are doincr well. Other advantages which the country possesses, are to be found in its inexhaustible supply of timber, coal, building stone, lime and splendid water, and in my opinion the Province of Alberta is one of the best in the whole Dominion. Fish Creek, Alberta, Sept. 4th, 1884. S. W. ?haw- We came to Alberta dii-ect from England, in May last, and so far have found the country all that it has been i-epreseuted to us. Have had no — 10 — Slimmer frost u[) lo date. We have reaped four acres of oats and" two acres' of barley, both of which are very good crops. As far as we are able to judge from the limited time we have been here, w& consider this country well suited for farming, sheep and cattle- raising, and are thoroughly pleased with o\jr location. (Signed) A. F. Lambert, A. WiNTERBOTTOM, ■ C. Russell, Fish Creek, Sept. 4, 1884. G. Bolt, Farmers. I settled in this place in July, 1875, and have been farming ever since. As regards summei- frost, never ex|)erienced tliem, or found out that they existed, until a Mr. McEachren, the horse doctor, came along and told us we had them. The doctor got frost on the brain some two years vgo, and has never been known to tell the truth since, at least as regards his published statements respecting the climate of this country. I have never failed in raising a good crop of wheat, oats, barley and vegetables of all descriptions during each of the successive years, and have also rais.^d tomatoes and cucumbers every year in tlie open air. Of wheat I have averaged 37 bushels; oats 57 bushels ; barley 71 bushels tO' the acre ; and have some this year not behind that standard. Average yield of potatoes, on eight acres last year, was 225 bushels to the acre. Industriously inclined people can get along comfortably with about $1,000 capital to start with, but still more would be better. I like the climate better than any I have found between the Atlantic and Pacilic ; the Rio Grande and Peace River, over all which territory 1 have travelled. There is everything in the coimtry which a settler can desire. There are people, who desire to run the country down, who say we have no market for produce here ; those who have to buy say we have a good one and at good prices ; those who have anything to sell always aanage to get the money for it at a good round ligure. There are the mountains close by with large timber and mineral resources; these interests have to draw their supplies either from Calgary or further east, and they svill naturally buy here to save extra railway freight. Winnipeg people say we shall have to send our surplus there ; but when we have any, we shall send it to the Pacitic, which is 230 miles nearer to us than Winnipeg. Fish Creek, Sept. 4, 1884. John Glenn. . Having heard that a pamphlet was being got up for distribution giving a description of this part of the great North-West, I write this letter for inset don, giving my experience of nearly three years. In the summer of 1882 I had in crop about ten acres of oats, barley and roots on sod, and must say that T was perfectly delighted with the result. This year I have the same field in barley, wheat and roots, put in about the middle of May. Part of the barley is cut, and the balance is ripe and will be cut in a day or two. I have seen the grain and roots grown on Mr. Glenn and Mr. Votier'» farms on Fish Creek for the past three summers ; also Mr. S. Livingstone's, a few miles west of Calgary, all of which I do not think can be surpassed in any oouiiiry. I have also seen thf crops grown on High Kivei, Sheep Creek and Pine Creek, and they are equally good. I must net forget to mention the crops of Mr. Lynam on the old Government farm on the Bow River eight miles south of Calgary. There I saw the finest field of wheat that I have ever seen in any part of the Dominion of Canada. His oats are also first- '■ n. J^: — 11 — class. I am satisfied from what I have seen that we can grow as fine a sample of wheat, oats and barley as can be grown in America, and as for vegetables they are something wonderful. 1 brought, a number of well-bred cattle and a few horses from Ontario, all of which are doing remarkably well. A great many people in the east have the erroneous idea that well-bred stock are not suitable for this country. This is a great mistake. My experience of three winters has been tJiat the better they are bred the better they stand the winter, I had a number of grade two and three-year old heifers last spring as fat as stall-fed animals, which were never inside of a stable or had a pound of feed except the prairie grass. My idea of this portion of the Province of Alberta is that it is remarkably well adapted for mixed and dairy farming, having the very best grass, and being well watered with the purest water. Calgary, Sept. 4th, 1884. J. D. Gepdes. LETTERS FROM A FARMERS' DELEGATION FROM THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. In accordance with your request we append a statement regarding our visit to the North- West. Our delegation, after visiting several localities' between this and Winnipeg, have finally decided on taking up their location south of Calgary, between that town and High River, and in the vicinity of the Bow River and Mosquito Creek. We have seen some of the lands to the north of the Bow, opposite Calgary, as well as the lands from Calgary to the Rockies ; Cochrane Ranch, Morley, and other places in that vicinity. We also, on our way to Calgary, examined the crops on the C.P.R. experimental farms along the road, which we found ripening and of very good quality, although grown upon land very poorly cultivated. We more especially visited all the best farms in the vicinity of Calgary, among which were those of Messrs. Livingstone, Glenn and Votier, besides the property of Lieut.