Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-09-23
4 VISIT TO ONE OF NORTH DAKO-
TA'S BIG FARMS.
(For The Moniter.)

Three hundred acres would seem sc
in New England but not in North
Dakota.
1t has been my pleasure to visit
one of the great ones in this state,
named the Cleveland Farm, com
prising originally thirteen thousand
acres, but nov only ten thousand five
hundred, while it takes two or three
hundred men and seventy or seventy
five horses to run it.
We left Whapeton for a twenty
five miles ride on mixed train boast
ing of but one coach, and that lighted
only by solitary lantern placed in
an obscure corner Of the car. Our
travelling companions were one or
two men and young couple, seated
a short distance from our party, who
appeared utterly oblivious to their
surroundings.
We moved only at the rate of what
seemed three or possibly four miles
an hour, making frequent stops at the
stations and grain elevators.
At nine in the evening we reached
Wyndmere, where we found car
riage awaiting US, the remainder of
our journey being six miles carriage
drive. We were nothing 10th to
leave our speedy locomotive, as the
pangs of an North Dakota appetite
were making themselves felt.
We found ourselves in the midst of
a vast sea of level prairie, stretching
away for miles and miles, with moth
ing to break the monotony except
a solitary tree here and there at long
distances. Yet there was something
sublime and awe inspiring in this
scene as viewed by moonlight, objects
looking then as they do at no other
time.
The morning after our arrival our
kind host and hostess, Senator and
Mrs. Ink, together with their little
daughter Grace, took a drive around
the farm, which was full of interest
and new and surprising sights. Early
in the season the view is lovely one,
as one looks off over the broad acres
of wheat, extending for many miles,
almost as far as the eye. can reach. A
little later and we see the wheat cut |
and bound into stacks ready for the
threshing, which is carried on in the
open field by means of steam engines. |
We were so fortunate as to arrive
just in time to see the threshing.
The thresher is run by six men, two
to pitch the bundles on to the plat
form, two to cut the Irvine bands and |
two to feed the thresher; besides
these, several are employed about the
engine, making about thirty in all. A |
dozen or more teams are also used to
carry the grain III the tanks to the
The straw is taken by
out at one end of the
while the wheat is carried
up through tunnel into a large tank
on wheels by which it is taken to the
elevators.
During the autumn after harvest
ing is completed, one can look out
nearly every evening and see bright
fires shining on the horizon where
these straw stacks are burning to get
them out of the way.I
1t was of great interest to watch
the powerful engine perform it's
work, threshing out three thousand
bushels in one day.
When we had gone a short distance
T saw what seemed to be a lake ahead
Of US, with number of trees on it's
bank. AS 7 looked longer I noted
that my trees had cut off appearance
as if suspended in mid air, then I
kenw that was witnessing one of
those fine mirages about which I had
heard so much. I decided however,
[ would not take boat ride that day.
A little further on fax was growing
in abundance, which when in bloom
makes very pleasing sight, covered
as it is with delicate blue blossoms.
The Russian thistle, too, must not
be omitted, weed that threatens
and the state government
mas made large appropriations for it's
determination. It is in reality tumble
weed, breaking off near the surface
Of the ground soon after ripening,
md is blown here and there by the
wind, scattering it's multitudinous
seeds as it goes.
Long before we reached the end of
our drive I became aware of the fact
hat this was indeed farming on a
arge scale.
Y out of doors to see one of the most
sights Imaginable This
vas long low stretch of prairie on
ire outlined AGAINST the horizon. and |