credit for developing the irrigation system belongs to the C.P.R. company, whose scheme covers about 1,000,000 ac. in the area around Calgary, where a heavy thick black loam of from 4 to 8 in. in depth, with a subsoil of chocolate-coloured clay, constitutes a region well adapted to diversified farming. The source of water supply is the Bow river. The soils of northern Alberta are for the most part characterized by high percentages of organic matter and nitrogen, and are superior to those in the southern part of the prov- ince. Southern Alberta is of a true prairie character. Northern Alberta is to a large extent wooded, enjoying a greater rainfall, and is naturally better adapted for mixed farming. Alberta is adapted in varying degrees to the growing of small grains, including wheat, oats, barley, rye, peas and flax, which can all be grown successfully and profitably from Medicine Hat to Fort Vermilion. In 1918 the wheat production of the province was 23,751,514 bushels. The oat produc- tion in the same year was 60,322,717 bushels. Ninety-six different varieties of native grasses have been identified in Alberta and of these not less than 46 make excellent hay whilst there are at least 94 varie- ties of sedges and rushes, many of which make good hay and all make splendid pasture during the spring and early summer. The true grasses occur on the uplands, and grow with wild pea, vine and vetches. Native hay, western rye grass, blue grass, buffalo grass and bunch grass abound in luxuriant stretches. These extend through the passes into the mountains and fill the valleys with a luxuriant growth of luscious plants for cattle. Such conditions constitute Alberta as a whole an ideal live-stock country.
There is still however much land devoted to ranching in the foothill country W. of the Calgary-Edmonton railway. This consists of rolling land with good grasses on the knolls, excellent live springs and running water and plenty of natural shelter. Beef is also raised on proprietary ranches of the prairie country, on leased lands in the eastern and central parts, and on the edges of the settled parts of the Peace River country. The superiority of Alberta ranch beef is accounted for by the superiority of the ranch grasses, the climate and the use of good beef bulls. The ranch cattlemen have always bought the best bulls obtainable of the Shorthorn, Hereford and Aberdeen- Angus breeds. The demand for pure bred stock is very active, and the establishment of pure bred beef herds has been going on rapidly.
Building material and fuel in almost unlimited amounts are pro- curable in the forests of northern Alberta, the timber lands extending hundreds of miles on the N. side of the Saskatchewan river. Poplar, birch, pine, white and black spruce, douglas fir and larch are among the commercial trees in these forests belts. South of the North Saskatchewan the timber is principally cottonwood and poplar. In the foothills and river valleys considerable spruce is found. Saw- mills have been established at various points. The output for 1918 was valued at $473,694 and represented a capital investment of $1,500,000. Over 26,000 sq. m. of territory have been set aside as forest reserves and Dominion parks.
In the mountain section of the province large areas have been set apart by the Dominion Government for forest and game preserva- tion and for recreation. Good roads have been built through these reservations and they are carefully guarded against both fire and illicit hunting. Rocky Mountain park, with Banff and Lake Louise as the chief centres, contains 3,800 sq. m., while Jasper park on the Grand Trunk Pacific is about 600 sq. m. larger. There is also a small reservation at Waterton lake. The Dominion Government under the direction of the Commissioner of Parks has taken steps not only to prevent the total extinction of the buffalo but has established parks for the protection and breeding of these and other native animals. The largest of these parks, 150 sq. m. in extent, is at Wainwright, where nearly 3,800 of the former monarchs of the plains are living secure from slaughter.
Fishing and Fur Trading. The immense lakes of northern Alberta are heavily stocked with fish, the most important being whitefish and pike. Trout and pickerel are also abundant. The catch is used largely for local consumption but there is some export, and prospects of future large developments. Fur trading is still an im- portant industry in the northern section of the province of which Edmonton is the centre. Otter, mink, ermine, wolverine, marten, badger, squirrel, bearj fox, wolf and lynx all enter into the produc- tion. Three companies, in addition to many private traders, are engaged in the traffic.
Coal. Vast beds of coal are found extending for hundreds of miles a short distance below the surface of the plains. It may almost be said that the whole of the province is underlaid with coal, and it is estimated that 16 %of the coal deposits of the world occur in Alberta. Anthracite is only found in one small pocket near Banff, which was opened some years ago but has not been operated for some time. Every other grade of coal ranging from the best bituminous to ordinary brown coal or lignite is found. Broadly, the better grades are found next to the Rockies where the carboniferous strata have been subject to the greatest pressure, the quality falling off as we proceed eastward. Owing to the general movement at the time of the formation of the mountains the strata of coal have been very much broken up. On this account coal-mining in Alberta, although the seams lie very close to the surface, is of a very difficult nature : the mines must be closely timbered right up to the working face. Over 5,000,000 tons are mined annually, to a value of over $10,000,000, the mines being equipped for an output of 15,000,000 tons.
