Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1882-01-14
Farming IN Dakota.

eyes, sir" resumed the Dakota man as the
crowd of agriculturists drew back from the
bar and seated themselves around little Ia
Bile, "Yes, sir; We do things on rather siza-
ble scale Pve seen man on one OF our
big farms start out in the spring and plow a
straight furrow until fall. Then he turned
round and harvested back"
Garry his grub with him?" asked
Brooklyn farmer, who raises cabbage on the
outskirts"
mo, sir. They follow him up with steam
hotel and have always relays of men to
change plows for him. We have seen big
farms up there, gentlemen. A friend of
mine owned one on which he had to give
mortgage, and pledge you my word, the
mortgage was due on ola end before they
could get itzecordol at tfe other. You see
it was laid OF in counties"
There was 4 mlrmlr ocas:oaishmeat, and
the Dakota man continued:
q got a letter fr)ma man who lives in
my orchard, just before left home, AMI It
had been three weeks getting 20 the dwell
ing-hoHse, thcughittrayeied day and night
Distances are pretty wide up there, ain I
they?" inquired New Utretcht agricultl.-
ist.
Reasonably, reasonably" replied the
Dakota man. And the worst, of it is, it
breaks Up lamilicsso. Two years ago saw
whole families prostrated with grief. Wo-
men yelling children bowling and dog. bar
king. One of nay men had his camp track
packed on seven four mule teams and he
was around bidding everybody goodbye"
"Where was he going'" asked Glaycsend
man.
"He was going halfway across the farm
to feed the pigs" replied the Dakota man.
odd he eyer get back to his family"
at isn't tie for him yet" returned the
Dakota gentleman. up there we send
youngmarried couples to milk the cows, and
their children bring home the milk"
81 understand you have mines mp that
way" ventured Jamaica turnip planter.
"Yes, but we only use the quartz for fen
cling" said the Dakota man, testing tie blades
of his knife with his thumb, preparatory TO
whetting it on his boot.
at wouldn't pay to crush it, because we
can make more money on wheat. | put in
eighty-nine hundred townships Of wheat
last spring"
Chow many az, Is would that be-"
ave don't count by acres. We count by
townships and counties Ny yield was $685.
O00, 900 on wheat alone, and Pm thinking
of breaking up from eighty to hundred
more counties next season. "
"How do you get the help for such exten-
sive operation?" asked the New Utretcht
man.
"Oh, labor is cheap" replied the Dako'a
man. "You can get .ll you want for from
S29 to S47 day. In fact, never paid over
s4S.
as land cheap"
"No, lard il high. Not that it costs any
thing, for it don't but under the laws Of the
Territory you have 10 take so much or none.
was in luck ! had friend in Yankton
who got bill through the Legislature, al
lowing me 10000 square miles, which is
the smallest farm there, though it is"
look here" said the bar-keeper as the
Eastern husbandmen strolled out in bunch
to consider the statement, sis all this thing
you've been telling true?"
Certainly" responded the Western man
" at leasi it is a modification of what saw
in a Dakota paper that was wrapped around
pair shoes last night. don't dare to put
it as strong as the paper did, for no one
would believe it. You can slate that last
round ofdrinks and III pay in the morning
live right here on Myrtle avenue"
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