JULY 23 
483 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
fJKsttUaiwms. 
WHEAT CULTURE IN MINNESOTA. 
The Resource* of the Red River Conntry. 
MT5SSKS. HOLMES AND 8WBETLAND. 
[Special Correspondents of the Rural New-Yorker,] 
It has been well and truly said that a person 
should know his own country before visiting for¬ 
eign lands. Thousands of people annually make 
the trip to Europe and wander about with an as¬ 
pect. of freshness, with gaping mouths and ex¬ 
tended eyes, as if there was nothing in the world 
so attractive as those close, crowded old cities, 
those worn-out fields and ancient ruins. They 
put up with every description of discomfort to be 
In the fashion, and when questioned about their 
own glorious country they are either forced to 
acknowledge their utter ignorance of Its extent, 
Its capabilities and Its attractions, or. If unwilling 
to make so humiliating a confession, they talk 
the baldest nonsense, usually 'betraying their Ig¬ 
norance to auditors better informed, although 
foreigners. Their knowledge of this country Is con¬ 
fined to the eastern portion of the Union, and while 
they may go Into raptures over the wonders of Ni¬ 
agara, the efficacy of the waters of Saratoga Springs 
or the splendors of the Eastern mountains and the 
gea-slde—forgetful that the Old Country has higher 
mountains and as attractive a seashore—they can 
scarcely answer the most natural questions of 
foreigners who desire, of course, to know of the 
great new country in the West. 
A proper preparation for a European trip would 
he a journey to the rapidly developing West which 
Is becoming so important a factor In the commer¬ 
cial economy of the world. After an intelligent 
Inspection of the newest part of the New World, a 
traveler would go abroad with a sense of his Im¬ 
portance as an American citizen, proud of his 
land and anxious to be interrogated In regard to 
it. The people of the Old World, anxious to learn 
of this country, naturally expect to derive full and 
reliable information from Us citizens, hence the 1 
great throng of tourists have splendid opportuni¬ 
ties to perform efficient missionary work, ir they 
have properly prepared themselves by observation 
or study. 
Again, there are superficial observers who rush 
through the country In an elegant palace car and 
laugh and Joke about the unfinished villages, the 
unfenoed farms and the vast extent of untamed 
prairie, without obtaining any Important facta. 
On their returning they talk or write with affected 
wisdom of the Far West. It Is a reflection on the 
sagacity and Intelligence of editors that such 
people should be allowed to air their Ignorance in 
print. In the February number of J.lpplncott'a 
excellent and usually reliable magazine, a lady 
who undertook to give an account of the Red 
River country, stated that the famous wheat 
farmer, Oliver Dalrymplo, had over «,oou acres In 
wheat in 1380! And sagaciously predicted that In 
the course of time the Northern Pacific Railroad 
might find sufficient traffic to keep It busy. Dai¬ 
ry mple had over 22,000 acres sown, and harvest¬ 
ed and marketed nearly sot ),000 bushels of splen¬ 
did wheat to 1880 . The Northern Pacific Railroad 
already finds It difficult to accommodate Its traffic 
and with the rapid development In progress, a 
double track road across the great wheat belt will 
be required to the near future. 
THE STOKY IS NOT LONG, 
and It won't take a great while to read and learn 
It. But little more than ten years have elapsed 
since the first locomotive made its way westward 
from longitude 92 degrees, north of latitude 4*. 
Northern Minnesota was then only Inhabited by 
lumbermen, who were dependent upon the more 
southern part of the State for every necessary. 
Northern Dakota was an almost unknown coun¬ 
try, soldiers, trappers and hunters crossing It by a 
regular trail as rapidly as possible, little thinking 
how soon a great empire was to spring up on those 
lmmen&e prairies. 
The Northern Pacific Railroad has steadily 
wedged us way onward to the Missouri River, and 
the railroad company acquired from the Govern¬ 
ment the odd sections to a belt of land 450 miles 
long and 40 miles wide to the State cf Minnesota and 
80 miles wide to Dakota Territory. In 1ST2 there 
were loss than 2,500 inhabitants on the fine, and 
they were all to the extreme eastern portion of 
Minnesota. There were not then over 1,000 acres 
under cultivation through the entire region. What 
do we find now ? 
