Agriculture on the Prairies, 1870-1940

George Jackson is a retired professional agrologist.

This is a collection of three papers by author David Spector: “Animal Husbandry on the Prairies 1880-1925”; “Field Agriculture on the Canadian Prairies 1870-1940”; and “W.R. Motherwell’s Farming Operation.”

The book focuses on the dry land farming areas of Saskatchewan and documents the efforts of many agencies to enlighten the farm managers of the day. To survive on the prairies, the farm unit had to be self-sufficient. The farmer cared for his crops and in addition looked after his horses, his cattle for milk or beef, the pigs and chickens, some sheep for wool, a garden, and possibly an orchard. This book is a useful documentation of how the various agencies provided the management information.

The common thread throughout the book concerns the virtues of mixed farming versus wheat farming. Mixed farming, deemed to be soiled replenishing, involved rotating crops and keeping livestock to utilize those crops. Wheat farming, a soil-depleting technique, involved the planting and harvesting of wheat and the care of the summer fallow. Wheat farming won the day because it provided more net dollars per acre with less work.

Two quotations are of particular interest. On page 134 the author states, “any rotation pattern geared to soil replenishment constituted a direct path to bankruptcy.” On page 244 he notes that Motherwell, a proponent of crop rotation, “harvested sizable crops of grain and forage while his neighbours’ soil is swept away” (in the 1930s). Who was right? This issue is still a concern today.

Because of the book’s scope, many of the programs are merely mentioned, and the what, where, and how is left to the reader’s interpretation. There are pages of notes, a useful bibliography, and pertinent photos (however, the so-called cultivator shown on page 122 and on the back cover is a three-furrow mold board plow being drawn by eight horses).

The author is a historian with Parks Canada, a graduate of Trent University with a background in Canadian history. His is a useful book on the evolution of agriculture in Saskatchewan from early settlement days to the 1920s. Rural libraries, particularly those on the prairies, will find this book of interest.