I •so • to , 



2 Transactions of the Canadian Institute. [vol. x 



than 8 per cent, of the total land area, or, say, 78,000,000 acres farmed or 

 under settlement for agricultural purposes. Or, to consider the three 

 western provinces only, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, since it 

 is towards them to-day the agricultural eyes of the world are more 

 particularly directed, there are in this area, it is estimated, at from 

 170,000,000 to 200,000,000 acres suitable for cultivation, the greater 

 part of which is adapted to wheat growing. Notwithstanding the rapid 

 settlement of this vast land in recent years, probably not more than 

 8 per cent, is under tillage. 



And it must not be supposed that the present provinces of Canada 

 contain all our agricultural land. To the north and west of the Dominion 

 lie the Territories of Mackenzie, Athabasca, and Yukon, and, leaving out 

 of consideration the last named, it has been computed that there are at 

 least 500,000,000 acres much of which may ultimately be capable of 

 settlement. As yet we may be said to know very little as to the agricul- 

 tural possibilities of this vast area, but this we can record, that wheat 

 has been ripened at a number of points throughout it, as at Dun vegan 

 and Fort Vermilion on the Peace River, the former 414 and the latter 

 591 miles north of the latitude of Winnipeg, and still farther north, as 

 at Forts Providence and Simpson on the Mackenzie River, within 5 

 degrees of the Arctic Circle. Four years ago 30,000 bushels of wheat 

 were harvested at Fort Vermilion, and there is satisfactory evidence 

 that the Peace River country and much land even farther north will be 

 found capable of producing wheat of excellent quality. Our northern 

 limit for wheat growing is yet unknown. 



And as to the value of our agricultural products as compared with 

 the value of our other natural resources, let me say very briefly that 

 according to the latest official statistics the total value for 1910 of farm 

 products (field crops, live stock, fruits, poultry, dairy products, etc.) 

 in Canada, consumed and exported, may be estimated in round num- 

 bers at $1,150,000,000, while for the fisheries we have for 1910-11 

 $29,965,433, for one year's cut (1909) from our forests $166,000,000, 

 and for the mineral products (191 1) $102,291,686. 



If the foregoing has made good our contention as to the place of 

 agriculture in Canada's development and prosperity, it is not to be 

 wondered at that our governments, federal and provincial, should have 

 shown such activity and generosity in recent years in providing means 

 and establishing the necessary machinery for education in farming 

 matters, for the solution of such agricultural problems as require scientific 

 research and for giving assistance in such ways as may be practicable to 

 the individual farmer in his everyday work. In the Dominion Experi- 

 mental Farm system, the subject of my address to-night, we have the 



