The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-28

enormous sum of eighty million bush
els. In addition, there is the usual
amount of barley oats, millet and
other grasses, and vast area of corn.
Perhaps the most profitable crop
In the state is fax. and. at the risk
OF being classed as an optimist, 1t is
wholly within the truth for me to
say that from $40 to $50 per acre
have been realized in many years
crop of fax-an amount, indeed, suf-
ficient to pay the entire cost Of the
land and something to spare. 1t is
reasonable to anticipate twenty mil
lion bushel crop of fax this year.
Last year North Dakota grew two
thirds of the flax-seed crop of the
United States. The great bulk of this
product is shipped away to the lin
seed oil mills of the country, and
there is no reason to doubt that be-
fore long these mills will be estab-
lished in great number throughout
the state. There are already several
Hnseed oil mills in successful Oper-
alton within the state.
In the earlier years we frequently
heard complaint that there was no
fuel in North Dakota, and. indeed,
quarter of century ago, but few men
could be found anywhere who would
certify that there was any coal in
the state. AS time has gone along,
1T has been demonstrated by govern
ment surveys and examinations that
there are almost 10000 square miles
of coal in North Dakota. True. it is
Ignite coal, but a superior to the
best wood for fuel and steam pur-
poses, that it is constantly growing
in demand. Ignite coal for some
years past has been used in all the
public institutions of North Dakota
and It is fast coming into general use
There are vast regions of land UNDER
laid with heavy veins of Ignite coal,
above which are found the most won
derful fire clays that have been dis
covered anywhere on the continent.
The time Is not far away when pottery
will be one of the great industries
here.
In the western part of the state
there are numerous manufactures of
fire brick, and the demand for these
brick is already in excess of the pres
ent means of supply. Shipments of
fire brick made from North Dakota
clays are going to the Pacific coast,
to Canada, to Mexico and elsewhere.
There is today an exhibit of pottery
and queensware at the capitol build
ing in Bismarck made from North
Dakota clays at a New Jersey pottery
that will bear the closest comparison
with like products from any part of
the world. Men with capital for in
vestment in this line will before long
discover the great advantage for
their business in North Dakota
where vast tracts of coal and clay
may be found together.
In addition to the advantages thus
far enumerated. there is, of course
the well-known adaptibility of the
country for stock raising. Here, es-
pecially in the valleys along the riv-
ers of the state, can be grown the
finest quality of alfalfa. red clover
bronze grass, timothy, and, in fact
every kind Of forage for stock. Z.
1t was a discouraging sight to see
the straw produced from the vast
crops of fax, wheat and other grains
destroyed by fire in the fields, and
! the time will come when all such ma
terial will be utilized in the man
ufacture of valuable saleable products
At the present writing no gold
mines have been discovered in North
Dakota, but with the wonderful pos
sibilities in agriculture, stock raising
and the manufacture of pottery and
brick, no gold mines are necessary
to make North Dakota the richest
] section of our country.