Disastrous to Crops in the Prairie Provinces: Departure of the Vimy Pilgrimage Party ost Our Own Conssronoent Montreal, July 18.
'A wave of tropical heat has swept the country from the Rocky Mounfaing to the eastern seaboard, and hho been disastrous to crops in the prairie provinees and in Ontario. The extreme temperatures followed a period of, partial drought in the West, and the result is that the estimates for this year's wheat crop will have to be radically reduced, In anticipation of this, prices have been rising sharply on the Winnipeg market, and at the time of writing are not far from the dollar mark. Some close observers predict that the world surplus will largely di appear inside of two or three yeat it the recent trond toward unfavour~ fable crops persists, The estimate of the Winnipeg "Free Press" is that there has already been serious and irreparable damage in two-thirds of the grain growing sec-tons of the western provinces, In Some areas, however, conditions are reported to be fairly good, and everywhere rain even now would improve prospects. By one of the strange freaks of nature frost damay was reported in a limited area some forty miles east of Edmonton, when the temperature took a sudden drop overnight: and low-lying lands were affected, Hail damage has not been heavy, but farmers are watching the skles"apprehensively as the heat wave continues, In. Ontario the whole population sweltered for days as temperatures fof over 100 degrees were recorded. Weather records of long standing toppled in Toronto, Hamitton and other important centres, and many deaths were reported tobe due either Gireetly" of Indirectly to the heat. Toronto recorded 105 on one cee sion, and its citizens made generally unsuccessful efforts to keep cool. Meanwhile crops of fruits and berries the bountiful Niagara Peninsu cooked on trees and. bushes, and other field crops withered in the pitiless sun, Rains which followed the heat brought some relief to the farmers, but it is certain that much Joss will result even in the crops which have some chance to recover.
Aided by the prolonged drought which made the forest door as dry fs Under, fires have been sweeping, the wealthy forests of Northern Ontario, and have done great damage to valuable stands of timber. In addition, there have been numerous arrow escapes for the villages and towns in the district, as all able-bodied men joined with the rangers to fight the blazes. The small community inthe Thunder Boy region was actually wiped out, and Its forty Inhabitants" were forced to dee across a lake. In the same vicinity the 700 inhabitants of Nakina (about 213 miles west of Cochrane) stood ready to board an emergency train fas the @ames roared through the bush country only a few miles from the town. "Hose crews soaked all the buildings in the town and the nearby bush; eventually, the town was saved, as the fire passed to the south, In addition to the loss to fores property, which has been extremely serious, there has also been a grim {oll of the wild life of the woods. Tales have come in from hunters and trappers of the sight of birds fand beasts trapped as they sought 10 escape from. the advance of the flames. Hundreds of wild animals took refuge in lakes and rivers until the fire had passed, but their na~ tural habitat is searred in a way that renders life for them most dimeult, unless they migrate to green timber, The loss to young forest life at this season must have been great.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.