davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
SOIL OF sEMI-ARID BELT
Naturally Rich, Generally Free from
Objectionable Traits and Admir-
ably Adapted to Farming.

Everyone knows or ought to know
that the soil of the semi-arid regions
is naturally rich and generally free
from Objectionable traits, and of a
texture admirably adapted to the best
farming. 1t has been demonstrated
beyond the peradventure of a doubt
concerning farming carried on in
those regions under scientific soil cul-
ture, that If care be taken to conserve
the moisture, and not waste it. that
is: If the soil be so treated that its
fertility be made Observation-Disclosures
packing, seeding, and cultivation suit.
ed to existing Notwithstanding lie.
comes an exact science, and the rails
ing of large crops a certainty.
A great percentage of the vast
plains of the west is admirably adapt.
ed for ideal farming, quite free from
boulders and stumps.
Dry farming is cheaper than irr;ga.
ton and, in addition, has some decisl
ed advantages over the latter system
In the first place, on bitches are re.
quired and no subsequent repairs
needed, and no laborers are hired for
irrigators. And, secondly, it is dem
onstrated fact that dry farming is the
better proposition of the two when
practiced on large scale. One man
1t is estimated, can not farm profit
ably more than SO to rs acres of irri-.
gated land, while under the dry farm
ing system large tracts can be han.
died especially when small grain and
alfalfa are grown.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
METHOD OF PICKING
APPLES FOR MARKET
When Scarce Important Conserve for
Consumption n Winter-By
A.

If we have full crop of apples it
is still more important that we
handle them intelligently. If prop.
erly done. they become of CONNER
cial Importance. Careful grading ia
a prime essential when apples are
plenty.
The buyer has many opportunities
and he is sure to discriminate against
any careless packing. 1t is moral
duty Of the apple grower to pack his
apples honestly. whether of high
or low grade. If he does not he is
not honest. But the rule will not
work both ways. It is not proof that
am honest because my apples are
we'll packed. Packing apples is a
business proposition with us. We
pack them so for the money there is
in it. We cannot afford to sell a bar.
rel of deceptive apples Of course
we sell low-grade apples, but it is
understood they are such. am sure
that we feel more anxiety about the
condition of our apples than do the
parties to whom we SELL How good
we would pack our apples from a
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
SCIENTIFIC CULTURE OF SOIL
Interesting Paragraphs Taken from
Prof. TinsIey's Article on "Soil
Observation-Disclosures Terms.

That the philosophy of scientific soil
culture may be thoroughly understood,
the following paragraphs are from an
article written by Prof. j. D. Tinsley
of the New Mexico experiment station.
Water in the soil may take the
form of free water capillary water
or microscopic water Free water is
water under the influence of gravity,
percolating through the spaces in the
soil, and seeking lower and lower
level; ultimately it forms films around
the soil particles and fills in the
minute spaces between them. In this
condition it no longer tends to sink
deeper into the ground; it is no
longer influenced by gravity; it has,
in fact, ceased to be free water but
has become capillary water
When every soil grain has been
covered with film of capillary wa
ter, and all the spaces are filled, the
soil is said to be saturated; it will
hold no more, and any excess is free
water sinking deeper into the soil
and saturating it to still greater
depth.
The capillary water is held to the
surface Of each minute grain of soil
by the force of adhesion. It's tendency
is to move toward the place where
the soil is dryest-whether that be
up, down or horizontally This move
ment along the soil particles is sim.
liar to the movement of oil along
a Wi nd hot 10
when the term capillary attraction, or
'capillarity' is used. If one end Of a
small tube be immersed in water, it
will be noticed that the liquid will rise
higher in the tube than in the vessel
in which the water is contained. This,
also, is due to capillarity. Experiment
shows that the smaller the tube the
higher the water will rise, but the
larger the tube the faster the move
ment. Now, the soil may be imag-
ined as filled with multitudes of these
tiny tubes, through which capillary
water rises to the surface, when the
surface becomes dry enough to at.
tract it. This force of capillarity is
the one thing upon which the farmer
must depend to bring the water in
the soil close enough to the surface
to be reached by the roots of crop
plants. At the same time his greatest
care must be to prevent the moisture
from being lost by evaporation, which
proceeds with extraordinary rapidity
in the excessively dry atmosphere of
semi-arid America From the capil-
larry water the plant roots derive their
supply of water and with it they take
up the soil elements necessary to
their growth.
The third form of soil moisture is
microscopic water This is water
that cannot be dried out or re-
moved from the soil by natural evapo-
ration. 1t is wholly negligible
quantity"
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
squirreI.TaiI Grass,

