The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-01-09
vorth s1.544. 400 in the local market.

though the yield has fallen below the ay-
erage. The acreage too has fallen off
from previous years. Tour hundred thou
sand acres have been given over to Its
culture, yielding 2,SoOOOO bushels worth
S3S6i 100.
potatoes which In other years have
scattered every hardship have this year
approximated failure, although some
sections, particularly the upper James
valley has had q fair crop. The $4,000
scres, however, devoted TO potato growing
S'have produced 100000 bushels worth at
home $1.GJ0,oo0.
rhe hay and fodder crop is frst-class
In aral!ty and yield, ard the unusual
demand has induced exceptional quanti-
ties TO he harvested and preserved. or
an the productions of the state no other
one. Is so hard to estimate as the fodder
CROP and in the Judgment OF this writer
81 has always been undervalued. In my
review of the states productions one year
ago | relied upon approXimates made by
TIE department OF agriculture and placed
the value at 100000. 1 felt then, ana
stu feel that this was much too little. /
have made extensive inquiry since then
among farmers, stock growers and 9TH
,rs having special knowledge upon the
subject and conclude that the whole
state considered the fodder crop as NOT
less valuable than the corn crop, but in
view of the inability 10 exactly deter
which certainly is within safe bounds.
Live stock. .Ef
The live stock industry has continued
10 flourish throughout the year although
the proceeds from that source will be
somewhat less, owing to the fall in the
II arkct for stock cattle. Much, Of the
range stock has come from the grass
finished, and has commanded the top
price in Chicago, There has been a fair
E,,-.,aa H., tbg bprJa I'm n limos
The high price OF coarse grains has
initiated against feeding on the farms
TO a certain extent, and the advantage
has been with the range men where "a
dollar year viii keep a steer" At the
best the value OF the live stock converted
into money, and the increase in the value
IF the herds from growth and the ma
turaI increase can be only approximateL
From all the evidence / could procure
/ concluded a year ago that the live stock
added S2T,OOO,OOO TO the wealth OF the
state in 1900. / have made diligent in
curry upon this topic this year, and from
oil the evidence and in view of the fall
I'm the price of stocker cattle, conclude
that the returns this year will rot be ma
terialiy different from one year ago. and
approximate the total at So, 100000.
Winter Pasture.
Possibly no one element contributes
50 much 20 tie value OF the wide spread
range district of South Dakota as the
fairly safe dependence upon winter pas
ture Where stock must be stabbed and
fed grain and hay the grower of stock
win ind himself handicapped however
succulent may be his summer feed. The
winter pasture of the last winter upon the
South Dakota range was excellent, and
we are entering upon another winter with
the ranges in magnificent condition.
Dairy and Creamery.
The making of butter and cheese has
attracted increased interest and intelli-
gent cooperation among the people dur
ing the year now closing, and is now
firmly established among the states
great and permanent industries. There
are $50 creameries and cheese factories
IN South Dakota, but they represent only
fraction of the capital invested I'm and
the returns derived from the industry.
The dairy and food commissioner hopes
by the end of next year To be able to OBJ
tain full and comprehensive information
of the dairy and creamery business but
for the present only fragmentary hgures
are obtainsb bic. Seventy-two creameries
only reported TO the dairy and food com
missioner for the month Of August show
ing 6OST patrons to whom were paid
net, Sil5,0lS16. Owing to the heat flies,
and the prevalence of winter dairying
business in South Dakota. but upon the
basis of the returns for that month re-
creameries alone paid not less than ST.
8sO,016.92 to their patro = during the year.
Last year after EXTENDED inquiry, / APP
proximated the value OF dairy products
and eggs produced in the state in 1900 at
$5O00Ooo. From the information / thus
possessed felt the figure was exceeding
ly conservative and so noted in my re-
view. With fuller information than had
one year ago. and In view of the official
figures furnished the dairy commissioner
from ~ creameries only in the month
of August l am convinced that the COWS
and hens have returned to the people OF
South Dakota not less than $500 900 this
year.
Fruit Growing.
Although the unusual head OF July in
jured the fruit, both in yield and in quail
ity. IL was not altogether disastrous, and
fair crop was produced In most lines.
The small fruits which ripen early pro-
duced abundantly both for home con-
sumption and shipment. Cherries were
better than fair, but ripened too rapidly.
Apples were badly injured by the July
heat. We produced enough to SUI ply the
local demand for the early varieties in the
southern counties. PlumS We're abundant
and Of excellent quality. supplying the
demand throughout the state and were
also shipped abroad in large quantities.
No official figures are available as TO the
value of fruit crors and gardens. APP
proximate the value of this years pro-
duce at $5.O0OOoO, one million less than
the average crop of 1900.
Mineral Wealth.
The year has been an especially active
and remunerative one i'm the mining sec
tons of the state The developed mines
have continued productive, and many
new propositions have been developed ana
have added their product TO the already
very satisfactory aggregate, and these
successes have led in turn to renewed and
scientific prospecting. The years min
eral output is approNimated at Sl2,9OO,-
600
summary of the Years Productions.
To summarize then the foregoing con-
illusions upon the years productions we
have the following results:
Bushels
Wheat 80, Oo0, 00O 2O0o0,oO0
Corn 80. T25. O0O 14,726,250
oats 17670,000 1881, 100
Barley 49,, 900 1.5I1, 400