The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-12-09
IN. Y. Tribune Correspondence
THROUGH TIE WEST.


pared with Iowa--Wheat and Railroads.
Wheat Capacity of the Northwest.
Achley, Iora, Aug. 5.-After dinner
George Wells talked with me two hours
all about wheat-growing in the Northwest.
Then, as | knew his mind was out there in
the middle Of that quarter-section where
his men were threshng, we went to the
barn for my horse. On the way in to the
station, found it for my interest to review
all he had said in those two hours and fix
every important fact in memory or on my
note book. 1t is not likely that many men
in the Northwest know more about wheat
than a farmer who has engaged to lay down
at Chicago $4,000 bushels from his own
acres.
1ribune--As you make spring grain your
main crop, am little surprised that you
did not go $50 miles north of this into
southern Minnesota, where nine-tenths of
the wheat raised grades No. at Milwau-
kee.
Farmer know the Minnesota wheat is
little plumper than mine, and brings a
cent or two more. But mine always grades
No. 2, if not higher, and there are other
advantages that | should let slip if | go
much north of this. If you go up to Aus
tin or Owatonna or Mankato you will find
the soil in the main like this, and the cli-
mate better suited to wheat; but Mime
sofa is going back in her wheat crop much
faster than Iowa, and think | know the
reason of it.
Tribune should be glad to give our
readers the benefit of your views on the
subject. Thousands are looking toward
Minnesota as we'll as Iowa for farms.
rhs, knttop, ~ IL
body should understand who proposes to
become grower of wheat in the West, is
this: When an acre of our average rolling
prairie is broken, and the turf so rotted
that harrow will tear it, there is a surface
good the first year for about 20 bushels of
wheat, and 20 more the next year. Then
| think crop of corn should 60 in. If
you keep right on with wheat, wheat,
wheat, the land will get very foul with
weeds; we have something that we call
colts-tail that is worse than the rag-weed
on Eastern farms, and it is so rank that it
almost takes the land on the fourth or fifth
year. My plan as to rotation is one-third
Of my land in grass, one-third corn, one
third white grain. have more than that
proportion in wheat now, but | am getting
in tame grasses every year, and propose to
Winter one-fifth as many head of cattle
and horses as | have acres. On this place
my proper stock will be 200 head.
With such stock as that can keep my
wheat fields up to 20 bushels an acre and
over. If were in Minnesota | could
make more wheat and better wheat at first,
but my crops would fall off for want Of ro-
tation, stock and manures.
Tribune--Then you do not call this black
prairie soil nexhaustible
Farmer--My farm is Just as good land
as there is in Iowa, and | know it runs
down Just like the land in Ohio, where |
have farmed, and faster than farm of $50
acres that / still own in Wethersfield on
the Connecticut river.
Trbme-Do you say there is land in
Connecticut better than this rolling prairie?
Fa,mer--Yes the alluvial soils Of those
river bottoms will hold up and give good
crops with little or no manure longer than
these Western uplands. The truth is, that
when a prairie sod is well rottcd the acheat
is pretty well out of it. Your yield will
drop off to 10 bushels per acre, and then to
II per acre, and lower than that, if you
don't rotate. Two or three years ago Min
nesota was good for 20,000,000 bushels.
This year her crop is estimated at | 100000
acres, with yield of II bushels per acre,
49, 900 bushels. Considering the great
quantities of fresh land she has under the
pillow, the average of Minnesota ought to
be from 10 to 20 bushels.
Tyi6une--ls not rotation and manuring
as practicable in Minnesota as it is here?
FDmer-Not quite as much so. You
will find it fair corn country as far north
as the road that runs west from st. Paul
toward the Pacific, but north of the 44th
elegree the summers are short and cool for
corn, and there is less money in stock, be-
cSilse it takes so much to carry animals
through the winter. Still there is great
deal of money in raising spring wheat in
Minnesota. If they can get labor at as
moderate rates as we can, they can make a
husf,el of spring wheat for 20 cents.
Tiibaac--A bushel of wheat for less
than 20 cents! | hear men complaining
that there is no money in wheat at 20, the
price to-day at the elevators along the road.
You must cipher by different arithmetic.
How do you make it out?
Fu,Mer--I will take that quarter-section
! am now thrashing out and give you the
figures, ] call the labor Of horse his
actual cost to me on the farm, counting
hay at 80 to $40 and oats in proportion.
My men | hire at an average cost Of $50
per month and found. So in calculation
call the cost of days work 81. The seed
for iG0 acres, at 81 bushel. will amount
to S2i0; the drilling and narrowing cost
me $40; harvesting, seven hands to ma
chine, l6 acres day, 10 days laGor of
seven men, 81 day, SO; threshing, four
cents bushel, 5000 bushels, sl20-total
$500. shall have about 20 bushels per
acre on that quarter, say 5000 bushels, at
cost in seed and labor of $500. That is,
50 in seed and work gives me 30 bushels of
wheat; at 81 bushel this is $50 worth of
wheat. One dollar in labor gives six
bushels of wheat. One-sixth of a dollar
l6a cents-makes my bushel. So, if | sell
at 20 cents, do not lose labor and seed;
lose my interest and wear to teams and
tools.
2ssbne-unless your calculation is quite
aIniss, there is good deal of money in
wheat at present prices.
FarDief-Certainly there is. Farming
on these rich, fresh lands, that can be had
at SO an acre near railroads, is splendid
business for man that calculates right
But the prairie farmer must go in for big
figures, his policy must be tight at the
bung, and he must let the eggs and chick
ems and green peas go. Not but he can
have thousands for his own use, but when
it comes to an income it must be from