The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-11-13
CORN HISTORY
OF NO, DAKOTA
Is OUTLINED
Grown Freely BY Mandan In
dians 200 Years Ago, Fell
To Low Ebb, Rises
THE CORN BELT
Yield of Corn in North Da-
kOta Is Shown to Exceed
That of Kansas
IN THE CORN BELT

"Sincc America was discovered,
the advance of corn growing has
been coincident with the stabilizing
OF agriculture and synonymous with
diversification," George +. Will,
chairman of the North Dakota State
Corn Show executive committee, de-
clared in an address before the Ro-
tary club here, in connection with
the state show being held in Bis
marck.
"A pure wheat raising agriculture
is only next to the pastoral nomadic
life such as is lived by the Moors
of Algeria who SOW, leave for the
summer, and return to harvest" Mr..
Will continued.
"North Dakota, after years of
struggle, is now we'll on the high
road to a place in that magic terri
tory known as the Corn Belt,
where diversified farming rules and
prosperity presides.
"The claim that North Dakota is
becoming a Corn Belt State has
been and is still in places viewed
with skepticism. Let US see what
claim she can establish to that
place.
"Two hundred years ago there was
raised in North Dakota, in the Sec
tions now known as Burleigh and
Morton counties, some 100000 bush
els of corn On some 10000 acres.
The Mandan Indians, our original
! settlers, then in the height of their
prosperity, were the producers.
Fell to Low Point
"In 1870 the total area in corn was
not more than 1,500 acres with a
total yield Of perhaps 5000 bushels.
Nearly all of this was grown by
the Indians. In 1880 the state had
perhaps 1000 acres, most of which
was cultivated by the Indians, but
perhaps 200 to 800 acres were grown
by Burleigh county's earliest set
tiers.
"Since that year gradually and
surely corn growing has won its
way in the state. By 1919 the state
had a total in corn of some 100000
acres, and the production totalled
100000 bushels. In 1902 there
were 711.000 acres, with a produc-
ton of 100000 bushels. By 1928
tho state had an area Of nearly L.
100000 acres in corn and the total
production was some 100000 bu.
shells. In that year six counties of
the state, of which Burleigh was
one, produced more corn that wheat,
and for the first time North Dakota
corn was shipped in carloads to the
central markets.
"This year Burleigh county has in
corn some 10000 acres and the yield
will be almost one million bushels.
1.-THE total value of all North Da-
kota agricultural products including
the returns from dairying and poul-
try for 1924 are about 1894 4,000, 900
Our corn crop represents at least
1C percent of this value.
Surely in Corn Belt
Lately we have this year most
definitely demonstrated that corn
can be raised and matured in North
Dakota in a good wheat year when
general climatic conditions were
wholly unfavorable to it. This be-
cause we have for years been de-
veloping through the help of oul
Indian predecessors corn which was
suited to severe climate with
short growing season and often cool
summers. And also because we have
f, at last begun to learn the lesson
a. Of early planting and plenty of cul-
tivation. The old fallacy that corn
would fail in wheat year evidently
had its foundation in the fact that
we always planted corn after every
thing else was done and only cult.
waited it when there was nothing else
to do.
"Land in the Corn Belt states OF
the central west is worth five times
or more what it is in the North
Dakota Corn Belt yet for the past
five years our average yield of corn
per acre has been from 27 to 81
bushels, very little under that OF
Iowa, and greater than that of Kan.
sas, which averages in the same
period from 22 to 26 bushels.
81 believe these facts and figures
when duly considered and weighed
will prove to even the biased mind
that North Dakota is most emphat-
ically in the Corn Belt and that
| she can raise corn at an even great
er profit than the so-called Corn
Belt states"