Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-04-24
Crawford is
from Missouri
And Has Been Shown the
Agricultural Value of
the Slope Country.

the Slope Country.
A few years ago the mind of the average
man, unacquanted with the. actual confli-
tions, living in the eastern or middle states,
was prejudiced against North Dakota and
especially against the western part of said
state. Only a few years ago. the western
part of the state was regarded as portion
OF the great American desert, fit for graz
ing purposes only. and. ON account of the
severe winters, not a very desirable coun-
try even for that. This impression, SO
prevalent in the eastern and central states,
was fostcred by the glaring reports of the
eastern papers concerning the terrible and
destructive billiards. that occurred in win
ter and the withering hot. winds of summer:
and there was no tale, however dire and
disastrous. that was not accepted as truth.
On the other hand. if good reports did
occur in the press in the eastern and mid
die states concerning Western North Da-
kota, they were viewed with distrust as
eminating from some land spectators or
from those interested in catching the un-
wary 1t was among those unacquainted
with the facts, living in those states, that
these reports were created that were detri
mental to the country, until it became a
fixed belief with them to think the country
practically valueless. The writer was
somewhat inclined to this opinion before
he personally visited the Slope country
SIX years ago. and it was certainly sur
prise to find the country so much better
than was then currently reported by the
eastern press.
Now, as to what l have been shown as
regards Dickinson and the Slope country,
will say. that six years ago, when first
came to Dickinson. the residents themselves
were doubtful as to the real value of the
Slope country as an agricultural country
and for considerable period prior to that
time there had been but very little effort
made toward farming and for that reason
many of the oldtimers doubted the advsa-
bility of attempting to raise crops. But
every year for the past six there has been
an increase of acreage put to crops and
there has not been single failure since
that time, and, as the farmers get better
acquainted with the conditions and devote
more thot to the soil and climatic condi-
tions affecting the raising of crops, greater
returns will be received than in the past
Many are skeptical as to the value of
the Slope country as an agricultural coun
try on account of the small rainfall during
the year. The records disclose that, for
the past sixteen years, there has been an
average of fifteen inches of rainfall per
year and, on that account, it is considered
by many to be a criterion by which to
Judge the adaptibility of this part of the
state to agriculture. But, on closer exam
ination, it will be disclosed that during
these sixteen years. the average rainfall
during May and June has been 5.2S inches
being more than one-third of the rainfall
for the entire year. And it is further dis
closed that more than two-thirds of the
entire rainfall occurs during the months
when the crops are growing, and this will
readily disclose why it is that crops do so
we'll and give such great returns as they do
in Western North Dakota. During the
last six years, the writer has seen some
fields of wheat and oats in the western part
of North Dakota as good as he ever saw
anywhere. One of the things that the
writer has been shown is that Western
North Dakota, for agricultural purposes,
considering all the advantages attached to
farming in this community, the cost of the
land and the amount invested, yields great
er profit than can be realized on agricul-
tural lads in the central states.
During the past six years, Dickinson and
the Slope country have witnessed grad
ual transition from strictly ranching
country to mixed farming community.
Many residents considered that when this
transition from n ranching to farming COM
munity occurred, the city itself would suffer
by reason thereof, but, during the last six
years, Dickinson has made rapid and
steady progress, not only as to public i'm
provements, but as to the amount of bust
ness transacted in the city. Dickinson has
grown, in the past six years, from town
of 2, 500 inhabitants to city of 5000 in
habitants, with public improvements and