But the
predominance in wheat-growing has now shifted to the new prairie regions
of the west. A census taken in 1906 shows that the total acreage of
wheat in the North-West Provinces was 5,062,493, yielding 110,586,824
bushels, an average in a fairly normal season of 21.84 bushels per acre.
Of this total wheat acreage, 2,721,079 acres were in Manitoba, 2,117,484
acres in Saskatchewan, and 223,930 acres in Alberta, with average
yields per acre at the rates of 20.02 bushels in Manitoba, 23.70 in
Saskatchewan and 26.49 in Alberta. In these provinces spring wheat is
almost universally sown, except in Alberta where fall or winter wheat is
also sown to a considerable extent. Summer fallowing for wheat is a
practice that has gained ground in the North-West Provinces. Land
ploughed and otherwise tilled, but left unseeded during the summer, is
sown with wheat in the succeeding autumn or spring. Wheat on summer
fallow land yielded, according to the North-West census of 1906, from 2
to 8 bushels per acre more than that sown on other land. Summer
fallowing is, however, subject to one drawback: the strong growth which
it induces is apt to retard the ripening of the grain. Canada is clearly
destined to rank as one of the most important grain-producing countries
of the world. The northern limits of the wheat-growing areas have not
been definitely ascertained; but samples of good wheat were grown in
1907 at Fort Vermilion on the Peace river, nearly 600 m. north of
Winnipeg in lat. 58.34 and at Fort Simpson on the Mackenzie river in
lat. 61.52, more than 800 m. north of Winnipeg and about 1000 m. north
of the United States boundary. As a rule the weather during the
harvesting period permits the grain to be gathered safely without damage
from sprouting. Occasionally in certain localities in the north-west the
grain is liable to injury from frost in late summer; but as the
proportion of land under cultivation increases the climate becomes
modified and the danger from frost is appreciably less. The loss from
this cause is also less than formerly, because any grain unfit for
export is now readily purchased for the feeding of animals in Ontario
and other parts of eastern Canada.

Suitable machinery for cleaning the grain is everywhere in general use,
so that weed seeds are removed before the wheat is ground. This gives
Canadian wheat excellent milling properties, and enables the millers to
turn out flour uniform in quality and of high grade