The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-11-27
OUR COUNTY
Development in This County Greatest
in the State
(rrom Northern Minnesota Booster)


acknowledgements in trans
portation rates and service by rail
and water, climate that contri-
butes to labor efficiency, cheap
water power, railroad development
in and surrounding the county and
the fact that it is natural dis
tributing center for a great terri
tory in the Northwest.
Our attention is now called to
the agricultural results and posi-
bilities of St. Louis County, a dis
trict where agricultural results
and possibilities have grown i'm
mensely and where people are
demonstrating their intelligence
and ambition in buying cheap
lands.
The man who has owned pro-
ductive farm in St. Louis County
for the past few years is the only
man who has not been seriously
complaining of the high cost of
living, for the reason that he is
one of the benefciaries of the pres
sent condition.
St. Louis County being located
as it is, has numerous waterways
and lakes, which give it excellent
drainage facilities and also has a
tendency to keep the early and late
frosts. away. The rainfall amounts
to about thirty inches annually and
drouth is unheard of in this dis
trict.
The characteristic soil of this
county is a clay loan, which varies
to a sandy loan in certain districts
and is. underlaid with a clay sub
soil. The top soil being very
fertile and from six to eighteen
inches in depth, is very quick and
warm, and insures crops which
mature early under these condi-
tons.
This county has an ideal climate
for growing and stock-raising,
the summer months being cool and
the hot dry winds that the prairie
farmers have to contend with are
unheard of here. Our first killing
frost in the fall comes about Octo-
Der 4th and the last in the spring
about May 3rd. These are aver
age for the last thirty-seven years.
The wind conditions and tempera-
ture harmonic so as to promote
plant life and to administer to the
comfort of mankind and animals.
In the past few years many
truck farms have started i'll St.
Louis County and in almost every
case have proved profitable adven-
lures. Turn1pS, rutabagaS,
mangles and other vegetables are
raised for winter feeding. Condi-
tons for truck farming are perfect
and our nearnessto markets destines
this to become an important branch
of agriculture. Potatoes alone
will yield under fair conditions
from 200 to $50 bushels per acre.
One prize acre near Chisholm
yielded 626 bushels. The potatoes
from one hill were found to weigh
81 pounds and had nineteen
marketable potatoes. The produc-
ton in the last ten years has in
creased 90 per cent in this branch
of agriculture. Onions netted one
man 5000 per acre and his garden
peas brought from SIS to $500
per bushel in Duluth. ,g
St. Louis County Strawberries
sell in Duluth for s.. per case.
Out of half an acre, forty miles
north from Duluth, was sold "a
crates of "a quarts each.
q. c. Hartley, the Duluth
millionaire farmer, has realized
81 100000 per acre from his celery
and head lettuce. The immense
yields of clover, timothy, blue
joint, red top and other varieties
supply the farmer not only with
choice pasturage, but with the best
of hay for winter. The first cut
ting of clover in this district shows
from four to five tons per acre can
be cut and that the second crop
will cut from l u to two tons per
acre, or can either be pastured
This has market value of $500
per ton. Alfalfa is being grown
successfully. giving large returns
on farms throughout the country
Oats run as high as 80 bushels per
acre and in the last ten years the
production has increased AS pei
cent. Wheat runs from % to sc
bushels per acre. Corn is also
raised to good advantage,
especially for fodder and ensilage.
Dairying and stock raising COM
prise the principal lines of agri-
culture in St. Louis County. 1t is
not necessary to have the land COM
pletely: cleared for this purpose, as
there is an abundance of roughage
and pasture. This furnishes the
farmer with the best of hay for
winter. The dairy farm is on a
paying basis from the start, stats
tics shows that the cream check
from the average cow runs about
$1,000 to $500 per month. One
creamery received 1900 pounds
of cream and paid 81, 10000 to