The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-05
A GREAT WHEAT COUNTRY.
The Valley ef the Red River of the North
The Immense Farms of Mr.. DAirympie
and His Associates, and How They Are
NoxHed-

Worked.
Fargo (Dakota) Cor. Chicago Tribune.l
Few OF your readers, imagine, have
any very clear or correct idea or concep-
ton OF this portion of the Northwest
OF its extent ana character, as well as of
its commercial Importance in the future.
The temperature of this country, in win
ter, is the same as in Vermont, New
Hampshire, and Canada; and, in sum-
mer, the same as in Pennsylvania.
Here lie upquestionably, the wheat
fields OF the Western country. 1t is
doubtfullf another so large body of
land so favorably adapted to wheat cult
ure can anywhere be found this side of
the Rocky mountains, if upon the con-
tinent, and certainly not at the price at
which land here can be bought. This
valley, by reason of Lake Superior set
ting 30 far inland, is but $50 miles from
lake navigation, from Duluth, and 685
miles in due northwesterly direction
from Chicago and Springfield, Ill. This
valley extends from Breckenridge FORTY
five miles from here), on the south, to
Lake Winnipeg, ON the north-a dis
lance of nearly $50 miles, due north and
south. 1t is from forty to fifty miles in
width, and embraces over 10000, 900
acres of land. 1t is watered by dozen
or twenty small rivers, and, for fertility
and productiveness of soil, is unsur-
passed.
The soil is very rich black mold,
from eighteen inches to four feet in
depth, resting upon a clay sub-soil.
This sub-soil seems to be strongly mixed
or impregnated, all through, with gyp-
sum or pieces of limestone, quite soft,
and is said to be as productive of wheat
as the top soil. At Goose river, thirty
five miles north of this place, this sub
soil is said to crop out to the surface,
and here it was that the largest crop of
wheat raised in the valley last season is
reported to have been grown. With
such soil, tits claimed that these lands
cannot be exhausted by wheat or any
other culture. At Fort Garry and
around the Hudson's bay settlement,
wheat is said to have been cropped for
fifty years continuously without the
lands showing the least sign to-day of
exhaustion or weakness. 1t is also said
that, when the gophers burrow in the
wheat fields in this vicinity, throwing up
|
ly around the gopher-hole outstrips the
balance of the field. This goes to show
that the sub-soil is of very fertile ma
ture. and would act as fertilizer if it
could be brought to the surface and
mixed with the top-soil, which of itself is
extremely rich and would seem to req uire
no aid. Such thing as resting soil or ro-
tating crops is never thought of in this
section; neither is the applying of ma
nure to land consideration with farm
ers in this valley.
1t is in this valley that Mr. Dalrymple
and his associates-Mr. George w. Cass,
of New York; Mr.. p. b. Cheney, OF
Boston, and Messrs. Grandin Brothers,
of TidiOute, Pa.-have their large
farms, besides numbers of others. 1t is
here that farming is prose cuted as
business, and is followed as energetical-
" and systematically as any business IN
Chicago, and upon the same principles.
The work is directed and the accounts
kept in the same manner as is the bust
ness of any large mandatory in your
city. A few items in relation to two of
these farms may not be unlnteresting to
your readers. L speak of these for the
reason that they are more extensive and
more fully developed than any others.
The Cass- Cheney farm, as it is called,
situated Immediately upon the railroad,
at Casselton, Cass county, Dakota, twen-
ty miles west of here, embraces 10000
acres. In 1876 it's crop comprised ], $50
acres F; In 1877, 3,415 acres. The yield
of this 3, Ais acres Gall but about ], 400
of it upon scotland, broken in May and
June, 1876, and not backset or replowed)
was rs, Alb bushels-an average of twen-
ty-three and one-fourth bushels. To
get this land into shape, and to cultivate
and harvest this crop, required twenty
four breaking-p lows, 100 stubble-pAows,
sixty-seven harrows, twenty-six broad
cast seeders, twenty-six harvesters and
five steam threshing- The
crop of 1878 will be 5000 acres. The
ground is now prepared, and this body
or tract will be sown as soon as the hand
is sufficiently dry; 100 acres were seeded
week ago, when work had to be
stopped. Seeding woMld be well along
to-day, upon this farm, but for the rain
of this week, which has been very heavy
during almost the entire time since Sun
day last. The culture and harvesting of
bulb O,OOO aCItS Will ItIulrc Tie use VI
forty seeders, 100 harrows, 125 stubblo-
plows, fifty harvesters and ten steam
threshing- machines. Next year, or by
1880 at the outside, it is the intention Of
the proprietors to have the entire farm
of 10, 900 acres all in wheat.
Upon the Grandin farm, as it is called,
upon the Red river, thlrty-hve miles
north of here, will be sown, this spring,
5000 acres of wheat, requiring machin-
cry in proportion to the Cass-Cheney
farm. The product of this farm, last
August, was 60, $50 bushels from 1900
acres-being an average of a little over
twenty-four bushels. This farm EN-
braces e, 900 acres.
Threshing is done from the shock.
Each harvester is calculated to cut |
twelve acres per day, and it is intended
that harvesting will be all completed in
twelve days from the time of commence
ment, when the grain is immediately |
threshed and sent to Duluth, on its way |
to New York. AS soon as harvesting is
over, the stubble- ground is Immediately |
plowed for the following spring-sowing, |
together with the new ground broken in |