-Governor Robitaille, generally known as the Govern- ment Farm. On these we saw wheat, oats, barley, peas, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, cabbage, beets, parsnips, etc., of a very superior quality; more especially the grain, potatoes, onions, and turnips, which surpassed anything we had ever seen before. As to the grain, we do not believe it can be equalled, and certainly cannot be surpassed in the world. One of our dele- gates (Mr. McKenzie) who has just visited the State of Iowa, declares that there is nothing in that State to compare to this and has decided to settle here. We notice that the extraordinaiy crops are from comparatively poor cultivation, such as our delegates do not consider good farming. We particularly noticed timothy growing on the prairie that had been havrovved into the ground in June last, and was when seen some ten days ago, over two feet high and well headed out. We took ample time to examine the country south of Calgary crossing the prairie in every direction, examining every field of grain to be seen, and camped out for tveral days. All the land we saw was of a very superior quality. We dug down in several j^lacos and found two feet of rich black mould on top ol a very rich, heavy clay ioauj. This was observable every- where, and the most extraordinary thing to us is that the richjc't and best soil is on the top of the higher lands or benches. We find this countrv most especially adapt< the grass and the cold streams I for mixed farming and dairy produce, o\ the fine quality — 12 — abounding in this section, furnishing abundance of pure cold water during the summer months. We found slight damage in some places to parts of fields caused by local iiail storms, not of any importance, and no damage by summer frost. We were informed by the farmers that their stock wintered out, with the exception ot those employed at regular work and milch cows. We are empowered to make entries for homesteads for three hundred families, and intend choosing the land in this district. Our delegation were very much interested in getting all the information they could about coal, and are satisfied that the whole country is underlaid with it. They saw and took specimens of the coal from the IVIacleod district, at High River, and some very fine specimens at Silver City. Some specimens of what was called float, or out-crop coal, at Sheep Creek, and some specimens that they obtained from seams near Calgary were tried and bnrned as well as -could be wished. Tiios. T. Barwis, Lt.-Col., W. H. Felton, Barrister, R. M. McKenzie, Farmer, Athaba-icaville, Que. West Wickham, Co. Drummond, Que. Fred. H. Andrews, Farmer, Edwin Goff, Farmer, i /k / /J Millfield, Inverness, Que. Leeds, Co. Megantic, Que. * L^r) RED DEER DISTRICT. W ^ A section of country taking its name from a river running through it is ly always of uncertain dimensions, but it will be sufliciently definite lor the purposes of this letter to locate Red Deer district between the ni.ith and eleventh base lines, and extending from Range 20 west of the Fourth, on as far as the Fifth Initial Meridian. Whatever more might be legitimately included I have not yet traversed, and, writing as a bona fide settler of this country to the farmers of the Dominion and the general public, I am anxious to speak from personal observation and experience, and the reliable testimony of settlers who have been longer in the country. aspect of the country. The country may be described in general terms as rolling praine, dotted over with bluffs of spruce and poplar, interspersed with lakes and meadows, and intersected with numerous small creeks, giving the whole a particularly park-like appearance, which, in point of natural scenery, is beyond the possi- bility of exaggeration. I have seen the most beautiful spots of five of the eastern provinces and in several of the Slates across our southern border, but I have never seen any section of country-, which, in its natural state, could compare with this. Indeed, it is almost impossible for a stranger, looking off some commanding butte, to realize that the delightful prospect all around him is " in condition primeval." It would not seem difficult to persuade some Rip- van-winkle, awakening suddenly, among such surroundings, that the buildings and fences had been mysteriously removed, and that those beautiful blutt's in the distant landscape were the orchards and ornamental trees among which stately residences had once nestled, and that those smooth symmetrical slopes were the fruitful fields of a departed race of agricultural princes. WOOD AND COAL. Wood abounds in hb.p Red Deer r'i.strict. TJnfortunately the timber is not so evenly distributed as to provide every homestead with just the requisite quantity for purposes of building, fencing and fuel; but it is also true that the distribution is remarkably even. Few sections are entirely destitute, and the district as a whole contains abundance for the wants of an agricultural i O r It (T^ population. Taking into account the slopes of the Red Deer westward to the mountains and the heavily timbered ridges east of the Wolf Creek coulee there is