The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1908-11-28
CHARACTER
CHANGING

NOunty dS compared with Irdln
Exports Show County is Be-
coming Agricultural.
Each year sees the number of cattle
shipped from Dickinson and other Stark
county points growing constantly smaller
and smaller and this section of the state
is fast losing all it's claims as a cattle
raising country. The shipments of the
year 1908 fall short of last years totals
in large numbers and all along the line
there is decrease in the exporting Of
stock. On the other hand, the shipments
Of grain are rapidly increasing and this
years total will be almost double that
Of last year. The season is by no means
over and it is predicted that the farmers
will continue to bring in grain until
after the new year. The story the figures
tell is an interesting one. The decline
Of the great industry of cattle raising
and the rapid increase in the production
Of cereals, establishes an important turn
ing point in the history of Stark county
and the whole Missouri Slope. 1t means
that this section of the country is
rapidly becoming an agricultural coun-
try. The ranchers and ranches are be-
coming obsolete and in their stead have
come the farmers and the farms. The
great cry is to raise more grain. The
market is becoming greater and GREATER
more and more elevators are being erect
ed where once were the great cattle
yards and it will not be long before
Stark county is great agricultural
land and only enough stock will be
raised to carry out the ideas of diver
sified farming. However in the Bad
Lands and broken country there will
always be good deal of livestock
grown, for that is all that the land is
good for. :
The character of the stock is also
changing and the farmers are raising
dairy breeds instead of range cattle.
While beef cattle will be raised in this
country for long time to come it will
be largely for home consumption and as
the country continues to increase in
population. this will become more and
more true. A prominent Dickinson
cattle grower, who has shipped stock
from here for years, was asked what
was the reason for the falling off in the
stock shipments and he answered that it
was because there were not as many
cattle to ship.
The same is also true of sheep. The
big flocks are no more and consequently
the shipments are smaller. Furthermore
the price paid for sheep took a slump
this fall and many growers are holding
their flocks for better prices, merely
selling off the old ones and keeping the
young ones through the winter. The
revenue from the wool produced is more
than enough to cover the cost of keeping.
During the past season, there have
been shipped from Stark conuty about
303 cars Of cattle, sheep and horses as
compared with 1404 cars last year. OF
cattle there were 664 cars this year and
$40 in 1907. There have been 81 cars
of sheep as compared with 253 last year
and 81 cars of horses this year to 2S1
last year.
The value received this season for
cattle is about as high as last year
although the average price may be a
trifle less. The 81 cars of horses shipped
to market, figured at an average of
81, 500 per car, makes total of $85, 500.
This sum should be augmented by at
least 500. 600 on account of the horses
delivered at the Standing Rock agency
last summer, making $185, 500 for
horses, grand total of STAT, 900. as
compared with valuation of 81, 544, 500
for cattle, sheep and horses. .s
On the other hand the grain shipments
are double and in some cases even treble
last year. The price received has been
higher, and the crop. more valuable. It
is only possible at this time to estimate
the revenue from grain. as the season
will not close for six weeks yet and q
third more grain. at least, is expected
at the different elevators along the line
in this county.
At the present time, 667 cars of grain
have been shipped from Dickinson, Bel
field Tavlor Richarf1ton and Gladst0ne.
but the number will be nearly 900 before
the season is over. Last year, during
the whole season. only Gil cars were
shipped.
In Dickinson during the past year, 315
cars Of cattle. 55 cars of sheep and 48
cars Of horses were shipped from the
local station. The figures in 1907 were
sos cars Of cattle. 266 cars of horses and
164 cars Of sheep. The grain shipments
at present are about 200 cars of wheat
= . o.rSns,n,,nv.a ,.,S<I,s 80. l~nk ,.~~- =