1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 1 



A large number of returned soldiers from the war were granted areas of 

 160 acres free during the year, the total number being 257. (F'or details see 

 Appendix No. 13, page 40.) 



Free Grants. 



A continued desire of settlers to take land for Free Grant homesteading 

 has resulted in another increase over former years, 868 parties being located 

 for free grant lands. More productive farming of somewhat smaller areas, 

 and more care in the selection of land suitable for that purpose, is shown by 

 the fact that the average individual farm has decreased from 166 acres to 136 

 acres, the total area located being 118,637 acres. 



The number of settlers who completed their requirements of clearing and 

 actual residence has also increased to the number of 500, while 132 locatees 

 availed themselves of the statutory privilege to purchase additional land and 

 10,202 acres were purchased in that way. This is an increase of over 4,000 

 acres from last year. (See Appendix No. 13, page 40.) 



Ranching. 



There is a growing demand for land for ranching and pasture purposes as a 

 result of the policy adopted by the Department, of leasing these lands at five 

 cents per acre per annum, easy conditions as to stocking. Farmers who have 

 their farms practically all under grain crops are acquiring additional areas and 

 enlarging their activities to that of sheep and cattle raising. Rough areas of 

 land more adapted for ranching or pasture have been largely taken up for this 

 purpose, and during the year eight licenses of occupation have been issued, 

 covering an area of 10,435 acres. 



Several inquiries have been received for marsh or low lying lands for the 

 purpose of raising muskrats and other fur-bearing animals, which promises to 

 be an industry which may make valuable, lands that at the present time have 

 practically no market value. 



Military Grants. 



Under the Act 1, Edward VII, Cap. 6, and amendments thereto, there 

 have been issued 13,998 certificates and although the time for receiving applica- 

 tions for these grants expired on the 30th September, 1908, there are still letters 

 being received from men or their next of kin, who were entitled to this grant, 

 who claim that they have only now become aware of the fact. These applica- 

 tions, therefore, could not now be accepted and no forms of applications have 

 been sent out. 



During the past year there have been located 27 of these certificates covering 

 4,360 acres in the townships open for veterans, making in all a total of 8,391 

 certificates thus located. 



In two cases the certificates have been surrendered and applied in payment 

 of lands purchased from the Crown, covering in all 160 acres, making a total 

 of 800 that have thus been applied. 



There were two certificates surrendered to the Crown for the $50.00 com- 

 mutation money, making a total of 3,266 certificates surrendered in this manner. 



During the year there have been issued 48 patents for lands located by 

 veterans, and in all, 7,488 have thus been disposed of. 



