Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-05-09
THE GREAT WEST.
SOME FACTS ABOUT MINNESOTA. A 40
YEARS CIVILIZED STATE.

The New England Farmer I think
rarely has letter from this far on COM
monwealth Of Minnesota, state so large
that II cannot be said to have any univer-
sal agricultural industry. but has its
sections where an agricultural develop
ment peculiar to itself IL carried on.
This Il made so largely by Its natural
resources Of mines, great timber belts,
tions, and semi-arid stretches, where rain
Is at premium the mosp Of the summer
aud billiards. make sport the rest Of the
year.
At first Minnesota was mined for two
things, wheat and her mineral wealth In
the north, then her timber lands for the
pines, but the constantly falling yield Of
wheat and Its ever falling price has set
other farming plans to the front, and
while wheat is yet grown by the millions
Of acres, the corn and CAT crops are last
approaching the wheat area. Last year
96l' 900 acres Of corn were planted, with
an estimated Yield OF 2i,0O0,0OO bushels,
so that it L. seen that the corn rows ap-
proach In length that Of some OF the
boasted corn states. A few years since IL
was supposed that this country was out
Of the corn belt.
In the western part Of the state, and as
far north as the Manitoba line, Including
the famous Jim river valley, are the vast
wheat fields where wheat growing is the
almost exclusive crop, aud an elevator at
a railway station IL more necessary than
the passenger depot. The country IL lit
orally vast plain, "a level and boundless
Ito the eye--as the calm summer sea,
the landscape only broken here and
there with the settlers dwellings and the
thin line Of willow trees on their north
and west sides for wind break.
Farther to the south are the semi-arid
sections Of the state, where water In the
summer months IL at premium. Not
long since we rode across one OF these
bounilrss, uever-ending prsiries. There
was not a thing to relieve the landscape,
hut the houses Tar apart that looked Ia
comparison with the unbounded sre'
spread out, like little boxes set on the
plain aud the hay stacks OF prairie hay
that had been cut To be- shipped to the
city market. IL looks curious tn An east
-rn man to get view of the country an'l
watch the railway trains crossing thes-
prsiries We could, with common 0per,
glass, watch train for 10 or more miles
aud the cloud Of steam for "a longer
distance.
One l. surprised to see the great mum
Der of lakes Of every size aud form that
dot the prairies. They are deep ,nd file
to the brim with the purest ani clearest
OF water. Martin County has J5 lakes.
They are stocked with the finest of hsli
and Ia the summer they Ar. the home of
wild water fowl Of all kinds, la countless
numbers.
south and eastern Minnesota Is more
diversified In its agriculture the barley.
oats, corn, aud fax fields crowd out the
wheat. Horse breeding Il conspicuous
aud sheep breeding, especially sheep. feed
ing In the winter, IL largely carried on'
IL Il estimated that close To lOO.OOO sheep
were fattened this winter on the scrren-
iugs Of the -four mills. These screenings
are sold for about s. to 81 per ton and
as three pounds daily Il full feed for
sheep, great feeding flocks often OF five
to ten thousand head are a possibility.
The dairy Il fast coming TO the front |
aud some 500 creameries, not 10 mention
thousands OF private dairies, are turning |
thousands Of dollars Of income into the
farmers pockets.
No department Of farm industry has
increased AS has the swine industry.
Three years ago the entire swine prod
uct of the state was not equal To the con- |
sumption of 81. Paul and Minneapolis
but now the present high prices have
stimulated the industry as never before.
The farmers of Minnesota claim about
every country Of Europe as their birth |
place, and there Is also a large sprink-
ling Of New England men and old Yer
mont seems to be especially represented.
In the western part Of the state there are
large settlements Of Russian Menonltes,
and In the far north Is colony OF Ice
landers.
This state with its vast wheat fields
aud ranges, its population OF nearly two
millions, its phenomenal cities of 81.
Paul and Minneapolis, its iron mines and
its lumber output, aud covered With
network of railroads, and dotted all over
with beautiful aud thriving villages and
towns, l. q marvel, for only 40 years AZ"
all this MAS vast buffalo range, ani in-
h,bited by tribes of Sioux ani Chippe-
wy Indians. Only 30 years ago the
Indian war ami the uprising that came
so near complete massacre of the en-
tire population, was reality rememb-r-
ell by the older pioneers, though To the
Young only history and tradition.-l
New England Farmer.