The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-27
FROM NORTH DAKOTA
Senator Hansbrough Gives a
Graphic Picture of 1t.
PROSPECTS OF The NORTHWEST
How Farmers Are Getting Along-The Growth
Of the Towns and Cities-NOrth
Dakota as Health Resort.

| WASHINGTON, u. u, MarCn a. special
correspondence of THE SUNDAY HERALD ]
| have been asked to write a letter for
your readers concerning my state. 1 think
North Dakota is one of the best states in
the Union, and it is sure to be one of the
great states of the future 1t is one Of the
most pleasant sections of our country. Its
climate is unequaled for health, and upon
the whole it is more comfortable year in
aud year out than that of most of the east
ern states particularly those lying near
the ocean. The prevailing belief that our
winters are composed largely of what are
known as billiards., is erroneous. During
ten years residence in North Dakota 1
have experienced but two billiards. The
cold there is different from that expert
enced here There ii is very dry and crisp I;
here it is damp and chilling. There you
never see man with his neck tied up in
red flannel. Colds are very rare, and con-
| tagious diseases of the more serious char
acter are never heard of. The atmosphere
is full of vigor, and if there is any
place on earth where a lazy man
(, can be induced to work and earn
living it is in North Dakota; ii there is any
place on earth where an industrious man
would find inducements to become lazy it
is here in Washington. This, perhaps,
better illustrates the difference between
the two climates. In my state physicians,
in order to make living, are compelled to
carry on some other branch of business.
doubt if there are half dozen physicians
In all North Dakota who put in their time
| exclusively in the practice of their pro
fession. There Is not enough for them 10
do. Therefore you will find them in real
estate, insurance or farming. Most of the
! people there have farms. Farming and
stock-rasing comprise the principal bust
ness in North Dakota outside of Tue cities
And this brings me to the substan tial
features OF the state. The only
spot in the United States where
that particular and peculiar grade of
whest kno u as mo hard wheat" can be
raised and is raised, is in North Dakota
and northern Minnesota. The same grade
| OF wheat is produced in Russia, and in
about the same latitude. No I hard wheat
Is That grade OF wheat containing a large
/ percentage of gluten and is demanded and
sought after By the owners OF roller flour
| ing mills which produce the finest flour in
the world. Indeed the successful roller
Touring mill must have certain percent
age of No. l hard wheat TO do a successful
business. In the great mills of Mime
apolis our hard wheat is always at a pre-
MUM and unfortunately, like everything
else that is pure, it Is there adulterated by
being mixed with the softer grades of
wheat. The -four from these mixed grades
however, is shipped TO the eastern states,
and to a larse extent to Europe and there
disposed of as the product of No. hard
wheat from the fields of North Dakota.
IT. s A..
TO become exhausted, and l reply mo" In
that portion of the state known as the Red
River valley, the soil is from Two 10 ten
feet in depth. The valley is as level as a
floor for 200 miles in length and for from
twenty to thirty miles in width on the
North Dakota Sue Of the great Red River
of the North, and for ABOUT the same ex-
tent on the Minnesota side of that stream
In the past fifteen years, since wheat rails
ing began in tits great valley, there has
been no falling of in the average yield per
acre and another fact which is worthy of
men ton is that there has never been q fail
ure of crops in this valley. Last year the
six counties Of North Dakota, covering the
Red River valley, produced %, 090, 900
bushels Of wheat and nearly as many
bushels of oats and barley. Besides this,
the farmers raised and disposed of a
great many horses and cattle, for | want
you to particularly understand that stock
raising IN my state is one OF the most pro-
titable industries TO be found in any
country. One feature of the business OF
stock raising Is almost unbelievable and
when l have told this to Others in the past
have been put down as a booner 1t is
true, nevertheless. refer to the fact that
cattle anu sheep are never fed on
grain, out subsist during the winter en-
tirely and exclusively on native hay, in
fact wild hay cut from the lowlands and
sioughs. This wild hay is very nutritious,
and the average cow will subsist upon it
and give fair quantity of milk during the
natural milking season and come out in the
spring moderately fat and iu far better
shape than the cattle you see in the eastern
states that have stood 10 corn and barley
and oil cake eli winter The finest beef
/ | ever saw was butchered in the month OF
/ February and not grain Of any kind of
food except hay had been fed to 1t. Of
| course it IS needless 10 say that the stock
ranges in my country, under the circum-
stances, are of the very best during the
spring, summer and fall seasons.
| Sheep raising is now coming TO the front
as one Of the principal industries of North
J Dakota The number of sheep in that
state has increased from 400 10 500 per
cent in the last three years. Farmers are
lust discovering that they can raise sheep
at a handsome profit with but very little
care All they need Is q straw shed for
shelter in the winter aud native hay for
feed. The clip of wool from sheep so
raised is from one fifth 10 one-fourth
heavier than that from the backs of the
same grade of sheep in Michigan, Illinois
and Ohio. l make this statement
on the authority of one of the prin-
cipal sheep raisers in my state.
who has made tests repeatedly and he tells
me that the average clip Of wool from the