Agriculture, including stock-raising, dairying and fruit-growing, is
Canada's greatest industry. Over 23,000,000 acres are under crop and
about 20,000,000 under pasture. Over 3,000,000 acres are under wheat
cultivation. Ontario exports more than twice as much cheese as the
whole of the United States, and her cheese product is recognised as
the finest in the world. Canada exports to Great Britain alone
$15,000,000 worth of cheese annually. In 1896, in Ontario alone, 170
creameries turned out over 6,000,000 pounds of butter at an average
net receipt of 18-1/4 cents a pound. By the cold-storage facilities
provided by the government Canadian butter can be sent even from far
inland points to Liverpool or London without the slightest
deterioration. England buys $6,000,000 worth of Canadian bacon and
hams annually, and Canadian beef is already famous on the London
market. American corn for stock-feeding is admitted to Canada free
of duty and about $10,000,000 worth is imported annually. A great
deal of eastern and southern Canada is well adapted to fruit-raising.
The Niagara-St. Clair peninsula of Ontario is especially famous for
its peaches and grapes.