Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-27
BONANZA FARMING.
How Dakota Wheat Growers Manage a
2O,OOO-Acre Farm,

Fargo ID. r. Letterto PAizadelpAia Record. Il.
Nine or ten years ago Fargo, which is
20 miles west of st. Paul, and has a
population of 10000, was mere hamlet,
and lots now worth S., 900 could be bought
for song. The opening of the great
Dalrymple wheat farm proved the won
derful fertility OF the Red river valley. in
winch the town is situated, and the in
crease IN its fortunes at once commenced,
ana has kept up steadily ever since. AL
though the largest of the towns along the
route, 1T is true specimen of what a
score OF others will be in a year or two, Ii
is the lYelIeSt type of a new Western town,
and its population has of late wears
doubled every twelve months. Street cars
run about its thOrOughfares, gas and wa
ter are in its houses, and huge electric
light tower, 200 feet high and of D. 900
candle power, throws its bright beams
abroad after nightfall There are many
hotels, boarding houses, seven churches,
elght newspapers, two public halls
theatre, court house, a high and several
lesser schools, banks, business houses.
both wholesale and retail, by the score:
fair grounds and a driving park. Maple
ton, twelve miles to the westward, is a
newborn babe of the Northwest with but
300 souls within its grassy limits; but the
brat already boasts steam grain eleva-
tor and warehouses, two hotels, a hall, a
church, several stores, and one of the
prettleSt little SchOOlhOuseS in the cOun-
try. Three miles further twin baby
town is already struggling to outdo its
little sister.
1t is hereabOuts one can best witness in
all its glory what is called bonanza farm
ing. The marked popularity of wheat
growing in Dakota is the grand scale
upon which it is frequently conducted.
AS recently as 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
from thence to the banks of the Missouri
there was little or no available area eX-
cept the narrow valleys of the small
streams; in short, so said the soldier
observers, with the exceptions named,
the country is practically worth
less.' This sweeping statement
gained wide publicity, and caused much
hesitation with respect to undertaking
the cultivation of the Dakota prairies.
But two gentlemen, who were at that
time directors of the railroad company,
resolved to test the matter They first
purchased 1850 acres, planted il with
wheat, and the venture proved so sue
cessful that further purchases have now
given them total acreage of 70, 600 acres.
Nearly all of it is yearly laid out in wheat,
which Is at this moment being harvested
for this market. Farming operations on
so gigantic a scale seem almost mcredi-
bic to persons who are familiar only with
the methods of the older and more settled
States.
In managing the affairs of bonanza
farm, the most rigorous system is EN-
plOyed. The plan adopted on the huge
Dalrymple farm just mentioned, and on
nearly all similar ones, is to divide the
land into tracts of 5000 acres each
and subdivide each tract into three farms
of 1000 acres. Over each tract super
intendent is placed, with boOkkeeper,
headquarters building and a stOrehOuse
for supplies. Each farm is under the
charge of foreman, and is provided with
its own set of buildings, comprising board
ing houses for the hands, stables, grana-
ries, machine and blacksmith shops, all
of which on the three farms are connected
with the tract Superintendent's office by
telephone. Tools, machinery and sup
plies of every description, including live
stock, are bought direct from manufactu-
rers or producers in large quantities and
distributed among the farms on the re-
quisltion of the fOremen. The result of
this wholesale manner of farming
and OF purchasing supplies is that
wheat is raised and delivered to the rail
road at cost varying little from 35 cents
a bushel. The net profit on a bushel of
wheat, | was told, was never less than 40
cents, and the average yield per acre
was said to be over 20 bushels. Taking
the lowest figures as a basis of calcula-
ton, the profits of 1882 on the largest sec
ton of the farm, viz; $1,000 acres, were
S2l6,000. No wonder it is called ''bOuan-
"a" farming. On the 20,000-acre tract at
CasseltOn 400 men are employed in har-
Vesting and 600 in thrashng; $50 pairs of
horses or mules are used, 200 gang pIows. |
115 self-binding reapers and twenty steam |
thrashers, the smoke from the tunnels of the |
latter dOtting the horizon in all directions. |
1t has been demonstrated that many
kinds of forest trees will grow and thrive |
under cultivation on the naked prairies /
and plains, and arbOriculture is lust now
engaging the attention of farmers i'm the
Northwest. To encourage and stimulate |
tree planting in Dakota has been the aim
of the Northern Pacific management for |
years, and the more efectually to accom-
plish this purpose it has organized such a
department itself, and made a liberal ap-
to cover the expenses of the !
work for period of five years, At Tower !
City there have been planted 100, 600 cut |
tings, at Tappen 100000, and at over 600 |
places along the line between Fargo and
Bismarck trees have been planted to act !
as wind-breaks. Should these efforts sue
ceed, of which there is little doubt, it will
cause marked change in the rainfall of !
the country, which now is not altogether |
Safp from tho x-ioifa finn Of dro,,obt