Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1881-12-21
01rn as a Southern Dakota
Crop.

r. 1911 DIS d 0OuDQ0T0 OGkOLa
| Crop.
/ correspondent of the Yankton
PydsE Dakotaian thus intelligently
4 diaSeees the question Of raising
cofxes the main crop for Southern
Ds1SlA:
! 4te general cultivation Of corn
as th0 leading crop, with wheat, oats
bari and other cereals as merely
sub diary to it, adding, however,
all I'll varieties OF stock usually
raisEIlin corn countries, will make
Of sQuthern Dakota one Of the rich
est ,ijens in the northwest, because
noxlfe is there better, deeper or
mosN urable soil. There should be
aadf Also the growth of vegetables
ofHf \ isfyis seisable for caanirig and
the establishment of canning facto-
ries at various points. There is no
doubt but that gardening for that
purpose would pay large profits.
Some large gardens near Yankton,
that of the jerks hotet. as a sample,
give conclusive yearly proof of this.
There is no region in the northwest
more capable of producing all the
best food crops for man and beast
than this. Besides this we have
splendid natural pastures and mead
ows and every element required to
insure success in all the variety of
farm operations, including dairying
and gardening, that tend to make
a country rich, sustain heavy pop
ulation and build up a great state
of enduring resources.
So firmly is this believed by
those who have more lately studied
our climate and soil that 1t may be
consideIed as the cause and support
of the great era of railroad building
that is now present Not only are
main lines now constructed or build
ing through every country, but
vast system of intersecting or feeder
lines is being projected. Within
two years nearly every neighbor-
hood will have its convenient rail-
road market. The men and capital
doing this are fully informed of the
proof of recent years in all parts of
the northwest. But small per
cent. of our productive capacity has
been used, and our lands hold at
low price because the free govern
ment lands are in competition;
two years more will largely remove
this, and then the steady and proba-
bly, rapid advance in price will
come.
We doubt not but large produc-
ton of wheat will continue, espe-
cially above the 44th parallel, but
growth Of corn will far surpass it.
either by the present excellent plan
OF the farmers, or more slowly by
rassf.ipwiy by force Of adverse ex-
periehce. The culture Of corn
means tie success Of nearly every
crop grown for profit in the north
temperate zone. 1t means besides
this the profitable employment of
the farmers labor throughout the
year, which wheat alone denies.
With cattle, horses, sheep aud the
many products raised as crops
where corn is grown, the whole year
may be crowded with profitable in
dustry. abundance of the varied and
best kinds of food enjoyed, and all
the advantages secured. socially. in-
tellectually and financially, which
are guaranteed oest in thlckly set
tied farming communities. Not
only are Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and
the regions Immediately adjacent to
them the great corn belt and the re-
gion of most astonishing growth for
a long series of years, but they are
to-day the regions of greatest pro-
gress, MS they and the whole corn
region will continue TO be. We APP
end little article clipped from n
recent issue of an indianapolis dali
ly paper, which shows its own les
son. The same is true i'm all the
corn region: "The fact is patent
that all over the states of Ohio and
Indiana, lands in the rural districts
have enhanced in value from ten to
twenty per cent, and this within a
period of twelve months. Farms
that last year were slow Of sale at
S75 to s100 per acre now find ready
sale at from $S5 to S12O per acre.
| This advance has not been fictitious
The price Of farm produce has en-.
hanced much more even than thai
| Of the farms. The farmers have
harvested unprecedented crops
With the exception of the season
| just closed, they have not met with
a Encouragement for several years
The value of their property is large
ly based on past experiences, and
past experiences have been excel
lent :,