The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-26
SEES MILLIONS
Of ACRES YET
UNTITLED
"Why Go Over the Border"
He Asks-Flax Possibili-
ties Are Great

"The opinion is common at the pres
ent time that the United States has
already reached the limit of produce
ton In wheat and in some other GER
Gals. This view is far from being
correct. The amount of land in what
is termed the dry land area. that is
capable of producing wheat. ggre-
which Is equal to six times the entire
area Of the state of Minnesota says
Prof. Thomas Shaw, the we'll known
agricultural expert.
This does not include land that is
already under crop where the rain
fall is light. The average rainfall in
the area referred to as capable of
producing wheat is about fifteen in
ches per annum. 1t lies west of the
Tooth meridian and east of meridian
12O. 1t is bounded on the north by
Canada and on the south by Mexico.
The area referred to. that is. the
0 O.000.000 acres. does not include
In the not distant uture in the dry
area. The land that is susceptible OF
irrigation embraces somewhere in the
neighborhood Of 100, 00O, 900 acres. r
Twenty Bushels Per Acre Possible.
These lands embrace a part of
fourteen states and include all of sew
eral of the fourteen. Nor does this
leASo AtAStdstO 4uSSSu tiilu III llIc west,
CT which the area IS larger than of the
lands that can be cultivated. The
300, 000, 900 acres referred to have
never vet been broken with the plow,
and yet almost every acre of the same
can he made to grow winter wheat
that would yield on the average not
less than twenty bushels per acre per
year. Take 50.OOO,0 900 acres of that
land and devote it to the production
of winter wheat at twenty bushels per
acre h result would he 1000, 900, 900,
which is a much larger amount than
is now being grown in the entire Unit
cd States.
"A Crop Every Other Year.
"The conclusion must not be reach
ed. however, that this land will pro-
duce wheat every yea Much Of it
would only produce a crop every al
ternate year. the summer fallow i'll
tcrvening between the wheat crops,
with a view to store up moisture in
the land: but in a large part of the
same area W crops can be grown in
three wears. On the superstition, how
ever. that only one crop could be taxi
en- in two years. this would mean that
only one-third of the 500. 600. 900 acres
would be required to grow the 1.OOO,-
100000 bushels of wheat.
The greater portion of this land is
we'll adapted to h growth of winter
wheat. and much of it has at least fair
adaptation for CROWN spring wheat.
less than 900. 600. 900 acres of such
land. There would seem to be no
no reason why in. say. fifteen years
from now Montana alone should not
grow 100000. 900 bushels Of wheat
every year.
Flax Supply Not in Danger.
THE line Of argument that has
been used with reference to wheat
may also be used with reference to
flax. Fears have been expressed that
the flax product would in the near
future run far below the demand.
There would seem to he no good rea-
son for such a fear: The growing of
where there is still large room for
the extension of the flax area. Take
1000, 900 acres Of the bench lands Of
Montana and devote them to the
growing Of flax: the result would be
a larger crop than Is now growing in
the entire United States. Experience
during recent years has proved that
the land n also the climate Of Mon
tana have very high adaptation for
the growing of this crop. The same
Is also true Of much of the land in
nearly all of the northwestern states.
With due attention to the growing Of
this crop. the time should never come
NHclA tldL HIN IdIllue VIII arrive mat
has been S q much feared.
Room Vet for Thousands of Farmers.
I'm the face of these facts, why
should so many of our farmers leave
this country to engage in farming
north of the boundary line? Nearly all
of h land referred to. or at least a
large portion ct it. is homestead
land. or course. 1t is now being taken
up rapidly. but there is still an oppor-
tunity for thousands and tens OF
thousands of farmers to secure homes
in the various states included in the
area that has just been discussed.
1.-The e that has also been ex-
pressed hat with the breaking up of
the range pastures the production of
meat will grow less does not rest on
any good foundation. Ma sooner will
these lands be cultivated thar they
will produce two or three times the
amount of meat that they have fur
nished In previous years"
Lincoln Steffens may he ms truly
good as his view of the Mcnamara
r,no0 inItxu I,A 49,. .-t,