Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1881-11-25
ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.
What an Eight Years Resident Has to
Say about the Missouri
Slope.
The Climate. Soil, Crops, General Ap-
pearance and Advantages Of the
Great Northwest.
Personal Experience.

Personal Experience.
VIC, Chicago.-In reply to yours
have to say that am familiar with this
region from residence here since 1878.
I regard the soil superior to that of the
Red river country. That is largely
vegetable deposit, and is therefore, darker
than fhis, but rests upen heavy clay
sub-soil. There the soil is from eighteen
inches to five feet in depth. Here it is
from three to fifty feet in depth, and lime
and gypsum are leading elements IN its
make up. Our country will stand ex-
cessive rain or drouth, while the Red
river country will be injured by either
Our wheat IS plumper, brighter and
heavier than that raised in the Red river
valley, and frequently weighs sixty-four
pounds per bushel, while the yield is
from eighteen to thirty two bushels per
acre and more pounds to the bushel. The
oats are declared superior to any other
raised in the United States, and average
in an ordinary season thirty-elght to forty
pounds per bushels.
WONDERFUL VEGETABLES.
The vegetables aro firm, fine favored,
and large, and bear no comparison to
those raised in the clay regions The po-
,atoes are never hollow-hearted or watery
Twenty-Five pounds is not an unusual
weight for cabbage. I have seen turnips
weighing seventeen pounds each and
parsnips forty-six inches in length.
The region is well north, it is true, but
is not so far north as well settled por-
tions of Canada; besides after passing the
divide between the Red and Missouri
rivers. the climate changes wonderfully.
Forsinstance, I have known the ther-
mometer to register thirty-two degrees
below zero at Fargo when the United
States signal office showed it to have
been eighteen above at Bismarck-a diff
ference of fifty degrees in Bismarck's ia
vor. This difference, of course, is unusu.
ally large, butthe average difference in
favor of Bismarck during the winter sea-
son is about ten degrees. Indeed the diff
ference between St. Paul and Bismarck is
about six degrees in Bismarck's favor, al
though St. Paul is very much south.
THE CLIMATE.
It is we'll known fact that the winters
in California and Oregon are mild, and
that Washington territory has climate
more like Florida than Ohio, although in
the extreme northwestern portion of the
United States, but it is not generally
known, although true, that the islands
off the coast of Alaska are never touched
by frost.
A current similar the gulf stream
passes from the Japan coast and strikes
our coast near Van Couvers Island. This
warm current of water brings, and prob
ably produces air currents of the same
nature, which strike our coast and pas
sing south effect all of our Pacific states
and territories, giving them the favora-
BILE climate with which all are familiar.
They pass over the northern depression of
the Rocky Mountains, selected by the
North Pacific for its crossing, follow the
formation Of the country, giving to Mon
tana and western Dakota the chenook
winds which in the spring open the Mis-
souri, and Yellowstone rivers at the north
ern extremities first, and sometimes
two or three weeks before the ice breaks
at Yankton, giving the difference in cIi-
mate noted between this point and Far
70. 1t is also we'll known fact that sun
light produces growth while darkness re.
tards 1t. During the growing seasons the
days here average at least two hours long
er than in northern Ohio, increasing the
growing capacity of the climate to that
extent. It is because Of this that vegeta-
bles planted month later than those
planted in northern Ohio mature earlier.
There the Fourth of July is early for new
potatoes, peas, etc. Here they are always
in market from our local gardens two
weeks earlier than that.
TEMPERATURE PECULIARITIEs.
Admitting that the thermometer does
reach lower point here than in Ohio, for