N0¥. 5 
{Xtwcdlamous 
GRAND FORKS. D. T. 
Its Location, Agricultural Surroundings 
and Commercial Importance. 
MESSRS. HOLMES AND SWEETLAND. 
[Special Correspondents of the Rural New Yorker.J 
In our last letter from this wonderfully pro¬ 
gressive region we gave an introductory 
sketch of this city, promising more interest¬ 
ing information to follow. Upon our arrival 
we were immediately impressed with the lo¬ 
cation. After visiting so many prairie towns, 
it is pleasing, indeed, to drop in on one which 
has a garnishing of natural timber, a silvery 
river wending its way on the east of the city, 
while westward as far as eye can scan, are 
fields just denuded of their wealth of grain. 
Leading from the city the iron rails of the 
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad 
are seen trending to the South, to Fargo and 
the Northern Pacific; to the West to the great 
uncultivated tracts, to the north through the 
valley of the Red River to Manitoba, and to 
the east connecting at Crookston with the main 
line. A railway from this point to Duluth 
would be of undoubted reciprocal benefit, 
both as an outlet for grain and an inlet for 
merchandise and timber. Located midway 
in this great and fertile region, surrounded 
upon all sides by excellent lands, many of them 
already yielding a bountiful harvest. Grand 
Forks must necessarily be a center for supply 
and demand. 
The wheat crop of Grand Forks County for 
1880, was 408,100 bushels; that of 1881, 875,- 
000 bushels, the increase being due to a larger 
acreage and a better average yield. The 
amount ol' wheat marketed in this city in 1880, 
exceeded 800,000 bushels, large quantities 
having been received from across the river 
(in Minnesota.) The receipts this year pro¬ 
bably will not exceed those of last very largely, 
as several new stations have been opened 
north and west to keep pace with the growth 
of the country, although the capital and 
business represented by the increase of the 
acreage, center of necessity largely in Grand 
Forks and become tributary to it's commer¬ 
cial interests. There are a few farmers who 
pay more than usual attention to seem ing a 
diversity of products, raising oats, barley, 
flax, hay and root crops; but as yet the hobby 
of nearly all is wheat, and the dangers of rid¬ 
ing a hobby are well known to all farmers in 
older communities. 
By tiie official census of 1880 the population 
of Grand For ks was 1,708; now by careful es¬ 
timates it is reckoned at 2,800. There are live 
churches—Presl >y terian, Methodist, Episcopal, 
Lutheran and Catholic. They have a hand¬ 
some brick school building worth over $2ti,(KMj; 
a graded school of five departments and teach¬ 
ers, efficient and successful. There is a good 
volunteer tire department. The cosmopolitan, 
character of the people demands and sustains 
two Eng l is)i pajrers- tho Grand Forks Her¬ 
ald, weekly and semi-weekly, and the Grand 
Forks Plain-dealer, M eekly. There are also 
two weekly Scandinavian papers of good rep¬ 
utation. Wo were pleased to hear from the 
many Eustery people located hero that the 
Rural New-Yorker retains its place in 
their hearts and in many of their homes. 
Lodges of A. F. & A. M., I. O. O. F., and K 
of P. are well sustained. The only indebted¬ 
ness of the city consists of bonds recently 
voted for the erection of a city hall and jail, 
covering $5,000. These bear seven per cent 
interest and are now at three per cent 
premium. 
The business men of this city are active, en 
terprising, and busy workers; the stores well 
stocked and some efforts are being made to re¬ 
place the wooden buildings with substantial 
brick structures. A Chamber of Commerce 
has been recently organized to protect and 
foster home interests. James Twombey, 
Secretary, will be a reliable correspondent. 
To give an adequate idea of the commercial 
importance of the place we only need t,o state 
that the commercial business (exclusive of 
wheat) approximates over $1,250,000. The 
active bankiug cupitul of the city is $150, 
000 with abundance of local means to co oper 
ate in enterprises. There are two steamers 
plying on the lied River regularly between 
here and Pembina, and they M ere built at this 
point. Timber in the vicinity is of excellent 
quality, oak predominating, and on this ac¬ 
count it is thought by many that on agricul¬ 
tural implement manufactory would do well. 
A small three-run flouring mill is operating 
here night and day. The capital and enter¬ 
prise of the city are agitating the subject of 
building a large merchant roller flouring mill 
to grind the staple product of the country to 
the tune of 75,000 to 100,000 barrels annually. 
People here need it, and we hope they will get 
it. We were told a foundry and machine shop 
would do well. There is now a wagon and 
carriage factory. A good quality of clay is 
quite near, and for contemplated improve¬ 
ments large brick yards are needed. 
