The Indiana State sentinel., 1878-11-13
MIR. DALRYMPLE's FARM.
Thirteen thousand Acres Of Land Un-
der Crbp.

The vast extent of the wheat culture in
the western states and territories must al
ways be a subject full of surprises and OF
profound interest to those Who are familiar
with the resources and capabilities OF that
mart OF the Union. And of no section is
this more true than the valley OF the Red
River of the north in Dakota Territory,
which five years ago was supposed to be
barren waste, and where now millions OF
bushels of grain are gathered yearly.
Among the typical farms OF that region that
known as the Dalrymple Farm, about egh-
teen miles west of Fargo on the Northern
Pacific Railroad, is conspicuos. This state
embraces 100, 600 acres in all. So far opera
tions on the farm nave been confined chiefly
to wheat growing The farm Is managed
with something of the system that is en-
ployed in directing the operations OF an
army. 1t is cut up into divisions OF 200
acres each, and these are managed by ex-
periencsd superiutsDdents and foremen, the
finances of each division being brought
under a regular and separate system of book
keeping Mr. Dalrymple is general manager
of the whole.
The area of ground under crop this year is
1900 acres Next year the area will be in
creased 10 10000. The spring wheat was
sown the latter part OF March and the fore
part of April. The first of it was cut July
IS, and IL days after that the work of
the respers had been finished, and miles up
ON miles of wheat shocks covered the plains.
In bringing this crop to perfection Mr.. Dal-
rymple employed nearly 500 head of horses
and mules, 80 broadcast eight and one
half feet seed sewers, 100 fourteeninch
plows 200 steel pointed harrows, Is forty
inch cylinder threshers aud cleaners, 15 ten
horse power steam engines, so sslf-binding
reapers, and force of about 100 men. These
so machines when In motion cut and bind
with wire 600 large bundles every minute.
Threshing was begun about the first of
September. A correspondent, writing from
the spot, says: "As / stood in the midst OF
the stubble plain to-day, and watched the
smoke curling up from steam machines,
miles upon miles away, and fancied that
they looked as vessels look when steaming
far out over the sea, i thought what mag
nlfcent desert this is! Near by me was q
superintendent who was talking through q
telephone with another superintendent some
three miles away. Near HIM sat an operator,
who was sending dispatch 70 another part
of the field"
The wheat en- this entire tract more than
20 miles so uare, is of the very finest quality
1t will aversge, it Is confidently stated, q
bushels 10 the acre. Put it at only 22 bush
els, reckon the price at 81 per bushel, and
the total value is S2S6, 600. Deduct So pei
acre. the cost of planting and harvesting the
crop. and there remains $1S2, 900, the ne
profit. The outlay for agricultural imple
ments Is of course heavy, though the burder
of this outlay is felt least by the large farmer
A self-binding reaper costs from $3.50 to $500
and the machines of this sort are so rapidly
improved that one becomes antiqua,ed 10
three or four years. The steam threshins
machines are now quite common, and th'
cost with St am engine, about 81 200. Tht
large farmers along the railroad have side
tracks from the main line run outupon thei
line. and the cars OF the road are LETT upon i
until they have filed them with wheat
They drive che wheat right from the ielC
where il is treshed 10 the car. Among the
implements used on these farms Is th'
header. This Is a machine which IS pushed
like great lawn mower by horses, harnesset
behind the cutting knife, which simply cut
off the heads of the wheat leaving the straw
standing, say two feet heigh. IL cuts swati
at least eight feet wide, and, collecting th'
heads as it cuts them, sends them up
trough into a bin which is carried alongsid
OF the header into another wagon. Then th
heads are stacked-up ready for threshing
One advantage connected with the use OF tn
header in new countries Is that, as they leay
the straw standing, it is easier to turn it un
der at the next blowing. OF course as sool
as they begin stock raising the straw will o
worked into manure, as IL Is already u
Iowa, but that day has not yet come Il
Dakota.
AS 500 ss the harvest is completed, tn