the territories of Assiniboia and Saskatchewan, there were at 

 one time 14 creameries in active operation, but the reign of 

 King Wheat has proved inimical to the growth of the dairy- 

 industry, and it has not been developed extensively in what 

 is now the province of Saskatchewan. 



Proceeding westward into Alberta, we find more favourable 

 conditions, especially in that section of the province lying 

 between Calgary and Edmonton, where the progress of the 

 dairy industry has kept pace with the settlement of the 

 country. Beginning in 1896, the increase has been steady and 

 substantial, with the result that to-day there are 45 creameries 

 and 8 cheese factories in the sunny province of Alberta. There 

 is every indication that Northern Alberta will become one of 

 the best dairy sections of Canada. 



These two western provinces have been the scene of a 

 imique and rather abrupt departure from the line which has 

 generally been followed by governments in assisting agricul- 

 tural effort. A few creameries had been started in the early 

 nineties as private or co-operative ventures, but at the end of 

 two or three years, they were, for various reasons, and with- 

 out exception, acknowledged to be failures. The new set- 

 tlers, who were depending almost wholly on dairying as a 

 means of livelihood, were in a serious position, because, while 

 it was possible for them to make butter on their farms, their 

 facilities were very poor, and there was no way by which the 

 individual farmer could find a profitable market for his butter 

 at that time. 



The Dominion Government came to the rescue, and the 

 Dairy Commissioner was authorized by the Honourable the 

 Minister of Agriculture to take over the management of the 

 existing creameries, to advance sufficient money to pay off 

 their pressing debts, and to make loans for the equipment of 

 new creameries that would come under the same management. 