A word of the country and we close Of 
its soil and products we have treated. It has 
three rivers crossing it, their banks and val¬ 
leys well timbered. The water near the river 
is not equal in quality to that obtainable a 
short distance back, which is excellent and 
plentiful. The bonded indebtedness of Grand 
Forks County is $14,000 at seven per cent, with 
no floating debt. 
From this pen picture your readers can 
glean the salient points ; but in no other way 
but by a personal visit to the places described, 
can their various elements of prosperity bo 
properly appreciated. 
We are frequently asked, as the easiest 
way of learning geography, “ What is the 
best and most direct route to reach this Far 
Northwest ?” The Pennsylvania R. R., to 
Pittsburgh; the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and 
Chicago, to Chicago; the Chicago, Milwaukee 
and St. Paul; or Chicago, St. Paul, Minne¬ 
apolis ami Omaha R. R. to St. Paul; and the 
St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba R. R. di¬ 
rect to destination. 
THE FREE SEED DISTRIBUTION. 
When we are the recipients of articles of 
real or supposed value, it is our duty, not o.ily 
to the donor, but to ourselves, to make known 
the value thereof, especially where experience 
is necessary to gain that knowledge. The first 
in importance seems to l>o the Rural Branch¬ 
ing Sorghum. My seed came up badly, and 
I got but one stalk to the bill. I planted 
on March 28. 8x8) i feet apart, and although 
but one stalk came up to the hill, it branched 
out to such an extent that the stalks nearly 
mot in the rows. I cut it up about four 
weeks ago, except two hills for seed, and 
the growth around the hills is now from three 
to four feet high. The fodder made from that 
cut is eaten more readily than fodder of sugar 
corn. In fact, my horses eat all of it, not 
leaving a piece even of the stalk. I planted 
mine with a hoe, simply making an opening 
for the seed, and from that time on it never 
received any cultivation, even by plow or hoe, 
I regret to say so, but circumstances prevented 
it, and yet it. kept on growing and never 
wilted, although we have had an unusually dry 
season, such as to burn up the corn before 
maturing. In conversation w ith the few sub¬ 
scribers 1 seat you, they say their sorghum 
simply beats anything to grow- they ever saw, 
and, wet or dry, it is always growing and 
green. It ia certainly t he fodder plant for the 
South. 
1 was unsuccessful with rny White Elephant 
Potato, partly on my ow n account and partly 
owing to the weather. The vines had come 
up nicely when one severe freeze came—on the 
18th of April —from which they never recov¬ 
ered. The asparagus came up well and holds 
its own very well. My Washington Oats 
proved a failure, as they nearly all smutted, 
which may have been owing to their being 
planted so late. This is one difficulty we bas e 
in succeeding with the seeds received—as it is 
generally too late*in our climate for most of 
them, when received. My pinks have done 
finely ami have given my family much pleas¬ 
ure. I measured one yesterday and it was 2* 
inches in diameter, of a beautiful variegated 
color, whether a picotee or carnation 1 do not 
know, as I am not familiar enough with the 
pink family to tell. 1 had a white one that 
bloomed some time ago, one of the blooms 
measuring three inches in diameter. They are 
beauties, you may be sure, and l have an end¬ 
less variety of colors. The subscribers I se¬ 
cured for you are freedmon, ami they are in¬ 
fatuated with the Rural. E. W. Williams 
told me yesterday that he would rather eat 
corn bread ami do without meat, if necessary, 
to secure the Rural. A. S. Stonebraker. 
McLennan Co., Tex. 
sent to the poor people in Michigan, and the 
general fund throughout the county is being 
daily augmented by subscriptions through the 
churches. But the good work must go on for 
somo time yet if the 20,000 destitute people 
are to he assisted to the extent they should bo. 
The people and farmers of Michigan have not 
called upon outsiders before doing what they 
could themselves, and they are yet striving 
nobly iu the good work, but their appeal for 
assistance from other States should not be un¬ 
heeded. Money is now more essential than 
other forms of assistance as those poor farm- 
el's have not only to bo clothed, fed and 
housed, but put on their feet again in their 
vocation by being furnished with teams, seed 
and the other implements of their calling. 
The Rural New- Yorker has been among, 
if not the very first of influential agricultural 
organs at the East in making the distress of 
the Michigan farmers a subject of its leading 
articles, and if others had followed the exam- 
• pie, the aid for the sufferers from their more 
fortunate brethren M-ould have been more 
prompt and liberal. It is to be hoped sufficient 
money M ill soon be raised to prevent further 
calamities to those already very unfortunate 
people of Michigan. R. Goodman. 
