The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-09-29
Bonanza Farming in Dakota

Hon. JOlQ IL. luOueaof VI
more, is taking trip over the Nortn-
ern Pacific Railroad, through Dako-
ia, Washington and other Territories
in the North West. He contributes
to the Baltimore ADaericu'a aQnae IN
tensely interesting articles. IN MS
letter of September 5. written 1rom
Dickson, Dakota, we find the follow
ing concerning the methods OF farm
ing in that county, which will be OF
interest to our farmers, as well as
others. He says:
The methods of farming here
would astonish the average Eastern
farmer, and the kind of wheat ana
vegetables that are raised Would
amaze him, / do not hesitate to say,
that enough wheat can be raised IN
Dakota to supply the country.
1,e givc-, GERS some ide3 e
this farming I extract the following
from our guide book. From an in
spectIon made by us at the Fleming
farm, near Casselton, l can certify to
its truth:
A popularity of wheat growing in
Dakota is the grand scale upon which
it is frequently conducted. Prior to
1875 it was declared upon high army
authority that beyond the Red River
the country was not susceptible of
cultivation. In going west from that
stream to the James there was some
fair land, but much that was useless;
and thence to the Missouri there was
little or no available area. except the
narrow valleys of the small streams.
In fine, with the exceptions named,
that the country Was practically
worthless. This sweeping statement
gained wide publicity and caused
much hesitation with respect to un-
dertaking the cultivation of Dakota
prairies. But Messrs. George w.
Cass and BENJAMIN P. Cheney. both
heavy capitalists and directors in the
railroad company, having faith in
the fertility of the land, determined
to test it's capacity for wheat produc-
ton. They first bought, near the
site of the present town of Casselton,
1850 acres of land of the railroad
company, and then secured the inter-
vening government sections with
Indian scrip, thus obtaining compact
farming grounds of enormous area.
Mr.. Oliver Dalrymaple, and exper-
fenced wheat farmer, was engaged to
manage the property, and in June,
1878, he turned his first farro ", ;s9isa7s,=
ing ,2S0, and harvested his first crop
in 1876. The acreage was increased
in each succeeding year, until in 1882
there were not less than $1,000 acres
under cultivation. This immense
farm does not lie in one body. One
part of it, known as the Grandin
farm, is situated in Thaill. county,
thirty miles north of Casselton. The
entire area embraced by the three
tracts is 10000 acres. Farming ope-
ratiOns conducted on so gigantic a
scale seem almost incredible to per-
sons who are only familiar with the
methods of the older and more set
tied states. In managing the affairs
of "bonanZa farm" the most rigor.
Gus system is employed, and the cost
of cultivation averages about 81 per
acre less than on smaller estates. The
plan adopted by Mr.. Dalrymple ar d
all the other "bonanza" men is to
divide the land into tracts of 5000
acres each and these are subdiyided
into farms of 1000 acres each. Over
each 5000 acres superintendent is
placed, with a book-keeper, head
quarters building, and storehouse
for supplies. Each subdivision of
1000 acres is under the charge of a
foreman, and is provided with its
own set of buildings, comprising
boarding houses for the hands, sta
bleS, granary, machinery hall and
a blacksmith's shop, all connected
with the superintendent's office by
telephone. Supplies of every des.
cription are issued only upon requisi-
tion to the several divisions. Tools
and machinery are bought by the
carload from manufacturers farm
animals are procured at st. Louis and
other principal markets stores OF
every description, for feeding the
army of laborers. are purchased at
wholesale, and the result of the
thorough system and intelligent econ
omy in every department is found in
the fact that " heat is raised and de-
livered at the railroad at cost vary
ing little from thirty-fiYe cents pei
bushel. The net profit on bushel
of wheat is never less than forty
cents, and the average yield per acre
may safely be put at twenty bushels
although it often exceeds that quan'
tity. Taking the lowest figures as
L,,;a of lo.,lof;aY, Hn YNroffu in 1895