squirrel-tail grass (Hordeum juba.
tum) commonly, but enormously
called "fox-tail," is a biennial or short
lived perennial. This is a serious
pest, as the long-awned seeds do a
great deal Of injury to the mouth rof
the animals to which hay infested
with it is fed. 1t thrives best in wet,
swampy ground. hence it is most prev.
alent where such conditions occur in
alfalfa fields. Cultivation Of alfalfa
fields in spring will do a great deal
towards keeping down squirrels grass.
as the young seedlings may. thus be
destroyed. It is a most insidious weed
and the only effective treatment OF
fields badly infested is to plow them
up and grow an annual crop. Many
farmers have been forced to do this
squirrel-tail has thus been blessing
in disguise to those who: are disin-
.clined to practice rotation and are
10th to plow up alfalfa. Lack of cul.
tivation and excessive use Of water
favor the spread Of squirrel-tail grass.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

Der were thoroughbreds, and SIT per
cent. We're improved crossbreeds. It
was found that many fields that had
heretofore been sown to wheat were
now devoted to cattle raising on in
tensive principles Of the industry. The
value OF the cattle of Argentina is es-
timated at s92s,6s5.s34. Diseases of
cattle and other live stock have been
combated so successfully that the dis
eases are either stamped out or CON
fined to isolated cases and to small
territorial areas.
Considerable uneasiness has been
occasioned by the strict British in.
spection regulations. according to
which Argentine live cattle have not
been freely admitted into the United
Kingdom. AS an effort to this restric
ton on the live cattle market, a prom
Using trade oftcattle on foot has been
opened with Spain and Italy.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

moral consideration we will neve1
know because commercially we can
not take such risks.
Apples should be picked in medium
sized baskets and not bruised. This
means that they must be placed in
the baskets by hand and neither
dropped nor tossed. They should be
hauled in these same baskets on a
spring wagon to the packing stand.
Do not pour them in box there but
sort them from the basket. The fol-
lowing is the procedure with us: A
basket of apples is placed on the
table directly in front of the sorter.
Around this is grouped four empty
baskets, There are four grades-No.
1, No. 2, culls and castaways, OF as
we say, mill culls. These grade bas-
kets should always occupy the same
relative position SO the sorter
through, habit will place each grade
where it belongs
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Paving Crops Raised.

Experiments in so-called dry-land
farming have proven incontestibly
that paying crops can be raised with
far less rainfall than was thought
necessary.
The principle which underlies this
system is one that has been practical.
" proven and accepted by the farm
ers in the west, namely that water
enough falls on the land, but not al
ways at the right time, for the growth
and maturing Of crop, hence the wa
ter that otherwise would go to waste
must be conserved.
By blowing the land the run-off is
arrested and the waters sink into the
soil. BY stirring the surface evapora-
ton, or drying out of the land below,
is retarded if not entirely prevented.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Drought Resistina Plants.

There are several ways in which
plants may resist drought" Some
plants, such as Durum wheat, seem
to have the faculty of maturing grain
with the use of, less water than the
common varieties. Other grains, as
EMERSON oats, evade in part rather
than resist drought by maturing be.
fore the drought comes. Some crops
Withstand drought because of an ex3
tensive root system that collects mois.
.ture from large area Of soil, and still
others, as the Kaffir corn, have the
power of retarding their growth and
waiting over until moisture comes.
Plants having such characteristics
will prove valuable where the supply
of moisture is uncertain.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
FuRRoW IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Has Many Advantages and Can Be
Employed Under Variety Of Con-
ditions on Graded Land.

