Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1905-03-23
THE PROSPERITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA
State Is Wealth Producer Of the First Magnitude Lands
Within the Reach Of All.

ties that will never come again in The
life OF the present generation. If ever.
Fortunes have already been made in
South Dakota lands, and still larger.
gains await those who take advantage
of the prices at which desirable hold
ings can now be secured
Money invested in lands is always
safe. IL neither burns up nor is blown
away, nor is stolen. When periods Of
depression come there Is always q sure
dependence in time of need that is
your land South Dakota land has
reached the point when to own it is to
be certain Of independence.
Soil and Climate.
The soil of South Dakota east Of the
Missouri river is a deep, black loan,
with porous snbsoil, which serves as
a reservoir for moisture to be given
up in heavy dews when most needed.
Except in limited areas little gravel is
found, nor is the land sandy There is
no appreciate difference between the
soil of South Dakota and that Of
southern Minnesota and northwestern
Iowa.
The rainfall in nearly all of the state
east of the Missouri river is ample to
mature crop The United States
weather bureau gives record Of sew
en- consecutive years, showing an av.
erage annual rainfall of from eighteen
to thirty-fve inches, according to local
ity.
Sure Crop Area Extending.
Soil changes with settlement and
cultivation. During the past thirty
years the area OF sure crops has ex-
tended steadily to the north and the
west. In the eastern and southern
parts of the state it took from ten to
twenty years for farmers to get the
best results from their land 1t was
not believed that corn could be raised
successfully, and fruit culture was not
| thought of until few years ago. Land
offered at prices from $3.50 to SIS an
acre was a drug ON the market The
same land is now selling from $50 TO
| 500 an acre.
/
over the state, while lands that FIVE
years ago hunted buyers at IS to So
! an acre, are changing hands at SIS to
| $40 an acre:
For a time artesian wells supple
mented the rainfall, giving to many
/ parts of the state, especially in the
| James river valley, an inexhaustible
supply OF water of an even temperature
and free from harmful minerals These
wells we're found most valuable for
/ stock grow ing, and sometimes for pur-
| poses of irrigation in times of droutt.
The water lis usually of a temperature
] OF about IS degrees, and in the winter
stock drink freely OF it. as they would
| not do of cold well or lake water. In
| the past two years hundreds Tor arte-
| sian wells have been sunk, and the
country is fast becoming dotted with
/ little lakes and ponds, many of which
have been stocked with fish. Some of
the wells, notably those in towns and
cities, are of six and eightinch bore,
and furnish supply of water for mt
nicipal purposes at high pressure
Other wells furnish power for electric
light plants and Touring mills
Artesian wells with pressure Of
LIS to 100 pounds to the square inch
are common all over the state. For
merly it cost from $4,000 to $4,000 to
/ sink an artesian well. Now, with the
! improved machinery and better knowl
edge of the work. farmer may get
strong, flowing, inexhaustible wells at
q cost not exceeding $500, in less than
one weeks time.
The climate of South Dakota is one
Of the most delightful in the world, AS
a rule little snow falls before the boii-
days, and cattle and horses find green
grass until the first of December. The
long Indian summer gives opportunity
to care for all crops in pleasant wealth
err. The snoWfalis, when they happen,
in midwinter are always followed by
sunshine. Foggy, shiyery weather,
which causes so much discomfort in
Eastern states. is unknown in South
Dakota.
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