I never say anything against Illinois. It is good enough, and Dakota is just as good, and in one-quarter of the time that Illinois was in developing, Dakota will be up even with her, the facilities being far in advance of those of early Illinois. Then we had to team all of our wheat into Chicago by wagon for nearly twenty years before we had a canal or railroad. But here we have the railroads to start with, and if emigration is as large next spring as it was the last there will not be a foot of land to be located. There is not a quarter section left now in Brown county, unless it has been overlooked. Towns are growing up as fast as toad-stools in summer. We are located six miles from Frederick (600 inhabitants), seven miles from West Port (200), ten miles from Ordway (500), twenty miles from Aberdeen (2,000), twenty from Columbia (1,000), county seat. The land is watered about the same as Illinois, with the elm and maple along the Jim river. For wells we dig from twenty-five to forty feet and get the best of water.
I think Dakota as good a place for a young man of small means as can be found. There are some counties where the land has not been surveyed yet, where good location may be made. Our crops were short last year in Brown county, caused by a short time of dry weather in June, just as the wheat and oats were in blossom, at which time these crops require rain in order to “fill” well.
The only drawback we have is in the matter of fuel as yet. Soft coal sells at from $7 to $8 per ton: hard, $12 to $13. Dry-goods and groceries are as low as in Illinois. Lumber from $2 to $4 higher. Our vegetables can not be beaten.
Just a thing or two more. I want to ask you what are the best kinds of timber for us to put out on our tree claims. Will the black walnuts, black and white oaks do well as far north as we are? How will the Scotch and Norway pines do? I wish to put out such timber as will make good lumber when grown. Cotton wood, box elder, etc., will just answer the law, that is about all.
A. J. Foord,
Brown Co., Dakota.
[The Use of Salt.]
In The Prairie Farmer of January 5th, in report of Illinois Horticultural Society, Mr. Earle is made to say he used salt on asparagus and it killed the weeds and most of the asparagus. This is different from my limited experience; I have used lake salt at the rate of one ton to the acre and did not kill either weeds or asparagus. I am now making arrangements to use about three and one-half tons to the acre from the refuse of pork packing houses.
Will Mr. Earle please give particulars in The Prairie Farmer: The kind of salt, time of year it was used, amount per acre, nature of soil, etc. By so doing he will confer a favor on many readers.
S. P.
Terre Haute, Ind.