Maple Creek district is an important stock centre. Some of the best sheep, cattle, and horses in Canada are raised on the succulent grass here but the wheat grower and mixed farmer are treading on the heels of the ranchman.
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 are felt as far east as Swift Current. Grain growing is successful.
In many parts of Western Canada, large farms are operated by steam or gasoline power. This shows its use, and also discing, seeding and harrowing.
Farm land can be purchased from railway and other land companies in Southeastern Saskatchewan, which includes that section between Manitoba on the east and the third meridian on the west, extending some distance north of the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It has more rainfall than portions 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.
NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN
Available Homesteads.—Northern Saskatchewan has not yet been opened to any extent for settlement. There are approximately 80 million acres beyond the railway at Prince Albert which time, zeal, and railway enterprise will eventually make accessible. 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 awaiting development. Northern Saskatchewan has natural resources sufficient to maintain a population equal to that of any European country in corresponding latitude.
Saskatchewan Crops.—Saskatchewan leads all other provinces in wheat production, though only a comparatively small portion of its tillable area is under cultivation. In 1898 the area under wheat was 276,253 acres; 910,359 acres in 1905; 2,703,563 acres in 1908, and in 1913, five years' time, it had more than doubled, the area being 5,720,000 acres. On this there were grown approximately 121½ million bushels of wheat, an average of about 21¼ bushels to the acre. The farmers realized about 124 million dollars for products apart from field and fodder crops, valued at 5 million dollars.
The following figures are from Provincial Government returns. Saskatchewan has easily 50,000,000 acres of unbroken prairie to grow just such good crops, and another 25,000,000 acres on which to graze live stock.
| Acreage | Yield per Acre | Total Production | Price per Bushel | Total Value | |
| Wheat | 5,760,249 | 19.5 | 112,369,405 | At 63c | $ 70,792,725.15 |
| Oats | 2,638,562 | 41.7 | 110,210,436 | At 23c | 25,348,400.28 |
| Barley | 307,177 | 30.2 | 9,279,263 | At 26c | 2,412,608.38 |
| Flax | 967,137 | 12.0 | 11,654,280 | At $1.00 | 11,654,280.00 |
| Province | 9,673,125 | 243,513,384 | 110,208,013.81 |