The Red Cloud chief., 1895-06-21
An Interesting Letter.

NV WIN Wv
-
An Interesting Letter.
The following letter was received byJ.
L. Miner, OF this city, and handed to us
for publication, thinking that the atten.
ton Of every farmer should be called to
this most important matter, the Rus.
sian thistle:
FERMAS, N. d., June IA. 1896.
Mr.. j. L. MINER,
Red Cloud, Neb..
DEAR SIR:-I have just finished my
work in South Dakota. and a few days
ago came into this state. The wheat
crop in the two Dakotas ia looking very
fine. Farmers here say that they have
not had a better prospect for 10 years.
The acreage in South Dakota is small,
however, as the farmers are. as a rule,
very poor and could not get the seed !
think there is at least % per cent OF tho
cultivated land in northeastern South
Dakota that is not in any kind Of a crop.
There is more corn planted than usual
because it required less seed. 1t 10 a
poor corr country. l learn that - bush
els is thought a good crop. This coun'
try has seen harder times, and are hav'
ing harder times now. than We have in
Webster county. Wheat is the only
crop to make money Except flax and
they have but n paying crop in guam
tity in five years, and what little they
had a very low price. Everything in
the north half OF South Dakota denote,
poverty, deserted farms, farm building,
going TO decay, implanted ard empt,
buildings in towns, all show the blight
ing effect OF no money. There is con
siderable billy and stony land in Seuti
Dakota, also streaks of light sandy land
Will not average but little better in sol
and surface than Webster county, ant
there il not as good a town in northeas
South Dakota (outside Of Waterfowl
and Aberdeen, which are railroad cen
ters) as old Red Cloud. ! am told no,
that | am just on the edge Of the goo
country in North Dakota. Juet mort
OF me is the great Red River Valley tina
Dakotans refer to as "the greatest Ian
on earth" / have business near tn
8 great Dalrymple wheat farm and will tr
to see it, The one great curse OF tn
Dakotas is the Russian thistle. II
8 blighting effect cannot be overdrawn
t far as appearances go The most desc
3 late appearing country that you can in
3 agine outside OF Hades is a countr
abandoned to this terrible scourge. The
are everywhere. Groves are drifted fu
OF them, nearly to the tops Of the treel
, wire fences are banked with them. dee
. draws level full Of them, great ragge
piles Of them scattered over the prairie
with dirt enough drifted on them to hol
them. Even the towns are piled u
/, with them when there is anything I
stop them. 1 hope they people Of N,
, braska will use all diligence to kee
them out. l have heard it said (whe
they don't have them that they wei
; not much Of a pest; but that ID a gret
mistake. l am told that they do nc
injure the wheat crop much Of a w
:, year as tho wheat starts first in tn
spring, and il it has a good vigorou
growth it keeps them down till aftt
T harvest, when they appear in all the
glory. But Of a dry year it is vice versI
they grow and choke out the wheat. ]
j. sandy land they will grow on the III
broken prairie and choke out the gras
Q but will not grow on sod when there
. heavy land. ! am quite sure il ii
= farmers around Red Cloud could see
country overrun by this scourge, the
would not allow the few that may /
K growing there now to survive. l thin
our last legislature passed some kind
a law for their determination. II Of az
!, good, it should be rigidly enforced.
D.. G. +. GATHER.