The Dickinson press., 1915-11-20
MUCH GOOD LAND
STILL AVAILABLE
Extensive Clay Deposits ARE RICH
STATE ASSET.
Brick Manufacture Source of Present
Actual Wealth. Industry Prom
Uses Great Things for Future.

The total land area of North Dakota
including the Fort Berthold reserva
ton, is 44,736,477 acres. OF this prob
ably five per cent is untitled for profit
able cultivation. There would thus
remain 42,500,000 acres suited fol
farming purposes. According to the
latest assessors returns there are
5 ,794,378 acres contained in farms
Of which 1929, 1872 acres are actually
under cultivation. This would indicate
that about 16, ZOO, 900 acres remain in
the state which do not come under the
classification Of farms but yet are
arabic land.
It would seem to be a fair assump-
ton that the uncultivated portion of
the land contained in farms is needed
by the farmers themselves for in.
creased farming operations or for
grazing purposes so that this acreage
Is not readily available for home
seekers, except as the present holders
may desire to sell. The acreage then
that would be Of special interest to
the newcomer seeking a location for
farming purposes would be that area
of 16,700,O 900 acres Of arabic land not
contained in farms.
Available Land.
The most recent figures obtainable
from the United States land offices in
the state show but 493,667 acres sub
ject to homestead entry July 1, 1915,
an insignificant item when considered
in comparison with the 16,7O3,S 800 sub
ject to homestead entry in 1890. The
only land, then, in North Dakota to be
obtained free is the 493,667 acres
above referred to, c~onceivably the
least desirable tracts, and all other
land hereafter acquired in the state
will have to be acquired in one of the
following ways:
1. By entry and purchase of Fort
Berthold lands as the same are de-.
clared open to settlement by the Unit.
ed States government. Lands thus
available, 10000 acres.
2. By purchase on contract from
common school and institutional land
grants. Lands thus available, 1,703,-
14S acres.
8. BY purchase from private own.
ers. Lands thus available, 1886, 857
acres.
The foregoing calculation is made
upon the assumption that s per cent
Of all lands in the state are unfit for
cultivation, leaving $500, 900 acres
available for farming purposes.
Public Lands.
Under heading No. 1 the govern.
ment announced that the surface
rights of approximately 10000 acres
situated in the Fort Berthold Indian
reservation would be opened to entry
at Minot, Bismarck and Plaza, N. D.,
from October 18 to 80, 1915. Tracts
will be entered in 160-acre lots and. it
Is thought there will be room for
about $50 homesteaders. The method
Of assignment will probably be by lot
terry, but no entries will be allowed
o ear homestead rights be acquired
before May l, 1916, after which date
they will be received in the order of
the numbers held by applicants.
institutional Lands.
Under heading No. 2 no land is ad-I
vertised for sale until the same has
been appraised at $40 per acre or
more, and no land can be sold for
less than its appraised value and in
no case for less to $40 per acre. The
latest report of Commissioner Frank
s.. Henry of the state land department
shows that 1,703, 143 acres Of common
school and institutional land are yet
unsold. A leaflet issued by him for
the information Of the general public
should be in the hands of every pro-
spective buyer.
The only land sale now advertised is
in Morton county, the opening date set
being for December 10, 1915, and
$4,000 acres will be offered. Sales
will be held next spring in Sargent,
Cass, Steele and Walsh counties, the
dates to be fixed later.
Privately Owned Lands.
AS headings Nos. 1 and 3 cover the
only methods by which land can be
acquired in this state other than by
direct purchase, and the areas so pro-
durable are known definitely from
public records, the remaining A.
- ,857 acres Of the assumed avail.
able arabic area Of the state of
16,700,0 900 must, Of necessity, be pri.
vately owned. This being the case.
the conclusion seems unavoidable that
the day Of low-prioed agricultural
land in North Dakota has one by,
and that hereafter its price will be
based upon its capacity for producing
profitably, instead of upon the large
area available, as was formerly the
case.