New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-05
THE RED RIVER VALLEY.
v1rws IN A GROWING COUNTRY

VIEWS IN A GROWING COUNTRY.
v.uRoAp BUILDING IN THE NORrHwEsT-CHARAc-
TER OF THE FARM LANDS ALONG THE RED
RIyER-EvILs OF TOO LARGE FARMs-A TRIP
THROUGH MANrToBA-THE COUNTRY RAPIDLY
FILLING UP WITH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. GREAT
NESS OF DAKOTA.
,..n. AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT rRmUNE
FARGO, Dakota, Aug. 23.-My main object
q, the tourney have taken has been to study careiuy
49, vbeot producing qualities of the land adjacent TO
h ped River and br inches. Having made the north
arl trip upon east bank returned south ny the
thar aide travelling eghtytwo miles by stage from the
,tanational boundary Grand Forks thence reaching
-. hv the ST. Paul. Minneapolis and Manitoba branch
n II is truly wonderful to study the railroad system
~ this country Within year the latter road VIII con-
meet with Winnipeg, distant some 40 mics
from Fargo by through line upon each pahR
., the river Twenty miles west of the river the
northern Pacific is rapidly pushing parallel
line mn to Canada From Grand Forks, lying
half WAY between Fargo and the boundary, tho Mani
tobo Railroad is graded toward the northwest Another
branch of the same road building some twenty miles
west of Fargo in northwestery direction having for
CO.. oh,ective ponts Fort Totten and Devils Lake. In
Minnesota the Duluth and Winnipeg Railroad has To-
Gated its line fifty miles northwest Of Duluth through
country not nearly difficult many have supposed
md will in connection with the Southeastern Manitoba
Road run through trains to Winnipeg within eighteen
months. Mr.. Bilhemer, the general manager, states
that branch will be built to st. Vincent thus tapping
the fine wheat country of Pembina County Dakota and
that another will be completed to CroOkston eighty
miles further south This line win prove powerful
rival to the st. Paul Manitoba and will divert the
wheat Minneapolis to Duluth, giving the northern
farmers chance than they get at present
Wheat bringing 81 bushel to-day in Fargo, and only
so cents 140 miles further north While the freight
rate from Fargo to Buffalo, N " is only twenty-five
CENTS it twenty-five cents TO carry bushel from
st. Vincent TO Fargo
Tn he of he Red ia
with the fact that the boom" the Dakota side.
bank the river is said to be several feet higher
than the Minnesota bank, and consequently less
liable to inundaton. Still, have fine fields of
wheat Crookston and at other points along the rail-
road, and from what gather an inundation of
either side Is infrequent. AT Pembna the postmaster,
who IL the oldest settler and has been in the country for
thirty years. told he had the prairie only twice
inundated. Water. however interferes with the farm
ers abors in another In the early spring, before
the entirely left the of the SOIL the
melted snow and rain water have ready means of
Gaping into the river from the extreme 6aness of the
soil For twenty miles east and west upon both sides
level prairie WITH fall to the river of less than
one mile In the settled districts ditch
ing has been undertaken to some extent, but vast
amount more must be done.
Much said great depth the rich black
loan which the surface OF all this country.
took personally opportunity to measure this and
should say that its depth decreases slightly
cedes from the river At ten miles distance it viii
age about fifteen inches, though spots be found
where it is than two feet in depth Close the
river have pockets and eight DEPTH
but the average This is said to be
less deep than the prairie land of Illinois,
tanly less than the wonderful soil parts
No stones, boulders pebbles be seen at
any point along the river with exception and
Is upon a belt three miles width and lying
thirteen miles south of Grand Forks
The largest farms in this country the Darymple
and the Grandin farms, the first lying twenty miles
west of Fargo and having ~ 900 of wheat
under cultivation and the former situated thirty miles
north OF Fargo with 5000 acres OF wheat being directly
upon the river Last year the yield of the latter was
137OOO bushels. The propretors both these farms
much additional and adjacent prairie land but have
not seen fit to break than the amounts stated
Passing by the Dalrymple farm two weeks ago
was struck with the poor appearance of of the
land. The wheat was thin and choked with weeds
especially the yellow St. Johnswort, much should
Judge would hardly pay for cutting This appears to be
the result of careless cultivation and attempt to
extend operations over tract which too
anyone Twevethousand means very nearly
twenty square miles, or an area approaching in size to
Manhattan Island must be a good organizer
and very attentive to his business to do justice such
territory. Further to the West there other large
FARMS but this year their yield viii be light as the sea-
has been dry, and some small grasshoppers have
appeared, which some enthusiasts claim have bene-
fitted the crops by npping off the lower leaves and
throwing all the strength Of the grain into the head
The soil here too, is lighter and in places with
bouders and the subso is often gravel instead of the
clay impre grated with lime which marks fertile soil
Of the Red River Valley. Tracks of good land however
are to be found near the James River and in other
places.
As proceeds north the farms seen TO diminish
N size In Pembina County very few more
than their original honesteads Of 16O acres, though
few lucky ones who came in early have free claims as
well stretches Of only 40 or so acres Of wheat fire.
natural fertility, or as some claim account of
favorable climatic conditions yields large returns
have myself tracts running as high as thirty four
bushels Rumor of course far exceeds these figures but
Upon SoaSGrS G and entering the
ore ~ % to my surprise saw no
aud nat prairie with habitatio in sight
nG 81 s'TSa s me must go to wnn
and productive land which BeaconsAeld predicted
would drive the United States out Of the grain
The Canadian Pacific Railroad has three lines COM
some sixty or seventy miles nlength understand that
tssy are making good from
road has Its termn upon either and II the
threatening destruction this great scheme NAV G Ss
carried out At present trains east twice week
freight and passengers going together. On ' my
trip from Winnipeg to Portage La Prairie seventy
lots active speculation is rife Many Of them boasted
station and she'd with couple Of farmhOnses two
timetables II my attention had not been called to the
grafton which depicting Ontario and the other eastern
3f9 t o. Canada Is pushing ON beyond the terminus
gone az Tar as 100 miles and need seventy days to
Portage RTre hrvins place of .evera, tsou
sand and is by beautiful wheat
comnodations of this country are naturally not Of the
best nor do the railroad people seem to study the &C
se at 1880 on my on took %sy to sa rS
e p M m, Much need not be said Of W
nants built upon the prospects of the future is the