The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1904-03-19
EVOLUTION OF
NORTH DAKOTA
Gradual Evolution of North
Dakota and Prosperity of
the Farmers Of the state.
How a New Farmer May Sue
ceed by Combining c Farm
ing and Stockraising.

C00O ny ~OsIuUs1uuu6 0su
ing and stockraising.
Minneapolis Journal: The north
west as field for investment and
a place of residence and endeavor
is rapidly attracting attention
throughout all parts of the country
and the time is not far off until the
once reviled North Dakota will be
reckoned among the garden spots
of the earth.
A steady progress towards con-
tinual prosperity, following upon
some of the lean years which did so
much to put the northwest in the
doubtful column, has done much
to give North Dakota the status it
should have and to give it's prairies
and products acharm which is con-
tinually attracting the investors
and building the state into one of
the most prosperous communities
in the country.
The state gained in population
between 1890 and 1900, 1876, ,427, or
"a ITO per cent and it is generally
believed that it has gained in the
past three years more than 100000
in population.
The last census awards it the
honor of being the wealthiest state
in the Union and the largest in
come per capita according to pop
ulation.
The assessed valuation of real
and personal property for the year
1908 was $145, ,537, ,444, which would
bring the actual wealth of our state
at the present time over $450,0OO,-
600, and yet there are no very rich
men in the state. These figures
do not take into consideration but
a small portion of the vast Ignite
coal deposits in the western part
of the state, whose actual extent
and value is as yet impossible to
estimate.
Estimated value of farm pro-
ducts, 1908, $685. 100000; value of
of our dairy and creamery industry
in 1903 is 100000. North Da-
kota corn won second prize at the
Pan American exposition in COM
petition with the great corn states.
One of the largest farmers in Rich
land county was 50 encouraged
with his corn growing experience
that he planted 1900 acres in 1902.
Mo1sTURE1 is JUST RIGHT.
The rainfall of that part of the
state east of the. one-hundredth
parallel is twenty three inches in
the Red river valley. As this falls
upon land that is nearly OF per-
fectly level, and possessing soil
very retentive of moisture, and
further, as the greater amount
comes through the growing season.
particularly in the spring, the
quantity in general is quite sufi-
cient.
From the conditions enumerated,
it will be seen that this region has
advantages all its own for certain
lines Of agricultural productions.
The grass family is decidedly at
home here. For thousands of
years the wide expanse Of plain
and majestic sweep of hill and val
ley, lave yielded their successive
generations of the four score or
more native grasses, and the soil
thus enriched is eminently fitted to
yield abundantly of grasses, that
man, in the past, has especially Sc
lected for his needs, the barley, the
wheat and oat.
It has been said that the cost of
opening up a farm in North Dako-
ia is greater than it is in some
states farther east. In the early
development Of Dakota when it
was exclusively devoted to wheat
raising, for the farmer to open up