FARM CROPS OF CA^'ADA /X 1001 29 



House of Common?^ 

 Committee Room 2-i, 

 Ottawa, AVednesday, March 12, 1902. 



The Select Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization met here this 

 day at ten o'clock a.m., Mr. Legris, Chairman, presiding. 



Dr. Saunders was present hy request of the committee, and submitted the follow- 

 ing evidence : — - 



Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, — When I had the pleasure of appearing before 

 you yesterday I brought under your notice some facts with regard to the crops in the 

 great North-west, embracing the provinces of Manitoba and the Territories. My 

 remarks ended with my arrival at the town of Pincher. Some one or two members 

 made inquiries from me in relation to the winter wheat which is being grown at 

 Pincher and all over that foot-hill country around Cardston, and I promised to bring 

 a sample of the wheat this morning. These are the samples of the winter wheat 

 grown in Pincher. 



(Sample produced for inspection of committee.) 



That is the beardless form of wheat. There is also a bearded form which I re- 

 »f erred to yesterday under the name of Odessa, but of which I did not bring samples 

 with me. 



THE crow's KEST PASS DISTRICT. 



Leaving Pincher I crossed the mountains through the Crow's Xest Pass, and spent 

 a day at Fernie in the great coal districts of the Crow's Xest country where some large 

 companies are operating. At the time of my visit tlie output there was about 1,200 

 tons a day. and a great many men were employed in this work. It is quite a large sized 

 town which has been built up there. A large proportion of this coal is used for 

 making coke which is very valuable to the miners in the interior of British Columbia. 

 There were 300 coke ovens in operation at Fernie at that time, and it was very inter- 

 esting to go about among these and have exfilained the particulars in regard to the 

 conversion of coal into t;oke. One hundred more coke ovens were being built at 

 Fernie at that time. At St. Michael also twenty-five miles cast of Fernie 200 coke 

 ovens were in course of coastruction and some fine seams of coal are being opened 

 there. All the coke from these ovens is used for the smelting of ores in the mining 

 districts. ' Such coke as was used formerly had to be brought long distances, some of 

 it all the way from Wales and other countries. By the working of these coal mines, 

 and the production of coke in the Crow's Xest Pass district, the cost of coke has been 

 greatly reduced and mining operations have received an encouraging stimulus. I 

 went into one of the mines and spent a morning there, and I could not but be struck 

 with the enormous quantities of coal in sight. This seam which has being worked 

 by the coal company was from to feet thick, most of it running 7 or 8 feet, and 

 while an immense quantity of coal has been taken out they are really only making 

 channels through their 6 foot seam, and leaving, I presume, nearly three-fourths of 

 the coal standing untouched, as sujiport for the roof. This does away with the neces- 

 sity of propping the roof of the mine, and they are working it in this way right 

 thTou<'h to the other side of the mountain, and when that point is reached the remain- 

 der of the coal will be taken out. sufficient propping being used as they come back to 

 prevent accidents. The supply in that one mine will probably last for several years. 



