Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-21

GUS Esections of the county fine artesian
or flowing wells of about $50 tc $50 feet in
depth, which furnish water unsurpassed in its
purity aud excellence.
The timber supply, while not vast, is OF
sufficient quantity and quality to be an object
of interest. 1t consists chiefly OF ash oak, elm
and cotton wood, and the fact that it Is to be
found along tine banks of lakes and streams
shows what the result will be when the
devastating prairie fires are not allowed to
destroy it.
The nature and formation of the soil may
next form an interesting theme, and one preg-
nant with food for thought and study. In its
formationitis of lacustrine opposite and varies
from eighteen inches to three feet in depth.
It is an admixture of light clay, black sand
and decomposed vegetable matter, and has in
It's composition and fragments OF granite,
limestone and other rock, scattered over its
surface unmistakable evidence of having
once been the bed of a
vast lake or water course. Ranging back to
the time of the deluge one can easily imagine
the melting and receedipg glaciers Of the
north casting off these fagmentary evidences
of their presence and their solvent particles
casting up this rich alluvlal deposit which
now is made to give up it's rich treasures to
be transformed into the golden berries, to be
converted into mans staple food. During
1881 about 100000 bushels of wheat were
raised In Richland county and the vastly In
creased acreage to be sown this year will
swell 1t into almost incredible proportions.
While large proportion of the wheat crop of
the northwest last season was of an inferior
quality, that of Richland county graded No.
hard, and found most ready and renumera-
tive market. While the great cereal is and no
doubt will continue to be the staple crop, 1t is
nevertheless true that all varieties of small
grains flourish equally as well and
all kinds of vegetables and grasses
are thrifty and reach a perfection OF wealth
anywhere.
The corn crop is not as sure and remunera.
tive as in the corn region few hundred miles
south, yet good crops can no doubt be raised
from acclimated varieties. Of the ability of
this soil to stand any amount of wear it need
only be stated that some lands near the old
fort sAbercrOmbie" that have been cropped
for eleven successive years produced the past
season thirty bushels per acre. The average
yield of the whole county is estimated at from
Is to 20 bushels per acre, and it must be un-
derstood that those who break up this tough
prairie sod in the wrong season and do not
touch it until they scatter the seed next spring
and then only imperfectly cover it, can only
expect light yield. By far the best crops are
produced when the land is q few years
old and has become thoroughly subdued.
With such depth of surface soil no fears
need be entertained of depletion though it
be constantly cropped. The sub-soil, hard
clay or mari, so compact and solid as to be
absolutely impervious to water, when thrown
up to the action of the sun and air, becomes
as productive as the surface soil, and pre-
cludes the possibility of wearing out.
THE RAILROADS.
We now pass from the topography of this
great agricultural section. its splendid soil
and pure water, to its accessibility, for agri-
cultural purposes necessitates review of its
railroad lines, present and prospective. OF
the former there is but one, viz: the St. Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba main line, which To-
Gates Wahpeton just 2Is miles from st. Paul,
and which is in operation 101 miles beyond.
This road takes northwesterly course after
leaving Wahpeton-traverses some forty
miles of Richland county, crosses the Nor
thern Pacific near Cassletor, and has its pre-
sent terminus at Portland, but will the pre-
sent season reach the much-famed "Devil's
Lake" country, while branch will radiate to-
ward Pembina.
The Wahpeton branch of the same line
comes next with forty miles graded and
bridged ready for the iron, which will be laid
in the spring. This line has thus far due
westerly course and divides the county into
two nearly equalsparts. It's objective point,
is as yet matter of doubt to the uninitiated