The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-02
MORTON COUNTY
HAS Big PROSPECT
FUTURE OF LARGEST COUNTY IN
NORTH DAKOTA AS SHOWN BY
COMMISSIONER sGILBREATH


Mandan, N. D., Jan: "A single
county in North Dakota capable of
producing a quarter OF fax equal to
one-fifth of the entire production of
that seed in the United States, with
enough arabic land to produce $4,000
600 bushels Of wheat in a single year,
10000 900 bushels of oats, and rye and
corn, potatoes and other crops in pro-
portion, is the manner in which w. G.
Gilbreath, commissioner of agriculture
and labor of the state of North Dakota
looks at the future of Morton county
the largest county in the state now
that Ward county has lost that honor
through it's several divisions of late
years.
Comprising 2,SOS,S17 acres. only one
twelfth of which is now being farmed,
Commissioner Gilbreath bases his be-
lief of future greatness on statistics
available on the county's production
from the present acreage under culti-
walton. Only 225,SS6 acres of Morton
county land is under cultivation today,
and that is about one-twelfth Of the
total arabic land in the county when
deductions are made for such portions
OF the county as are not suitable for
agriculture.
| Commissioner Gilbreath does not
undertake to say what the future of the
county in it's dairying pursuits may be
! but the fact that one-seventh of the
creameries of the state are located In
/ the county indicates the fact that the
dairying industry will always be one Of
the important branches Of the county''
resources.
! Daring upon the part of the pioneei
farmers OF the county has been respon'
sible for the splendid development III
to the present time, and continuation
of that progressive spirit Is what Com
missioner Gilbreath says will plac'
Morton county on the map as tn
greatest producing county in the entir
union.
Turning retrospectively to tn
initial cause of all the present da,
. prosperity, 1t seems natural to discov
err that to wheat more than to an,
other staple should be given the larges
share of credit, at least during tn
early days of agricultural progress,
says Commissioner Gilbreath, I'm dis
cussing the situation In Morton count
today. with the first tickling OF tn
soil by the plaw of the pioneer anpl
| proof was furnished of the fallacy 9
the pessimistic claim which had bee
| made that wheat would not grow o
| the rolling upland. Remuneratiy
| crops were Immediately Forthcoming
while a better understanding of til
\ nature of the soil and the methods {
! cultivation which naturally followed
more extended experience, revealed
source of wealth heretofore only diml
realized. In 1885 there were only 20
S61 bushels Of wheat raised, while
the last statistics available the farmel
of the county threshed 1,798,3s
bushels. The history Of wheat de
velopment has been that OF other sma
grains as well.
I'm no way, however. hasthe ind'
pendent spirit of agricultural invest
cation been more strikingly illustrate
than in the evolution of heavy yieic
ing and commercially profitable VI
rieties of flint and dent corn by MortC
county farmers. 1t is probable tn
Morton county pioneers in the southel
section were among the first In H
! northern part Of the territory of ID;
= kota TO undertake the cultivation
this grain In the late 7O's. The varie
= raised, however, was entirely of I
= less productive but very hardy sque
z kind, and but little endeavor was ma
|. by the few who planted it at ell
y introduce the heavier yielding denI Y
= rfeties OF the eastern states An entc
prigifg gardner here ana there did 4
! pertinent along these lines finally, 4