Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-03-31

WAOAO VAOO8AV Vu0 AeSA A0ko WOuAN U0
slow to move. found that as soon as
we're willing to send it to Iowa or to
the western ranges to feed. ! found
in some instances that stock had
given to farmers had been moved
further west-for q consideration.
The Great Northern leads all the
other roads in number of cattle and
hogs carried to the Twin Cities
market, and am vain enough to think
that had something to do In bringing
about that condition.
"The manure spread over the land Is
worth one.third the value Of the feed
consumed by the stock, aud will bring
you back one third its value Of wheat,
used intelligently. The sooner you
realize this, the sooner you will be
satisfied with your work.
"A few weeks ago there was a great
deal OF agitation over inspection and
dockage. Fhe interest was quite active
and while in st. Paul committee
from our legislature called upon me.
Looking the matter up l found the
dockage as about A.: pounds to the
bushel on North Dakota wheat,
amounting to total Of $3.0O0,OOO. We
have two large elevators at Superior
handling large portion Of the North
Dakota crop. These elevators are
practically run on the screenings,
We buy no fuel, but the chaff is carried
from the screenings room to the
boiler by pneumatic tubes. The
freight on that amount Of impurities
on the grain costs annually about
$500 900, which is too much money to
throw away. It could DO used to good
advantage at home. There is enough
Of these screenings carried from North
Dakota to Minneapolis and West Su.
perior to feed 10000 head OF sheep
annually. II you will avoid this, use
good seed and clean land. You can't
use poor seed and get a good return.
There Is a great deal more smut in
wheat than formally, and IL smut once
gets into wheat field it will not be
confined to that alone, but will breed
other impurities. But smut alone will
cut the price Of all the wheat in the
feld, The man who buys your grain
will dock you, and you have no de-.
fense.
"The question Of state inspection is
becoming an important one, but this
will prove difficult Of control unless
the ultimate market is in the state
where the grain is graded. Minnesota,
though the grain commission, fixes a
standard Of grade, and know that no
matter how much you complain, that
standard is the oply one generally
accepted. and to abolish it, without g
better system, would cost at least two
cents bushel. l have farm and sell
my wheat as you sell yours, and
further, have no interest In inspec-
ton. Federal inspection under the de-
partment Of agriculture might secure
q uniform and possibly better in.
spection than by single state. You
in North Dakota, would feel, at least
that you had representative. DOM
think it would improve the system ol
inspection, but you would have the
advantage of being represented.
| The valley land is fertile, the climate
Igood, and the crop good, If we'll cult
vated. You have the lowest rates O
transportation Of any Of the grain rails
ing states. Very much lower-from L
to 40 per cent With good soil, eli
mate, condition and low trapsportatio,
to markets, why is the valley land no
worth more than the land in Iowa AM
Minnesota? That it does not sell TO
so much is admitted, out it should b.
worth from $40 to $50 per acre. Il
DesMoines had no difficulty in sell
ing at a35 per acre, and have land il
the northern end of the valley and al
can get is 1l2. The price Of propert
is nothing like it should be.
1--WE have taken our crop from tn
seed to the market, aud when we ge
there, there is nothing to compel tn
purchaser paying higher price thai
be desires. No amount Of Legislation
or individual effort will raise the pric
beyond that fixed by supply and dc
mand. How are you going to raise th
price Of grain? You can do It readil
il you raise half crop. II you re
duced the crop 25 per cent the resul
would be higher priced grain. Blu
that would be ap unreasonable cours,
1t should not be necessary to abando
the cultivation of the soil to the bef
advantage. The price of farm produc
is made by supply and demand i
Europe. They know that the Unite
States raises 120,OOO,OOO bushels NOR
than they consume. and they take thei
time and own way of buying. We cal
not help ourselves. The remedy is I
find new markets, and that eau be dou
Ly extending our commercial relation
and the general government is th
only power that can bring that abou
We have undertaken it in our line
tut In thirty years l cannot reca
where our public men have tried [
open new markets for our agricultur.
products. They have plenty of tim
for other projects. such as the nav
CATION Of the Red River, for instanc
I own all the steamers on the Re
River. and would be willing to &c
Of $4,000. The idea of taking none
to lsth and plaster the bottom Of th
Red River. It's criminal. The La
congress appropriated nearly $4,000
0O-and there isn't so cents for th
farmer. nothing tending toward
BbstteI market than The othor fellov