Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-05-12
DIVERSIFIED FARMING.
Condition. in This State Peculiarly
Adapted for All Branches
Of Agriculture.
Erroneous Impression That the
State IL Made Of bonanza
Farms Only.

or late I am receiving many letters
from parties in Iowa and other states,
wanting some specific information re-
Rarding the present and future awri-
cultural development of our state. par
ticlllirly 50 with reference TO its adapt
ability for diversified farming and
stOck-laising, including Inir! in@, the
opportunities open for settlement, price
OF land. etc.
The great majority of the writer's
recognize our state as being Il natural
and profitable whral-@rUWing country,
but seem to doubt its adaplab.lity for
anything else.
This is Il natural. mistaken idea, be-
cause nearly all the written ana illus
tratcd articles regarding North Dakota
have been descriptive of the SO-cnlled
bonanza farms. until outside readers
think of our state as Il vast wheat field
of immense estates. farmcd by the
Gral:dinS. Dalrymplcs and Il few 9th.
erS. with great HrmicS of mel and
teams, and the men Of moderate means
who have diversified farming in view
are practically shut out. This crrOne-
GUS idea has, in my opinion. done more
to rctHrd settlement of our state than
any other cause.
Facts from official statistics will tell
the true story. Our state has an area
of some 1890 square miles. About
one-fonrth of it, including the Red
River Valley, is. without question, one
Of the best whrat-prUdUcinY countries
In the world, soil and climatic condl-
tons assuring many years Of proiita-
Die cultivation TO tina important and
valuable cereal. The wheat district is
III the eastern part of the state. ana
the larger half of it is correctly coll
4iLcled as best adapted to the culture
OF, and is mainly devoted to, the rails
ing of wheat. but at the same time is
more extensively used for general
farming and stock-raiSing than is usu-
ally supposed.
In this one-fourth part of the state,
not quite two-thirds of it is taken up,
and we find in it's boundaries 23,O3S
farms, covering G,7GO,OOO acres, Of
which 4,49S,OO acres are in cultiva-
ton, the rest used for pasture and
meadow. The average area under cul-
tivation for each farm in this entire
district, including all Of the bonanza
farms, is only some 195 acres. This
certainly disprovcs the idea that we
are a state of bonanza farms only.
Statistics show what is being done in
this district outside of wheat, the re-
ported products from these farms for
the past year being, in round numbers,
as follows:
Wheat. 3S,COO,OGO bushels; corn, $685.
600 bushels: potatoes and other roots,
1,121,OOO bushels; native hay and tame
grasses. including milIct and Hungarl-
an, SIS, 100 tons; in berries and small
fruits, 1.G7O acres; oats, barley and rye,
15,13O,OCO bushels; flax, 3,O0O.OO 0 bush
els; cattle, 131 600 head; sheep,
S4,7OO head; hogs, $500 head;
poultry products sold. $1OG,3OO; garden
products sold, $4,000; wool clip, 500,
100 pounds: butter and cheese sold,
from family dairies, 3,3O77. 800 pounds;
milk, sold to private families, $43,5UO.
Comment on these statistics is I'm.
necessary, except to emphasize the
statement that wheat Is not the only
dependence of the North Dakota farm
er. Within the district from which
these products We're raised the last
year, there is ample room for expan-
sion for all of them.
The central and western part Of the
state, being higher and more rollins.
than the eastern part. is better adapt
ed to stock than to grain raising; vet
Al every county are lands that are be-
Ing cultivated with profit; but the
character of the soil, the grasses and
the climatic conditions are such as to
always insure good pasture and hay,
anu the raising Of live stock, principal.
ly cattle and sheep. will be the domin-
a Industry in that part Of the state.
There are now splendid opportunities
here for those wanting to go into that
business. We have at least s. ,OOO, OOC
acres OF native grasses. as nutritious as
the best that is cultivated. only a small
part OF them now being used by stock.
men for summer grazing of thei,
herds, the greater part Of this great
rich, grass-produciny area not being
used ut all, but allowed to go to waste
every year, rotting on the ground OF
burned by prairie fires. Last veal
there was but some 100000 head Of
cattle and the same number of sheer
In that part Of the state. There Il
room for ten times as many withou'
acrowding anyone.
There need be no fear Of not maxim.
good profit in the business of stock
raising in North Dakota, where It !.
properly HanQled eltLef on O large Of
small scale, with or without dairy
ing as an adjunct, and l say this as tn,
result of an experience Of eighteen
years Of cattle-raising on my farm j,
Helendale, in Richland county. TIL,
climate Is very healthy for all kinds O
stock, as 1t is for man. Our losses il
the eighteen years from disease doe
n warrant the payment of . per cen
a year for insurance. The native grass
es are great beef-produccrs, our pas
ture gains on one, two and three-year
Odds determined by weighing in an,
Out), have ranged from 24O to 333
pounds in the six months from May is
to Nov. LIST. In fall feeding for tn
block, with native grass, hay, corn an,
roots Of our W raising, with the hel
OF cotton seed or flax seed meals, W
lave made on lots of twenty steers Il
90 and A0Ldov roriodS roipc 30 f,o,