The Dickinson press., 1899-05-13
DIVERSIFIED FARMING,
Conditions in This State Peculiarly
Adapted for All Branches
of Agriculture.
Erroneous Impression That the
State Is Made of bonanza
Farms Only.

80 AAS
State liz Made of
Farms Only.
OF late l am receiving many letters
from parties in Iowa and other states,
wanting some specific information re-
4arding the present and future agri-
cultural development of our state, par
ticularly so with reference to its adapt
ability for diversified farming and
etock-1aising, including dair! ing, the
opportunities open for settlement, price
Of land, etc.
The great majority of the writers
recognize Il state as being Il natural
and profitable wheat-growing country,
but seem to doubt it's adaptability for
anything else.
This is a natural, mistaken idea, be-
cause nearly all the written and illus
tratcd articles regarding North Dakota
have been descriptive Of the so-called
bonanza farms, until outside readers
think of our state as a vast wheat field
of immense estates, farmcd by the
GraEdins, Dalrymples and a few 9th
ers, with great armies of men and
teams, and the men of moderate means
who have diversified farming in view
are practically shut out. This errone-
Gus idea has, in my opinion. done more
to rctard settlement of our state than
any other cause.
Facts from official statistics will tell
the true story. Our state has an area
of some 74.3OO square miles. About
one-fourth Of it, including the Red
River Valley, is, without question, II
of the best wheat-producing countries
In the world, soil and climatic condi-
tions assuring many years of profita-
BILE cultivation to that important and
valuable cereal. The wheat district is
in the eastern part of the state. ana
the larger half of it is correctly coll
sidered 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
EARNING and Stock-raiSing than is uSu-
oily supposed.
In this one-fourth part Of the state,
not quite two-thirds of it is taken up,
and we find in its boundaries 23,O38
farms, covering 6,7GO,OOO acres, of
which 4,49S,OOO acres are in cultiva-
tion, the rest used for pasture and
meadow. The average area under Gull
tivation for each farm in this entire
district, including all Of the bonanza
farms, is only some 1876 acres. This
certainly disproves 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,6OO,OOO bushels; corn, $685.
600 bushels; potatoes and other roots,
1,721,OO bushels; native hay and tame
grasses, including millet and Hungarl-
an, $4,000 tons; in berries and small
fruits, 1,67O acres; oats, barley and rye,
15,13O,OOO bushels; flax, 100000 0 bush
els; cattle, 131,O00 head; sheep,
64,700 head; hogs, 5S.SOO head;
poultry products sold. $10G,3OO; garden
products sold, $13, 1900; wool clip, $3.50,
700 pounds; butter and cheese sold,
from family diaries, 1907, 500 pounds;
milk, sold to private families, $43,5UO.
Comment on these statistics Is un
necessary, except to emphasize the
statement that wheat is not the only
dependence of the North Dakota farm
or. Within the district from which
these products were 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 rolling
than the eastern part, is better adapt
ed to stock than to grain raising; vet
An 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,
and the raising of live stock, principal.
Ay cattle and sheep. will be the domin.
ant 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 3 ,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 theil
herds, the greater part of this great
rich, grass-producing area not being
used at 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 Is
room for ten times as many without
<cr0wding anyone.
There need be no fear Of not making
good profit in the business of stock
raising in North Dakota, where 1t Il
properly handled, either on a large OF
q small scale, with or without dairy
ing as an adjunct, and l say this as the
result Of an experience Of eighteen
years Of cattle-raising on my farm il
Eelendale, in Richland county. The
climate is very healthy for all kinds O.
stock, as it is for Our losses il
the eighteen years from disease doe!
not warrant the payment of . per cen
a year for insurance. The native grass
es are great beef-producers, our pas
ture gains on one, two and three-year
ODDS determined by weighing in ant
out), have ranged from 24O to 80,
pounds in the six months from May Is
to Nov. LIST. In fall feeding for tn,
block, with native grass, hay, corr ant
roots Of our own raising, with the he'll
.of cotton seed or flax seed meals, W.
Have made or lots of twenty steers ii
go and 9O-day periods, gains of iron
3 1-3 to 4 pounds per day, maxim;
money on the grain, over the cost o
%hn Fop1 mr. r,o1I 80 - H.. --z--