The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-07-06

When YOU realize that less than
twenty years ago it was a very diff
cult matter for the farmers of South
Dakota to raise crops on land which
at that time went begging at from
So to 50 an acre, and which to-day
could not be purchased for $40 an
acre, the question arises In your
mind: What is the cause of this
immense increase in valuaton?" II
| you pause to so over the ground With
| me, | Will show to your satisfaction
the cause of the increase, not only
in the, valuation of land, but in the
increase in the valuation of crops.
cattle and other items of commercial
| value.
In the first place, the soil of South
Dakota for the most part is a deep
black loan with porous clay sub
soil, which otiiciates. so to speak, as
a reservoir for moisture, and this, in
turn, Is given up in heavy dews With
one or two exceptions, there is no
| sandy soil In South Dakota to speak
of. Please remember the soil of South
Dakota. Now. with the sparsely set
| tied districts of the state In the past
! there was an absence of abundant
rainfall, which, according to science,
is due to lack OF density of population,
and, With the advent of civilization,
progress had to be made The farm
er OF twenty years ago did not have
the modern materials to work with
that he has to-day he was miles
from his neighbor, and could not
compare ideas; there was no mode of
transportation for him save his horse,
and. in word, he was practically
| Isolated from mankind
With tn opening OF South Dakota
land $40 the homesteader, all Of these
conditions were changed. Men got to-
gether and compared their ideas;
proflted by the successes OF one and
the losses Of another, the result being
81 revolution in the farming industry.
Water was the great need for the
farmer OF the days gone by, but he
did not appear to know how to pro
| cure II. There were no reservoirs that
1t could be piped from; no means of
securing the pipe in quantities sutfl-
GENTLY large to run pipe lines from
the rivers to the inlands, and so. to
use slang expression, the farmer
was Cup against 1t" in the water
| game.
Solving the Water Problem.
| When the homesteader came to
South Dakota the water question was
| quickly considered. Few men realized
the AMOUNT Of water that lay In the
bowels of earth, but after some expo
rlments artesian wells were sunk. and
| from them flowed the water so much
needed, and mohe than that, the over
flow caused little lakes to form on the
land surface. These lakes caused
greater evaporation of water; dimin-
! ished tho intensity of the burning
| winds that We're wont to blow across
the vast plains Of South Dakota, dry
ing the grasses, and in some places
setting them on fire. The increased
evaporation caused increased rain
rail-, and to-day the record of the
weather bureau shows that the rain
fall of South Dakota averaged eight
| cen to twenty-five inches last wear.
| Therefore with an abundance OF rain.
Il like quantity of water In the earth
! to supply the surface with and the
latter, with Its excellent loamy soil,
| the conditions for farming were SUI
perb, and consequently the growing
OF crops was benefited
With the water supply adequate the
weather conditions or climate was on
par with the water. Cattle can
Craze upon South Dakota lands until
almost Christmas time before snow
| covers the ground. There is q long.
beautiful and delightful Indian sum
| mer to please the farmer, and during
that time he can have an abundance
| OF time In which to harvest his crop.
AS general thing. there are no win
ter storms Of any severity. so that
| cattle can winter we'll and also Craze.
| Climatic and water conditions being
| equal, let us follow the conditions that
| tho farmer meets with in this para.
| disc. Last year there were grown
| upon the lands Of South Dakota AS.
| 100000 bushels OF wheat, valued at
SAT, 900 600; 47,ooo, 600 bushels of corn
valued at 1923. 600 600; &c. oe0. 900 bush
| els of oats worth 100000 and cror,s
from other grains Of corresponding
value. Comparatively sceel-'-o the
1tire output Of the state of South
| Dakota. including mining. gram, and
other products of the soil. represented
| 100000; that OF 1904 represented
| l48,O00, 900, an increase of 10000
| GEO In one year. For the sake of
showing to You exactly what this cnor-
nous amount Of business In farming
alone means. consider the population
OF South Dakota. To-day there are
about 455,1S5 people in the state, so
that this output in cab from crops
means an average OF 1868 per inhab-
| liant.
Plenty Of Land Remains.
At this time of writing there are
thousands OF acres of untitled land