A Bad Harvest 



forlorn hope that the grain might yet not shrink 

 much and harden in the shock. 



While it is pretty generally understood a pros- 

 perous year or the reverse for the Western Pro- 

 vinces, and, indeed, for all Canada more or less, 

 depends on a good harvest, a few more details 

 as to the way in which it affects the man on the 

 land may be acceptable in this place. 



There is, of course, abundance of good land, 

 that great attraction for millions, who seem to 

 realize in a dim way that this means plenty of 

 good food — of a sort, at least. 



Now, those who go out with the hope of develop- 

 ing this good land, though by no means among 

 the world's most poverty-stricken, are usually 

 miserably supplied with capital, the consequence 

 being that a vast system of credit is built up, 

 not easily realized by people accustomed to older 

 communities. 



The actual amounts, of course, may seem small 

 to those familiar with the complex finance and 

 banking of old and wealthy nations, but the 

 shortage of capital makes the rate of interest 

 very high, which of course increases the trouble. 

 The established farm-settler, with perhaps two 

 hundred acres under crop, may be in a position 

 to weather one or two bad harvests ; but even 

 he may find a difficulty in meeting notes due 



117 



