Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-11-28
THE CORN BELT.
A Paper on Its Advancement
NorthWard Read by
B. S. Russell.
Big Increase of Corn Pro-
duCtion In North
Dakota.
Nature Surely Providing a
Variety That Natures
Early.

Early.
One OF the features Of the iMnigra.
tion convention, just closed at st. Paul,
was 9 paper on the advan ncement of the
CORE belt northward, read by BIS. Rus
sell of this city. He said:
nocthwsrd" is q theme that commends
itself most practically to the members
OF this convention. I venture to say
that there 10 not'one who mas watched
for the last sixty years the settlement
Of the states of Indlana. ILLINOIS, Wis.
consin, Iowa and Minnesota, but what
will bear witness to the fact that stead
lily progressive has thls great belt fol-
lowed ia the wake OF the settlements Of
the northwestern states.
The so.l, like the Indian and the buf-
falo, is Wild. Corn loves q rich, mel
low and we'll worked land. In such
land it thrives and richly rewards the
crltivator. df the question is asked
How is the Indian to be gotten ont OF
the sois? answer, simply by intelll-
gent and thorough cultivation, by
which the land is subdued, and brought
in contact with the chemical properties
of the atmosphere.
TO carry the eimile yet further, l call
your attention to the fact, that has for
more than sixty years been patent to
every one who has observed the first, as
we'll as the Later productions of the west
ern states, and that is the fact That
wheat has proved itself to be the most
natural civi!izer Of the soil.
The first twenty or twenty-five years
IN the history of Iowa and Minnesota
this great cereal was the only crop
grown. In that period, however, the
land on which 1t was grown was thor
.ughly subdued, and the way prepared
Tor oorD.
In 1871 wheat was the only staple
crop in Minnesota. Corn was not then
grown in any appreciable quantity.
But, nine years later, IN 1880, the acre
age in corn was 439,OOO and over, and
the product nearly 1a,0OO,0OO bushels,
and 10 1890 the acreage was over 9OO,OGO,
and the product nearly 81, 100000 bush
els, while in 1894 the acreage planted
was $4,000, with a proportionate yiead,
and in 1896 the acreage planted was
1.O6g;N0O. The yield for this year will
rot be reported and compiled unta
next spring.
The territory of Dakota began to be
settled IN the eout thern part in the latter
sixties. In 1880 the total acreage IN corn
was a little over 10000, and the product
a little over 2GO,OOO bushels. Ten years
later, when South Dakota had been ad-
mltted to the Union as an independent
MI foN IN Ss1
South Dakota was over 753,OOO and the
total product was over 13O60,OOO.
settlement began IN North Dakota In
1872, while it WAS yet part OF the terri
tory Of Dakota; four years Later VIZ, IN
1876, the total prodnct OF wheat was es-
timated TO exceed 100000 bushels. 1t
was not untll 1855. and while 1t was yet
part OF the territory. that statistics be-
gan to be compiled, and the product OF
that year was over 2l,OOO,OU bushels.
The cultivation Of wheat rs the great
staple crop continued. and ia 1881 en-
ceeded 5S,OCO,DOO bushels. In 1888 the
total acreage planted to corn in North
Dakota was $4,000, and the product over
277,OO0 bushels, while IL 1891 the acre
age was over 10000, and the product
over 100000 bushels, and in 1894 the
acreage WAS 5000 and the product 5l5,-
900 bushels. In 1895, the present year,
tie acreage planted was over 100000
and the returns as to Lbe product will
not be gathered until next spring. In
the above figures Of acreage and product
have omitted fractions which IN all
cases overran the round figures.
A singular and most instructive lesson
ie taught us by the northward advance
of the corn belt. 1t Is alaw in the
natural world that whatever rs needed
for the sustenance and comfort OF the
human race is produced from the earth
by the labor OF the hands, GU ded by the
power OF the mind. AS, therefore, the
corn plant goes north Il variety adapted
to the season and climate IS produced
Nature loves to mature the ripe seed OF
every plant that grows. An immature
plant is un natural A succession OF ex- |
periments may have to be made by the !
one who cultiva1es the soil whenever he |
introduces new plant TO a newly set |
tied country. And herein lies the prac-
tlcal intelligence of him who would oul-
tivate corn in the northern latitudes. |
This has long been known. and was |
acted on in the Atlantic states very early |
ia their settlement; not only so, it was |
early found that the corn grown IN the |
milder climate OF Maryland and Virginia |
was not suited as food for the colder and |
more rugged climate of New England,
and therefore the remedy was found in |
studying nature snd her laws, and there
was variety produced that was in every
way adapted to the soil and climate.
in the shorter season there,
aud at the same time rich in all the ele-
nente of nourishing food for the in
habitants. This has been repeated in
the northwest and is being repeated on
the prairie lands OF North Dakota now,
snd with natures assistance. and the
wise study OF her laws, venture to pre-
dot that before this century ends, or in
The early years OF the northwest. the
,orn Of North Dakota will hold the same ;