Lenox, Mass. 
THE SUFFERING FARMERS OF MICHI¬ 
GAN. 
tends, I am of Mr. H. Stewart’s opinion, that 
it is of fungoid origin. Mr. Stewart’s paper 
on the subject is one of the most care¬ 
fully written that I have seen as yet, and 
clearly shows that he has given the subject 
the closest examination. Now, as to the 
remedy—have we any .' So far as I know we 
have none. As soon as I became satisfied that 
the rot was not caused by the worms, I had my 
plants examined daily and all imperfect, rot¬ 
ten and spotted fruit removed. This plan was 
followed daily for about two weeks. At the 
end of that time the rot had ceased. This 
plan, however, was of little avail; for about 
September 20, the rot appeared again and 
both large and small, green and ripe tomatoes 
began to rot rapidly. In this connection it 
maybe well to remark that I notice that the 
Trophy Tomato is more subject to the rot 
than any other variety I have in cultivation, 
while the Little Gem is perfectly free from the 
ailment. Charles e. parnell. 
Queens, L. I. 
-♦ ♦ ♦- 
CATALOGUES, ETC. 
NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
It is quite gratifying to see that one agri¬ 
cultural paper has taken up in earnest the 
case of the poor people of Michigan who have 
suffered so much and M’ill continue to unless 
help comes to them before Winter sets in. As 
in tlie case of the Kansas unfortunates a few 
years ago, the most apathetic class was appar¬ 
ently their own, the farmers, judging by the 
little notice taken by the agricultural papers 
and the gatherings at farmers meetings. But 
injustice may bo done by ascribing apathy 
and indifference to the individuals because 
their leaders ami representatives show so little 
enthusiasm in the cause. Nom’ as then, in 
towns and villages. East and West, collections 
are taken up mainly through the churches 
M'hose congregations are composed of the farm¬ 
ing community, and if any one or two persons 
will start the bull it will roll into big dimen¬ 
sions and money, clothes and all necessaries 
M ill be gladly furnished. We have just raised 
here in Lenox, maiuly through two churches, 
Episcopal and Congregational, $950 to be 
I regret to have to mention the fact that 
the Flemish Beauty can no longer be relied on 
to produce fine fruit. From several trees 
which I possess, there M’as only one that had 
pears worth gathering. On the others they all 
cracked open and were thus rendered worthless. 
I am informed that this cracking is becoming 
common in other localities. In order to obtain 
the fruit of this variety in perfection, it 
should be gathered much sooner than other 
pears and ripened in the house, for if it is al¬ 
lowed to remain on the tree it soon becomes 
soft and uorthless. I usually gather it about 
the third of September even before it parts 
readily from the stem. The tree bears m hen 
quite small and is very productive and is of 
upright, luxuriant growth. 
The Jersey Gratioli is another excellent 
pear and is one that is deserving of more at¬ 
tention than is at present given it. The tree is 
very productive und is of vigorous growth. The 
medium-sized fruit is not of a very handsome 
exterior, the rough skin being of a greenish- 
yellow color covered with russet patches. Jt 
is, however, of a rich flavor and is quite juicy. 
It requires to be gathered about September 20, 
and ripened in the house. 
The St. Ghislain is also a most excellent 
medium sized pear with a rich, juicy, and 
sprightly flavor. It is also remarkably pro¬ 
ductive, producing its fruit upon the exterior 
branches. In season from the middle to the 
end of September. 
I do not tjiink, Leon, that sowing the seed of 
sweet peas eight inches deep has had much to 
do with your neighbor’s success (see page 605), 
but a rich deep soil, shelter, lots of water, 
keeping the seed pods picked off, together 
with a little care as to training and to furnish¬ 
ing supports as early as required, are all the 
essential requisites to the successful culture 
of sweet peas, and any person who m ill give 
this beautiful annual this necessary atten¬ 
tion M ill be well repaid. It is to be regretted 
that these beautiful climbing plants are not as 
extensively cultivated as they should be. It 
may cause surprise to some of the Rural 
readers, but it is, nevertheless, true that 
some persons have the impression that they 
arc nothing more or less than common [was; 
but not only are the flowers as delightfully 
fragrant as mignonette, but they are of every 
hue from pure white to l he darkest purple and 
deep scarlet, and some varieties arealso beauti¬ 
fully striped. The seed can bo obtained cheap 
in mixed packets or in separate colors as may 
be desired, and should be Sown as early in the 
Spring as possible. To those M ho uisb to ob¬ 
tain a feM’ of the most distinct varieties I 
would recommend the following: Scarlet In 
vincible, a beautiful deep scarlet; Scarlet, 
striped white; Invincible, striped; Blue-edged, 
white and pink, edged Math blue: Painted 
Lady, rose and white and brown; Princess of 
Prussia, bright bluish. 
