Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-06-02

OF North Dakota In other words,
south Dakota Bin to show The great
est tendency 10 : period OF excess from
and after 1851. II is not improbable
that the cultivation at the soil in the
Dakotas has fastened evaporation, aud
it may be that the disappearance oil
the moisture has been largely infiu.
enced BY the character OF the soil.
which is = black loan that very readily
absorbs the heat. Before cultivation
the hard prairie sod sheds the rain
like a ducks back. the water running
of rapidly and gathering in the near
est Expressions. keeping the pom 3,
lakes, aud rivers we'll supplied. With
the advance OF the conditions OF civii-
ization extending farther and farther
westward The limits Of agriculture, de.
cided and permanent notifications have
been made OF the surface OF the coun-
try, which have increased the opportu.
nifty OF the soil TO abs orb the rainfall
and at TIE same time to give 1t of
gradually TO the atmosphere through
the process of evaporation. These
changes have taken place most decid-
eddy where the primitive conditions OF
the country rave been most com plelely
Dodiied by changes incident to settle.
ment
Lient Einley's report makes more
than 200 printed pages and contains
many maps and charts that are Of
great value His conclusions are drawn
from u close aud careful study OF the
facts and data, and briefly summarized
his findings are as follows
The Dakotas must resort to an extensive
system OF irrigation.
Forests must be preserved ana extensive re-
forestation adopted.
Increase the area covel ed by vegetation.
Pursue some method IA cultivating the soil
whereby the snowfall may be prevented from
drifting away under the influence OF the winds.
Flowing shallow bitches every few rods or the
growing o hedges every few hundred yards
apart might accomplish the object sought.
The distribution OF precip tation throughout
the We i, while favorable In a measure. to ag-
rlcuiturai Interests Is too small IN the aggre.
gate To prevent the recurrence Of several
dioaghts, especially to North Dakota and the
central part OF South Dakota.
The owf is too light an the winds ara
too heavy to secure from this form of precip-
ttation much. II any, protection to crops.
compares fayorabiy with the moist regions OF
the central Mississ ppl and ohio Valleys. but
the precil itatioil of autumn and winter shows
a pronounced deficiency. winch shows the
average of hese seasons less than in the arid
regions of the middle plateau.
The geographical position OF the Dakotas is
such. relative to the path of atmospheric DIS.
turbance between the Pacific and the Atlantic
near the 18th parallel. that no important per,
utdutlit ldlS CdH De SAIctteG III IHe amount
and distribution OF their precipitation.
The whitening effect of the hot. dry south.
erly winds may be obviated. In a measure, by
| spraying plans and trees with water and ir
rigating the soil beneath them.
The Dakotas lie within what is called the
"subhumid region . mean condition be
tween the arid and moist regions of the coua-
try, where agriculture can hardly be conduct
ed without years OF drought. succeeding Yeas
of prosperity, and where irrigation from ar
teSiaii wells and storage reservoirs must bJ
resorted to in order to tide over the nnprop-
itiuNs seasons.
Every feasible means fol checking the evap
Grafton must be adopted. Windbreats OF
trees or hedges may be employed to this end
A fejge six feet In height WIN afford protec-
ton to the surrounding soil il distance Of
seventy feet. Experiments have shown that Il
narrow belt OF trees every 30 to 1907 feet, ae-
CordiIg to the character of the soil and the
Kind OF vegetation. Will offer protection from
the drying effects OF the wind.
The meteorological ana physical features OF
the DaE otas are such that under the influence
of settlement and the consequent development
of agricultural changes are effected which
tend to the rapid dissipation of the modern
rainfall through the abs orptiou and eyaporar
tion. Irrigation and retorestation are the
only remedies.
Prairie fires should he prevented as they in
crease evaporation by setting up convection
currents OF the atmosphere and algfnentin9
the drying effects OF the usual winds.
Both Dakotas need a greater variety of wind
currents. The abnormal excess of northerly
and southerly winds is productive or destrlic.
tive extremes IL temperature and evaporation.
As thu population rf the two states increases
and deleterious effect from dsticiency in pre-
cipitatton ana high evaporation must become
more severe unless overcome by the employ
ment of irrigation.