The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-01-07
STATE COMMISSION REPORTS
Waste Of Natural Resources Con-
demned - How Conservation
Gospel Can Be Spread.

The state conservation commission
which was appointed last fall by Gov
Crawford. and which consists Of Sen
ator Gamble. president; Doane Robin
son, secretary; Congressman Martin
State Land Commissioner Dokken an,
State Engineer Lea, has issued a pre-
liminary report to the governor, recit
ing their views as 10 the needs OF the
state In the conservation OF natura,
resources. While the details make ar
extensive report, the findings are sum
married. under the following -four
heads:
/. Conservation OF the soil.
Make the wilful waste of the fertil.
ity OF the soil a public offense with
heavy penalties.
Provide for the education OF the
, people upon the most approved meth
DDS OF agriculture, having in view the
preservation of the fertility OF the soil
in the public schools. in farmers in
stitutes and through the public press.
Encourage the application Of dry
farming methods In agriculture
through the experimental stations and
in the farmers institutes.
2. Conservation of the water re
sources.
BY strict regulation Of the boring.
flow and use of the artesian waters.
BY impounding the flood waters in
draws and valleys.
3. Preservation OF our natural for
ests and encouragement of forestry.
Our natural forests are chiefly with
In the national forest reserves, and
are receiving the careful attention of
the national government. Such forests
as are so protected should be carefully
guarded by the laws of the state, and
especially should there be enforced
rigorous penalties for the setting of
forest fires.
Tree planting should be encouraged
u! 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 pass
ing into the hands OF private monopo-
lies. and such regulations be adopted
as will preserve the great gift of ma
ture for the benefit of the public.
Farming Only Really Begun.
In the review of the natural land re-
sources Of the state secretary Mr.. Rob
inson gives the total of the state at
49. o00. 900 acres, divided into 10, 200, 900
acres of plowed land, 5000, 900 acres
pasture, 100000 acres hay land. The
mainder Is divided into 5000, 900 acres
In mountain, timber, bad lands, water
surface and townsites; $1,000, 900
acres Indian reservations and 5000.
900 acres arabic government lands yet
open to settlement.
With only about one-fifth of the
state under cultivation, agriculture,
while a large item in state production
is yet only in its infancy in South Da-
AS to durability Of soil. there
are fields in the southeast corner of
the state which were broken in 1867,
and which have been under continu-
Gus cultivation since 1863. While farm
Ing on a small scale was carried on
in the southeastern portion Of the
state for many years, the development
agriculture has practically been in
the past quarter Of a century, when
the great homestead movement into
the territory began.
Out of 25,000,000 acres west of the
Tooth meridian, a half million is said
be subject to irrigation, and the rest
must be conserved by dry farming
methods.
Lea Reports Water Supply.
The question Of the water supply of
the state is taken up by State Engi-
Lea, who places the mount of
land included in present and proposed
irrigation projects at 1881 acres. He
devotes a large amount of his report
to the artesian waters Of the state
which are being allowed to go to
waste. East Of the Missouri river
there are estimated to be 1000 flowing
wells. West of it are 65. The latter
have a combined flow Of 127, 800
gallons every Neutrality-suspicious. day.
What the flow is east of the river is
not known.
Mr.. Lea asks for legislation which
will put the control of such wells in
the hands of the state. He recon-
mends the use OF the lakes of the state
for storage reservoirs for food waters
SO far as possible. and that further
storage be obtained by means of dams
in streams and draws.
Other portions of the report set
set forth the resources of the state
In the way Of mines and quarries,
which might be developed so as to add