Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/901

* MANITOBA. 805 MANITOBA. Geology and Mixekals. The Laurentian sys- tem of ancient crystalline rocks extends into the eastern part of the province as far as the east shore ol Lake Winnipeg. It is bordered by a belt from 60 to 120 miles wide of Silurian and De- vonian limestones running from southeast to northwest through the east central part of the province and forming the western shore of Lake Winnipeg. The remainder of the plains consists of Cretaceous and Laramie formations. Nearly the whole surface, however, is covered with a thick deposit of glacial drift. The principal min- erals are lignite and coal, which are mined to some extent along the Souris River, near the southern boundary. By a recent law the settlers are allowed to mine for home use the outcropping coal on public lands bj' paying a small royalty to the Government. Some deposits of iron are also found, but are not worked. Soil axd Prqdlctiox.s. The poor soils char- acteristic of the Laurentian region prevail in the eastern part of the province, and in the hills to the westward the soils are also of a poor quality. Over the greater portion of the western plains the soil consists of a very deep mold or loam with a tenacious clay sub.soil. The best quality is found in the Red River Valley, which was formerly the bed of "Lake Agassiz,' and the soil of which is therefore a lake deposit. The Red River ^'alley has become famous for its enor- mcms production of the finest qualities of wheat. The region farther to the west also produces abundantly, and contains vast fields of wheat. Agrici'LTURE. The main economic interests of the province centre in agriculture. The hardier grain and root crops are grown with great suc- cess, but the season is too short for corn. In ex'tent of area the annual crop of wheat is greatly exceeded in many American States, but the grade of wheat is unexcelled. Oats is also extensively grown, and barlej- and potatoes are important crops. The acreage of the leading crops is shown in the following table: 1901 1891 Wheat 1.965,200 573,868 139,672 43,667 14,404 16.042 896,622 256,211 56,505 Flax .. 9,791 In recent years a sentiment has developed in favor of mixed farming and giving greater at- tention to stock-raising. The grasses, both nat- ural and cultivated, grow^ luxuriantly and afford excellent pasturage. The increase in the number of domestic animals is shown in the following table, taken from the census of 1901: 1901 1891 163,867 141.481 208,4a5 29,464 126,459 86,735 82.712 147 984 Shf^p 35.838 Sivine 54,177 The dairy industry is rapidly developing, the value of the butter and cheese product in 1000 (.?64.!.301) being nearly twice that of 1805. All the cheese reported and one-third the butter was factory-made. Game and Fisheries. Large numbers of game and fur-bearina animals continue to abound in the northern regions, and are profitably hunted. Of greater importance are the resources of fish in the large lakes. Large quantities of white fish, pickerel, sturgeon, and other varieties are caught annually. TraXSPORTATIOX, ilAXUFACTUBES, Baxks. The Dominion, provincial, and municipal governments have aided in the construction of railroads, and an admirable system has been developed in the southern portion of the province. The Canadian Pacific passes through it and establishes com- munication with both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Branch lines of the Northern Pacific Railroad pass up the Red River Valley and estab- lish connection with the railroad systems of the United States. The iXanitoba and Northwestern Railroad sends a line northward to Lake Winni- ppgoosis. These lines with their branches con- tained a total in 1901 of 2141 miles. The large lakes to the north, together with the Saskatchewan. River sy.stem, afi'ord possibilities for an extensive development of water communication with the region to the north and west — possibilities which have only just begim to be realized. The Red River to the south and the Assiniboine to the west are also navigable during the high-water season, but have been little used since the con- struction of railroads. Enormous quantities of wheat are annually exported to English markets. There are some Hour and lumber mills and a number of small establishments engaged in manu- facturing various articles, but on the whole the manufacturing industry is but little developed. In 1899 the bank branches located in Mani- toba numbered 46. In 1900 the clearing-house transactions at Winnipeg amounted to $100,900,- 000, making this place third among Canadian commercial centres in the importance of its clearing-house transactions. The Post-office Sav- ings Bank had 37 offices in the province, there being 2012 depositors, and an average per capita deposit of $164.33. There was also one Govern- ment savings bank, with 4126 depositors, and an average per capita deposit of $230.24. GovEBXiiEXT. The Government of ^Manitoba consists of a Lieutenant-Governor, appointed by the Governor-General and Council of Canada ; an executive council of five members, responsible to the provincial Legislature, and the Legislative Assembly of 40 elected members. The seat of Government is Winnipeg. Up to 1890, French was the official language used by the Legislature. The common law of England is in force in the province, ilanitoba sends four Senators and seven members of the House of Commons to the Dominion Parliament. Practically universal manhood suffrage exists, and the time require- ment is one year in the province and three in the electoral division. The Supreme Court consists of the Chief .Justice and three puisne judges. There are also county courts, police magistrates, and justices. The rural regions are organized into townships, and the denser units of popula- tion are organized into villages, towns, or cities, according to number of inhabitants. In each of these the governmental affairs are intrusted to a council {called board of aldermen in cities), as is true also of the counties, the members of the county council being elected by the town- ships and villages. The receipts and expenditures show a gradual increase from less than $900,000 each in 1880 to about $1,000,000 each in 1900. The per capita