The furrow system in applying wa
ter can be employed under variety
of conditions. Where the land is quite
fiat and the water therefore does not
flow along readily, flooding must be
practiced. Where the soil is so porous
that the water sinks quickly flooding
must also be employed. On steep
slopes, where flooding would tend to
wash, the furrow system can be fused
| If very small amount of water is ran
| in each furrow
1t is particularly advisable to en-
ploy that system when starting alfal-
ia, as the soil can be maintained in
better filth and the young plants will
make better growth than If flooded.
The burrows then made will aid in
leading the water in a straight course
across the field should flooding be
practiced later The furrow system
can easily and with but little expense
be made automatic and then requires
little attention. 1t is even used for
old alfalfa fields, but where such is
the practice it is necessary to clean
out the burrows once year. That is
done with the marker used for making
burrows in the first instance.
The head bitches should be from
264 to $3.50 feet apart. Make the
bitches square with the world" if the
conformation of the land permits it..
IL obliged to run them on grade allow
fall of .0S of foot per 100 feet. A
crude way to divert the water from
the head ditch into the burrows is TO
cut the ditch bank with a shovel. 1t
Is difficult, however, to give each fur
row the same amount in that way and
the water is liable to cut deeper in
places and stream large enough to
40 damage go down one furrow.
Where there is very little slope it is
possible to manage furrow irrigation
IN that way, but on steep land special
appliances are required. Tubes, called
spouts, made of lath and two feet in
length are set in the ditch bank just
below the surface of the water. Each
spout will divert enough water for
IRON one to four burrows, depending
upon the slope of the land. To make
the system automatic and to raise the
water high enough to run through the
spouts check boxes are set in the head
ditch at certain intervals. The dis
lance will depend upon the grade of
the ditch.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Uniform Irritation.

There is one, disadvantage that free
flooding has, namely, the difficulty Of
getting thorough and uniform irriga.
ton on the lower end Of the run un-
less the land lies well. The runs
should not be too long where this sys-
TEN is employed. In the system Just
described the supply bitches run
across the slope, that is, about at
right angles to a line following the
greatest slope. In another method Of
free flooding the bitches run down the
slope dividing the land into long
strips. These bitches may have per.
manent check boxes at certain inter
walls and water may be diverted on.
either strip bordering on the ditch OF
on both sides il desired. This meth.
cd is suited to the use Of large heads
of water and requires frequent shift.
ing. 1t Is good method on soils
that are porous and where percolation5
Is rapid. -s, V So. IN
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
!, Alsparaoue neetie.

The asparagus beetle is a trouble
some pest and hard to fight. Clean cut.
ting; especially In ridge culture. keeps
them well under control in spring, but
siderable harm Is done later on, by
,sllgs or larvae. Poultry are very fond
of these beetles, and a few fowls will
soon capture the matured insects IL
allowed In garden bed An extensive
grOwer OF asparagus In Massachusetts
finds that most Of the beetle eggs have
been sucked dry and destroyed By q
species Of small az, which has made
its appearance for the first time in
large numbers this year.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

from tip, center and butt of each ear
are placed on It's surface and covered
with several thicknesses Of wet cloths.
This box should be set in warm
place and the grains allowed to sprout.
Boiling the sawdust will prevent
molds appearing to interfere with the
test h. !, AL
Every, farmer should carefully
grade his seed as well as test it, SO
that only well-formed. vigorous grain
Is used for planting The seeed buyer
should insist on purchasing the seed
corn In the ear and the scoop shovel
method Of handling seed corn, taking
II at random from the bin, should be
carefully avoided.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

