Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1895-08-08
THE RAINFALL IN DAKOTA.
Some Interesting Facts Compiled From
Official Reports

The following article from the
pen of A. L. Hinman, written for
the Yankton Herald, contains
facts which are Of interest to all
citizens of South Dakota, and
will open the eyes of those in the
east who think this is an exceed
ingly dry portion Of the universe.
AS Turner county lies north
and east of Yankton county,
greater portion of the facts below
are also applicable to this coun-
ty.
There seems to be an idea prevailing
among the people of Iowa, Illinois and
in fact all through the states east of US,
that as soon as you cross the Big Sioux
river going west you pass into an al
most rainless region, a region OF
droughts aud the home of the blizzard.
That being the case | thought would
look up the official records of the
weather bureau and see what the facts
are in regard to the rainfall at Yank-
ton, and compare them with the rec
ords of precipitation at Sioux City and
q few other points. The records at
Yankton from January 1, 1874, to July
%, 1895, covering period of twenty
years, show a precipitation in that time
of 562.67 inches, and the annaal aver
age precipitation, 27.44 inches. The
Sioux City records only extend back to
January l, 1889, and the total precipi-
tation for the period covered is 1856.
inches, or an annual average precipita-
tion is 24.57 inches. The greatest pre-
cipitation in any one year in Yankton
was in 1881, which was 4O.95 inches
The least was in 1894, the record show
ing only 14.41 inches. The greatest
precipitation in any year at Sioux City
was 1929 inches in 1891, and the least.
1894 inches in 1894. The records at
Smithland, To-. from 1878 to 1883, show
an average rainfall of 2410; Fort Riley,
Kan, from 1853 to 1890, 25. 80; Chey-
enne, Wyo., from 1870 to 1890, 1.60;
Omaha, from 1858 to 1890, SO. .O6; Huron,
S. D., 1882 to 1891, 22.l0. These are
the official figures and cannot be dis
puted. Now it seems to me that these
figures ought to stop the mouths of
some of these drought calamity howl
ers that have so much to say about its
never raining in South Dakota, and |
tell you, you have plenty of howlers
right in the city of Yankton. The
fact is, the people of Yankton do not
realize nor appreciate the richness of
the soil of Yankton county, nor that
| the rainfall in Yankton county, taking
it for a period of twenty years, is as
near right for raising good crops as
any county in Iowa or Illinois, and that
the average crop of Yankton county
| for a period of ten or fifteen years
amongst our good farmers will average
with the crops for the same length of
| time in any county that can be selected
in Iowa or Illinois. The people of
Yankton do not realize nor appreciate
the magnificent crop of all kinds that
is being raised in that county this year.
These GROWERS will tell you the crop
is over-estimated and that the yield
will not be over one-half what people
say. Now, the fact is the yield of small
grain is greatly underestimated by a
large majority of the people in Yank-
ton. [ do not believe the average weld
OF wheat in Yankton county this year
will be less than % bushels per acre.
Oats will go all the way from so to 100.
Ii there is no early frost the average of
corn will be at least 45 bushels. The
writer of this has probably spent more
time and taken more pains to get in
| formation from reliable sources than
any man in 4ankton. A few figures in
regard to the estimated crop in this
county may to interesting to yourread-
ers. G. j. B. Harris has taken consid-
cradle pains to look up and give con-
servative estimate of the acreage in
9ankton county this year, and he gives
me these figures: Corn, 10000 acres:
wheat, $4,000; oats, $4,000; all other
crops, $4,000 acres; total, 150, 900 acres
in crops this year. A conservate esti-
mate of the yield will be, in bushels:
Corn, $4,000 wheat, ,4OO,O 900: oats,
l,250, 900; all other crops, including DO
tatoes, 100000. giving us grand total
sor 1895 of 5,65O,000 bushels. A great
many Yankton croakers may say these
figures are overestimated, but as a rule
these fellows, in looking over field of
grain, can't tell whether the yield will
be 10 or 40 bushels per acre. While in
Yankton recently I took every means
possible to obtain accurate information
as TO crop prospects III Yankton coun.
ty. spent nearly all my time for over
two weeks looking up information on
the subject and believe the figures here
given are under the real facts. Now.