St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-10
INDIA WHEAT.
The Dakota Farmer Has Little
Fear of Competition With the
Inferior Indian Wheat.

Fear of Competition With the
Inferior Indian Wheat.
Moses Dow, in the Western Rural,
discusses this subject from a Dakota
standpoint, and says:
A very gratifying change has come.
Careful investigation shows that India
is no longer menace to this country as
a rival Wheat-grOWing area. There are
two main reasons for this: First, the
slavish condition of the Hindoo; sec
ond, the superiority of Dakota men and
Dakota wheat. Advices from India,
where the harvest is now in progress,
show that the yield this spring will be
smaller than last year, which showed a
decrease over the preceding one. On
the contrary the outlook in this country
in the spring wheat area of the North
west was never more promising for a
large yield-a heavy snowfall presages
good crops, and we certainly have had
the snow this winter. England's wish
to make India her source of supply for
wheat cannot be gratihed. No outside
effort can overcome the prejudiceS and
religious superstitions OF the Hindoos,
among whom prevail the methods of a
thousand years ago. For centuries sim
pie existence has satisfied the sWarming
millions of India, who toll now as they
did in days ancient as the Bible, without
inspiration, without ambition and even
changed. The farmer, proud of his in
dependence, proud of the home which
he is building up on the prairie, tolls.
with the certainty that his labor will
bring forth its own reward, and
that happiness and comfort for those
dearer to him than his own life blood
await the success of his plans.
THISIS THE SECRET
of the wonderful development of this
vast empire-for many state in Eu-
rope would consider itself a power of
the greatest influence and Importance
if it occupied the territory and pos
SesSed the resources that belong to this
section of country that our lawmakers
hesitate to admit into the Union. There
are 100 counties in Dakota and territory
enough besides to. organize that many
more, yet one county alone is capable of
producing 100000 bushels of wheat,
although half its area is not yet under
cultivation. Let us take, for instance,
Stutsman county, which lies in North
ern Dakota, midway between the Red
and Missouri rivers. 1t covers an area
of 100000 acres, or in other words, this
one county is nearly twice the size of
the state of Rhode Island and one-fifth
larger than the state of Delaware. 1t is
Watered by the James river, which flows
through the center; the Pipestone,
which, coming from the northwestern
corner of the county, joins the James
just above jamestown, and numerous
small streams and lakes. In 1885 this
county produced 100000 bushels
eff wheat; nearly 100000 bushels
of potatoes; 100000 bushels of oats;
$4,000 bushels of barley and variety of
minor crops. Yet that year there were
only 103, 1922 acres under cultivation, or
rather even improved at all. SO that it
will seem simply incredible when the
future possibilities of Stutsman are fig
ured out. 1t should be remembered,
too, that with each additional year ma
chinery is being so improved and per-
fected that farming becomes more and
more pleasure and less and less task.
The Old-time sickle and cradle have
been completely superseded by the har-
,veSter with its wonderful mechanism of
to-day. The sulky pillow and rake are
the only styles of pillow and rake used
on the prairie, and the Dakota farmer
of 1888 does most of his outdoor work
sitting down and driving around. The
surface of the ground in Stutsman
county, for instance, is rolling prairie,
except range of bluffs which encircle
the city of Jamestown. 1t is rich loan,
easily brought under cultivation.
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