As a result, $100,000,000, or more than $200 per capita of the total population of the Province, is the estimated farm value of the 1913 crop in Alberta.
Sugar Beets and Alfalfa.—Operations are now extending north as well as south of Lethbridge, where a large factory has been conducted for some years. An expert from Colorado has taken up irrigated land in the Bassano district to carry on the industry on a large scale. He says: "This is going to be a great beet-raising country. My crop averaged between 16 and 18 per cent sugar, which is a very high grade." He says his new farm produces as much alfalfa per acre as his former more expensive land in Colorado.
Fruit.—It has not yet been demonstrated that the larger fruits, such as apples, can be made commercially attractive in Alberta. All the smaller fruits can be grown with little trouble, at a cost that makes their culture profitable.
WHAT SOME ALBERTA FARMERS ARE DOING
Macleod.—Weather conditions were excellent throughout the season. Ninety per cent of the wheat up to October 1 graded No. 1, the only No. 2 being fall wheat. The yield ranged from 20 to 40 bushels per acre, with an average of 28. Oats yielded well, and barley about 60 bushels.
Inverary is a new district. Wheat graded No. 2 and some of it went 50 bushels to the acre, oats going about 75 bushels.
Monarch.—The yield of wheat on summer-fallow averaged 35 bushels, a large percentage No. 1 Northern.
Milk River.—All spring grains yielded better than expected. A 300-acre field of Marquis wheat gave 41½ bushels.
Experimental farm results on grain sown on irrigated land place "Red Fife" wheat in the banner position, with a yield of 59.40 bushels per acre. Oats yielded 13 bushels to the acre.
Calgary.—The yield of grain was everywhere abnormal, with an increased acreage of about 23 per cent.