346 Wheat Production in Canada. [sept., 



an average yield of i8J bushels per acre, this would give 254 

 million bushels, of which 169 million bushels might be available 

 for export. 



In the second estimate, the area suitable for settlement is put 

 at 101 million acres and the possible area annually available for 

 wheat growing at 22,432,000 acres. Estimating the yield at 

 15/9 bushels per acre, this would produce 357 million bushels. 



Dr. Saunders takes a much more sanguine view of the wheat- 

 producing capacity of the semi-arid area, and puts the surface 

 available for wheat at 42f million acres, which at 19 bushels per 

 acre would give 812 million bushels. 



Should the quantity of wheat realised be no more than the 

 quantity available according to estimate No. 1, it does not 

 appear on that basis that the quantity of wheat available from 

 the Canadian wheat-fields would be sufficient to supply the 

 present requirements of the British market, which are about 

 220 million bushels. It may be urged, however, either that the 

 productive capacities of the wheat areas under consideration 

 have been under-estimated, or that more distant areas which 

 may also turn out to be wheat producing have been omitted. 

 It may also be urged with more force that an advance in the 

 price of wheat might bring into cultivation some land which has 

 been left out of account in the estimate. 



The authors of the several estimates are well qualified to 

 judge, and all that can be said is that the two first err, perhaps, 

 on the side of too great caution, while the third errs, perhaps, in 

 being over sanguine. 



An important factor is the question of population. In 1891 

 the total population of the North- West was 219,000 persons 

 and in 1901 it was 414,000 persons. Of this total the rural 

 population was 305,000, of which 184,000 were in Manitoba and 

 121,000 in the Territories, and it is to be noted that the yield 

 from their labour in 1901 was 63 million bushels. Professor 

 Mavor thinks, therefore, that under the most favourable circum- 

 stances which it is justifiable to consider, the population of the 

 North- West would require to increase to about five times its 

 present amount before it would be safe to infer that the North- 

 West could be relied upon to provide a quantity of wheat nearly 

 sufficient for the requirements of Great Britain, assuming the 



