The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-09-25
GREAT THING FOR STATE
Corn Palace Has Been u
Strong Contributor in Boosting
Agriculture.
Agriculture.

ASolo4So AL V4dOlu6 IA0 lSSOuICCo /
OF South Dakota before the world
is the corn palace hat is held an
nually in Mitchell. While the idea
is 10 original with this city, it pc
ing taken up In 1892 when dropped
by Sioux City, Iowa, which hau ad-
vertised that city and Iowa famous
ly, it has been worked to d st.G.ldlI
advantage for this state. Previous
to 1892 the crop products of suuth
Dakota were questioned to a c..-l
siderable extent by eastern people
and the yields of wheat were loCkeu
upon as more or less fictitious and
they could not be convinced unless +;
they saw something OF the rel,lns
from az fields. This was afforded
i'll the orn palace when fifteen coun-
ties exhibited their products TO nun
dreds OF eastern people who ilLcded
the state hat fall and had the Salts
tactlDn OF absolutely knowing Dlat
The palace was held again in 1oy3,l
and then came the succession of years
when the crops were short and the /,
ines we're hard, and it suspended
operation for seven years. In 1900
the palace was resumed and since
then it has been a big factor in dis
,eii.inating the gospel of good crops
throughout the country.
...4e 1885 there has not been a
failure of crops in the state and since
that year the day of diversified
farming has a greater hold
on the farmers, so at the present
time so much dependence is not
placed on any II cereal. While
wheat is raised to a larger extent
in II section, corn and barley aad
rye and flax are produced to a great
er extent in another. Fields that
were given over to products of the
soil are now feeding herds of cat
tie, hogs and sheep, the resultant
effect being hal farmers are culti-
waiting a bank account of goodly
proportions, better machinery is
found on their farms,s higher grade
of stock is being purchased, better
houses, better farms, and an eXpan-
sion of landed interests among the
farmer is now more dominant than
ten years ago.
While this state maintains a posi-
ton as sone of the great wheat grow
ing states of the northwest, and is
likely to keep hat place for a long
period to come, yet like several OF
the surrounding states wheat grow
ing is given place to other and more
profitable crops. AS an Instance:
In 1900 there were 3,984,659 acres
of wheat. In 1905 this had been re-
duced to 2,~874,184, a loss in five
years Of %1,11O,475. In 1900 there
were 1~,196.381 acres of corn; in
1905 this was increased to 1885,
1850; in 1900 there were 69l.167
acres of oats, and in 1905 this was
increased to ~1,21O,156 acres. Bar
ley. in the five year period showed an
increase of from 299,51O acres to
8O0,139 acres. Thus wheat has
shown in the five year period a de-
crease of 1.11O.475 acres and corn,
oats and barley have made an in
crease Of 1,562.317 acres.
To advertise these resources of
South Dakota is the primary motive
of the corn palace and it has come
to be recognized as sort of a state
institution, although receiving no fl
nancial aid from the state. AT the
inception Of the corn palace only a
small building vas erected, but in
1905 a new structure was erected
at a cost Of $4,000, and which has
nearly all been paid for from the
profits of each years show since
that time. The building itself is a
monument to King Korn, being 15Ox
1875 feet. The building Is designed
for effective decoration and this is
a unique way of displaying the corr
in figures that are intricate and
weirdly beautiful. There are eight
towers on the building and these
are decorated in a solid mass OF
corn, which is shaded by using the
various colored corn, starting with
the yellow and graduating into the
deep red from the various hues of
the bloody butcher variety. The fig
) ures comprise arabesques, Grecian
I and oriental designs, ovals, dia-
monds, squares. bands. fraternity
emblems, in which the white, the