MANITOBA 



3628 



MANITOBA 



few hundred yards to ten miles in width are 

 met. These belts contain elm, oak, the ash- 

 leaved maple and the aspen or poplar, and 

 some spruce. In the spring the unbroken prai- 

 ries are covered with wild flowers, and in most 

 places trees and shrubs grow readily about the 

 home. 



In the northern part of the province fur- 

 bearing animals are abundant, and the hunter 

 and trapper receives good remuneration for his 

 time and skill. Minks, muskrats and martens 

 are caught in large numbers. Moose, deer, elk 

 and reindeer or caribou are found in the un- 

 settled regions, and during the summer duck, 

 grouse, plover and woodcock are numerous. 

 Many migratory birds following the Mississippi 

 pass by the Red River and Lake Winnipeg to 

 their northern breeding grounds. 



Minerals and Mining. Deposits of iron ore 

 are found on the shore of Lake Winnipeg, and 

 soft coal is found in the southwestern part of 

 the province, but neither is extensively mined. 

 There is an abundance of limestone for build- 

 ing purposes, beds of clay suitable for making 

 brick of excellent quality occur in several parts 

 of the province, and north of Lake Saint Mar- 

 tin are deposits of gypsum which furnish raw 

 material for the manufacture of wall plaster 

 and plaster of Paris. One-third of the gypsum 

 produced in the Dominion is taken from these 

 beds. 



Fisheries. The lakes and the shore waters of 

 Hudson Bay abound in fish; large quantities 

 of whitefish, pickerel, pike and trout are taken. 

 The annual catch amounts to about $850,000, 

 much of which is shipped to Chicago. The in- 

 dustry gives employment to about 2,000 people. 



Forests and Lumbering. In the southwestern 

 part of Manitoba are a number of hill districts 

 which are forested. Some of these have been 

 set aside as government forest reserves. They 

 are known respectively as Turtle Mountain Re- 

 serve, 70,000 acres; Spruce Woods Reserve, 

 143,700 acres; Porcupine Reserve, 759,000 acres, 

 and Duck Mountain Reserve, 988,000 acres. 

 The chief lumbering operations are carried on 

 in the spruce forest belt north of the prairie 

 region. Timber is cut only under government 

 supervision. Most of the lumber manufactured 

 is used in the province. 



Agriculture. Agriculture is the chief industry 

 of the province. The soil over a great portion 

 of the prairie region is unusually deep and fer- 

 tile, that of the Red River Valley being of un- 

 usual fertility. Both the soil and climate of 

 this region are especially adapted to raising 



spring wheat of the highest quality, and Mani- 

 toba hard has become the world's standard for 

 the highest grade of wheat. The production of 

 this cereal is the chief agricultural interest. The 

 other leading grain crops are oats, barley and 

 rye. Some flax is raised, but grain crops are 

 usually more profitable. Potatoes yield from 

 200 to 400 bushels per acre, and the annual crop 

 is about 7,750,000 bushels. Roots and vegeta- 

 bles are grown everywhere for home consump- 

 tion. Alfalfa, timothy and corn are extensively 

 grown for fodder. 



Live stock is receiving increased attention 

 and dairying is profitable, the annual output 

 of dairy products exceeding $3,800,000. Excel- 

 lent breeds of horses, cattle, sheep and swine 

 are found on most of the farms, and poultry is 

 a, valuable source of income. Beekeeping is in- 

 creasing in importance and over 100,000 pounds 

 of honey are marketed each year. 



Manufactures. The manufactures are lim- 

 ited, and they are connected chiefly with the 

 agricultural interests, with railway repairs and 

 lumbering. Flour mills are found in the larger 

 towns, and flour leads in the manufactured 

 products. Lumber and lumber products and 

 foundry and machine-shop products follow. 

 Some agricultural implements are made, but 

 most of the machinery, agricultural implements, 

 hardware and textiles are imported. The riv- 

 ers furnish abundant water power and eventu- 

 ally most of it will be used for operating mills, 

 factories and electric plants. 



Transportation and Commerce. The southern 

 part of Manitoba is better supplied with rail- 

 roads than any other part of Canada. The 

 Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern and Grand 

 Trunk Pacific traverse the province from east 

 to west and connect Manitoba with the other 

 provinces of the Dominion. Branches of the 

 Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern and the 

 Great Northern make connections with the 

 leading cities in the northern part of the United 

 States and also make north and south connec- 

 tions between the most important cities in the 

 province. A line is now building from Prince 

 Albert, Saskatchewan, to Port Nelson on Hud- 

 son Bay. When completed this railway will 

 open to settlement a large area in New Mani- 

 toba, and will connect the prairies, through 

 Hudson Bay, with the markets of Europe. 

 Winnipeg is one of the busiest railway centers 

 in Canada and lines radiate from it in all direc- 

 tions. The more densely populated sections 

 are well supplied with telegraph and telephone 

 facilities. 



