Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-11-12

Editor Tribune: Your correspcn-
dent has just returned from a trip
through the corn belt of North Dako,
ia, and although aware that consider
able corn was annually raised in the
state was not prepared to see the
large areas devoted to this cereal.
Up to within the last two or three
years corn raising has been confined
to the southern tier of counties and
the south end of the Missouri Slope,
but now fine corn may be found from
Washburn east to Grand Forks. The
Iowa and Missouri farmers who have
fiocked into Mclean, Mercer and Oil
yer counties in the past two years
grow in their old homes and have
done much to encourage its growth
among the old timers in those sec
tions who strove only after wheat and
cattle, with the result that the coun-
ties named produced large crops of
this grain this year In that section
most of the corn Is at present of the
white and yellow flint varieties, with
fair sprinkling of northwestern or
smoky" dent and yellow dent. In
Burleigh, EmmOns and Morton coun-
ties dent varieties predominant. white.
yellow and red dividing the acreage.
though a great deal of flint corn of
mixed colors is raised the latter being
an improved sQuaw corn of eight,
twelve and sixteen rows. In these lat
ter counties nearly every farmer has
runs from As to 55 bushels per acre
shelled. The entire crop is consumed
on the farms in feeding hogs and
stock and the profits are just begin
ming to be realized by those who have
heretofore depended upon prairie
grass for preparing stock for market
In Emmons county hog raising ha!
become a staple industry and corr
finished cattle are making the farm.
ers rich at rapid rate
AS yet little corn is raised in Logan
and Mcintosh counties, the cattle in
terests predominating over agricul-
! tural pursuits. This is not because
of the non fertility of the soil but be-
cause the rich grasses tempt the set
tiers into this easier line of industry.
In Lamoure county wheat is still
king. but excellent corn is produced
there and its growth is rapidly in
creasing as realization comes of its
profits and benefits
For years the farmers of Dickey
county tried exclusive wheat farming
to their impoverishment. The soil
there is more sandy than further north
and the old varieties of wheat are not
certain crops though macaroni wheat
now does splendidly and is being
rather extensively sown. Thousands
of cattle are raised here annually and
with them has come large and
steady increase in corn culture, until
now it is one of the best corn counties
in the state. Almost every variety is
grown, with yields from 35 to 60 bu-
shells per acre according to the care
given it. Many of the farmers are
finishing cattle on ground corn and
millet seed with results that are as
tonishing in returns at selling points.
Hog raising in this and the adjoining
counties of Sargent and Richland Is
RAPIDLY increasing with results ap-
parent in the large and well appointed
farm buildings and thrifty towns and
cities.
Sargent and Ransom counties have
had somewhat the same experience or
Dickey as TO exclusive wheat growing
succeeded by corn. Ransom county
has produced some of the best white
and yellow dent in the state this year
and her blooded cattle are noted all
over In this county macaroni wheat
has been raised with great success for
a number of years and here the agita-