The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-04-10

- 1888
VALLEY OF THE RED RIVER oF THE
NoRTH-A FABN OF $4,000 ACHES
How 1T Is CuLTIyATED--PRosPERoUs
Towns GROWING rP-A YOKE OF
ELKs.-Mr. W. +. Dalrymple, of Da-
kots, with his brother Oliver, is
owner of the largest wheat farm in
the world. In response to inquiries
made by a reporter for the New
York Mail ard Express while in
that city recently, he gave some in
teresting particulars of how his farm
is managed. The farm consists of
$4,000 acres, on $4,000 acres of
which wheat was grown the past
season. 1t is in the Valley of the
Red River of the North, on the west
side of the river, in the northern
part of the Territory; and ifestimat-
ed in oblong form, it. would make
strip of land sixteen miles long by
five miles broad.
'In addition to its being eultivat-
ed by the most approved machin
cry" said Mr.. Dalrymple, "the farm
requires at certain seasons. between
six hundred and eight hundred men
to aid in blowing, harvesting, thresh-
ing and moving the wheat. We own
five hundred horses, which are used
on the farm, and in the busy part of
the season we emmploy about three
hundred more. The yield averages
twenty bushels to the acre. 1t is
sown in the spring and taken off in
the fall. The kind is that known as
No. /, hard spring. 1t takes IT'S
self binders to cut and bind it, and
25 steam threshers, running through
the threshing season, to thresh it.
These machines will average l,200
to l, 800 bushels day. The seeding
begins April 10. and the harvesting
three months later. 1t is sown with
the aid of horses and machines.
The farm is divided into subdivis-
ions of 1000 acres each, and each is
managed by superintendent. All
superintendent are responsible to a
general manager and all report to
him daily. This is done not only
by means of horses and buggies, but
also by telephone, for a telephone
wire connects every part of a divis-
ion with its headquarters, and each
division headquarters is connected
by telephone and telegraph with abe
general managers office. The latter
is connected by telegraph with the
main telegraph lines Of the country.
Water is carried through galvanized
pipes to all the headquarters by
means of elevated tanks fed from
the river by wind mills. There are
six railroad stations on the farm, on
the Northern Pacific and Manitoba
railroad. The head quarters ON
each division includes large board
ing house, dwelling house for the
superintendent, barn to aceommo-
date seventy-five horses, large
granary and numerous outbuild-
ings.
"The valley of the Red river is
something enormous. 1t is 800
miles long by 40 to so miles wide.
Ten years ago the whole country
along the west side, where we are,
was unoccupied, there not being
1000 acres under pillow for distance
of 200 miles either up Or down the
river. Now it is substantially one
vast wheat field, settled, occupied
and improved A number of towns
of from 1000 to 1000 inhabitants
each, have sprung up and are rapid
ly growing. Fargo, on the river, has
reached population of from 10000
to 10000 in a few years. The river
is navigable from Fargo to Lake
Winnipeg. At Fargo it is like the
Chicago river, about 200 feet wide.
We have steamboat and seven
barges that run to Duluth, on Lake
Superior, in connection with the
farm. The land on each side of the
river is rich, fertile soil, and rises
less than foot to the mile as it re-
cedes from the river. A little tim
Der is to be found along the river,
the trees being of oak, maple and
ash, but it only extends inland few
rods. There are two railroads run
ming up and down the valley its en-
tire length. The nearest Indians
we have are the Chippewas, who
have reservation fifty miles east of
u.s. But they are quite friendly, and
in fact the country is as safe from
an Indian trouble as are any of the
more settled States. The spring we
went out there, nine years ago, l re-
member that General Custer and his
men passed through the valley on
their way to the Black Hills, and
company of scouts was raised in the
valley to accompany him. The In
dams had been removed from the
valley short time previous to the
west side of the Missouri, to reser-
walton about 200 miles from us.
ut is no colder than at Minncap-
oils and st. Paul. The winters are
cold, yet the effect is no more severe
than where the mercury is 10 or 30
degrees higher, because the atmos-
phere is so clear and dry Spring
opens so that farming begins by
April Is and closes about November
Is. This compares well with New
York and Pennsylvania. The win
tiers are more severe and continuous
than here, but are not much longer.
We do not have as much snow as
falls $50 miles south of us, because
of the dry atmosphere. The sum-
mers are warm and pleasant, the air
pure and bracing. The Territory
will compare well with Minnesota
op1 Touo nc fo oil Tho a1op,apte of