s ""hints to homeseekers A BOOK OF AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNIT W, J, GEIB Glass _S_4-4J_ Book lO^ Copyright l\" . COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. HINTS TO HOMESEEKERS A HANDBOOK OF AGRICULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES PREPAKED BY W. J. GEIB, B.S. Scientist in Bureau Soils, U. S. Dept Agr. MADISON, WIS. STATE JOURNAL PRINTING COMPANY, 1913. A^ 4\* Copyright, 1913 BY W. J. GEIB ©CI.A350158 INTRODUCTION. During the past two decades there has been a more rapid movement from the older established communities into the newly developing sections of the United States and Canada than during any previous period of equal length. For various reasons many farmers have left their old home surroundings and have established new homes in sections where land values are lower, but where opportunities for higher development are promising. Thousands of people in the cities and towns have become land hungry and the ''back to the land" movement has assumed considerable proportions. People in the various pro- fessions and in practically all walks of life are today giving more thought and consideration to the question of securing their living, in part at least, directly from the soil, than ever before in the history of our country. It is our object to analyze very briefly a few of the conditions surrounding this movement and to inquire into some of the rea- sons why the feeling of imrest and the germ of discontent has taken hold of so many people. It is also our aim to give such information, concerning the agricultural and soil conditions in the United States and West- ern Canada, as will assist those desiring a change, in selecting locations in which to establish permanent farm hv,mes, and to point out other reliable sources of information which should be drawn upon freely. The country is flooded every year with highly colored literature advertising farm lands, colonization propositions and all sorts of real estate schemes in all parts of the country. Much of the information given out in this way is misleading to say the least, and a large number of people are influenced to buy a farm in some "land of promise," whereas iv • Inh-odnciion. if they were thoroughly familiar with the actual conditions their decision might be quite different. If onl}' reliable infor- mation concerning farm lands could be circulated, thousands upon thousands of dollars would be saved annually by those who are often sadly in need of the money, but who are sincere in their desire for a farm home. There is an increasing demand at the present time for such information as will assist a prospective purchaser in selecting land in any part of the country to which he might wish to go. Most of the literature now in circulation on the subject deals chiefly with some particular region or state and very frequently a broader general knowledge is desired before specific localities are selected for more detail study. The volume here presented is designed to assist in answering this call and to aid in guid- ing land and homeseekers by pointing out some of the agri- cultural opportunities offered in various localities. It is recognized that the effort put forth here is crude and that defects are numerous, yet it is believed that the work is of sufficient value to justify its publication. It is the plan to revise this edition as soon as sufficient data can be collected, and enlarge its scope to include more detailed information con- cerning all portions of the United States and Western Canada. The author takes this opportunity of acknowledging the val- uable assistance rendered by the United States Department of Agriculture in permitting the use of data collected and pub- lished by various Bureaus. The work done by the Bureau of Soils, the Bureau of Plant Industry and the Weather Bureau has been freely drawn upon, as has also the work of the U. S. Geological Survey, State Geological Surveys and various Agri- cultural Experiment Stations of the country. The material thus collected has been used largely as a basis for the work and this has been supplemented by data collected by the author after ten years devoted to the study of soils and agricultural conditions in various parts of the United States. TABLE OF CHAPTERS CHAPTER I. SOME REASONS FOR DESIRING A CHANGE OF LOCATION. High value of farm land in old established communities. — Dif- ficulties confronting the man of limited means. — The ne- cessity for some members of large families to leave the home community. — Reduced productivity of land in some old sections. — Settlements of foreigners. — Congested con- dition in large cities, uncertainty of steady employment, unsanitary conditions. — Low wages, high cost of living, the desire to own a home. — Attractions of country life. — Conditions of health. — The desire to speculate 1-8 CHAPTER II. HOW DECISIONS ARE OFTEN MADE. Results of personal investigation and inspection. — Reports of friends or representatives. — Homeseekers' excursions.— Ad- vertising literature of real estate promoters and coloniza- tion projects. — Claims often highly colored and mislead- ing. — A rule to follow in buying land 9-14 CHAPTER III. HOW TO SELECT A FARM. Engage assistance of some practical, reliable man familiar with conditions. — Determine type of agriculture to be fol- lowed. — Visit several regions if possible before making selection. — Carefully inspect the farms to be bought.— Take borings in soil with auger. — Get crop history if land is cultivated. — Visit farm at least once without aid of real estate agent. — Study social conditions, schools, markets, etc. — Contract for purchase of land, option, abstract, deed, etc 15-20 vi Table of Chapters. CHAPTER IV. HOW UNCLE SAM CAN HELP, Much unreliable information published by advertisers. — Need of reliable data. — Sources of reliable information. — U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, U. S. Geological Survey, Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations. — Land Departments of Railways. — Chambers of Commerce. — Work of the Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture and its value to home- seekers. — Soil surveys and soil maps 21-31 CHAPTER V. HOW A CITY FAMILY SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED A FARM. Description of farm. — Capital and other resources. — Arrange- ment of fields. — Cropping system. — Water supply. — Build- ings. — Labor. — System of employment. — Relation between owner and laborer. — Economical use of labor. — Family dis- cipline and occupation. — Housework problem. — The farm garden. — The orchard. — Woodland and permanent pasture. — Stock. — Tillage. — Fertilizers. — Financial record of the farm. — Corn and wheat. — What the farm has been made to accomplish for the family. — Social and agricultural problems satisfactorily solved. — A serious problem. — Farm implements and their cost 32-59 Figure 1. Plan of farm, showing arrangement of fields, build- ings, etc 35 P^'igure 2. Plat of farm garden, showing crops grown in 1909 42 CHAPTER VI. SOIIj AND AGRICULTURAL PROVINCES OF THE UNITED STATES. (See list of maps.) Includes maps of all states by counties (pages 61-229) sho'Ci'ing chief soil or agricultural provinces. — Character of soil and type of agriculture in each province given accompany each map. — Present condition of agriculture, opportunities offered, description of most important regions, crops grown, etc., for each state 61-229 Table of Chapters. vii CHAPTER VII. WESTERN CANADA. Describes the four agricultural provinces of Western Canada as regards climate, soil, extent of development, railway facilities, rivers, crops, education, available homesteads, cities and towns, and opportunities for cheap land, in rap- idly developing country 230-272 Alberta 254-267 British Columbia 267-272 Manitoba 236-244 Saskatchewan 244-254 Reliable sources of information 273, 274 LIST OF MAPS List of Maps. Page Alabama 110 Arkansas 156 Arizona 212 California 222 Connecticut 62 Colorado 192 Delaware 84 Florida 100 Georgia 96 Illinois 136 Indiana 130 Idaho 202 Iowa 148 Kansas 168 Kentucky 104 Louisiana 156 Maine 62 Massachusetts 62 Maryland 84 Mississippi 110 Michigan 118 Minnesota 142 Missouri 148 IMontana 184 New England 62 New^ Hampshire 62 List of Maps. Page New Jersey 76 New York ...". 76 New Mexico 198 Nevada 210 Nebraska 168 North Carolina 90 North Dakota 162 Ohio 130 Oregon 216 Oklahoma 174 Pennsylvania 76 Rhode Island 62 South Carolina 90 South Dakota 162 Tennessee 104 Texas 178 Utah 206 Vermont 62 Virginia 84 Washington 216 Wisconsin 124 Wyoming 188 West Virginia 84 Length of growing season . . . 22S Rainfall 229 HINTS TO HOMESEEKERS. CHAPTER I. SOME REASONS FOR DESIRING A CHANGE OF LOCATION. In every movement which has for its object the changing of the policies of a nation, state or community there are always a combination of conditions or circumstances which finally result in bringing about a transformation, but it is seldom that any one of these conditions would be sufficient in itself to influence public sentiment to any considerable degree. It is just so with individuals, and when a person makes a decision which is of sufficient magnitude to change the whole course of his life it is reasonable to assume that a number of causes have contributed to bring about this change of mind. During the past two decades there has been a more rapid movement from the old established portions of the country into the new, than during any other pre- vious period of equal length. This is a subject of vast impor- tance to the nations concerned and a question of great conse- quence to the individuals who go to make up this army of home- seekers. As this movement is still going on and increasing in extent from year to year, and as thousands of people throughout this and other lands are now considering whether or not it is best for them to make a change, we wish to briefly analyze the subject and point out some of the causes which tend to influence people to desire a change of location. Among the many conditions which have a tendency to create a feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction within certain classes in many of our old and highly developed portions of the country, the high and increasing value of farm lands may be considered as an important factor. The man who secured his land from the Government or purchased it for a song and has grown rich on 1 2 Hints to Ilomeseekers the returns from his farm and independent from the greatly in- creased valuation of his property does not share in this feeling of unrest. The man who has worked for wages, however, and lias managed by habits of thrift and economy to lay by a small amount, hesitates to pay $100 per acre for land which could have been bought for $10 per acre twenty years previously. He naturally feels that if he can find a section of country where good land can be secured cheaply ; where he can get good returns for the labor on his own land and at the same time have his hold- ings increase in value, it will be to his interest to establish him- self in such a locality. It is while in this frame of mind that one is easily infhienced to change his location and especially so when the opportunities in some new section of country are shown to be very promising. Where land values range from $100 per acre up and it is necessary for a purehascn- to go in debt for most of his farm it usually means very liard work, slaving and grubbing for a long period of years before tlie iDortgage can be lifted and the family feel that they are free and have a home which is really their own. It often happens that when this time comes the people are too old to fully enjoy the comforts i'or which tliey have worked so faithfully. This is especially true with all lines of general farni- ing where the system followed is extensive rather than intensive and where the methods followed and crops grown are not those best adapted to the soil and prevailing conditions. The man of limited means facing the problem of selecting a farm in a loca- tion best suited to his needs often prefers to go into a new section where the land is cheap, even if there are a number of unpleas- ant features to contend with. The pioneer life appeals to some and the increased value of property which is sure to keep pace with development is always a very strong drawing card. In many families throughout the country districts there are often more children than can settle on the old farm and when they grow up and are about to start in for themselves it is neces- sary to decide as to the location of their future home and the Reasons for Desiring Change of Location 3 nature of the work that v/ill be performed. Unfortunately many go to the large cities, some remain in their home community, purchase high priced land so as to be near parents and friends and are willing to assume a heavy debt in order that the advan- tages of the old home community may be secured. A number take up land in newly opened sections where values are low but the outlook promising. As development is now going on no one region remains very long in what would be called a pioneer stage. It often happens that land values double and sometimes treble in the course of four or five years because of the rapid in- crease in population and the attractive opportunities which are presented. Reference may here be made to the states of Iowa and Illinois where land for general farming purposes ha,s reached a higher value than in any other section of the United States covering so large an area. Fifty years ago almost any amount of this black prairie land could have been bought for $10 per acre. At the present time much of it is held at from $125 to $250 per acre and banks will loan nearly the full amount of the valuation on first mortgage security. Those who secured this land twenty-five or more years ago have grown wealthy on the increased value of their property. Many of these well-to-do farmers have retired from actual farm work and have moved to town to spend the re- mainder of their days in peace and quiet. Some of them even put their surplus money in more of this expensive land and rent their entire holdings. This has been going on to so great an extent that the average size of farms in these two states is actu- ally increasing and the population of the rural districts is de- creasing. When one farm is absorbed in this way it means that one family must find some other locality and it very frequently happens that they immediately seek for a home in some newly developing region where the soil is rich, the land cheap and the possibilities for rapid growth promising. Portions of the state of New York afford an illustration of a somewhat different sort. Many of the older farms throughout 4 Hints to Homeseekers the state were abandoned a number of years ago because the yields which were secured were no longer profitable. This re- duced yield was due to the fact that the methods of farming fol- lowed were not such as tended to keep up the productivity of the soil. The same crops were grown upon the land year after year and but little was returned to the soil to supply the plant food taken off by the crops. "When the cheap land of the west came to the attention of the discouraged New York farmer it appealed strongly to him and he left his old home for a section where virgin soil could be secured for a few dollars per acre. The old farm may have been sold for what it would bring if a buyer could be found, but for a long time such farms were a drug on the market. Some of the land owners from the Empire State went into other lines of business which permitted them to remain at home, allowing their farms to remain idle. Thus it is that even at this time there are many abandoned farms in New York. The great opportunities offered in the reclaiming of these aban- doned farms by new and improved methods of culture will be discussed in another chapter and the question will arise whether the opportunities offered in some of the older states are not equal to those in the undeveloped regions. A large number of foreigners who come to our country each year settle on farms and most of them begin in the new sections because land is cheap and because they can form communities of their own better than in the older and well improved regions. The congested condition in many of the large cities, the un- certainty of steady employment, the unhealthful conditions ex- isting in some of the communities and the high cost of living are some of the things which turn the attention of many of the city people to the country and assist in adding recruits to the "Back to the Farm" movement. In the crowded tenement houses, the stuffy rooming places, the fine apartment, the comfortable cottage or the fashionable hotel, the germ of discontent may find congenial surroundings. The mechanic, laborer and shop girl confined closely to their work Reasons for Desiring Change of Location 5 under conditions which are sometimes far from sanitary, fre- quently become broken in health and no longer able to be at their post. Much of the wage is usually required for the neces- sities of life and when the income is cut off a very unfortunate condition prevails. "When such a stage is reached or it is realized that this may be the lot of a large number sooner or later, the question of going into the country is often considered. Many prefer to live in the city even though it is difficult to save any- thing because the glare, the hustle and bustle and the social ad- vantages appeal to them, but there are also a large number who would gladly leave the city and settle on a farm if they knew anything about farming. Some are anxious and willing to make the change and learn as they go. The clerk in a store at from $40 to $60 per month who has to keep up a good appearance and wishes to take advantage of some of the opportunities offered by the city, has a difficult task to save anything out of his salary. All clerks cannot become heads of departments and the wages of the majority are not rapidly increased. The future in this line does not offer much and many clerks cast longing eyes toward the country and wish for a home amid the green fields. The country often appeals to many city people who are in comfortable circumstances, but who prefer the freedom and ex- panse of the rural districts. Some of these frequently take up the actual management of a farm, while others may spend only a portion of their time in a country home for a period of rest. Varying degrees of success are attained by city people who un- dertake to operate a farm, but if careful study is given the sub- ject, as would be done if any other business were being under- taken, the possibility of failure will be reduced to the minimum. The high cost of living, especially in the cities, is one condi- tion which creates a feeling of unrest among a large number of people. It is almost impossible for the head of an average fam- ily to earn enough alone so that when all of the expenses are paid there will be a little left to put aside for a rainy day. Dur- 6 Hints to Homeseekers ing the past fifteen years a number of articles in common use and some necessities have inerea,sed in price over 100 percent, but wages have not advanced in proportion. For this reason the condition of the working man, in so far as he is able to save, has grown worse instead of better. If this average family were on a farm, which could be bought for a small amount in some newly developing section, they could at least make a living, which is all they can possibly do in the city. Then they would have the benefit of the open air with plenty of health giving sunshine, and if they were at all industrious they could in all probability make sufficient to enable them to live in comfort. While the high cost of clothing and the like would apply to the country as well as to the city it would not be necessary to have such costly garments. Practically all of food or its equivalent could be raised on the farm and thus the large grocery bill done away with to a great extent. Changes in location are often made necessary by reason of the poor condition of a person 's health. The individual who realizes that he has contracted tuberculosis, or that he is apt to do so, will make every effort within his power to put his body in the best possible condition to resist the dread disease. It may be necessaiy for him to move into some region where the climatic conditions are different from his home. It may also be neces- sary for him to change the character of the labor which has been perfonned as a means of making a living. There are a large number of diseases which are most readily controlled or cured under certain climatic conditions and so if these conditions do not prevail where one resides a change of location becomes neces- sary. The air in the vicinity of large manufacturing centers is so contaminated with injurious gases that such places are not at all favorable for the treatment of diseases. Many of the laboring cla.ss, however, are obliged to remain where they are taken sick because of their lack of money, even though they strongly desire to get out into the clear, pure air. Probably the varj'ing eondi- Reasons for Desiring Change of Location 7 tion of health accounts for the desire for a change of location as frequently as any other one cause. The desire to speculate is strong in many people and it often leads them to leave the old established communities and go into remote sections where there is a possibility of development. The cut-over timber lands of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota give an illustration worthy of note. When the timber was first removed much of the land was considered worthless. Large tracts of it were allowed to revert to the states for taxes and thousands of acres were later acquired for a few cents an acre by speculators who thought the land had some possibilities. Later on as population increased and land came into greater de- mand it was found that much of this cut-over pine land was capable of producing profitable crops. A large number of in- stances could be cited where land which was secured for paying the taxes was sold within ten or fifteen years for from $15 to $30 per acre. The cut-over pine land in these states is still slowly in- creasing in value and there are thousands of acres which at this time are spoken of as worthless and which can be bought for from $2 to $5 per acre. Future knowledge along agricultural lines may make possible the successful development of the poorest of this land. People are flocking to the Northwest and a large number of them are attracted to that region because they expect to make money speculating in land. Desirable tracts have frequently been known to double in value within one or two years and wherever there is a possibility of making money as rapidly as this there are plenty of people who are willing to move into the promising section and invest. The increase in population in this country has been very rapid and as settlement has advanced from the older communities into the new, land values have increased with development. Those who have pur- chased just in advance of settlement and have held possession until the section was fairly well developed have made plenty of money. The marked success of the few attracts the attention of many and few of those whose attention is drawn to the new S Hints to Tlomeseelxers country' inquire closely into the possibility of failure, hence we see thousands of people seeking for homes and places to invest M^hich give the greatest promise for rapid development. It frequently occurs that changes are made when it would have been better for those interested to have remained at home. Some of the means used to induce people to make a change will be taken up later on in this volume. CHAPTER II. HOW DECISIONS TO CHANGE LOCATION ARE OFTEN MADE. A number of reasons for desiring a change of location were enumerated in the preceding chapter but these reasons in them- selves are not always sufficient to bring about a definite deci- sion in the minds of those most deeply interested. There may be a great many reasons for desiring to leave a certain locality but it may be extremely difficult to take the final step because there are so many new sections of country which invite the prospective settler and it is difficult to decide which is best adapted to the peculiar needs of the individual, or which offers the most attractive propositions. Almost every state has certain advantages along some particular lines which are not so fully enjoyed by a neighbor state, and nearly all sections of the coun- try and especially the newly developing regions, are putting forth every effort possible to impress their most desirable feat- ures upon the minds of all who contemplate making a change sooner or later. These efforts are often so strongly presented that of themselves they may create a desire for people to leave their home community and try for a fortune in the new locality. Transportation facilities are afforded practically all portions of the country and in any community there are usually some who have traveled to a greater or less extent. From these in- dividuals as centers information concerning the regions visited soon spreads throughout the neighborhood. This knowledge re- ceived second hand, as it is, may create a deep interest in cer- tain sections and some may be influenced to make a change upon the recommendations of a friend. The reports of many who \dsit California are so very enthusiastic that the majority of people who go there are induced to do so by personal friends. Some are always disappointed because they expect too much 10 Hints til ]l()))i(srrlccrs ;m(l .-ilso hfciuisc tlioy do tiot see things in the same light or iiiulcr llic saiii'^ conditions ns Ihoir informer saw thom. LiirLje nnmb(M"S of people annually decide to clianfj^e their loca- tion tlirouirh tli(> i-esnlts of personal investigations which they iiave made, and it may be said that this is always the most satis- factory for all concerned. llomt\s(>(>kers' (wenrsions are now a I'eatiir'' whicii all railway lint's of any extent attcMnpt to cncour- air»\ 'riu> clu'ap i-ates offered permit people of limited means to visit newly devt>lopin,!j: reijions and this makes possible a per- sonal investigation of the opportunities. The magnitude of this linsin(>ss can hardly be realiztnl unless one has taken part in an excursion of this kind or has Ixhmi brought in contact with them in some way. The writer sjxMit a winti'r in Texas a few years ago and was stationed in a small town on one of tJie main lines of traflic. Hardly a day went b\ during which at least one train load of luimeseekers did not pass and on several days as high as sc\-eM trains o\' ffom eii;lit to twelv(> eoat'lu\s each, all loaded with liomeseekers, passeti through the town. These excui'sions are so arrangetl that one may stop otV at any point desired or at a number of places and remain foi- a consiiltM'able length of time. Tlu\v are in charge o\' we'l informed representatives of the rail- road companies who supply information concerning the country traversed. \Vhere it is imjxvssible for p(>ople to make personal investiga- tions of tlu> opportnniti(>s olfiM-inl in any region it is sometimes f«MUul athantageous for those interested to contribute toward tln> (>xpens(>s of one of their luimber who may be selected to take tlii^ trip. This repri>S(>ntative may visit a n\nnber of places and tile report which is made upon his rtMiu-n will be the determin- ing t'actor in deciding to which stH'lion they shall all ,go. It may bt> that after siuli an investigation is made some will conclude that tlu\v will W betttM- olV to riMuain at home. If such is the case it usually follows that th(> feeling of unrest with wiiich they were possessed is no longiM- manifest anil they are then TIoiv Decisions to Change are Made 11 content to remain in the old community and assist in bringing it to a higher stage of development. Anollicr faetor which is vovy influential in calling the atten- tion of people to newly devt'loping sections and which, without doubt, stimulates the desire for a change of location to a greater extent than any other one thing, is the great campaign of adver- tising inaugurated by real estate firms and the promoters of large colonization ])ropositi()ns. The country is Hooded every year with advei-tisements in magazines, newspapers, posters and in pamphlet form which bring to the attention of the public the wonderful opportunities which await settlers in the "land of promise." It is safe to say that the information circulated in this way is among the most optimistic literature in existence at the present time. It is the object of all this advertising to place the advantages of the section in question before the pro,speetive investor in the most favorable light possible. It is intended to make an impression so strong that it will finally lead those in- terested to make a personal investigation and invest or to invest without making any investigation as to the merits of the claims made. Advertising has developed wonderfully during the past decade and it may be considered a fine art. The methods em- ployed have been adopted only after careful study of the most minute details; even the style of type is given careful considera- tion so that the attention may be attracted and held by the ad- vertisement. There are at the jiresent time a nundx'r of schools throughout the country wliicli make; a specialty of teaching advertising, and there are many business firms which pay spe- cialists at the iiead of their advertising departments salaries as high as $20,000 per year. It will thus be seen that advertis- ing is considcn'ed a very important factor in any business enter- prise. One object is to inform the i)ul)lix! where and how de- mands for various things can best be supplied. Another object is to create a demand for the things which an individual or com- pany may wish to place upon \he market. It is thoroughly recognized that advertising is a very neces- 12 Tfinis fo Homeseckcrs sary and iin])ortant branch of trade and it is not the intention to discredit in tlio least this hip^hly developed industry. It is the iiitc^ntion, however, to place before the jjublic the fact that Ihc melhods employed by some real estate promoters are often tlie cause of misleading a j]jreat many people by inducini^ them to put all of their saving into property which they have given a greatly inflated value and which cannot be successfully devel- oped by the average person along tlie lines indicated in the claims made. Florida lands have probably been advertised more extensively throughout the northeastern and north central states than lands of any other region. The possibilities of this state have been so vividly painted that thousands of people have bought small tracts without ever going to examine the land. When they have moved their belongings to the "land of prom- ise" expecting to make their home and a fortune on ten acres, un- der the bright sunny skies, they have found their land to consist of nothing but sand which it will cost more to improve and make productive than the original cost of the land and which can be handled successfully only by expensive methods. Very few are sufficiently acquainted with the methods of soil man- agement to be capable of bringing such land to a high stage of productivity. There are many excellent opportunities in Flor- ida as there are in all of the southern states, but there is a great deal of very ]ioor land mixed with the good. It is the object of most of the real estate dealers to sell as many acres as possi- ble. Sometimes the dealer knows the land is poor and some- times his knowledge of soil conditions is as limited as that of his prospective customers. As will be found out from the dis- cussion of Florida later in this volume there is a great amount of deep sand in that state which is very poor land. . Much of the best land is sandy on the surface and the subsoil is the determining factor. It is very easy to be mislead and therefore the greatest care should be exercised in selecting a farm in that region. INIanj^ who take up land there know nothing about fann- ing and what efforts they make are poorly directed. As a result How Decisions to Change are Made 13 many become discouraged, give up the place and return home, providing they have sufficient money left, much poorer from a financial point of view but considerable richer in experience. Advertising matter which makes such unwarranted claims for any region should not be permitted to circulate. This class of advertising does a region more harm than good and it establishes a prejudice against all real estate dealers. In any newly developing field the real estate men are very conspicuous and as in other lines of business all classes are to be found. Many have an untarnished reputation and are al- ways fair and square in their dealings and conservative in their advertising. The older established firms are more often apt to be of this sort, though in a new section it necessarily follows that none of the lines of business can be very old. Old established firms, however, frequently install branch offices in new territory. Many young men start in the real estate business in new sections and among these are found many straightforward, honest hustlers who can be trusted implicitly. The broker who is transient, remaining in one locality only a short time, fleecing whom he may and then seeking for others in more remote regions, is to be avoided. There are exceptions, of course, in all classes and the only safe way is to be sure of the reputation of the man with whom a deal is to be made. A man of honor will not unite himself with a questionable business and therefore if any proposition is in the liands of a reputable person one may be reasonably sure of getting a square deal. There is one rule, however, which should always be followed in buying land or any form of real estate and that is — Never Iniy vnlil the property has first 'been carefully inspected. P. T. Barnum said the American people liked to be humbugged and also that there was a sucker born every minute. It seems that the unscrupulous real estate dealer is as willing as any one else to take the money from the blind man. It may be said that if people are willing to buy land without first seeing it they should not complain if they get the wor.st of the bargain. The 14 Hints to Homeseekers important rule, of conrso, is broken when this is done, yet it must be remembered that there are thousands of people who sincerely want a small farm and a home in the country. They have only limited means and often do not feel able to make a trip of investigation and then return and move the family. They often figure that it would be an unnecessary expense since they place confidence in the representation made to them by the real estate dealer's advertisements. Too great care cannot be exercised even when a personal in- vestigation is being made. The attention of the writer was recently called to a transfer of several thousands acres of land in one of the southern states. The agent took the prospective buyer over a tract in an automobile, pointed out the comer posts, good natural drainage, rich soil, etc., and the sale was promptly made on a cash basis. "When the surveyors came to plat out the tract for the new owner it was discovered that the land was adjoining that which had been examined and instead of being high and well drained it was a swamp and practically worthless. It was a transient broker who put through the deal without the owner of the property knowing that any misrepre- sentation was made, and when the fraud was discovered the broker had made his departure for regions unknown. Such in- stances as this are exceptional, yet they emphasize the necessity of exercising the greatest caution. CHAPTER III. HOW TO SELECT A FARM. "When it is fully decided that a change in location is to be made and that the new home will be established on a farm, the next important question to be solved is the selection of the farm. This is no small matter, especially if one's knowledge of soil and agricultural conditions are limited, as is often the ease with people who have always lived in the city. "Whenever it is pos- sible to do so, those of limited acquaintance with such matters should enlist the assistance of some experienced friend who will either accompany them on the trip or at least give practical suggestions. A number of books have been written on this sub- ject and many valuable points can be gained by reading such works. The assistance of a practical business farmer, however, will be found to be the most satisfactory and it would be ad- visable to pay considerable for the services of such a man for the time required in making the selection. Of course, there are many instances where the prospective buyer will have to rely upon his own judgment whether he is experienced or not. We therefore desire to call attention to some of the most important things which should be considered when a farm is to be selected. It may be necessary to visit several different localities before one is found in which the general conditions appear to be the most favorable for the establishing of the home. Whenever it is possible to do so it is advisable to cover a wide range of coun- try before settling on any particular region. In this way first hand information will be secured concerning a number of dif- ferent sections and when a selection is finally made, satisfaction and contentment will be more apt to follow. If only one section were visited and the results of the first year did not prove to be very encouraging one might feel that he could have done better in some other locality. The possibilities of discontentment !16 Hints to Homeseekers arising will therefore be reduced