The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-11-14
AGRICULTURE IN THE BLACK HILLS.

From Judge II. N. Mcguire, just in
from the Black Hills, we get very en-
couraging report of the agricultural
prospects of that region-a resource of
the country which has thus far been
greatly neglected. One farmer in
4 spearfish Valley has harvested 10000
bushels of potatoes, which are of most
excellent quality, and the average to
the acre was enormous. Several others
in that section raised large crops of
these esculents, besides having good
Yields of all other kinds of vegetables
Incident to the latitude. The culti-
vability of Black Hills soil is fully DEM
onstrated. Judge Mcguire nov goes
East with the intention of inducing
the colonization of the foot hills by
farmers, andtexpects to return in the
spring with a large number of full
handed" families, with whom farming
has been lifelong business. He
thinks that no more promising field
can be found on the continent, as the
home demand would not be likely to
fall below the supply, let the produc-
ton be ever SO great, for some years to
come, the increase of the mining popu-
lation being quite certain to keep far
in advance of the farming. He says
there are not less than 1900. square
miles of unappropriated agricultural
lands lying along the eastern foothills
alone, and that section he proposes to
make the objective point of his colon
ization enterprise. On that side it is
that the leading currents debouch from
the mountains-Spring, Rapid and Box
Elder being the principal streams.
They emerge from the Hills through
beautiful groves Of oak and pine,
and flow away for miles through
deep rich soil of loan. All these
lands may be irrigated at but trifling
expense. The water of the currents
named can easily be diverted from the
natural channels and carried by fumes
and bitches along the lower foothills,
50 las to cover the entire breadth of the
cultivable area, when it would be a
small matter, owing to the generally
sloping nature of the country on down
to the South Fork of the Cheyenne, to
make it all available for irrigating pur-
poses. That all this section is well
adapted to the production of vegetables
of all kinds, and all the cereals except
"A Corn cannot ha dnuhfad
Judge Mcguire says the growing sea-
son there is from twenty to thirty days
longer, and frosts are less frequent,
than the in valleys of the upper Missou-
ri,where farming enterprises, generally,
have been signally successful, and he
+ expresses the belief that four years
hence the Black Hills will cease to i'm.
port -four and bacon-the latter being
easily produced by cultivating and fat.
tening with peas, instead of corn. The
pea is a hardy plant and would do as
well in the Hills as wheat. Then,
when the country shall have b ecome
self-sustaining in the matter Of bread
stuffs, it will enter upon an era Of pros
perity compared with which presen,
successes and developments are insig
nidcant-then lodges and placers which
are now lying undeveloped, can b.
prohtably worked, and the minera
wealth of all parts Of the Hills will bt
made available, from Whitewood creel
on the North. to French creek on thu
south. Judge Mcguire certainly doe.
not. overestimate the Importance of en-
couraging the emigration of farmers tt
.ne Hills, and we hope his public spirit
IN moving in the matter will be ampl!
rewarded.