The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-01-01
CONSERVE THE SOIL.
State Commission Struck the Key
Note in its Report to the
Governor.


servation commission, which con-
sists of Senator Robert j. Gamble,
president; Doane Robinson, secre-
tary; Congressman e. w. Martin,
State Engineer S. H. Lea, and State
Land Commissioner o. c. Dokken,
have made a preliminary report to
Governor Crawford.
While including in the report a
general summary of the conditions
which exist in the state, with a large
amount of detailed information as
to the states resources, they sum-
marize the work in the following
recommendations:
/. Conservation of the soil.
Make the wilful waste of the fer
tilty of the soil a public offense,
with heavy penalties.
Provide for the education of the
people upon the most approved
methods of agriculture, having in
view the preservation of the fertility
of the soil, in the public schools, in
farmers institutes and through the
public press.
Encourage the application Of dry
farming methods in agriculture,
through experimental stations and
farmers institutes.
Q. Conservation of water re-
sources.
BY strict regulation OF the boring
flow and use Of the artesan waters.
BY impounding the flood waters
in draws and valleys.
3. Preservation of our natural
forests and encouragement of for
estry.
Our natural forests are chiefly
within the natural forest reserves
and are receiving the careful atten-
ton of the national government.
Such forests as are so protected
should be carefully guarded by the
laws of the state and especially
there should be enforced rigorous
PENALTIES for the setting of forest
fires.
Tree planting should be encour-
aged by every proper means.
4. Preservation of the coal mines
for the use Of the people.
Prompt action should be taken
by the state and nation to prevent
the coal measures of the state from
passing into the hands of private
monopolies, and such regulations be
adopted as will preserve the great
gift of nature for the benefit of the
public.
Outside of the recommendations
the report gives data showing that
the state, with an area Of 10000
600 acres, has but about ten million
acres of plowed land, only about
one-ffth, which shows that agricul-
ture is yet in it's infancy so far as
South Dakota is concerned. While
so small portion of the state is
under cultivation, the history of
agriculture in the territory now COW
cred by South Dakota dates back
to 1867 when the first attempts at
crop raising now covered by South
Dakota, were made near Sioux City,
and further shows that some of the
land in that vicinity has been crop
ped continuously since 1869, which
is given as evidence of the fertility
Of South Dakota soil. While this
start was made at that early date,
the general efforts at farming in
the state have been within the past
twenty-five years, at which time
there was general movement onto
the prairies which covered all that
portion east of the Missouri.
The general division of the state
show ten million acres of plowed
land. eight millions pasture; six mil.
lion hay land; the remaining nine
million, mountain, timber, bad
lands, water surface and townsites
ten million Indian reservations ant
six million arabic government lant
yet open to settlement.
Out of twenty-five million acre!
west of the one hundredth meridian
but about a half million is subjec
to irrigation, and the rest must bt
conserved by dry farming methods
State Engineer Lea takes up thu
question Of water conservation, ant
advocates the use of lakes wher'
practical, as storage reservoirs TO
food waters. He also recommend
the use of dams to hold the foot
waters of streams and draws.
Inregard to the artesian we'll sup