L NOTICED that a good deal has been said 
of late relative to the tomato rot, and as it 
has caused me considerable annoyance for the 
past two seasons I miis much pleased M’ith 
the papers on the subject in the Rural for 
October 1. When I first noticed the rot 
among m\ tomatoes 1 was inclined to the 
opinion that it M as caused by the tomato 
worm, but upon the closest examination I 
failed to discover a single worm. As L am 
well acquainted with the habits of the tomato 
worm, amlas no leaves have been destroyed on 
my plants, I am quite confident that it is not 
the tomato worm that has caused the rot in 
my tomatoes, and us far as my experience ex 
Hoopes Bro. & Thomas’s Hand-Book of 
FloM r ers. Westchester, Pa. 
Eighth Biennial Report of the Illinois Asy¬ 
lum for Feeble-minded Children. C. T. Wil¬ 
bur, Secretary and Superintendent. 
General Index and Supplement to the 
nine reports on lusects of Missourri. By Chas. 
V. Riley, Entomologist to 1 iepartment of Ag¬ 
riculture. 
Reports oe the Consuls of the United 
States, Nos. 10 and 11, Aug. and Sept., 1881. 
Published by the Department of State, Wash¬ 
ington, D. C. 
Study of the Various Sources of Su¬ 
gar, by Lewis S. Ware. Price 50 cents. 
Published by H. C. Baird & Co., 810 Walnut 
Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Agricultural Advancement in the Uni¬ 
ted States. An address read at the organ¬ 
ization of the American Agricultural Associa¬ 
tion, Dec. 10, 1870, by C. V. Riley, A. M. Ph. D. 
Fourth Quarterly Report of Bureau 
of Statistics for the three months ending 
June 80, 188L, issued by the Treasury De¬ 
partment from the Government Printing 
Office, Washington, D. C. 
Biennial Reports of the Commissioner of 
Arkansas Public Lands : 1st, from Oct. 1, 
1874, to Sept. 80, 1870 ; 2nd, for two years 
ending Sept. 30, 1878 ; 3d, for tM-o years end¬ 
ing Sept. 30, 1880. D. W. Leal - , Little Rock, 
Arkansas. 
Homes for the Homeless. This little 
Pamphlet of eight pages tells on what condi¬ 
tions the State of Arkansas offers to donate 
about three million acres of land to actual 
settlers, in tracts not to exceed 100 acres for 
each applicant. To Vie had gratis of D. W. 
Lear, Commissioner State Lands, Little Rock, 
Arkansas. 
Tenth Annual Report of the Board 
of Trustees of the Illinois Industrial 
University for the two years ending Au¬ 
gust 80, 1880. This handsome u’ork of 261 
pages, octavo, besides giving a full ac¬ 
count of the University, gives a great deal of 
valuable information on various farm topics 
in a series of papers prepared by members of 
the faculty and the head farmer. Among 
these are papers on Experiments in Corn Cul¬ 
ture by Professor G. E. Morrow ; Farm Lev¬ 
eling Instrument, Prof. Baker ; Water for 
Stock, Head Farmer LaM-rence ; Blight of 
Apple aud Pear Trees, Prof. Burrill ; List of 
Native and Foreign Woods, Prof. Ricker ; 
four [wipers by Prof. Weber on Contamination 
of Well and Cistern Water by Organic Mat¬ 
ter ; Determination of Organic Matter iu 
River Water; Notes on Arragonite, and the 
Flash Test of Kerosene ; two articles by Prof. 
Seovell on Shrinkage of Corn and Analysis of 
Soils of the University Farm, and an instruct¬ 
ive article by Professors Seovell and Weber on 
Chemical Analysis and Practical Experiments 
M-itli Sorghum Cane. We shall have occasion 
to refer to this work later on. 
Societies, &e. 
VIRGINIA STATE FAIR. 
[Special report to the Rural New-Yorker.] 
The 21st annual fair of the Virginia State 
Agricultural Society opened on the grounds of 
the Society, at Richmond, on Oct. 17, and 
closed Oct, 27. The weather throughout the 
entire fair was pleasant—more than can be 
said of the dust—aud the exhibition was equal 
to those of former years. The officers made a 
mistake in attempting to hold a ten days’ fail* 
during the Yorktown Centennial, aud so far 
as gate receipts are concerned, they have 
hardly realized their expectations. Exhibi¬ 
tors find a great deal of fault at the extra ex¬ 
pense they are put to, and all believe that one 
