The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-10-21
Official Paper Of the CITY and County
the TRUTH CAN'T BE DoDctD

The TRUTH CAN'T BE DODCED
Each frontier was knocked" we are
told by the Pierre press bureau and
their allies. Well, what OF it; after a
time somebody must hit pretty near
the truth. We know that in eastern
Colorado. western Kansas, western
Nebraska and in the western part OF
South Dakota practically all crops are
raised by irrigation, and as the sup
ply of water is limited and the area
suitable for irrigation attempts also
limited the population is scanty COM
pared with the thlckly settled dis
tricts a few hundred miles east. We
know that Notwithstanding that the
rainfall in the Black Hills is heavier
than at any point between and the
Missouri irrigation is the man stay
of the crops in that section and that
an irrigation project on an extensive
scale is now in sight in Butte county
along the Belle Forche river in the
northwest part OF the state. We know
that there isn't enough water in the
heavens above or the earth beneath
&c irrigate one-tcnth part of the
great PLAINS in this state, even if it
would run up hill. Now, then, there
must be some point, some underlined
line, some districts between the irri-
CATION regions OF Kansas, Nebraska
and South Dakota and the sure crop
sections of these states where the
rainfall becomes too scanty to make
the breaking of the sod pro-
htable. Where is it? Are we to
eventually extend the sure crop
line to the base of the Rockies? Are
We to ultimately raise 20 bushels Of
wheat to the acre on their snow cap
ped peaks? 1t is told that once upon a
time it was said you couldn't raise
corn north of Mitchell, then the line
was extended to Aberdeen, then to
the north line Of the state, and now
they are raising it in North Dakota.
Yes, but how muchp Did you ever
compare the corn raised on the north
line of the state with that grown in
Lincoln county? Will this corn line
go on and on and finally supplant
wheat raising in Manitoba? Are
there any folks gillies enough to be-
lieye that the shores of Hudson bay
will echo the sounds of the corn Shred
er and the silo?
Twenty-Five years ago, Major j. w.
Powell the greatest American irriga-
ton authority, told the people of
North Dakota, at their constitution
al convention, some plain facts about
this semi-arid section which they
were 10th to belieye, but which have
since proven only too true. He told
them that in the western portion of
the state they would have to depend
upon irrigation and that in the east.
ern part they could grow crops with
the natural rainfall, :but in the mid.
die portion an entire dependence up
on rainfall must ultimately bring
disaster that they would have a series
OF years when there would be abund.
ant crops, and then for I number OF
years there would be scant rainfall
where crops would fail and disaster
and disbursement would overtake
thousands of people. Up and down
the temperature of agriculture would
rise and fall with the seasons-the
lean years and the fat. "You WILL,
he said, thug to yourselves the delu.
sion that the climate is changing.
This question is 1000 years old. Moth.
ing that mar can do will change the
climate. There liz almost enough
rainfall, but one year and another you
need a little more than you get"
The Elk Point Courier makes the