and roughly throw them into the bas-
ket. When the basket is full, it is
dragged across the apples on it's way
to the bin. If there we're any sound
apples they are probably bruised or
besmirched with rot and compelled to
lie against rotten neighbor. No
wonder "our apples wouldn't keep"
If few did try to keep, the children
dug them out first, trying to find a
possible one to take to school. :.
The farmers apples belong to him
and he has just so many, whether
they are in one pile or four piles. If
he will properly sort them out he will
find one pile ought to go to the hogs
at once, another is good for present
use in the house, another can be used
little later and the sound ones kept
for winter. He ought to know that
rotten apple is already past useful
ness, a specked one will soon be rot
ten, as will also sound one if asso-
ciated with rotten one.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
CORN GROWERS
TESTING SEED
Every Farmer Should, Also Care.
fully Grade II az Value of
Crop Is Increased
Thereby. tss

~
The value Of the field crops of Wis
consin is estimated at 500, 900 900
annually, and this great valuation can
be increased one-fourth, or $25, 900, 900,
by careful grading and testing Of
seeds. says Prof. R. a. Moore of the
College of Agriculture, University Of
Wisconsin, in urging the Importance
Of seed testing. There is no seed
which varies more in quality and VI
tally than corn, and farmers cannot
afford to take the risk OF planting un.
tested or ungraded seed "A few hours
OF careful work may mean double the
yield for the year, il g s5; a! #
To test seed corn requires simply
. shallow bog or pan in which clean
sawdust may be placed and mois-
tened. The selected grains 81 corn
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
INCREASE IN
STOCK RAISING
Noteworthy Feature In Industry
Is Improvement of Breeds
In All Kinds of
Animals. q

In the past several years American
cattle breeders have sent some of their
finest blood to the Argentine Republic,
South America, and that country has
been rapidly improving its native
breeds with this better blood. The
American consul in Buenos Ayres
writes that the country is, rapidly in
creasing its cattle and, regularly ex-
ports beef to English markets. In
1895 there were 21,791 ,516 head of cat.
tie there and in 1908 there were 49,
116,625 head. AS compared with other
countries Argentina ranks third in the
number of cattle. Russia, with 81
100000 head. stands first, and the
United States follows with 69,000,000
head.
"A noteworthy feature in the stock
raising industry is the improvement
OF breeds Of all classes of animals. In
the, last cattle census it was found
that "a per cent. of the entire num-
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

When apples are scarce it is very
important to conserve them to best
advantage. So very many families
are without apples during most of
the winter. Often persons remark to
me that they had quite lot of ap-
pies at gathering time, but they
wouldn't keep. Now why is this? We
know it is the business of sound
apple to keep till its cell structure is
broken down by over-ripening, un-
less interfered with by an outside
agent. This agent may be bruise.
q rotten apple or too great warmth
Apples do not rot through pure Gus
sedness. The farmer will drive his
jolt wagon into the orchard and then
pick and pour into it apples of vari-
GUS varieties and every conceivable
grade of rottenness and soundness.
writes Joe A. Burton in Farmers Re-
view. When the box is full, all the
pickers sit on the apples while they
are driven to the place of deposit
The pickers are on the apples with
their feet while they scoop up with
both hands half dozen at a time
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
FARMER is INDISPENSABLE
Need Is for Intelligence, Up-to-Date
Methods and Appreciates the
Value Of Irrigation.

