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The Origins of the Canadian Wheat Boom, 1880-1910

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  • Tony Ward

Abstract

Completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway was expected to initiate a rush of settlement, yet the wheat boom did not materialize until about fifteen years later. In addition to causes of the delay already identified, this paper proposes another factor--the inability of early settlers to cultivate more than a small area of land. The paper analyzes reasons for the small sizes of early farms and for their subsequent growth and estimates farm profitability before and after the delay to show how climate and technology affected early prairie farming. Completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway was expected to initiate a rush of settlement, yet the wheat boom did not materialize until about fifteen years later. In addition to causes of the delay already identified, this paper proposes another factor--the inability of early settlers to cultivate more than a small area of land. The paper analyses reasons for the small sizes of early farms and for their subsequent growth and estimates farm profitability before and after the delay to show how climate and technology affected early prairie farming.

Suggested Citation

  • Tony Ward, 1994. "The Origins of the Canadian Wheat Boom, 1880-1910," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 27(4), pages 865-883, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:cje:issued:v:27:y:1994:i:4:p:865-83
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    Cited by:

    1. Melissa Dell & Benjamin F. Jones & Benjamin A. Olken, 2014. "What Do We Learn from the Weather? The New Climate-Economy Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 52(3), pages 740-798, September.
    2. Gillian C. Hamilton & Ian Keay & Frank D. Lewis, 2017. "Contributions to Canadian economic history: The last 30 years," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1632-1657, December.
    3. Alan L. Olmstead & Paul W. Rhode, 2011. "Responding to Climatic Challenges: Lessons from U.S. Agricultural Development," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Climate Change: Adaptations Past and Present, pages 169-194, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Lew, Byron, 2000. "The Diffusion of Tractors on the Canadian Prairies: The Threshold Model and the Problem of Uncertainty," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 189-216, April.

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