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→Farming
The East Central and West Central regions are dry and are given over to wheat and other grains.
The East Central and West Central regions are dry and are given over to wheat and other grains.
The West has considerable ranching, but there is so little moisture that crops are seldom grown.
The West region has considerable ranching, but there is so little moisture that crops are seldom grown.
[[File:Sod-house.jpg|thumb|300px|There are few trees on the plains, so many pioneers built houses from sod and lived in them for years despite the dirt, darkness and insects. This hand-colored photo was taken about 1905.<ref> See Everett Dick, ''Sod-House Frontier'' (1937)</ref>]]
[[File:Sod-house.jpg|thumb|300px|There are few trees on the plains, so many pioneers built houses from sod and lived in them for years despite the dirt, darkness and insects. This hand-colored photo was taken about 1905.<ref> See Everett Dick, ''Sod-House Frontier'' (1937)</ref>]]
Wheat farming boomed in the late 19th century, in part because of improvements in harvesting technology, particularly the automated reaper/binder that relied on twine to tie wheat into bundles for threshing. In 1899, to meet the rising demand for twine and confront International Harvester's monopolization of twine production, North Dakota and other Great Plains states set up their own twine factories using prison labor.
==Transportation==
==Transportation==
The Red River and the Missouri River are navigable, with steamships active by the 1840s. They provided the easierst transportation until the opening of the roailroads in the 1880-1900 period. The Northern Pacific, Soo Line, Great Northern, and Milwaukee Road railroads served over 90% of the population, and sold land on very easy terms to immigrants. However, once they were settled in farmers and local merchants complained of high freight rates. The populated areas of east and central North Dakota are flat, making it easy for counties in the 1920s to build gravel roads to serve farmers.
The Red River and the Missouri River are navigable, with steamships active by the 1840s. They provided the easierst transportation until the opening of the roailroads in the 1880-1900 period. The Northern Pacific, Soo Line, Great Northern, and Milwaukee Road railroads served over 90% of the population, and sold land on very easy terms to immigrants. However, once they were settled in farmers and local merchants complained of high freight rates. The populated areas of east and central North Dakota are flat, making it easy for counties in the 1920s to build gravel roads to serve farmers.