to the minimum if at least sev- eral of the most promising sections of country are examined before a selection is finally made. Before any particular tract of land is chosen as the site for the future home it should be definitely decided as to the type of agriculture that is to be followed, for this will have consid- erable to do with the character of the soil which should be se- lected. For example, if truck crops are to be grown it would not be advisable to select a farm on which the soils consisted of clay or clay loams. On the other hand, if dairying was to be carried on it would not be desirable to select light sandy soils. Certain crops thrive best on certain types of soil and, therefore, if one has decided what crops are to be grown he should select a farm having the soils which will produce these crops to the best possible advantage. By following the suggestions in the chapter on "How Uncle Sam Can Help" very valuable and helpful information concerning soils and their adaptation to crops can be readily secured. As nearly all tracts of land, farms and lots which are for sale are listed with real estate dealers, it is usually necessary to trans- act business through some such agency. It is customary for an agent to show prospective buyers over the farms which it is thought will answer the needs ot* the investor. It is the object of the real estate man, of course, to make a sale whenever pos- sible and all of the most desirable features of any tract will be clearly pointed out and emphasized. One should not permit this tendency on the part of the salesman to delay or sidetrack investigations along all lines. After a number of tracts have been examined and some of them seem to be quite desirable, the prospective buyer should make it a point to visit these places at another time when he is not accompanied by the agent. This will permit a more thorough investigation and during such an inspection one should go over every portion of the farm care- fully. The soil should be examined carefully with a three foot auger and notes made for comparison on the variation of the How to Select a Farm 1-7 soils of the different tracts. The drainage conditions should be carefully looked into and possible sites for buildings should be inspected. The condition of the fences and other improvements which have already been made should be examined and when- ever it is possible to secure it, a history of the farm and farm practices followed .should be obtained. If the land has been un- der cultivation for some time this will be of especial value, for if the soil has been abused by raising one crop on the same field year after year and if nothing has been returned to the land in the form of fertilizers, it is well to find this out, for it is a very important matter. Two adjoining farms may have the same kind of soil and yet produce different yields because one may be in a much better state of cultivation and fertility than the other. It may take several years of good farming to bring the one farm to a state of productivity equal to the other and there- fore, the two places have a different value. The possible water supply for household purposes and for stock should be investi- gated. It is often desirable to go over a place a third time so as Ix) be absolutely sure of all details. After the second inspection has been made and careful thought has been given the matter, other points may arise which will require attention. Never get in a hurry while selecting a farm. Don't let the uneasiness of the real estate man cause any worry. Take all the time that is necessary, for when the place is once purchased it may be the home for years to come. There are a number of things to consider outside of the farm itself and perhaps the most important of these is the social con- ditions of the conmiunity in which the farm is located. If it is in a section of country just opened to settlement and only thinly populated, there will not be much to investigate along this line except as one may inquire into what class of people are becom- ing interested in that particular region. A visit to some of the homes already established will be to advantage. One may thus gain some idea as to the social conditions which may develop as the population increases. It is much more difficult for the women 2 18 Hints to Homeseekers of the household to become accustomed to new conditions than for the men and consideration should always be given this fact. The proximity of churches and schools should be ascertained and inquiries made as to the thoroughness of the instruction given, especially if there are children of school age in the family. The distance from the farm to markets is a very important matter. If a city trade is to be supplied "\\'ith truck or dairy products it is important that the farm should be within easy hauling distance of the city. If the produce from the farm is to be shipped to distant markets it is then desirable that the loca- tion should be near a good shipping point. The shipping facili- ties and rates afforded by the railroads nearest should be investi- gated. The rates on getting produce to distant markets are often very high and sometimes eat up the profits in production. The matter of good roads also comes up at this time and it is an im- portant question, for the better the roads are the cheaper the produce can be marketed. Climatic conditions and the general healthfulness of the region should be taken into consideration. The amount of rainfall and its distribution throughout the year is an important point. If the rainfall is limited as it is in many portions of the west and southwest, irrigation will be necessary and where this is the case it frequently happens that there is sufficient alkali in the soil to be injurious to plant growth. Very reliable data as to the climate, rainfall, and conditions of the soil in various parts of the United States can be readily secured from the various de- partments of the Government, as pointed out elsewhere in this volume. When a farm has finally been found which proves to be satis- factory, negotiations may be entered into for its purchase.- It is usually customary to enter into a contract with the owner of the property or with the real estate agent, if he has been author- ized to act fully for the owner. The purchaser is required to deposit a nominal sum to show his good faith and the owner of the property furnishes an abstract of title to the farm. The How to Select a Farm 19 contract should stipulate that one condition of the sale is that the title shall be perfect. If it does not prove to be so the money deposited will be refunded and the purchaser released from the contract, or the title perfected. When the owner submits the abstract the prospective buyer should have it examined by an attorney and his signed opinion attached to it. If the title is perfect the deal may be closed. The abstract should be pre- served so that if it is desired to sell the property at any time the expense of having another prepared may be saved. It can be brought up to date by the addition of the last transfer of the property. In case a person should be fairl}^ well pleased with a tract of land but should not wish to close a deal for its purchase, it is often possible to secure an option for a small consideration. This may be for a period of a few days or it may be for a year. Under the terms of an option the prospective purchaser is usu- ally given the first opportunity to close the deal under condi- tions which may be agreed upon. During the period over which the option extends the prospective settler has an opportunity of examining the place more carefully, and he may also examine other places, which may prove to be better suited to his needs. After a deal is closed and the deed is to be delivered it is well to have the deed examined by an attorney so that there will be no possibility of error. After the deed has been delivered to the purchaser he should have it recorded by the register of deeds in the county where the land is located. It may be that the one desiring a change of location will not wish to buy land but will desire to take up a homestead directly from the Government. It may be said that at the present time there is no government land that is desirable for homesteading east of the Mississippi River. All of the western and southwest- ern states contain a large acreage which is still open to home- stead entry but, of course, each year the amount of this land which is desirable is being rapidly reduced. The public land in the state of Texas is under the control of the state authorities 20 Hints to Homeseekers and inquiries concerning that region should be directed to the Commissioner of Public Lands, Austin, Texas. The public lands in all other states and territories are under the jurisdiction of the United States Government and any desired information may- be secured by writing to the Public Land Office, Department of the Interior, "Washington, D. C. Information will be given as to the location of all public lands open to homestead entry and instructions will be given as to how entry should be made for such land. CHAPTER IV. HOW UNCLE SAM CAN HELP. When the question of selecting a farm is under consideration there are always a number of things which should be taken into account, because the change to be made will be of great conse- quence to those interested. It frequently happens that too little attention is given to securing good and reliable information concerning the different localities from which a selection is to be made. Reliance is often placed on the literature circulated so freely through the country by real estate dealers and pro- moters of large colonization propositions. The information con- tained in such literature is usually based on facts but these are frequently distorted, and the reports are biased because it is the object of the advertising matter to get people interested in the advertised section. Only the most desirable features are taken up and the yields of the various crops are the most optimistic, being based too often on the maximum returns for the most fav- orable years. If there are serious drawbacks they are not men- tioned at all or referred to a,s being of slight importance. Per- haps the statement may be made that the things which appear to be undesirable will in reality prove to be beneficial. The most extravagant statements are sometimes made and it frequently seems incredible that anyone would attempt to pawn off on the public such unreliable information. As a result of the publication of such a vast amount of un- reliable data many people, being satisfied with this class of in- formation, are induced to make a change, whereas if the true conditions had been kno^\Ti the proposition would not have ap- peared at all attractive. If only trustworthy reports were cir- culated concerning the various newly developing sections of country, much dissatisfaction would be prevented, large amounts 22 Flints io Homeseekers ol" luoiiey would be saved to those Avho are most sadly in ueed oi! it, and the coninnmitios aflt'eeted would be uuicli better off. In the lig'lit of sneli facts it is very important that those contemplat- ing making a change should make themselves familiar with all possible information available bearing upon the localities which they are considering, and not be guided by the alluring adver- tisements of the land speculators. There are a number of reliable sources of information which supply data along the various lines under question, and the one upon which it is always advisable to call is the United States Government. The branch which Avill be of the most service to those desiring data on soils, crops and general agricultural con- ditions, climate, etc., is the United States Department of Agri- culture at Washington, D. C. This Department is divided into Bureaus, each having particular lines of work and investigation to follow. The liurcau of Soils makes a careful study of the soils and agricultural conditions in various parts of the country and attempts to solve the many problems which arise from the tilling of the soil. The Bureau of Plant Industry confines its work largely to problems relating to the growth of plants where such I)roblems have an important relation to agricultural develop- ment. They follow out various lines of plant breeding and ex- perimentation in an effort to improve plants or adapt them to certain conditions. Their field embraces a broad scope of work which is very helpful to the agricultural interests of the country. The Bureau of Animal Industry deals with questions relating to the raising and handling of all classes of livestock; the Bureau of Chemistry with the adulteration of food stutfs, etc.; the Bu- reau of Entomology with insects which may have an influence on the development of agriculture, and the Weather Bureau which makes a study of the atmospheric conditions throughout the country. Another branch of the government which is of great service to the agriculture development of the country is the Reclamation Service of the United States Geological Survey, Their field is chiefly in the reclamation of arid and semi-arid How Uncle Sam Can Help 23 regions of the west by means of establishing irrigation systems under government supervision and control. These branches of the government are of great importance to the people as a whole, of more importance than is appreciated, but they are of special service to all desiring specific information concerning any of the numerous lines of investigation taken up. The employees of departments are public servants and it is the mission of all Bureaus to serve the people. If, for example, information were desired regarding the agricultural possibilities of any particu- lar section of country and inquiry should be sent to the Secre- tary of Agriculture at Washington, D. C, this would be referred to the Bureau working along the particular line and all informa- tion available would be forwarded to the party making the in- quiry. A slight charge is sometimes made to cover the cost of publication on certain lines of work. The data secured in this way is unbiased and reliable and is, therefore, of much more value than the highly colored, exaggerated advertising matter of the promoter. There should never be any hesitancy, there- fore, in calling upon the government for any desired inform.a- tion. Another source of reliable data along agricultural lines is the Agricultural Experiment Stations throughout the country. There is at least one in every state and territory in the United States and they are doing a magnificent work in the higher de- velopment of agriculture and in bringing farm life to a higher plane. The result of the work done at these stations is of spe- cial help to the residents of the states in which they are loeated, but they are a^so glad to furnish information to residents of other states and will usually send their publications to any ad- dress free of charge. It will thus be seen that if a resident of New York wishes some special data concerning the raising of cotton in Mississippi he could write to the director of the Agri- cultural Experiment Station at Starkville, Mississippi, and se- cure without cost reports on all of the cotton investigations which have been made in that great cotton growing state. It is need- 24 Hints to HomeseeTcers- less to say that the data thus secured will be of far greater service and much more satisfactory to the New York man than the average booklet sent out by real estate promoters. A list of the various experiment stations of the country and their lo- cation IS supplied with this volume for the convenience of those wishing to make inquiries at any time. The railroads of the country and especially those which trav- erse newly developing country publish a great deal of literature on the resources of the region along their lines and commercial clubs, business men's organizations and chambers of commerce afford sources of information which are wortliy of careful con- sideration. It is the object of these organizations to settle up the country with people who will be satisfied to remain and make permanent improvements and enter into the life of the community. The representations which are made to the public through these channels are usually very fair and reliable. They furnish data not only along agricultural lines but also along all lines of business enterprise. The branch of the public service which is in the best position to furnish the information desired by prospective homeseekers is without doubt the Bureau of Soils of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and a description is given herewith of the character of the work which is done and the manner in which this can be made use of by those interested in any particular region. The Bureau of Soils was organized for the express purpose of making such investigations along the lines of soils and their adap- tation to crops as would be of the most practical nature possible. The work taken up has met with great success and the Bureau has grown from a small Division under the Weather Bureau employing only three or four persons, to a separate Bureau em- ploying over 100 experts, scientists and clerks. About one-half of the force is kept constantly in the field while the other half remain in Washington for the purpose of performing the labo- ratory work and making special scientific investigations with samples of soil from various parts of the country. How Uncle Sam Can Help 25 The work done by the men in the field is of the most practical nature and of great assistance to all interested in agriculture. The work which is done consists of making a soil survey of the different sections and the unit for such a survey is usually a county. Up to the present time soil surveys have been made in every state and territory of the United States, excepting Alaska. To those unfamiliar wdth work of this nature there are always three questions which naturally arise when the matter is brought up. The first question is : What is a soil survey ; the second : • How is a soil survey made ; and third : Of what particular value is a soil survey of any region. A soil survey consists of making a classification of the soil in the fields and in preparing a map which shows where all of the different kinds of soil are located. The classification is based largely on the texture of the soil grains, though the topog- raphy, geological derivation, structure, drainage of the soil, natural growth and the climatic conditions prevailing are all taken into consideration and given weight in establishing the different soil types and soil series. As is well known the soils of any region vary to a considerable extent. There may be clay, silt, loam, sandj' loam and sand all within an area of limited extent. It is the work of the soil survey to find out the extent and the exact location of all of the different classes of soil, to make a study of the methods of cultivation and fertilization which have been practiced, to determine as far as possible the best methods of culture to be followed and the crops and the rotations best adapted to each particular soil. The map which is prepared is called a soil map and the report which gives a detailed description of each soil, its adaption to crops, methods of culture, general information concerning transportation facili- ties, labor, markets, etc., covering the area surveyed is called a soil survey report. As stated above, the coimty is usually taken as the unit for soil survey work and whenever a reliable county map can be secured this is used as a base. "When such a map cannot be 26 Hints io Tlomcseekers secured it is necessary for tlie men to construct a complete base map, using the ordinary planetable for doing the traverse work^ and getting the measurements on the roads by means of an odo- meter attached to the buggy wheel. Two men usually work to- getlier. The soil is examined by means of an inch and a half anger and borings are taken to the depth of three feet. In starting the work in a certain area the first boring may show, for ex- ample, that the soil consists of a medium textured, brown loam ten inches deep, underlain by a heavy loam grading into a yel- lowish-brown gritty clay loam and extending to a depth of over three feet. If the area is within the glaciated region and the material composing the soil consists largely of limestone parti- cles, from having been scraped over limestone formations by glacial action, this particular soil wiH ])e classed as IMiami loam. The term IMiami is used then in connection with this soil wherever found. On making other borings in the immediate vicinity it may be found that this same soil covers a considerable area. They then select a certain color, from the supply of colored pencils with which they are provided, and indicate on the map by this color tlie area over whieli the .soil occurs. This one soil constitutes what is called a soil type. The men proceed with their work and probal)ly soon come to a place where the soil con- sists of a brown, medium sandy loam twelve inches deep, under- lain by a yellowish-brown sticky sandy loam or sandy clay ex- tending to a depth of over three feet. Since this soil will have a somewhat different agricultural value and is different in texture than the other soil it constitutes a new soil type. It will work easier and may not retain moisture as well as the loam type. If it is of the same origin as the loam soil it will be called Miami sandy loam, which indicates that it is a separate type but be- longs to the same series. The soil series corresponds to the family and is made up of a number of individuals all having the same origin and having many characteristics in common but differing mainly in texture and the consequent agricultural value. Thus in any soil series we find types ranging in texture from clay to Hoiv Uncle Sam Can Help 27 coarse sand. When a new type is discovered in the field a new color is selected for it. It then becomes necessary to trace out the boundary line between the types and indicate this accurately on the soil map. Thus the work progresses from day to day un- til the county is completed. While the mapping is in progress a careful study is made of the methods of farming followed on the different kinds of soil and notes are taken on the yields, etc. The mapping can usually be done at the rate of from four to eight square miles per day, depending upon the uniformity of the soil, condition of the roads, weather, etc. When the field work is completed a copy of the map is made on the scale of one inch to one mile and a complete report written covering the soil and agricultural conditions in that region. The map and report are then forwarded to Washington where they are published. In any one county there may be from five to thirty distinct soil types representing several different series. When the dif- ferent series are found to have certain characteristics in com- mon they are said to belong to the same soil province, and this is the broadest division which is made in soil classification. The whole United States is divided into a number of soil provinces. For example we have the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Prov- ince which extends along the coast from New Jersey to South Texas and comprises the coastal plain country which was cov- ered at one time by the ocean and during which time forma- tions giving rise to the different soils were deposited. Within this extensive province there are a number of series of which the Orangeburg and the Norfolk are the two most important. In the Appalachian Mountain region we find the Piedmont Plateau Province comprising a number of series, including the Cecil, which is derived from the weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Another province includes the Limestone Valleys and Uplands, another the River Flood Plains, another the Glacial Lake and River Terraces and still another the Gla- cial and Loessial region. Within this last province we find the Miami, Coloma, Plainfield, Waukesha and a number of other 28 III Ills Id II Diiicsickcrti NCficS, wllicli li;i\(' l)rcil ililllli'licrd to .'i <4lTiilri' (t|- less rxtcill by },Hji('i;il ;icl ion. Ak tin- (icid work progresses froiii one ;irc;i lo jitiollicr tliroii^'lHMil llic <'ouiilry, s.'iiiiplrs of :ill the (lilTcrciil soil types ;ire eolleeled iiiiil selll lo Wiisll ill^^'l oil. A lliecllil n ie;i I illlillysis is iiiiide of eiieli s;iiiiple ;iiid in some eases a elieiiiieid aiiidysis is jilso made. A earet'id mieroseopie e.xamiiiat ion isol'leii made ol" llie soil {jjraiiis lo determine the dilTer'ent minerals wliieli ".^o lo make np I he soil. 'IMie work ol' the soil siirx'ey which is eondiieled in sonu' ol" the arid and s*-mi arid states and also in sonn- ol' Ihe portions nized. Distinct soil ly|)es are nuipped but Ihe I \ pi' there is ol'len permitted to iiu'liule a, wi(b'r ran^e ol' \ariati(uis than is the case in the detailed surveys. Wh<'re\'er there is Ihe |>resence id' alkali in Ihe soils ol" Ihe arid and semi arid seelions and a delaili'd soil sui'vey is miub^ (d" such an area, an alkali map is also const I'ueted, showinj; the amounlol' alkali wITudi iscoidained in Ihe soils I lirou r(!- sources ol" the concei-n are hefoi'e it is safe to launch any husi- tH!SS campaiji;!!. So it, is also necessary to ha,v(! a, delinil(! and uccur'atc knovvl(Mlt.j(! ol' tlu^ soil b(d'ore IIk; a^ri(Mdl,iirat commercial crop has become one of the fascinating features of Connecticut agriculture, and the ►State; now takes second ])lace to no other as a producer of this fruit. As in other i)ai-ts of New England, grass is the leading crop. Hay, ever and always, in this part of the country, com- mands very high prices. The farm value of hay, according to official figures, is higher in Connecticut than in any other state, being placed at $19.30 per ton. The valley land of the Con- necticut is particularly well suited to extensive farming, and some remarkable yields have been made in grasses, in tobacco and in corn. The rougher portions of the State further east afford great possibilities in grazing at a low cost. Owing to the fact of many large manufacturing centers, the home markets for fruit, ti'uck, dairy jiroducts, jxiultry, and eggs are large. Rhode Island. Small iu si/c hut hig in accomplishment, Rhode Island is more than a great industrial center, or a political ganglion. Agricullural Opporhmities 75 While part of its area is rather rough hmd, even that is well adapted to pastures and dairying. In the truck sections, close to tidewater, splendid crops of potatoes and other vegetables are produced. There are several notable apple orchards, and many examples of the most advanced farming ideas. In the eastern part of the State the poultry industry has been developed to a high state of perfection. Hi II Is hi Tfniiicseckers .Map '2. — Soil oinj Aoiintlhiiol Map of Nvw Yoil:, rrinisjilrania oiul Xcir Jcracj/. Map IaujciuI. 1. Glacial Lake Tciracos. Once eovered by an extension of the Great Lakes, later the deposits were modified to varying de- grees by glacial action. Very good general farming country with large amounts of fruit along the shore of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Dairying very important industry. Soils varia- b](> but adajited to wide range of crop production. 2. Glacial and morainie section. iMountaiiious in eastern por- Agricultural Opportunities 77 tion. General fanniu y^-fj ,^^ — 4.jfel/_rLJ: ./y""^^--^ c ><' 'i / i^y \ ■'V V ■', GiE>OHGfIAr ^:rr Map 5. — Soil and AgriciiUiirol Map of Georgia. Agricultural Opporhmities 91 Map Legend. 1. Coastal Plains region. Light colored timbered soils. Sur- face level along coast, becoming more undulating inland. Sur- face usually sandy with red or yellowish sandy clay subsoils. Some large tracts of deep sand. Cotton chief crop. Com and small grains are successfully grown. Well adapted to trucking crops, peanuts, cowpeas, etc. Fruit. Diversified farming on in- crease. Native growth chiefly long leaf pine along coast and short leaf pine in northern part of region. Considerable timber standing — much unimproved land. 2. Piedmont Plateau. Two types of soil extensively devel- oped — a red clay with two to four inches of sandy loam covering it and a gray sandy loam or sand which extends to depth of two or more feet. Surface gently rolling, becoming quite broken in north where it forms the foot hills of the Appalachian Moun- tains. Cotton, corn, truck crops, fruit. General mixed farming increasing. 3. Light colored timbered soils of Appalachian Mountain re- gion, chiefly residual from sandstone and shale. Soil thin in many places and region rough. Thinly settled and but little improved. 4. Limestone valley soils. Naturally strong and productive. Mostly well improved. General farming chief type of agricul- ture. Georgia. The state of Georgia is divided into two natural divisions known as the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau sections. The Coastal Plain occupies the eastern and southern parts of the state and comprises two distinct and extensive series of soils described by the U. S. Bureau of Soils as the Norfolk and the Orangeburg series. The Norfolk series consists of gray sands underlain by yellow sand and sandy clay, while the Orangeburg is imderlain by red sand and sandy clay. The topography is level along the coast and gradually becomes more undulating and rolling as the distance back increases. 7 98 Hints to Homeseekers The sandy loam typos of these two series, which are very ex- tensively developed in this region, are well adapted to a great variety of crops. Cotton, sugar cane, corn, oats, peanuts, cow- peas and a number of other general farm crops are grown. In many sections trucking is extensively carried on and melons, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, eggplant, etc., are extensively grown. The sand types arc early, warm soils and will mature crops quickly for early spring markets. They respond readily to fertilization but are apt to suffer from drought during the late summer month,s. The boll weevil, the greatest enemy to the cotton plant, has not as yet invaded Georgia and so cotton is still being raised more extensively than any other crop, though diversified farm- ing is receiving considerable attention at the present time. The raising of peanuts is on the increase and more live stoek is being raised. The south does not produce half of the pork which it consumes and hog raising can be made very profitable. Peanuts are grown for hog pasture and by harvesting the crop in this way a large amount of labor is saved. The hay supply of Georgia is very limited and raising of cowpeas, vetch, etc., for hay can be made profitable. Throughout southern Georgia there is still a large percentage of the country undeveloped. Much of it is still in the original forests of long and short leaf pine, while some has been cut over and is now in stumps. This land can be bought for from $5 to $15 per acre, depending upon its eondition and location, and can be built up into productive land. The soils having the sandy clay subsoil are the most desirable types and are the most readily improved. The north, northwestern and north central parts of the state are included within the Piedmont section and the soils are largely residual, having been derived from the weathering of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The topography is gently rolling to rolling and hilly and in the northern part it becomes mountain- ous. The soils of the major portion of the Piedmont Plateau in Georgia are included in the Cecil series and are thoroughly de- Agricultural Opportunities .99 scribed in the reports of the Bureau of Soils. Briefly, the main body of the soil consists of a red clay, which in many places has a covering of sand from a few inches to three feet in depth. Where the sand covering is not too deep it is naturally a strong soil, capable of being brought up readily to a high state of pro- ductivity. It is well adapted to all of the general farm crops grown in that region and in some sections the fruit industry has been developed. There are a great number of large peach orchards in this re- gion and also in the higher portion of the Coastal Plain and in numerous instances these have made their owners independent. One criticism which can be made of the fruit industry in Georgia is that the growers have put out larger orchards than they can properly manage. In many cases the orchards are not properly cultivated, sprayed or pruned and as a result the quality and quantity of the fruit is somewhat lower than it should be. The fruit is often poorly packed and is in poor condition when it reaches the northern markets. Most of the peaches are shipped north and when they reach the market they should be in good condition and in neat, attractive packages, otherwise they will not bring the highest price. The expense in picking, packing and shipping is so great that it does not pay to market a poor grade of fruit for which an inferior price is sure to be obtained. For those who are willing to follow the most scientific methods in fruit culture there is a good opportunity in Georgia, The raising of pecans is receiving some attention and this maj also be made a profitable business. Taken as a whole the state of Georgia offers many excellent opportunities for those wishing to engage in general farming, stock raising, trucking or fruit growing. The climate is mild, land is cheap and there is a good market for all of the products of the farm and garden. The public roads are better than in any of the other southern states and the school system is being rapidly improved. There is an agricultural high school in every congressional district, something of which few other states in the Union can boast at the present time. 100 Hints to Homeseekers Map Q.—Soil and Agricultural Map of Florida. Map Legend. 1. General farming region of state. Northern portion chiefly section of gray soils with red subsoils, mostly sandy surface and sandy clay subsoils. Southern portion flat, low country, with sandy soil and native growth of long leaf pine and palmetto. Chief crops, cotton, tobacco, corn, with some sorghum, sugar cane, peanuts, cowpeas, truck crops. Region quite similar to southern and southwestern Georgia. Agricultural Opportunities 101 2. Mixed farming. Some general farming, with trucking on the increase and a small amount of citrus fruit raised, though there is danger from frost. 3. Great citrus fruit belt of Florida. Also important for trucking. Crops grow all year. Winter gardening important. 4. Greatest section for growing truck crops for northern win- ter markets. Lettuce, tomatoes, celery, asparagus, eggplant, cab- bage, melons and numerous other crops successfully grown. Some citrus fruits also raised. 5. Everglades. Extensive region of swamp lands. Portions being reclaimed by drainage, and put under cultivation. 6. Region in which pineapples are chiefly grown. Soi'.s of most of the peninsula sandy, in many places deep sand. Florida. It is doubtful if any other state in the Union has been as ex- tensively advertised throughout the east as Florida. "Ten acres and independence" seems to be a favorite slogan for the real estate promoters. There are many excellent opportunities in Florida but the possibility of securing large yields has been very much exaggerated by many advertisers. It has frequently been reported that Florida receives its great- est yearly income from the crop of winter tourists. It is doubtful however, if these returns exceed those received from the sale of ' ' ten acre farms. ' ' The greatest agricultural industry of Florida consists of raising truck crops and citrus fruits. The vegetables grown in the winter and early spring are marketed in the cities of the north and east and very profitable returns are often, though not always, secured. The soils are almost entirely of a sandy nature and in many places the sand extends to a great depth. In other places there is a sandy clay sub-soil at from eighteen to thirty-six inches below the surface. This latter is the most desirable ex- ]()2 Hints to Tlomeseekers tensive lypc iiiul is Iciiowii ;is llic N'orl'olk sandy loam. It frequently lui])pens that the surrace indications are nearly the same on both kinds ol" ,soil and the inexperienced are sonu'tinics soUl tiie d('(»i) sand when tlioy could as well select llic Ix'ttn- soil, were tlioy Tainiliar with the conditions. In lowly in*,' jjlaccs, alou"^ stream courses and over poorly drained tracts the soil friMjuently lias a dark or nearly black color, due to liie presence of oi-p^aiiic matter. Many ol" the tracts in the ex- treme southei-n part of l^'Iorida are ot' this nature and before large croi)S can be raised, it is nei'essary to install drainage systems and frequently arrange foi- irrigating the land also, since it is too wet in tlu> early si)ring and too dry later in the summer. When such systems have b(>en properly installed there is almost no limit to the amount ol" truck which can be raised. The con- dition amounts to the same as having an equal area under glass in a forcing hous(\ This is an expensive undertaking and re- (piires experience as well as money. Commercial fertilizers are necessary if the best results are to he obtained. M'here are larg(> ti-acts of land which are well drained, having a sandy clay subsoil and wvll suited to truck and citrus fruits, which can be secui-ed cheaply, and on which very good crops can be raised. In selecting land, howevei-, the purchaser should ex- amine th(> laiul in person aiul not, trust to the word of any one. Strawberries, lettuce, eggplant, cabbage, nu^lons, etc., are raised extensively. Oranges and grape fruit nvo confined chiefly to the RoutluM'ii half of th(> state since frosts fi-iMiuently occur in the noi'llierti portion. Considerable tobacco is gi'own in the western part of tlu^ state and pineapples are extcMisively i-aised in some s(>ctions fai'ther south. Some geiuM-al fai'ming and cotton raising is carried on tlKuigh not very extensively. The climatic conditions which ju'cvail in Florida are delight- ful, the winters are v(M-y mild and as then^ is always a breeze in the sununer tli»> heat is not intense. While there are good oppor- tunities in Morida f(u- (Establishing a home on a small acreage. AgricnUuraL Opporlunilies 103 those who eontciiiphitc inovinp: to that slate should first visit tliat region and make a careful study of conditions, {getting their in- formation first hand, instead of from tlie advertisements of real estate promoters. Land can be secured very cheaply and it does not cost much to live in that warm climate. 