Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-10-27
No. 48
DALRYMPLE'S BIG FARM.
How Forty-tive Square Miles of Culti-
waited Ground are Attended to Dur
ing the Four Seasons of the Year
1.-The Stock and Products.
Fargo ID. #. Cor. Inter Ocean. ;


Fargo d. IT, Cor. Inter Ocean,
Can you imagine a wheat field Of 10000
acres? Thirty thousand acres of slender,
golden STEMS each bearing cluster of vel
low beads, bowling and nodding Is if in ac-
acknowledgement of admiring glances. you
cannot fancy such picture, you perhaps will
admit that it must be one of the most sub
lime scenes that the human eye can witness.
| stood this morning at the center of the
largest farm in the world the largest piece
of territory ever cultivated under the direc-
reach, north, south, east or west, there was
nothing visible but the bluest of blue sky.
the redest Of red barns the great awkward
looking threshers, with their smoke -begrim-
ed engines beside them, the whirring har-
vesters, and miles after miles OF wheat Ii
this farm were stretched out like a ribbon.
half a mile wide, it would reach as far as
from Chicago to Milwaukee If it were in
single, rectangular piece, mile in width, it
would be forty-five miles from end 10 end,
and there is not a fence not tree, not
bush; only an occasional strip of green across
the golden that marks road or 4 section
line.
Near us was a little white house where the
stOrekeeper lived-the commssary of great
army, for an army it is-and we inquired of
the gentleman for Mr.. Dalrymple. He i'm
pressed 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 indifferently as if regi-
ment of thirsty men were not working in
the field, and cosy cottage, plain but COM
Portable. We raped at the door, and were
were shown into the parlor The room was
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,
quiet-looking man, with pen behind his
ear, whom you would judge to be a school
master 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
that he would have a team hitched
up and drive us over the place" | noticed
he always called it the place
In the meantime l asked him q few ques-
TONS 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 here was
covered with water from the melted snow,
md you could have sailed a boat over field
where now there is wheat that will yield. /
cared at one time that the crop would be Il
allure, but am very positive now that the
he averags acreage will not be below twenty
)ushels"
"Have you sold your wheat?'
"Our plan is different from the ordinary
method. We are sending about three train
Dads a day to Duluth
"How many bushels is that?'
about 10000 bushels. We load vessel
It Duluth every two days and send it to Buff
alo, where it is sold On arrival at the market
price,"
"What is that?"
''The price to-day said Mr.. Dalrymple,
consulting q telegram, lis S127 at Buffalo
Freights are about twentyseven cents so it
nets us about 81 bushel"
What will your crop amount tO?'
Il am expecting about 100000 bushels.
Besides this we have about 10000 bushels OF
pats, which we keep for our stock"
''Do you keep stock enough h to eat up 10000
bushels of oats 2"
Mr. Dalrymple smiled pleasantly and re-
marked that 800 horses and mules eat up a
GOOD many oats.
"How much does your crop cost you?'
1T costs us about S6 an acre to produce 4
.rop when we use our own stock and pay our
men by the month, but when we hire men
md teams by the day it costs us about So an
lcre"
What do you pay your men?"
"We pay $50 a month for regular hands,
md 81 per day for extra hands during har-
5est"
What machinery have you going tO-day?'
Two hundred selfbinding harvesters and
hirtv steam threshers. These 200 harvest
rs cut an average of 2, 800 acres day, and
he threshers turn out 10000 bushels day
IS fast as it is threshed we bag the wheat
art it over there to the cars, empty the sacks
nd send away three train loads daily"
Where do you keep your men,"
''If you had been here at D o'clock this
corning you could have seen 800 men at
reakfast. We keep forty cooks
Mr. Dalrymple explained at length how
his enormous business is conducted. The
5000 acres under cultivation are divided in
0 five divisions of 5000 acres each, under
nperintendents who are responsible directly
D Mr. Dalrymple, commander-in-chief Each
these regiments is divided again into bat
llions, with a foreman or major who has
barge of 1000 acres. Under him are three
each having a captain and culti-
ating section, which is GAO acres OF land.
ach superintendent plants his crop and har-
ests it, reporting from time to time to Mr..
who directs and oversees the
hole, but spends the greater part of his
me at the Office, planning and calculating
II the best results from the smallest outlay.
he superintendents are responsible for the
,od order of their men, stock and machine
:, and there is a decided rivalry between
lem as to which can produce the biggest
op. When the blowing commences in the
ring the men 60 out in gangs, each taking
10 acres, under the direction of foreman,
no rides along on, horseback to see that the
ork is done properly. Everything is done
the military style 9a = 9iha3~ .'.ioi 81 '.
,-issuior -..ei HID!ay iii -