Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-08-07
A Chapter for the Ranchman.

A Chapter for the Ranchman.
Inasmuch as the average citizen Of
Custer has failed in the past to appreci-
ate the fact that he lives in a mining
camp, we will extend the inventory Of
our resources and see what we have got
in the way of agricultural lands, and
what they are good for. North, south,
east and west, leading out from Custer
there are picturesque valleys vary ing in
width from a quarter of a mile to a mile
in width. These valleys have usually
a small stream of water FLOWING through
their center, and good natural g
roads, which radiate from our city like
the spokes in n wheel. These valleys
are fanked by high mountains and low
hills on either side, which bend with
the water courses and slope to the foot
hills, and further on to the broad prairie
east, south and west. These valleys
through the Hills are known to be ex-
ceedingly fertile, the soil being compos-
ed of the disintegrated portions of the
states and GRANTEES which form the
country rock of the southern Black
Hills. The streams and brooks which
meander through the valleys flow over
beds Of washed gravel or gravel bars.
These gravel bars from the top soil
down to bed rock are in all cases more
or less auriferous, and are rightly class
ed as mineral lands. These lands are
claimed land very properly so) under
the mineral act as placer, and it Is not
uncommon to see a settler in these val
leys digging gold OIL II part of his
claim and digging potatoes on another.
All of the small grains, and all the
hardy vegetables grow well on these
lands, but it has become the custom
almost universally to raise oats and
potatoes to the exclusion Of everything
else. Wheat and barley are equally
well adopted, but our ranchmen rarely
ever SON more than enough to raise
feed for the poultry. This is accounted
" iIoul Nhc idtt tiiat We HdNS HO HllllS
to grind our wheat into flour, and the
land area is too small to think of rails
ing anything to sell which must be
shipped out Of the hills to find a mar.
kct.
Most Of our ranchmen. and in fact all
who are able, in addition to farming
keep q small bunch Of cattle and horses
which do well winter and summer. The
horses which run ont requiring no feed
ing, and the cattle but very little, and
that only during a cold storm which
lasts more than a few days. The
raising Of stock in the Hills is wisely
pursued by Il ranchmen so long as
they do not overstock, but very unwise
when the herd is permitted to increase
beyond the capacity of the range TO
support, which has been done in too
many cases in the last few years. We
have said that the amount Of pillow land
is too small to Justify our farmers in
trying to raise anything for shipment
ia VI lllC llllIS. DiI ulOH lCllCCllOu
we are quite sure that an ey .eption
should be made to this statement, for
judging from the prolific growth of our
potatoes, theirsize and superior quality,
a good market for them should be found
in the large cities Of the east at re-
munerative prices. We are inclined to
believe this, in spite Of the fact that
Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois is each
strictly n farming country, and all raise
potatoes, yet, nevertheless, there should
be q good market in Omaha, Chicago
and st. Louis, and many Of the large
towns on the Missouri should lie our
customers. We say this from the ger.
orally admitted fact that a great corn
country is never a good potatoe country,
and when we consider that potatoes are
a cheap food, and it cost but a little moro
to buy a good potatoe than a poor one,
and the further fact that a good potatoe
is a luxury and a poor one a nuisance
and unfit to eat, there remains no doubt
III puI H'lINI, tidt ~ oiICC tIOuuCe anu
a trade worried up, that we might, and
will some day, be shipping our spuds TO
the east by the train load.
The sugar beet TOO is another vegetable
which grows well here, and the few
experiments which have been tried
have proved that The rich, light soil,
and more than all, the continual sun
shine, is just what is needed in the
propagation Of the sugar beet to produce
the largest per cent of saccharine. At
tention of capitalists should be drawn to
an investigation ofthe adaptation Of our
soil and climate to this important in.
dustry, particularly since the change in
the tariff has given the mandatory Of
sugar in,this country an increased ad,
vantage which will place the business
upon asolid footing where it cannot fail
to be profitable.
Our people. both of the town and
country, should cooperate in an en-
deavor to get a -four mill erected at this
point. IL ought to pay handsomely or
the investment and would fill a lonl
felt want. The experiment has been
tried Sufficient to prove beyond a doubt
that we can raise wheat here in abund
ance, and that of the best quality, to
keep q mill in continuous operation
Next this, we need a creamery. The
pure water and nutritious grasses Of this
section, together with the fact, that
there is no other place that We know o.
where they enjoy such freedom from
annoying insects, makes this an idea
country for the dairy business. We
should endeavor to bring capital and
labor in closer relation, instead Of try
ing to Widen the breach between them
for they are mutually dependent upor
each other, and when the industry in
which both are engaged is fairly ad
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