The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-03
Farming in Dakota.

"Yes, sir, resumed the Dakota man,
as the crowd of agriculturists drew back
from the bar and seated themselves
around little table, "yes, sir, we do
things on rather sizable scale. I've
seen man on one of our big farms
start out in the spring and pillow a
straight furrow until fall. Then he
turned round and harvested back
Garry his grub with himP' asked
q Brooklyn farmer, who raises cabbaoes
on the outskirts.
"No sir. They follow him up with
steam hotel and have relays of men to
change plows for him. We have some
big farms up there, gentlemen. A
friend of mine owned one on which he
had to give a mortgage, and L pledge
you my word the mortgage was due at
one end before they could get it re-
corded at the other. You see it was
laid off in counties"
There was murmur of astonish-
ment, and the Dakota man continues:
gotta letter from man who lives in
my orchard, just before had left home
and it had been three weeks getting to
the dwelling house, though it travelled
day and night"
DISTANCES are pretty wide up there
amt they?" inquired a New Utrecht
agriculturist
Reasonably, reasonably" replied
the Dakota man. ''And the worst
OF it is, it breaks up families so. Two
years ago | saw whole family pros
1rated with grief. Women yelling,
children bowling, and dogs bark
ing. One of my men had his camp
truck packed on seven four-mule teams
and he was around bidding everybody
goodbye"
"Where was he goingP" asked a
Gravesend man. +
"He was going halfway across the
farm to feed the pigs" replied the Da-
kota man.
Did he ever get back to his
family?"
1T isn't time for him yet" returned
the Dakota gentleman. Cup there
we send young married couples to milk
the cows, and their children bring
home the milk"
81 understand you have fine mines
uP Oud1 way, NculuI0u CdLudlCd Gur-
nip-planter.
Eyes, but we only use the quartz for
fencing" said the Dakota man, testing
the blade of his knife with his thumb,
preparatory to whetting on his boot.
sit wont pay to crush it, because we
can make more money on wheat. 1
put in eighty-nine townships last
spring"
"How many acres would that be?"
"We don't count by acres. We
count by townships and counties. My
yield was $68, 100000 on wheat alone,
and Pm thinking of breaking up from
eighty to hundred counties more
next season"
"How do you get the help for such
extensive operations?" asked the New
Utrecht man.
Oh, labor is cheap" replied the
Dakota man. You can get all you
want for from 1929 to SAT day. In
fact, never paid over S3S."
9" Is land cheapP'
"No, land is high. Not that it
costs anything, for it don't; but under
the laws of the Territory you have got
to take so much or none. 1 was in luck.
Fad friend at Yankton who got a
bill through the Legislature allowing
me to take 420,0 square miles, which
is the smallest farm there, though it
| is
Look here" said the barkeeper,
as the Eastern husbandmen strolled
out in a bunch to consider the last
statement. g Is all this thing you We
been telling true?"
Certainly" responded the Western
man; " at least it is modification OF
what l saw in Dakota paper that was
wrapped around pair of shoes last
night. l didn't dare put 1t as strong
as the paper did, for no one would be-
lieve it. You can slate that last round
of drinks, and I'll pay in the morning.
l live right here on Myrtle Avenue. y
Brooklyn Eagle.