Courier Democrat., 1904-11-10

to0S O01G60 SS860 sS0B, E00 11806S
income per capita q my state in the
union.
The vacant lands, which may be
taken under the homestead laws are
mainly in the western part Of the state
although there are stll scattered tracts
near the central portion Of the state.
The state school lands, comprising
one eighteenth of the entire area of the
state, were granted to the state by the
national government for the benefit of
the public schools. They occupy Sec
tions of one square mile each, numbered
l6 and 36 of each township of thirty six
square miles. Each of these sections
embraces $40 acres. The enabling act
and the constitution fix the minimum
price at which these lands may be sold
at 80 an acre. They cannot thus be
sold at less price but they may be
sold on any terms the state may fix.
The money arising from their sale
must be invested in permanent school
fund and only the interest can be used.
The terms fixed by the state provide for
the sale of these lands on twenty years
time, one-tifth down and one fifth at the
end of first five years, and one-fifth at
the end of the second. third and fourth
tive-year terms, with annual interest
paid in advance. About three hundred
thousand acres have been sold up to the
present time by the board of university
and school lands.
North Dakota's opportunities are
present opportunities. 1t will have
other opportunities later. but the fact
must not be lost sight of that this state
is advancing rapidly along many lines.
Especially is this true in the settlement
of its low priced lands and in building
up of new towns and business centers to
care for the rapidly developing coun-
try.
Westhope. now town of nearly one
thousand population, at the end of the
Great Northern's Turtle Mountain
branch, had not single resident in
November last. The men who are
doing business there now are the men
who took advantage of present oppor-
tunities. Mohall is another example of
the rapid development of North Da-
kota. 1t is about one year old and is a
town of about seven hundred persons
and growing very fast. 1t is one of the
best shipping points in the west aud
has six large elevators, with combined
capacity of 100000 bushels of corn.
Corn is coming to be an important
crop in this state. and Notwithstanding
the general opinion to the contrary.
North Dakota is fully establishing the
fact that it is within the corn belt. The
/ yield for 1903 in the state is estimated
at 100000 bushels. A large portion of
this is raised in the southern part of the
state. but it is raised in nearly every
county.
The Indians were raising corn when
the Lewis Clark expedition explored
North Dakota one hundred years ago
this present year. James Holes has
been raising corn on his farm in Cass
county for thirty-two years. Three times
during this period his corn has been
damaged by frost before it matured.
He considers it an ordinarily safe crop.
The yield is all the way from thirty to
eighty bushels an acre.
| On the Dalrymple farm in Cass
county about one thousand acres are
planted in corn annually. Mr.. Dal-
rymple believes in rotation of crops and
uses corn. oats. millet, barley, ETC., in
rotation with wheat so far as practic-
able. He finds corn profitable crop.
North Dakota produced over ten mil
lion bushels of barley in 1902. according
to the returns to the county and state
auditor.
The growing macaroni wheat closely
resembles barley in its rank growth and
in its boards, but the straw has on
closer inspection more blush cast than
ordinary barley. 1t grows from four to
nearly five feet in some cases. Among
the favorable features of this wheat is
the fact that it natures week earlier
than other varieties of wheat, making
it safer. 1t is very hardy and is less
liable to be affected by frost. The yield
is also uniformly larger than the other
varieties of wheat in adjoining fields,
produced under like conditions.
Professor G. B. Waldron of the United
States experiment station at the state
agricultural college says that North Da-
kota has grass area of 100000 acres,
capable of producing each year as much
beef as is represented by half million
three-year old steers, allowing twenty
five acres to each animal. These yoked
together would make an OK team 500
miles long, thus giving an idea Of the
immense productiveness of our pastures.
Professor Waldron also makes the