The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1911-03-25
BELFIELD
DRY FARMING

A Profitable Meeting. First in
Western Part of County. Hol-
landers Are Seeding 1000 ;.
Acres. Interested Crowd. :.
The Dry Farming meeting a, Belfield
on the 18th was very we'll attended not
withstanding the day being cold and dis
agreeable, accounting for many farmers
not getting in until the afternoon
session. There is no record of any
institute or farming meetings ever hav-
ing been called at this point before
and the initial meeting is therefore
chronicled with more than usual inter-
est.
As many Of our readers know, the
hustling village of Belfeld. with it's five
elevators. three banks and many stores,
has sprung up in the last five or six
years. previous to which time it was
just little trading point for stock
growers who occupied the thousands of
unclaimed acres tributary thereto.
During the past year the Holland
Dakota-Landbouw Co., VIM. F. GobiGs,
manager, has made large investments
In the vicinity, making Bel6eld head
quarters. The company owns $4,000
acres and will seed half of the land to
grain this spring. including about 5000
of wheat, 3, 500 acres of flax on land to
be broken. 50 acres of durum wheat,
corn and other crops. To accomplish
the vast amount of seeding and nearly
1000 acres of new breaking, the COM
pany purchased four steam and one
GAS engine, and with skilled engineers
and farm foremen they will likely have
no difficulty in carrying out the work.
Operations commenced this week in the
vicinity of Zenith, where the company's s
portable houses were hauled from Bel
field with engines. These structures
consist Of Cook, dining and bunk
houses, blacksmith shop, etc. So that
where you see the Holland Dakota-La
bouw Co. workmen in the field a
veritable village of movable houses is
seen in the locality. - s-52 -
Grain warehouses are located at both
Belfeld and Zenith. and modern ma
chinery and appliances are everywhere
accessible for the so men, mostly Hol-
landers from the Old Country, employed.
It is also interesting in this connection
to know that the company has an ex-
perimental farm. of i09 acres in an L
form just outside Belfeld to the
southeast. The land cost the company
500 per acre and is to be farmed in
small plots on scientific lines. One of
Hollands famous soil experts came
over four months ago to give the matter
special attention. 1t was expected that
the Agricultural college of North Dakota
would take charge of portion of this
great demonstration farm. but the cut
ting down Of state appropriations may
preclude this. It is safe to say that
the extensive operations Of. the Holland
Dakota-Landbouw Co. will be most
carefully watched. The farm barn at
Bel6eld has "a head of Holstein cows
and another portion of the company 9
land also has quite herd Of cattle as
well as horses.
For the success of the Dry. Farming
meeting at Belfeld. great deal Of
credit is due. VIM. F. Gobius. one Of
the county vice-presidents. who worked
INCREASINGLY to get speakers and crowd.
At the .Bel6eld Amusement Hall,
James a. Eslick, president Of the village
council, gave cordial address. of vel
come. He said that he knew the farm
ers of the. locality were eager to learn
and in behalf of the village of Belfeld
he wanted to do everything possible
to make the stay of visitors both pleas
ant and profitable.
Before introducing Prof. Thomas
Shaw. Supt. L. r. Waldron and John
Christensen as speakers, VIM F. Gobius
gave a short address. He said tina,
when you help make the farmer pros
porous you help make the country pros.
porous, and by better methods of culti-
walton Of. the soil you can overcome
many difficulties. Mr.. Gobius also
referred to the results of good methods
used in. Holland teday as compared
with those Of dfty and one hundred
years ago. One man il writing him said
that his wheat yielded only 50 bushels
g the acre, as though that was very
small. Mr.. Gobius did not expect thai
our people could do -qnite as we'll as
the sturdy HolIanders were doing il
their native land, but he was sure that
we could greatly improve our presen,
methods.
The speakers for both the Bel6eld ane
Richardton meeting were the same witt