Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-06-07
LIVE STOCK
And Dairying Industries Pour
Wealth into Golfers Of South
Dakota Farmers.
Cattle, Horses Sheep and Swine
Equally Successful and
! Profitable
tFrom The Pierre Rustler. J

(From The Pierre Rustler.)
Weekly Dakotan: In the average |
year live stock pays more cash into
South Dakota than any other line of in.
stry In. an occasional year wheat
pays in more money, but for a term of
years the average of live stock is sew
eral million dollars the greater.
OF course there has been good deal
of stock growing from the beginning
of settlement, but it was not until after
the reaction from the great boom that
it became a recognized statewide in.
dustry. From that time it grew in
yearly Importance, until 1903, when it
yielded to our people the vast sum of
S35 100000 Since that time it has fallen
off little, owing to the invasion of
hOmesteaders upon the great western
range, which hitherto was free to all
comers, and to the manipulation of the
beef trust, which has affected the price
and discouraged some producers. Yet
for the last year the cash return was
more than $25,OOO,00O.
Stock growing in its most picturesque
| development is upon the great range,
where the operators brand their cattle
and turn them out to drift at will over
the vast territory between the Mis-
souri, river and the Black Hills, feeding
summer and winter upon the rich past
ure. In the spring the owners of the
stock organize a roundup and brand
the new calves, each calf being given
! the brand of the COW it appears to fol
low. In the autumn another roundup
separates the marketable cattle from
the cows and young stock, and some
times the stock is separated into brands,
each owner marketing his own stock,
and again it goes to market in the
bunch and the brands are separated by
inspectors at the stock yards. This
method Of stock-growing in the past
has been relatively inexpeneive, the
annual losses insignificant, and the
large rangemen have lived as sorts of
Ikings among their fellows. The pres
sure of settlement, however, is rapidly
bringing this era toa close and each
grower is more and more required to
keep his >ock under fence or constant
supervision.
| Horses and sheep have in the past
been ranged much as have been the
cattle, though of course the sheep have
lrequired something more of personal
following and protection.
, While the free range stock movement
has been most in the public eye, it has
been the quiet farm production in the
settled counties which have really con-
tributed most largely and most regular
ly to the states wealth. On the farms
horses. cattle, sheep and hogs have been
Iquietly produced and marketed with 9
Regularity which has kept a golden
Fstream flowing into the pockets of our
people and contributed much to the re-
markable prosperity which has for the
past nine years kept South Dakota far
at the head of all of the states in cash
returns for agricultural productions in
proportion to population.
! The South Dakota hog is one Of TIE
stand-bys. Pork growing has been con-
stantly profitable. Unlike sheep, it is
not likely to suffer from too great pros
perity, for the proliticness of swine is
such that new supply can always be
depended upon. South Dakota hogs
|are healthy and the produce is firm,
sweet and palatable.
The opportunities for successful VEN
lures in cattle, horses, sheep and swine
growing in the state is superb at pres
ent. The markets are again stable,
prices remunerative and the field not
nearly occupied, While the careless,
free range methods are now restricted,
Enclosure production is really about as
cheap and always more satisfactory.
The possibilities in live stock growing
in South Dakota are simply unlimited.
Last year South Dakota shipped to
market 1914 carloads Of live stock.
This would make solid train of freight
cars 225 miles long, reaching from Aber
deem TO the stock yards at Sioux City.
The state can readily produce live stock
annually to load train reaching from
Pierre to Chicago.
It is the story of the most observing
that ultimately dairying will become
the most important lire Of agricultural
industry in South Dakota. When the
the time comes that the free range is
entirely exhausted, when q thrifty pop.
ulation has occupied the lands now va
can't aud every farmer Is compelled to