Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-04-17

N accurate information in regard u
the unoccupied lands OF the country
lanes Wilson, secretary OF agricul
tnre in 1908, directed the chic: o.
the bureau Of soils of the U. > ne
nartment of agriculture to beg'E ON
of the g.eatest inventories OF our 'ia
t;onal soil resources which has eve'
hoen undertaken. The orders were u
make a soil survey of the lands Yves
of the Tooth meridian, and east OF lh(
Rocky mountains from the Canada,
limo to the Rio Grande. The worp
has begun in western North DaKotf
AVID during the summer season OF LUZ
= soil survey patty, in charge CT Mr.
Macy H. Lapham, completed the sol
survey of 39,54O square miles IN the
western part of North Dakota in's
comprises an area almost eq"ai II
size to that of the state OF Kentucky
greater than that of the state ~ IN
diana or of the state Of Maine. neary
~ aoualing the size Of the state o.
Ohio. and only a little less than the
ejzc of New York and Pennsylvania
The Passing of the Red Mar.
For a long time this vast agricui
tural empire was unOccupled excep'
nv Indians in search of game. Will
the westward advance of civilization
the grazing of cattle and horses dis
placed the Indian and the bunalo
and several sharp border wars final
" gave the country to the DONNA.
ton of the white man. proves OF
steers and mustangs were turned OUT
upon the range the year around, with
no thought of shelter other than that
provided by nature. Although a lit
tie wild hay was occasionally cut TO
carry the livestock through the worst
of the winter billiards.. During the
early days of this industry thousands
of head Of cattle ranged over extern
siye areas and the ranchers owned
nothing but their livestock and a
centrally located ranch house with its
corrals. The greatest development
of ranching took place in the late
7O's and early SOS and the days Of
the great ranchers were followed by
those of the smaller man who grazed
from 200 to 600 head of cattle and
horses Some survivors of this re-
CINE still remain in the more out OF
the way sections where the land is
too rough to be utilized for more
intensive agricultural pursuits.
Conquest Of the Prairies.
At q somewhat. later date sheep
were introduced into the country and
the industry proved to be very prof.
table, on account of the splendid nat
ural grazing facilities. the excellent
water supply, and the comparatively
light expenses involved in herding
sheep. Thus the conquest of this
great plains region was wroght by the
rancher and grazer, preparing the
way for the more intensive agricul-
ture of the crop producer. At an early
date trials were made with the pro-
duction of cereal crops. These fire.
quently resulted in partial or CON-
plete failure, owing to the use of var
ieties unadapted to the soils and the
climatic conditions, and also in large
part to the crudity Of the cultural
methods employed. Grain production
was merely incidental to the main
business Of grazing, and under these
circumstances one can scarcely Won
der that no pronounced success met
the early attempts. With the demon.
stration that dry farmed grain would
succeed during seasons Of average
rainfall, few ranchers who had
been disappointed by unusually heavy
losses in their herds turned their at
tention to farming. With the same
vigor which had characterized their
ranching operations they turned to
the tillage of the land and the sue
cess attained by these pioneer farm
ers becoming more widely known at
the time when the more attractive
prairie lands farther to the east had
been occupied, the first rush Of the
homesteaders was made for the prafr-
les Of the Dakotas.
Farming DispIaces stoetraisina.
The majority of these early settle.
ments were made in the vicinity Of
the larger rivers. Nearly all of the
early farms included some bottom
land along the river, as we'll as the
upland in the prairies. For twenty
years the agricultural settlement of
the country had been slowly but
steadily progressing and north of the
Missouri river farming had almost en-
tirely displaced the stock raising in
dustry during the past few years.
Practically all of the desirable lands
subject to homestead entry, have
been taken up within the past two
years and settlement is now making
rapid inroads upon the more broken
and less accessible lands lying south
and west of the Missouri river.
The introduction of varieties of
wheat which could be grown upon
these upland prairies with a minimum
amount of rainfall during the growing
season. and the development of dry
land methods Of farming, have rem
dered available for cultivation thous-
ands of acres which fifteen years ago
were considered to be of no value
whatever except for the ranging of
cattle and sheep. Agriculture is still
in it's early stages Of development,
and the principal crops are those
which can be produced on newly
broken prairie land by extensive me-
thods of farming, Wheat, fax, oats,
barley and potatoes, together with
wild hay, are the principal crops,