The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-11-10
A DELIGHTFUL CLIMATE.
Healthy and Invigorating- Farmers
plow In Their Shirt Sleeves In
December,

December.
mitchell Special to Pioneer Press)
The severe snow storm of Jan. IL,
1883, which ragged over a dozen states
and territories, has caused some un-
favorable comment upon the severity |
of our winter climate by persons who
are unfamiliar with this section of the
country, hence we haye thought few
words on this subject by one who has
resided here for twenty-five years may
not be inappropriate. When we speak
of sour climate" IN this article we mean
that of Southern Dakota, in and around
Mitchell. 1t would not be proper to
give a single description of climate for
all Dakota and claim that it applied
alike to all sections of the territory.
Dakota is large country. 1t reaches
from the AID to the 49th degree of
latitude, or a distance of nearly five
hundred miles. Is there not great
difference between the climate of
Chicago, ILL.,, and Memphis, Tenn.
between that of New York city and
Wilmington, N. G. Every Eastern
person knows the distance between the
places named, and the difference in the
climate also, but the distance between
the northern and southern boundary
lines of Dakota is as great as from
Chicago to Memphis, or from New
York to Wilmington, and why should
not the difference IN climate be as
great between the extreme north and
south lines Of Dakota as between the
Eastern places named. Most assured
ly it is, and the person who would al
tempt to give description of the
climate of Dakota that would apply
alike to the northern and southern
portions would signally fail to do
justice to both sections. North Dako-
tn boasts her No. ! hard wheat and
claims that her yield is greater and
surer on account of the freedom Of that
section from blightlng hot winds.
South Dakota extends down into the
famous corn belt of the lower Jim river
valley and vies with Iowa and Nebras-
ka in raising corn and hogs, while
averaging fair crop of No. ! hard
wheat and other crops. Our climate
is especially healthy and invigorat ing
and people here do not show the in
firmities of age as early as at the East.
The climate of South Dakota Is much
like that of the states east Of us in the
same latitude, with perhaps this
difference, that it is not so moist in
winter. 1t is well known fact that
the degrees of our winter atmosphere
enables persons to stand the cold of
Dakota with much less discomfort than
they can the same temperature in
Michigan or New York. Our winter
weather is generally steady cold after
winter sets in, in December, with the
thermometer at about 20 degrees above
except possibly three or four days at a
time when the thermometer goes down
TO 25 or 80 degrees below zero The
fall weather of this section is generally
pleasant season Of the year. The
weather is mild, the skies perfectly
clear, and farmers follow the plow IN
their shirt sleeves up to near the close
of December. At least that has been
the experience of the writer during
half of the twenty-five winters he has
spent in this locality. The presen,
season has been very favorable for the
farmer for gathering his corn, ofwhich
1T is no uncommon thing for single
farmer TO have crop of one or two
hundred acres yielding from three te
six thousand bushels. Dollar whea
has also stimulated our farmers, anG
nearly every one has prepared in fine
order from forty to hundred acres o
ground for the next seasons crop.