Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-07-04
IN THE HEART OF
SOUTH DAKOTA
A State Becoming Famous for it's
Progress and Prosperity.


In the heart of the great State of
South Dakota, which in recent years
has become the objective point of hcme
seekers, lies Sally county, veritable
gem of delight in the eyes Of the am
bilious agriculturist
That the hand of nature has not been
niggardly in dispensing her gifts over
South Dakota is universally acknow-
lodged, And in this particular spot
SHE has been unusually lavish in her
endcwments. For Sully county possess.
es all OF the advantages of the state
minus some of the disadvantages which
prevail in other sections of the country.
1t is gently unduiating prairie or roll
ing land, the soil consisting of black
loan top from fifteen to thirty inches
deep, with yellow clay subsoil. In many
other parts of South Dakota the land
is flat, dead level presenting numerous
difficulties, where drainage is required.
The Sully comfy land, on account of
its sIoping tendency, lends itself hand.
lily to drainage. The experienced agri-
culturisj will readily understand the
Importance attaching to easy drainage
conditions. And this is but one of the
many reasons why Snlly county is be-
coming receiver general for the immi-
grafton tide which sets so strongly
, toward South Dakota nowadays.
There is practically no limit to the
crops that are produced in this most
fertile section. According to recent
statistics wheat averages fifteen to
thirty bushels per acre, corn forty to
fifty, oats fifty to siXtylive, flax ten to
| twenty, spelt2 forty to fifty, and po-
tatoes $50 to $50
Onions, beets. cabbage and tomatoes
also flourish luXuriantly under the
| hands of careful farmers
(, Much of the productive power Of the
soil is due to the fact that there is very
little stone or gravel underlying the
surface, and this Joined to the ideal
weather conditions, is a never to-b be-
forgotten boon to the agriculturalist
! There IS ~ need for irrigation, as the
average rainfall east of the Missouri
river is twenty one inches, and more
than seventeen of this falls during the
five growing months.
| Nor is the farmer dependent upon
the rainfall. BE it remembered that
the artesian well supply is practically
ineXhaustble especially through the
western half of the county. Naturally
these conditions are very encouraging
to the settlers who engage in stock
raising.
The water supply is plentiful, the
native grasses are very nutritious, the
stock grazes all winter long without
| hay grain or shelter.
Those who have never visited South
Dakota can have but little idea of what
a boon the artesian wells are to the
settlers. Not only water, but gas, is
furnished plentifully by the pipe sys-
tenn which draws off the water and at
the same time furnishes a supply of
gas which renders the farmer practically
| independent Of other fuel. The gas
from the artesan wells provides both
| light and heat for the farmhouse. 1t
is but another instance of the generosity
of nature when dealing with this favor.
ed territory.
During the past year land values in
Sully county have increased 20 per
cent in value.
And the indications are that inside
of another year a similar rise in values
may be looked for. The longer would
be settler waits before investing his
capital, be it large or small the more
he will pay Tor the section he selects as
the site for his future home. There is
no time like the present for taking ad-
vantage of the chances offered the
prospective immigrant in Sully county
South Dakota NJ odel Magazine, Wash.
ington, ID. e. June, 1907