The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-08-13

jamestown and later in the scenic
granite bouldered country around St
Cloud, Minn., each time going back
to his farm near Kensal for real life
and most profitable business returns,
Is the story Of w. F. Skroch. Mr..
skroch owns a section and half of
valuable farm land and is one Of the
substantial farmers Of northern. Stuts-
man county. He came from Trem-
palean county, Wisconsin;y in 1884 and
is we'll known among old settlers here.
The. Skroch home place is surrounded
by nice grove. The grove is in three
sections; 1000 yellow willows in the
outer tier; 1000 box elders in the
center and 1000 ash on the inside.
Mr.. Skroch's farming Is evidently
as systematic as his care of the
garden, potato patch and corn field
which accounts for his advanced pros
perity. He Is especially proud Of his
potato patch of one and half acres
which is a real experimental plat.
Early Ohios hold first position but
are discounted in size by the next
rows of the Six Weeks variety. The
balance of the field is given over to
testing several new varieties
While Mr.. Skroch is amply able to
spend his winters in a tropical clim-
ate, yet he likes the farm and gets
the best results when there in per-
son.
That Barry & Norris, the two
young men who live on the north
west quarter of S0-144-63, are hustlers
is not doubted by anyone who watch
es them handling their 1000 acre
crop. Mr.. Barry came from Carson
county, S. D., while Mr. Morris has
spent nine years accommodating this
1000 acre tract. The senior member
of the firm was born in North Dakota
and grew up in Wells county on the
old Morris homestead near Sykeston.
Some thirty-fve head of work
horses and sufficient drivers to handle
the farm machinery do the field work
without gasoline Of the expensive me-
chanical talent necessary with gas
tractors.
Courtenay last Saturday night was
we'll attended by Kensalities.
Prominent among the early settlers
in this section is J. H. Steele. Thirty
years ago Mr.. Steele was a success
full dealer in woolen goods in central
Pennsylvania. Needing a healthier
climate and recognizing the unlimit-
ed resources offered by the great
northwest Mr.. Steele came to North
Dakota and homesteaded ON the south
half of 32-144-63. His splendid mo-
dern farm house, built at cost of
$4,000, is enchanced by background
of timber which the owner set out
himself during the early days.
In the lee Of the grove is probably
the best apple and plum orchard in
Stutsman county, as we'll as prolific
patches of small fruits. There are
fifty-six Hibernal apple trees, years
ola and heavily fruited with big ap-
pies, while four S-year- old crab apple
trees are so heavily laden with apples
that the branches need propping up.
The cozy home was built three
years ago and is modern in every
way except heat. This gives Mr..
Steele and his family pleasant en-
vironment and makes farm life worth
the while. Mr.. Steele has d section
into crop, and uses twenty-five horses
in his field work. Four acres of alfalfa
planted few years ago winter kill
ed last winter. ..5
Altogether Mr.. Steele has great
hopes for the future of the country
and points to it's vicissitudes as ap-
parently one Of the essential steps to
stability a. we'll established agrieul--
tural countries have gone through ex-
tremely hard times.