The farmer is the c,ltGoor man. He
lives by the soil. He may not pillow
or SOW: may be stock man, dairy
man, fruit man, no matter, he is the
necessary man His is the bottom in
dustry of society. Agriculture is the
foundation of civilization, and all the
vast complex. organization of society
in cities, engaged in manufactures and
commerce, in transportation by land
and sea, in thousand forms of indus
try, has behind it the farmer.
We have spoken chiefly of the
farming class, because the occupation
of these lands by practical farmers
means the welfare of the whole COM
munity. There can be no develop
ment of the natural wealth of the
country save by the occupation and
cultivation of the idle lands.
The need is for Intelligence; for
up-to-date methods; for men who ap-
preciate the value of climate and the
worth of irrigation-who know that
it means sure crops, larger crops and
better crops-such uniformity of re-
suits as entities it to be called "scien-
titic farming" 1t is this that Secre-
tary Wilson had in mind when he
said that the farmer has a new hori-
zon far back Of that of his prairie and
his mountains, which is more promis-
ing than the sky line of the city,
And he gave it as his opinien that
whoever could make two ears of corn
or two blades of grass to grow upon
spot of ground where only one
grew before would deserve better of
mankind and do more essential serv.
ice to his country than the whole race
OF politicians put together
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Fundamental Principles

The fundamental principles of dry.
farming consist in agricultural prac-
tees which will tend to conserve soil
moisture and make the very most for
cultivated crops Of limited supply.
of rainfall. While the so-called sys.
TENS of dry farming are supposed to
be practtced In the semtarid regions
only, it has been found by actual prac-
tice and scientific experiments that
the dry farming methods apply with
equal force to the farmers who grow
crops In those sections which are az.
sumed to have regularly a SUFFICIENT
amount Of rainfall.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Fowls Confined Too Closely.

Too many owners of flocks Of hens
make . great mistake by combining
their fowls, too closely and not allow.
Ing them, exercise enough. Half the
poultry complaints may be traced 10
the lack Of exercise. OF course, In
many, instances. unlimited range can.
not be provided for q flock. This
means that opportunity for exercise
must be provided for III some other
way, such as scattering grain in litter,
hanging up vegetables Tor the fowls
TO peck at, etc. This win. keep them
busy and In good health which means
eggs and profit. IS sssssss
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
cIasssS 81 ! Eoos.

AS q rule, however, guaranteed fresh
eggs arc purchased the day they are
placed Sa sale. Such eggs are for the
fancy. uptown grocery trade Of
cities.
What is known as prime" eggs in
the city market are eggs OF which the
age is not known-they being from
one to three weeks Of age in cool
weather. j
Fresh case eggs are q class out OF
which Il may be expected to secure
ak good eggs, three fair ones and
three Of . .'demoralised' order III each
dozen. 5
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Poultry and COVE.

II have 40 hens and six cows. The
work Of caring for the COWS is greater.
In the summer both do we'll with little
care, says a writer In Baltimore Amer.
lean. At the present time am getting
so eggs day; at two cents each get
$1.60. A COW gives is gallons OF milk
at Ave cents per quart, making 1920.
It seems as II the COWS paid the best.
4 sell some skim milk, feed some to
the hens and some I feed to cows, but
I don't get skim milk from them. 1
sell nearly every egg to consumers,
but get only a email margin Of profit
only fair seturn for labor.
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
Sire 10 AIi.Import.nt

The sire as often stated, is half
the herd. This is true If he. Is an
ordinary animal: II he comes 81
lineage bred to produce certain type
he is more than half the herd as he
will dominate the female and over.
rule any of her weak points. This Is
50 far true that his female offspring
bred to common stock will assume
the prepotency ordinarily carried. ~.
the male and her offspring viii pos.
sess many Of the points Of quality Of
her sire. s5's.s.'s
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12

Here is another discovery. and 1t
has been made at q distance farther
than the north pole, Observations by
Prof Percival Lowell, the Harvard
astronomer, convince him that there
40 oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars,
and from this he concludes that 1t is
possible for life to exist On that planet
~ we'll tas ON the earta Here is a
chance for real distinction. What
airships inventor will fly to Mars and
INA out all about IT?
The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-12
aMoIes Not Enemies.

Much complaint is and always has
been made of destruction in gardens
and fields by moles. This seeming
destruction is only apparent, for the
mole does more good than it does
harm. The most harm that it does
is In blowing up the lawn and soil in
cultivated places. allowing it to dry
out in summer and causing the plants
on the ridges to wither and die in
dry weather. 4.