Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-07-12
LETTER FROM DAKOTA.

Editor of the Monitor:
So many interesting letters have been
written you in regard to this country,
the "Glorious North West" that it
would seem that the subject had been
exhausted, but the fact is this country
is large and its points of interest so
many and diversified that volumes could
be written upon the subject and the sur
face only be slightly scratched. As the
Red River Valley proper has been, and
is being so thoroughly advertised and
written about, allow me to give a little
information in regard to the country
west of this celebrated region. On going
west, about the first objects of interest
are the celebrated Cass. Cheney and
Alton farms, containing an area of many
thousand acres, all cultivated and sown
to wheat. 1t is grand sight. the wheat
waving in the sunlight for miles, almost
as far as the eye can see in all directions.
The buildings on these farms make one
think of the commodious farm houses of
the New England States; they are of
immense proportions. Here is store
house for wheat capable of housing
$4,000 bushels; here is stable capable
of containing 400 horses; here is a
boarding house capable of feeding and
lodging 200 men; which, with sheds for
housing tools make almost small town.
But you will ask: Does this Bonanza
farming with all its attendant expenses
pay? The best calculations made show
that an acre of wheat can be raised and
marketed for IS, and, provided there is
a yield of Is bushels to the acre and a
fair price received for the product, it
would give good margin. But these
calculations are for Bonanza farming.
Now small farmer with his own labor
and team can raise an acre of wheat for
$3.50 and will on an average receive
larger yield per acre than the extern
sive farmer, for the reason he cultivates
his land more thoroughly, give better
attention to harvest, by doing it all
under his own supervision.
But let us pass west of the great
farms here. The soil becomes lighter,
for we pass an extensive gravel bed at
Wheatland, but, on going farther. this
! lightness is taken place by the black,
sandy loan, and at Tower City, 48 miles
west of Fargo, the soil is as rich as that
of the Red River Valley itself. Leaving
the train, proceed to explore the coun.
try little and look after that almost
universal "claim of mine, being in this
case presumption of 16O acres of land
lying on the north bank of the Maple
River. Attended by yoke of oxen and
breaker (ploughing is called breaking)
| proceed to break, and here in the great
wilderness, three miles from any living
being, in soil never disturbed by morta
man before, | break the rich turf which
is destined to yield her rich harvest o.
richer golden wheat in the near future
On contemplating my first furrow, looi
back for the first time since commencing
it ard behold straight black line reach
ing for one-half mile, entirely unbroker
; by stump, stone or bog hole. Thus you
could pillow day after day, week in ant
week out, and never be disturbed, ex
j cept now and then by the bones of som,
dead buffalo or the skull of Siou,
+ warrior. l would recommend to you
D the average Vermont farmer, trip t
! this, the garden wheat belt of the Unite,
, States, and you will never wish yoursel
greater curse than to be carried bacl
! to your old, rocky, worn-out farms
! Every young man in Vermont to-day
| who contemplates life of agriculture
q should know that here is a field open
him. Here is plenty of good land tia
can be had for the mere taking of i
land that will enable you to make a
8 independent future in five years by
: small amount of labor.