104 Hints to Tlomeseekers Agricultural Opportunities 105 Map Legend. 1. River flood plains province. Alluvial soils, very productive but subject in places to overflow. 2. Loessial soil province. Soil chiefly a silt loam. Slopes to the west. General farming, trucking, small amount of cotton. Soil readily built up to be very productive. 3. Limestone valleys and uplands province. Soils from lime- stone rock, naturally strong and productive. Highly improved. General farming, horses, mules and some cattle and hogs. In- cludes the "blue grass" country. Some dairying. Tobacco is an important crop. 4. Appalachian mountains and plateaus. Soils thin, region mountainous. Some grazing and a little farming in the valleys. Many orchard possibilities. Coal in mountains. 5. Coastal plains province. Mostly sandy soils with sandy clay subsoils. Some trucking and general farming. Kentucky. This state falls into four soil and agricultural provinces. The extreme eastern portion of the state is occupied by the Appala- chian mountains. This region is very rough, broken and moun- tainous and throughout much of its extent is but poorly suited to agricultural development. There are a number of valleys and considerable areas where its surface is not too steep to be culti- vated where cultivated crops can be successfully grown but only a very small percentage of this land is improved at the present. The greatest possibilities offered by this rough country are along the line of fruit raising. There are numerous localities where the growing of apples and peaches could be profitably carried on and at the present time some orchards are to be seen in the region. In the northwestern portion of the state is a small area which 106 Hints to Homeseekers would be classed in the same province as the above, but the sur- face is less broken. It is but slightly developed, however and is not as well suited to general agriculture as many other portions of Kentuclcy. Throughout the central and southern portions of the state is an extensive ai-ea in which the soils are derived chiefly from tlie underlying limestone and this region is included within the limestone valleys and uplands soil province. It includes the "blue grass country" and the most highly improved portion of Kentucky. The soils are naturally strong and productive and the agricultural communities are thrifty, progressive and prosperous. The chief crops are corn, small grain, tobacco with the raising of fine stock as a very important branch of agricultural industry. The Kentucky horses have a wide reputation and most of them come from this region. Cattle and hogs, as well as horses, are raised and the dairy industry is an important one in a number of sections. Land values are higher than in other portions of the state. There are good public roads throughout the region, excellent railroad facilities, and splendid opportunities for the higher improvement of intensive agriculture. In the extreme western part of the state there is an area which falls within the loessial soil province. In this region the soil con- sists chiefly of silt loam. It is adapted to a wide range of crops and aside from tlie general farm crops common to the state and the raising of tobacco, the trucking industry has been developed to a considerable extent. The land can be readily built up to a high state of productivity and many good opportunities are pre- sented in this portion of the state. The bottom lands along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and streams with the state are included within a separate division, known as the river flood plains province. The soils are of alluvial origin and very productive, though there is always some danger from flooding, in case the levees should break. When fully pro- tected these lands nuike very desirable farming communities. Agricultural Opportunities 107 Tennessee. Because of the soil and climatic conditions prevailing in Ten- nessee the state is adapted to the production of a wide range of crops. All of the staple crops common to the north and some of those common to the south are successfully grown. In addition to these general farm crops, the trucking industry has been ex- tensively developed in certain localities. In the extreme western part of the state there is a considerable area of bottom land along the Mississippi river where the soils are very fertile and capable of producing large crops. The greater part of the lowland is protected by levees but the natural drainage is sometimes deficient, and some of the land may be flooded at times from the backwater from streams flowing into the Mississippi when that stream is at or near the flood stage. The soils of this region are all alluvial in origin and quite high in organic matter. They are more productive than the upland soils but on account of the danger from flooding if the levees should break but few permanent homes are established in the lowlands. There are also extensive areas of bottom land along the rivers within the state and in many places these lands are highly de- veloped. The west end of the state outside of the bottom lands is covered with a soil formation known as loess. The soil of this region is a silt loam, very uniform in texture, friable in structure and posses- sing characteristics which permit it to be eroded more readily than other soils. It is a soil which works readily and responds quickly to careful treatment. It can be readily improved to a high state of productivity. This section of the state is devoted to the raising of general farm crops, cotton, tobacco and also to trucking. It is probably a better truck soil than can be found elsewhere in the state and this industry is highly developed at a number of places. Strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, and melons are among the special crops grown profitably. In connection with 108 Hints to Homeseekera trucking, the canning industry has also been established to handle a portion of the crops. Land in this district can still be bought at a reasonable figure and many excellent opportunities are af- forded. The limestone valleys and uplands comprise a very extensive; and very important portion of the state. The uplands are found chiefly in the central part of the state while the limestone val- leys occur chiefly in the interinountain regions in eastern Ten- nessee. General farming is the chief type of agriculture followed. Tobacco is raised quite extensively. The raising of horses, mules and cattle receive considerable attention, and dairying and hog raising are also important. The soils are derived from the underlying limestone and are naturally productive and strong lands. Inferior methods of cultivation have in a number of sec- tions somewhat reduced the fertility but by following up-to-date methods this can be readily restored. These limestone regions are as a rule highly improved, well settled and show a condition of thrift and prosperity to prevail among the farmers. Land values are higher than in other portions of the state. The extreme eastern part of the state is rough and mountain- ous and outside of the valleys it is but poorly adapted to growing cultivated ci'ops. The soils are mostly sandy, shallow and roclcy, and it is difficult to get to market from remote sections. There are many localities where the fruit industry could be developed, esj)e('ially the growing of apples, and the region is better adapted to this line of farming than to any other. Some orchards have been set out, but a number of these have failed on account of not being given proper eare. With careful management from the selection of the site and varieties to be grown to the packing and marketing there is no doubt but that the growing of apples could be made very profitable. In addition to apples, grapes could also be grown and peaches would probably be successful. Where close to shipping points, and the surface is not too rough, some trucking can be carried on. Much of the mountain land provides Agricultural Opportunities 109 fair grazing and the raising of stock could doubtless be profitably extended. Land values are very low. There are extensive deposits of iron throughout eastern Ten- nessee and the mineral and the timber are the two factors which determine the value of the mountain lands. no Ilints to Homeseekers Map 8. — Soil and Agricultural Map of Mississippi and Alabama. Map Legend. 1. Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. Dark colored alluvial soils na- turally very productive. Cotton chief crop. Diversified farming increasing. Well adapted to corn, grains, alfalfa and to numer- ous truck crops. Mostly protected by levee but drainage in places very deficient. Considerable areas still in timber. 2. Loessial region, including light colored timber soils, chiefly silt loam. This soil responds quickly to careful treatment, but Agricultural Opportunities 111 erodes rapidly on unprotected slopes. Good trucking soil, also good general farming soil. 3. Coastal Plain region. The northern part north and west of the black Prairie is called the Region of Gravelly Hills, with light colored sandy loam the most common type of soil. Original tim- ber chiefly short leaf pine. Cotton the chief crop, though corn is also grown ; also adapted to fruit and truck crops in many places. The surface varies from small level table lands to quite hilly country. Considerable timber still standing. Portion south of Black Prairie known as Upper Long Leaf Pine Belt. Mostly sandy loam with areas of deep sand. Surface mostly gently roll- ing to rolling. Original growth chiefly long leaf pine. Cotton and corn chief crops. Also adapted to peanuts, melons, potatoes, peaches, figs and other orchard crops. 4. Coastal Plain — Lower Long Leaf Pine Belt. Nearly level, as a whole, but uneven enough for good surface drainage. Sandy loam and sand chief types with some areas of heavier soils. Trucking leading industry along gulf. Corn and oats do well. Some cotton is grown also. Sweet potatoes, peanuts, cowpeas, beans, etc., do well. Sorghum and sugar cane are successfully grown. 5. Black Prairie region. Chiefly clay loam soils derived from limestone. Very productive. Adapted to alfalfa, com, cotton and all general farm crops and also to stock raising. Mostly under cultivation. The best farming land in the south. 6. Residual Limestone region. Includes Tennessee valley and smaller valleys. Strong, productive soil. Surface light colored, mostly silt loam. Good farming lands. 7. Cumberland Plateau region. Much of surface very hilly to mountainous. Large portion still in timber. Soils mostly sandy loams. Little agricultural development. Extensive mineral de- posits. 8. Piedmont Plateau region. Soils red clay and gray sandy soils. Surface rolling. Heavy soils ; good general farming lands. Lighter types good trucking and fruit soils. 312 Hints to Homeseekers Alabama. Alabama is taking the lead among many of the southern states in the development of her agricultural resources. Agricultural high schools are being established and farm demonstration ex- perts from the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, are stationed in nearly every county. It is the busi- ness of these experts to give advice to all interested in farming as to the best methods of cultivation, adaptation of soils to crops, best crops to grow, etc. This work is done in co-operation with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. The majority of the soils of the southern part of the state are of a sandy nature. In some places the sand is deep, while over large areas there is a sandy clay sub-soil at from fourteen to twenty inches below the surface. As classified by the U. S. Bureau of Soils these soils belong chiefly to the Orangeburg and Norfolk series. As a whole the region covering southern Alabama is well adapted to the production of truck crops, which mature from February to May, and which are shipped to the markets of the north, chiefly Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. Among the crops grown, cabbage, peas, tomatoes, melons, strawberries and potatoes are the most extensively cultivated at present. Pe- cans and figs are grown to some extent and give promise of profitable returns. In the. extreme south the Satsuma orange is being planted in many places and this seems to be a safe propo- sition. During the winter of 1910-11 the temperature dropped to 18 degrees at Mobile and was below freezing for four con- secutive days, yet the orange trees were not damaged. Cotton becomes an important crop farther north but this staple is not grown along the gulf coast. Most of the land in southern Alabama is still undeveloped. A large part of it has been cut over (though there is still consider- able fine timber), and is now stump land. In selecting farms in this region the soil should be carefully examined. That having a sandy clay sub-soil, and good surface drainage is the best. Wliero the sand is several feet deep crops are apt to suffer from Agricultural Opportunities 113 drought, especially late in the season and any fertilizer whicli is applied will rapidly be leached out. The sandy soils are very early and often a fair crop can be secured before the dry weather comes on. By proper management three, and sometimes four crops can be taken from the best soils during a period of twelve months. Cabbage can be set out in November and marketed in February and March. This crop can be followed by early pota- toes, and later by com. Cowpeas or peanuts can be sown in the corn at the last cultivation and after the corn is cut the remaining crop can be pastured or cut for hay. A large number of combi- nations similar to this can be successfully grown. Land in south- ern Alabama which is undeveloped can still be bought for from $4 to $20 per acre. "What is commonly spoken of as the Black Prairie Belt in west central Alabama, is the richest agricultural section of the state. The soil consists of a black clay loam derived from the weather- ing of limestone (Selma chalk). This soil is classified by the Bureau of Soils as belonging to the Houston series and it is naturally one of the most productive soils in the country. It is well adapted to cotton, corn and all general farm crops, but the most important factor is the fact that it is also especially well adapted to the production of alfalfa. This legume grows very well without being inoculated and yields on the average three or four cuttings every year. A minimum yield of three tons per acre, per year can always be counted on. As high as five and six tons per acre have been secured. Alfalfa sells on the markets of Mobile and Birmingham for $16 to $22 per ton and there is al- ways a ready sale. The industry is still in its infancy, but the raising of alfalfa in conjunction with the breeding and feeding of livestock offers one of the best opportunities to be found in any agricultural region. Dairying could also be made a very profitable industry. Land values are still low, considering the producing power of the soil, though prices are higher than elsewhere in the state. First class land cleared and under cultivation in the Black Belt can be 8 114 Hints to Homeseekers bought for from $25 to $50 per acre. At these figures it is with- out doubt the cheapest land for general farming in Alabama. The Tennessee Valley, in the northern part of the state, is an- other important agricultural region which is devoted chiefly to general farming and cotton. While much of the land is culti- vated, there are still extensive areas which are not highly de- veloped. The northeastern part of the state is rough and mountainous, and most of the farm land is confined to the valleys. Some of the slopes may sometime be planted to orchards as there are a number of good locations throughout that region. Throughout the entire state, agricultural interests are being advanced and development is rapid. Birmingham, the center of the steel industry of the south, and Mobile, the states sea port are both growing and enterprising cities which furnish a good market for large amounts of farm produce. Aside from its agri- cultural resources, Alabama is an important mining state and coal and iron are produced in large amounts. There is a large amoiuit of undeveloped water power in the state which will some- day be harnessed to run varying lines of industry. The state is well supplied with railroads and the transportation facilities are adequate for the demands of a higher development than exists at present. Taken as a whole, Alabama offers excellent opportunities for higher development along almost all lines of agriculture. The Bureau of Soils, U. S. Department of Agriculture, is co-operat- ing Avith the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries in making a soil survey of the entire state. Practically half of the state has been completed. The soil sun'^ey reports covering this work can be secured for the counties completed, free of charge, and any one thinking of investing in Alabama should consult these publications. Agricultural Opportunities 115 Mississippi. The most important agricultural province in INIississippi at the present time is what is commonly known as the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. It occupies a strip of country along the western border of the state, though the largest development lies between Vicks- burg, Miss., and Memphis, Tenn. It varies in width from a few miles in the south to about fifty miles in the north. The soil is entirely alluvial in origin and varies in texture from a fine sandy loam immediately along the stream courses to a clay in the in- terstream areas. It is a very fertile region and produces more cotton than any other area of equal extent in the world, yet, con- sidering this fact, there is considerably less than half of the region under cultivation. A large proportion of the delta is in need of drainage and a number of large drainage districts have been established. When this entire area is cleared, drained and properly farmed it will become the most productive area of such extent in the world. It is well adapted to cotton, com and all general farm crops and alfalfa is being successfully grown in a number of places. The sandy tracts are suited for truck raising. There is still considerable good timber in the delta but it is be- ing rapidly removed. The Mississippi delta offers many good opportunities along agricultural lines. Land is cheap, ranging in price from $10 to $50 per acre. Bordering the delta and extending the entire length of the state is a strip of country from twenty to thirty miles in width which is known to Geologists as Loess, and commonly spoken of as the cane hills and flat hills country. The soil is a light colored silt loam, very fine and smooth and very easily eroded. Much of it is badly cut up by ravines and gullied until it is of little use for cultivated crops. Where the hill tops are flat or where the topography is not broken the soil is capable of being highly developed. It responds quickly to fertilization and to proper methods of cultivation and in a few years can be built up into a productive soil. It is well adapted to potatoes, cab- 116 Hints to Homeseelcers bage, strawberries, and all truck crops and cotton and corn do fairly well. Land in this section is very cheap. What is commonly spoken of as the Northeast Prairie or as the Black Prairie Belt is a very important agricultural region, though of comparatively small extent. Roughly speaking it ex- tends from Tupelo south to Macon and then swings east into Alabama where it forms the Black Prairie region of that state. The predominating soil throughout this prairie is a black clay loam belonging to the Houston series. It is derived from the un- derlying limestone and extends to a depth of from three to twenty feet. While cotton and corn have been raised here since before the war, the land still produces good crops. Nothing has ever been returned to the soil in the form of fertilizer and the methods followed have been wasteful. By following up-to-date methods of farming this land can readily be made to produce as large or larger crops than are secured from the black soils of Illinois or Iowa. This soil is very well adapted to alfalfa and the crop is being extensively introduced. It produces from three to five tons per acre which sells in Mobile and Birmingham at from $16 to $22 per ton. Grown in conjunction with the rais- ing of livestock, alfalfa raising offers an opportunity which is seldom equaled anywhere. Land of this kind can be bought for from $25 to $50 per acre depending on the location and im- provements. It is a very good investment at this price. North- ern people are buying up this land rapidly and the price is con- stantly advancing. This region in conjunction with the prairie in Alabama is the only limestone prairie section in the United States which is not highly developed and where prices are still comparatively low. If this land were in Illinois it, would sell for from $125 to $200 per acre. Considering the rich soil, the healthfulness of the region, the mild climate, the good water supply, the low price of the land, and cheap labor, it would be difficult to find a locality in which more, desirable oppor- tunities are presented for one wishing to engage in practical agriculture. Agricultural Opportunities 117 The portion of the state between the Prairie and the Loess region is a short leaf pine country. The topography is rolling to hilly with a narrow strip of "flat woods" extending from north to south. In the "flat woods" the soils are heavy, but over the remainder of the section it is sandy with a sandy clay sub-soil. Comparatively little development has taken place and the region does not present opportunities equal to those in the delta or in the prairie. Many of the slopes are suited to fruit culture and this industry will doubtless be developed in time. Land is very cheap and large tracts can be bought as low as $5 per acre and on up to $25. In the southern part of the state is the long leaf pine section and but little agricultural development has taken place. Lum- bering and turpentine producing are the two leading industries, though agriculture is just beginning to come to the front. The soil is chiefly sandy and adapted to truck. It is identical with the southern Alabama country. The U. S. Bureau of Soils is co-operating with the Mississippi Greological Survey in making a soil survey of the entire state. Reports covering the work thus far completed can be secured free of cost. The excellent opportunities offered in Mississippi and the various kinds of soil found are fully described in these re- ports and these publications should be consulted by all inter- ested in Mississippi. 118 Hints to Homeseekers y l^lCRKiAN Map 9.~8oil and Agricultural Map of Michigan. Agricultural Opportunities 119 Map Legend. 1. Region of dark colored soils formed in old lake beds. Sur- face nearly level, and drainage often deficient. Soils mostly clay loam and silty clay loam, with numerous small patches of sand. Good general farming country. Corn, hay, small grains raised. Sugar beets important special crop. In Upper Peninsula con- siderable red clay. Corn not certain to mature every year. Dairying important. 2. Level or slightly undulating sandy or gravelly plains, in- cluding numerous sand dunes along lake shores. Has lower agricultural value than heavier soils and must be carefully handled. Truck crops, potatoes, etc., are successfully raised on best portions. 3. Gently rolling ground moraine with loams and clay loams predominating, including numerous morainic areas in which soil varies from sand to clay. Region as a whole good general farming land. In Southern Peninsula it is well improved with corn, small grains, hay, dairying and stock as the important fac- tors. Considerable fruit, especially apples, also raised. In Up- per Peninsula, it is but slightly developed but the soil is good and the region is settling rapidly. Numerous marshes. 4. Gently rolling ground moraine in which sandy soils pre- dominate, including numerous morainic areas which are rough and in which the soil varies from sand to clay, but is mostly sandy. General farming chief type of agriculture. Corn, oats, barley, hay, dairying, stock. Large amount of fruit, especially along shore of Lake Michigan where the peach industry has been extensively developed. Apples, cherries, pears and plums also raised successfully. Numerous marshes. 5. Region where soil is thin and the underlying rock comes close to surface and outcrops frequently. Low agricultural value. 120 Hints to Homescekcrs 6. Swamp areas. Very numerous but nearly all too small to indicate on such a map. Many may be drained and reclaimed. Celery and peppermint are two important crops raised in the state on reclaimed swamp land. Michigan. Michigan is greatly influenced by the large bodies of water with which it is nearly surrounded and by which it is divided into two peninsulas. The northern is the smaller and comprises something less than two-fit'ths of the area of the state. The types of agriculture followed frequently depend to a consider- able extent upon the proximity to the lakes. The Northern Peninsula is but slightly developed except in Menominee County to the south and in Chippewa County to the east, where the country is very well settled and prosperous farms established. The agricultural resources and possibilities of this region are but little known and but slightly appreciated even by the people within the state. The soils are mostly loams, sandy loams and silt loams, with a considerable tract of sand in the central portion of the penin- ••sula and bordering Lake Superior in places. The original tim- 'ber on the sand was largely pine, while on the sandy loam and on the heavier soils the growth was chiefly maple, hemlock and ibirch, with cedar, spruce and tamarack in the swamps and poorly drained areas. All of the pine and much of the hardwood has been removed and the region is now largely a cut over country with a second growth springing up. The hardwood which re- mains is being rapidly cut, and the farmer is following in the path of the lumberman. The growing season is short but plant growth is extremely rapid during the summer months. Corn is not considered a safe crop, though it frequently matures and more hardy varieties are being improved each year. Corn for the silo can be grown and clover and timothy do especially well. Oats, barley and wheat can be grown successfully and peas, roots and potatoes Agricultural Opportunities 121 are well suited to the soil and climate. Sugar beets yield a higher sugar content than further south. Apples are being grown successfully and there is no reason why the apple is not as well adapted to favored localities along the Superior shore in Michigan as it is to the Bayfield Peninsula in Wisconsin. Strawberries and all busli berries and cherries can also be raised with profit. The mining towns of the region afford excellent markets for all farm produce. The dairy industry will prob- ably come to be the leading type of agriculture and this will be carried on in conjunction with general farming. Land values are still cheap and the opportunities for securing good land and making a home at little expense are still within the reach of those of limited means. The Southern Peninsula supports several types of agriculture, though frequently two or more of these are combined on the same farm. The western portion of the state bordering on Lake Michigan, and especially the southern half of this strip, is known as the Michigan Peach Belt. The Michigan peach is known throughout the country and is a source of large revenue to the growers. Apples are grown all along the west shore of Michigan and throughout the south half of the southern peninsula. Grape growing is centered about Lawton, celery growing about Kala- mazoo, and the growing of peppermint in marshes throughout the southern portion of the state. About one-third of all the peppermint oil in the world is produced in Michigan. The growing of potatoes is a special industry of importance, devel- oped in some of the counties in the northern part of the south- em peninsula. Sugar beets and beans are also important crops. The type of agriculture which is most extensively developed, however, is general farming, with dairying as the most impor- tant branch. Butter and cheese are extensively produced and the retail milk trade in the cities and towns requires the keeping of large numbers of dairy cows. The raising of horses, cattle, sheep and swine, and the breeding of fine stock receives consid- 122 Hints to Homeseekers erable attention. Corn, oats, wheat, rye, barley and hay are the chief general farm crops. The southern half of the southern peninsula is much more highly developed than the northern half, though development in the northern section is now advancing quite rapidly. The major portion of the northern region has a sandy loam soil, with some tracts of heavier land and also considerable areas of sand which has a low agricultural value. In selecting farms in this region care should be exercised and no land should be bought without first carefully inspecting it. The sandy hardwood land is considerable better than the sandy pine land, although there may not be much difference in the surface appearance of the two classes of land. The soils of the southern part of the southern peninsula vary from sand to clay and frequently several types may be found in the same field. The heavier soils predominate, however, and are well adapted to all the general farm crops grown at pres- ent. Alfalfa is being introduced and every farmer should make an attempt to grow it, starting on a small scale. Michigan is very well located in regard to markets, has an abundant supply of pure water in lakes, streams and springs, and an annual rainfall of about thirty-two inches, which is nor- mally well distributed throughout the year. Many people are attracted to the state each year on account of the beautiful lakes, delightful climate and good fishing. Agriculture offers many good opportunities and those looking for land in which to invest, or for a farm on which to establish a home could well afford to visit the state and make an investigation of conditions. 124 Hints to Homeseekers 1^ aVisconsin Map 10. — 8oil and Agricvltural Map of Wisconsin. Agrictdtural Opportunities 125 Map Legend. 1. Glaciated soils containing limestone material. Light col- ored silt loam (Miami silt loam) predominating type. Black silt loam (Carrington silt loam) also extensively developed throughout prairie regions. Entire region excellent farming land and highly improved. Dairying leading industry. Corn, hay, oats and barley leading crops. Alfalfa quite extensively grown. 2. Sandy soils within glaciated limestone region, chiefly Miami sandy loam. General farming, very little dairying, potato rais- ing and some trucking. Considerable unimproved land in north- ern part. All hardwood land. 3. Sandy soils glaciated but outside of the limestone region chiefly Coloma sandy loam and Coloma sand. Good potato soil and trucking land. General farming on heavier phases. Some dairying. All hardwood land. Considerable unimproved land in northern part of state. 4. Areas of deep sand, mostly Jack pine land. Low agricul- tural value and but slightly improved at present. 5. Loams and silt loam soils in glaciated region having no limestone present. Original timber hardwood with some hem- lock, white and Norway pine in places. Somewhat stony in places but very good general farming land. Well adapted to clover and alfalfa can be successfully grown. Corn can be matured. Dairying rapidly increasing. Consideirable unim- proved land. Values very reasonable at present but prices of land rapidly increasing. 6. Silt loam soils of the unglaciated region of loessial origin. Mostly Knox silt loam. Topography rolling to hilly. Dairying an important industry. Good general farming soil. NumeroiL'^ good locations for apple orchards. 7. Largely residual sandy loams, mixed in places with loessial silt. General farming, dairying, some trucking and small fruits. 8. Flat sandy area with numerous marshes. Original timber chiefly pine. Soils require very careful handling to produce good yields. Low agricultural value. 126 Hinls to Homeseekers 9, Areas of red clay. A strong productive soil, though some- what difficult to handle. General farming and dairying. Al- falfa successful where drainage is adequate. Good grass land. Wisconsin stands for progress and achievement. Along the line of agriculture this state offers opportunities which are equaled by few, if any, of the other states in the Union. Wis- consin leads all other states in the development of the dairy in- dustry. In 1909 there were 6,235 creameries in the United States and of these 1,000 were in Wisconsin. At the same time there were 3,846 cheese factories in the United States, of which 1,784 were in Wisconsin. In the variety, quality and yield per acre of crops the state occupies a front position. The following summary shows Wis- consin's standing among the states producing sufficient quan- tity of the various crops to warrant consideration. The irri- gated states are not included for the reason that the cost and labor of irrigation are not clearly enough determined so that an accurate comparison can be made. The rating for corn, barley, oats, spring wheat, potatoes and flax are for the ten years 1901- 1910 inclusive, while the others are from the latest tables, all being from the statistics of the United States Agricultural de- partment : Crop Reporter and Yearbook : Flax — Of all states producing flax during the ten year period ending 1910, Wisconsin stands first. Barley — Among the nine states producing 1,000,000 bushels or more during the ten year period ending 1910, without irriga- tion, Wisconsin stands first. Oats — Among the sixteen states growing 10,000,000 bushels or more during the ten year period ending 1910, without irriga- tion, Wisconsin stands first. Spring Wheat — Among the seven states producing more than 1,000,000 bushels of spring wheat, without irrigation labor and expense, during the ten year period ending 1910, Wisconsin stands first. Agricultural Opportunities 127 Potatoes — Among the eight states producing 10,000,000 bushels or more per year during the ten year period ending 1910, Wis- consin stands second. Led only by a state using an enormous amount of commercial fertilizer. Rye — Among the thirteen states producing 500,000 or more bushels of rye in 1909, without irrigation, according to the lat- est ten year tables, Wisconsin stands fourth. The three states leading Wisconsin do so by a very sUght margin. Com — Among the twenty-five states producing 25,000,000 bushels or more during the ten year period ending with 1910, Wisconsin stands fifth. The leading state, Ohio, leads Wiscon- sin by only 2.4 bushels, Indiana by 1.5, Illinois by 1.3 and Penn- sylvania by 1.1. Hay — Of all the states not using irrigation, according to the latest tables for a ten year period, Wisconsin stands fifth. Sugar Beets — The statistical tables indicate that Wisconsin leads all non-irrigated states and comes within a ton per acre of equaling the average of the irrigated states. No state produces more high grade, pure bred seed for ship- ment to all parts of the world than Wisconsin. No state has bet- ter facilities for educating the farmer and this means that Wis- consin will continue to raise choice seed, fine stock and make still greater strides along all lines of agriculture. Measured by the standard of markets, Wisconsin is probably without a rival in the advantage of location. Bounded on the north and on the east by two of the largest lakes in the world ; on the west by the longest River, which flows through a rich, prosperous country to the Gulf, thereby with its water-ways reaching nearly half of the population of the entire country. On its southern boundary adjacent to Chicago, one of the greatest market places in the world; adjoining on the west the twin cities' grain milling center; possessing in its metropolis one of the largest ports in the country, and with fifteen million people living in the state and in the states bordering Wisconsin, nothing more could be asked or afforded geographically. 