The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-15
SETTLERS FLOCKING
TO SOUTH DAKOTA A.
BIG CROPS AND CHEAP LANDS
sf9,s9 ARE THE MAGNETS.

Men Of the East and Of the Middle
West Selling Their High Priced
I Lands to Invest in the Cheap Lands
Of the State. So
BY HERBERT vANDERHooF.
s. One hundred and two years ago the
state of South Dakota was explored by
the Indian title was extinguished for.
ever; two years before, on May 10, 1851.
the first agricultural settlement was
ma ISL the the war broke r
later it saw its FIRST raiiroad; eighteen
years after this Dakota was admitted
as a. state, and a great inffux of settlers
followed between 1880 and 1888 and to-
day. 1906, witnesses a healthy, happy,
prosperous, !. growing state, divided from
the original into North and South Da-
present toyou the beauty and prosperity
OF that strong young child. South Da-
kota, Of which our mother Union Is
proud.
Asccordinss 10 tho census Of 1905 South
Dakota has a population of 455.1s5, or
ABOUT Six to the square mile. The pop;
ulatfon is for the greater part native
porn Americans, men and women who
settled in the original Dakota in the try
Ing days Of long ago. when the Indians
roved the plains. the buffalo fattened off
its healthy grasses, and the Sioux made
life unbearable. In this generation you
see the CHILDREN of that generation, men
and women, boys and girls, hardy hon.
Lest, upright, and willing to work for their
homes. Such is the descendant of the
American pioneer.
south Dakota there lies 10000 square
niles OF territory, and, with the excep-
t1on OF that territory embraced in what
Is known as the Black Hills, the entire
state Is composed of farming and grazing
lands. These latter are divided into three
Sioux river and the Missouri river dis lis
tricts, all Of which water fertile Valleys
ana with It's long range of hills. rolling
prairies and abundant surface and arte-
sian wells the land of South Dakota,
6 piS1ng g OF - porous, clayey foundation. is
valuable and giving to the state its Won
derful crops. -.
- The Climate and Rainfall.
One Of the most essential things neces.
sary for healthy, profitable crops is rail-,
aan ne+ an invigorating. healthy climate.
requisites. East Of the Missouri river
there Is; an average rainfall of twenty-
one inches, and of this amount about
sixteen or seventeen inches. falls during
ne me nve growing months of the year:
pressive, and though many have believed
that the winters of South Dakota are
severe, they are%not even as cold as those
OF lnlno1s, as the records of the weather
ana IN wntsr 9hs live
stock feeds upon the prairies. :. = -
win good soib proper temperature and
follow an abundance of vegetation The
native grasses of South Dakota surpass
those OF many stat ties. There are some
where around 125 or 100 varieties Of
sh f @a'h in srH Seg from s g1s inches to
h hers an grazing for cattle and It
fattened and enjoyed his winter forage
III laf historic days OF colonization. With
pfac sy no corn or wheat, the cattle
OF South Dakota can fatten on. these
grasses. - q: ,'- " lI>"
South Dakota does not claim to be in
TO-, being q great corn state, either, Vel
g glance at the" reports of the United
sh 5afes t Re e arl of Agreulturs win
best corn states In the country. "a nag
that the quality and nutriment OF this
corn are second to none. Last year there
were 81, ee0 92s bushels Of corn harvested
IN Sou n Dakota; this crop being valued
at $l6OoO,O QUO: This In an enormous crop.
and shows the richness and fertility Of
the SOL OF South Dakota, and the crop is
~. A Comparison Of Crops.
In glancing over the crop reports Of the
United States Department Of Agriculture
!! sat down one Afternoon and figured how
the crops OF other states compared with
nose OF south Dakota: To my surprise
eli 81 the stf New Eas
Land ans, states. New York and the middle
L. ~
Pacific coast, and some Immediately west
| or South Dakota. Corn can be grown
Emuch more cheaply in South Dakota than
any other state, and it is safe crop,
| list. with Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas
leading: AS good corn can be grown On
South Dakota land selling for SO and
Sl5 an acre as, can be grown on lands
States i: - a22,.l - - o~-.S-
| e But there is. another crop FOR which
noutn nakota Is noted, and which sur
passes that~ OF corn, and this Is wheat.
kota represented the enormous amount
Or ,llO, 600 bushels, the value being
S2S OIL 800. There are thousands of acres
giving from Twenty-Five to for rtsr bX Xshr
| els to the acre, and that never need an
ounce of fertilizer. When the ease Of
harvesting and cultivation with modern
machinery is considered. it can readily
be. seen that small fortunes have been
made during the past year growing wheat.
Aside from the above two crops. hay
n n! Is the the third place, with value Of
$15 .000. 900, and oats com es next 4, = = =
A., with such richness in the soil as we
know there Is in South Dakota lands, and
yielding such large crops, it must neces
sarlly follow that cattle raising in South
! Dakota is comparatively easy, and that
good remunerat ton must follow this de.
! partment of farm 1lgg.:szS{TaThes best friend
! Of man, the horse, IS bred In South Da-
kota much more cheaply than any place
i elSe' not even excepting 4 Kentucky.
Where you polish off, hogs. on corn for
I the market there is an immense, profit.
| FOR hog cholera in South Dakota is
| g. .oee1ily5 utlhnoWn Quantity Sheep grow
rat upon the, plains and ranges, and are
sold at g. comfortable margin. Cattle
bring big money. for they are well fed
upon the ranges, and with abundance
! OF corn present a. good appearance for
! marketing. According to figures com
| piled by the United Sta esss a authorities
I'VE stock per capita In South Dakota is
valued at $3.50, Iowa being second. with
a valuation Of 1922
Other Advantages or the State.
| Aside from the field crops and cattle
south Dakota. has produced some gooI
1rutt crops, though not OF wonderful
nature. There Is one orchard in Tl1rne,
county ~ years old, which alone produced
something over $4,000 bushels Of annles
IN one season. rivaling the big apple" croos
OF New England. and New YORK I3iii
1t must be remembered that South no.