Daily Republican., 1880-02-04
Notes From n Delaware Farmer

NoieH FrOh bclAWAre ERrIGeE,
For the REPUBLICAN,.
ME'sRs EDITORS In Looking over
The agr cultural Columns of various
Newspapers, We often ses statements 0i
he extend4i farming Of the Red River
Valley of the far Northwest nAsre such
enormous crops OF wheat are grown a.
seem almost incredible to 'tho small
farmer 0i the East. Wheat being ahont
the only crop, there is q considerable,
portion OF the year, that ths farmer is
not very busy, aud it is not an uucou-
mon Occurrences, after the crop is secuf-
red in the fall, for the family to seek
some warmer location TO spend the win
ter, in order to escape the intense rig,
or OF the semi Arctic climate Of that
country. So much has b-ea written
abon' large farms, proii.ao;e farming
aud large wheat crops OF that section,
that other parts OF the West are almost
entirely overlooked and so little noticed
IN eur journals that thought a shorl
account Of at least One farm in Western
Iowa, might be interesting to yoar
rea i-rs.
During an extended visit through the
West last summer, | passed through
the farm of Ii. C. Wheeler, containing
nine sections OF land (j760 acres) sit.
lated in the Maple River Valley, Sac
County, Iowa, Or what is known as til.
Mlsso ri Slope, section Of country
where corn and other crops adapted 10
a moderate climate can b. grown in the
greatest luxuriance. The crops are
not entirely wheat, although as will be
seen, it constitutes an important item
in the varied conrse of farming pur.
sued. The cultivated grasses are es.
prcially suited TO this region. In ALI
sw-r to inquiries Mr.. Wheeler writes az
follows:
Wheat is turning out batter than ex.
p@ct-d from Is to Is bushels per acre,
Oa.s, barley and rye are a good crop
flax is excellent, and corn | never saw
better. We have the best country, az
rlculturally, in the world. Ny cr0p
this year consists of 900 acres of wheat,
1000 acres of corn, 1900 acres of flax,
$50 acres OF barley, $50 acres of oats,
100 acres of rye. The wheat was in
ahOok, and the faA was like an OCEAN
OF waving emerald.
Mr.. Wheeler does not have to leave
his home on the approach of winter to
escape from ctlmate such as they |
have to endure in the R-d river country. |
I"r io-s he have to travel from 20 to
50 miles in the cold to reach the rail
I"ad as many do in the northwest.
Fhere is a station on his farm-iu the
n-ig horhood of Whneler are mapy
-mtIl farmers, who raise as good or
better crop than he does.
One field of wheat b-ing threshed
was turning out % bushels per acre,
and | have in my possession a sample
" wheat from an adjoining county Of
So bushels per acre. Corn produces
-r",n 80 to 50 bushels per acrr, fax lG
IN hels and oats. rye ami barley in
proportion. Wheat is about 80 cents
! hn bel less than in Phrla lelphia and
81 grain finds cash market at the 4.
toai Stations. Flax seed is $l.OO tol
) % per bushel, corn is most fed to
Uck and the surplus sheIled and SOLD
At fron II to - CENTS per bus mel. OOe
Ot o. 10000 bushels was b4iug shel!4d
tnrlpg my visit The wheat il nearly
all OF the Spring variety, although win
rr heat succeeds will by sowing one
JusErl Of oates PER acre which protects
he wheat from the lrOst.
Corn can BE- raised at cost Of from 5 :
o 10 cents per bushel, including iut4l-
-. on land. Horses and catll- Of
uprrior quality can bs raised at
n"r- nominal cost, and the profits of
heep are almost fabulous. Hogs are
Il present the principal stocl; raised.
lnding goOI market either at hon4 or
Il CEDAR Rapids, at trife less than
chicago p-ices. There is peuty 0.
and in the neighborhoOd of equally As
.ood quality, can be had in tracts frors
u to 1000 acres, at from So to $40 per
ere. All this in as healthy a country
s there is east of the rocky mountains,
nd only fifty hours from PAilsdel.
mia. X.