The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-21
GOOD HOMES FOR HOMESEEKERS
Farming in 1asa County Mnn From
SIS to SIS Acre.
Natural arkets Will Make the Progressive
Yusbandman Rich in a Few Short Years.

other grains are grown to a splendid
maturity.
=, Upon all Of these lands there is plenty
of timber for buildings, fencing and fuel!
Every winter there are employed in the
pineries Of the county at least 10, 900 men.
This employment commences about the
first, of September of each year and con-
tinues until the first Of April following,
while nearly as man men are also en-
ployed from about the first Of April until
the first Of July in driving the logs down
the various streams to the market.
Ready Markets.
Annually there are from 1000 to 5000
men in the various logging camps in
Itasca county, all of whom are largely fed
on imported products. Bona f1de farmers
in the county would find ready markets
for every pound of pork, beef or mutton
they could raise. The same Is true of
butter and eggs
When the lumber camps are supplied
the iron mining camps on the Mesaba
range stand ready to take all the surplus
products that the farmers have to dis
pose Of There are good wagon roads to
the iron mining districts, so that farmers
would have no difficulty in reaching the
mining towns.
The head of Lake Superior, with the
cities Of Duluth and Superior with their
thousands of population, would gladly
take all that could be raised in Itasca
county, especially butter, eggs, cheese,
poultry and vegetables. Nowhere else
presents such grand markets to the farm
ers as the country contiguous to Grand
| Rapids.
Crops of Itasca County.
At present and for some time to come
oats will be the chief grain crop of this
section. The market created by the
! needs of the logging crews far exceeds
| home production. Oats are sown from the
the 18TH to the 25th Of April, and ripen
shortly after the first Of August. The
season is usually very favorable for full
| development, and the common weight pei
bushel is between 80 and AZ pounds, which
| indicates the remarkable fullness and
| heaviness Of the kernel. Upon the better
soils and under proper methods of cror
rotation 40 to go bushels per acre can be
very definitely figured on.
+ The soils Of Itasca county have beer
shown to be we'll adapted to wheat. Oats
| have a stronger power of assimilation anc
SHOULD be sown in preference to whea
| upon newly subdued land, but after croI
| or two has been removed large yields o.
| wheat can be obtained. The average yielt
! for this section is about 20 bushels, ant
authentic records Of 80 bushels per acrs
are not uncommon. Blue stem varietie:
| yleld Sllgntly UeICeF tldH HE WIedI.. OH
! due moisture never binders the sowing O.
wheat here as it so often does In thu
Red river valley. The ground is usually
| in condition shortly after the 10Th O.
April, and the crop ripens during the frs
ten days in August.
Barley does equally we'll. The usua
yields are thirty to forty bushels per acre
Barley is sown in this latitude about thu
LIST Of May and harvested the latter par
of July. The six-rowed Mansury barley
are the best yie1ders. = "&
Flax has been grown successfully, blu
the acreage so far devoted to it is neces