The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-07-26
Farming in the West.

A young man with plenty OF persever'
ence and pluck may do well to migrate te
the far West and even a man with Z
family il he has money enough to starr
with, but for one with family and little
| money it is uphill work as the following
| description from one who has had expert
ence plainly shows. "The following pre-
sents the darker side Of pioneer life in
Northwestern Minnesota, Northern Dako'
ia, and Manitoba, British America:
"The soil does not lack in fertility, but
the whole country is an elevated, treeless
plain, across which the wind sweeps with
absolutely nothing to break its force. As
a rule The water is Of poor quality, wheth.
Or found in streams or wells, being more
or less impregnated with alkali. OF fuel
there is absolutely none; neither wood nor
coal; either must be brought by rail from
long distances, and purchased at just
such prices as the railroad companies,
which either directly or indirectly mo.
nopolize the trade, may demand. The
prices rarely fail to be extortionate. The
same is true Of lumber and other necessa-
res. The winters are severe and subject
to storms blizzards such as the dwell
ers in the States OF the Mississippi Valley
have no conception Of. Think Of the
thermometer at fifty degrees below zero
and furious storm raging SO that man
dare not attempt to go from his house to
his stable.
wheat is about the only product that
can be profitably grown and shipped out
OF the country. and every one who has
had experience knows that eat.growing
alone is an uncertain dependence. Aside
from the liabilities TO failure OF crop,
which are ever present from seeding to
harvest, and constant cropping OF land
with wheat gradually bnt surely exhausts
those elements Of fertility which are nee.
essary to the production Of wheat. and
the Ian must be put to some other use.
What shall it be? II is not corn coun
try. II seeded TO grass, the six months
OF winter initiate severely against stock
raising at profit and put the farmer at a
serious disadvantage when compared with
his more favorably situated brother in
Illinois or Iowa Fruit.growing. though
not impossible in small way, is by
no means inviting for effort Added 10
all these disadvantages is the additional
one OF greater distance from market, with
a long land carriage, which detracts
greatly from the value OF all farm pro.
duets.
The conditions OF living mist OF necessi-
ty be those Of discomfort and privation.
as compared with those In the older
States. They are expensive, too, though
land is cheap. Everything has TO be
made new. Farm bindings and fences,
roads and bridges. churches and school.
houses. and county buildings, all have to
be built and paid for By the settler. In
N old country these are all made and
paid for. and the tax for their maintep.
lnce Is slight The farmer does not sui.
icienily take these into account when
the question Of selling out 10
tart again in a nev country. Then again
here is the deprivation which the family
uners from the loss Of the society Of old
riends aud scquaintances OF oil the
lomesick heoplc ever saw never pitied
my A. | have wives 10 their little new
ZONE ia frontier settlement"