The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-03-10
How one Farmer succeeded

How One Farmer Succeeded
"What man hath done man can do"
has neryed many discouraged heart. and
turned more than one impending defeat
into victory. For this reason we are
glad that the Farmer has asked for the
experience Of those who have succeeded
In South Dakota.
II to-day there is one man here, who
with hut average intelligence and
strength, came to Dakota. with limited
means, and has with kis own hands
wrested from the wild pfairies living, q
competence and home, then there exists
no good reason why tens Of thousands who
are now homeless. may not safely UNDER
take what another has found it possible
to do.
With no hope that my humble ex-
perience which must seem small indeed
compared with those of many-may rank
among the first, but that possibly it may
be such that "some forlorn and ship
wrecked brother, seeing, may take heart
again." Ibeg to offer the simple story Of
my struggles in the. west for time:
Tensyesss5aao with my family, two
COWS, f0eehiekens, and . few more than
thesssss number Of sheep, l located in
the hilly, we'll watsred and well grassed
lands Of Deuel. comfy, where against the
advice of.many, Began laying the foun-
dation Cor a permanent home. Reckon
ing ell my stock and other effects at full
value, then hal in them and in cash .
little less than seven hundred dollars
Getting moved and started again made q
big hole In this, and after paying one-fifth
down on hundred acres OF land, to live on
what was left, the closest economy was
required, until a little could be realized
from our sheep and poultry.
Wew were too late to get government
lands in these parts, and thongL we took
the cheapest land we could find, every acre
had to be paid for in:hard earned dollars.
The land selected is very rough; not more
than one-llalf or one third of it can be
ploughed; and Ihaye never tried to plow
but % acres Of it. Tie subsoil is deep
gray clay. the surface beeing a very black,
slightly sandy loan, from one to five feet
thick. The upland is heavily grassed
with several kinds Of nutritious grasses
but tue ordinary blue Joint or blue stem,
largely lsaao,2:nates, frequently grow
ing, where not pastured. so tall and dense
as to make good crop OF hay. The wild
pasture l found equal in every particular
to tame pasture, with the single except
lou, perhaps, that where the buffalo grass
is not abundant, it will last quite SO late
In the fall. For all kinds of stock found
the upland hay, when properly and season
ably put up, to fully equal timothy and
clover.
The year after coming here I tried
clover with excellent results; also little
timothy, but ta,is did not do so we'll. To
improve the fall feed l have scattered
Kentucky blue grass about the buildings
and over the pastures, and find when this
is done in moist and favorable seasons,
the grass readily takes root and steadily
drives all other grasses out. have some
fine spots OF this most txellent grass on
the highest l:nolls in my pasture. From
first to last, my rough lands in their nat
ural state have paid so we'll without the
labor and expense of cultivation, that l
have depended principally Oh my sheep
and poultry for an income.
When deciding upon what class Of farm
ing would be most likely to prove profit
able, it occurred to mo that things which
had to be imported into this country to
find market, would be more likely to
bring good and steady price, than
products that has to be sent:broad in or
der to find a buyer. In looking over
statistics bearing upon this point, 1
found that while wheat, pork and several
other staple products had to he sent
abroad ta order to find their best market,
eggs, WOO: and potatoes were largely inn
ported. For this reason decided to give
my attention principally to these three
products. and chose land peculiarly
adapted to their production.
Since locating here we have kept from
SO to. 200 hens, principally Leghorns or
Leghorfi and, ,Langshan grades. and from
200 to 400 sheep. The latter are now
mostly Shropshire grades and pure blood
Shorpshires, a1d all ewes. We have
never fed grain Of any kind to our sheep
but usually give millet once day to the
lambs and to the poorer sheep, and by
way Of change, feed millet two or three
times q month to the whole flock. The
income with the sheep has varied with
the years. The highest we have received
for the wool was $2.03 head, lambs and
all. This year the income from that
source is very much less. Our increase
has generally been from Is to 80 per cent
sometimes better. We find we can dc
the best by winteriag only ewes of good
age and size, keeping Of course, few Of
the best eve lambs.
As to poultry: We have been able II
gft from s1.5l to $l.s5 head for oul
hens annually. When the food is bought
4 it reduces this to about one dollar each
or course to do even this one must feet
properly aud with judgment; have warm
| sunny cool's. and keep only young thrifty
stock. With this treatment our roultr,
have proved great help to us from til
first.
In connection with eur sheep un'
Awarded
Highest Honors Worlds Fair