Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-01-18
DaLRYMpLE's FARM.
Five Hundred Thousand Bushels of Grain
Itaisa,l Last Year at ~ Profit of IL Quarter
of II Million.
Chicago Times Correspondence.

vested ~, ,0UO acres OF wheat and nearly
1000 acres of other grains. The wheat
had yielded ut the rate of twenty-three
bushels to the acre, in the aggregate over
500,0OO bushels, which had been disposed
of i'll Buffalo at u clear profit of over a
half dollar bushel-thus making the
profit of the farm for the year over a
quarter of million dollars. This, he
said, was several times what the land had |
cost. The wheat had been loaded on the
cars directly on being thrashed, and
taken to Duluth, whence it was shipped
to Buffalo, where it sold at an average
price of nearly $1.25 a bushel. The
freight from Fargo to Buffalo had not
The cost price of raising the wheat to
the time of loading it in the cars had
been fifty cents bushel. When asked if |
his system Of farming would not eventu-
ally run out the land, he replied that it |
would not, necessarily, slncc as soon as
the land showed signs of deteriorating it |
could be changed into pasture and would
be better than new ground for the pur-
pose, as it would have become solid from
tho cultivation. Part of the farm had
been under cultivation five years, and
this had yielded better than the newer
land. The only fault the land has at first
is that it is too rich. and 1t ls, of course,
an improvement to it to reduce its fertil-
ity to a certain extent.
During the past year, he said, they had
not broken quite as much land as usual,
only four thousand acres. Previously
between five and six thousand acres had
been broken annually, and it was the in
tention to continue breaking at this rate
until the whole $4,000 acres Of land which
they owned should have bean under cul-
tivation, or as much of it as could be
spared from meadows, which would be
needed to supply the horses used in
working the farm. These at present
unmber four hundred, aud will probably
have to increase with the growth of the
farm, rs it was quite doubtful if steam
could be made to take their place. This
has been done successfully in thrashing,
straw being used as fuel, but all attempts
to plow with the steam plows manufact-
ured in this country had proven failures,
chiefly, he thought, because they are OPP
Grated on the locomotive plan and are
not adapted to the variable condition of
I he soil, and are more expensive than
horses. In England the plows are drawn
tachel. and he believed that if steam
blowing can be made practicable on his
farm it is i'll this way. The experiment
will be made this year, but ehe doubted
whether 1t would be found profitable, as
| horses would still be required on the
farm for cutting grain and hauling it to
market. He stated that lie does not
make any experiments i'll the use OF
farm machinery, but allows the manufnc-
turers to prove the merits OF their i'm
provements by seasons work before in
vesting in them. The farm is divided
into tracts ot two Thousand acres each,
and each Of these tracts is provided with
a set Of farm buildings, aud is presided
over by a foreman, who receives salary
of $500 per month during the working
season, or 81 900 per rannum, ,wllle ordinary
laborers are paid SIS per month. He has
exclusive charge OF his tract, and is held
responsible for its management. 1t had
been found that spirit OF emulation
arises between the different foremen,and
they are usually as anxlons for heavy
yield of grain as though they owned the
land. There is no opportunity left how
ever, for speculation on the part OF tho
foremen, as three sets of books are Kept
and other precautions taken to prevent
anything OF the kind.
Ia Mr.. Dalrymple spoke enthusiastically
of the great wheat belt, lying in what
might be called the basin OF Lake Win
nipeg. His farm is situated in the val
ley Of the Red River OF the north, whicl
empties into Lake Winnipeg, and on the
line of the Northern Pacific railway
This valley, he said contains an area O.
wheat land fully three times as large as
Wisconsin, while to the northward o
; this, in British America, is the valley o
: the Saskatchewan with an area of 4Sl 0O'
square miles, or more than ten time
; that of New York State. and tnlly three
+: fourths of which is well adapted 10
wheat raising. Throughout this Who'll
extent of territory the climate and sol
). are all that could be desired, and tn
. wheat produced is the finest i'll til
r world, being all "hard" and commandin
!. the highest price. The climate is coo
III summer and dry after harvest, SO tha
a the two greatest dangers to wheat rai'
ing and harvesting-heat and rain-al
escaped. The outlet for the wheat {
this immense region, he said, will be b
S way OF Lake Superior, and there is II
e probability that it will ever, to an
: great extent, be shipped to either Mi
}; waukee or Chicago. The Red river
g navigable for three hundred miles fro
e Lake Winnipeg and on this the whe
l. raised in the great Saskatchewan vallt
will be transported to Fargo. whence
: will be shipped to Lake Superior by ra
teen hundred miles of its length, and
sportation to Lake Winnipeg. The
will be no probability that the grain W
be shipped through Hudson bay,
,.L.,L I,ota NNinoinor 10 frib;t,r,
d, Hudson strait is closed to navigate
y t. fully nine months of tie year.
- He regretted that the United Stat
had allowed the British government
retain possession of this magDiEce
aly was being established. The den
cratic party he said, at that time, h
. declared that they would have $50
81 fight" but had taken 40 degrees and Il?
2ss allowed the English government. viii
knew the value of this land, to beco
ry; possessed of - tract equal i'll size 10
Of the United Stated west OF Lake Mi
ighn and north of Il line from Chicago
;. San Francisco, which really belonged
'h' this country. Thousands of settlers,
said, are npw rushing into this, and
fore many years the world will won'
1T the agricultural wealth which will
, developed.
=, =. He stated that the heavy rate Of pr
which lis farming operations had yit
Ell the preson. yea. were due, i'll II Ia
measure. to the size of his fam, and t
small farming could not be made to