The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-11-24
FRUIT RAISING NEAR sPEARFIsH

You see an irrigation project in the
beginning in the Belle Fourche valley.
A few hours drive and you are in the
midst of what can be done m what
has been done by irrigation under
similar conditions. There surely is
not a prettier valley in this county
than the Spearfish. Talk about living
in California! Why people should go
three Thousand miles for a place in
which to live just to enjoy life beats
me when we have, incur own state, a
place many times more pleasant, take
it all around. OF course, they have
winter in the Spearfish valley but
there is nothing that breaks the
routine Of existence like a winter.
Their springs, summers and autmns
are delightful and in their sheltered
position the winters strike with less
severity than in many other places as
far north. And fruit, why, the fruit
raised there is more delicious than
the southern. They may not raise
oranges and grapes but, for that
matter, you "a get better California
oranges in Aberdeen than you find for
sale, commonly, in San Francisco,
They have been %irrigating in the
Spearfish valley for about twenty
years but have been seriously engaged
in fruit raising for "a much shorter
time. The beginners in fruit rails
ing were laughed at, of course,
but today the industry is Of
much more Importance than hereto
fore. Alfalfa is a steady, reliable
crop. This year no water from the
bitches was needed and three crops
were cut. The average yield is from
four to five tons an acre and they get
about SIS to Sc a ton for it. All garden
vegetables are profitable crops. They
pointed out to me a place, just in the
town, which a man works-he has just.
a city block for farm, buildings and
all-and from which he is getting not
only a good living but over a thousand
a year besides. Farms of ten acres
are common enough and forty acres is
about enough for one man.
OF course, this is common enough
in some places but the oddity Of the
thing, finding such a district in our
OWL state. is what gets me and | can't
get over it. I don't like to see people
leave this vicinity to go to the Pacific
coast country to farm or raise fruit
and all that but if there is any who
think they must get into such a local.
1ty, they ought to go to the Spearfsh
or Belle Fourche valleys. Instead OF
going thousands of miles they can
stay in their own state, remain near
home and friends, and realize their
ideas about a nice, quiet, beautiful
place in which to live and edjoy life.
Land in the Spear6sh valley, with the
water right, sells for from 800 to $500
an acre and is certainly worth it.
A TEN ACRE APPLE ORCHARD
We spent some time in the apple
orchard of Joseph Wells .at Spearfsh.
He has ten acres of apple trees, mostly |
Macintosh Reds and this year he
sold over 1000 bushels at somewhat
better than 81 a bushel on the ground.
Pretty fair yield from ten acres. Be-
sides the apples he realized S 9 an acre
from hay cut from the same ground
and he also let's a host of chickens
in the orchard. Chickens, he told
me, lay the year around where they
IAN get in under the trees, for the
grass stays green all winter and they
get just the right food. Mr.. Wells
also has bearing pear trees that are
higher and larger than the big cotton
woods up on Seventh avenue east near
The Apartment house. He has bear
ing prune trees, cherry, plum and
crab apple trees that make him money
and also apricot trees that have borne
fruit. He has not paid So much
attention to small fruits but the ex-
perience of Professor Cook along that
line is remarkable. Mr.. Wells, /
add, began to set out apple
trees twenty years ago but he finds
the later years have been the
best. He is of the opinion that the
Belle Fourche valley will surpass the
Spearfish valley for fruit farming as
The seasons are somewhat longer on
the prairie than in the Hills. If it
proves true Of the Belle Fourche it
will also be true Of the irrigable dis
tricts along the south fork OF the
the Grand, the Moreau and
the Little Missouri. By taking these
things into consideration and in this
way only can we get an idea Of what
the future has in store for South
Dakota.
SMALL FRUITS IN THE HILLS
Preseason Cook, president OF the
Normal school at Spearfish and one Of
the men Of the state who is doing
wonders for 1t in the pioneer line, has
made q remarkable success Of. small
fruit raising IN f.ha Gnnarf3ch no linv