128 Hints to Homeseekers The question of water is an important consideration and Wis- consin is blessed by having an abundant supply of pure water in the form of thousands of lakes, rivers and springs. During the World's Fair at Chicago thousands of visitors quenched their thirst with water piped directly from the Waukesha Springs of the Badger State. Wisconsin has a generous amount of rainfall, well distributed throughout the year so that crops are never a complete failure on account of lack of moisture. Wisconsin has a climate which is invigorating, bracing- — the kind that makes a man want to do things. The winters are cold and frequently severe, but the summers are mild and very pleas- ant. Because of the delightful climate and the many beautiful lakes, Wisconsin is rapidly coming to be the summer resort of the middle west. Wisconsin's greatest resource, however, is in the soil, and the marked progress which is being made throughout the state along the line of agriculture is due largely to the scientific methods which are being applied to the growing of grains, fruits, stock and the management of the soil. The southern half of the state is well settled, highly improved and embraces some of the finest farming land to be found any- where. Land values are high — higher than in Michigan for ex- ample, but not as high as in many parts of Illinois, and the methods of farming followed are considerably above the average. While the soils are subject to wide variations, the predominating type is a silt loam. In the regions which were originally tim- bered this soil is light colored, while on the prairies it is black. The soil is remarkably productive and responds quickly to care- ful management. Numerous areas of marsh land will <^^^ great wealth to the state when drained and reclaimed. The northern half of the state is a vast empire of undeveloped resources. The soils range from sandy loams to silt loam and red clay, with the silt loam predominating. There are also some areas of sand which have a low agricultural value, but these tracts are of much smaller extent than the desirable lands. The pine has all been removed and also the greater proportion of the Agricultural Opportunities 129 hardwood. Most of it is a cut-over country with the fanning opportunities just beginning to be appreciated. Land values range from $3.50 per acre up, depending upon the location, the character of the soil, surrounding development, and the im- provements on the land. Clover and grasses do remarkably welt and have a flavor which is imparted through the dairy cow to butter and cheese to such an extent that these products from Northern Wisconsin are coming to be recognized as of the finest quality. Corn can be matured in all parts of the state, though in the northern portion it does not always escape being damaged by the frost. It is grown for ensilage throughout all sections. Oats, barley, wheat, sugar beets, peas and potatoes are among the crops which grow successfully and with profit in all parts of northern Wisconsin. The dairy industry is taking the lead and is the most important type of farming, in the newly developing regions as well as in the old established communities. Alfalfa is coming to be a very important crop and will greatly assist in the higher development of the dairy industry. On the Bayfield peninsula on Lake Superior and in Door Countj^ bordering Lake Michigan, the growing of apples, cher- ries and berries is receiving considerable attention, and is meet- ing with very good success. The southwestern portion of the state is also considered well adapted to apple culture and the fruit industry offers many opportunities. The growing of straw- berries, raspberries, currents, etc., has developed into a profit- able industry at Sparta and at a number of other places, though on a smaller scale. Raising peas, beans, tomatoes, etc., for can- ning purposes received considerable attention and the trucking industry in general is being extended in various sections. Considering Wisconsin's location in regard to markets, the climate, soil, the spirit of progress which prevails everywhere, and considering the fact that throughout this part of the coun- try the farmer is really the man of affairs, the opportunities of- fered along the line of agriculture in AVisconsin are equalled by fcAV, if any, of the other sections of the country. 9 130 Hints to Homeseekers Map 11. — Soil and Agricultural Map of Ohio and Indiana. Agricultural Opportunities 131 Map Legend. 1. Lacustrine Soils, timbered, chiefly of the Dunkirk series. Light gray to brown soils with drab, gray and mottled sub-soils. Some marsh areas also. Chiefly formed from wash from sand- sitone, shale and limestone. Variable as to texture. Occurs as extensive level to undulating tracts and as terraces along Lake Erie. Devoted to general farming and to fruit raising along lake shore, especially in northeastern Ohio. 2. River Bottoms. Soils of alluvial origin and naturally very productive. A considerable portion is deficient in drainage and some subject to overflow. All general farm crops common to region grown. 3. Light colored timbered soils of glacial origin. Mostly silt loam. Extensive tracts of undulating to gently rolling country. First class general farming region. Corn, grains, grass, dairy- ing and livestock. 4. Light colored timbered soils of loessial origin, chiefly silt loam. Quite badly eroded along streams. Adapted to grain growing, general farming. Some dairying and stock raising. Some fruit also raised. 5. Soils chiefly from sandstone and shales. Light colored, tim- bered and includes the roughest portions of Ohio. General farming chief type of agriculture. 6. Residual limestone region. Soils naturally strong and pro- ductive. General farming. 7. Very similar to No. 5 though less broken. 8. Black prairie soi^s of glacial origin. Level to gently undu- lating. Good general farming land. Corn important crop. Some small grains. Dairying. 9. Black Prairie soils of loessial origin, chiefly. Corn land. General farming and some dairying. Considerable areas of de- ficient drainage. 10. Lacustrine soi^s, largely prairie. Natural drainage de- ficient over considerable areas. Some swamp land. Corn, gen- eral farming and dairying. 132 Hints to HomeseeJcers Ohio. Ohio is one of the moic important agricultural states in the Union, and the advance which is now being made in the state along the lines of scientific fanning, is certain to place the com- monwealth in even a higher position than it occupies at the pres- ent time. From the standpoint of soils, Ohio falls naturally into four more or less distinct provinces. To a certain extent these may be considered agricultural, as well as soil provinces, since the dif- ferent soils are adapted to different crops. As this adaptation of soils to crops is recognized, agriculture gradually advances to a higher stage of development. As indicated on the map the greater proportion of the state has been influenced by glacial action and is included in the Glacial and Loessial Province. The greater portion of this region con- sists of light colored upland soils which were timbered. In the western and north central parts of the state the soils extend to a great depth and are found overlying limestone, chiefly. They are adapted to general farm crops and have a special adaptation for truck, fruit in places and alfalfa. In the northeastern part of the state the soils are light colored and are derived largely by feeble glacial action from sandstones and shales. These soils are adapted to potatoes, grass, bats, and in less elevated positionsi to corn. The entire Glacial Province may be considered as forming the richest agricultural division of the state. The topography is undulating to gently rolling, with comparatively few rough re- gions, and agriculture is highly developed. There are extensive areas of lowlying black land, .some of which has been drained and reclaimed and is now producing excellent crops of corn and other farm crops. There are also some prairie regions within this province. Along the shore of Lake Erie and extending to the southwest from Toledo is a considerable area included within the Glacial Lake and River Terrace Province. This region was at one time all covered by water, the surface is level to undulating or gently Agricidtural Opportunities 133 rolling and it included a large amount of fine agricultural land, devoted chiefly to general farming, though immediately along the lake considerable fruit is grown. The southeastern portion of the state is included in the Ap- palachian Mountain and Plateau Province and is the roughest and least improA^ed section of Ohio. There are extensive coal deposits in this region and while agriculture is important it has not been as highly developed as elsewhere. The soils of this province are largely residual from sandstone and shale. Many of the slopes are adapted to fruit. There are large tracts of land well suited to grass for hay and pasture and most of the general farm crops do fairly well, where the topography i.s not too rough. In the southwestern portion of the state there is a narrow belt of residual soils from limestone, but this tract is quite small as compared with the other sections described. It falls within the Limestone Valleys and Uplands Province. General farming is established in this region, and some special crops including tobacco are also grown. The raising of certain crops are confined largely to certain portions of the state. Tobacco, for example, is confined chiefly to the southwestern counties. Potatoes, ensilage corn, apples and maple syrup are produced more extensively in the northeast- ern portion than e^.sewhere. The dairy industry is developed to a greater extent in the northeastern counties than in other re- gions. AVhile oats is grown throughout the state there is more raised in northwestern Ohio than in other parts of the state. General farming, stock raising and feeding and breeding are car- ried on throughout the central, western and northern parts of the state. Ijand values throughout the leading farming regions are high. The census returns indicate that during the past two decades the rural population has been decreasing and the average size of farms has been increasing. As in other well improved sections, the greatest opportuni- 134 Hints io Ilomeseekers ties in agriculture are to be found along the line of more inten- sive farming and in specializing. In order to attain the great- est success the most scientific methods should be followed. The state is aiding in the higher development of agriculture in many ways, the most important one of which is in having a soil sui'- vey made of the entire state. Reports covering portions of this work are now available and other reports may be obtained free through the U. S. Bureau of Soils as rapidly as the work is com- pleted. A study of these reports will give detailed informa- tion concerning the soil and agricultural development in all por- tions of Ohio. Indiana. The state of Indiana is very uniform in the methods and types of agriculture which are followed at the present time. Soil conditions are also about as uniform as can be found in any of the other states, though from the surface geology and from a soil standpoint four divisions may be made, as indicated on the map. The old glacial lake beds were occupied by water thousands of years ago and the soils found in these places today are very high in organic matter content, especially the heavy types, which are very productive. Areas of peat are also found but many of these are still undrained and undeveloped. The rec- lamation of these areas will greatly increase the area of agri- cultural land in the state. The surface of this division i,s flat to undulating and the natural drainage is defective. Open ditches and tile drains are necessary for the removal of the sur- plus water. Much of the land is drained and cultivated, though there are tracts of considerable size where the draiijage prob- lems have not been worked out. As most of this class- of land is near Chicago it is very valuable when once properly drained. There are good opportunities for those who have capital and ex- perience in the development of such tracts. The River Flood Plains form another important division. The bottom lands along the Ohio River and its tributaries within Agricultural Opportunities 135 the state are all naturally very productive and in many places highly developed. While much of the land is protected by levees, drainage is the chief problem and large tracts of rich land are not cultivated because the drainage is defective. Many extensive projects have been installed but there are still thou- sands of acres to be reclaimed. The portion of the state indicated on the map as consisting of glacial material is a highly developed agricultural region, where general farming is the leading type of agriculture followed. Dairying and stock raising are important industries and much thoroughbred stock is raised both for the block and for breed- ing purposes. Land values are high and a large percentage of the land is improved. The surface is level to gently rolling, with a few morainic regions of limited extent. Peat marshes of con- siderable size are found, especially in the northwestern section. But few of these have been reclaimed, though they offer good opportunities for the agricultural engineer. When properly drained and supplied with potash and phosphoric acid they will be very productive. The soils of the upland region of the divi- sion range from sand to clay loam. There are large prairies where the soil is black. There are also large uniform areas of a light colored silt loam. Most of the soils are included in the Miami and Carrington series as mapped by the Bureau of Soils. A large portion of the southern and western part of the state is indicated on the map as loessial material. The soil of this re- gion is chiefly a silt loam and classed as Marshall silt loam by the Bureau of Soils. Agriculture is quite highly developed over most of the region, though there are opportunities for the intro- duction of improved methods in some sections and for men who will specialize along particular lines of agricultural production. As a whole Indiana is highly developed. It is within eas}'- reach of excellent markets and is supplied with first class trans- portation facilities. As land values are high the opportunities are not as attractive to the young man of limited means as in regions less developed. To make the greatest success on high priced land it is necessary to specialize. 13G ]Ii)ils lu lIomcMckcrs Map \2.—H())] and Aoricullurnl M(il> of Illinois. Agricidtuml .Opportunities 137 Map Legend. 1. Unglaciated region. Predominating soil a yellow silt loam consisting of loess to depth of about ten feet. The underlying material is largely a residual reddish clay from limestone. Sur- face rolling to very hilly. Slopes badly eroded. Rather diflfi- eult to cultivate. Originally timbered. 2. Morainic areas. Includes material from Wisconsin, Illi- noisan and lowan glaciation. Surface gently rolling to rolling. Includes much good agricultural land. 3. Gray prairie region. Predominating soil consists of a gray silt loam resting upon a heavy, impervious clay, sometimes called "hardpan. " Surface level to gently undulating and natural drainage deficient. Organic matter content low. Grain raising, general farming and some stock chief types of agricul- ture. 4. Brown silt loam prairies. Spoken of as "The ordinary prairie land." Brown to bkck silt loam soil resting upon yel- lowish silty clay. Surface gently undulating to rolling, with fair to good surface drainage. Very highly improved. Excel- lent corn land. Large amounts of stock raised and fed. Some dairying. Land values very high. Contains some small "black prairies." 5. Black Prairie Lands; Sometimes called "gumbo." Soil black, sticky clay loam underlain by drab to yellowish silty clay. Surface flat and drainage deficient. Contains numerous areas of "Brown prairie land," which is more rolling. Good corn land. Stock raising important. Land mostly highly improved. Values high. 6. Loessial hill regions. Soil chiefly deep yellow silt and very fine sand of loessial origin. Forms uplands bordering stream bottoms. Surface hilly with many steep slopes. Erodes to con- 138 Jlinh lo Homcseekers siderable extent. Drainage good. General farming, some stock and little fruit. 7. Wisconsin silt loam region. Mostly from Late Wisconsin glaciation. Chief soil a yellow silt loam underlain by yellow- ish-brown silty clay loam. Numerous moraines and marshy area,s included. Dairying and general farming chief types of agriculture. Trucking also important in certain sections. Land highly improved. 8. Sandy loam region. Soil chiefly a brown sandy loam from lowan glacial material. Rests upon limestone at from four to ten feet. Low in organic matter. Has excellent drainage but requires careful management to increase and maintain produc- tivity. General farming chief type of agriculture. 9. Bottom lands, swamps and sand areas. Texture of bottom soils variable, though mostly heavy. Large areas subject to overflow. Soil strong and natura^.ly productive. INIany large swamp areas can and ai-e being reclaimed with profit. Illinois. Illinois is one of the leading states in agricultural wealth. Taken as a whole the land is highly developed and a very large percentage of the state is under actual cultivation. Dairying is a very important industry, especially in the vicinity of Chicago and St. Louis ;iiul ahui^- the main railroad lines leading into these cities. Stock breeding and feeding are highly developed, especially in the northern and west central i)ortions of the state. Corn is the leading croj) and it. is grown more extensively tlirougliout these portions of the state than in the southern part. Practical ly all ol" the corn finds its way to market in the form of beef and poi-k. The i-egion is also well adapted to oats and grasses. The soils of the northern portion of the state consist chiefly of glacial drift with some old glacial lake beds in the vicinity of Chicago. The topogi-;i])hy is mostly level to undulating prairies Agricultural Opportunities 139 and over large tracts the natural drainage is defective. Both tile drains and open ditches are in extensive use. The soil con- sists largely of dark brown and black silt loams, which are very fertile and well adapted to corn and grasses. Along the streams are narroAV belts of lighter colored soils which originally sup- ported a growth of timber. This class of land is better adapted to grass and grain crops than to corn. In the southern part of the state there are extensive areas of grayish or light brown silt loam of loessial character which is adapted to grass, grain, cow- peas, fruit, etc. Considerable corn is raised but not as exten- sively as in the northern portion of the state. The topography is more rolling than in the northern part and the natural drain- age is better. Along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers there are large amounts of bottom land, some of which are highly developed. Much of the land is protected by levees but the natural drainage condi- tions are poor. The soils are naturally very productive and the great problems that must be solved in the development of such land are drainage questions. As a general proposition land values have reached such a high point in Illinois that it is difficult for a young man of limited means to buy a farm and come out whole on a general farming proposition. The average size of farms is gradually increasing due to the fact that when a farm is for sale it is bought by a large land owner and added to his already extensive holdings. The man who sells usually seeks for land in some section of country less developed where values are lower. Thousands of Illinois farmers have sold out in the last decade and have moved to the Canadian Northwest. Others have gone to the western part of our own country and some have gone to the rich prairie regions of Alabama and Mississippi where black prairie land can be bought for one-fourth, or less, what land sells for in Illinois. ]40 Hints to Homeseekers The lujin o\' limited means and experience! should not buy higli priced land anywhere for farming purposes. Good land can be secured cheaply in many sections of the country where all of the necessities of life can be readily secured and where good schools, church(>s and places for social gatherings are available. Aside from making a good living in such a section the land will increase in value. 'I'hc man of experience and means who wishes to specialize along some particular line of agricultural production will find excelhmt openings in Illinois. He will be close to the best of jiiarkcts and in toucli with things in general. 142 Hints to Homeseekers Map 13. — Soil a??ri Agricultural Map of Minnesota. Agricultural Opportunities 143 Map Legend. 1. Lacustrine soils of the Rod River Valley. p]xtensive prai- rie region with black soils consisting largely of silt loam, silty clay and clay of the Fargo series. Soils contain large amount of organic matter and are very calcareous. Devoted chiefly to the raising of grain. Drainage usually deficient and soil inclined to be cold. Grains and grasses do well. Season too short for corn. 2. Undulating to gently rolling glacial prairie soils ranging in color fi-om dark grayish-brown to black. Usually fairly well supplied with lime. Loams and silt loams predominate. Region includes some moraines which are rougher. Small amount of timber originally along streams. Excellent general farming country. Corn, oats, wheat, barley, flax and grasses all do well. Dairying important industry. Most of region well improved. 3. Light colored timbered soils, of glacial origin. Includes large area of pine land, hardwood land and regions of mixed growth. Considerable areas of sandy loam and loam soils. In- cludes the least developed portions of state. Adapted to grasses, small grains, potatoes, corn and some trucking in southern por- tion. Dairj'ing is being extended to a considerable extent. Ex- tensive mineral deposits in northern part. 4. Soi^s of Loessial origin light colored, mostly silt loam. Re- gion badly eroded along streams. Soil fertile and the region is a good agricultural section. Adapted to general farm crops and dairying. Grains do well. 5. Lacustrine soils, originally timbered, having light colored surface and red sub-soil. MostV clay and clay loam, of Superior series. Good general farming soil, though often the natural drainage is poor. Surface usually nearly level. 6. Dark colored, prairie soils of loessial origin, mostly silt loams. Good general farming region. 144 Hints to Ilomeseekers Minnesota The state of Minnesota may be divided into several distinct regions from the standpoint of its soil formation and within these sections there are at least four more or less distinct types of agriculture followed. The southern and southwestern portions of the state are made up largely of gently rolling prairies. AVhile the black prairie regions are very extensive, there are also areas of light colored soils, but such areas are usually confined to country adjacent to watercourses or morainic belts and this class of land is where all of the timber originally grew. The soils of this region are quite uniform and of the heavier textures, chietlj^ silt loams and clay loams. They are naturally productive and the country is now well improved and very prosperous. The region when first set- tled became a vast grain growing section with wheat as the lead- ing crop. This type of farming, however, has gradually given way to a more diversified system until at the present time gen- eral farming is now the leading type of agriculture, with dairy- ing on the increase and stock raising as an important branch. The breeding of thoroughbred stock has reached considerable proportions and the feeding of stock for the block is also re- ceiving attention in many localities. The Red River Valley, in the northwestern part of the state, is another distinct agricultural region and it is also a distinct soil province. It is a grain growing section and wheat is the leading crop, though oats and flax are also important crops. The season is too short to mature corn, though it can be grown for fodder. Grasses do Avell and a number are taking up dairying and follow- ing general farming, though these farmers are in the minority at present. The soil consists largely of alluvial silt. It is black in color and naturally veiy productive. The surface of the en- tire region is level to undulating and the natural drainage is de- ficient. This makes the soil somewhat cold and backward in the spring. Tile drains should be installed to a greater extent than Agricultural Opportunities 145 at present. Farming in this region is on a large scale and may- be classed as extensive agriculture, though the tendency at pres- ent is to reduce the acreage and cultivate more thoroughly. East of the Ked River Valley and north of St. Paul and Min- neapolis and extending to the Canadian line is a vast region, comprising about one-third of the state, but slightly developed. It is the timbered portion of the state and while the original growth included considerable tracts of pine, the major portion of the timber was hardwood. In the extreme northern part of the state there is still considerable timber standing but most of the pine and a large amount of the hardwood has been cut. The cut-over lands are being cleared and farms developed and im- provement in that section is quite rapid. The soils as a rule are sandy, but are well adapted to grasses, forage crops and dairying will doubtless be the leading type of farming. Some of the hardy varieties of com can be matured in the southern part of the region and corn can be grown for silage in all por- tions of the area. Potatoes do very well also and are an impor- tant crop in a number of localities. Land in this region is cheaper than elsewhere in the state and many excellent oppor- tunities are afforded for investment and for the establishing of farm homes. In the vicinity of St. Paul and Minneapolis and also near Duluth some trucking is carried on and more intensive agricul- ture is practiced than elsewhere in the state. The state is well supplied wih railroads and markets are ex- cellent. The cities of St. Paul, Minneapolis and Duluth take large amount of farm produce and the mining regions of the north also require a large supply of farm and garden produce for which good prices are always paid. The rainfall varies from about twenty inches in the Red River Valley to about thirty inches in the eastern and southeastern portions of the state. Dry farming methods are followed to some extent along the western border, but under normal condi- 10 146 Hints to Honieseekers tions fair crops are obtained under the usual methods of culti- vation. The Agricultural College of the University of Minnesota and the Experiment Station forces are doing a great deal to assist the farmers of the state in dealing with soil and farm manage- ment problems, and these institutions are always ready to give out information concerning conditions within the state. ]4S Hints to Homeseekers Map U.—Soil and Agricultural Map of Iowa and Missouri Agrioultural Opportunities 149 Map Legend. 1. Glacial soils of Wisconsin Drift sheet, probably with some loessial material. Good general farming country. Level black prairies, drainage often deficient. Corn, oats, hay, chief crops, dairy and stock raising important. 2. Glacial soils of lowan Drift sheet, probably with some loessial material. Corn, oats, some wheat, hay. Dairying and general farming leading industries. Fat cattle and hogs raised quite extensively. Chiefly black prairie; better drained than No. 1. 3. Morainic regioiLS. Rougher than surrounding land and originally timbered. Has lower agricultural value than other sections of state. 4. Silt soils, mostly black and of loessial origin chiefly, with some glacial till areas. Extensive prairies. Excellent com land. Oats and hay also grown. Fruit in places along Missouri River. Large quantities of cattle and hogs raised for the market. Some dairying. 5. Residual soils of Western Prairies. Considerable first class land. Partially prairie. Corn, grains, stock. Some dairying. 6. Limestone region. Including the Ozark Mountains. Rough land and quite stony, though most of soil is strong and produc- tive. Numerous good locations for orchards, especially apples. 7. River bottoms. All alluvial soil, naturally very productive, though portions are subject to overflow. Great variety of gen- eral farm, trucking and special crops grown successfully- 8. Light colored loessial soils, mostly silt loam. Badly eroded in places along streams. Good general farming soil and also adapted to fruit. Iowa. Iowa is one of the leading agricultural states in the Union and has long been known throughout the world for its large production of corn, liogs and fat cattle. There is a larger 150 Hints to Homeseekers percentage of the land in Iowa improved than is the case in any other state. Land values the state over also average higher than in other agricultural regions of so large an extent. Farm land throughout the major portion of the state, where well im- proved, ranges in value from $100 to $200 per acre, and even higher than this in some instances. Under these conditions it is difficult for a young man of limited means to buy a farm for which he must go in debt heavily, and make a success of the proposition. On account of these high land values a very large number of people have gone to the Canadian Northwest where land is cheap and the opportunities promising. During the past decade the average size of farms in Iowa has increased and the rural popu- lation has decreased, due chiefly to the high land values. In order that farming on high priced land may be made profitable it is necessary to follow more intensive methods of cul- tivation than was practiced when values were low. In such re- gions the farmers who are specializing along some particular line are becoming more numerous, and larger returns per acre are being received. In Iowa the growing of grain on a large scale has gradually given way to a more diversified farming, which would tend to keep up the fertility of the land and also yield a larger income per acre. Corn is the leading crop of the state and the raising of hogs and cattle, both for the block and for breeding purposes, receives a great deal of attention. Oats is grown quite extensively and wheat is one of the farm crops in some sections, but is grown on a much smaller scale than formerly. Large quantities of hay are grown and some land is devoted to grazing, though the propor- tion of grazing land on the majority of farms is comparatively small. The feeding of silage during the summer to take the place of a part of the pasturing, is quite common in many re- gions. The fruit industry has not received a great deal of at- tention in a commercial way, throughout the state as a whole, but many of the farmers have their home orchards in which Agricultural Opportvnities 151 apples, pears, grapes, peaches and plums are raised successfully. Special attention is given fruit raising in several localities and excellent results obtained. Small fruits do very well in many localities and special crops such as potatoes, celery, onions, etc., are successfully grown. Alfalfa is an important crop which is gradually being grown more extensively. The soils of the state fall into five divisions though as a whole the soils are more uniform than in most of the other states. The north central portion of the state covering an area equal to ap- proximately one-third of Iowa consists of glacial drift. The eastern portion of this drift sheet is considerable older than the western. The eastern is known as the lowan Drift sheet and the western, the Wisconsin Drift sheet. These regions include much excellent agricultural land, large black prairie tracts and also some soils which were originally timbered. The area is more rolling in the east and has some poorly drained land in the west. The soils range in texture from sandy loams to clay loams but the silt loam is the predominating type. Within the glacial region and along its outer margin are some moraines which include the roughest areas in the state. They are of comparatively small extent, however. The largest portion of the state is taken up with soils of a loessial character. The loessial province includes all of the southern part of the state and both the eastern and western mar- gins. The soil is quite uniform in texture, being a silt loam, and there are extensive prairies upon which com is the leading crop. The soil is naturally very productive, the surface level to gently rolling, except along rivers, where it is quite rolling with high bluffs, and farming throughout the province is on a very firm basis. Land values are very high and are still increasing. The river bottoms along the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers form another soil province. The lands within this region are low lying, naturally very productive but poorly drained and all of alluvial origin. When properly drained and protected from overflow they make very valuable farming land. The area 152 Hints to Homeseekers as a whole is comparatively small and is not as highly improved as the other provinces. The chief opportunities in Iowa are along the line of special- izing in the production of certain crops, in the production of beef, pork or dairy products. Dairying is increasing gradually but is not nearly as highly developed as, for example, in Wis- consin. In order to make the greatest success, a small acreage should be cultivated intensively, and the most up-to-date methods followed. Transportation facilities are excellent in all parts of the state and the best of markets for all of the products of the farm are within easy shipping distance. The rainfall is sufficient for all farm crops and it is normally well distributed throughout the growing season. In the northwestern corner of the state the average precipitation is from twenty- five to thirty inches, while throughout the remainder of the state it is from thirty to forty inches. The climatic conditions are such that all the usual farm crops mature perfectly. During winter much of the fat stock is pro- tected only by rough sheds to keep out the wind. Missouri. Missouri is an important and progressive agricultural state and has a range of farm products equalled by but few other sec- tions of the country. The leading types of agriculture followed consist of general farming, with stock raising as a very impor- tant branch, grain growing, fruit raising, with dairying as an industry which is developing quite rapidly. Missouri has a reputation for the fine mules which are raised there, .but breed- ing extends over a much broader field and stock farms devoted to the raising of pure bred stock are numerous. Cattle, horses, sheep and swine are raised in large numbers. The rich agricul- tural country throughout this and adjoining states provides an excellent market for breeding stock, and St. Louis provides a Agricultural Opportunities 153 good market for horses and mules, as well as for cattle and hogs and all of the products of the farm and garden. The chief agricultural products are wheat, corn, oats, hay, fruit, garden truck, with some tobacco. Cotton is grown to some extent in the southern part of the state. Most of the com is marketed in the form of beef and pork and the feeding of stock for market is a very important, extensive and profitable industry. The state is divided into several more or less distinct soil and -agricultural provinces. The Ozark Mountain region, which is the roughest part of Missouri, is confined to the southern por- tion of the state and from an agricultural standpoint is of im- portance chiefly as a fruit growing section. The growing of apples receives more attention than other horticultural ventures and the industry has been developed to a considerable extent. The country throughout this region is rough and very rocky for the most part. The soils are derived largely from the weather- ing of limestone. Much of the country is still undeveloped and land values in such places are still comparatively low. The fruit industry could be profitably extended, though in order to attain the greatest success the most up-to-date and scientific methods must be followed. In the valleys throughout this province and on the uplands where the surface is not too rough and rocky the soils are adapted to the production of most of the general farm crops grown elsewhere in the state, and these regions are being im- proved. In the west central part of the state, south of the Missouri Eiver, is a region covering portions of several counties where the soils are residual and where the country is included in what is known as the Western Prairie region. The state is crossed by the Missouri River from northwest to southeast and is bordered on the east by the Mississippi River. Along these rivers there are extensive areas of bottom land where the soil is of alluvial origin and naturaUy very fertile and pro- ductive. In the southeastern part of the state much of this was 154 Hints to Homeseekers originally in a swampy condition and all of the bottom lands are naturally deficient in drainage. Large tracts, however, have been reclaimed by the construction of large drainage ditches and the land is being improved rapidly. Levees protect the low lands from overflow in most cases, but drains are necessary to remove the excess rainfall and to lower the water table. Where improved, these bottom lands are producing excellent returns and paying big dividends upon the money invested in the origi- nal purchase price and in the drainage of the land. Many good opportunities are presented for investment in these lands, as the values are still low. The northern portion of the state is covered with a mantle of loess and this extends to a short distance south of the Missouri River. Much of this region consists of black prairie and it in- cludes the richest and best developed farming sections of the state. Grain growing has long been important in this region but the acreage is being reduced and more attention is being given to the raising of livestock. Corn is a very important crop and cattle and hogs are the chief products sold from many of the farms. The large holdings of former years are being cut up into smaller farms. Dairying is on the increase. The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers furnish water transpor- tation, which is a factor not to be overlooked, and the state is well supplied with railroads, so that shipping facilities are in most cases adequate for the needs of well developed agricultural regions. The average rainfall of the state is about thirty-nine inches and this is fairly well distributed, so that periods of drought are rare. The state as a whole presents attractive op- portunities for those wishing to engage in fanning. The climate is mild and healthful, land is reasonable in price, and markets are good. Map 15. — Soil and Agricultural Map of Arkansas and Louisiana. Agriculturol Opportunities 157 Map Legend. 