CHAPTER II 



Wheat in Western Canada 



I. Some Crop Statistics 



The rapid progress made by western Canada in recent 

 years is reflected by the crop returns. In 1904 the wheat 

 crop in Manitoba and Saskatchewan was only 56,000,000 

 bushels, and the raising of cereals in Alberta was then in 

 its initial stages. In 1906, the wheat crop of Manitoba, 

 Saskatchewan, and Alberta had risen to 102,000,000 

 bushels. In 1913, this was about doubled and amounted 

 to 209,000,000 bushels. In 1915 the wheat crop in the 

 Prairie Provinces was produced under exceptionally fav- 

 orable weather conditions and was a most extraordinary 

 one. The Dominion Census Bureau estimated it to be 

 360,000,000 bushels. When it is borne in mind that in 

 1915 much less than one-half of the good wheat land of 

 the West had as yet been broken by the plow, the optimism 

 of western Canadians in the future of their half of the 

 Dominion seems to be well justified. 



Owing to the development of the West, Canada has now 

 attained a very important place among the commonwealth 

 of nations as a grain-producing country. Referring to 

 the great crop year of 1915, Mr. W. E. Milner, as retiring 

 President of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange, in September, 

 1916, made the following remarks: " This has been one 

 of the most phenomenal years in the history of the grain 

 business in the Dominion of Canada. Our farmers, hav- 



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