From 1811 to 1875 the population on the line to 
Minnesota increased from 2,004 to 21,100, and at 
the close of 1880 we find 48,939. From 1,000 culti¬ 
vated acres to 1810 the area Increased to 58,150 
acres In 1875, and In 1B30, 232,992 acres were crop¬ 
ped to the Minnesota district. The great Dakota 
plains were avoided by settlers until 1875, when a 
successful experiment to wheat raising made by 
Mr. OUver Dalrymplo, 20 miles west of the Red 
River, demonstrated the wonderful producing 
value of the land, and settlement and improvement 
followed fast. The successful working of a single 
section—o-io acres—of land to 1875 proved the In¬ 
auguration of the greatest wheat dlstrlot of the 
world; for last year ihere were 273,000 acres to the 
crop, and the population west of the Red River 
had grown to over 85,000 people. To recapitulate: 
In Minnesota and Dakota, on the line of the North¬ 
ern Paclflo Railroad between Lake Superior and 
the Missouri River, the area— 
Under cultivation In Minnesota, 1880.232,992 
“ “ “ Dakota, 1880..........273,000 
505,992 
New breaking: in Minnesota, 188*)....,. 67,049 
<• •• - Dakota, 1880.127,ooo 
Total area now (1881) in crop.61*9.041 
Allowing that 10 per cent, la devoted to other than 
wheat culture, and assuming the low average of 
20 bushels [Is this a low average?— Eds.] to the 
acre, the wheat crop from the line of the railroad 
will this Fall be over 12,600,000 bushels. The In¬ 
crease Is Just about 50 per cent, each year to pop¬ 
ulation. cultivated area and number of farms. 
This ratio of increase has held for the past five 
years since the Dakota plains were opened, and, 
should the rate continue, the 30.000 square miles of 
land on the fine, which are known to be capable 
of raising the 
FINEST SPRING WHEAT IN THE WORLD, 
will in eight years be entirely under cultivation, 
taking the present tilled area, about 1.200 square 
miles, as a basis. Allowing liberally for the culti¬ 
vation of crops needed for home consumption, we 
find that, by the most conservative calculation, 
the country In Minnesota and Dakota on the line 
of this great highway-only about one-sixth of the 
length of the road when completed—can and prob¬ 
ably will supply to the world within the coming 
decade 340,000,000 bushels of wheat! Is there any¬ 
thing visionary about a double-track road to the 
near future? 
it is impossible at this time to give an idea of 
what the increase of population will be this year, 
but the tide of Immigration la pouring In to a per¬ 
fect flood, and the Indications are that It will 
exceed the so per cent rate mentioned. From 
actual Investigation it is, however, known that an 
increase of fully so per cent, has been made In 
tillage, the amount of breaking done varying from 
25 per cent. In the old Minnesota districts to 100 
per cent, to newly opened portions of Dakota. 
This gives ua not less than 1,000.000 acres for 
wheat In 1882 , sure to yield 20,000,000 bushels of 
the golden grain I This amount of wheat will 
make 67,ooo car-loads and the road will earn over 
$5,000,000 by its transportation at the lowest rates. 
One-half of this wheat belt devoted to wheat 
would produce enough to afford every inhabitant 
of the United States four bushels of wheat annu- 
auy—about the average amount consumed to flour 
by each Individual. The traveler here will find on 
every hand health and contentment, to fact, very 
general prosperity. Poor men who have passed 
through sufferings and privations, have here found 
comfort. Industry reaps a sure reward and enter¬ 
prise and capital are quickly remunerated. 
From Duluth westward lor about 175 miles the 
country is heavily wooded, thus affording an am¬ 
ple supply of lumber and fuel for the prairies 
beyond. The production of lumber Is probably 
200 , 000,000 feet per annum and It is delivered to 
consumers westward at reasonable prices. 
Beyond the Umber country comes the beautiful 
Park Region which is dotted with charming lakes, 
and splendidly diversified by natural groves and 
rich, fertile prairie openings. This region merges 
Into open prairie as It reaches tUe Red River, and 
the famous wheat country begins, continuing over 
the level and upland prairies to the Missouri Riv¬ 
er slope 200 miles beyond, and extending far 
northward and southward. The wheat grown 
through this vast territory is acknowledged to be 
without, an equal, so that It was found necessary 
to establish a special grade for it, hence the title 
No. 1 Hard. Millers admit its value to be at least 
25 per cent, more than other wheuts, and consum¬ 
ers to all parts of the world anxiously seek the 
pure, sweet flour produced from it. All of the 
conditions favorable for the production of the 
finest wheat are found here and never since the 
wheat culture was commenced has there been a 
failure of a crop. Insects, drought and blight, the 
remorseless enemies of other western districts, are 
unknown and thousands of disappointed, weary 
settlers, who have been deluded by the glittering 
promises made for States and Territories further 
south, have deserted their farms where they hoped 
to find a home and prosperity, and with their 
wives and little ones driven where their dreams 
stand a better chance ot realization. Such pil¬ 
grims can he found throughout this country, and 
the testimony they give to favor of their aew-fouud 
homes is often so extravagant and enthusiastic, 
that It would scarcely he believed if published. 