1. Residual limestone region, including the Ozark Mountains. Rough country but slightly improved. Many good locations for orchards. Soil productive but usually very stony and surface uneven. 2. Appalachian Mountains and Plateau region. Rolling to mountainous. Soils mostly sandy. Much unimproved land. 3. Coastal Plain region, including black prairies, rice lands, sandy soils with red subsoil and some loessial soils. Developing into fine agricultural section. Cotton, corn, rice and many other general farming and truck crops. 4. Loessial soils, mostly silt loams. Of limited extent. Good trucking and general farm land, though erodes rapidly on un- prot(!cted slopes. Soil responds quickly to carefvd treatment. 5. River Bottom Lands. All alluvial soil, naturally very pro- ductive. Subject to overflow in places. Requires drainage over large areas. Well adapted to cotton, corn and variety of gen- eral farm crops, including alfalfa. Suitable also for trucking. Considerable timber still standings. 6. Dark colored soils, partly prairie. Mostly silt loams. Sur- face generally level to undulating and drainage frequently de- ficient. Mostly good agricultural land and some of it is highly developed. Rice is an important crop. On lighter soils trucking is carried on. Arkansas. From a soil and geological point of view the state of Arkansas, may be divided into five provinces, all of which are developed over a considerable area. The River Flood Plains Province includes the extensive bottom lands along the Mississippi, Arkansas and Red Rivers and also along numerous smaller streams which traverse various portions of the state. The soil in the bottoms is all alluvial and naturally 158 Hints to Homeseekers very productive. The land is somewhat sandy along the border of the streams but becomes heavier as the distance from the river channel increases, until in the low interstream areas it is a heavy clay. This low land back from the streams is poorly drained and before the greatest success can be attained it is nec- essary to install drainage systems. The sandy land along the stream is better drained than the land further back and good crops can be secured on these low ridges nearly every year with- out drainage. Over a large part of the bottoms cotton and corn are. raised ^vithout ditching but the fields are irregular and in the spring and whenever there are heavy rains there is danger from too much moisture. The bottoms are protected from the rivers by levees which usually withstand all floods, but in times of ex- tremely high water a break sometimes occurs in the levee and much damage results from the flooding of the low lands. Land in this Province in Arkansas is very cheap and adapted to a wide range of crops. The greatest objection is the danger from flood- ing. The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province includes most of the south- em and southeastern portions of the state outside of the bottoms. The soils range from sands and sandy loams to heavy black prai- rie. On the prairies of southern Arkansas the rice industry has been developed to a considerable extent and is still growing in importance. Cotton is the leading crop over the region as a whole and some com is also grown. The soils are adapted to a much broader range of crops than are being grown at present. There is still considerable timber standing and land values are comparatively low especially where no improvements have been made. The Loessial Province includes deposits of silt' of loessial origin, found a^.ong the eastern margin of the state border- ing the bottoms. The soil is a silt loam which can be readily worked and made to produce very satisfactory crops under care- ful management. It offers especially good opportunities for im- provement. It is easily eroded where the surface is uneven but Agricultural Opportunities 159 where undulating or level there is no danger from this source. Land of this character can be bought at a very reasonable figure. The Ozark Mountain region in the northern part of the state is included in the Limestone valleys and Uplands Province. The soils are derived largely from the weathering of limestone. The surface is for the most part rough and the soil is frequently very rocky. The fruit industry, especially the growing of apples, has been developed to a considerable extent in this region. General farming is also carried on to some extent, but most of the land is still unimproved. Some of it is too rough to be of any value for agricultural purposes, but there are tracts where all of the crops common to the region can be successfully grown and also where orchards can be planted. Values are still very low. Immediately to the south of the Limestone region is found a region belonging to the Appalachian Mountains and Plateaus Province. This covers a considerable area on both sides of the Arkansas River. The northern part of this region is similar in topography to the Limestone region but it becomes less broken towards the south. There are extensive tracts suitable for apple culture in this region and where the surface is not too rough all of the crops common to the region can be successfully grown. Continuous growing of cotton is being replaced by diversified farming, agricultural practices are being improved and better livestock is being raised. The state as a whole presents many excellent opportunities for investment in land and for the actual improvement of farming lands. Louisiana. The most important agricultural region of Louisiana is in- eluded within the river bottoms which are very extensively de- veloped along the Mississippi and Red Rivers. The extensive sugar plantations of which nearly every one has heard are lo- cated on these bottom soils. The low lands are protected from the rivers by levees, though there are very extensive areas where 160 Hints io Ilovieseekers the land is so low and level that the natural drainage is very poor, Throup'hoiit the "bottoms" the highest land is immedi- ately along the river and the surface gradually becomes lower as the large interstream areas are reached. The texture of the soil also changes and while the land along the river front is usually a fine sandy loam, the material gradually changes until in the low swampy areas it is a heavy clay or clay loam. All of this soil material is alluvial and naturally very productive. At the present time a number of large drainage projects are being developed in the Louisiana Bottoms and thousands of acres of this low land are being reclaimed. Where good drainage is once established magnificent crops — corn, cotton, alfalfa, and sugar- cane are being raised. In fact certain portions of the "bottoms" are exceeding equal areas of Illinois in the production of com. With the drainage of the low lands, the healthfulness of the region also increases, and what has often been thought of as a malaria infested region fit only for colored people to inhabit, is now developing into a rich agricultural region with the number of substantial houies and enterprising white settlers greatly on the increase. Over large areas of the "bottoms" there are still valuable tracts of timber, but this is being rapidly cut off and the land made available for agricultural development. Large tracts of land can be bought very cheaply but it should always be borne in mind that before the greatest success can be attained in growing crops, is will be necessary to thoroughly drain the land, which is quite an expensive undertaking. When thorough drainage is once established the land is of almost inexhaustible fertility. General farming, stock raising, dairying and the raising of cot- ton and sugar-cane are the lines of farming best adapted to this region. Alfalfa can be successfully grown here also. In the vicinity of Crowley and extending into other portions of the state the rice growing industry has been developed to a considerable extent. For this crop the land must be level and ther(! must be an abundance of water for irrigation. As soon as AgriculiHral Opportunities 161 the riee is sown and is up about four inches the land is flooded and the water is kept on the fields until the grain is nearly ma- ture. It is then drawn off so the land will dry out sufficiently to use modern machinery in harvesting the rice. This industry has proven to be a profitable one and the acreage is gradually in- creasing. There are large tracts of land suitable for growing rice and as the consumption of this grain is increasing yearly, the opportunities for rice growing are promising. The soils of the upland portion of the state belong chiefly to the Norfolk and Orangeburg series with some types of the Sus- quehanna and a number of other minor series represented. The greater proportion of the upland country is but slightly de- veloped, there being considerable areas still in timber, which con- sists chiefly of pine. This land is capable of being profitably developed but in many regions transportation faci'.ities are not adequate for the marketing of farm products. Louisiana offers many good opportunities along the line of agricultural development. In purchasing land in this state espe- cial attention should be given to the title to property, since in some places titles are apt to be defective. 11 162 Hints to Ilomeseekers Map 16.— Soil and Agricultural Map of North and South Dakota. Agricidiural Opportunities 163 Map Legend. 1. Black Prairies within the glacial region. Surface level to undulating and gently rolling. Getting into semi-arid country to the west. Grain growing and stock raising chief lines of farm- ing. Some dry farming in the west. 2. Prairie soils of unglaciated region. Dark grayish-brown soil with light gray to yellow calcareous sub-soils. Surface is a gently rolling plain in which streams have cut channels. Some broken land adjoining streams. Semi-arid region. Grazing chief type of agriculture. 3. Red River Valley. Black prairie soils with high organic matter content. Level to gently undulating, drainage often de- ficient. Grain raising chief industry with general farming and dairying on the increase in the south. 4. Bottom Lands. Soils of alluvial origin. 5. Brown prairie soils in residual region, mostly clay, clay loam and silt loam types. The clay is commonly called ' ' gumbo. ' ' Undulating to gently rolling country. Soils productive, but rain- fall limited in most of region. General farming on the increase. Some dry farming. Grazing still quite important. 6. Soils of Plains Group. Dark gray to brown surface soils, with light colored, almost white, very calcareous sub-soils. Easily eroded and white sub-soil exposed in many places, which are known as the "Bad Lands." Mostly silt loam. Semi-arid region. Agriculture not highly developed. 7. Region of timbered, unglaciated soils, semi-arid. Surface quite rough and of little present agricultural value. North Dakota. North Dakota may be divided into four more or less distinct agricultural provinces. The extreme eastern portion of the state lies within the valley of the Red River and comprises a very im- portant grain growing section. The soil is of alluvial origin, 164 Hints fo Homeseekers very dark colored, rich in organic matter and naturally very productive. The surface is level to undulating and the natural drainage is somewhat deficient. Land in this region is mostly held in large tracts though the tendency is to break up these large holdings into smaller farms and grow a greater variety of crops. It is probable that in time dairying may become an im- portant industry in this region although the growing season is too short for corn to mature. Grasses do well and a system of general farming in connection with grain growing would seem to offer good opportunities. There is a small section in the southeastern corner of the state where dairying has been developed to a considerable extent. The industry is gradually being extended and is proving to be profit- able. The greater proportion of the state is given over to a system of farming in which grain growing and stock raising are com- bined. While the soil is naturally productive, as a rule, the rain- fall is frequently deficient and this is usually the limiting factor in crop production. Within the past decade thousands of set- tlers have taken up homesteads throughout this region and estab- lished homes. There are still considerable tracts open to entry, though the most desirable lands have been taken. Land values are gradually increasing as the country develops and there are many good chances for investment and for engaging in general farming operations. The large grain farms and ranches are slowly disappearing before the advance of the settler and home- steader and it will not be long until all of the larger tracts are cut up into farms. All of the crops common to the corn belt, with the exception of corn, can be successfully grown. In the western and southwestern portions of the' state ranch- ing still predominates and as the rainfall is less further east this region will continue to be a ranching countrj^ until the other portions of the state are pretty well taken up. In the south- westem corner of the state the surface is very rough and broken Agricultural Opportunities 165 and is best suited to grazing. The water supply for stock usually controls the situation and where the water is owned by one man he can readily control all grazing land tributary to such drinking places. Tn such places where the possibilities for the growing of cultivated crops are slight, the ranchman is comparatively secure and as other portions of the state are being subdivided, the sec- tions suited only to grazing increase considerably in value. With the reduction in the number of large ranches the price of beef advances and good cattle or sheep ranches are therefore better paying propositions than ever before. South Dakota. The state of South Dakota is divided into two agricultural districts which are separated roughly by the Missouri River. Throughout the eastern section diversified farming is practiced almost exclusively. All of the crops common to the com belt are grown successfully. The southern portion of the east yec- tion produces considerable more corn, and with considerable less danger, than the northern portion. This portion of the state has developed very rapidly during the last fifteen years and the population is still increasing. Dairying is gradually being ex- tended, though a large amount of grain is being grown and grain raising receives more attention than any other one line of farm- ing. The tendency at the present time, however, is to reduce the acreage of grain and pay more attention to live stock and dairy- ing. The western portion of South Dakota while considered only as a grazing country a short time ago is now rapidly settling up in many districts as government land has been thrown open to en- try. The soil over much of the region is strong and productive but the rainfall is not as great as further east in the state. Dry farming methods are employed with success in this region and such methods are necessary if the greatest success is to be at- tained. 'I'here is still considerable ranching in this portion of 166 Hints to Homeseekers the state but the large tracts are being cut up into smaller hold- ings. In the Bad Lands the country is very rough, the rainfall is limited and thus this section is not at all suited to the growing of cultivated crops. It is probable that the Bad Lands will never be utilized for any other agricultural purpose than grazing. In the western part of the state there is still considerable govern- ment land which can be homesteaded and those wishing to secure a home in this way should ask the United States Land Office for information as to available lands in South Dakota. Wherever water for irrigation can be obtained and the surface is nearly level, irrigation may be successfully carried on. The government has carried on considerable irrigation work in the western part of the state and private concerns have also brought considerable land to a high state of productiveness by means of irrigation. In numerous instances individual farmers can in- stall an irrigation system of their own. 168 Hints to Homeseekers Map 17. — Soil and Agricultural Map of Kansas and Nebraska. Agricultural Opportunities 1(59 Map Legend. 1. River bottoms. IMostly dark-colored soils, all of alluvial origin and naturally productive. Subject to overflow in many places, though large proportion used for farming purposes. 2. Dark brown prairie soils, mostly clay or clay loam derived from slate-colored clayey shale. Soil very sticky and called "gumbo." Semi-arid, though some farming operations carried on in eastern portion. 3. Dark-colored prairie soils occupying extensive plains where grazing has long been chief industry. Mostly semi-arid. Some dry farming and irrigation along streams. Soil productive when supplied with moisture. 4. Region of sand dunes and sand hills. This section has lit- tle present agricultural value. Sand loose and incoherent and of considerable depth. 5. Dark colored prairie soils chiefly of loessial origin. Mostly silt loam. Includes best agricultural region of Nebraska and northeast Kansas. Excellent farming country. Corn, wheat, oats, barley, alfalfa, dairying, livestock, fruit and truck crops in some localities. Semi-arid in west, mostly devoted to grazing, though some dry farming is being practiced. 6. Light gray to black prairie soils from carboniferous and cre- taceous shales. Mostly silt loams and silty clay loams, with very compact, heavy sub-soils. Includes best farming country in Kan- sas. Corn, wheat, oats, alfalfa, barley, some truck crops dairy- ing and livestock. Semi-arid in west where considerable grazing still carried on and some dry farming practiced. 7. Soils chiefly derived from red sandstones and shales, and have a decided red color. Fairly good soils, though often subject to erosion. Some general farming, though bordering semi-arid country. 170 Jlints io Homeseekers Kansas. The state of Kansas occupies a position partly within the hu- mid and partly within the semi-arid portions of the United States. The rainfall in the extreme southeastern comer of the state is about forty inches while in the extreme western part it is but fifteen inches annually. All intermediate conditions are found within the state and the variations of the rainfall are the chief factor in determining the type of agriculture which can be most successfully followed. The elevation along the Missouri River in the northeastern corner of the state is about 750 feet above sea level. The surface gradually rises as the distance west increases until along the western border the elevation is about 4,000 feet above sea level. The variations in elevation together with the variations in rain- fall produce marked differences in the climatic conditions throughout the state. The agriculture regions of Kansas fall into three provinces, two of which are extensively developed and the third is only found to a limited extent. Most of the eastern half of the state with the exception of the northeast corner, lies within the Residual Soils province of the Western Prairie. This region includes vast areas of excellent farming land, a considerable amount of which is well improved and yielding very profitable returns. The western portion of the state and the northeastern comer are included within the Glacial and Loessial Soil province. This portion of the province includes considerable material of loessial character. The eastern extension of this province in the state in- cludes excellent farming sections where agriculture is highly im- proved and where the farmers are so prosperous as to give Kan- sas a national reputation. Further west as the rainfall becomes less, conditions become less favorable for cultivated crops and more grazing is carried on. In the southwestern part of the state is a considerable area of very sandy land where the vegetation is Agricvltural Opportunities 171 very scanty and where the possibilities for improvement are re- mote. Another province consists of the River Flood Plains. Ex- tensive areas of bottom land are found along the Missouri, Ar- kansas and Kansas Rivers. This soil is naturally very produc- tive. In the valleys of the Arkansas and Kansas Rivers much of the soil is sandy but under irrigation in the west produces ex- cellent returns. Corn and wheat are the two leading crops in the state, though oats, rye and barley are also largely raised. Alfalfa is also a very important crop and one which is being grown more ex- tensively each year. "While there are still a considerable number of large wheat farms, these are gradually being cut up into smaller tracts and more diversified farming is coming to take the place of this extensive type of agriculture. The raising and feeding of livestock is very important and the dairy industry is growing rapidly. The raising of poultry has become an im- portant industry. The raising of fruit, vegetables, sweet and Irish potatoes, etc., is of considerable importance in some sec- tions. Most of the general farming operations are confined to the eastern part of the state east of one hundredth meridian. The western portion of the state is still largely a grazing country. Dry farming is carried on in places where the rainfall is not sufficient and profitable crops are secured when the dry farming methods are carefully followed. ' The western section is very thinly settled and there is still considerable public land open to homestead entry, though the best has been taken. There are many opportunities to extend farming under dry farming meth- ods in we-st Kansas. In the eastern portion the best opportun- ities are in the more intensive improvement of small farms. Nebraska. The state of Nebraska falls within several soil provinces, though the types of agriculture followed in the state can not be sepa- 172 Hints to Homeseekers rated by the same lines. The state is bordered on the east by the Missouri River and traversed from west to east by the Platte River. Along both of these streams are found areas of bottom land where the soils are of alluvial origin and very rich and pro- ductive. The eastern portion of the state in the uplands is within the Loessial Soil province while the western part of the state is within the Roclry Mountain Valleys and Plains region. The elevation at the JMissouri River is about 1,000 feet above sea level, while on the western border of the state it is about 5.000 feet. The surface in the eastern part consists chiefly of undulating to gently rolling prairie. Going westward some rough, broken areas are found and as the west and northwestern parts are approached the surface consists of rough, rugged buttes. In the north central part of the state there is a considerable tract of rough sand hill country where the soil is very unpro- ductive and of little value. The rainfall varies from about thirty-one inches along the east border to about fifteen inches along the western boundary of the state. The amount of rain- fall determines, in a large measure, the type of farming which may be followed. In the eastern portion o£ the state general farming, the raising of livestock and the raising of small grains are the chief types of farming practiced. Grain growing was formerly very ex- tensively engaged in and there is still a large amount of wheat raised. General farming, however, has largely taken the place of wheat raising and dairying is coming to be a more important industry. The crops grown consist of com, wheat, oats and hay with fruit, sugar beets and a few other crops ^rown on a smaller scale. Alfalfa is grown quite extensively and is one of the important hay crops. Wheat is grown most extensively in the central and southwestern parts of Nebraska. Large numbers of cattle are fed and fitted for market in east- ern Nebraska and the eastern part of the state is sometimes Agricultiiral Opportunities 173 spoken of as the feed lot for the western range section of the state. Hogs are raised to considerable extent and much of the corn finds its way to market in the form of pork and beef. The western part of the state is semi-arid and still contains many large cattle ranches. A considerable portion of it is better suited to grazing than to the production of cultivated crops. A considerable amount of land in the west and southwest, however, is under cultivation and more is being taken up each year. Dry farming methods are practiced and by this means alone can profitable crops be secured unless the land is irrigated. In gen- eral, land values decrease with, the distance west from the Mis- souri River. There is still considerable land open to homestead entry in the western part of the state, but the best has been taken. Agricultural Opportunities 175 Map Legend. 1. Chiefly black prairie soils with some timbered areas. Resid- ual soils. Mostly well improved and adapted to great variety of crops, including com, oats, wheat, tobacco and some cotton. Dairying, general farming and stock raising. 2. Limestone soils including outer margin of Ozark Mountain region. Rather rough country but soils are naturally quite pro- ductive. General farming and some fruit. 3. Light-colored timbered region with soils mostly from sand- stone and shales. Surface rather rough and not as well improved as central portion of state. 4. Coastal Plain region, including some black prairie soils, though most of region has light-colored timbered soils. Sandy loams predominate. Cotton, corn, general farming chief types of agriculture. 5. Mostly black prairie soils and semi-arid. Ranching still important over part of region. Some dry farming. 6. River bottoms Alluvial soil, naturally very productive. 7. Chiefly red prairie soils with considerable areas of lighter colored timbered soils, especially toward the east and becoming semi-arid in the west. Good agricultural region with great range in crop production. "Wheat, cotton, corn, oats, fruits, grazing, dairying and general farming. Some dry farming in the west. Oklahoma. Oklahoma is situated midway between the north and the south and on the dividing line between the humid and semi-arid re- gions. Because of its peculiar location and varied conditions, the agriculture is more varied than in most of the other states. Oklahoma has been developed in a short period of time by farm- ers from all sections of the country, so that the population as well as the agriculture consists of a number of types. Originally 176 Hints io Homescekers the entire state, which includes what was formerly Indian Terri- tory, consisted largely of extensive cattle ranches, but this in- dustry has given way to the homesteader and small farmers until at present only a comparatively small portion of western Okla- homa may still be classed a,s a ranching country. . Corn, wheat and cotton, a most unusual combination, consti- tute the chief crops grown for the market. In general, wheat is grown most extensively in the north central part, corn in the eastern two-thirds, though both crops are raised in various amounts in every country in the state. Cotton is most largely grown in the southern part of the state, though some is raised in every county except one or two. The extreme southeastern part of the state is largely undeveloped agriculturally and consists of a rough, somewhat mountainous region in which there are valu- able deposits of coal, and probably other minerals. Commercial orchards are confined largely to the eastern one- third of the state but nearly every farmer has his home orchard and garden. Kafir corn is an important substitute for Indian corn in the western part of the state where the rainfall is the least. Rainfall and temperature determine the principal crops. From an average of about forty inches along the eastern border of the state, the precipitation decreases gradually to about twenty inches along the northwest border and to less than that amount in western Beaver County, which occupies the extreme end of the arm extending along the north border of the Texas Panhandle. The rainfall being well distributed makes it possible to grow bet- ter crops than the amount of precipitation would indicate. On the average, two-thirds of the rainfall occurs in the months from April to September, the time from October to March being com- paratively dry. The dairy industry is developing quite rapidly, but the rais- ing of cattle in general is somewhat retarded by Texas fever, though this is now fairly well under control in all portions of the state. Where the cattle were formerly raised on large ranges Agric^iiltural Opportunities 177 they are now kept on all of the small farms and the total number is far greater than in the days of the extensive ranches. Hogs are raised quite extensively in the eastern and central portions of the state. One of the most valuable crops produced in Okla- homa, and one which is growing in favor rapidly, is alfalfa. It is cut for hay and is also pastured to a considerable extent. As indicated on the map, soil provinces are represented in Oklahoma and the soils as well as the climate, precipitation and agriculture are varied. Where the rainfall is deficient, dry farm- ing methods are being followed to some extent and in a few places irrigation projects have been developed. The opportunities presented in Oklahoma along the line of agriculture are numerous. The greatest field doubtless lies in developing more intensive farming. Land values have risen very rapidly, but in many sections good farming land can still be bought at very reasonable prices. Next to agriculture, the mineral resources of the state are most important. Coal, oil and natural gas are found in abundance and their rapid development has attracted wide attention and greatly increased the wealth of the state. 12 178 Hints to Homeseekers is 5 k. ki 5- ^ 1^ »J Map 19.— Soil and Agricultural Map of Texas. Agricultural Opportumties 179 Map Legend, 1. River bottoms. Soils of alluvial origin. Naturally pro- ductive. Subject to overflow in places. Considerable areas still unimproved, 2. Black Prairie regions within Coastal Plain. Soils mostly clay loams and very calcareous. Surface level to undulating and gently rolling. Excellent farm land. Cotton, corn, alfalfa, small grains and general farming. Trucking along the coast. Some fruit. 3. Region of sand dunes and sand hills. Of little agricultural value. 4. Light-colored timbered soils of Coastal Plain region. Light- colored surface soil with yellow or red sub-soils. Sandy loam types predominate. Long and short leaf pine chief growth. Cot- ton, corn, chief crops. Some small grain, sorghum, cane, fruit and truck crops. 5. Dark-colored residual prairie soils from limestone. Red sub- soils quite common. Silty clay loam and clay are chief types. Rock often outcrops and surface stony in many places. Rainfall limited — semi-arid region. Grazing still chief line, though gen- eral farming and some dry farming developed, chiefly in eastern portion. Some irrigation of small tracts. 6. Mostly red prairie soils from sandstone and shales. Some timber in northeastern portion, becomes semi-arid toward the west. Grazing, grain, with some dry farming and general farm- ing chief lines followed. Land held chiefly in large tracts. 7. Arid and semi-arid country. Grazing chief industry, though supply of grass limited. Some irrigation along Rio Grande River, especially in vicinity of Laredo. 8. Dark-colored prairie soils in semi-arid region. Grazing still most important, though considerable grain and some general farming in the Panhandle region. Some irrigation and dry farming. 380 Ifin/s lo Ifomrscckers Rainfall : a — 50 to no inches annually. I) — 40 lo 50 inches annually, c — 30 to 40 inches aiuuially. d — 20 to ;{{) inclie.s annually. — 10 to 20 inches annually, f — to 10 inches annually. Texas. The stale ol" Texas covei-s such au extensive scope of country and embraces such a diNcrsity of conditions that only brief men- tion can be mach' here ol" som(> of the most widely recognized agricultural divisions. The wide variation in the rainfall is re- sponsible, to a large extent, for the great range of agricultural practices followed. The i-ainfall viiries fi'oni over fifty inches along the eastern poi-tioii ol' the gulf coast to eight inches at El Paso. Roughly spciiking, the east half ol' the state is humid, while the west half is ai'id and semi-arid. A line drawn north and south across the state, one hundred miles west of Fort "Worth, and thi'ough a point midway between Corjius Christi and Laredo, may be said to .separate the two regions. What is connnonly spoken of as the coast country embraces the region extending from the Louisiana line to the Rio Grande River and back ffom the Gulf of Mexico for from fifty to one hundred miles. It inchuhvs soils ranging in texture from light sands to heavy clay loams. Tlu>re are extensive prairies of rich black soil and smaller areas of sand and sandy loams. The Coast Country is rapidly dev(>loping and it is now the largest and most productive ti'ucking region in the country. Much of the land is being sold i)i small farms to jK^ople from all parts of the Union, and this section of the state is being more rapidly settled than any othor portion. Tn the valley of the Rio Grande, near Brownsville, a lai'ge amount of sugar-cane is being raised and some ol' the lai-gest irrigation ditches in the counti'y are to be seen heiv. Heruuida onions are extensively grown in some sec- Agricultnral Opportunities 181 lions, though the center of this industry is at Laredo, further up the river. They are grown under irrigation, chiefly. In the vicinity of Corpus Christi the rainfall is not always well dis- tributed throughout the growing season and considerable irri- gation is carried on. The water comes largely from artesian wells. Some dry farming methods are also followed at times. All of this region was at one time a ranch country and some stock raising and grazing are still carried on, though not nearly as extensively as in earlier days. Some general farming is also practiced. The eastern and northeastern ])arts of the state in the timber belt are very similar to the northern part of Louisiana and the southern part of Arkansa,s. The soils are largely of a sandy nature at the surface with sandy clay forming the sub-soil below eighteen to twenty in(;hes. The original timber in this section was largely pine. Throughout a portion of this region the fruit industry has been developed. Peaches, in particular, are grown extensively. The industry has not been as successful as in some other states and one reason for this is that many of the orchards are larger than the owners can properly handle and the fruit has not been properly graded and packed for shipment. Much of the crop ha,s often gone to canning factories when good prices could have been obtained had the fruit been placed on the north- ern markets in good condition. While fruit is grown quite ex- tensively, general farming predominates and cotton is the most extensively grown crop, with corn second. Further west in the vicinity of Fort Worth and Dallas north to the state line and south toward San Antonio there are ex- tensive areas of black prairie soil. This is devoted chiefly to general farming and stock raising and it is a very prosperous region. Some grazing is still carried on, though most of the land is in cultivated crops. While cotton Is grown quite ex- tensively, diversified farming is the rule. Alfalfa does well, but is not raised as extensively as it should be. The opportunities 382 Hints to Homeseekers for general farming in this section and for trucking in the coast country are better than elsewhere in the state. The Panhandle country is devoted to grain raising and ranch- ing, with ranching on the decline and general fanning on the increase. Land is now sold in small tracts for farms and settle- ment is rapid. The rainfall is limited and dry farming methods are followed with good success. The country is still young and there is a large amount of good land that can be bought cheaply. "What is known as West Texas consists of a vast region from San Angelo to El Paso and from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande. This is in an arid and semi-aTid aondition, the rainfall ranging from eight to twelve inches. While it is most all classed as grazing land it takes from fifteen to thirty acres to supply sufficient grass for one steer. Along the Pacos River and a few other streams where water for irrigation can be obtained, considerable development has taken place. The soil in itself is very rich but where water is not available the land has but little value at the present. Dry farming has been tried in some of the dryest sections around El Paso with success, though development on a large scale along this line is not at all rapid. Texas offers opportunities along almost all lines of agriculture from the raising of grain and stock to trucking and the growing of Satsuma oranges. Land values are lower than in the north and east and in many sections of the state there is still available good land which can be homesteaded. As much as a section of farming land can be taken up by one party. Larger amounts of grazing land can be secured. Aqricullural Opporlunilics 185 Map Lege II (I. 1. Region including soils of glacial origin. Considerable black prairie soil especially in eastern part. Becomes rougher toward west and is quite broken over considerable areas. Grazing chief agricultural feature at present. Some dry farming possible. Mostly in semi-arid region. 