The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1883-10-11

10000 ACRE FARM.

2O,OOO AChb fAhm
Nine or ten years ago Fargo, In
Dakota, which is 275 miles west OF
St. Paul, and has a population OF
10000, was a mere hamlet, and lots
now worth So, 900 could be bought
for song. The opening of the
Dalrymple wheat farm proved the
wonderful fertility of the Red river
valley, in which the town is situated
and the increase in its fortunes at
once commenced, and has kept up
steadily ever since.
1t is hereabouts one can best Wit
ness in all its glory what is called
bonanza farming. The marked Pc
culiarity of wheat growing in Dako-
ia is the grand scale upon which 1t
is frequently conducted. AS recent
" as 1875 it was declared upon high
ermy authority that beyond the Red
river the country was not susceptl"
BILE of cultivation. But two gentle
men, who were at that time dlrec>
tors of the railroad company, resolvN
ed to test the matter. They fret
purchased 1850 acres, planted 1t
with wheat, and the venture proved
so successful that further purchases
have now given them total acre
age of 70, 900 acres. Nearly all OF
it yearly laid out in wheat, which is
at this moment beiag harvested for
this market. Farming operations
Oh so gigantic a scale seem almost
incredible to persons who are FAINT
liar only with the methods OF the
older and more settled States.
In managing the affairs of a bo-
nanzo farm, the most rigorous sys,
tenn is employed. The plan adopted
on the huge Dslrymple farm just
mentioned, and CT nearly all similar
ones, is to divide the land into tracts
of 5000 acres each aud subdivlde
each tract into three farms OF 1000
acres. Over each tract superln>
tendent is placed, with bookkeeP-
err, headq uarters building and store
house for supplies Each farm is
under the charge Of foreman, and
is provided with its own set of build
ings, comprising boarding houses
for the hands, stables, granaries,
machine and blacksmith shops, all OF
which on the three farms are con-
nected with the tract Superinten-
dents office by telephone. Tools,
machinery and supplies of every de
scription, including live stock, are
bought direct from manufacturers or
producers in large quantities and |
distributed among the farms on the
requisition of the foremen. The re
suit of this Wholesale manner of
farming and Of purchasing fuP2Iies
is that wheat is raised and delivered
to the railroad at a cost varying lit
tie from 80 cents bushel. The
net profit on bushei OF wheat,
was told, WAS never less than 40 |
cents, and the average yield per acre
was said to be 20 bushels. Taking
the lowest figures as basis of cal |
cuIation, the profits of 1882 on
the largest section OF the farm, viz
$1,000 acres, were $2l6, 600. No
wonder it is called bonanza farm
ing. % the 10000 acre tract at
Casselton 400 men are employed in
harvesting and 600 in thresbing |
$50 pairs of horses or mules are
used, 200 gang pIows, ll5 self
binding reapers and twenty steam
threshers, the smoke from the fun
nels of the latter doiting tho horizon
in all directions.
Ii has been demonstrated that
many kinds of forest trees will grow
and thrive under cultivation on the
naked prairies and plains, and abort !
culture is just now engaging the at
tention of farmers 10 the Northwest.
To encourage and stimulate tree
planting in Dakota has been the aim
of the Northern Pacific management
for years, and the more efectuslly |
to accomplish this purpose it has orr
gained such department itself,
and made a liberal appropriation to
cover the expenses of the work for
period of five years. At Tower
City there have been planted l00,- |
600 cuttings, at Tappen 100000, |
and at over 500 places along the
line between Fargo and Bismarck |
trees have been planted to act as
wind breaks. >houId these efforts
succeed, of which there 10 little
doubt, it will cause marked change
in the rainfall of the country, which
now is not altogether safe from the
visitation of drought.