The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-05-17

of counties, you will only have crossed
two when you enter Brown, which
among other distinctions possesses
that Of containing the northern met
ropolis Of the state, Aberdeen. If all
roads lead to Rome, so do all roads
in the northern part of South Dakota
lead to Aberdeen. 1t is a thrifty,
hustling and pretty little city, and is
the trade center Of n of the richest
agricultural districts Of the state.
About midway between the Missouri
river and the Minnesota line, it is the
point to which buyers and sellers
naturally gravitate.
AS a consequence the trade that Is
cone in Aberdeen is out Of all propor-
ton to it's size. The business Of a
vast portion Of the famous Jim River
valley is here concentrated, and the
railways that enter the city find here
the most important shipping point in
the northern part Of the state. There
are a number of other good sized
towns in Brown county, but none that
compare In size with Aberdeen, War
ner, Verdon, Columbia, Groton, Fred
eric and Hecla are all thriving COM
munities, and not only thriving but
picturesque. The county has been
settled long enough for any air Of raw
ness to have worn off, and as every
body is prosperous and has money the
effect is discernible in the well kept
streets and the beautiful residences
that abound on every hand. AutOmO-
| biles, electric lights. and a fine water
| supply are some of IT, advantages
and luxuries that the citizens enjoy,
while some of the finest blooded
horses in the world can be seer along
the streets.
Brown and the other counties up in
the n orthern part of the state are ia
nous for their wheat production, al
though in Brown, as in the other old
| er settled portions of the state they
are not going in so extensively for
wheat as they did some years ago.
Not that the land has lost any Of its
fertility or shows any signs Of being
worn out. Far from it. They grow
as a big crop Of wheat on Brown Oun
ty land to-day as they did twenty-five
years ago. But the farmers have dis
covered the prudence of not trusting
their all to one crop and thus placing
themselves at the mercy of a depre-
ciated market. Hence, they are go
ing in for a variety of crops, but
wheat is and for many years to come
will be the principal one.
Getting Value Out of Land.
When | wa sat Aberdeen I heard a
| great deal about l aac Lincoln, a
farmer who has the reputation of do
ing everything about right. Needless
to say, Mr.. Lincoln is we'll off. His
farm is not better than almost any
other in Brown county. but his meth
| DDS are superior. Last season he had
300 acres of small grains upon his
ranch at Ordway, which brought him
in $4,649.42 in cash, or $3.50 per acre.
1t is not likely that the small grain
upon his neighbors' farms produced
more than 50 or so per acre, which
was about the average in that section.
The sole difference in Mr.. Lincoln's
favor was in the methods employed.
OF course. it costs a little more to
grow an acre Of grain by Mr.. LincOln's
methods, but the results justified the
extra expenditure many times over.
But the average South Dakota farm
err does not care to bother with the
| close and intensive system of farm
ing. The soil is so productive that it
| has only to be tickled to produce album
dainty. And, again. they have found
out that there is easy money to be
made in hog and cattle raising, and
especially in d%airying. South Dakota
is a greet corn state, and in time as
it's lands are taken up and cultivated
It will probably be the leading corn
state in the Union. Nearly the whole
state is underlaid by the greatest ar
tesian basin that exists in the world,
and the thousands of wells that have
been drilled furnish a V failing
supply for both crops and cattle.
These wells have a sensible effect in
modifying the climate, as the evapo-
ration from the numerous ponds and
STREAMS luey nave CTtdISu
the state has produced a ~perceptible
humidity.
Some Of these artesian deep wells
develop a pressure varying from 80
to 100 pounds to the square inch.
They are the dependence of the James
valley towns for city water and fire
protection. Hose may anywhere be
attached to the fire plugs and water
thrown over the highest buildings
with tremendous force. In many
places, as at Aberdeen. the water is
utilized for power purposes.
Artesian Wells On Farms.
Most Of the progressive farmers
have these artesian wells. They fur
nish power for light work, which may
be conducted to any part of the prem
les. An inch and a half well will sup
ply water for all the necessities OF
any ranch, however heavily stocked,