The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1904-10-28

The great portion Of North Dakota
Hes within the drainage basins Of the
Red River of the North and the Mis-.
souri, river. The eastern half of the
state varies from nearly level prairie
to rolling country, and abounds in
small lakes and rivers. The surface is
generally undulating, growing rugged
and mountainous in the extreme west
and southwest. Except for the Bad
Lands, in the extreme southwestern
part, the soil Is unusually fertile.
The soil Of North Dakota is well
adapted for the production of farm
crops of all kinds, and the climate is
favorable for the production of any
crop needed by the farmer of North
Dakota. The land is easily cultivated,
and farm work can be economically
done.
Soil and Climate.
investigation discloses the fact that
the soil of nearly all of North Dakota
is an alluvial loan, with a depth of
from one to five feet, uhderlaid with
clay subsoil having the property of
holding moisture to wonderful de-
gree, which is given out as needed by
the growing crops; that it contains an
inexhaustible supply of the most i'm.
portant soil constituents, as soluble
silica, lime, potash, soda, phosphoric
acid, nitrogen and vegetable humus,
and will produce for lifetime favor
able crops under favorable climatic
conditions. In appearance the soil va
ries from light grayish brown to al
most black in color, being darkest in
the valleys, where it is also deepest.
North Dakota has been given
black eye. on several occasions in the
past through Misrepresentation of its
climate. There is at least ten times
the suffering in New York or Chicago
from billiards. that there is in North
Dakota. And there is far less suffer.
ing from winter cold in North Dakota
than in many sections far south OF. this
state. North Dakota has cold weather
in winter, and so they do in Iowa, in
Michigan and in other states farther
j. south. The great difference is that
Dakotans prepare for the cold, expect
it in the winter ana are not bothered
in the least when it comes. The dry
ness Of the winter atmosphere and
the pure ozone more than compensate
for the difference of few degrees in
temperature.
1t is an undisputed and unanswer-
able fact that temperature of zero
in Chicago is the cause OF much more
discomfort than 80 below in North Da-
kota. Another fact that has been
amply demonstrated is that North Da-
kota is the healthicst state in, the
Union. North Dakotans to large ex-
tent are immune from lung diseases,
asthmatic, catarrhal, bronchial and
other affections, typhoid and other fe-
vers, as compared with other sections
of the country.
Wheat and Stock.
Wheat is the great staple, crop of
the North Dakota farmer. The wheat
crop in the state in 1902 aggregated
100000 bushels. The conditions ia
vor the production of the finest wheat
in the world at a minimum cost, and
for many years to come this will con-
tinue a leading crop.
The entire western part of the state
is prominently Il stock-raising Sec
ton rather than an agricultural, and
will so continue, because it is better
adapted to stock raising than to grain
raising, and yet the latter is steadily
increasing in Importance in the west
ern part of the state. On. the other
hand, the eastern part of the state,
which during its earlier years was de.
voted almost alone to grain farming,
is now devoting a steadily increasing