2. Rocky Mountain Valleys and Plains region. Includes ex- tensive, undulating prairies, some fertile river bottom lands and considerable land that is quite rough. Imgation practiced in number ol: places. Semi-arid country. Dry Jarming followed quite extensively. Grazing still important. Much unimproved land. 3. Western Mountain regions. Very rough and mountainous and as a whole of litth^ agi-icultural value. Some small fertile valleys. Montana. Until within (juite recent years Montana has not been looked upon as of much importance from an agricultural .standpoint. Ranching was for a long time about the only agricultural in- terest receiving attention and this industry reached large pro- portions. While the rainfall is limited, the grass is very nutri- tious. Streams from the mountains provided water and the val- leys afforded protection against severe storm,s, so that expensive shelters for stock were never considered necessary. Under these conditions the ranching business progressed until the homeseeker began to look for land in the cattle country. When the grazing lands leased from the government were thrown open for home- stead entry the cattle business began to decline. The portions of the state suited to the cultivation of crops are now rapidly developing. IHd J finis to llomescelcers IMiicli of Montanji is ron^'li .'ind niountninous and unfit even for t^razirifj:, but there are numerous level valleys and extensive plains and elevated plateaus where irrigation and dry farming are now bringing agrieulture in this state to the front. ]<^*()in the standpoint of soils, Montana is divided into three g(^n(>ral soil ])rovin('es. Most of the western portion of the state is included witliiii the Western Mountain Region province. This is exti*(Mnely rough and broken, and with the exception of some fertile valh'vs of coiiipai'ativc'ly small extent, this n^gion is of no value agricuKiir.illy. Mining is \\w leading industry and will coiitiinic to l)e, 1 hough oidy a small proportion of the known mineral (l('i>osits arc being worked at i)resent. Extensive copper mines arc in operation at present, and gold and silver are also found (|uit(' (>xl(Mi,sively. 'IMic norlh ccnlral and northeastern i)ortions of the state are within I he (JIaeial province and the soils were derived from the glacial dcbi-is Icl'l by the ic(^ sheet which covered the region. The topogra|)hy is rolling to bi-ok(Mi, though not nearly as rough as the western part of the state. There are numerous valleys, the chief ones being along the Missouri, Milk and ]Maria,s Rivere. There ar(^ also som(> upland sections which are suitable for grazing and dry farming can be carried on over a poi'tion of the region. In the valleys and wherever there is water for irrigation, this type of agrieulture is being rapidly developed. 1Mie southeastern portion of the state and numerous valleys in tlic western part ar(> included in the Rocky Mountain Valleys and Plains province. This region embraces extensive plain or l)lat(^au areas where grazing was for a long time the only type of agriculture. At. prc^sent. di"y farming is being carried on success- fully in many places where the rainfall is sufticient. The Yellow- stone, Musselshell, Jiigliorn and L'owder Rivers sup[>ly water for numerous irrigation projects which are proving that Montana has gn»at and important resources along the line of agriculture as well as mininjr. AgricuUural Opportunities 187 It is necessary to irrigate or practice dry iarniinfij for raising cultivated crops in every portion of the state, since the rain- fall is not sufficient to i)ermit cjistem methods to be used. In the southern and western portions of the state in the irri- gated valleys fruit is being successfully raised. Of other crops grown, peas, barley, oats, wheat, sugar beets and potatoes are the most important. Corn can be grown for fodder but it can- not be depended upon to mature with any degree of certainty. There are many opportunities for engaging in dry farming operations and irrigated lands can be secured at reasonable prices. Unimproved land suitable for irrigation can also be secured. Dairying will doubtless develop to a considerable extent. Improvement and settlement are taking place rapidly and land values are gradually advancing. 188 Hints to Honreseekers \)(/YOMIN(j Map 21. — Soil and Agricultural Map of Wyoming. Map Legend. 1. Including the chief National Forest Reserves. For the most part rough, mountainous country. 2. Reclamation land. Regions where water can be obtained for irrigation purposes and where irrigation is now. being car- ried on, though not over entire areas included. Sugar beets, alfalfa, small grains, peas, fruit and numerous other crops suc- cessfully grown, 3. Mostly desert country, suitable chiefly for winter grazing. Quite a large number of sheep raised. Agriouliiiral Opportunities 189 4. Region over which farming, ranching and grazing are carried on. Some portions are quite rough and mountainous, while again there are extensive plains. Considerable mixed farming. Dry farming methods quite commonly followed. Wyoming. While Wyoming is one of the least developed of the states its agricultural and mineral resources are attracting wide at- tention and advantage is rapidly being taken of the oppor- tunities presented. Within the state are diverse conditions of soil, climate and settlement. The transition from the great range stock business to the reclamation of extensive areas by irrigation and the establishing of small farms has made agri- cultural progress within Wyoming more rapid within the last ten years than during any previous period. The census statistics of 1910 show that Wyoming's acreage in cereals increased 150 per cent more than any other state and in production and value the increase was from twenty-one to sixty per cent higher than the nearest competitor. Yet the surface has hardly been scratched and there are vast and nu- merous opportunities for the establishing of farms, homes and varied industries. Three of the most important factors in the agricultural de- velopment of Wyoming are climate, irrigation and alfalfa. In various portions of the state, and especially in the Big Horn Basin these three are welded to a productive soil, splendid growing season and diverse cropping capabilities. The topography of the state is extremely variable, ranging from mountainous in the western portion, and in various other parts of the state as well, to broad level plains, elevated pla- teaus, and valleys of all sizes. The rainfall ranges from almost nothing in portions of the state to from ten to twenty inches in more favored localities. This makes irrigation necessary in raising cultivated crops. J'JO Hints to Ilomeseekers except where the rainfall is sufficient to insure success by fol- lowing dry farming methods. The Rig Horn Basin is probably destined to become one of the leading agricultural regions of the state. It contains from 12,000,000 to 13,000,000 acres, about one-sixth of which may ultimately be irrigated. It is a rolling country, with its agri- cultural land either in narrow valleys along streams or as more or less level plains or plateaus on the divides between the water courses. There may be miles of range land or chains of barren looking desert clay hills separating the farming com- munities. Th(i irrigated oases vary in size from a few hundred or thousand acres irrigated by small ditches, to perhaps more than 200,000 acres in a body where great irrigation systems are being constructed. The whole country is surrounded by lofty mountains, whose protectiug influence is felt throughout the region. The basin is traversed from south to north by the Big Horn River, which with its tributaries, contains sufficient water to irrigate several times as much land as can be brought under cultivation. The average annual rainfall secured from records covering ten years within the basin is only five and two-thirds inches, which means that irrigation is necessary in all parts of the basin. Under irrigation the most important crops grown are al- falfa, potatoes, sugar beets, some small grains as oats and wheat and fruits. Com may be grown but the season is short and the nights too cool for the crop to mature with any degree of ccrtninty. Where the rainfall is sufficient, dry farming is being carried on. To obtain the best results under this system it is necessary to exercise great care in the cultivation of the soil so that tlic moisture may be conserved. Inexperienced parties with limited means should first acquire a knowledge of the system by working under the supervision of practical dry farmers before an attem])t is made to engage in this kind of agriculture. Wheat, oats, alfalfa, corn and a number of Agricultural Opportunilies 191 other general farm crops, as well as garden crops, are raised under this system. There are still thousands of acres of government land open to homestead entry where dry farming can be carried on and there are also some places where land suitable for irrigation may be secured, Indian lands are being opened up from time to time for settlement and a considerable portion of these lands will make good farms. As Wyoming is in the arid and semi-arid regions, stock rais- ing under the range system will always be an important indus- try. Cattle and sheep are still raised in large numbers, though many of the ranches have been cut into small farms. As the number of small farms increases, the amount of livestock in the state also increases, for under irrigation or dry farming the land will support many more animals than the open range, and still leave room for other lines than stock raising. There is also great mineral wealth in the state, including coal, iron, gold, silver, copper, and many less known, though valuable minerals, and large tracts which have been proven to be oil lands. The agricultural and mining opportunities of Wyoming are worthy of consideration by those who wish to live in a region where the rainfall is limited and the air dry, cool and bracing. While the winters are long and cold the dry air makes the cold seem less intense than in liiimid regions. lf)2 Hints to Homeseekers MAI' 22. — .S'o// and Af/riciill ii ral Mnj) of Coloradti. Agricultural Opportunilirs 193 Map Legend. 1. Western Mountain Region. Extremely rough country and mountainous. Of no value for agricultural purposes, ex- cept for small amount of grazing furnished over limited areas. Extensive mineral deposits. Some small fertile valleys. 2. Chief grazing section of state where ranching was exten- sively carried on. Ranching now on decline and considerable farming carried on chiefly by dry farming methods. Extensive plains. 3. Regions in which agriculture is most highly developed. Raising of special crops and intensive farming receives most attention. Potatoes, melons, fruit, sugar beets, alfalfa chief products. Some irrigation carried on. Dry farming and some grazing also carried on in this region. Colorado. In general terms the eastern one-third of Colorado may be said to be composed of high plains, the middle one-third of Rocky Mountains, and the western one-third of plateaus, step- ping down toward the Colorado River. Colorado has the highest average elevation of any of the states, it being 6,800 feet above the level of the sea. The principal rivers are the North Platte, South Platte, Ar- kansas, Rio Grande, Yampa, White, Grand, Gunnison, Dalores and San Juan. None of these streams are navigable but they probably furnish more water for irrigation than the stream.s oF any other state in the semi-arid portion of the country. Most of these streams are drawn upon heavily in aid of irrigation. Colorado has an average rainfall of about fifteen inches an- nually and over the state as a whole there are over 300 days of sunshine each year, while in some sections there are over 13 194 Hints io Homeseekers 340 days that are not cloudy. The state for a long time was considered too dry for agriculture, except in the alluvial bot- toms along some of the streams. The soil over much of the state was known to be naturally very fertile and irrigation was therefore undertaken to utilize the lands outside of the stream bottoms, as well as to increase the productiveness of the lowlands. Since 1880 over 20,000 miles of main canals have been constructed and an equal mileage of laterals. Over 3,000,000 acres are already under irrigation and as much more is suitable for irrigation which the plow has never touched. The portions of the state now under irrigation are adjacent to the streams above mentioned and in all of these regions the amount of irrigated land could be extended. The crops grown within the state consist of wheat, corn, oats, hay, barley, Canadian peas, potatoes, cantaloupes, sugar beets, and all kinds of vegetables. Alfalfa is a very impor- tant crop. Dairying is an important industry in many sections and the raising of livestock is one of the chief older branches of farming. The fruit industry is very extensive and apples, peaches, pears and other fruits of excellent quality are suc- cessfully and profitably grown. There are many portions of the state where water for irriga- tion is not available but where the rainfall is sufficient so that dry farming methods can be successfully employed. There is still a very large amount of land in the state which is open to homestead entry and some of this land will in time be irrigated. The special characteristics of the climate in Colorado are a comparatively equable temperature, minimum precipitation, low humidity, minimum wind movement, maximum sunshine and bracing effects. There are a few cold days in winter and some hot days in summer, but seldom the extremes of either. No state in the Union has greater or more diversified par- tially developed resources than Colorado, and no other state AgriciilHiral Opportunities 195 presents a greater combination of advantages and attractions to the desirable, intelligent "Home Seeker." Today, while the total population of Colorado compares in- differently with the individual! population of most of the Mid- dle and Eastern states, Colorado is probably producing more new wealth per capita per annum, than any other state in the Union, and from a wider range of resources. Moreover, Colorado, with a present population of upwards of 1,000,000, is still in its infancy and is fully capable of sup- porting a population of millions. The stream of "Home Seekers," more particularly from the Middle states, is increas- ing month by month. Every excursion train brings scores of farmers to Colorado. Agricultural land is selling at a com- paratively rapid rate and new settlers, with their families, are flocking in. Much the same is true as to the new arrivals in the cities and towns. The valleys of the South Platte and the Arkansas, on the eastern slope, present vast opportunities for more farmers, and could well maintain treble the present population. On the plains of eastern Colorado 39,000 square miles of non-irrigable land, as yet untouched by the plow, present unlimited possibili- ties, but only for the right kind of people. To the south, the great valley of the San Luis, as large as the state of Connecti- cut, is well capable of supporting a larger population than the whole of Colorado now has. Similar opportunities are pre- sented for farmers and fruit growers in the valleys of the Grand and the Gunnison on the western slope ; also in the Montezuma valley in southwestern Colorado. Northwestern Colorado, now being opened up by the Moffat railroad, with the completion of that road, will, within a comparatively few years, increase its present population of 10,000 to scores if not hundreds of thousands. All this increase of development and population means en- hanced values of the property of those who locate now. 196 Hints to Homeseekers Throughout Colorado there is a shortage of metalliferous miners, coal miners, unskilled male labor, domestic help, etc. The opportunities in the cities and towns are many and varied for people of some capital and for wage earners in some lines. The success of new arrivals in Colorado necessarily depends largely on themselves ; on their mental, physical and financial equipment; on their judgment, sobriety, industry, persistence, adaptability, etc. Very many of the present citizens in good financial circum- stances, have made in Colorado all that they have. Others have lost some of the money they originally brought with them. Much depends on the people themselves. For the right kind of people, there are as good opportunities in Colorado today as there ever have been in the history of the state. 198 Hints lo Jfornesf'j'Jccrs l.._J >/?:w}|(lExi(;o Mai- 2:1. ,Voi/ (1,1(1 Afiriciillitntl Mai* of \'cm Mexico. AgrictilliirdJ Opportunities lf)l) 1. Wostern Mountain Rcj^ion. Very rough and mountainous and oi" little agricultural value except for small amount of grazing afforded. 2. Rock Mountain valleys and plains. Sheep, cattle, horses and goats. While grazing of chief importance, considerable areas are devoted to cultivated crops and cultivated areas in- creasing quite rapidly. On the high plains and mesas where rainfall is greatest, from sixteen to twenty inches annually, fair success is obtained. Dry farming methods are followed in some regions. The most important agricultural districts, how- ever, are in the valleys of the Rio Orande, San Juan, Mimbres and the Canadian Rivers and tiieir tributaries where irrigation is being carried on. Alfalfa, grains, fruit and general farm crops grown successfully in state. Some truck also raised and small amount of dairying. Neiv Mexico. New Mexico lies within the arid and semi-arid portion of the United States. The rainfall over the greater portion of the state ranges from ten to twenty inches annually, though the extreme southwestern corner of the state has a rainfall considerable lower than this and some of it is in a desert con- dition. The portion of the; state having the most rain is in the northeastern section and here there are large tracts of land where dry farming is being successfully practiced. Fair crops are often raised by the usual methods of farming, though such methods will not insure a crop each year. In the valleys of the Pacos and Rio Grande Rivers several irrigation projects have been installed and excellent crops are being grown. The soil in thest; valleys is naturally very pro- 200 Hints to Homeseekers ductive and when water is supplied there is almost no limit to the crops which can be produced. The writer visited a field of alfalfa which was cut eight times during one year and eight tons of cured hay was the yield per acre. In the Rio Grande Valley the United States government is now building a large dam across the river at Engle and it i§ proposed to irrigate nearly 200,000 acres in New Mexico, Texas and Old Mexico. When this vast area is all under irrigation it will be one of the garden spots of the world. The altitude is over 4,000 feet, the air is clear and pure and the summers are much more pleas- ant than in low, humid regions. The winters are very mild and the climatic conditions are such as to suit the most criti- cal. The region is adapted to the growing of pears, plums, apples, strawberries, alfalfa, potatoes, all general farm crops, including cotton and a broad range of other fruits and truck crops. In the valley of the Pacos River water for irrigation is ob- tained from the river and also from deep wells. There are numerous places where small irrigation projects could be in- stalled and made to yield very profitable returns. Throughout the state there is a large amount of government land which is still open to homestead entry. Mining is an important industry in various parts of the state and the mining camps furnish a good market for a considera- ble amount of farm produce. The state is traversed by sev- eral important railroad lines connecting directly with the large cities of the west and the east. The produce not consumed by the local markets goes chiefly to the cities of the middle west and the east. 202 Hints to Homeseekers Ii)AHO. 1 I \ 4 ^ ^'^ i < •^ \ \ '1 i\ I u. 1 , ^■^•-•- \ :-V r* i, \ r- :i I M a I Map 24. — Soi^ anrf Agricultural Map of Idaho. Agricultural Opportunities 203 Map Legend. 1. Agricultural lands, irrigation not essential — rich black soil — mostly prairies. Grains, fruits, cattle, horses and hogs. 2. Agricultural land and grazing. Irrigation necessary in places, though over large tracts irrigation impossible because of limited water supply. 3. Irrigation necessary. Agricultural and grazing lands. Alfalfa, fruit. Mountains rich in mineral. 4. Very mountainous. Idaho. There are portions of the state of Idaho which are rapidly coming to the front as agricultural regions, though the major portion is too rough and mountainous for the production of cultivated crops. The soil provinces represented in the state are three in num- ber. The Great Basin Province is confined to a narrow strip along the southern border. The Northwestern Inter Mountain Region occupies most of the southern part and extends north- ward along the western boundary. The northern and eastern sections are within the "Western Mountain Region Province and this section is very rough. The mountains throughout the state abound in mineral and a number of mines are in opera- tion. The most extensively advertised line of farming is that which is carried on under irrigation. Most of the best land suitable for irrigation, and also the largest number of irriga- tion projects are located along the Snake River and its tribu- taries. Throughout this region the best results can be attained under irrigation, though in some places irrigation is not es- sential. The fruit raising industry is developing quite rapidly 204 Jlinls to Jlonieseekers and some very good results have been attained. General farm- inf^ is also carried on with good success and all small grains, corn and alfalfa are profitably grown. To the north of the Snake River is a scope of country in which dry farming can be successfully practiced in places and there are also tracts which have water available for irri- gjition. Tilni/ing is still an im])ortant industry in this section. On the rich, dark colored prairies grain is extensively grown without irrigation and fruit can be produced successfully. In the northern and eastern portions of the state most of the land is too rough and mountainous to be of any value for agri- io_.^^d— § --V"^'^ i\\ V^^%^^^^<^SJ^V^c^^!^'^^ ^^^^J^^l- \ \ ) \ M^^e^'^^^~3'^^u\arv\\^ \i)/Av^~\ \ 1 y A L,^^— ^^^n'^^^v^'tV^'s^ j*^'— V WW \yV^^ tCW \ ^•^-^"-^-^"'^ /t^-^'T'^T ^ 1 \\^vv vv^^*^^^^ l~*"i/\W /x\^*v\\ Vjl^^Ci'o 1 \^--'^\^--^\smSw^^^^ i ^^\ '^J.M'^S^Jr/ m'^^Kji |^_ 4-3 If 1 \ ^,£>Gc^^^r^1^Xn u\ 2— -4 i^^y/i ^— . vT^^w il / (n^^'JIU^ /"AVvVv g\% b> 1.1 Kil^^^ri^4/ x^Kf ;J^^ ^ ^ h, ?20E^few q^^ji^ 1© ' \ 5^ /I ( / V\ (i nv W\ \J(/ fy^^ Ji l/f - „ j ~r?Y 1 1 \Slx^ o 1 /-r /I V t /^ i/i J \^ ? ^ ^ J ■ Y\ Z^' T~ / 'T iv^ *' s 1; \K\Mnl ((W UrMi {i\M ~Hyf\. 4\W ^^^>5-^ i^^-— u jTi/ \ M \VJ ~^K \ W\ \\ ^V^^vX. / g^ Axvy^^^^c \ Jk: o ^ ^-J:^--AfrNUi4^'.infr]^ \ Affc.^"?^ \ J <» Oi /tiWxSft^^^ w ^vT > '^Tr^^ ,*j / / .-^ f^y^ r^^—H, '^^^ Yr^ / ^/ ' fe i »' --ji — - — 1 =5 -si Agricultural Opportunities 229 CHAPTER VII. WESTERN CANADA.' Canada spreads over more than half the map of North Amer- ica. It is considerably larger than the United States, with Alaska added. Politically, Canada consists of nine full-fledged provinces (Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, IManitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia), and to the north of these a northern Canada con- sisting of the Yukon west of the Rocky Mountains, and the Northwest Territory east. It is, however, with the three prairie provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta and the Pacific province of British Columbia, that this geographical sketch will deal. Five times bigger than Great Britain and Ireland, and three times the size of the German Empire, prairie Canada constitutes the world's greatest wheat farm, a plain 1,000 miles long and of undetermined width. This fertile prairie is watered by three giant river systems. The Assiniboine and the Red drain Mani- toba; the great Saskatchewan waters central and southern Al- berta and the province of Saskatchewan; while the Peace, the mighty Athaba.ska, and the Slave Rivers are nature's highways through northern Alberta. Canada's river ways and lakes make of this last best west one vast network of sunny slopes and fer- tile valleys. More than farms are making on these prairies. Here, on a wheat plain wider than that of Russia, richer than those of Egypt, India, or the Argentine, out of strangely diverse elements a new nation is arising. The map of today shows us a * The material forming the chapter on Western Canada has been taken largely from reports issued under the direction of the Minister of the Interior, Ottawa, Canada. The figures given are from the most recent statistics and other official reports and are as nearly correct as it is possible to obtain. Agricultural Opportunities 231 wide wheat plain dotted by the people of the earth, with an ever-lessening uusurveyed region. Year by year, these maps change their complexion, and the ''edge of cultivation, " with the advance of colonization, having entered the Rockies in its western advance, now moves steadily northward. The St. Lawrence basin of eastern Canada was at first consid- ered frost-bound and sterile, the Fraser lands of British Colum- bia rocky and inaccessible, and the valleys of the Red and the Saskatchewan too far north to support a white population. Now all these basins are occupied, and the sons of the men who saw these lands developed, are in turn laying strong hands upon the basins of the Peace, the Mackenzie, and the Athabaska, and platting townships in the latitude of fifty-eight degrees. Canada is a country with a meagre past, a solid present, and an illimitable future. The railways of western Canada gridiron a prairie land of 200 million fertile acres, only a fraction of which is cultivated, yet this produced in 1910 — a bad year throughout the American continent — approximately 258,000,000 bushels of wheat, oats, barlej'', and flax, of which 105,000,000 bushels was wheat. CLIMATE OP CENTRAL CANADA. The first enquiry of the would-be settler is, "But what about your terrible weather?" Many writers on Canada taboo the weather, but this subject, like most, is best attacked from the front. Western Canada has a cold winter, and people seeking tropical climate should not come here. It is the fervid sunshine of summer, followed by the cold, clear winter, which combine to give to Canada's No. 1 Avheat its peculiar value over all other wheats in the world. This invigorating climate of western Canada does more than this — it helps to breed a hardy race. The law of growth — running through both animal and vegetable realms — is that plants and animals alike attain their fullest de- velopment in the most northern range of their habitat. The same rule applies to man. History and geography both show that 232 Ilints to Homeseekers all the worth-while accomplishments of the world have been done by those living in the temperate zones, more especially in the north temperate zone. Western Canada lies in the same latitude as Central Europe, the home of the world's hardiest and most progressive peoples. Clearly Mother Nature intended the wheat plains of Western Canada to be the cradle of a strong, new race. While it is true that the Prairie Belt of Canada is no country for either mental or physical weaklings, that the man who succeeds here, like the man who succeeds elsewhere, must be brave and a worker, still it is strikingly true that the climate of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta is one of the most healthful and stimulating in the whole world. Farmers, though, are more interested in summer crops than winter temperature. If they get the fervid sunshine at the ma- turing time, the winter frosts need not worry them. The long hours of intense sunshine on the prairies are a revelation to new- comers. One may read in June till 9 :30 p. m. in the open air in a most marvelous twilight, and by 3 :00 o 'clock in the morning the sun is again well on his rounds. To the superficial observer, latitude has always been a bug- bear when Canada is under consideration. Let us look at a few facts. Edmonton is 1,000 miles northwest of Winnipeg, and St. Paul, in Minnesota, is 500 miles south of Winnipeg, yet Edmon- ton's average annual temperature is as high as that of St. Paul. Manitoba has a similar climate to that of northern Michigan. The mean temperature in Winnipeg for July is sixty-six degrees, which is warmer than the July weather in any part of England. Flower growth in the valley of the Mackenzie is almost coinci- dent in time vnth the flower growth in the valley of the Missis- sippi. Wild flax grows within the Arctic circle, and there are wheat fields and flourmills at Vermilion-on-the-Peace in latitude 58° 30'. The warm chinook winds sweeping down through the passes of the Kockies over the farms of Central Canada melt the snow and mellow the soil. These are facts; and it is conditions, not theories, that the farmer must face. Agricultural Opportunities 233 VARIETY OF RESOURCES. The industrial future of Prairie Canada is based upon a won- derful variety of natural resources. Attention has been ehi-efly directed to the opportunity in wheat, but in a plain which stretches 1,000 miles one way and over 600 miles another, induce- ments of diverse character offer. The surface of the country consists of a series of terraced plains running northwest and southeast parallel to the Rockies. Western Alberta extends to and beyond the foot-hills of the Rocky Mountains, with eleva- tions as high a,s 4,000 feet above sea level. Passing east from here the foot-hills give way to a great prairie steppe embracing about three-fourths of Alberta. The average elevation of this section is 2,000 feet above sea level. The next great elevated plain, with a mean height of 1,000 feet, broadly speaking, in- cludes the whole province of Saskatchewan. And the major part of Manitoba attains an elevation of between 500 and 1,000 feet. The resources of these three provinces make possible success- ful farming of every description. ''Extensive" farming, that is, grazing and grain growing, has blazed the way on the prairies. Now, mixed, or ''intensive," farming is treading close on the heels of the wheat grower. Comparisons are sometimes illuminating. In Canada, a popu- lation less than that of greater London, in addition to one al- ready completed, is now throwing two additional great world highways across a region which, twenty-five years ago, was stig- matized as an unproductive desert. The Wall Street Journal declares that within five years the Canadian Northern and Cana- dian Pacific, alone, will haul more wheat to the seaboard than all the railways of the United States combined. Lord Strath- cona says: "At the end of the twentieth century Canada will have a population twice as large as that of the British Isles. ' ' Population. — The people are coming in. The population of the three prairie provinces grew from 400,000 in 1901, to about a million and a quarter in 1910. It is no country for drones. 234 Hints to Homeseekers The man who does not work in Canada, whether he be a rich man or a poor man, is looked upon with suspicion by the rest. Forest Reserves and Tree Culture. — Numerous forest reserves have been established throughout the western provinces. These serve a double purpose : They protect the sources of the princi- pal rivers and streams and provide for a timber supply for future years. Not so long ago, the people of Central Canada were told they could grow no trees except the Manitoba maple, the poplar, and the birch. Broadway, in Winnipeg, is one of the most beautiful streets in the world, and the elms have made it so. The foliage has become so thick that the trees will have to be thinned out. Of all the elms planted in Winnipeg not one per cent has died. In several western towns there are splendid avenues of trees, of a few years' growth. The Dominion Government has for some years actively en- couraged tree culture by individual farmers in the Prairie Dis- tricts. It not only provides free seeds but also provides for supervision of the planting and for inspection of the plantation from time to time by experts. Up to the present (1910) sixteen and one-half million trees have been planted under this govern- ment scheme. Water. — There are very few districts where water cannot be readily secured. In some cases the provincial governments sup- ply machinery for sinking test wells. Artesian wells, with a never-failing supply, have solved the water question in some parts. Then again, there is the river and lake system of the country. In selecting land, some prefer lands having dips or depressions, which not only supply water, but also ensure suf- ficient native hay for horses, cattle, and sheep that may require "housing" during a part of the winter. Value of Farm Lands Increasing. — The crops of the last seven years and the impetus given thereby to immigration have been prime factors in promoting an upward trend of values. The prices asked at present for good agricultural land are not high. Agncultural Opportunities 235 Those competent to judge say that the crops of Western Canada will make farming on land worth $100 per acre profitable. Thus it will be seen that the value attached to property at present is re- markably low considering the productive capacity of the soil. In 1901 lands were for sale by the different railway companies at prices averaging from $3 to $4 per acre, and now they range from $10 to $15 per acre and upwards. Prices in 1915 may be advanced as much beyond present values as those quoted are in excess of the figures of seven or eight years ago. The person desirous of buying should investigate thoroughly. There is so much good land for sale, and so many good companies through whom to do business, that no one need be duped in a transaction of this nature. The land departments of the differ- ent railways having lands for sale supply prices and terms to prospective purchasers. Not Grain Alone. — The wonderful production of grain — wheat, oats, barley, flax, and rye — in Central Canada has aroused the attention of the world, and throughout the United States the in- terest has grown so that 125,000 Americans took up their resi- dence in Canada during the year 1910. But grain has not been the only source of revenue for the prairie farmers. It is calcu- lated that in 1910 the farmer's revenue was increased by twenty- two miiHion dollars by sales of potatoes, turnips, and other roots, hay, cattle, hogs, sheep, dairy products, and poultry. Is Central Canada Beliahle in Its Production? — Experience is the best guide, and the thousands of farmers who are becoming well off in the Canadian West and who are sending for their friends and relative to come to share the West 's prosperity, offer the best answer to the question. But there are figures which demonstrate the matter very effectually. They are the figures regarding the actual quantities of grain shipped via the various railways and inspected by government officers, in connection with the shipping. The farmer has to retain large quantities of grain for seed and feed and other purposes, but he ships out his surplus, and the surplus it is that brings him in the cash. There 236 Hints to Eomeseekers is no guessing or estimating in regard to the quantity of grain shipped and inspected, and while one year may be better than another the reliability of the soil in the matter of productivity is shown by the steadil}^ growing figures of grain inspections. The following are the official figures (in bushels) in regard to grain inspected at "Winnipeg and other prairie points during a period of years : 1905 1906 1907 190S 1909 1910 Wheat .. 39,786,600 64,619,100 73,140,920 53,389,350 74,055,450 94,922,385 Oats 2,736,000 8,652,000 14,935,500 16,761,600 21,996,009 34,944,800 Barley .. 486,000 1,628,400 2,715,600 2,635,200 3,579,600 4,663,200 Flax 288,000 503,000 908,000 1,617,000 2,208,000 3,571,000 Rye 9,600 26,400 10,800 20,400 22,800 Speltz 2,000 1,200 1,200 Total.. 