Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1908-09-04
INTERESTING ACCOUNT or AN ENJOY
ABLE AND PROFITABLE TRIP TO
SOUTH DAKOTA.

AQamSVllle, MISS, august OIL,
1908.-To the Greene County HER
AID and it's dear readers We'll
| am back to Greene Co. once more
after travelling 1400 miles and back.
have travelled to South Dakota
and back. On my way stayed 3
weeks in Sioux County, Iowa, the
place l came from 10 years ago. l
met up with nearly all the old ac-
quaintances. This is Holland
settlement about 40 years old, and
a great farming country. Has
greatly improved in ten years time.
All the farmers are we'll off. Land
sells from $1C0 to $115 per acre.
There are 6 Holland churches in the
county. The service is held 2 Ser
mons day. Sunday school in the
afternoon and young peoples meet
ing at night, all on the Sabbath
day.
| visited my old farmer | use to
work for and as he was very busy
| helped him in cultivating his corn,
of which the rows were one half
mile long, but as | could ride, it
was not so tiresome but / almost
went to sleep. After that was over
we put up some 40 tons of hay; the
hay was loaded by the improved
hay loader coupled behind the wag-
on. Would take from 5 to 6 min
utes to load a ton of hay, then to
the barn we went; there the hay
fork would take it off in about
forks full. Ihelped shell some corn.
Would take Is minutes to she'll so
bushels of corn with a machine
turned by s horses.
In S. Dakota | met up with the
great wheat country. The country
is perfectly level and a person can
see 40 or so miles. The scene was
beautiful to look at; the golden
wheat with their heads we'll filled
heads waving like the Ocean /
came across one time. The farmers
were about 10 days cutting the
grain, and the whole field was a
solid lot of shocks. The grain is
all cut by self-binders,. Some of
different sizes, some are 8 foot
cuts, others are IL; the 8 foot is
pulled by A horses, the IL foot is
moved by 6 horses. The bundles
come as fast as you can count. The
capacity of the s foot binder cut
ting is Is to 80 acres per day, the
IL foot is 20 to as acres per day.
The work horses are of 14O0 lbs.
weight. The ground is plowed by
gang plows, IA inch cut to each
pillow pulled by 5 horses or some
times 5 gang plows behind engine
and turns over 6 to z inches deep.
Every farmer has got an artesian
we'll 900 to 1900 feet is the depth.
| believe the water is healthy be-
cause it contains good portion of
mineral. Not only is artesian wa
ter benefit to the farmers but also
a great help to the farmers wives.
The force of the stream of water is
strong enough to turn a motor |
which can be attached to the wash
ing machine, the churn, the cream
and other small ma
chimes; otherwise it would require
a hired girl or sometimes the hired
man of which had the experience 10
years ago. Not that | was un.
willing but was needed in the
field, worse.
The soil of S. Dakota in Sphinx
Co. is very fertile. it is black loan
over afoot deep with clay sub soil. |
Corn, wheat, barley, oats, spells, !
irish potatoes and all kinds of tame
grass will grow splendid there.
There is some game as follows,
Jack rabbit, prairie chickens, ducks,
geese, wolf, badger, skunks. There
is no timber only what is planted
a few trees grow around the riv-
ers. Jack frost get pretty wild in
the winter. sometimes gets down at
40 below zero with heavy snowstorms
The summers are very pleasant, al
ways healthy breeze a blowing.
A good deal of stock is raised in
that country. | have seen hogs
that were not over 9 months old
weigh 275 and 300 lbs. The cat
tie are very fine. | was milking
some for my brother-in-law that
we're giving gallons per day. My
sister was making Is and 20 lbs.
butter week from A mich cows;
butter was selling at the rate of Is
cents per ID.
There is also a good demand for
good houses keepers, as / found
/ good many bachelors who have
aiken up claims of land and have
% prove out as per Government
avs, are very lonesome with out
/ cook.
Well | enjoyed the trip but could
rave enjoyed better if all could
AVE been with me to partake of
he good times.
With best wishers to the Editor :
md its dear readers.
Yours truly