Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-22
BY T. II. Atkinson.

August Is devoted an entire section
of it's big issue to North Dakota and
the west and State Engineer Atkinson
contributed the following we'll written
and valuable synopsis of the indus
tries and conditions. The paper has a
wide circulation and the advertising
gained for the state will be of in
estimable value.
The State of North Dakota, con-
tanning 45,OOO,000 acres, lies between
the Red River of the North on the
east and the one hundred and fourth
meridian on the west, the north
boundary line of which is the inter
national boundary between the Unit
ed States and the Domin'n ofCanada
and extending south therefrom 21O
miles and extending west from the
Red River 80 miles. 81,
North Dakota is distinctively a
prairie state, with but few hills OF
| sufficient size to be called noun
famous. The land west from the
Red River of the North for dis
lance varying from twenty to forty
miles through the length Of its
course through the state was origin
ally the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz
and is known as the Red River Val
ley, the soil of which is noted for
it's fertility and produces abundant
crops of No. / hard wheat, as we'll
as oats, barley, fax, potatoes and all
other root crops grown in our nor
thern ATTITUDES.
The farmers of this valley have
for the past ten years been gradually
diversifying their crops and are be-
ginning to realize the value of dairy
ing and stock raising, considerable
increase in acreage of corn being
seen annually, with yield that com"
pares favorably with the yield: in
Minnesota and Iowa.
Crops of timothy, red clover and al
falfa, yielding from two tons per
acre at each of two cuttings, now
being grown In this valley, proves
that it only needs a little education
of the wheat farmer to convert him
to the value of keeping dairy cows
and the feeding and retaining on his
land the fertility now being shipped
out of the state in small grains.
The principal rivers draining the
state are the Missouri, the Mouse
river, the Red River of the North,
which drains the famous Red River
valley, and the James river. The
area drained by the James river in
North Dakota comprises 5000 900
acres of rolling land of somewhat
lighter soil than that of the Red
river valley. but successful mixed
farming is practiced throughout the
entire area.
Area Drained by the Missouri.
The area drained by the Mouse
river contains soil as fertile as that
of the Red River valley land has
practically all been settled since the
year 1900, the farmers being among
the most prosperous of any in the
state. Improved lands in this area
are held at from $25 to $50 per acre,
depending on the value of the i'm
provements, while wild land is val
ued at from s14 to $40 per acre.
The area drained by the Missouri
river comprises nearly -one-half Eof
the state or 2O,000,O00 acres in the
southwestern portion. This area Is
rolling prairie land suitable for
mixed farming and stock raising, and
is being settled rapidly. Dry; farm
| ing is practiced and the. country is
we'll suited to the growth of durum
wheat, which. during the past few
years. has been grown extensively
The country, formerly occupied by
the Indians and after the extension
of the Northern Pacific railroad in
1880, occupied by the large stock
men, who ranged thousands Of head
each Of horses and cattle, has now
become the home of thousands of
settlers who, having been renters on
the land in the older settled states,
have gathered a few dollars together
and moved to this territory.
The principal industries as here
tofore outlined are farming and stok
raising. The distance from the mar
kets Of raw material and the scarcity
of labor makes the production OF
manufactured goods expensive. ex-
cept for the production Of -four.
The mills of. ~. the state are
producing the highest quality Nof
-four and, while large quantities OF
this are used in the home state
yet the large surplus is shipped to
the extreme eastern states and for
eign countries. Good labor Ia
scarce for the reason that no matter
how poor a man is when he arrives
In this state he is willing to work
and is endowed with an average
amount of intelligence he will soon
be in the position of an employer
of labor himself. The opportunities
for advancement from poverty to
affluence are not surpassed by any
state in the Union. for those who
are willing to work.
The total population of the state
lis $4,000. Since 1905 1t is estimated
to have increased to over 100000, the
large increase having been in the
- s.sra TX - .a ts..,z 5'5