43,280,600 75,412,100 91,727,620 74,415,150 101,859,450 138,064,185 MANITOBA. Manitoba, the most easterly of the three Central Provinces, lies in the center of the North American continent and midway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, its southern boundary running down to the forty-ninth parallel, which separates it from the United States. Manitoba is one-fourth larger than Germany, its area covering 252,000 square miles, or about 161 miUion acres. If a family of five were to be placed on every half-section of the surveyed land in ]\Ianitoba, over 600,000 .souls would be actually living on the land. Education. — The value placed by Manitobans on popular edu- cation is evidenced in the fact that the expenditure on schools is the largest drain on the public funds. All schools below the grade of high schools are free to children between the ages of five and fifteen years, and high schools in all the cities and larger towns are free to resident pupils. Winnipeg and Brandon main- tain colleges of a very high standard, and children of all classes attend them. Two sections of and in each township are set apart, the income from the sales of which is applied to the support of free schools. This also applies to Saskatchewan and Alberta. Agricultural Opportunities 237 An experimental farm at Brandon educates the farming popu- lation, and authentic records of the results of practical work in agricultural experiment are furnished to farmers free. Dairy schools, farmers' institutes, live-stock associations, and other agricultural organizations are well established. Rivers and Lakes. — The province is served by the natural drainage system making into Hudson Bay by way of Lake Win- nipeg. The rivers run from the eastern and western sides to the lower lands in the center, and practically all of the drainage of the province reaches the sea by the rivers making out of the natural reservoir of Lake Winnipeg. The chief rivers are the Red, Assiniboine, Winnipeg, and Pembina, all of which have important tributaries, except the Winnipeg. The rivers are not rapid, but there is force enough in the Winnipeg to supply elec- tric power for tramways and industrial purposes for many cities as large as Winnipeg. Telephones. — The government of Manitoba owns and operates the telephone system of the province. There are now over 5,000 miles of long distance lines, and about 9,000 rural subscribers. Forest Wealth. — For those who love timber-covered areas, Manitoba can point to a strip along its east boundary, approxi- mately eighty miles wide, of spruce, birch, and tamarack, which extends into the extreme east of the province from the wooded lands of New Ontario. Large sawmills are established. In Western Manitoba are forest areas, and timbered districts exist on the Turtle Mountains and the Brandon Hills. The true for- est persists in Northwestern Manitoba as far as the Duck Moun- tains. From all these points quantities of lumber, fence posts, and firewood are sent to the prairie settlers, and the rivers and lakes are skirted by a plentiful tree growth. Soil and Surface. — The surface of Manitoba is not a flat, bare stretch, a "bald-headed prairie." A large part of the land, es- pecially in the south, is flat, being, geologists say, the bed of a wide, prehistoric lake. But even in the southwest the land rises into wooded hills, and in the southeast, close to the Lake-of- 238 Hints to Homeseekers the-Woods country, there is a genuine forest. Down through the heart of the province stretch two great lake chains, Lake "Winnipeg and Lakes Winnipegosis and Manitoba. These re- ceive as tribute the waters of the Saskatchewan and Assiniboine west, and discharge through the Nelson River to Hudson Bay. Sloping to the west from the Lake Manitoba plain is a range of hills known as the Duck Mountains, Riding Mountains, and the Porcupine Hills. These hills are modest in their height, have a gentle slope, and in no way interfere with the fact that almost the whole land surface of Manitoba west of its great lakes is ready for cultivation. Manitoba soil is a deep rich loam, inex- haustible in its productiveness; it is essentially agricultural. There are twenty-five and one-half million acres of land sur- veyed, about one-fourth of which was under crop in 1911. Railroads. — The growing and marketing of grain are the chief industries of INIanitoba, and the extension of the railways goes hand in hand with the development of the land. The railway mileage of the province is 3,796, and few farmers are more than eight or ten mi^es from a railw^ay. Game and Fish. — In 1911, Manitoba's fishery output repre- sented a value of over one million dollars, mosit of this being realized from the lucrative whitefish. Wild ducks, geese, and swans haunt the lakes and rivers, while on the prairies are flocks of prairie chickens. On the hills and in the woodland moose and deer abound, and there are wolf, bear, lynx, fox, marten, beaver, and other fur-bearing animals. Avo/ilahle Homesteads. — Manitoba has one and one-half million acres of land available for free homesteading, located east of the Red River, and between Lakes Winnipeg and IManitoba, where railways are now building, also west of Lake IManitoba and in the newly opened districts along the line of the Canadian North- ern railway. To those who appreciate the picturesque advantage of tree growth, these districts make strong appeal. If the timber is a light scrub, it is easily removed; if, on the other hand, the forest is heavy, it richly repays the cost of clearing. Creeks, Agricultural Opportunities 239 lakes, and rivers abound, while water for domestic purposes can generally be secured by sinking wells to a moderate depth. It is easy to realize that Manitoba lands as they produce their crops from year to year are steadily advancing in value ; while the interest accrues regularly, the principal is also increasing. Dairying. — The dairy produce (butter) for 1911 was valued at one and three-quarters million dollars; the cheese output was about $72,000 — showing that dairying is a very important indus- try; good prices are obtained; the quality is excellent in colour and flavour. Abundant grasses are rich in the fattening prop- erties essential to raising cattle and producing butter and cheese. Government dairy schools promote these industries. Mixed Farming General. — Grain growing has given Manitoba agricultural pre-eminence in the eyes of the world, but the leaven of mixed farming is gradually and surely permeating the minds of farmers ; there is scarcely one but has his herd of cattle or his flock of sheep. His hogs are fattening for market, and poultry proves valuable a,s a source of revenue. Prices of these may fluctuate, but never can a farmer become overstocked with any one or more of them. Manitoba's surplus product of wheat over and above her home consumption is largely sent to Eastern Canada and to Europe. In addition to wheat, great crops of rye, flax, hay, peas, and po- tatoes are produced, and also garden truck. BxLsinesslike Farming. — Nowhere on the continent, more than in Manitoba, has farming advanced to the dignity of a thor- oughly businesslike occupation. Here the farmer works, not merely for a living, but, rather, for a handsome profit. Instances are frequent where large areas under wheat have given a clear profit of over $12 an acre. All the labour of ploughing, seeding, harvesting, and marketing can be hired done at about $7.50 per acre. Even allowing $8, it is a poor year that will not yield a handsome margin over this. Winnipeg. — Winnipeg is a remarkable city. In 1870, it was a frontier trading post of the Hudson Bay Company with a total 240 111)1 Is lo //(/mcscekers population of 215 souls. The civic official census gives a popula- tion for 1911 of over 172,000. The reason for this wonderful ad- vancement is readily found in the harvests of wheat ripening on the rich prairie lands tributary to this "Buckle of the "Wheat Belt. " The wide boulcvarded streets, substantial bank buildings, crowded railroad depots, all tell insistently the same story of prosperity. The city owns its public parks, quarries, water- works, street lighting systems, and asphalt plant. The total bank clearings for the year 1911, amounting to $1,172,962,144, raised Winnipeg to the billion dollar class of cities. The year 1911 showed an increase of 219 million dollars over 1910, plac- ing the city at the head of all financial centers on the continent, in increased percentage of clearings over 1910. There are 115 churches and forty schools, four live daily newspapers, with forty weekly and monthly publications. The building records for the city for the seven years ending December, 1911, show that seventy-seven million dollars were spent during that period. In 1911 the new buildings constructed were valued at seventeen and one-qunrter million dollars. The factories employ 15,000 hands, with an output exceeding nearly thirty-six million dol- lars. Twenty-two railway tracks radiate from the city. Winni- peg leads the world as a grain center. The wheat receipts for 1911 were 101,326,250 bushels; Minneapolis 98,647,850; Chicago. 42,629,751. Oat receipts, Winnipeg, 26,128,800; Minneapolis, 11,400,000. St. Boniface, the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of St. Boniface, adjoins and is partly surrounded by the business section of the city of AVinnipeg, estimated population, 13,000. Brandon. — Brandon, the second city in the province, is situ- ated at the junction of the Assiniboine with the Little Saskatche- wan, on the main line of the Canadian Pacific railway, ,some 130 miles west of AVinnipeg. Seven branch railways make in here. Grain elevators, flour mills, and machine shops, together with the wholesale houses and rovirtoeu bi-nnch banks, show the solid nature of the business of this citv. Brandon is an educational Agricultural Opportunities 241 center with a college and high school of which a city ten times its size might well be proud. On the outskirts of the city is the Dominion Experimental Farm, a valuable institution admirably run. Population, 14,000. Portage la Prairie. — Portage la Prairie, population 6,000, en- joys splendid railway facilities. Several industries are established here. It owns a beautiful park, has a fine educational system, including a collegiate institute, and supports many churches and fraternal societies. Portage Plains have been cropped for thirty consecutive years without a failure. Selkirlc is a distributing point of supplies for points on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Carherry and Morden are flourishing railway towns in the heart of the fine wheat-growing sections. ]\linnedosa, Neepawa, Dau- phin, Carman, Virden, and Souris also are centers of notable grain-growing districts, and important railroad towns. Scores of towns now developing afford openings for those de- siring business opportunities, each Avith its mills and warehouses for wheat. Among these centres may be named Manitou, Birtle, Emerson, Gretna, Wawanesa, Somerset, Baldur, Deloraine, Me- lita. Rapid City, Hamiota, Gladstone, Killamey, Hartney, Stone- wall, Boissevain, Elkhorn, Gilbert Plains, Pilot Mound, Winkler and Plum Coulee. Important Facts. — In 1911 the estimated amount spent on farm buildings was three and one-half million dollars as compared with two and one-half million dollars the previous year. There are 3,193 threshing outfits in the province. Potatoes last year averaged 187 bushels to the acre. GROWTH OF MANITOBA. 1891 190S 1909 1911 Population 152,506 455,614 Horses 86,735 230,926 237,161 232,725 Milch cows 82,710 173,546 167,442 146,841 Other horned cattle 147,984 357,988 333,752 397,261 Sheep 35,838 29,265 29,074 32,223 Hogs 54,177 192,489 172,374 176,212 Cultivated farms 45,380 Increase in population in ten years was 78.52 per cent. 18 242 Hints to Homeseekers The following tables give the acreage, average, and total yield of wheat, oats, barley, and flax for the last five years. WHEAT OATS Average Total Average Total Year Acreage Yield Yield Acreage Yield Yield 1907 2,789,553 14.22 39,688,266.6 1.213,596 34.8 42,140,744 1908 2,850,640 17.23 49,252,539 1,216,632 36.8 44,686,043 1909 2,642,111 17.33 45,774,707.7 1,373,683 37.1 50,983,056 1910 2,962,187 13.475 39,916,391.7 1,486,436 28.7 42,647,766 1911 3,350,000 18.29 61,058.786 1,625,000 45.3 73,786,683 BARLEY FLAX Average Total Average Total Average Yield Yield Acreage Yield Yielu 1907 649,570 25.7 16,752,724.3 25,915 12.25 317,347 1908 658,441 27.54 18,135,757 50,187 11.18 502,206 1909 601,008 27.31 16,416,634 20,635 12.26 253,636 1910 624,644 20.75 12.960.038.7 41,002 9.97 410,928 1911 760,000 31.5 21,000,000 86,000 14. 1,205,727 The Harvest of 1911. — With spring opening early, seeding was completed under the most favorable conditions, and the weather, right up to the time of harvesting, was all that could be wished for with the exception of a slight drought, which was more felt along the international boundary line ; a spell of wet weather then set in, greatly retarding threshing; nevertheless, the harvest was exceedingly bountiful. While some of the wheat was slightly off color, on the whole both quantity and quality were good, and showed an average yield of 18.29, and a total yield of 61,058,786 bushels, as com- pared with an average of 13.47, and a total yield of 39,916,391 bushels, in 1910. Oats showed a much larger increase, both in average and in yield ; namely, an average of 45.3 and a total yield of 73,786,683 bushels, as compared with an average-of 28.7, and a total yield of 42,647,766 bushels in 1910. Barley also increased; the average being 31.5 and the total yield being 29,999,239 bushels, as against an average of 20.75 and a total yield of 12,960,038 bushels in 1910. Mixed Farming in the Park Region. — The district of country lying east and southeast of Winnipeg is being well served by railways, — the Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern and Grand Agricultural Opportunities 243 Trunk Pacific. The soil here is a very deep rich loam, and capa- ble of producing an excellent quality of small grain of all kinds, and the experience of tho,se who are farming there is that the yield is always large. There is a sufficiency of rainfall, and water is easy to procure. A great quantity of this land is still vacant, and some homesteads are available. An advantage over the more open prairie districts, claimed by some, is the greatest possibility for mixed farming and cattle raising, on account of the superior quality of the grasses, the shelter afforded by the groves of trees, and the cheapness with which buildings are con- structed. Manitoba farm lands, — raw prairie, — are selling from $12 to $15 an acre and upwards, while improved farms sell from $35 to $40 an acre. The Swan River Valley during the past few years has been at- tracting the attention of an excellent class of settlers. It has splendid railway advantages, and there is promise of additional branch lines being built into the district to acconunodate the grain growers and cattle raisers of the district. Winter wheat is being grown here with great success. The country is largely open prairie, but in parts there is sufficient of the park-like coun- try to add a charm and give plenty of native hay and shelter. In all of the district there is a good growth of wild grasses. At the Dominion Fair, held at Regina in 1911, the exhibit of grains, grasses, clovers, fodder crops, fruit, vegetables and natural pro- ducts sent from Swan River Valley won third prize for all Canada, which speaks more than all else of the climate and na- ture of the soil. The settlement is mostly composed of Americans and people from the OM Country. There are homesteads to be had in the district, and other land may be purchased from rail- way and responsible land companies. When the newly acquired territory recently added to Manitoba is surveyed there will be opened up a wonderfully rich area, capable of maintaining an immense population. This added territory will greatly increase the area of the province, and give 244 Hints to Homeseekers it a port on Hudson Bay, into which large ocean going vesseLs will be in a position to carry a considerable portion of the farm produce of the West to old country markets. SASKATCHEWAN. Saskatchewan, the middle one of the Prairie Provinces, is a huge rectangle extending from the forty-ninth to the sixtieth j)arallel, with an area as big as that of France, and twice the size of the British Isles. Saskatchewan has a southern base of 390 miles bordering on the United States, and its length from north to south is 760 miles. The total land area of the Province of Saskatchewan is 155,092,480 acres. The Province may be de- fined as consisting to four distinct zones. These, proceeding from south to north are: (a) rolling prairie, (b) prairie and woodland, (c) forest, (d) sparsely timbered belt. Of the enor- mous area given above less than twelve million acres, or about one-thirteenth, is cultivated. Notwithstanding this fact, Saskat- chewan stood second among the wheat-producing States and Pro- vinces of this continent in 1910. It has produced 400 million bushels of wheat in the past twelve years. Its increase in popu- lation in ten years was 440 per cent. Fiver Ways. — The chief rivers are the North Saskatchewan, South Saskatchewan, Qu'Appelle, and Carrot. The North and South Saskatchewan both rise in the Rocky JMountains and each has a general easterly trend. The Red Deer flows into the South Saskatchewan, about 150 miles north of the United States boundar3\ The South Saskatchewan runs east nearly half way across the Province, then turns north and enters the North Sas- katchewan River a little east of the town of Prince Albert. The South Saskatchewan River, with the Qu'Appelle, intersects the Province from east to west. The Carrot rises south of Prince Albert and runs an approximate parallel line to the North Sas- katchewan, into which it flows near "The Pas," a Hudson Bay Company trading post. Surface and Settlement. — The first tide of homeseekers into Agricidtural Opportunities 245 Saskatchewan flowed along the channel provided by the Canadian Pacific Railway, and each new railroad since built has been fol- lowed close at heel by eager, earnest land-seekers. So it is that one finds to-day prosperous settlements on both sides of the tracks of the Canadian Northern, the Canadian Pacific and the Grand Trunk Pacific. Railways. — Saskatchewan is well served by the Canadian Pa- cific, Canadian Northern, and Grand Trunk Pacific railways, and very few of the older settlements are more than ten or twenty miles from transportation. Into the newer sections, where home- steads are available, all these roads are rapidly extending their lines. Saskatchewan Crops. — Saskatchewan leads all the other pro- vinces in wheat production, though only a comparatively small portion of its cultivable area has yet been brought under the plough. In 1898 the area under wheat in Saskatchewan was 276,253 acres; in 1905 it was 910,359 acres; in 1908 2,703,563 acres, and in 1911 or in three years' time, according to Dominion Govern- ment figures, it had nearly doubled, the area being 4,704,660 acres. On this area there was grown approximately ninety-seven million bushels of wheat, or an average of twenty bushels to the acre. This is a fair average, in spite of the fact that this Pro- vince, with the rest of the West, suffered from unfavorable weather conditions. As it is, the farmers of Saskatchewan have had a very successful year, as will be seen by the following tables, showing a total value of 121^4 million dollars for field products apart from field and fodder crops. Roots and forage crops for 1911 are valued at twelve million dollars. 246 Hints to Homeseekers FIELD PRODUCTS OF SASKATCHEWAN FOR A TERM OF YEARS WHEAT c ATS Average Total Average Total Total Yield Value Total Yield Value Year Yield per Acre 1911 Yield per Acre 1911 1905... . 26,107,286 23.09 19,213,055 42.70 1906. . . . 37,010,098 21.40 23,965,528 37.45 1908.. . . 50,654,629 13.68 48,379,838 27.29 1909. . . . 90,277,000 22.04 105,465,000 42.04 1910. . . . 72,666,000 15.58 63,315,000 30.40 •1911. .. . 97,665,000 20.8 $63,000,000 97,962,000 46.12 $34,250,000 BARLEY FLAX Average Total Average Total Total Yield Value Total Yield Value Year Yield per Acre 1911 Yield per Acre 1911 1905. . . 893,396 27.11 398,399 15.73 1906. . . . 1.316,415 24.57 710,698 9.35 1908. .. . 3,965,724 17.23 2,589,352 9.78 1909. .. . 7,833,000 32.01 4,448,700 13.09 1910.. . . 5,859,018 26.01 3,044,138 9.66 •1911... . 5,445,000 31.61 $3,000,000 10,688,000 11.25 $21,000,000 1906 1909 1911 Value 1911 263,713 341,521 492,432 240,566 429,766 718,346 $114,935,360 112,618 234,458 250,600 12,530,000 360,236 594,632 565,350 14,133,750 121,290 152,601 197,826 1,236,412 123,916 352,385 352,118 3,523,059 $146,359,372 * According to Dominion census figures the local government gives the average yield of wheat at 18.50, oats 45, barley 28, flax 11.13. HOW SASKATCHEWAN HAS GROWN 1901 Population 91,279 Horses 83,461 Milch Cows 56,440 Other Horned Cattle 160,613 Sheep 73,097 Swine 27,753 Dairying. — Natural conditions in certain parts of the Province are eminently suitable for mixed farming and dairying. Locally there is an excellent market for butter. j\lost of the creameries are under government supervision, the Minister of Agriculture, through the Superintendent of Dairying, supervising all business transactions with the exception of cream delivery. A reason- able estimate places the output of butter for 1911, at 1,202,801 pounds, valued at $282,688. The output of 1910 was 861,000 pounds, value $208,972. Adjacent districts to those in which Agricultural Opportunities 247 creameries are now being operated, will, without doubt, follow dairying as their chief occupations; and rightly so, because of the favorable natural facilities which with intelligent applica- tion on the part of the settler makes success easily possible. The number of farmers supplying cream increased from 553 in 1908 to 1,596 in 1911. Lumbering. — North of Prince Albert, which is the centre at present of the lumbering industry, and east of that city, lumber- ing is extensively carried on. In the northern forest the timber is spruce, both white and black, larch or tamarack, jack pine, aspen or white poplar, balsam or black poplar, and white birch. Prince Albert has four lumber mills. Education. — School districts are established by the Govern- ment, but maintained and managed by the resident rate-payers of the district. The minimum size of rural districts is limited to twenty-five square miles, but the majority comprise from six- teen to twenty. A district must have four persons actually resi- dent therein, who would be liable to assessment, and at least twelve children between the ages of five and sixteen years, in- clusive. The schools are sustained by provincial aid and also by local rates. Except in special cases where qualified teachers can- not be obtained, every teacher must hold a certificate of qualifica- tion granted by the department of education. A university, sup- ported and controlled by the Province, has been established at Saskatoon. A department of Saskatchewan's new university will be a college of agriculture. The education of the farmer is the constant concern of the local agricultural authorities in Canada, and nowhere does this re- ceive greater attention than in the newer districts. Government and Other TelepJiones. — The Government of the Province operates the telephone system. This comprised in 1911 over 1,300 miles of long-distance lines, forty-two exchanges, and upwards of 5,000 subscribers. In addition, the Government pur- sues an active policy of stimulating the organization of local rural companies by giving to such companies as a bonus all the 248 Hints to Homeseekers poles required for their lines. During 1911, over $60,000 worth of telephone poles were distributed gratis to farmers' telephone companies. As a result of this policy there were in existence at the close of 1911 seventy-one such rural companies with a total capitalization in excess of $250,000. These rural companies are connected with local exchanges and toll offices wherever possible, and represent 1,900 pole miles serving upwards of 2,000 farmers. Cities, Towns and Villages, Regina. — The capital, 360 miles west of Winnipeg, lies in the heart of a splendid agricultural district, and is a wholesale centre. It is noted for its substantial public buildings and paved streets, is well supplied with hotel accommodation and boasts a dozen banks. It has a collegiate in- stitute and provincial normal school. The city is the headquarters of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, and also of the judiciary of Saskatchewan; population, 30,210. The total building per- mits in Regina for 1911 amounted to $5,088,110, as compared with $2,352,228 in 1910. The bank clearings in 1911 amounted to $72,487,159, as com- pared with $14,153,244 in 1909. The Canadian Pacific, Canadian Northern, and Grand Trunk Pacific Railways unite to make Regina an important centre. Moose Jaw. — Forty miles west of Regina, is a Canadian Pa- cific Railway divisinal point, and the terminus of the Soo Line and of the line under construction from Moose Jaw to Lacombe via Outlook, with the Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Pa- cific projected. It is noted for its schools and churches ; and has also extensive stock yards. INIoose Jaw spent $2,475,136 in build- ing in 1911, $500,000 in 1909. Population, 14,000. Saskatoon. — The seat of the University of Saskatchewan, is a growing city beautifully situated on the south branch of the Sas- katchewan. It is well served by railways, being located on the Canadian Northern's Regina-Prince Albert Line and on the route of the Canadian Pacific Line from Winnipeg to Edmonton. Grand Trunk Pacific trains run to what is practically the sub- urbs, and connection is made with Canadian Northern main-line Agricultural Opportunities 249 trains at Warman, while an extensive territory to the southwest is served by the line that runs into that excellent farming district. Population, about 20,000. Building permits for 1911 amounted to $4,920,000 as compared with $943,000 in 1909. Prince Albert. — Is the northern terminus of the Canadian Northern, and has a delightful situation on the north branch of the Saskatchewan. A line of the Grand Trunk Pacific is ex- pected to reach there in the fall of 1912. The Canadian North- ern has a portion of its line to Battleford completed. It has four big saw-mills, is well supplied with banks, churches, schools, and hotels; population, 6,250; building permits, 1911. $920,145, 1909, $144,000. For two years in succession, the district of Prince Albert carried off the prize in Red Fyfe for North Saskatchewan at Regina; in 1910 at Brandon for all Western Canada. There are at present three flour mills grinding about 400 barrels a day. One local mill ships a large proportion of its product to Scotland. Indian Head. — The largest incorporated town in Saskatche- wan, has more elevators than any other town in the Province. For some time it enjoyed the distinction of being the largest initial wheat-shipping point in the world. The Dominion Gov- ernment experimental farm is there. Moosomin. — Two hundred and twenty miles west of "Winnipeg on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, is a flourish- ing town surrounded by a rolling prairie country particularly adapted to mixed farming. It has a population of 1,200, good churches, schools, banks, grain elevators, and waterworks. Yorkton. — Two hundred and eighty miles northwest of Win- nipeg, on the Canadian Pacific Railway, has within the last five years doubled its population. Yorkton ships annually over two million bushels of grain and is a very up-to-date town of about 2,500 inhabitants, with creditable municipal buildings, eight wheat elevators, water works, sewerage system, flour mill, saw- mill, cement sidewalks, telephone, and a municipal gas plant, Wolsely. — Three hundred miles west of Winnipeg, is the west- 250 Hints to Homeseekers em terminus of the Wolsely-Reston branch of the Canadian Pa- cific Railway. Swift Current. — One hundred and twelve miles west of Moose Jaw, is a divisional point of the Canadian Pacific Railway and a busy railway town. Today Swift Current is the largest ini- tial wheat market on the American continent. Five years ago it was thought that the district from a point twenty miles west of Moose Jaw to the western boundary of the Province, and south to the United States boundary was fitted only for horse ranching, cattle and sheep grazing, but now the land is practically all home- steaded in every direction from Sv^dft Current. Railway branch lines are being extended from Swift Current to the northwest and to the southeast through fairly well settled districts. Popu- lation, 2,000. Battteford. — Population, 1,500 and North Battleford, popula- tion, 2,300, as the centres of prosperous communities. These towns are so advantageously situated that the Canadian North- ern and Grand Trunk Pacific Railways are here building branch lines north and south, opening up splendid agricultural districts. Considerable rivalry exists between the two towns, both are grow- ing finely, and they have every promise of a big future. Efforts are now being made to secure branch lines of the Canadian Pa- cific Railway. Qu'Appelle and Areola are enterprising towns. Among the largest incorporated villages in Saskatchewan are Broadview, a divisional point on the Canadian Pacific Railway main line ; Grenfell, a^so on the main line; Duck Lake, on the Regina- Prince Albert branch; Alameda, Balgonie, Lemberg, Lloyd- minster, Melfort, Rouleau, and Sintaluta. Portal is the point where the Soo Line enters Saskatchewan. Yellow Grass, Mile- stone, and Drinkwater are newer towns on the Sod Line, settled within the past few years by progressive farmers from the States. Important and growing towns on the Grand Trunk Pacific are Melville, Watrous, Scott and Nokomis. Agricultural Opportunities ' 251 Maple Greek, for many years the centre of a ranching section, has a population of 1,000, and the country around is rapidly filling up with settlers. Estevan is noted for its coal mines and enjoys direct rail connections with Winnipeg. "Weyburn is a prosperous town on the Soo Line of the Canadian Pacific Rail- way between Moose Jaw and North Portal and is connected by railway with Stoughton, thus furnishing a direct route to the east. Rothern, on the Regina-Prince Albert branch of the Cana- dian Northern, is in the centre of a good agricultural district. A glance at the map will show many another town that has sprung into existence in the last couple of years, laying claim to population of from 300 to 800. Such are Outlook, Rosetown^ Kindersley, Kerrobert, Lanigan, and a score besides. Summing Up. — In forming an estimate of the future of Sas- katchewan, it is well to remember that this Province lies in the same latitude as the British Isles. Denmark, Belgium, and the greater part of Germany are as far north as Regina. Edinburgh is nearer the top of the map than is any one of the settled parts of Saskatchewan. Christiania and St. Petersburg are on the sixtieth parallel of latitude, which is the northern boundary of this Province. The coal areas to the south, and the partially wooded areas in the north, provide an ample supply of fuel, while water can generally be secured at a reasonable depth. SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN. One may include in Southeastern Saskatchewan that section which lies between Manitoba on the east and the third meridian on the west and extending some distance north of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It has more rainfall than that farther west and less wood than the portion lying north. In character and productiveness of soil, Southeastern Saskatchewan is a continuation of Manitoba, but contains more prairie area. Soil Almost Inexhaustible. — The possibilities of Southeastern Saskatchewan cannot be better shown than by instancing the re- 252 Hints to Homeseekers suits of tests made at the Experimental Farm at Indian Head. A dozen distinct varieties of wheat, sown in mid April, were cut in 130 days and yielded an average of forty-three bushels to the acre. Six reasons may be given for the exceptionally favorable conditions awaiting the grower of wheat in Saskatchewan: 1. The soil is almost inexhaustible in its fertility. 2. The cli- mate brings the wheat plant to fruition very quickly. 3. The northern latitude gives the wheat more sunshine during the period of growth than is furnished by the districts farther south. 4. Cyclones never occur. 5. Rust is of infrequent occurrence. 6. Insect foes are unkno^vn. There are few homesteads available in this district. The land is well occupied by an excellent class of farmers, and land values range from $15 per acre to $25 for unimproved farms. SOUTHWESTERN SASKATCHEWAN. During the year 1908 the Government opened up for home- steading and pre-emption all available lands in Southwestern Saskatchewan. The demand for these is great and there is market for the adjoining acres held by railway and land com- panies. North of the South Saskatchewan River extends an al- most level fertile plain. Between Regina and Moose Jaw the country is mostly oc- cupied by prosperous farmers. In the neighborhood of Moose Jaw mixed farming as well as grain raising is carried on with success. North and northwest, towards the Saskatchewan, there are large settlements of contented and prosperous farm- ers. Recent surveys south and southwest have opened a tract of land available for homesteading, and the establishment of a land office at Moose Jaw makes it easy to inspect the land and secure speedy entry. These lands are easily reached from Moose Jaw, Mortlach, Herbert, and Swift Current. Maple Creek district is an important stock centre and ship- ping point for the big ranches to the west and south, some of the best sheep, and horses in Canada being raised on the sue- AgricuUnral Opportunities 253 culent grass that here obtains. Here as elsewhere, tlie wheat grower and mixed farmer are treading on the heels of the ranchman and the cow-puncher. West of Swift Current to the Alberta boundary herds of cattle roam and largely find for themselves. Snowfall is light and winters so mild that hardy animals graze through the whole year. The chinook winds from the Pacific are strongly felt as far east as Swift Current. Grain growing is being suc- cessfully carried on both to the north and south. CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN. Central Saskatchewan is watered east and west by the main Saskatchewan River and by its chief branch, the North Sas- katchewan, a great part of whose navigable length lies within this section. The surface generally is rolling prairie inter- spersed with bluffs of poplar, spruce, and pine, alternating with intruding portions of the great plain from the south. In soil and climate Central Saskatchewan is well adapted to the rais- ing of cattle, wheat and other grains. Quite an area of the best land is still open for free home- steading, but lies chiefly to the north of the central belt. The homesteader in many parts may add to his holdings by pur- chasing adjoining land from the land companies of the Can- adian Northern, Canadian Pacific Railway, and other corpora- tions. These unimproved lands are obtainable at from $15 an acre, upwards. Districts recently opened for settlement are the Shellbrook^ the Beaver River, and Green Lake, into which the Canadian Northern Railway is projected. Other new districts are the Jack Fish Lake and Turtle Lake, north of Battleford, into which the same road is being built. These districts are favor- able for grain and cattle raising. North of North Battleford, there have recently been surveyed several townships of land,, which will not be long without a line of railway and to the 254 Hints to Homeseekers east of these again there is a splendid lot of available home- steads. NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN. Northern Saskatchewan has not yet been opened to any ex- tent for settlement. There are approximately eighty million acres beyond the railway at Prince Albert, a heritage which time, zeal, and railway enterprise will eventually make acces- sible to the world. The furs, forest wealth, and fisheries are recognized as a national asset, but thousands of acres of fertile land lie beyond the existing lines of railway, which await future development. Northern Saskatchewan has natural re- sources sufficient to maintain a population equal to that of any European country in corresponding latitude. ALBERTA. Alberta, the most westerly of the three Prairie Provinces, is twice the size of Great Britain and Ireland, much larger than either France or Germany and has a greater area than the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, TJhode Island, Connecticuit, New York, New Jersey and Penn- sylvania combined. The area of arable land alone in Alberta is placed at one hundred million acres, and this provincial em- pire, with its great wealth in agricultural lands, mines, for- ests and fisheries, has less than 400,000 people. Alberta is a vast sloping plateau from 3,000 to 2,000 feet above sea-level, hung by its western edge on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It slopes gently toward the east and north. Absolutely level plains form no great proportion of the surface of the country. By far the larger proportion is undulating country diversified by forest, stream, liills and open country not unlike Ontario or New York State. Beautiful lakes fringed with forest and abounding in Avhitefish are scat- tered over its Central and Northern area. Everywhere luxuri- ant grasses and flowers cover the open country which formed AgriciUtural Opportunities 255 the chief feeding grounds of the innumerable herds of bison of the past. While open and treeless country characterizes the .southern part of the province, great stretches of prairie extend to the northern limits to the Hay River and the McKenzie River. The prairie of the south passes into woodland to reappear again in higher latitudes. In other localities there is an agreeable al- teration of woodland and prairie. This character prevails 600 or 700 miles north of the Saskatchewan River which in course of time may be made accessible by railways. Rivers. — The province is the source of two of the four great river systems of the North American Continent — The Sas- katchewan, and the McKenzie. The Saskatchewan is divided into two great arteries, one of which with its tributaries, the Bow, Belly, St. Mary's, Old Man and Red Deer, waters the south, while the north branch, with the Brazeau, Clearwater, Sturgeon, Battle, Blindman and Vermilion as tributaries, wa- ters the great central plains. The Peace and the Athabaska drain the north. Alberta's lakes are chiefly in the northern part, there being Lake Athabaska 120 miles long and Lesser Slave sixty miles long, and many bodies of water only a few acres in extent. Railways.