The Dickinson press., 1884-11-22
STARK COUNTY,
THE GARDEN OF THE WEST.

A Historical and Descriptive Review by
DR.. S. PeltOn.
DICKINSON, ID. Il. Nov. Is, 1884.
A condensed review of the past sea.
son and of the climate, soil and pro.
ductions of this county, may interest
your eastern readers. About IS or 70
per cent of the county is level or gen.
tly undulating, 90 per cent rolling and
10 per cent buttes and broken land,
and all superior for grazing. The
level, mdulating and rolling land is
superior for farming; soil a dark
brown or black alluvial, sediment;ry
loan with slight trace of dark sand
and is packed very solid, yet when
turned up by the plow is very mellow.
On a small part of the low hills the
soil is u light sandy loan with occa-
sionally, small spots of gravel. Some
of the hills have loamy clay soil.
The buttes stand a few miles apart,
add much to the beauty of the coun-
try, make good pasture and are en-
cellent landmarks to guide a stranger.
They also furnish sufficient building
stone to supply the needs of the coum.
try. The soil is generally free from
stone.
The county is watered by the Ante
lope, Heart, South Heart and Green
rivers which enter it from the west
flowing east through the county, and
by numerous creeks and springs. All
the streams, except the South Heart,
which has it's head in the broken land
west, are pure, soft water and the
latter is good except i'll high water.
The valleys are but little lower than
the general level of the upland. The
buttes are from so to 200 feet high,
with steep sides, some irregular in
form and some are beautiful cones, all
OF drift formation. There are no up
heavals nearer than Kildeer mount
aims forty miles north. The climate
for health and comfort is unexcelled,
and those who came here with con-
sumption and other pulmonary trou'
bles have found relief.
l left Frederick, Maryland, the
oath of last March, some time before
the spring seeding commenced, found
spring approaching along my route
through Pa. and other states, found
the snow melting fast from Fargo to
Jamestown. Arrived here the 2Sth
and saw the first blowing in this
county near Richardton, where l
learned that they had been seeding
for some time past, and Mr.. Dickin-
son. our largest farmer, finished seed
ing wheat in March. We had some
cold, frosty mornings the first week
of April, and then pleasant. with the
land in fine working order. We had
"A inches of rain during the last of
April and the first of May. Album
dant rain in June, July and August.
The fall has been dry and remark
ably pleasant to date. The summer
was hot, ranging from 100 in the
morning up to 90 for the hottest day.
The mornings of July lst and August
18th the mercury went down to 549.
The hot days of summer were made
comfortable by a refreshing wind
that would rise. The summer rains
were all thunder showers and all but
one came ut night OF late in the after
noon and the soil absOrbs the water
SO quickly that it is in order to work
Immediately after the heaviest show
ers and when well worked it has us
great or greater retaining quality for
water than the best soil of California
and Oregon. Our deep titled land is
still in fine working order.
The abundant beds of Ignite coal
throughout this country furnish a
superior fuel for all our domestic pur.
poses and the supply is everywhere
convenient and practically inexhaust.
ible. 1t is superior to and much
cheaper than wood. There is plenty
of red cedar in the Bad Lands to
meet the wants of the country for
fence posts, 80 to 40 miles away and
plenty of superior ash and oak to sup
ply the needs of the country for many
years, also Il great abundance and va
riety Of wild fruit growing among
the timber. The productiveness of
this country is very remarkable.
Farming is just commenced and most
of our farmers raised their first crops
last season on sod that was turned
over 2 to PIX inches deep and a large
portion of the seed left uncovered.
The sod is tender and breaks easily.
Very little thorough culture has yet
been done, the country is too new,
but some of the sod crops yielded
heavily. probably an average of forty
bushels OF oats per acre and yege-
tables of enormous size. Potatoes
dropped in the furrow and sod turned