also a good supply for |)urpose8 of manufacture and export for many years to come. Coal is found in drift all along the banks of the river, indicating exposed seams along its upper waters. We have ourselves examined smaller seams jutting out of the cut banks near the " Crossing." We have had no way of testing the properties of this coal satisfactorily; but enclosing some brokea pieces in a clay vessel and exposing it to the ordinary heat of a camp stove the vent tube emitted a gas which burned with a steady flame for a consider- able time. The natural resources of this district settles the question ot cheap fuel beyond a doubt. WATER. There is also an abundance of the very best water. Besides the main liver, a mountain stream which (except in times of freshets) is perfectly clear cool and palatable, there are numerous creeks and springs, affording delicious water. Most of ray neighbours enjoy the luxury of a natural sprinc/, and those who have to sink wells have not far to dig for an abundant supply. At a depth of only eleven feet I have three feet of spring water, in i)oint of excellence, I believe, unsurpassed in the Dominion. This great boon is easily accessible to any future settler in the Red Deer district. PASTURE AND GRAZING. The pasture is rich, varied and abundant. Pea-vines, vetches, colony grass, pea grass, buffalo grass, slough grass, and a dozen other varieties, the names of which we do not know, grow in great profusion. Indeed a new- comer is struck with the boundless variety of grasses. We have rarely examined a square foot of high and dry prairie, selected at random, that did not contain at least a dozen different species of vegetation; not generally tall but close, olean and strong, rich in colour and luxuriant in foliage. Our stock have literally wallowed in pasture since the early spring. Nor do the frosts of autumn and winter destroy the nutritive properties of the natural fTasses. The native horses, and occasionally a Canadian horse, that has strayed away from his master, or whose master has strayed away from him, live out all winter, and are brought in rolling fat in the spring. Farmers in beautiful and favoured Ontario^ who have to devote mowino- lands or raise soiling crops to tide a few cattle over the months of July and August, would rejoice to see herds of a hundred head revelling in such pastures as abounds in this district. Cattle are sometimes not housed at all. Some- times they are turned out as early as the 14th of February to find their own living. In any case they may be trusted to forage for themselves from six weeks to two months earlier than in the eastern provinces, in addition ta grazing much later in the fall. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON THE SUBJECT. I landed in Calgary on the 8th of A pril la.«»t with a stock consisting of four horses and sixteen head of cattle. The horses I stabled for prudential reasons o'ther than their subsistence. The cattle were unloaded on the prairie and left to shift for thenjselves. As a " pilgrim," or newcomer, I, of course felt a great deal of solicitude for their welfare; but, as if to the manner born*^ they betook themselves to rustling as every newcomer should, grazed bv dav uj;uii -.Tuat cucutt:^^ cu mu iiivc iiiiiu luiu, uiiu at liigiic returned to the shelter of the box car, as bearing the nearest resemblance to a barn. As they looked full, appeared contentvd and manifestly "held their own," my anxiety subsided. After a few days' rest, ray young men started them on the trail for the Red Deer, a distance of nearly 100 miles. They frequently drove from •fifteen to twenty miles a day, the oxen drawing a load and the cows nounsh- ing their calves. The others had only what they picked up by the way. They reached their destination in perfectly good condition; and tliough several of the settlers here, with true western generosity, offered me hay for the draw- ing I did not find it nrcessujy (except for the working teams) to accept their generous offer. The cattlo foraged for themselves and did well, and are now " as fat as stalled theology." Huch a country, I need hardly say, is pre-emi- nently adai)ted to stock-raising and dairying. These industries are practically illimitable, and the possibilities in this direction alone are prophetic of the country's future prosperity. Beef can be produced at less than one-third the cost of what it takes to produce it in Ontario, while projected railways will soon afford access to the markets of the world. SOIL. The soil on the " bench lands," or higher prairie, throughout the district is generally a black loam, from twelve to thirty-six inches deep, resting on a clay sub soil. In some sections the clay crops up nearer the surface. On the river bottoms the loam is neither so black nor deep, and the sub-soil is a com- pact mixture of clay and sand. While not counted so rich or strong a soil as that on the bench lands, it has tlie compensating advantage of being a little warmer and earlier. Taking the district as a whole, I cannot conceive any soil better adapted for the production of all the staj^le crops of the eastern provinces. CROPS. It is necessar} lo correct a prejudice excited against this country by in- terested parties of various grades, from the selfish Senator and American land acrent to the disappointed speculator or thriftless tenderfoot. Also, occasion- afly by the treacherous emplove of the C.P.R., who lines his pockets with aood Canadian money, curses