— Besides its main line the Canadian Pacific Railway has two branches from Calgary — one north to Strathcona, the other south to Macleod. Two branches running eastward di- verge at Lacombe and Wetaskiwin. Another branch leaves the Canadian Pacific Railway main line near Medicine Hat passes through Lethbridge and Macleod and crosses the moun- tains by the Crow's Nest Pass. A southern line of the Cana- dian Pacific will connect Lethbridge with Weyburn, on the **Soo" line and when completed will open up a large area of splendid agricultural land. Provincial mileage, 1,273. Other lines connecting up the branch system are being built. The Canadian Northern enters Alberta from the east at Lloydminster and crosses the Saskatchewan River at Fort Sas- 256 Hints to Homeseekers katchewan on its way to the capital, Edmouton. From Ed- monton this pioneer road has lines projected and partially con- structed north and west, and also one starting at Vegreville to connect its main line with Calgary, and then extended south- easterly toward Lethbridge and Macleod. Mileage in the Pro- vince, 393. The Grand Trunk Pacific trans-continental system serves the territory lying between the Canadian Northern and the Cana- dian Pacific Railway, operating trains through a fertile and productive territory. This Company has also completed a line south from Tofield to Calgary. Provincial mileage, 445. From Lethbridge the Alberta Railway & Irrigation Com- pany's line runs south to the international boundary, and a branch southwesterly from Stirling. Another road is under construction running northward from the international boundary through Pincher, with Calgary as a northern terminus. In addition to this the government has outlined a policy of railway development throughout the province in general, and the north country in particular, which is rich in natural re- sources and possesses agricultural land which attracts those settlers desirous of taking up free homestead land not to be found now to a large extent in other parts of the province. There are settlements all along the various lines, and adjoin- ing the available homesteads are farm lands open to purchase from the railways, land companies, and private owners at reasonable prices and on easy terms. Total railway mileage, January, 1912, 2,111. The building of highways between all important points has become a matter of great interest to the local Government. A million dollars will be spent this year in the construction of roads and bridges. Cities and Totv7is of Alherta. — High up on the banks of the Saskatchewan and forming the portal alike to the Last West and the New North, the capital city of Edmonton has attrac- Agricultural Opportunities 257 tions for the capitalist, the tourist, the manufacturer, and the seeker for health. Located in the centre of two great trans- continental highways, within a decade Edmonton will be rated among the world 's great ones. Traffic from the Pacific to Hud- son Bay will go through her portals, the south will contribute, and the trade of the Great North country is hers, alone. Pos- sessed of her own waterworks, electric-lighting and power sys- tems street railway, telephones, the city is modern, attractive, and instinct with growing life. Fifteen banks are evidence of prosperity, with their clearinghouse totals of over 122 million dollars a year, as compared with fifty million dollars in 1909, Edmonton occupies the tenth place in the cities of the Domin- ion. The erection of the Parliament buildings, substantial postoffice, new court house, with large pork-packing plants, and other solid buildings are unmistakable signs of faith and works, and each year emphasises her right to her distinctive municipal motto — -^ ' Industry, Energy, and Enterprise. ' ' Build- ing permits in Edmonton in 1911 amounted to three million dol- lars as against two million in 1910. Population, according to census 1911, 24,882, which with Strathcona now added, is in- creased to 30,000. Edmonton recently added the city of Strathcona with its Provincial University. Calgary has written its own story in public and permanent buildings along its substantial streets. It has over one hun- dred wholesale establishments, 300 retail stores, fifteen char- tered banks, and half a hundred manufacturing establishments, a Young Men's Christian Association Hall costing $40,000, and a $150,000 normal school building. The chief streets are paved. There is municipal ownership of server system, waterworks, and electric light. The gravity water system, which carries a supply sufficient for a city of 200,000 people, cost about $350,000. Directly bearing upon the future of Calgary is the irrigation project of the Bow River Valley, where three million acres are being colonized. On this work already over eight mil- lion dollars has been expended, and there are in active operation 17 258 Hints to Homeseekers 1,200 miles of canals and laterals. Population according to census 1911 was 43,736. Building permits in 1911 amounted to twelve and three-quarters million dollars or more than double those of 1910. Bank clearings 1911, $219,245,879, as compared evidenced by the establishment of the Canadian Pacific car shops, to employ about 2,000 men. It has the Canadian Pacific, Cana- dian Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific. Lethbridge, with a population of about 10,000 is a prosper- ous coal-mining and commercial town in Southern Alberta. The output of the mines finds a ready market in British Colum- bia, in Montana, and as far east as "Winnipeg. A Government Experimental Farm near Lethbridge demonstrates what are the best grains to be grown and how to grow them. The hardier varieties of summer and fall apples can be successfully grown. Bank clearings 1911, $28,530,298. Building permits were over one million dollars. Four lines of railway assist in making it an important railway centre. The World's "Dry Farming" Congress for 1912 was held at Lethbridge. Medicine Hat, situated in the valley of the South Saskatche- wan, is the centre of a magnificent ranching and mixed-farm- ing district. It is a divisional point, with extensive railway shops all operated by natural gas. The light, heat, and power, derived from natural gas, is sold to manufacturers at five cents per thousand cubic feet, and for domestic purposes at one cent. Building permits in 1911 were nearly half a million dollars; population upwards of 6,000. Wetaskiwin is a railway divisional point from which stretch farms in all directions. The location of the city, near the Peace Hills, is very beautiful. Wetaskiwin owns its electric light plant, and a system of waterAvorks and sewerage. Ray- mond, in Southern Alberta, has had a rapid growth. A sugar factory is the chief industry. Red Deer is situated on the Canadian Pacific, half way between Calgary and Edmonton, many of its citizens being formerly Americans. There is operated here a large sawmill, two brick-yards, concrete works, cream- Agricultural Opportunities 259 eries, wheat elevators, and a sash-and-door factory. Coal and wood are plentiful and cheap. The district has never had a crop failure, and blizzards are unknown. Lacombe is on the direct line between Calgary and Edmonton. It has a flour mill, foundry, planing-mill, brick-yard, grain elevators, electric lights, and telephones. The country surrounding is noted for its pure-bred cattle and horses, and a Government Experi- mental Farm adjoins the town. Macleod and Cardston give promise of substantial growth. Other towns that are doing well and in their air of prosperity give the stamp to the surrounding farming country are Clares- holm, Didsbury, Fort Saskatchewan, High River, Innisfail, Olds, Okotoks, Pincher Creek, Ponoka, St. Albert, Vermilion, Vegreville, Carmangay, Stettler, Taber, Tofield, Camrose, Wain- wright, and, now a good deal of interest is being taken in Atha- baska Landing on account of the agricultural settlement that is under way, and the completion of the Canadian Northern to that point. GROW^TH OF ALBERTA. 1901 Population 73,022 Horses 93,001 Milch cows 46,295 Other horned cattle 329,391 Sheep 80,055 Hogs 46,163 Cultivated farms in Alberta Increase in population in ten years was 413 per cent. Soil and Products. — Alberta has a wealth and diversity of natural products. A great proportion of the land is undulat- ing prairie, well watered, and covered with a deep, black loam, in many places four and five feet in thickness, whose fertility and depth give it a growing power practically inexhaustible. Allowing that one-half of the surface of the Province is taken up with lake, timber lands, and second-quality soil, a con- servative estimate gives eighty million acres of first-class wheat land in Alberta. This would allow a 160-acre farm each to 1906 1908 1909 1911 185,412 265,820 273,859 374,663 226,534 246.922 263,713 101,245 110.357 116.371 849,387 934,326 910,547 154,266 161,979 171,422 114,623 115,769 139,270 45,000 260 Hints to Homeseekers half a million farmers, making possible for the future an agri- cultural population of two and one-half million souls. For tJte Settle?'. — It is to the problems of agricultural educa- tion and railway extension that Alberta lawmakers are first addressing themselves. The formation of agricultural societies is encouraged, the dissemination of exact scientific knowledge is carried on by means of farmers' institutes, stock-judging schools, seed fairs, and traveling dairies. The raising of pure- bred stock is assisted by government grants. Experimental farms have been established through the Province, the idea being to convince the farmers that m|ixed farming is. more profitable than all grain raising. The teaching of scientific farming has the greatest attention, and it is thought that it will not be long before agricultural high schools will be started, while agriculture will form part of the curriculum of the public schools. The age of progress demands the formation of municipalities and this it is expected will shortly be brought about, whereby a certain number of residents under certain conditions may form a municipality, when they will have the power to issue debentures for permanent improvements. It is equitable to have the future generation pay for a share of the improvements they enjoy, and secondly to lessen the demand upon current revenue. Educational Facilities. — A system of free public schools has been established. The organization of districts is optional with the settlers, the Government liberally supporting all pub- lic schools. School population at end of 1911, 46,048 ; number of schools, 1,254. The University of Alberta has been estab- lished by the Provincial Government and will afford every op- portunity for higher education, while there are preparatory schools at Calgary, Lethbridge and other towns. Poultry Bainng. — In a country where the winter price of fresh eggs ranges from fifty to sixty cents a dozen, and where the sum- mer price rarely falls below twenty-five cents, extensive develop- Agricultural Opportunities 261 ments along this profitable line of mixed farming cannot be long delayed. Dairying. — The dairy industry is destined to assume consid- erable proportions in Alberta. In the creameries operated by the Government for the farmers, over two one one-half million pounds of butter were produced in 1910, which, sold at an aver- age of twenty-five cents per pound, gives an estimated value of about $600,000. Butter from private dairies gave $250,000; cheese factories, $28,000, a grand total of dairy products of $880,000. Local conditions prevail for the dairy herd — abun- dance of feed, good water, and healthful climate. In sparsely settled districts the Government sends a traveling dairy for in- struction. Handling the Grain. — In 1905, Alberta's elevators had a ca- pacity of 1,715,000 bushels ; in 1911, the capacity was over 9 million bushels. Such is the history of progress throughout all Central Canada. In 1909, there were 1,100 threshing outfits in the Province. Stock. — Alberta is the Kentucky of Canada with regard to horse breeding. Its high altitude, dry and invigorating atmos- phere, short and mild winters, its nutritious grasses and inex- haustible supply of clear, cold water, make it pre-eminently adapted for horse breeding, and the Alberta animal is noted for its endurance, lung power and freedom from hereditary and other diseases. Nearly all the breeds of horses known are represented on the farms and ranches. Horses winter out at a nominal expense and without grain or even hay feeding. Al- berta is now supplying the province of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory with beef, as well as providing for a large export trade to the Old Country. Four-year-old range steers which have never been under a roof nor fed a pound of grain, and less than a ton of hay, weigh about 1,500 pounds by the first of August and if allowed to run till October go as high as 1,650 pounds. Telephones. — The province owns and operates its own tele- 262 Hints to Homeseekers phones. Long distance mileage. 3,500 miles; rural lines, 2,500 miles; number of subscribers, 1,030. It has 1,700 telephones and a capital outlay of $3,800,000. Mineral Resources. — Alberta has enormous coal and lignite areas, the production of coal in 1911 being over three million tons, values at over seven and one-half million dollars. The settlement of the country, together with the great railway construction, will mean a rapid increase in coal consumption. Its coal supply is practically inexhaustible, and underlies much of the whole pro- vince in seams from four to twelve feet thick, to be found in out- croppings on the banks of every .stream and in shafts from twenty to 150 feet deep. All grades are found, lignite, bituminous and anthracite. The total formation contains not less than 12,800 square miles and has an estimated content of 71,000,000,000 tons. Natural gas, under heavy pressure, has been found at Medi- cine Hat, Dunmore Junction, and Bow Island on the South Saskatchewan, and at Pelican Rapids on the Athabaska. Ex- cellent indications of the existence of petroleum have been found both in the south near the British Columbia boundary, and in the north in the vicinity of Fort McMurray and south- ward, and it is confidently expected that important commercial oil fields will soon be located. Fish. — The Great Lakes of the North furnish yearly half a million pounds of incomparable white fish, while the fur wealth of the North is an important asset. The Province naturally falls into three divisions, exhibiting marked distinctions in climatic and typographical conditions — Southern, Central, and Northern Alberta. SOUTHERN ALBERTA. Southern Alberta is open and rolling, and devoid of timber except along the streams and the Rocky Mountain foot-hills. The soil is a fertile loam. The climate is ideal, with pleasing summers and mild winters. Stock pasture in the open air dur- Agricultural Opportunities 263 ing winter, grazing on the nutritive sun-dried grasses. The absence of timber in Southern Alberta is compensated for by the supply of coal. For years this district was almost entirely a horse and cat- tle country, but now winter wheat is pushing the cowboy back, the range being rapidly converted into fields of grain and areas of sugar-beets. With the introduction of "Alberta Red," a new era was ushered in for Avinter wheat. Sown on new breaking or summer-fallowed land from the middle of July to the end of September, winter wheat is ready for the reaper from the first to the fifteenth of August in the following year. Climate and soil combine to make Southern Alberta the ideal district for the growth of this cereal. Considerable spring wheat is also grown, and for sugar-beet growing it compares favorably with Germany and the world. The total acreage of winter wheat for the Province in 1911, according to Dominion census figures, was 317,000, the average yield being twenty-five bushels an acre, and by far greater por- tion of this was grown in Southern Alberta. Around Lethbridge, Taber, Grassy Lake, Cardston, Spring Coulee, Pinche Creek, Macleod, Stavely, Leavitt, Claresholm, Nanton, High River, Okotoks and Calgary, winter wheat is grown. This wheat is in great demand on account of its milling qualities. Water Supply and Irrigation. — Water for domestic and farm purposes is easily obtained at reasonable depth, and with an intelligent system of cultivation, aimed to make the best use of the rainfall, no fear need be entertained of shortage of moisture. In order to make sure that there would be no danger from this source, however, a number of irrigation ditches have been constructed. In certain sections of the Canadian West as well as in the American West, there is a portion of the country in which the soil is the very best for the growing of cereals, but the geo- graphical locations and relative positions to the rain avenues, do not give the advantage that other parts possess in the mat- 264 Hints to Homeseekers ter of precipitation. It is now ascertained that it is not alto- gether the number of inches of rain that is essential to the growing of crops, but its conservation, and that is the meaning of "dry farming." "Dry farming" may well be applied to districts where there is a heavy rainfall, and better results will follow. This system is being successfully followed in the southern portion of Southern Alberta. There are also por- tions of that district that can be easily and successfully farmed by means of irrigation. The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Southern Alberta Land Company have brought a large area under irrigation. The lands thus affected have increased considerably in value and find a ready market at from $25.00 to $35.00 an acre and upwards. CENTRAL ALBERTA. Central Alberta extends from the Red Deer River north- ward to the height of land between the Saskatchewan and the Athabaska. Hill and vale, clothed in grass and flowers, and dotted with spruce and aspen, mark this as the ideal land for the homes of a cultured people. Its great wealth is its dower of deep black humus varying in depth from ten inches to three feet, which overlies a warm sub-soil. The Grains Groivn. — "Winter wheat and spring wheat are raised successfully. Dominion census figures give the spring wheat acreage for 1911 for the Province as 1,300,000 as com- pared with 304,000 in 1909. By far the greater portion of this was in Central Alberta. The area of oats under crop, accord- ing to authority above quoted, in 1911, was 1,178,000 acres as compared with 820,000 in 1909 ; yields of up to 100 bushels to the acre are recorded, the average being placed at forty-eight bushels by the Dominion government. Up to sixty "bushels is the farmer's justified expectation, and Alberta already advocates a standard grade of oats calling for forty-two pounds to the bushel, as against the legal weight of thirty-two pounds in the Republic to the south. AgriciUtiii^al Opportunities 265 Barley is a successful crop, about twenty-seven bushels to the acre being the average of 1911. Acreage was 156,000. Flax and native hay are standard crops. Neiv Territory Opened. — West and north of Edmonton, a ter- ritory being made accessible by the Grand Trunk Pacific and the Canadian Northern, there is an immense stretch of splendid country, in which there are available a large number of home- steads. Wheat and oats are certain crops. Wonderful yields of the latter are reported. The rainfall is certain and sure. Mixed farming can be carried on most successfully. The wild grasses and the pea vine are there in such profusion that there is always an ample supply of feed for stock, while water is convenient, plentiful, and easy to secure. The Stony Plain and Morinville districts are rapidly coming into prominence. On into the foothills and the mountains are splendid stretches of prairie land, through which the Grand Trunk Pacific is now constructed. During the past year there was laid out three million acres of new land to the north, northeast, and northwest of Edmonton — practically all the unsubdivided land between Edmonton and Athabaska Landing — and between Edmonton and Lac la Biche to the northeast and along the main line of the Grand Trunk Pacific and north of that line. Game. — Game is plentiful and varied. Ducks, prairie chickens, swans, geese, cranes, waveys, partridge, snipe, and plover af- ford excellent sport to the gunshot. Moose are obtainable in the north, with cariboo and red and blacktailed deer. Wolves, foxes, bears, with the badger, muskrat, martin, mink, otter, ermine, and wolverine furnish a fur supply which runs well up into large money value each winter. More about the ''Park" District. — The northern and western portions of Central Alberta has some brush, and frequently this land is avoided, the preference being for the open prairie. But those who have taken up what is termed "brush" land find they have a soil fully as good as that of the open prairie. They 266 Hints to Ilomeseehers think it better, the cost of clearing is slight, and they have the advantage of shelter, for cattle and an absolute assurance of splendid water at a reasonable depth. To these people the tree- less prairie is a boon, for the cost of clearing their land is re- duced — since there is now a ready market for the by-product formerly burnt up as useless. Eighty-five carloads of willow pickets were loaded at Leduc and shipped to the south and east. Farmers get two cents each for a willow picket with a two- inch top. Tamarac posts sell for seven cents for seven-foot length or at the rate of one cent per foot. No Miasma. — Central Alberta's water supply is ample. None of the miasma of malaria exudes from this soil, and so ague and kindred troubles are unknown. No country in the world is healthier or more attractive. NORTHERN ALBERTA. Far north of the end of steel extends seventy-five per cent of this rich Province, a heritage as yet unexploited. "When the rail- ways push into the Athabaska and the Place, it will be realized that Alberta owns an Empire north of the Saskatchewan. This district has been set apart by Nature to provide homes for millions of agrarian people when the plains to the south are filled up. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, on the first of January, 1912, reports as follows : I have worked out a table as given below which will give as correct an estimate of the season's crops as it is possible to give at the present time. \ • . Total Estimate Estimate Estimate Estimate in June in the PaU Yield Yield Acres. Acres. per Acre. • Bushels. Winter wheat 183.444 175,000 18 Bu. 3,150.000 Spring wheat 672,754 650,000 20 Bu. 13,000,000 Oats 705,345 690,000 35 Bu. 24.150,000 Barley 123,247 120,000 30 Bu. 3,600.000 Flax 40,343 35,000 7 Bu. 245,000 Rye, Speltz, etc 30,000 20 Bu. 600,000 44,745,000 Agricultural Opportunities 26T Total Yield of Grain. 1907. 14,588,552 1908 25,073,147 1909 36,761,493 1910 22,027.184 1911 44,745,000 BRITISH COLUMBIA. Stretching from the Rockies to the sea and from the United States to the sixtieth parallel, British Columbia is the largest Province in the Dominion. It is big enough to enable one to place in it, side by side at the same time, two Englands, three Irelands, and four Scotlands. Looking across the water to the millions of British subjects in India, in Hong-Kong, in Au- stralia, and the isles of the sea, one catches brief pathetic glimpses of the commercial greatness which the Pacific has begun to waft to these shores. Nature intended British Colum- bia to develop a great seaward commerce, and substantial trade relations are now established northward to the Yukon and south- ward to Mexico. Population, June, 1911, 392,480. British Columbia has natural wealth in her forests and her fish, in her whales and seals and fruit farms. But it is from her mines, more than from aught else, that she will derive her future wealth. The parallel chains of the Rockies, the Selkirks, and the Coast Range are a rich dower. They furnish scenery unrivalled in its majesty; they are nurseries of great rivers which pour tribute into three oceans ; and in their rocky embrace they hold a mineral wealth second to none. British Columbia contains an aggregate of from sixteen mil- lion to twenty million unoccupied arable acres. Sir William Dawson has estimated that in the British Columbia section of the Peace River Valley alone, the wheat-growing area will amount to ten million acres. It is a country of big things. Rivers. — All the great rivers flowing into the Pacific, with the exception of the Colorado, have their sources within the "268 Hints lo Honieseekers boundaries of this Province. The most important of these are the Columbia, which has a course of 600 miles in British Co- lumbia; the Fraser, 750 miles long; the Skeena, 300 miles long; the Thompson, the Kootenay, the Stikine, the Liard, and the Peace. These rivers with their tributaries drain an area of one-tenth of the whole of the North American continent. The lake area aggregates one and one-half million acres. A Rich Province. — British Columbia coal measures are suffi- cient to supply the world for centuries. It possesses the great- est compact area of merchantable timber in the world. The mines are in the early stages of their development, and yet they have already produced over $275,000,000. The fisheries return an average annual yield of $7,500,000. British Columbia's trade, per head of population, is the largest in the world. The chief exports are salmon, coal, gold, silver, copper, lead, timber, masts and spars, furs and skins, whale-oil, sealskins, hops, and fruit. An inter-provincial trade ivith Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the eastern prov- inces is developing, British Columbia fruit finding a ready and lucrative market there. Railivays. — ^The Canadian Pacific Railway maintains two main lines, the Canadian Pacific Railway proper and Crow's Nest Pass Railway, and several branches making connection with United States railway systems. It also employs a fleet of sev- enteen coastwise steamers. Its Empress liners make regular trips to China and Japan. The Canadian- Australian liners give service to Hawaii, Fiji, Australia and New Zealand. The Grand Trunk Pacific, which will traverse Canada from the Pacific terminal, Prince Rupert, to Moncton, New Bruns- wick, is prosecuting work on its line from Prince Rupert east- ward. This railway will open to settlement a vast area rich in timber, minerals, and agricultural soil. The Great Northern enters the province at points on the boundary and the Canadian Northern has completed arrange- ments for construction to Vancouver. The combined railway Agricultural OpportnnilKs 269 mileage of the province is 1,600 miles, being one mile of track for each 250 square miles of area. Climate.— The Japan current and the moisture-bearing winds from the Pacific, exercise a moderating influence on the climate of the coast and provide a copious rainfall. The climate of British Columbia, as a whole, presents all the conditions to be met with in European countries lying within the Temperate Zone. Pure air, absence of extremes in temperature, freedom from malaria, make British Columbia one vast sanitarium. British Columbia is essentially the scenic province. Scarcely a farmhouse in all the valley regions is without a view of ma- jestic mountains. Mining. — British Columbia has been pertinently called "The Mineral Province," a title justified by the fact that in 1907 her production of gold, silver, copper, lead, and coal amounted to sixty-four per cent of the combined output of the other eight provinces of Canada. The Soil and Its Products. — British Columbia is so large that one has to explore it beyond the highway of the railroad to discover its agricultural and economic possibilities. Professor Macoun says, "The whole of British Columbia south of fifty- two degrees and east of the Coast Range is a grazing country up to 3,500 feet, and a farming country up to 2,500 feet where irrigation is possible. As far north as fifty-five degrees excellent apples flourish, and in the southern belt the more delicate fruits, peaches, grapes, and apricots can be reared. Some stretches of the best agricultural land extend over areas as follows : Nicola, Similkameen and Kettle River Valleys 350,000 acres. Okanagan 250,000 Lillooet and Caribou 200,000 East and West Kootenay 125,000 North and South Thompson "Valley 75,000 West of the Coast Range stretch tracts of land, notably the lower Frazer Valley, Westminster district, Vancouver Island, and adjacent islands in the Gulf of Georgia. The opportuni- ties for profitable diversified farming are practically unlimited. 270 Hints to Homeseekers Fruit Growing. — A small exhibit of British Columbia fruit sent to England in 1904 captured the gold medal of the Royal Horticultural Societ3^ A car lot exhibited in London in 1905 won the first prize from all competitors. At least 1,000,000 acres south of fifty-two degrees will produce all the fruits of the temperate zone. The recognized fruit districts include the southern part of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, Lower Frazer Valley, Thompson Valley, Shuswap Lake, Okanagan, Osoyoos, Simil- kameen, Upper Columbia Valley, Kootenay Lake, Arrow Lake, Lower Columbia, Grand Forks, Nicola and Grand Prairie. The fruit shipments of 1908 gave an increase of 1,700 tons over 1907. Over a million and a half fruit trees were imported during 1911. At Kelowna ten tons of prunes per acre is not an uncommon crop. On the Coldstream Ranch, near Vernon, twenty acres produced $10,000 worth of Northern Spy apples. At Peachland an acre and a half of peaches gave a return of ^700. A cherry tree at Agassiz produced 1,000 pounds of fruit. There are now over 100,000 acres in orchard lands. Agriculture. — "The agriculture of a country depends," says F. M. Logan, B. S. A., "upon its climate; British Columbia's agriculture must of necessity be varied. On Vancouver and the other islands adjacent to the west coast, there is less rain- fall and less snow than in the lower valley of the Fraser, just a few miles distant. Other atmospheric conditions also differ. The great valleys of the interior boast of a climate altogether different from that of either district. Each has is own agri- culture, with all the peculiarities pertaining to its climatic and topographical conditions, as well as to transportation facilities. "On Vancouver Island there are no extensive tracts of good farming land so the farms are essentially small ; one hundred acres under cultivation would be above the average size. The majority of these farms are occupied by recent settlers of the well-to-do class, principally from England. Some of these men are thrifty, progressive, ready to adopt Canadian ways, and AgricuUural Opportunities 271 are making a success of farming in what might be called a small way. The better farmers of this district or division of the province devote their efforts to what might be called diversi- fied farming. They nearly all keep a few cows, pigs, sheep and poultry, and have a small area planted to fruit. "Dairy products are in great demand in Victoria, and pro- ducers get as high as two dollars per hundred pounds for their milk, and corresponding prices for cream and butter. Pork is always in good demand, as is also lamb and mutton. "Small fruits and certain varieties of apples, pears and plums do well on these islands, and usually find a ready local market. "The Fraser River valley is one of the most productive areas in the world. For about seventy miles up the river there are farms along its banks which yield their owners revenues from $4,000 to $7,000 a year. About 300,000 acres of this land was reclaimed, now worth from $100 to $1,000 an acre. As much as five tons of hay, 120 bushels of oats, twenty tons of potatoes, and fifty tons of roots have been raised per acre." Speaking of the interior country, a magazine writer says: "A book could be written about this wonderful territory among the mountains. Thirty years ago, the agriculture of this vast region consisted in a few hundred cattle. Twenty years ago there were several thousands, but today, the fertile acres over which they roamed, unmolested, are producing the unexcelled fruit which has made British Columbia famous. The old rancher, with his ten or twenty thousand acres and his uncounted herds of cattle and horses has almost disap- peared. The eight great ranches of the Okanagan Valley have been bought up by syndicates who have divided them into five, ten and twenty-acre farms; and where this land a few years ago supported one owner and a few cowboys, it now maintains a whole settlement, with an income fifty times that previously obtained. "The whole nature of this country has been changed by 272 Hints to Homeseekers methods of modern agriculture. Water has been carried from the mountain streams by pipe lines running from five to fifty miles, and then distributed by a network of small ditches and furrows to the trees, shrubs, vines and flowers of this wonder- ful valley, which some day will be the garden spot of all Can- ada. ' ' In the Cariboo district and the territory north of the Cana- dian Pacific Railway a great country will be opened up by the Canadian Northern and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railways. Much of this country is too cold for successful fruit-growing, but is well suited for live stock and the growing of roots, vege- tables and grains. "There is another farming district, quite different from any I have mentioned, in what is popularly known as the Koote- nays. Here the rainfall is greater, and irrigation is little needed. Then, there is the Columbia Valley, of which the world knows nothing, but possessing sufficient value to warrant the building of a railway south from Golden, on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. There are thousands of acres along the International Boundary awaiting irrigation and transportation. In all this great, undeveloped country there is room for thousands of sturdy settlers." Agricidhiral Opportunities 273 RELIABLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION. The following is a list of the various Scientific Bureaus of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, and the Agricultural Experiment Stations in the various states of the Union. Any of these Bureaus or Experiment Stations may he freely consulted at any time. Most of the publications are for free distribution and no one should hesitate to write for any desired information along agricultural lines. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. WASHINGTON, D. C. Scientific Bureaus. Weather Bureau — Willis L. Moore, Chief. Bureau of Animal Industry — A. D. Melvin, Chief. Bureau of Plant Industry — B. T. Galloway, Chief. Forest Service — H. S. Graves, Forester. Bureau of Soils — Milton Whitney, Chief. Bureau of Chemistry — R. E. Doolittle, Acting Chief. Bureau of Statistics — V. H. Olmsted, Statistician. Bureau of Entomology — L. O. Howard, Entomologist. Bureau of Biological Survey — H. W. Henshaw, Chief. Office of Public Roads — L. W. Page, Director. Office of Experiment Stations — A. C. True, Director. THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Alabama — College Station: Atiburji; J. F. Duggar.i Canebrake Station: Uniontown; L. H. Moore.i Tuskegee Station: Tuskegee In- stitute; G. W. Carver. 1 Alaska — Sitka: C. C. Georgeson.- Arizona — Tucson: R. H. Forbes. i Arkansas — Fayetteville: C. F. Adams. 1 California — Berkeley: T. F. Hunt.i Colorado — Fort Collins: C. P. Gil- lette. i Connecticut — State Station: ISIew Haven; E. H. Jenkins. 1 Storrs Station: Storrs ; . Delaware — Xewark: H. Hay- ward. i Florida — Gainesville : V . H. Rolfs. i Georgi.\ — Experiment: Martin V. Calvin. 1 Guam — Island of Guam: J. B. Thompson. ' 1 Director. 18 - Special agent in charge. 274 Hints to Homeseehers Hawaii — • Federal Station: Honolulu; E. V. Wilcox.^ Sugar Planters' Station: Hono- lulu; C. F. Eckart.2 Idaho — Moscow: W. L. Carlyle.i Illinois — Urbana: E. Davenport.i Indiana — La Fayette: A. Goss.i Iowa — Ames: C. F. Curtiss.i Kansas — Manhattan: E. H. Web- ster.i Kentucky — Lexington: J. H. Kas- tle.i Louisiana — State Station: Baton Rouge; W. R. Dodson.i Sugar Station: Auduhon Park, New Orleans; W. R. Dodson.i North La. Station: Calhoun; W. R. Dodson.i Maine — Orono: C. D. Woods. i Maryland — College Park: H. J. Patterson. 1 Massachusetts — Amherst: W. P. Brooks.i Michigan — East Lansing: R. S. Shaw.i Minnesota — University Farm, St. Paul: A. F. Woods.i Mississippi — Agricultural College : E. R. Lloyd. 1 Missouri — College Station: Columbia; F. B. Mumford.i Fruit Station: Mountain Grove; Paul Evans. 1 Montana — Bozeman: F. B. Lin- field.i Nebraska — Lincoln: E. A. Bur- nett.i Nevada — Reno: G. H. True.i New Hampshire — Durham: J. C. Kendall.i New Jersey — New Brunswick: J. G. Lipman.i New Mhixico — State College: Luth- er Foster. 1 New York — State Station: Geneva; W. H. Jordan. 1 Cornell Station: Ithaca; L. H. Bailey.i North Carolina — College Station: West Raleigh; B. W. Kilgore.i State Station: Raleigh; B. W. Kilgore.i North Dakota — Agricultural Col- lege: J. H. Worst.! Ohio — Wooster: C. E. Thorne.i Oklahoma — Stillwater: J. A. Wil- son. i Oregon — Corvallis: J. Withy- combe. i Pennsylvania — • State College: R. L. Watts.3 State College: Institute of Ani- mal Nutrition, H. P. Armsby.i Porto Rico — Federal Station: Mayaguez; D. W. May.- Sugar Planters' Station: Rio Piedras; J. T. Crawley.i Rhode Island — Kingston: . South Carolina — Clemson Col- lege: J. N. Harper.i South Dakota — Brookings: J. W. Wilson. 1 Tennessee — Enoxville: H. A. Mor- gan.i Texas — College Station: B. Young- blood.i Utah— Lofiran: E. D. Ball.i Vermont — Burlington: J. L. Hills.i Virginia— Blackshurg: S. W. Fletcher.i Norfolk: Truck Station, T. C. /Johnson. 1 Washington — Pullman: R. W. Thatcher.i West Virginia — Morgantown: E. D. Sanderson. 1. Wisconsin — Madison: H. L. Rus- sell. i Wyoming — Laramie: H. G. Knight.i 1 Director. - Special agent in charge, s Acting director. am 23 iy!3