The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-01-25
Sbe gIoomtirID Sin''s.
HOUSE, FARM AND GA RDEN.
A Talk with Darymple, the Dakota Wheat
Man.

"A milwaukee, letter TO tne OnlchBo
Times has talk with William f. Dal-
rymple, who, with his brother runs the
largest wheat farm in the world, proba-
bly,, near Fargo, Dakota Territory.
He said that the past year he had har-
vested %, 900 acres of wheat and nearly
1000 acres of other grains. The wheat
had yielded at the rate of % bushels to
the acre, in the aggregate over 100000
bushels, which had been disposed of in
Buffalo at clear profit of over half
dollar bushel-thus making the profit
of the farm for the year over 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 Buff
falo, where 1t was sold at an average
price of nearly $l,25 bushel. The
freight from Fargo to Buffalo had not
much exceeded 20 cents per bushel. The
cost price of raising the wheat to the
time of loading it in the cars had been
so cents bushel. When asked wheth-
er his system of farming would not
eventually run out the land, he replied
that it would not, necessarily, since as
soon as the land shows signs of deterio-
rating it would be changed into pasture,
and would be better than new ground
for the purpose, as it would have become
solid from the cultivation. Part of the
farm has been under cultivation five
years, and this had yielded better than
the newer land. The only fault that
the land has at first is that it is too rich,
and it is, of course, an Improvement to
it to reduce its fertility to certain ex-
tent.
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
intention to continue breaking at this
rate until the whole $4,000 acres of land
which they owned should have been
brought under cultivation, or as much
of it as could be spared from meadows,
which would be needed to supply the
horses used i'm working the farm. These
at present number four hundred, and
will probably have to increase with the
growth of the farm, as it was quite
doubtful if steam could be made to take
their place. This has been done success
fully in thrashing, straw being used as
fuel, but all attempts to plow with the
steam plows manufactured in this coun-
try had proven failures, chiefly, he
thought, because they are operated on
the locomotive plan and are not adapted
to the variable condition of the soil, |
and are more expensive than horses
In England the plows are drawn by |
eft arxy wifi
and he believed that if steam plowing |
can be made practicable on his farm it
is ia this way. The experiment will be
made this year, but he doubted whether
it would be found profitable, as horses
would still be required on the farm for
cutting grain and hauling it to market.
He stated that he does not make any ex-
periments in the use of farm machinery,
but allows the manufacturers to prove
the merits of their improvements by
seasons work before investing in them.
The farm is divided into tracts of 1000
acres each, and each of these tracts is
provided with set of farm buildings,
and is presided over by foreman, who
receives a. salary of 500 per month
during the working season, or 81 900
per annum, while ordinary laborers are
paid $lS per month. He has exclusive
management. 1t had been found that
a spirit of emulation arises between the
different foremen, and they are usually
as anxious for heavy yield of grain as
though they owned the land. There is
no opportunity left, however, for specula-
ton on the part of the foremen, as three
sets of books are kept, and other precau-
tions taken to prevent any thing of the
kind. Mr.. Dalrymple spoke enthusias-
tically of the great wheat belt lying in
what might be called the basin of Lake
Winnipeg. His farm is situated in the
valley of the Red river of the North,
which empties into Lake Winnipeg,
and on the line of the Northern Pacific
an area of wheat land fully three times
as large as Wisconsin, while to the
northward of this, in British America,
is the valley of the Saskatchewan, with
an area of 4SO, 600 square miles, or more
than ten times that of New York State,
and fully three-fourths of which is we'll
adapted for wheat raising. Through
out this whole extent of territory the |
climate aud soil are all that could be de- !
sired, and the wheat produced is the fin
est in the world, being all g hard.'' and
commanding the highest price
The climate is cool in the summer and
dry after harvest, so that the two great
est dangers to wheat raising and har-
vesting-heat and rain-are escaped,
He stated that the heavy rate of profit
which his farming operations had Yield
ed the present year were due, in large
measure, to the size of his farm, and
that small farming could not be made to
pay as well, there being the same gain
of profit in running large farm over
small one that there is in conducting
large manufacturing establishment
compared with small one, and to the
fact that his land is Immediately on the
line of the railroad, and the grain did