Natural gas under heavy pressure is found at many points through- out the province and is extensively used for power, fuel and light. In the Athabasca region and near the B.C. boundary there are de- cided indications of petroleum and a limited amount of coal oil is now being refined. The tar sands of northern Alberta are a striking feature in the geological resources of the province. It is estimated that the area of tar sands amounts to at least 1,000 sq. m. which with an average thickness of 150 ft. would give 28-4 cub. m. or 4,700,000,000 tons of bitumen or 6-5 cub. m. of tar. The sands of the North Saskatchewan river have for years yielded some gold. The output of clay and stone in the province is valued at over $1,000,000 annually. There are also large salt deposits in the northern part of Alberta. The annual mineral production of the province exceeds $15,000,000.
Manufactures. There are large and prosperous manufacturing establishments which supply local needs and engage in export busi- ness. Large abattoirs and meat-packing plants are located at Calgary and Edmonton. Throughout the province there are flour and saw- mills, brick-yards and tile works, cement works, stone quarries and other manufacturing enterprises.
Communications. In former days the North Saskatchewan was chiefly depended on for carrying freight by steamboats, but trans- port has been largely transferred to the railways which extend throughout the province in every direction. The main line of the C.P.R. sends a branch N. to Edmonton and another S. to Macleod. From the Edmonton branch there are two offshoots starting at Lacombe and Wetaskiwin. Other branches diverge from the main line at different points, extending into the new districts. The great passes of the Yellowhead and Peace river have also been made high- ways of traffic. The Canadian National railway lines connect Edmonton with Winnipeg and Port Arthur on the E. and with Vancouver and Prince Rupert on the W., the latter going through the Yellowhead pass. The same system has also a line to Calgary from the E. as well as extensions westward into the coal fields. Two other railways, built principally for colonization purposes, open up vast stretches of new country and are proving of inestimable value in connexion with the Peace river district and the northern country. These are the Edmonton and Great Waterways, and the Edmonton, Dunvegan and B.C. railway; the latter has been taken over by the C.P.R. from the Government of Alberta. Sternwheel steamers ply on the rivers and lakes of the northern section during the summer months.
Alberta was the first province of the Dominion to own and operate a telephone system of its own. In the year 191 1 the province owned and operated 3,500 m. of long-distance lines and about 2,500 m. of rural or farmers' lines, and this service has been annually extended. (W. L. G.*)
ALCOCK, SIR JOHN (1892-1910), British airman, was born in Manchester Nov. 6 1892. He received his technical training there at the Empress motor works and obtained the flying certificate of the R.A.C. in 1912. He joined the R.N.A.S. at the beginning of the World War, being appointed instructor at Eastchurch and, later, chief instructor to the aeronautic squadron. He then went to the Turkish front, winning the D.S.O. for an attack on three enemy seaplanes, and also establishing a record
for long-distance bombing flights. He was taken prisoner by the Turks in 1917 and released after the Armistice. On June 15 1919 Alcock, as pilot, with Lt. A. W. Brown as observer, won the prize offered by the London Daily Mail for the first successful flight across the Atlantic. For this achievement both airmen were knighted. On Dec. 18 1919 Alcock was killed by the crashing of his aeroplane at Cote d'Evrard, north of Rouen, in France.
ALCOHOL' (see 1.525). Alcohol intended for potable purposes has always been subject to a heavy duty in all countries. In
the United Kingdom the duty on alcohol was raised in 1920 from
303. to 723. 6d. a proof gallon. Owing to its prohibitive price,
duty-paid alcohol cannot be used for the many purposes for
which it is essential, quite apart from the production of light,
heat and power. Its earliest employment in industry was as an
illuminant, and dates back to the early part of the igth century.
In 1853 exhaustive experiments were carried out in England with a view to ascertaining whether it would be possible so to treat alcohol as to allow it to be used industrially without, at the same time, any risk of the revenue being defrauded. These experiments resulted in the legislation of 1855, when the use of duty-free alcohol mixed with 10% by volume of wood naphtha, known as methylated spirits, was authorized for manufacturing purposes only. From 1861-91 methylated spirits prepared in this way were allowed to be sold by retail in Great Britain in small quantities for domestic purposes such as cleaning, heating
