The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-03-13

likely to die one When tested upon his
celibacy, us he sometimes is. lie says, re-
ferring TO his mother and his art: w hat
would You have? | am already twice
married. Must man bea Turk to prove
tina, he is OF a domestic turna'
Harvesting on Large Dakota Farm.
Ride over these fertile fields OF Dakota
and behold the working OF tli, latest
triumph Of American genius. You are
in 4 sea Of wheat. On the farms man.
aged by Oliver Dalrympln are $4,000
acres in one field. There are other farm
crs who cultivate from $50 to COCO acres.
The railroad train rolls through an ocean
OF grain. Pleasant the music of the rip
ping waves rs the west wind sweeps over
the expanse. We encounter squadron
Of war chariots. not such as once swept
over the Delta Of the Nile i'll pursuit of
an army of fugitive ISraeliteS, not such
as the warriors of Rome were wont to
drive. with glittering knives projecting
the ranks of an enemy. to drench the
ground with blood, to cut down the hui
man race, as if men were nuxiouS weeds.
but chariots OF peace, doing the work of
human hands for the suSterancc of inen.
There are twenty-five OF them in this one
brigade of the grand army Of Is. under
the marShalship of this Dakota farmer.
\ superintendent upon {; superb horse.
like Il brigadier directing his forces rides
along the line. accompanied by his staff
of two on horseback. They are fully
armed and equipped, not with swords.
but the implements of peace-wrenches.
hammers, and chisels. They are surgeons
in waiting, with nuts and screws. or what
ever may be needed.
This brigade of horse artillery sweeps
by in Gchfion-in close order. reaper fol
lowing reaper. There isa great sound of
wheels. The grain disappears in an in
slant, then rcappcars; iron arms clasp it..
hold it moment in their embrace, wind
it with wire, then toss it diSdainfuly at
Your feet. You hear in the rafting OF
the wheels the mechanism saying TO II
SELF. See how easy can do it,
An army of "shockers" follow the
reapers, Settin. up the bundles to riren
before threshing. The reaping must or
dinarily all he done in fifteen days. else
the grain becomes too ripe. The first
fields harvested, therefore, are cut before
the ripening is complete. Each reaper
averages about fifteen acres per day, and
is drawn by three horses or mules.
The reaping ended, thresllins begins.
Again memory goes back to early years
- the pounding out of Tie grain upon
the threshing floor with the tlail-the
slow. tedious work of the winter DAYS
Poets no more will rchearsc the music of
the fail. The picture for February in
the old Farmers Almanac is obsolete.
September is the month for threshing.
the thresher doing its 600 or 100 bushels
per day, driven by Il steam Ell zine of six
teen horse power. Remorseless that
Sharp-toothed devourer. swallowing its
food as fast rs two men can cut the wire
bands. requiring six teams to supply its
demands. And what Il cataract of grain
pours from its spout. faster than two men
can bag it'll
The latest triumph OF invention in
this direction is a straw burning engine
utilizing the stalks of the grain for fuel.
The cost Of raising wheat per buShel
is from 'thirty-tive 10 forty cents: the
average yield. from twenty to twenty-five
bushels per acre. The neainess OF these
lands to Lake Superior. and the rates cs-
tablished by the railroad-tifteen cents
per bnshel from any point between Bis
mark and Duluth-give the Dakota
farmers 4 wide margin of profit.
Since the first furrow was turned in
the Red River Valley. in 1870. there has
been no failure of crops from drought
excessive rains. blight, miIdew. rust. or
other influence of clmatology. The
chinch bug has not made its appearance;
the grasshoppers alone have troubled the
farmers. but they have disappeared, and
the fields are smiling with bounty. With
good filth, the farmer may count upon Il
net return Of from eight to ten dollars
per acre per annum. The employment
of capital has accomplished bcnelicent
end, by demonstrating that the region,
instead Of being incapable of settlement.
is one of the fairest sections of the con-
tinent. Nor is it a wonder that the land
offices are besieged by emf grants making
entries, or that the surveyors find tie
lands "squatted' upon before they can
survey them: that hotels are crowded:
that on every hand there is activity
During the months of May. June and
July. 1879, the sales of government land
were nearly 100, 600 acres and the entries
for the year will probably aggregate
300 600. taken in homestead. pre-emp-
ton and tree claims. There are other
millions of acres. as fair and fertile. yet
to be occupied.