The Princeton union., 1894-08-02
HOMESTEAD Law BENEFITS.
Remaining Government Lands i'm
MinneHOtD.

Minnesota.
! From the Pioneer Press
St. Paul, July 3O.-To the Editor: The
| public lands in Minnesota which are suita-
| BILE for agriculture are being disposed Of
| more rapidly than is generally supposed
OF course one would not expect much Of
such land left IN the southern district (the
| office of which is now at Marshall, Lyon
county,, and indeed there are remaining
| in that district less than 1000 acres, all
uf which is in isolated and small pieces.
In the t,rookston district are 100000 acres,
three-fourths of which is fairly good, and
one half of which is first-rate agricultural
land. The locality III that district at pres
ent having the most activity in homestead
settlements is the valley of the Roseau
r;v"r, near the northern boundary of kitt-
son county. In the St. Cloud district are
also 100000 acres and Of about similar
quality. The public land remaining in the
Duluth district is classified as timber and
minera! land yet some Of it will be found
available for agriculture. It will be admit
ted, | think, that as compared with the
situation only few years ago there is.
but small quantity Of government, or as,
1t Is frequently called, vacant Or ''pub-,
lic' agricultural land remaining in the
limits OF this state. In a very few years,
more it will practically be all absorbed.
The only way Of acquiring it from the
government is under the homestead law.
For example. any single person WHO is 4
citizen, or who has declared his intention
to become such, male or female, upwards Of
twenty-one years Of age, OF any head Of
1amlly, even If under that age, can obtain
l6O acres free by paying to the land office
at time Of application $14, and 81 addi-
tlonal, when, at the end of five years, he
furnishes his proof of compliance with
the law, and by inhabiting Gn however
humble dwelling) and in good faith ac-
cording to his circum stances, cultivating
the land during said period of five years;
or after inhabiting and cultivating the
tract fourteen months he can, if he pre-
fers, obtain title by purchasing the land
per acre. If the land happens to be with
In ten miles Of land grant railroad the
price would be 1925 per acre. Parties
wishing more detailed information can OBJ
tain it on applying to the United States
land office at st. Cloud, Crookston or Du-
luth
Owing the the long continued business
depression there are many people in the
larger towns and cities Of this state who
nnd themselves In very straiteued cir
cumstances. The average Minnesota farm
er is to-day in a situation of independence
as compared with many of these people,
and it is a question worthy of serious con-
sideration whether those who have the
facilities and aptitude foi doing so should
be encouraged to avail themselves of the
privileges of the homestead law before
these valuable public lands shall AL he
appropriated by new comers. I would
not give too f1attering view Of the busi-
ness Of agriculture; it has its ups and
downs like other occupations. But to
show the general situation of farming COM
munities - Minnesota I would point to-
two average agricultural counties out of
about thirty in the southern part of the
state-Dodge and Freeborn-whose farmers
ono in in h
II payments as the proceeds of the single.
industry of cooperative creameries. "a
cooperative creamery is found profitable
where the milk of 500 COWS can be de-
pended on ] This industry is proving a.
mine of wealth to the farmers there. They
also make net profit of 81 on each Of
their pigs eight months old, and besides
are having success with the various field
crops adapted to their soil. Their homes
are comfortable and tasteful and the peo-
pie are refined. In that part Of the state
farming land is worth about $50 an acre;
and the agricultural results which to-day
are apparent there will, in few years,
be realized on the now unappropriated
public lands. The question is who has got
the energy and courage to be the pioneer
on these lands and patiently wait for his
reward?
the settlement of the public lands in Min
nesota for nearly forty years, snd am we'll
aware of the isolation and privat;ons the
new settlers must undergo. But there is no
occupation that is exempt, at the start,
from a period of waiting and of hard work
with small profits. A pioneer settler may
be very poor, and vet with COW, pig or
a few sheep and some poultry and what he
can raise from the ground the first year, he
can surely subsist And every year his situ-
alton will be growing better, providing he
and his family are industrious and have any
liking and aptitude for their work.
The public lands surveyed into square
pieces, the smallest subdivisions being forty
acres. Usually the dwellings of homestead
settlers are half mile apart that being the
extent Of either side Of a square tract of 16Oa
acres Two families could be nearer neigh
bcrs than that by baildiug their dwellings
near the adjoining corners of their respect
i've tracts. A section of land, being a
mile square comprises four 1G0 acre tracts.
By settling near the center of the section,
four families could each take 100 acres and
have their buildings within a stones throw
of each other. This would only be practi-
. cable, however, in cases where the entire
section of land was about equally desir-
able. A clump of trees, a spring of water.
a lake view or an elevation affording good
drainage often determine the site of set.
tiers residence in preference to nearness of
neighbors. -s.
family Inexperienced in agriculture
would have many things to learn in culti-
waiting the soil, but there will always be
successful farmers among their neighbors
from whom they can obtain needful advice;
also. almost any Of the excellent agricul-
tural periodicals, the inspiration of which
they should not miss, will open to them am
pie sources Of information.
An advantage which many families would
have in exchanging city for farm life would
be that the wife and children could several
ly do a larger part in gaining q livelihood.
In the city the most depends on the hus-
band and father, but on q farm, even if the
husband be poor manager, it is often the
case that the wife, through the dairy and
poultry, contributes much to the subsistence.
of the family.
Again, many a man fails in the city
through the sharp competition Of those en-
gagged in the same industry or trade, but
it is the farmers peculiar advantage tha.
competition cannot injure him. His buss
ness to be successful requires skill, but Is
exempt from competition. If his neighbors
raise more grain to. the acre than he does,
If they surpass him in every branch of ag.
riculture, it does him no harm The mar.
ket is always the same for him as for his
neighbors. Indeed, the more they thrive the
more his own property increases in value.
Washington Irving said that the rudest
habitation, the most unpr omising and scanty