Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-01-05
|RAPID Progress Of
north DAKOTA COUNTY
n. A. CRANDAlL OF RONDA
TELLS OF TRIP IN OTHER
STATES.
South Dakota and Iowa are not in SO
Good Condition as North Dakota
Even Under Present Conditions.

The T" me is in receipt of the
following letter from one of the prom.
inent farmers of Mercer county, and
takes pleasure in publishing the
same. in order that it's readers may
gain some idea of the conditions in
other states as compared with those
existing in their home common.
wealth:
Editor Tribune:-As l have just
returned home from a trip through
central and northern Iowa and
through cas- ern and northeastern
South Dakota via Cakes and James,
town, North Dakota and thence west
over the Northern Pacific railroad to
Hebron, l thought perhaps a few
worus in regard to existing condi-
tons as l found them might be of
interest to portion of the Tribune
readers. In central and northern
Iowa the 1911 grain crop was very
good, but not quite up to the average
Of that section. The fruit crop es-
pecially early apples was large, and
many apples went to waste on the
ground.
But while apples were plentiful
the potato crop was very short, and
the greater part OF the potatoes on
the market were shipped in from
Minnesota and other points.
At Cedar Rapids, Iowa, December
LIST. potatoes were selling from ST.,
a bushels Hay was selling from
$1,000 to S1S.0O per ton according to
quality. Butter was selling from SOC
to Acc pound, and eggs nearly as
high. In northern and northwestern
Iowa the crops were not so good In
South Dakota via Canton Sioux
Falls, Huron, Redfield and Aberdeen
the crops We're short on account OF
the extreme dry weather. At Garth.
age, South Dakota. l visited my
brother on the farm where he and I
broke prairie with oxen in 1883 and
1884. At present he is nicely fixed
but of course feels the effect of the
1911 light crop. The weather in To-
wa and South Dakota so far this VIM
ter has been similar to the North
Dakota weather with the exception
of more snow from Huron, South Da.
kota to Cakes. North Dakota of any
place along the route.
Coming north from Hebron 35
miles into Mercer county ~ team, l
found less snow the farther l came
north until found very poor sleigh
ing here.
Now while the crops in this county
were not first class last year, there
certainly was large amount of
grain raised here which is evidenced
by the large loads of grain being
hauled to market by team daily. And
also by the amount of grain yet un-
threshed in the fields.
This is also evidence of the great
need of better railroad facilitis in
this section of the country for the
more rapid and less expensive trans
portation of the large quantities of
grain which this section will produce
However we are looking forward and
anxiously awaiting for the Mandan
extension of the Northern Pacific
railroad via of Stanton and through
Mercer and Dunn counties which
We hope and expect will be complet-
ed through here in time to transport
the 1912 crop.
Now in closing wish to state that
l have seen western Iowa develop,
since 1870 and have seen South Da-
kota develop since 1883, and l nave
never seen any place develop SO fast
or land values increase so rapidly as
they have done in Mercer county.
North DAKOTA, in the last five years.
With best wishes for Happy and
prosperous New Year for North Da-
kota, | am
Respectfully,
H. A. Crandall,