That little fear exists of the exhaustion of the soil 
for years to come may be understood from the 
fact that lands to the Red River Valley, broken 25 
years ago by the Hudson Bay Company have been 
cropped each year since, and are even now claimed 
to be loo rich ! 
A writer, than whom few men are more familiar 
with this great Northwest sayH. “ The soil on the 
great Dakota plains Is a rich, black, vegetable 
mold, varying from two to six feet In depth and 
underlaid by clay In stratum. It ts so easily 
worked that the cultivation proves truly restful 
to the Eastern farmer. The soil contains In itself 
the most valuable ingredients which can he se¬ 
lected to produce fertilizers, and the clay Bubsoli 
holds the moisture derived from precipitation, at 
the command of the growing crops, The seed Ls 
sown usually about April loth and the harvest 
commences about July 20 th. The showers are 
most frequent during the growing season to May 
and June; and are seldom known during harvest. 
The nights are short, thus giving the growing 
wheat the benefit or almost constant sunshine. 
But It is not alone for wheat that this rich land 
ls adapted. Every production ot the most prolific 
northern countries grows here to perfection and 
profusion. Wheat yields 20 to 30 bushels per acre; 
Oats from 10 to 75; barley from 40 to 55; pota¬ 
toes 200 to 400 ana all other crops are equally abun¬ 
dant. Vegetables and small fruits are as fine as 
those raised to any land and grow to enormous 
size.” 
The climate of this region is salubrious and 
healthful. The atmosphere ls clear, dry and 
pure, devoid of moisture and possessing a healing 
power which few others possess. The cold of 
Winter ls greatly modified by the dryness of the 
air, and ls much more easily endured than a pen¬ 
etrating atmosphere saturated with saline damp¬ 
ness, which destroys or debilitates the residents 
of places to the same latitude, but nearer the At¬ 
lantic coast. I n this land of plenty where the cul¬ 
tivation of the soli returns a Bure profit, theNorth- 
ern Pacific Company has nearly 3 , 500,000 acres of 
land for sale at $4 per acre cash or preferred stock 
on six months’ credit, and a rebate of 25 per cent, 
is made on every acre broken within two years of 
purchase. 
Between the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers 
lies a country as yet but little settled where the 
agricultural lands belonging to the railroads are 
open to selection at the government pre-emption 
price of $ 2.50 per acre, with a charge of to cents 
per acre for surveying. This country differs from 
Eastern Dakota, being ot a more rolling character 
having hills and butteB and Is watered by numer¬ 
ous small streams, all tributary to the Missouri 
River. The country is as well adapted to the pro¬ 
duction of all crops as that described, and on 
account of Its hilly character It Is peculiarly 
adapted to the raising of stock, the valleys af¬ 
fording shelter and the grasses are abundant as 
well as of the most nutritious kinds. By the con¬ 
struction of the railroad through this territory the 
Northern Pacific Company acquires over 5 000,000 
acres of land, the greater portion ot which ls de¬ 
sirable. One great advantage possessed by 
this region la an excellent quality of coal 
which appears to underlie It throughout its 
entire extent. Two mines are already being 
worked, and the coal finds a ready market on the 
line of the road. Thus we find the great treeless 
prairies of Eastern Dakota providentially provided 
with fuel, the wood of Northeastern Minnesota 
and the coal of Northwestern Dakota being sup¬ 
plied at reasonable prices. The Missouri Division 
of this railroad terminates at the Yellowstone 
River whose broad, beautltul valley la described 
as the most attractive and fertile on the continent; 
but space ls too limited to enlarge upon it. The 
road ls being rapidly built along Its banks, and, 
nefore another Winter will stretch Its Iron rails 
far up the valley. Several thousand men are re¬ 
quired for the work and many Immigrants coming 
here secure employment, giving themselves ample 
time to secure a good location and become ac¬ 
quainted with the country. 