the country to intending settlers going west (as in my own case) and then crosses the border to spend his earnings, perhaps with congenial spirits who cherish an hereditary hatred for the Queen and her domains. These are never weary of telling people that '• it is a country of eternal winter," that "all it is fit for is an Indian hunting ground," that " at best it is onlv fit for a stock-ranch, but will not grow crops." - Now, fortunately, there is no slander more easily refuted. Messrs. Beatty have 50 aci s of grain in splendid condition, ten being spring wheat as fine as I ever saw in any par oi the Dominion. Yesterday I visited the farm of Mr. Roderick Mackenzie, formerly of Headingly, Manitoba. Both wheat and oats looked well, and a few bright days will make it ready for the self-bindep. The straw is straight and clean, and the berry large and plump. A few days ago I examined his vegetable garden. It might justly be ^an object of pride to every gardener. The roots were large and well-formed, and beans and tomato vines healthy and well laden. The variety of products is, of course, not so large as migh ■ be, but this resulted rather from the difficulty of obtaining seeds than growing them. M y own experience justifies the candid opinion that as good crops can be grown here as in any part of the Dominion when we obtain experience, where exj^eriment alone can show how to select s^ed and soil, when to sow, and how to treat various kinds of crops. Moreover no reasonable man will expect the best results during the £.. /•_ T"w. cpi^fuoo ia Q fnnorli intraGtable sod. consisting iartxely of woody fibre, the accumulation of a series of rank vegetable growths that have come and gone for years. When this fibrous surface IS turned up to the atmosphere in the warm weeks of early spring it becomes exceedingly dry, absorbing the moisture and robbing the young rootlets of the power to strike down into the damp sub-soil. On this account the progress of growth must be slow in the beginning, and the crops find it hard to regain the lost time in the season allotted to maturing. When this woody fibre becomes decompoi^ed and united with the true soil immediately below it, these disadvantages will pass away, as the experiment proves. But, notwith- standing this disadv iitage, the facts cited— and many more might be added if necessary — will convince any unprejudiced person of the agricultural possibilities of the country. I have this year grown better and more potatoes on fresh-broken sod, without a particle of manure, than I did in Ontario on well-tilled soil with 1 wenty loads of the best barn-yard manure to the acre. Nor was I a whit behind the " chiefest " farmer in the neighbour- hood in that respect. Of course, here I prepared the ground and planted the seed with extra care, but this factor of success is within the reach of all. CLIMATE. Judging from my own solicitude about this subject, there are probably few matters of greater interest to intending settlers than that of climate. Between the rhapsodies of summer tourists and the doleful tidings of summer frosts and hailstorms, people at a distance are at a loss to know which to believe; and in the absence of a meteorological record, it is difficult to verify the statemems of an enthusiast or deny the dolings of a constitutional grumbler. The testimony, however, of the settlers who have been here several years is that they are exceedingly pleasant. Occasionally the thermometer falls low, but the atmosphere is clear and quiet, so that the cold does not seem severe. The greater part of the time the weather is mild and clear, blizzards are almost unknown, the snow-fall i? slight and seldom drifts, and rain rarely falls during the entire winter. Four of my immediate neighbours formerly lived in Headingly, Manitoba. They have spent two winters here, and unite in testifying that the winters are much milder and more pleasant than in that Province. MORE EXPERIENCE. To illustrate the comparative progress of spring, east and west. 1 left Ontario on the first of April last. One of the severest winters was begiuLmg to yield to signs of approaching spring, but for all purposes of agriculture it was winter still. On the way we confronted snow squalls at Chicago, found an abundance of ice and snow in Northern Minnesota and Southern Manitoba, encountered a genuine blizzard at Winnipeg on the night of the 6th, found fields of snow in Brandon, and for many miles west frozen lakes ^nd sloughs as far west as Moose Jaw, though at that point snow only vested in shady ppots where the sun had no power. As we journeyed west the last vestige ot snow and ice disappeared. Lakes and ponds were all open, and some of the experimental farms had already been sown. On reaching Calgary, on the 8th, there was a little ice still in the bed of the Bow, but the dwellers in the vale told us they had had a month of fine spring weather, and a farmer on Fish Creek with whom I spoke had a quantity of siving ploughing done. " We reached our destination on the Red Deer on the 23rd of April. Several of the settlers were nearly through seeding. The weather was warm and pleasant "throughout the balance ot the month with the exception of two slight snow flurries which only remained on the ground a few hours. These were of untold benefit to the pisture lands, freshening them up so that the cattle were already becoming quite independent of the old grass. May was a really du'-ghtful mouth. Twenty-five days