THE BONANZA FARMS. 39 



farm buildings of the Rock County Farm, one of my 

 objective points. 



The next morning I drove to the farm of the Rock 

 County Farming Company. It is incorporated and 

 composed of Messrs. Thompson, Blakely, and Warner, 

 well known capitalists of St. Paul. I was received 

 by the superintendent, who drove me over the place 

 and gave such information as was desired. The farm 

 contains 21,000 acres, of which 4,625 are now under 

 cultivation, with a large amount of land newly broken 

 that will be seeded for next year's crop. Of this 

 amount 3,251 acres are in wheat ; 312 acres in flax ; 

 550 acres in oats ; 312 acres in barley ; and 200 in 

 corn. There are 96 horses and mules, 26 harvesters, 3 

 straw burning steam thrashers, and other farming im- 

 plements to the total value of $15,000. On the place 

 are two stations, about two miles apart, each having 

 one house and two large barns, and other buildings 

 for the care of tools, stock, etc. The house at Station 

 One is of wood, two stories, double, painted white, and 

 lathed and plastered, containing the office of the su- 

 perintendent and boarding accommodation for a large 

 number of men. At Station Two the house is smaller, 

 of one and a half stories, painted brown, without lath 

 or plaster, and fitted up specially as a boarding house 

 for the farm hands. The farm is immediately on the 

 line of the railroad and has two railroad stations. 



The number of men employed is, for the month of \ 

 March, 20 ; April and May, 56 ; June to July 20th, 

 40 ; July 21st to August 20th, 115 ; August 21st to 

 November 15th, 70 ; November 16th to the end of 

 February, 12. The average wages are $18 a month. 



