Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-19
The Wonderful
Fertile Lake Region
By John A. Monger.

The story of North Dakota's devel-
opmcnt in the past twenty-five years
is "A dream Of empire come true, ana
vet so comparatively little has oeen
accomplished that the results or inc
mast caunot moro than give slight in
dications of the mighty place the
North Dakota of the future, we mean
in 1920. will fill, when the state pop
lIIatiou will have increased to one
million and IL quarter. n marvellous
growth in statewide filling up is go
ing OH So rapidly. that the average
business nam cannot comprehend IT,
for there is no state in the UNION
among the agricultur1stS OF Tue eas.-
crn states that fills a larger space IN
tho public eye than that OF North
Dakota. as it offers more opportuni-
ties To now home builders than any
other section on the western menus
nhcrc 'rnis accounts for the great
Transformation that is going on, the
ike of which has been seldom Wit
messed in rhc onward march or clVlll-
cation. North Dakota's imperial pro-
nortions. endowed by nature with APP
parertly illimitable resources OF soil
almost ineNh;luStible deposits of liS-
alto coal and shale beds that await
me opportlnity to be moro fully uti,-
iXetl, having been only fondlcd WIN.
not developed North Dakota today
orcr. to the LlushandrN OF the Worla
an almost unprecedented spectacle OF
wealth in the making. opportuhiues
IN now home building that were ls-
norcd during the great western I'M
,,,irra1iou tide to the Pacific and Ca
nadian northwest. which resulted III
,he settlement of both OF these reg
:ons, and it looked for time us
though North Oak kota's claim tn great
ness must always rest on It's carry
ronocrs. the original settlers. But
the awakening came III 1910 with the
hursted boom in the Canadian north
west and that of the Pacific north
west and during the past four years
North Dakota has been the scene ol
settlement and development upon
mammoth scale. Its population has
Increased from 57T.056 to 100000 i'll
round numbers. according TO Il bulle-
lin issued by the United States de-
nartmcnt Of commerce July /, l9lA.
This increased population has come
without the noise or excitement sug-
sestive of q boom. North Dakota is
giving ample evidence OF the dawn
of a. new era. which bids fair to make
The success of it's past growth pale in
20 insignificance.
Among the many favored agricul-
tural zones of the state, none eNcellS
that Of the Lake Region OF eastern
North Dakota, comprising six coun-
lies. Ramsey. Towner Rolette. Cav
alier, Nelson and Benson, with land
urea Of i.4SS,S13 acres. unequaled in
natural scenery. climate. fertility of
soil aud big crop Yields and one not
familiar with this region of fabulous
crop wealth during the past twenty
live years would consider it an eXag
..eration to write truthfully of this
veritablc paradise of farm lands best,
where every variety of plant life is
successfully prupagated that is suit
,ble to the temperate zone. This
accounts for the magic tr;,nstorma-
,ion in the Lake Region. but. great
- has been the change, ii is nothing
compared to the development that is
N store for this favorite region, now
hat its agriculturists have enrolled
te banner Of better farming. The
fnturc is not only secure. but will
exceed the enthusiastic prophesies of
the most optimistic of today. This
is the largest plateau in the United
states OF rich, deep. glacial drift soil.
running from Il rather heavy clayish
'oam. 10 Il warm quick Sandy-marl
ioam. both of which are uneXcelled
III fertility. The contour of the Lake
itcsiou is comparatively level. or rolls
n long swc'ls. giving an ever-changing
landscape view. set in the diadem of
beautiful lakes. skirted by natural
forests. that abound in wild fruit.
cherries, pluns. crab apples. finger
Ferries and grapes. and in flowers.
Wild roses. iiremen. blue bells. honey
>ucklcs. lady slippers. violets and
ferns. making the Lake Region Il
garden spot of soul inspiring scenery.
In this rim of the golden fertility of
soil. laying west of the famed
Red River of the North, between the
high hills known as Coteau DIES
!'rairies on the east. and the plateaus
If the Missouri on the west. lies this
-rcat legacy of fertile soil. with Il
present population of only 1920,
happy. contentcd and prosperous till
ers nf the soil. There is one thing
'hcy want, however. and that is more
people. They realize that the Lake
Region can easily support ten times
this population from crop yields alone,
10 say nothing of the undeveloped re-
sources of the cities and towns to
supply the wants Of the rural populu-
zion.
This; will he the big corn belt" of
North Dakota. The soil and climatic
conditions being ideal. having ia TO
las growing days each crop year,
while corn requires only 100 days to
FULLY mature. This explains the in
crease in corn acreage. every crop
year, for the past four years, which
is destined to transform the Lake