FARM CROPS OF CANADA IN 1901 23 



By Mr.. Wilson : 



Q. How many cattle were on it ? 



A. None at the time of purchase. He brought in about 1,500 stockers, bought 

 chiefly in Manitoba and the remainder from Montana. 



By Mr Oliver : 



Q. Is that irrigated htnd ? 



A. No, it is near the irrigation area but is outside of the reach of water from the 

 new canal. 



Mr. Knight has lately bought another large tract of land on which to found a new 

 town and settlement, adjacent to the irrigation canal, to be named after his other 

 son, Raymond, where Mr. Knight is about to establish a large beet sugar factory. 

 A party of surveyors were working on the open prairie, laying out this town site at 

 the time of my visit, contracts had been made for the ploughing of 3,000 acres of 

 land to be completed before the end of the season, and a number of four-horse teams 

 were then busily engaged in this work. Some of the pioneer settlers of this new town 

 had already arrived, and in the meantime were living in tents. The 3,000 acres then 

 being ploughed will be cropped with grain during 1902, and ne.xt year, 1903, it is ex- 

 pected to be in good condition for the growing of sugar beets. Each farmer coming 

 into the settlement will have 80 acres of land, and will contract in his deed of pur- 

 chase to grow not less than ten acres of sugar beets each year, and in this way an 

 abundant supply of beets will be assured. Mr; Knight is an ardent prohibitionist, and 

 is having a clause put in each of his deeds of sale providing that in case of the estab- 

 lishment at any time of any saloon or drinking place upon any part of his property, 

 such property shall be forfeited and revert to the original owner. It is expected that 

 the beet sugar factory will be completed during 1902 and be ready to utilize the crop 

 of 1903. 



It was very gratifying to see the many evidences of industry and energy displayed 

 among these people. In all the settlements the inhabitants have large quantities of 

 cattle and horses. Considerable quantities of butter are made, there is also a cheese 

 factory at Cardston and the surplus dairy products are sent to the mining town of 

 Lethbridge and elsewhere. Poultry are very generally kept and a quantity of eggs 

 are sold to the neighbouring towns. 



The cheese factory has been in operation for several years. A large mill has been 

 erected near Cardston, run by water-power from a mountain stream a short distance 

 from the town where grain of all sorts is ground, and the people are thus supplied with 

 bread from wheat of their own growing. Leaving Cardston and crossing the Blood 

 reserve a drive of fifty miles along the plains at the base of the foot-hills of the Rocky 

 mountains brought me to the town of Pincher, which is situated on the line of rail- 

 way through the Crow's Nest Pass. Many settlers are coming into many parts of the 

 district I travelled over, and notwithstanding that it has an elevation of from 3,000 

 to 3,500 feet above sea level, the climate is such that fall v/heat is grown in many 

 localities quite successfully. On the farms both at Cardston and Pincher many farm- 

 ers have reaped from 30 to 40 bushels per acre. The variety grown at Cardston ia 

 a bearded wheat, which they know as Odessa. I have not been able to trace up where 

 it comes from. About Pincher a beardless sort is most cornmonly grown, the name 

 of which I could not ascertain. In all these settlements the people are in the midst 

 of a good ranching country, and most of the residents own more or less stock. This 

 completes what I have to say about that section, but I should be glad to answer any 

 questions which may be asked. 



By Mr. Wilson : 

 Q. Where did this Mr. Knight come from ? 

 A. He is one of the prominent Mormons in Utah. He is said to have had a dream 



