Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1891-11-12
UNCLE JERRY's BUCoLlC.

UNCLE JERRY'S BUCOLlC.
Valuable Information on Grasshop.
pers, Irrigation and Flax Culture
in the Northwest.
Secretary Rusk's report: "Much inter-
est has been occasioned and some alarm
felt by reports of locusts or grasshoppers
in the Western states. Reports from
farmers have come from Michigan, Min
nesota, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Kansas, Me-
braska, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico
and California. Four special agents,
qualified for the work, we're sent into
the field and all of the states mentioned
were visited. In all except Minnesota
and North Dakota the insects were found
to be local species. which had, from va
rious causes, become exceptionally album
dant. None of them are greatly to be
feared and all are non-migratory ex-
cept in a small degree. In North Dakota
and Minnesota undoubted specimens of
the Rocky mountain locust were found,
indicating that this notorious insect has
immigrated in small swarms from its
permanent breeding grounds, and justi-
flying some apprehension rs to the pros
poets for next year. Every precaution
has been taken to guard against this
danger and printed instructions for the
destruction of the pest have been pre-.
pared.
AS early as possible IN the spring the
staff Of the artesian we'll and underflow
investigation committee was transferred
to the two DakOtas, western and north
ern Nebraska and portion of eastern
Wyoming and Montana. The whole IN
qu1ry then throws flood Of light IN the
existence and extent of the two largest
arteslan basins known to the world-one
being that of the two Dakotas, or the
James river valley, and the other that of
central Texas from Fort Worth to the
south and west. Since the beginning of
the field work in the investigation or
dered by congress, and as result of the
publication of the reports, great encour-
agement has been given the farming
population west OF the 9th meridian OF
longitude. The activity displayed
in the search for artesian waters
has resulted in the successful drilling
of several hundred additional wells dur
ing the past year. No elimination of
flow has yet been reported. 1t has
added also to the hopefulness of the pee
pie, encouraging them in more or less
successful efforts to utilize underground
and other water supplies. Investigations
include the Red river basin in the north
ern and eastern part OF North Dakota,
the Turtle mountain and Devils Lake
drainage basin, portions OF the upper
Missouri and Milk river valleys, and an
engineering reconnaissance Into the
practicability Of utilizing for the purpose
of an irrigation supply certain lakes ly.
ing near the British-American frontier.
The report thereon will be sent to con-
gress with appropriate maps, plans and
illustrations.
Fiber investigation has been confined
chiefly to the fax interest in the north
western states, Minnesota being the GEN.
ter of cultivation, and to sisal hemp cul-
ture in Florida. The department i'm
ported from Europe three varities of fax
seed for experimental culture, Pure Riga,
White Blossom Dutch and Belgian.
These we're distributed to very care
fully selected list of names made up of
flax farmers, directors Of agricultural ex-
pertinent stations in positive fax growing
states and hax manufacturers. It is too
early to give the results, but the samples
of straw already submitted indicate that
good quality OF Russian and Belgian
flax may be grown and may come to per-
feet maturity over large extent of our
county. The outlook is very encour-
aging. The greatest need is the estab-
lishment of scutching mills by factories
or buyers, who will purchase the crop
from the farmer when matured, harvest.
ing it and retting and scutchlng it under
one supervision IN each community, and
selling the fiber direct TO the linen mills.
Such division OF labor is essential to
the success of the industry.
what One Man Did.
Bottineau Free Lance: The world
can't show such results Of farming as
Bottineau county exhibits this year.
Lew Mellon tells US he has II 900 hush
els OF wheat and 2200 bushels OF oats.
And this is no "bonanza" farming like