of the month we enjoyed unclouded sunshine. S,, t le a month tor feeding I had never before seen. Indeed the weather was so dry and warm that we began to be apprehensive that the drought would retard the germination of the seed. June brought copious warm shower^j which were repeated at very short interva's throughout the .iionth, giving all forms of vegetation a firm hold which they steadiiy maiutuiuod. Ju'y fiud August were, upon the whole, pleasant, but exceptionally rainy, encouraging the growth of crops rather than ripening the harvest ; so that grain will be cut trom ten days to a fortnight Jater than was anticipated. During these months the days were warm though not oppressive. The lU — -^^ nlgbls were cool, but, with one exception, without frost. On the night of the 1 5th of August a slight frost touched very low spots along the river banks where the soil is k' own to bo springy. The higher levels ot the river bottom and the bench lands entirely escaped. We have also been exempt from hail. Mr. Robert McLellan, the oldest settler in this district, tells me he has never known a hailstorm in this locality; and the Indian?, who have been quite a while in the country, testify that witbin a given belt along the course of this river, from the Little lltd Deer eastwaid, they have never known a hailstorm tliat would have injured tbe most tender crop. MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. I have had many inquiries in reference to the above subjects, both before and since comintj west. I have fflwajs been slow to advise any person. While I had sufficient faith in the future of this country to risk the comfort and welfare of a large dependent family and spend all I had in getting here and starting in a new and unsought sphere, I did not ask another to run the risk until he had satisfied himself on every point. I have once and again refused to write my convictions for publication ivntil I had seen at least one season of seed time and harvest, that I might the more confidently speak what I knew and tesjtify what I had seen. Having had some opportunity of personal observation and experience, I do not hesitate to say I could devoutly wish that every struggling relative or friend of mine, or any other who is lighting fate on poor soil, with high rental or heavy mortgage, with only the prospect of continuing the struggle and bequeathing the legacy of hardship and heavy interest to bis children, would come and accept a heritage which a beneficent Providence places within his reach. One hundred and sixty acres of as good land as the sun shines on, free, and one hundred and sixty more if he chooses, at $2 per acre, at the end of three years' continued residence. WHO SHOULD COME. Not the indolent and incompetent. This is the poorest country in tbe world for that class. Such persons must either beg or steal elsewhere, and tliis country is too new, its population too sparse and its resources too limited to afford full scope for their distinctive genius. They can do better in the older provinces. Not tbe irresolute and visionary who whine at the first difficulty that confronts them and seem dasappointed at not finding a house built and a yiping hot dinner waiting for them. But tbe man who wishes to invest money profitably in stock, dairy or faim. The man who has a thousand dollars or even less, which would go but a little way in starling n ftirm in the older provinces, but would be sufficient to bring him here, put up such buildiujiS as would be necessary to tide him over the first year and start him on the ro'd to competence and comfort aiitl a splendid farm free from debt. Or the young man who has hardly anything beyond indomitable pluck and petse- verance, who is willing to rough it and bouud to succeed, has a raar;nificent chance to make a home for himself in what is beginning to be recognized aud will ere long prove the garden of the North -West Territories. PRIVILEGES. Settlers coming into this District start with the advantage of a sawmill, where they can obtain lumber at from $20 to ^30 per thousand. A store where tvery neces- sary of life can be had at reasonable prices. A post office and hotel accommodation in the centre of the district, and we hope soon a school and church, and these in a community as quiet and safe as the most envied hamlet in all the Dominion. Red Deer Crossiug, Sept. 3rd, 188-1. Leo Gabtz. I came to 'his country in April, 1882, and I have read the letters from the other settlers, inserted in this pamphlet, all of wliich I can vouch for. Last year I wintered eighteen cows, and milked them twice a day up till February 20th, after which time I milked thtm once per day till the 20th of March, without feeding them one pound of fodder or sheltering them at all, the only feed which they received being what they procured from tbe prairie. At the end of March I sold one of these cows for beef ta Mr. A. C. Sparrow, butcher (formerly of Ottawa), for $75. After having had experience in the eastern provinces, I have no ht^sitation in stating that Alberta presents advantages to farmers that do not exist in any of them. I have seen better crops grown in Alberta on the tod and with the primitive modes of agriculture than I ever saw either in Ontario or Quebec, unless on the most highly cultivated tkrms in the Ottawa Valley.. Scarcely any farmer has ever put a roller on his land, and a seeder, till the present season, was almost unknown. Calgary, Alberta, Sept 5th, 1884. A, Carnky.