Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-09-22
THE LARGEST FARM IN THE WORLD.

THE LARGEST FARM IN THE WORLD.
FARGO, DAKOTA, August 13.-Can you
imagine wheat field of 10000 acres Thirty
thousand acres of slender golden stems, each
bearing a cluster of yellow beads, bowling
and noddiDg as if in acknowledgement of ad
miring glances. If you cannot fancy such q
picture, you perhaps will admit that it must
be one of the most sublime and fascinating
scenes the human eye can witness.
stood this morning at the centre of the
largest farm in the world the largest piece
of territory ever cultivated under the direc.
ton of single man. As far as the eye could
reach, North South, East or West, there was
nothing visible but the bluest Of blue sky,
the reddest of red barns, the great awkward
looking threshers with their smoke begrimed
engines beside them, the whirring harvesters,
and miles after miles of wheat. If this farm
were stretched out like a ribon half mile
wide it would reach as far as from Chicago to
Milwaukee. If it were in single rectangu.
lar piece, mile in width, it would be forty.
five miles from end to end, and there is not a
fence, not tree, not bush only an occa.
sional stripe green across the golden field that
marks the existence of road or section line.
Near US was little white house where the
"storekeeper" lived-the commissary Of a
great army, for an army it is-and we in
quired of the gentlemanly Mr.. Mandell how
we could get across to the Office of Mr.. Dal-
rymple. He impressed a mule team that
happened to drive up for supplies, and sent
us to headquarters.
There was cluster of great red barns,
an acre or two of cabbages, beets, onions and
waving corn lazy looking windmill that
swung around as indiherently as if a regi
ment of thirsty men were not working in the
field, and cozy cottage, plain but comforta'
bic. We raped at the door and were shown
into the parlor. The room was handsomely
furnished, with some evidences Of luxury,
but no more than are found in the houses Of
'fore.handed" farmers all over the West.
We asked for Mr.. Dalrymple, and he came
down from some room above ; slender, qui
et.looking man, with a pen behind his ear,
whom you would judge to be schoolmaster
or clergyman at sight. His hands were soft
and white-more accustomed to the book or
pen than the plow-and his face, were it not
covered with beard, was not so much burned
as mine. He met US cordially, invited US to
spend the day and dine, and suggested that
he would have team hitched up to drive US
over "the place"
noticed that he always called it "the
place."
In the meantime, I asked him few ques-
tions. The first one was as to the yield this
year.
ut was late Spring." said Mr.. Dalrymple
"At the time when we are usually putting in
crop, the place for miles around US here was
covered with water from the melted snow,
and you could have sailed boat over field
where now there is wheat that will yield twen-
ty bushels to the acre.
81 feared at one time that the crop would be
failure, but am very positive now that the
average per acre will not be below twenty
bushels"
"Have you sold your wheat?"
"Our plan is different from the ordinary
method. We are sending about three train
loads day to Duluth"
"How many bushels is that p
"About 10000 bushels. We load vessel
at Duluth every two days and send it to But
falo, where it is sold on arrival at the market
price"
"What is that"
"The price today" said Mr.. Dalrymple,
consulting telegram, 'is sl.27 at Buffalo.
Freights are about twenty.sevcn cents, so it
nets US about 81 bushel."
"What will your crop amount to?'
II am expecting about 100000 bushels.
Besides this we have 10000 bushels Of oats,
which we keep for our stock"
"Do you keep stock enough to eat up 10000
bushels of oats?"
Mr.. Dalrymple smiled pleasantly and re-
marked that 800 mules and horses eat up
good many OATS
"How much does your crop cost you p
"It costs US about $6 an acre to produce
crop when we use our own stock and pay our
own men by the month, but when we hire
men and teams by the day, it costs US about
So an acre.
"What do you pay your men 2"
"We pay $50 month for regular hands,
and 81 per day for extra hands during bar-
vest"
"What amount of machinery have you 60.
ing to day."
1.-TWO hundred selfbinding harvesters and
30 steam threshers These 200 harvesters
cut an average Of $500 acres day, and the
threshers turn out about 10000 bushels day.
As fast as it is threshed we bag the wheat,
cart it over there to the cars, empty the sacks
and send three train loads daily"
"Where do you keep your men ?"
"If you had been here at 5 o'clock this
morning you could have seen 800 men at
breakfast. We keep quite hotel, with 4O
cooks"
Mr.. Dalrymple explained at length how
this enormous business is conducted. The
10000 acres under cultivation are divided into
FIVE divisions of 5000 acres each, under su-
perntendents, who are responsible directly to
Mr.. Dalrymple, the commander.in-chiet.
Each of these regiments is divided again into
battalions, with foreman or major, who has
charge of 1000 acres Under him are three
companies, each having captain and cult.
waiting section which is GAO acres OF land.
Each superintendent plants his crop and har-
vests it, reporting from time to time to Mr..
Dalrymple, who directs and oversees the
whole, but spends the greater part of his time
at the office, planning and calculating tor the
best results from the smallest outlay. The
superintendents are responsible for the good
order of their men, stock and machinery,
and there is decided rivalry between them
as to which can produce the largest crop.
When the blowing commences in the Spring
the men go out in gangs, each taking $40
acres, under the direction of foreman, who