v
                         (1926) PROGRESS OF SASKATCHEWAN FARMERS
     In the brief period of twenty-one years since Saskatchewan
became a province, a development unique in the history of Canada
has taken place. The population has increased from a little over
200,000 to more than 830,000. The entire acreage in crop in 1905
was a little over 2,000,000 acres.  This year there are in the
neighbourhood of 22,000,000 acres under crop, more than half of
this sown to wheat.  Twenty-one years ago this great wheat
province, which now produces annually more than half the wheat
crop of Canada, harvested what was then considered the huge
crop of 26,000,000 bushels of wheat, while last year the farmers
of the province threshed over 240,000,000 bushels, more than half
the wheat crop in the entire Dominion.  Not only does the
province lead in quantity production, but the quality is so high
that it the last fourteen International Fairs, Saskatchewan
wheat has won the world's prize every year but three.

	While wheat is still the main crop, mixed farming has made
rapid progress in all parts of the province. Saskatchewan is now
the leading horse-breeding province in the Dominion, with some
exceptionally fine breeding stock.  The exhibit of Clydesdales
from Saskatchewan won many of the championships and first
prizes at both Toronto and Chicago International Shows last
fall and Percheron and Belgian breeders also doing exceptionally
well.
	
	Twenty-one years ago butter was imported by the car load
into the province.  Last year the creamery butter production
amounted to 15,946,000 pounds, over 10,000,000 pounds going
to the British market. The first five months of the present year
have shown a large increase over the corresponding period of
1925, and it is estimated that the total production for this year
should be close to 20,000,000 pounds.
	
	The total valuation of agricultural products for the year
1924 was estimated at $434,018,278, and for 1925 the total
valuation has been estimated at between ninety and a hundred
millions more than for the previous year.
     
	 Remarkable as is the progress of agriculture and the develop-
ment which the wealth secured from the soil has made possible,
still more remarkable has been the growth of co-operation in the
province which puts Saskatchewan in the forefront of the move-
ment. While some of the more recently organized pools are just
getting under way, there are hardly any products of Saskatchewan  
  

  
  vi
       
                          PROGRESS OF SASKATCHEWAN FARMERS-continued
         
farms which cannot now be marketed through pools or other
co-operative enterprises organized, owned and controlled by the
farmers.  The Saskatchewan Co-operative Elevator Company,
for many years the greatest grain handling company in the world,
has recently been purchased by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.
	
	The Saskatchewan Co-operative Creameries manufacture
many millions of pounds of butter annually for its shareholders.
The Saskatchewan and Manitoba branch of the Canadian Co-
operative Wool Growers' Association handles a large proportion
of the wool clip of the province. A Poultry Pool just organized
is handling eggs and poultry for its members. A Live Stock Pool
has just been incorporated and a Dairy Pool is being organized.
	
	Essentially agricultural, Saskatchewan has approximately
118,426 farms in operation with an average acreage of 320, and
an average tillage acreage of 200 per farm. The gross agricultural
wealth of the province is estimated to be $1,682,473,000, which
includes buildings, land, live stock and production. In the matter
of value of lands, implements and machinery, Saskatchewan holds
premier place in the Dominion.
Grain production is the outstanding interest so far as
Saskatchewan is concerned. The enormous amount of 216,651,000
bushels of wheat is the average yearly production during the years
1921-25, while other grains give an average production in the
same period as follows: oats, 171,212,000 bushels; barley, 19,023,-
787 bushels; rye, 9,926,265 bushels; flax, 5,249,949 bushels.
	
	In 1925 the records show 1,177,539 horses and mules in the
province, 469,502 milch cows, 1,082,909 cattle of other kinds,
131,359 sheeps and 610,973 swine.  The rapid development of
diversified farming is shown in the great increase in the acreage
of fodder crops grown. No less than 380,500 acres were sown to
hay; clover had a yield of 635,000 tons in 1925, alfalfa had 5,417
acres sown with a yield of 13,000 tons. Mixed grains had 30,077
acres sown, the yield being 602,000 tons, fodder corn with an
acreage of 54,111, yielded 280,000 tons, while roots yielded
427,000 hundred weight from 4,826 acres.
	
	In terms of dollars and cents, the value of what might be
called the by-products of the farm and fields in 1925 is interesting:
poultry and products were valued at $10,002,309; garden products
$2,000,000; game and furs $1,804,000; wool clip $148,000; dairy
products $20,940,790.



 vii.
         
                          PROGRESS OF SASKATCHEWAN FARMERS-continued
         
	Great strides have been made in dairy production, the output
having increased 141.9 per cent since 1920.
The Provincial Department of Agriculture is most active in
furthering the interests of agriculture in every way possible. Its
organization includes seven distinct divisions, each in charge of a
capable and experienced head. These are the Live Stock Branch,
Dairy Branch, Field Crops Branch, Co-operation and Markets
Branch, Statistics Branch, Game Branch and the Debt Adjustment
Bureau.
	
	There is no province in Canada more progressive in the matter
of useful farm legislation. It has been the centre of the organized
farmers movement for many years, the great Grain Growers'
Association first coming into existence in Saskatchewan.  From
the very earliest days the relations between the Provincial
Government composed largely of farmer representatives, and the
farmers' organizations have been exceedingly cordial. So strongly
co-operative has this legislation been that there are at the present
time no less than fourteen co-operative organizations, all owned,
developed and operated for the benefit of the producers.
	
	Among the many beneficial Acts may be cited the Saskatche-
wan Co-perative Elevator Company Act, the Saskatchewan Co-
operative Creameries Act, the Municipal Hail Insurance Act,
the Stray Animals Act, the Live Stock Purchase and Sale Act,
the Dairy Products Act, the Horse Breeders' Act, the Wolf
Bounty Act, the Game Act and the Saskatchewan Farm Loans Act.
       

This coming of age Souvenir contains an Offical Map
of the Highways System of the Province (prepared by
the Saskatchewan Department of Highways) and some
interesting information about the progress of the
Province since its formation twenty-one years ago.
Issued by the Department of Highways

1926