The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-13

EEN northwesterly county in Min
I'm nesota, and has a population of
about 5000, consisting of many
nationalities, the Scandinavians pre-
dominating. The county has good rail-
road facilities for marketing its i'm
mense crops of wheat, flax, barley
oats and vegetables, which are pro-
duced here every year. There are six
railroad towns and twelve inland post
offices. The county contains about
100000 acres. The soil is heavy
black vegetable loan with clay sub
soil.
This region is eminently we'll adapted
to diversified farming. All kinds Of
crops yield abundantly and are largely
grown including wheat, oats, barley,
corn, flax, potatoes, hay and vegetables.
While hard spring wheat is the prin
Cipal crop, the greatest variety of ag-
ricuItuTaI products which are success
fully raised on these fertile prairies in
sure an annual profit to the farmer.
When very low prices for wheat pre-
vail for a year or so, the prices of other
crops are almost sure to be favorable
and the farmer can, with reasonable
certainty, depend upon profitable re-
turns for his labor.
While Kittson county has a variety
of natural resources. agriculture and
stock raising is the main cornerstone
of its prosperity. It has long ago gain
ed a worldwide reputation as being
the banner county of the Red river
valley, the bread basket of the world.
No part of the earth's surface has a
perfect climate. In every region there
is something to complain of. The wise
ic,c hn for hi
family will look first to the health con-
ditions of any locality to which his at
tention is directed.
The climate advantages of the Red
river valley and Kfttson county are Of
a high order. distinguished feature
is its dry air, which modifies summer
heat and winter cold. Markings on
the thermometer do not indicate the
effects upon the constitution by the
extreme temperature. The summer air
= is not sultry and debilitating, nor is
the winter atmosphere charged with
moisture which gives one the chilly
feeling common to lower ATTITUDES. The
mercury often falls considerably below
zero, but the severity of the cold is so
tempered by dry atmosphere that ex-
tremely cold weather and storms never
has long enjoyed a reputation as a
sanitarium for persons suffering from
lung and throat trouble. Malaria here
is unknown; it is a country exempt
from complaints common to the fever
ridden valleys of the warm belts. The
average annual rainfall is about TWEEN
ty-eight inches. There is nowherea Oh
the continent a more healthful climate
than that of the Red river valley and
here in KittSOn county.
The alluvial soil of the Red river
valley is a black loam and having
depth of from four to eight feet. There
is a surface covering of pure vegetable
mould produced by the decay of vege-
tation, and the loan rests upon nght
yellow clay subsoil, which contains a
good deal of mari, and is very rich,
productive and lasting, being capable
of producing good crops for many
years, without the use of fertilizer.
Experiments show that the subsoil is
so rich in the elements required for the
support of plant life that a good
growth of wheat can be raised on it
when all the surface soil has been re-
moved. The entire valley is the bed of
the ancient lake which the biologists
outline upon their maps, and to which
they give the name of Lake Agasslz
The valley soil is therefore the deposit
of alluvial matter formed in the bed OF
historic ages.
The soil is of wonderful productive
ness, being of a rich black loan with
clay subsoil. Other sections of the
country have perhaps as good surface
soil, but the distinguishing features of
that of Kittson county is that it is not
so sandy as that portion of the valley
west of the Red river, but is black
loan, made from vegetable compound
during the overflow Of the Red river in
ages past, and it is very like that on the
Missouri river bottoms of Iowa and
further South, and is as productive as
the made lands of the Yazoo delta of the
Mississippi or along the Euphrates or
River Nile. 1t contains a sufficient
amount of sand to make a quick
growth of all grain or vegetables, and
is especially adapted to the growing Of
grain and roots. 1t is the only soil in
the world that will produce crop
without rain or without irrigation and
there must be some plausible reason for
this fact, and we will tell what it is.
The wonderful fertility of the soil
and the entire absence of sloughs and
waste land will continue TO attract
newcomers here, and from this time or
the further development OF the county
will be rapid and continuous so when
you have the opportunity of buying a
farm and home in the Red river valley
at the present low prices why not come
to Kittson county, the most productive
district in the entire valley, whose
grand rolling prairies and timbered
openings intersected by ripping
streams and beautiful lakeiets of pure
sparkling water, present the ideal Of
farm homes.
AS further proof we would say that
this county had but one or two light
showers last summer, yet the average
was from IS to 20 bushels, and many
crops yielded as high as 80 to 95 bush
els to the acre, while in other parts Of
the state and in other states that had
more rain crops were a total failure.
Never in the history of the Red river
valley of Minnesota did the farmer
ever suffer a failure of crops, and the
average for wheat has never been less
port of the British delegation Of farm
ers who visited this section a few
years ago We find that they give the
enormous yield of 4212 bushels, which
theyfsaw harvested on the field of Hon.
w. f. Kelso, four miles from this city.
James Ingles, also Of this county, was
awarded a diploma at the worlds fair
in 1898 for the excellence of his grain.
But it is not on wheat alone that the
KittsOp county farmer need depend.
Corn i1ourishes in the most northern
counties of the state. AT the world s
fair Minnesota secured some twenty
five awards for corn, most of the spec
linens exhibited having been grown in
the counties Of the Red river valley.
Awards were also made for barley,
oats, rye, flax, field peas, beans, etc.