The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-04-07
A BIG WHEAT FARM.
A Farm Of $4,000 Acres-How ir it
Cultivated


A Farm Of $4,000 Acres-How it &c
Cultivated
Mr.. W. F. Dalrymple, of Dakota.
with his brother Oliver, 10 owner of
the largest wheat farm in the world.
In response to inquiries made by q
reporter for the New York Nail and
Express while in that city recently,
ne gave some interesting particulars
ofhew his farm is managed. The farm
consists of 5000 acres, on $4,000
OF which wheat was grown the past
season. It is in the valley of the
Red River of the Forth, on the west
side of the river, in the northern
part of the Territory and if eetima-
ted in oblong form, it would make
a strip of land l6 mi les long by five
broad.
In addition to its being cultiva-
ted by the most improved machin-
cry" said Mr.. Dalrymple, " the farm
requires, at certain seasons, between
six and eight hundred men to aid
in plowing, harvesting, threshing
and moving the wheat. We own
500 horses, which are also u.ed on
the farm, and in the busy part of
the season we employ about 300
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. l,
hard spring. 1t takes It's self-bind-
ers to cut and bind it, and 25 steam
threshers, running during the bar-
vesting season, to thresh it. These
machine. will average 200 to l 800
a day. The seeding begins April
10. and the harvesting three months
later. 1t is sewn with the aid of
horses and machines. The farm is |
divided into subdivisions of 1000 |
acres each, and each is managed by |
superintendent. All the superin-
tendents are responsible to general |
manager, and all report to him dali
ly. This is done not only by means
of horses and buggies, but also by
telephone, for telephone wire con-
meets every part of division with
its headquarters, and each division
headquarters is connected by tele-
phone and telegraph with the gen.
eral 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 windmills. There are six
railroad stations on the farm, on the
Northern Pacific and the Manitoba
railroad. The headquarters OF each
includes large boarding
house, a dwelling-house for the su-
perintendent, barn to accommo-
date seventy-ive horses, and
large granary, and numerous out
buildings.
THE valley of the Red River 10
enormous. II is 30OI
miles long. by 40 or 80 miles wide.
Ten years ago the whole country
along the west side, where We are, ,
was unoccupied, there not being
/ 900 acres under plow for distance
Of 200 miles. either up or down the !
river. Now il Is substantially one
vast wheat field, settled. occupied ,
and improved. A number of towns /.
Of from 1000 to 1000 each, have {
sprung up, and are rapidly growing.
Fargo, on the river. has reached q :
of from 10000 to 1900 9
10 a few years The river is navi- {
gable from Fargo to Lake Whine
peg At Fargo it is like the Chics-
20 river, about 300 feet wide. We {
have a steamboat and seven barges {
hat run to Dsluth, on Lake Supe- !
rior, in connection with the farm.
The land on each side of the river is
rich, fertile soil. and rises less than
1 foot to the mile as it recedes from a
he river. 4 little timber is to be
iound along the river, the trees be- !
ng Of oak, maple and ash, but il I
,nly extends inland a few rods.
There are two railroads running up Z
md down the valley its whole !
ength. The nearest Indians We
nave are the Chippewas, who have 8
. reservation fifty miles east of u.s.
But they are quite friendly, and in @
act the country is as safe from an '
Indian trouble as are any of the
more settled States The spring we i
vent out there, nine years ago, re- v
that Gen. Custer and his
men passed through the valley on j
heir way to the Black Hills, and q
company of scouts was raised in the t
'alley to accompany him. The In
lians had been moved from the val Il
ey short time previous to the west b
ide of the Missouri, to a reservation U
lbout 200 miles from u.s. v
+" 1t is no colder in winter than at
Minneapolis and st. Paul. The win o
ers are cold, vet the effect is no il
more severe than where the mercury n
8 15 or 20 degrees higher, because 5
he atmosphere is so clear and dry.
'pring opens so that farming begins il
" April Is and closes about No g
'ember 10. This compares well b
With New York and Pennsylvania.
The winters are more severe and q
ontinuous than here, but are much
onger. We do not have as much |.
now as falls 500 miles south of us Il
'ecause of the dry atmosphere. The b
ummers are warm and pleasant, the
ir pure and bracing. The territory \
1ill compare well with Minnesota !
nd Iowa as to all the elements Of
Our staples are
Theat, barley, oats, fax and roots.
Native grasses flourish web and can
e matured in the smaller varieties. D
"Game and 6shinga Plenty Of .
10Th. Among the game are wild o
Iucks, prairie chickens, deer, ante II