Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-01-05
WHY SOUTH DAKOTA
FARMER is REJOICING
Difficulty Encountered by Early
Pioneer Has Been Long /.
Overcome.
ARE ALL PROSPEROUS
The Artesian Well Has Been the Means
of Keeping Many a Farmer on
His Claim or Farm and Help
ing the Cattle Business.

! Aberdeen, S.. D., Dec. 26.-The past
twenty years has seen northern South
Dakota grow from a trackless prairie
into one of the finest farming sections
of the union. The South Dakota pio-
neer had a vast number of things to
contend with. He had a vast deal to
learn about South Dakota soil and eli
mate and a great deal to unlearn con-
corning farming operations which he
had been taught in the section from
whence he came.
Hard Lot of Farmer.
While the South Dakotan was learn
ing those lessons he suffered. I'M
bued as he was at first with the firm
idea hat the only way TO riches as an
agriculturist was through raising
wheat, it took several crop failures to
teach him that wheat raising should
not be the sole dependence of the South
Dakota armer AT first he secuted the
idea of rising corn in South Dakota. IN
the first place he did not believe that
corn could be successfully grown in the
state; in the, second place, he consid=
cred wheat raising SO much easier a
method Of earning a livelihood that he
Gid not care to devote the time ana
hard work necessary to raise a crop or
corn. Those farmers who did attempt
to raise corn persisted in buying seed
[ IL loSdllNlCo Li4oNAl ASlA NlANA ~ 1885,
as a consequence the crop did not ma
ture in time to escape the early frosts-
Time and experience, however, have
remedied these matters.
Seed Better AccIimated.
The more progressive farmers discov-
cred that by planting northern grown
seed of quickly maturing varieties it
was possible to produce corn that
would mature and be in shape to gath
! or hnfora frost with this 6iSpONerV-
which, strangely enough, was mada
first in the central and northern parts
of the state, instead of in the southern
section, the area devoted to corn pro-
duction has constantly broadened until
this year the northern counties of the
state were dotted with corn fields, and
the farmer who places his dependency
upon wheat alone no longer exists.
Do Not Ship Corn.
While northern and central Soutll
Dakota is now a corn producing seer
ton, it is not a corn shipping country.
Practically every ear of corn grown ia
South Dakota is fed On the farms and
shipped to the big city markets in the
shape of hogs and cattle.
In this way the farmer realizes every
cent possible out of his corn crop.
For instance j. and S. Geyer, pro-
gressive farmers living near Frederick.
this year raised a 55-acre field of corn
winch IDey leu 10 eighty nedu Oh, SLeeTS.
The steers were weighed in at the time
feeding began and weighed out again
when sold and the Geyers found that
they had received $3.50 per acre for
their corn, besides the profit they wiH
derive from a bunch of hogs which fol-
lowed the steers.
When the fact is considered that the
land upon which the corn was raised
IS valued at but little more than $40
an acre, the profit in corn raising in
aorthern South Dakota is easily seen,
when ordinary care and intelligence is
displayed.
A farmer near Highmore, under sim
lar circumstances, realized SLIPS per
acre from his corn crop, and many sim
lar instances are noted.
Creamery Helps Farmers.
Another thing that has tended to
make the farmer in this section of the
state prosperous is the existence of the
creamery. In practically every town in
the northern half Of the state a cream
cry dourishes.
Every farmer has at least a few
cows, and cream is quite generally sold
90 the creamery at prices which make
he industry exceedingly profitable to
the farmer.
Checks are issued monthly for the
Lream purchased, an devery farmer is
assured of a steady monthly income,
regardless of crop conditions,
The creamery industry has proven
the salvation OF the farmer in more
than one instance.
Ten years ago, for instance, the par
.ial failure Of the Wheat crop which
occurred las year would have proven
an unmitigated calamity. Last year,
because the South Dakota farmer no
longer carries all his eggs in one basket,
the wheat failure, while discouraging,
did not materially affect the general
prosperity of farmers in this section.
Advantage of Artesian Wells.
The artesian system, too, has added
millions to the wealth of the northern
part of the state.
Edmunds county alone has over 200
artesian wells n other counties are
nearly as we'll equipped.
The artesian wells nave changed, in
=. very large degres, the climate of the
country. From the surplus water
small lakes and brooks have been
formed, which. in many places, have
become the resort of wild fowl and pro-
vide ideal hunting grounds.
But they have performed q more inn
portant part in the development of the
state, for, since the advent of the ar
tesian well the rainfall has become
much more plentiful and a total crop
failure is unknown.
With diversified crops, artesian wells
and the creamery, the farmer Of north
ern South Dakota has become indie
pendent. He lives in a neat, well
painted, comfortably arranged farm
house, and his wife enjoys the convent
| ence, with her sisters In the cities, of
having running water in the house
thanks, again, to the artesian well; he
has large barns, blooded horses and
cattle. and In all particulars is as well
fixed" as the farmers in older states
where land is higher priced. That land
is rapidly increasing In value is shown
by the fact that in Mcpherson county
n half section which sold two years ago
for $500 was sold again last week for
$4,000.
BOYS SELL MINK HIDES.
Lesterville, S. D., Dec. 25.-Some OF the
shrewd young boys residing in this yicin-
ity are making good money by trapping
on Beaver creek. near here. During the
past two weeks three OF the boys, Louis
Cabalka. q Houska and John Seiner,
have realized more than $50 from the sale
OF mink and muskrat skins, the animals
from which the skins were obtained hav-
ing been trapped by the boys themselves.
They will carry on their trapping opera
tions throughout the winter, and now that
the ground IL covered with snow they
: to make the business a very profit.
able a