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WE are having lovely weather
just now. I am getting my land worked down as fast as I can, and my garden
produce stored for the winter. We shall not have to go without potatoes this
winter, I hope, unless they get frozen in the cellar.
I drove in to-day with my
wife and boy to get some winter clothing, for it is decidedly cold, and
heavy frost at night, although such bright sunshine in the daytime. I hope
that it will not freeze up yet, for my stubble is not all ploughed. I tried
to finish it the other day, but my plough went wrong, so I cannot do any
more till I get it fixed up—that, I trust, I shall be able to do as soon as
I get back home.
Some knowledge of machinery
and the ability to set right oneself, whatever goes wrong, is another
precious talent to possess out on the prairie. Luckily I am very handy at
anything of the sort, and can doctor most implements when they require it.
I shall, if all goes well,
put 45 acres into wheat next year; so if it succeeds it will be my first
paying crop, and will help me along to meet any liabilities I may then have;
but I shall have to have hired help, I could not handle all the work alone.
I am sorry to say my rig is
almost played out, a consequence of the rough trails we have to drive
constantly over. I shall have to look about and find another, as we cannot
do without it; it is the only means that my wife has of going any distance,
when I am not able to drive her, and there are often little things wanted
that she can drive the Indian pony to get, and so save my time for other
work.
We have a new post office
opened only 6 miles away, along a very fair trail; the other post office was
10 miles off, so this is a great improvement, and a general store and a
butcher's shop will also probably be opened there as well.
The place forming 20 miles
north of us called Asquith is destined to become a small town—and next year
they hope there will be grain elevators as on the new C.P.R. branch line—and
in a few years will become our shipping town, unless we get one even nearer
on the Grand Trunk line, which is within the range of possibilities.
The survey for the Grand
Trunk line is registered, and the line, as I said before, is begun. There
was a talk of its coming much nearer than i8 miles to us, but it was all
talk I am afraid. The Canadian Northern is the one we really look to, for
there is some hope of its coming within 6 miles; that would, indeed, be
grand. |
