The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-05-04
SHELDON. RANSOM co, N D

Edaor T. areier
 A representative of your far famed paper visiting this section. Kindly invited the writer 10 set forth some Of its advantages in short letter Then nrst. let mo say that the writer has no pecuniary interest in any part of Da. kota, but has derived his knowledge of the advantages of this particular section by many vIsits and by much travel and riding. as we'll as closely comparing one section with an. other. Happily for all. the bloom" methods arc passing away. Prospective settlers do not want high .colored circus bills, setting forth that some particular section is the veri. table garden of Eden. They are now looking for solid facts, for lands and places where homes may be built up and main tained as a reward for honest labor.
 This village, then, is on A branch of the Northern Pacific railroad. about forty miles southwest of Fargo; so. has its daily trains. gOod hotels. well filled stores. four huge ele. NatOrs. churches a splendid school and all tho requirements needed by the intelligent and refined settler.
 The land in tho general vicinity of the ' Il. lage Is beautifully situated and we'll ada ted for wheat grow ing and diversified farming, as two beautiful streams or small rivers wander through its entire length. distant about ten miles from each other and with we'll wooded valleys or bottoms. The soil is the usual black prairie loan, evidently the result of vastly long periods of animal and vegetable decay. As it is slightly above the Red River valley proper. 1t isa warmer and quicker soil and better adapted 10 withstand cold and backward springs or a wet season.
 This section was peculiarly fortunate in securing as it's earliest settlers men of more than average ability and wisdom. or, to state the question moro truly. some of the most in. telligent Of the vast number coming to Dakota saw tho advantages of this beautiful country and selected 1t for home. And while wheat raising has been the principal agricultural resource, yet they decided, at first, that 1t was unwise to put "all of the eggs In one basket, {" so carefully conducted experiments were at once set on foot to try more diversified type of farming
 But let us begin with the land itself. Beau. tIful farm or dairy lands can be bought in this vicinity from S4 to ss per acre for unim. proved. while improved farms can be picked up at reasonable advance for such i'm prove ments. The land needs no clearing, is all ready for the blow, no stumps. no stones, but the farmer rides above the gleaming gang as they turn two or three wide. black furrows of virgin prairie. The following autumn he backsets or replows this and the land Is con quered and ready to yield It's harvests. In the wheat raising. all the labor Is now per formed by horse power and therefore at vast saving of expense and muscle, both indoors and out over the sy stem as practiced in most countries. We'll, our wise farmors found they could raise the most elegant garden veg. etables, of mammoth size and perfect flavor. also millet, flax. oats. barley. peas. beans, corn and root crops of all varieties. Tree culture wasalso successfully tried. nearly every tree planted on the wide prairie. if slightly pro- tected at first. lived and hourished. Then came stockraising, perhaps the most success fui of all. Ranches could be procured on the river banks at nominal cost, the advant. ages of timber protection and living water being added. Thinking the best the cheapest. Percheron horses. high-srade cattle and blooded sheep were introduced with the most