There la no question that this region will be¬ 
come at no distant day a busy hive of civilized in¬ 
dustry, and it should not be forgotten that besides 
the R, R. lands there are millions ot acres ot gov¬ 
ernment lands open to citizens of the United 
States, the only cost to the settler being the fees 
of the U. S. Land Office. 
The headquarters of the Land Department of 
the Northern Pacific Railroad are at St. Paul, and 
your correspondents must acknowledge courtesies 
received from Col. R. M. Newport, the General 
Land Agent ot the company. 
Iflinaci). iJlisctUaui). 
LIFE’S TRUE SIGNIFICANCE. 
Deeper than all sense of seeing 
Lies the secret source of being. 
And the soul with truth agreeing, 
Learns to live in thoughts and deeds; 
For the life is more than raiment, 
And the earth is pledged for payment 
Unto man for all his needs. 
Nature is our common mother. 
Every living pxan our brother. 
Therefore let us servo each other; 
Not to meet the law’s behests, 
But because through cheerful giving 
We shall learn the art of living; 
And to live and serve is best. 
Life is more thau what man fancies ! 
Not a game of idle chances: 
But it steadily advances 
Up the rugged bight of time. 
Till each complex web of trouble. 
Every sad hope’s broken bubble, 
Hath a meaning most sublime. 
More of religion, lees profession ! 
More of firmness, less concession; 
More of freedom, less oppression. 
In the Church and in the State 
More of Ure and less of fashion; 
More of love and less of passion 
That wifi make us good and great. 
When true hearts, divinely gifted, 
From the chaff of error sifted. 
On their crosses are uplifted 
Shall the world most clearly see 
That earth's greatest time of trial 
Calls for holy self-denial. 
Calls on men to do and be. 
But forever and forever 
Let it be the houI’s endeavor 
Love from hatred to dissever. 
And in wliatso'er we do, 
Won by love's eternal beauty. 
To our highest sense of duty 
Evermore be firm and true. 
MY EXPERIENCE. 
Continued from page 475. 
“You will make her happy now,” Mabel says, 
with a faint, wralthllke smile. -Never let her 
know—there ls no need that she should. I think 
we need not say any more now,” she adds, hold¬ 
ing out her hand to him. *• Believe me, it has 
been all for the best.” 
“I cannot accept Buch a decision,” he says, 
hurriedly. “Mabel, have you no pity for me? I 
love you—I love your 
“Hush!” she says, quickly, “I must not listen.” 
“Mabel—to pity—” 
“It Is lor you to have pity,” Mabel answers. Oh, 
Cyril! leave me now.” 
lie stands hesitatingly before her; to a moment, 
turns away, turns to her again, puts her hands In 
his, and presses them passionately to fils Ups; 
then releasing them, he turns away once more 
and leaves the room. Mabel stands for a mo¬ 
ment where he has left her; then 9he holds out 
her hands with a little faint cry of pain, gasps for 
breath, and before I can get to her assistance 
she has faUen back Into her chair In a dead 
faint. 
CHAPTER III. 
Mabel’s fainting fit ls not of long duration; 
only a few moments elapse before Bhe opens her 
eyes, looks bewildered for a moment, then smiles 
faintly and says she ls better—that it was very 
foolish of her to faint, hut the heat makes her 
feel langutd and weak. 
I accept the explanation without seeming to 
doubt It, and Induce her to go up to her room 
and Ue down; and when she ls lying on her bed, 
with her face turned away from me, I sit do w a In 
the old-tashtoned window-seat, and for the first 
time to my sunshiny seventeen years ot fife 
think long and seriously. 
Everything grows very plain to me now, and. 
much that has seemed Incomprehensible to me 
to my slater’s past life ls explained. 
It had always puzzled me why Mabel—so beau¬ 
tiful, so accomplished, and so sweet—should have 
lived to pass her elght-and-twentieth birthday 
unwon; not unwooed, for she had had several 
good offers, but Bhe had refused them all firmly 
and decidedly, sometimes I had thought that 
she nad sacrificed herself to ub, motherless 
balms as we were, but at others I felt sure It was 
not so; for Aunt Bessie, my mother’s sister, 
could and would have taken her place, had she 
gone to make the sunshtoo of another home. 
