Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1894-04-26
IOWA--SOUTH DAKOTA
ONE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT
THE OTHER is TO BE,
Interesting Addresses 1t Huron ON "The
Economic Possibilities Of Irrigation"-
The Growth OF lowa-south Dakota Go
Ing Through Similar Experiences.


The Growth OF lowa-south Dakota Go
Ing Through similar Experiences.
j. M. shannon ON Irrigation.
Inc Economic Possibilities OF lrri-
CATION" was the subject of an address
delivered before convention of rep
resentative men Of this state, held at
Huron q few days since, by J. w.
Shannon, former resident Of Iowa.
He compared South Dakota and Iowa,
saying: South Dakota is . great
state; Iowa Is a great state. These
great states are much alike in many
ways. They arc prairie states. Their
timber resources amouutstQ but little
Both are natural born agricultural
states with touch OF mining. Both
within the next half century are cer-
tain to be great manufacturing states.
Agriculture must be forerunner of
all manufacturing. 10 successful ag-
riculture these natural elements are
absolutely indispensable soil, sun
shine, water. OF the two states named
South Dakota has the best SOL. sIn u
still more striking degree the better
sunshine. As they appear to-day, Iowa
has the advantage in surface water.
spent my early manhood in Iowa, al
ways directly interested in farming.
spent my last thirteen years in South
Dakota where no man pretends to live
without being deeply interested in the
crops. | am laying down these propo-
sitions OF comparison with care, after
having made them the subject of
thought.
''Soil, sun, water, intelligence, in
INT lin, fu,
lily Of six who must all work together
if the best success is achieved. Much
as honor my people, fear that Iowa
has to-day u large advantage over us
in the three last named elements. The
exceptions are notable and many, but
the average South Dakota farmer is
not match for the average Iowa
farmer. There are abundant reasons
for this not at all uncomplimentary to
our own people.
II have not the least doubt but that
il oil the natural conditions were left
just as they are-I mean just as they
have stood in Iowa for the last forty
years-that South Dakota would sur
pass during the next thirty years what
Iowa has accomplished in that time.
Take two men OF equal skill, strength,
industry and economic instincts. Put
one of them on farm of lt0 acres in
any part of Iowa you can select. Put
the other on any average l60 acres
from Aberdeen to Yankton. in the
James Valley. Start the farms equal
in equipment. Let the Iowa farmer
have his creek running through the
center. Give the Dakotan his windmill
and pump with capacity of POO barrels
day. In five years your South Dako-
ta man will be ahead.
''ln 1850 1owa's years in the union
were about equal TO those OF South Da-
kota to-day. She had about half the
population Of present South Dakota.
But these people were so very poor
that they aid not possess one-tenth OF
the actual wealth of South Dakota
We talk about the hard year of 1893,
but in actual values South Dakota ad-
ded more to her net wealth, as the sta
tistics demonstrate, in that bad year
than the entire possessions of the peo-
pie of Iowa in 1850. During the ten
years following Iowa's population
reached double that OF the present
South Dakota, and her wealth in
creased more than tenfOld Since
1860 her population had grown from
$4,000 to about 2,OOO,OOO. and her
wealth, true values, from *o47 ,32S, 1868
to nearly $1,000, 100000. Her 100000
people will, in all human probability,
with their capital and skill and indus
try, draw out Of the elements-ou. OF
the soil and sun and water-and in,
through immigration and inflow of
capital, more than $4OO, 600 900 during |
this blessed 1894. They will consume |
the greater share of it, to be sure, but |
more than $lOO, COO, COO will be left to
add to the wealth OF the state, and |
this will 60 on continually, so that at |
the end Of the census decade you will
find, in true values, that Iowa is worth !
more than 81, COG, ,0C0,0O0 more than at
its beginning.
"What is to hinder South Dakota
from making like strides during the |
next thirty years? Nothing on earth
except faith and the application OF like
skill, industry and economy to our op-
portunities. II Iowa during the past
thirty years could have been spared |
one-third OF her average rainfall, and
have had instead abundance OF reach
able water below the surface, she |
might have been good deal richer,
and her people good deal healthier. |
If she could have had our immunity |
from floods and washOuts and wet sea. |
sons, she could well have afforded to |
put the cost of the loss through water |
spoiled lands, water spoiled crops,
water soaked buildings and machinery,
rain soaked men and women and chill |
dren. rain ruined roads, food DESTROYED |
bridges. dams, mills and other prop |
er. TO lifting the water from below and i
placing it when and where it is
wanted. They would have had all the |
advantage of perfectly manageable |
water supply for clear profit.
s.If across Iowa there were region |
seventy-dve miles wide and 200 miles |
iong-l5, 900 square miles upon every |
section of which could be developed q |
lOO-hOrse water power b. sinking |
three or four holes in tie ground aud |
casing them up q power, all told. am
Pile to manufacture more -four every |
three days than Minneapolis turns out |
In year, can conceive of develop |
ment which would make all her past |
achievements look small.
'.South Dakota will probably plant |
this year l,OOO,0O0 acres OF corn. 1t |
will yield about q bushels to the acre,
and the product will be worth about |
%, COO, 600. There is not man who
hears me who does not believe that |
that yield could be increased SO per
cent. by skillfuln use OF abundant water.
Here would be . gain OF 1900, 600, to
be Offset by the cost Of the water. II
the water cost you 9l.50 per acre, the
net gain would be 9l 500, 900. We shall
sow about 1900, 900 acres OF wheat.
The yield will be about ten bushels
per acre. Experiments in this neigh
borhood demonstrate that by the aid
OF irrigation more than fifty bushels
per acre can be raised. Suppose you
simply double the ten-bushel rate,
having used water on 3,C00, 600 acres
ut cost of 81, 90, 900, you would still
have net gain Of $4,000, 600, with
wheat At 80 cents per bushel. At the
present low prices, we shsll no doubt
produce this year wheat. corn, oats.