Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1907-11-14
HAY Cow eFE
'arg' u Grass Land
uxGsed In Kldder
County.

In Kidder county beginning with
the eastern range of townships and
running west clear to the Burleigh
county line is one of the best grass
growing portions Of central North
Dakota. The soil generally is con-
sidered too light and sandy for grain
farming although cons iderable grain
is grown in certain parts Of the coun-
ty. But the one fact that .strikes d
visitor 70 the county is the immense
aggregate supply of native grass.
The county is natural pasture for
stock and since the wise action of
the commissioners has prevailed in
the matter of p;owing fire breaks and
preventing prairie fires, that annual
ly, in former years, denuded the sur
face of its range, thousands of tons
Of nutritious grass are saved for win
ter feeding.
South of the N. P track, at least
the settlers have put up large
amounts Of bay and hay making ma
chinery is to be seen frequently.
Much of this hay is now upland hay
where in former years before fires
were prevented, the only hay that
was saved was from the shores OF
ponds, and sloughs. Kidder county
could become one of the greatest hay
producing counties of the state if the
settlers enG at the work svstemat-
ically.
AS general rule, throughout the
county the.houses are widely separ-
ated, some of them of little value he
ing mostly ranchers shacks. Some OF
the settlers live thronsh the winter
enduring many unnecessary hard
ships, to which they seem to become
accustomed. Good wells can usually
be had by drilling to sufficient depth
and the many.]akes furnish abundant
water supply the year around for
stock, but it takes time and patieuce
to keep the supply Of water open to
stock in winter.
A great deal of stock is raised in
the county and An increasing number
of sheep are said to be found. A
good deal of the best pasture is being
fenced in with wire fence.
There is noticeable improvement
in the matter OF farm residences in
the vicinity of Dawson and Steele.
Quite number of substantial form
houses have been erected within the
last five years including the CORES
ponding character of barns and out
buildings.
Kidder county proposes next year
to have an agricultural fair. and 1t is
not to be doubted that before many
years greater interest and more busi-
ness-like methods will prevail in util-
izing the great grass area of the
county, which owing to the general
character of the soil, is the greatest
source of wealth in the county.
What applies 10 Kidder county in
this respect can be said 10 prevail
in large portion Of Emmons, Lo-
gan, Mcintosh and Bulleigh counties.
While the grass is getting h"aVier
and the range more certain, with its
preservation from fires, tn. g'owth
is not yet as heavy as it will be in
the future. Wherever the coil can b.
success fully or profitably cultivated
settlers will do il, and gradually a
more restricted range can b. ex-
pected, put it will be some ;ears be-
fore there is a scarcity Of availa BILE
grass for the small f,rmer; and the
large rancner has no business in the
state anyhow.
The wagon roads in Kidder county
are generally fine except In certain
of The more sandy stretches where
too much sand makes it hard aud
slow travelling, but this Is only fol a
short distance as rule.
The drying up of many of The larg-
er ponds and even lakes is nov seen
to be going on at rapid rate.
Sloughs that are supplied with snow
and which formerly had water the
year around now become dry before
fall. The large lakes are get' ing
smaller and the distance from the
slrr to open water is great'r in
Long lake and other large lakes chan
it ever was. This shows that much
Of lie water supply that formerly ran
off the burned over surface of he
sell into tile ponds, now soaks i'to
the ground instead. Sore parts of
the county are nearly level but there
: are portion quite f0ngh and broken
with considerable small hrn-h gr0s
Ing on the rises Ut ground. This
growth of small timber is probably
due to its protection from fires ~
the chain of lakes and slo,ghs. that
runs in q generally southweste ~ di-