That Mabel was too essentially a woman to 
pass her life without love I was sure; but when¬ 
ever I had touched upon the subject to her, she 
had alwaya silenced me calmly and decidedly. I 
had heard Borne of our old friends say how much 
quieter Mabel was than she had been; but she 
had never seemed depressed, and I had never 
thought there was any special reason for that 
quietness of manner. She had always been quiet 
within my recoUection, and I supposed It was 
natural to her. 
Darling Mabel I how my heart goes out to her as 
I watch the quiet form on the bed, and listen to 
the faint, uneven breathings, for she is agitated 
still and tears are very near. Presently I see that 
her face is hidden In the pillows and I know from 
the movement of the shoulders that she ls sobbing. 
I do not go near her, and smile a little as I think 
how happy I shall make her by-and-by, for there 
Is no doubt to my mind as to what course I am to 
pursue. Mabel, who was ready to sacrifice her 
happiness to me shall be made happy with the 
man who has loved her and whom she has loved 
so long and faithfully. 
Although I do not love Cyril—although I know 
perfectly well that the affection I feel for him ls 
not the love a woman should feel for her husband 
—there is a sharp pain at my heart when I think 
of him. 
“ He had no right,” I say, bitterly, “ to allow me 
to think that he loved me. when his whole heart 
belonged to another. I feel as If he had tried to 
rob me of something great and precious which 
was mine by right. He had cared for me, not for 
myself, not for my beauty—for I am pretty—only 
because 1 resembled Mabel. It was not right—It 
was not fair. 1 felt very angry with Cyril when I 
thought ot It—angry, and yet sorry, for all those 
long ten years which might have been bo happy 
and were so miserable.” 
But mingling with that anger there was an un¬ 
doubted sense of relief, which proved to me plain¬ 
ly how wrong It would have been to marry Cyril 
Vernon. M ore than once durtng our snort engage¬ 
ment It had seemed to me as If l were bound by 
chains which should have been pleasant ana 
which were irksome. More than once my heart 
had sunk at the prospect ot a long life spent with 
my flanee. We had no tastes to common, and I 
soon felt that what I had taken for real pleasure 
to my engagement had been gratified girlish van¬ 
ity at attention from a man so handsome, so dis¬ 
tinguished and so thoroughly eleglbie a parti, it 
was not my heart, only my fancy, which had been 
touched, fortunately for me. Neither was it a 
case of ‘-sour grapes,” tor. careless and frivolous 
as 1 was, I yet could recognize how great and 
precious a gift was the love of such a man as Cyril 
Vernon. 
The long Summer day wears on; neither Mabel 
nor I go down to luncheon, and tne afternoon 
slips by. I take a hook from Mabel's little book¬ 
case, and try to read, but I find my thoughts wan¬ 
dering. My slater lies still, ner face hidden; but 
she ls not crylr g, neither ls she alseep. Presently 
papa and Cyril go out together—the former talk¬ 
ing as they go down the garden-path, and the lat¬ 
ter, listening and answering absently I feel sure, 
looks pale and grave, even sad. Soon after they 
have disappeared down the high road the school¬ 
room tea hell rings, and Mabel lilts her Uead from 
the pillow, and raises herself on her elbow. 
“ Half-past four,” she says, trying to speak 
lightly. “ I have wasted the whole day. What 
shocking indolence! Have you been here aU the 
time. Grade ? How good of you, dear!” 
“ Are you better, Mabel?” I ask, as I go to her 
side and smooth back her pretty disordered hair. 
" Shall we have soma tea up here cosily f And 
after tea you shall dress comfortably for dinner.” 
“ You will spell me. Grade," she says, smiling; 
but she makes no opposition, bo I ring for tea, and 
settle her comfortably to a large old-fashioned 
chintz-covered chair by Che open window, thinking 
sorrowfully how very pale she ls, and what dark 
circles, almost like bruises, that one day’s unhap¬ 
piness has traced round her sweet dark eyes. 
When tea is over, and I am sitting on a stool by 
Mabel’s side, with my head resting against her 
knee, there is a moment’s silence. 1 am puzzling 
myself how to begin, and Mabel ls looking out of 
the window with “far-away” eyes, as if her 
thoughts were faraway from the present, and lost 
to the past. 
“Mabel V' I begin, desperately, at last 
“ Well, dear?” Bhe answers, with a little start, 
and turns to mo with her own Bweet, sad smile. 
“ I have something to tell you,” I stammer, then 
go on hurriedly. “ I want—do you think it] will 
