Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-02-07
DAKOTA,

A name familiar to the eye anC
ear--much praised and much abused
Since last we wrote you we have
passed a harvest and thus far
winter. We need not inform yor
that small grain was exceptionally
good, and the root crop excellent
The wheat crop of this county av
eraged a trifle over twenty bushels
to the acre, ranging from Is to 4o
bushels. One man not far from
me had small field that went
hardly 10 bushels 10 the acre, but
his wife says he is too poor farm
er To raise white beans. Some one
told me short time ago that you
Wisconsiners have come to believe
that small grain and vegetables can
be raised on this wilderness o.
prairie, but no man who desires to
be accredited as truthful had better
say anything about good corn
crop or pleasant winter In an
swer to that | would say somebody
needs to be- pitied if such be the
ease. But | must say few words
about our corn crop and our winter
Our corn crop on the whole was
poor But we may not wonder at
it when we consider the facts: Five
sixths Of all the corn in the county
was on sod and most of it planted
from the first of June to the first
of July. Besides most Of the seed
planted was from Nebraska, and
from its appearance would not have
matured by November had frost
kept away so long. Some fields of
sod corn planted earlier and with
Wisconsin seed or seed grown here,
matured tolerably well. Early seed
planted on old ground made good
corn. cribbed about 100 bushels,
grown upon "A little more than ten
acres of ground broke the year he
fore, of good, sound corn, 1t was
planted the oath day Of May. |
planted the above patch with seed |
grew the year previous on the sod.
On the 25th day Of May | planted
five acres with Nebraska seed and
had very little sound corn in the
patch, and much If it was too soft
to keep So far rs corn crop is con
cerned, am satisfied that when
Wisconsin or Northern Iowa can
raise "a crop Southern Dakota can
also, so far as frost is concerned. So
far az winter is concerned you must
tally one for Dakota. About the
middle Of November we had a cold
snap for couple or three days. Ill
you were not laboring under some
halucination when you made record
Of the weather of that time we had
it some six or eight degrees colder
than you had. But from that time
to the 18th of December, lovier
weather could scarce be than we
had, and To the last of the month
save q few days, we had very agree.
able weather January opened on
us cold. On the morning of the
fourth, which was our coolest, the
thermometer indicated 80 below
zero. In Plankinton the night
watch said it ranged from 80 to IS
through the night. We thought it
was very cold and wondered if !
others were having it as bad. When
our papers came the week following
We fouad YOU, with Illinois and
Iowa, had IL as bad, and in many
instances from to S degrees worse.
The weather, since the ninth, with
the exception of last "Wednesday
and Thursday, has been beautiful.
The little snow we had is about
gone, and on Sunday evening last
we were treated 10 the sight of a
prairie fire some miles in width.
We have read Of billiards in Wis
cousin, Iowa, illinois and Michigan,
but no blizzard have we seen yet for
the winter This may seem strange
10 YOU who have heard such stories
of Dakota billiards.. | do not mean
TO say but we have bad weather, I'M
pleasant windy weather, but thus
far for the winter very little wind
has accompanied the snow fall Our
most unpleasant weather is in the
spring, not very cold weather, but
bIizzardy snow and rain storms. All
the Pointers" are getting along
nicely-living and hoping. Claims
are rising in value all the time.
From present indications it seems
likely that new railroad early in
the spring will 90 almost through
the center of the Mineral Point
settlement, and quite probable a
depot built near the southwest
corner of the claim Bachelor en-
tered and built on, but afterwards
sold to Thos. Rodgers, ST.
w. JA,KA.