Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-13
THE CALL OF THE FIELDS.

THE CALL OF THE FIELDS.
In a recent issue of the New York
Sun in a communication from "A
Farmers Wife" dated at Osakis,
Mimi, which is we'll worth repro
ducing as an eloquent call to the
fields and farms of the northwest.
The letter is as follows:
We constantly read strange &C.
count of the army of the unemployed
in the large cities; of the vast
throngs who daily tramp the streets,
for mere pittance to satisfy the
pangs OF hunger; how men sell them
selves to the highest, bidder and
families are thrust out on the street
homeless, penniless and In distress
because the husband or father can
find nothing to do.
II such men are willing to work
why don't they come to the north
west, especially Minnesota, where the
farmers are in dire need of help?
Farm hands are scarce and wages
high. It is the most serious problem
the farmer has to contend with.
Wouldn't it be more sensible and hui
name to furnish free transportation
for the hungry idle to the meadows
and wheat fields of the northwest
than to encourage shiftlessnessby free
bread and charity soup? am a
widow and only with the help of
an old maid cousin l am operating
. 200 acre dairy farm. During the
rush OF seed time, haying and harvest
/ employ from one to four men with
teams, but the balance of the year
my cousin and l have done much of
the farm and dairy work alone, car
ing for stock during the winter be-
: cause there is not even q chore boy
to be found. I have one good hand
now, but I had to import him from
another state.
We have one of the finest farming
countries in the west. The prairie
Ii gently rolling, with here and there
patches of timber or groves around
the buildings for shelter. There are
many small lakes containing a gerat
variety Of fish. Osakis, where l live,
Is . village of 1000 inhabitants, in
Douglas county, 1875 miles northwest
Of the Twin Cities. Situated on the
banks OF Osak1s lake it is not only a
commercial centre for the surround
ing farming section but with the nat
ural beauty Of the woods and parks
and the pebbly beach Of the lake it
has an attraction for pleasure seek
ers. Visitors come here from New
York, Chicago, New Orleans, st.
Louis and Omaha for the season.
The lake is five miles wide and
twelve miles long and is dotted by
every conceivable craft from a gas
launch to a steam, row or sail boat.
The soil is heavy black loan re-
curing no fertilizer. This is the
park wheat belt of the northwest.
Small grain is looking fine now and
the prospects are for a bumper crop.
With modern improved machinery
one man can work from four to six
horses on gang plough, turning sev-
oral burrows at once, or a twelve foot
disc drill will seed a field double
quick, for there is neither rock nor
stump to hinder. The grain natures
30 quickly it can almost be seen to
grow. Barley natures in two months
and ten days from time of seeding.
When tle haying time comes the
HoRt is rushed through at a dizzy
pace. The mowers are followed in
twenty-four hours after cutting by
twelve foot hay rakes. followed by
hay buckers that bring the long win
drows to the stack, and hay stacker
operated by man, boy and one
horse will stack twelve or fifteen tons
4 day. The climate is fine and the
vigorous, hearty looking people at
test to its merits. One of the great
business. The farmers separate the
cream and sell it to the cream sta
tons or they operate cooperative
ereameries where the product is
turned into butter and shipped east
Many farms lie idle for the want OF
renters. Wealthy retired farmers
who have moved to town will fire.
4uently stock q farm with COWS,
sheep, pigs, chickens, furnish farm
machinery and seed grain to secure
Z reliable renter. Many Of the far
ners have g4solihe engines for
grinding their own feed saving
wood, and etc. to save hiring extra
help. We have rural telephones
bonnecttng US WITH the surrounding
eOwns and villagesjs also rural free
4elivery and good schools and
Churches. We are. very independ-
mt. happy people. The northwest
0Ountry and it, commonwealth are
particularly prosperous, with plenty
ct home comforts, money ulentiful.
good credit, and we do not feel the
financial depression that has - Grip
pied the laboring c1assess Of the
eastern, southern and middle states.
sEs Our rural homes contain books,
magazine literature OF best kind; or
E1ns, pianos, monographs, and we