St. Paul daily globe., 1895-11-22


the resources, crops and attachments oil
the state as compared with irs neigh
bors. Mr.. Bushnell predicted bril-
liant future for his state, in his able
address. Following the South Dakota
editor the chairman presented Hon. X.
L. Clanton, of Kalispell, in the famous
Flathead Valley, Montana, who pre-
sented the mineral, agricultural ana
great natural resources of this wonder
full valley.
COL. STONES PAPER.
Beginning with little and making a
success of farming, Col. j. f. Stone,
of Pine City, on Beginning with Little
and Making a Success of Farming.
Col. Ston5's paper was as follows:
When the pilgrims landed on Plym,
outn Rock they were so poor they nau
to beg of the Indians, the only surplus
they had was a surplus or preachers,
which at that time was deemed nee
esSary evil They started in FARMING on
a small scale, with no market but their
own hungry mouths, and history re-
cords a wonderful success. One nun
dred years ago New England was
W. de unbroken forest as Northern Min
nesota is today. The greatness and
power of this mighty republic had ltS
birth on the little rocky down-East
farm. The sons and daughters OF New
England sires were the pioneer settlers
of Minnesota. They have spread her
fame to the uttermoSt parts OF the
earth. They have been the life blood
and nerve of this nation from the be-
ginning; and in time of danger have
always interpCSed and saved her from
disaster and desruc tion. Every con-
vulsion in our national history has been
soothed and quieted by the cool Judg-
ment and undaunted courage of farm
erS' sons. So | say the profession is
eminently honorable and respectable,
This being the case, We say to the
overstocked and congested realm OF
labor: Come out into the wilderness
of Northeastern Minnesota, and spend
the energy you yearly waste i'll discon-
tentment and disastrous STRIKES, IN
acquiring a competence in a nome or
your own.
How can they acquire land? Why,
a mere modicum of the energy required
to tie up the Great Northern railroad
system, and discipline Jim Hill, will
fill two congressional townships with
independent farmers. Labor is wasting
energy at the wrong end of the gun.
Take up a small farm, become lnde-
pendent, boss your own business, and
you won't care a baubee whether the
Great Northern swallows the Northern
Pacific, or vice versa. Just so long as
there are two men watching one job,
unOCcupied, physical energy is badly
unbalanced. Talk about the conflict Of
labor and capital Come out of the
Stified cities and settle on our pregnant
acres, and be your own master. Begin
with Little every great undertaking that
has achieved success started from a
small beginning. Be satisfied to begin
with little. A fully developed man was
never born, and only one created, and
he was not success. Tc' be success
one must commence at the foundation,
and build up. The practical experience
gained by years of toll is worth more
than a fortune settled Cn fool. The
safest inVes tment for small amount
of capital is in a farm, controlled and
worked by the capitalist. Even debt
created in the purchase of land, is a
wise thing for a man of small means.
Farm life with prudence and industry
is the sure road to independence, and
ultimate success. To beg.n with small
capital and no experience, requires
courage, vim and pluck; qualifications
sure to possess.
During a residence of eighteen years
in Pine county, Minnesota, | have seen
nearly one-fourth of it's area trans
formed into fertile and productive
farms, and the settlers pass from COM
parative poverty, to independence and
prosperity. They began with nothing
and went in debt for their land.
The first few years they had hard
rub, but they raised what they ate, and
ate what they raised, and went slow;
but verify they have their reward
Quoting from Prof. Thomas Shaw,
of the Minnesota Farmers institute, a
gentleman of wide practical knowledge
and high intellectual ability, he says:
''All these things were intensely inter-
e5ting to the writer, but they were less
so than the land and what it promised
for the future, when the axe and the
fagot of the settler shall transform it
into productive farms. What opportu-
mites were here for the energy and en-
terprise of courageous brain power and
stalwart muscle! On the right of Lake
Pokegama was a stretch of forest land
seven miles in length and twelve in
width without single inhabitant. and
on the left bank of the same was a
settled. Any little openings in the
forest were covered with blue grass and
white clover. Where a settler had pitch
ed his log cabin corn was growing with
ears matured, and it was yet unharmed
by frost, and much of the produce of
the garden still possessed the greenneSS
of summer.
There was no settlement where we
landed on the Pokegama creek. While
waiting for the contingent from Brook
Park we amused ourselves by digging
down into the Subsoll, and in doing SO
the great fertility of the land was ap-
parent. The surface soil was a clay,
but not of the brickbat order. In fact,
it was land which would stand drouth
well and which is possessed of good
staying qualities. The clay element in
it accounts for the readiness with
which blue grass sod forms on the
same, and the rich potash element in
it accounts in part at least for the great
clover crops that are grown upon it.
The Brook Park conveyances brought
nf hn Of hn
in addition to those already on exhibi-
ton at the fair at Pine City. They
brought sorghum ten feet high and
bearing heavy seed tassels fully ripen
bagas and beets, potatoes in
great variety and of great
size and faultless shape. Their show
of grasses was wonderful. And among
the corn specimens were dent and
flint varieties, great fat ears. we'll fill
ed out in every respect and perfectly
matured.
At the Pine county fair, held on the
farther bank of Pine City, the exhibit
of vegetables was simply extraord-
even at the state fair, have / seen them
surpassed. The character of the ruta-
bagas bore testimony to the marked
adaptability of this part of the state
to grow roots. The bulbs of the tur-
nips were not only large but regular in
fact, everything which came under my
notice at the fair in the Inc of crop
production and also the products grow
ing upon the soil but strengthened the
opinion which 1 first formed when
passing through this region, that it
would one day become one of the finest
stock-growing sections in the state.
Grasses and clovers grow luxur;antly.
Corn, when properly cared for, ma
lures as regularly as the season comes,
and roots and rape and cereal grains
are all at home in this soil. Timber is
here for shelter and fences, and water
is plentiful. What more is wanted in
stock country excepting the stock,
and the ability to manage it properly?
Professor Shaw has not painted a
fancy picture, but simply told the
truth, and his opinion as to the value
of farm lands is second to none. He is
authority.
If Ponce de Leon had started for
Northern Minnesota instead of Flor
ida, he would have discovered the foun-
tain of life in all its purity.
The water is pure, and there is lots
of it. Springs, brooks, rills, rivulets,
lakes and rivers; there is no end to
them, teeming with myriads of the
finest fish, so eager to get into the fry
ing pan, they will almost bite a bare
hook
Tbaco 10 oo,,rsae .a,a