Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-04-18

The editor Of the Wabash, Indiana.
Plaindealer is being savagely handled
by numerous Dakota editors, because he
published an article in his paper which
is considered a libel upon the fair fame
OF our territory. He alleges that nothing
will grow in the soil of this domain, ex-
cePting vegetables and wheat-that corn
Is failure, because the seasons are too
short-that there 10 no water, excepting
such as is tinctured with alkali-that the
winters are long and bitterly cold and
laden with burdensome bIlzzards. Tho
Wabash editor falls into the common
error of applying to the whole of Dako.
to the characteristics of north Dakota.
1t is true that little, excepting wheat and
vegetables can be grown in that section,
but it is also true that the soil there
yields so enormously of these products
that land owners would not attempt to
grow other crops if they could. It is
true that the summers are short in the
north, but this is compensated for by the
rapid growth of the great staple of that
region, which springs from the seed and
natures in about half the time required
in the clammy soil Of the hoosier state.
In the southern half of this immense
territory different conditions exist. 1t
is. true that diversified farming can here
be followed with greater success than in
any other portion of the east or west
With us, years of experience have proven
that corn is the staple-that
all small grains are certain crop,
with the exception of
wheat, and that is oftener success than
a failure-that stock can be produced at
very slight expense and can be economi.
cally fattened from the yield of our
fields-that there is no limit to the de-
velopment of the dairying industry,
which thrives upon the native grasses OF
our prairies. The trouble with the peo.
pie of the east is that they fail to com.
prehend the vastness of this empire-tc
comprehend that it extends through six
parallels of latitude. In the south the sea
sons do not differ materially in length
from those Of northern and central In
diana. The parallel which bounds Da
kota on the south runs about degre
north of the northern boundary of In
diana. But the isotbermal line which
passes through the Missouri river tier o
Dakota counties bends southwark as j
progresses eastward and cuts the cente
of the north half Of Indiana. Thus it i
shown that our climate is more mil,
than that Of many of the eastern state
in the same latitude. There are in Da
kota alkali tracts of limited extent, bu
the water is generally free from this in
gredient. 1t is also free from the mias
ma of the Indiana streams and pool
and there is no bone rackin
ague lurking in its depths. The In
diana editor in his offerings to tn
public should take the whole {
Dakota for his text, when touchin
upon the subject, and not eonfne him
self to some particular patch which a
improvident hoosier has failed to max
blossom and fructify. Dakota is wild
range. 1t offers superior inducement
to all classes Of producers. Here fal
mer can gather half a dozen fat crop
and sell couple of generations
beeves and swine while the Indiar
agriculturalist is grubbing out IL
stumps and draining the cesspools {
his limited homestead.