Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-03-03
Grand Forks. Dakota.
FEBRUARY 22d, 1881.

| be interesting 10 the TedueTs OF the
REPORTER to know something of the
good qualities of this section of the
Countrywide Great Valley-the Red
River Valley now attracting large
share of the worlds attention-be-
cause of the richness and fertility Of
the soil, the remarkable salubrity of
its climate and its already magnificent
commerce, especially in wheat, is
section of country deriving its desig
nation from the Red River Of the
North, which flows north through its
eastern part from Lake Traverse to
Lake Winnipeg in British America,
including the beautiful and productive
valleys of the Maple Cheyenne and
James river. The Red River valley
is bounded on the south by the south
ern land grant limit of the Northern
Pacific railroad fifty miles south of its
line in Dakota on the north by the
British Province of Manitoba East
by the eastern water shed of the Red
River of the north, and west by the
Missouri river valley. The extent of
this region is about 225 miles east and
west, by 800 miles north and south.
1t contains approximately $1,000
square miles or 20O,000,000 acres of
land over so per cent. of which acre
age comprises the finest farming land
for the production Of cereals and stock
raising in the world. Throughout this
section, wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley
and fax can be cultivated with less
labor and greatest profit than in any
other part of the west. The most of
the people, however, are devoting the
greater part their attention to the
growth Of wheat. of which cereal the
crops are immense and of superior
quality. commanding the highest price
in the markets of the world. This
consideration, together with the quick
returns and ready market for wheat at
Grand Forks, the metropolis of the
Red River valley of the north. induces
the farmer to make speciality Of this
cereal. The production of wheat in
the year 1879 estimated upon the
official reports of the acreage under
cultivation, will exceed 5000, 900 blu.
SOIL.
The soil of Grand Forks county is
{. rich, dark vegetable loan, contain
ing lime, chalk, sand and alkaline
matter with clay as it's principal ingre-
dients. 1t is from 20 to SO inches
deep and is underlaid with subsoil of
clay. From It's unusual depth and
richness, only the valley of the Nile
can be compared to it. This soil does
not and will not, for untold years, re-
quire artificial fertilization. Should
artificial cultivation become necessary,
the subsoil needs only to be turned
up slightly to supply the ground with
new vitality sufficient for many years
longer This is one of the advant-
ages Of farming in the Red River val
ley, especially in the vicinity of Grand
Forks.
TIMBER.
Grand Forks county has timber
acreage estimated at $4,000 acres.
The principle varieties are Oak, Elm,
Ash, Soft Maple, Box Elder, Bass
wood and Cottonwood. The generosi-
ty of the government, giving large
tracts Of land to whoever will plant
small portion with trees and the relief
of taxation granted by the county, is
turning the attention of farmers to
tree culture very rapidly. Within a
few years the timber acreage will
doubtless be multiplied many times.
WATER.
Grand Forks county is well watered
by the Red, Elm, Cherry and other
small rivers Wells with excellent
water are obtained at depth of from
II to 25 feet. The water from all the
rivers are sufficiently pure for drinking
and domestic uses. Wells here have
not been in vogue until last summer.
Some that were recently finished are
supplying excellent water.
CLIMATE.
The climate of the Red River val !
ley is regarded as enc of the most
salubrious in the civilized world, it is
so recommended generally by physi- |
clans The extreme dry atmosphere
is favorable to persons In delicate
health. The summers are warm and |
bright. but the heat is tempered by
the cool breezes from the far north, |
usually prevalent in that season. The |
thermometer stands 10 to 20 below 0, |
from the last Of December until the |
last of February, but owing to the
dryness and stiffness of the atmos-
phere the cold is not SO great as in
the states at zero. In summer the |
thermometer ranges from sixty-fve to
ninety, once or twice during the sea-