Canadian Agriculture. 
307 
it should not be forgotten that the fertility of a soil, which niaj' be very 
greatly reduced by slovenly farming, may be undoubtedly conserved by 
prudent methods. The wise farmer is he who takes up only a certain amount 
of land, and farms it well, rather than he who imdertakes the management of 
an area altogether bej'ond his capital and his proper supervision. Slovenly 
farming must tend sooner or later to deteriorate the value of the holdings. 
The prudent settler will no doubt think of the time when he will wish to 
hand over his property to his sons, or possibly to realise upon it, and thus it 
is that good and careful farming will be bound to tell. Even in the course of 
a few years a slovenly farmer with a large holding will find himself in a worse 
position than a careful farmer with a considerably smaller holding. Hence, 
the most prudent course to pursue is for the settler to commence with a 
small area and farm it well, and to gradually extend his holding as he finds 
he has more means at his disposal." 
The great majority of prairie farmers have necessarily gone 
to the greatest outlay which their capital will warrant; and 
though the prairie is not without its wealthy farmers, a larger 
influx of men with fair means would be of great service, for they 
could show a superior style of farming, and by their example 
stimulate their brother farmers to achieve better results on their 
own holdings. As to the direction which prairie farming is 
likely to take : — 
There can be no doubt that the natural herbage of the prairie (and it 
must be remembered that on the typical prairie no plants attain higher stature 
than we ordinarily associate with the idea of herbage) affords at present un- 
limited cajmcity for the production of beef and mutton. Hitherto prairie 
farming seems to have been directed rather to the production of grain. The 
results that have been attained, it is trui, undoubtedly justify the general im- 
pression as to the first-class wheat-producing power of the prairie. But, from 
what I saw, I am led to infer that very much of the prairie land is capable of 
yielding better results than those which may be derived by the growth of 
cereals alone. It would be a most desirable thing, every one will admit, 
for the prairie farmer to be able to render himself to a great extent inde- 
pendent of fluctuations in the price of wheat, and I believe that, if his opera- 
tions were directed in the proper groove, he should be able to supply himself 
and his family with all the necessaries of life except groceries. Mixed farm- 
ing, and mixed farming alone, can effect this end. The question which 
jiresented itself to my mind, therefore, was whether the prairie soil and its 
surroundings were adapted to mixed farming, and I have not the least hesita- 
tion in answering in the afiSrmative. To make the prairie a mere wheat- 
liroducing area appears to me a mistake. I hold that every prairie farmer, 
though dependent perhaps in the main on the growth of cereals, should 
by no means neglect the maintenance of live stock."* 
The splendid soil of the Red River Valley only occupies the 
eastern border of the prairie, and though soil of a similar rich 
character extends along the valleys of the Saskatchewan and 
the Peace Rivers, the time will come when manuring will be 
necessary over much of the area of the prairie. 'I^he main- 
* lUd, p. 3G3. 
