The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-26
NORTH DAKOTA THE YOUNG
MANS COUNTRY.

MAX Bass in Fargo Forum,

MAX Bass in Fargo Forum.)
Surprising changes have taken place
in North Dakota since the day I reach
ed Belfield, far out beyond the Mis-
souri, in a country, where 1t was said
at the time, there were mo ten COM
mandments." 1t wasn't quite that bad,
but to say the least it was pretty
wOolly. l was slayer, however, and
North Dakota was my home for a long
time, until came east to promote its
settlement, in which work l have been
engaged for over decade. My early
belief was the common one of that day,
that agricultural settlement would be
limited at the best to the eastern half
of the state, but North Dakota is MAX
ing history. She is correcting some OF
the errors and false impressions that
have prevailed concerning her capa-
bilities. After seeing fields of wheat
away out in the western part of the
state where only bunch grass grew to
feed the occasional herds of cattle, I
am almost won over to the optimistic
claim that. aridity is thing of the
past hope it is so. Maybe the
planting of trees, the breaking of the
sod covering soil retentive of mois-
ture, and the cultivation of crops
adapted to smaller rainfall than in
the Mississippi Valley, has something
to do with it. North Dakota farmers
have been learning the theory of crop
rotation and the diversity and adapta-
ton of crops. The state agricultural
college, the three experiment stations
and the farmers institutes are doing a
great work, in which they are ably
seconded by a responsible and intel
ligent newspaper press, the state hav-
ing the highest percentage in this re-
spect-One paper to each LOO people
in the union.
Il Agreat deal has been said and writ
ten about North Dakota, her climate
especially having been maligned. A
great deal more can be said, the theme
Is as exhaustless as her soil is rich.
North Dakota Is young mans as
well as the middle aged and the old
mans country. competency awaits
any fOresighted young man who is
willing to take hold and do his share.
can recall scores of instances where
young men located in the state, with
little or no means, rented farms and
In many cases paid for them from one
crop: That has been true every year
ANAt AAAkAAAy J OebA . oAAA WAAA W. AOROcSLJu
for many years to come. The wheat
crop last year was the largest of any
state in, the union, while the fax was
away IN leadership among all the
states the total yield of the past four
years more than equalling half of the
total OF the union. Flax is q profita-
BILE crop. The per capita value of 4
farm products of the state is the high
est In the union. This out In a coun-
try that Proctor Knott termed a vast
terra incognita- the bleak northwest
and that General Haxen, apd army OFF,
Gers who. claimed to speak from per-
sOnal observation, claimed to be "a
sffigid salkali desert, unacceptable and
lninhab itable. These declarations
have been filedS away with others made
by nnsn who prophS sied with too much
conidsncs against American possibin-
gtiee North Dakota has Just fairly
started on her career of growth and
prosperity. The psnple already IN the,
etata 1fe able t0a e4rd Away millions;
Of buShels 8of wheat To- help feed the