The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-05
MINERALS.

This article would not be complete
if we failed to mention the richest
100 miles square in the world which
is in the Black Hills of this state.
The mineral resources of that section
have only been touched. No man yet
knows what they are when once fully
developed. AS it is we are putting
out about 100000 worth of gold
each year, ranking believe third of
the states in this particular industry.
ALFALFA.
This king of forage plants is making
wonderful strides in this state. There
probably isn't any district in the
United States where it yields ~"
abundance of hardy, plump se@st S..,.4
out irrigation that it does in the
northwestern part of this state. We
can give instances of farmers west Of
the Missouri river who sold as high as
SO worth of alfalfa seed per acre last
year, besides having one cutting Of
hay. $35 to $50 worth of seed per
acre is usual in that part of the state.
The plant thrives eXcellently all over
the state, but seems to seed more
heavily in the northwest sections.
Along the foothills of the Black Hills
alfalfa is very largely grown, and
much of it baled and shipped. The
soil seems to already contain the bac-
terra necessary for the best results in
the growing of this plant.
IRRIGATION.
Irrigation is practiced to a great eX-
tent along the base of the Black Hills,
but many bitches tnat were once used
have been abandoned, for the reason
that they have found that successful
agriculture can be carried on without
it, and with less expense.
The government is completing an
enormous irrigation prospect near
Belle Fourche, embracing several
townships of land, which is being
placed on the market. 1t also MAIN
tains an experiment station of 100
acres, half Of it being used for expert
ments with irrigation, and the other
half dry farming.
DRY FARMING.
The term "dry farming" has been
indiscriminately applied to a large
section of the country, and particu-
larly to North and South Dakota I'M
justly. There are sections of the
United States and also western Can
ada where it is necessary to summer
fallow and thus conserve the moisture
at least one year in three. This is
entirely unnecessary in South Dakota
and has been found to be unprofiita-
BILE in the experiments that have been
conducted with it. Deep blowing to
hold the heavy rains when they come,
compact seed bed, and surface cult
vation are all that are necessary in
this state to produce the very best Of
yields. For best results in the west
ern portion Of the state a cultivated
crop of some kind; corn, potatoes,
beans, etc., should be grown at least
one year in three, and still better one
year in two. With this method of
cropping, and good tillage there is no
more reason for a failure in this state
than in any of the others.
FRUIT.
In early days it was a question in
the minds of q great many whether
or not this state was adapted to the
growing of fruit. There isn't any
point in the state now where fruit is
not successfully grown if cared for as
is necessary in any locality. Straw
berries, currants, gooseberries plums,
crab apples, and a few of the hardy
varieties of summer fall and winter
apples are now successfully grown in
all parts of South Dakota. In the
southern portion Of the state CONNER
cial orcharding is obtaining some foot
hold and in the Black Hills this is one
of the leading industries. The most
beautiful apples, prunes, grapes and
| berries that we have ever seen grown.
are produced in the Black Hills, and
the flavor is something unrivaled by
the fruit of almost any other district,
and particularly Of any irrigated dis.
trict.
TAXES.
One of the important things to be
considered by the home seeker is tax.
es. In some states these have become
a positive burden. In this particular
South Dakota again offers peculiar ad
vantages. 1t now has all of the high
er educational institutions any of the
states enjoy, besides thorough,
equipped and perfectly adequate instl
buttons for the care of her unfortu
mates and criminals; beautiful mod
ern capitol building; her state fai
grounds well supplied with building
and conyeniences; while her total debt
bonded and floating, is only 1886, So3. 4
, or about S0.98 for each man, woman
and child in the state.
! Nearly every county in the state i
= now provided with adequate publ
), buildings, and is at the same tim
either absolutely or practically FIRE
: from debt. The average taxes on l6
acres of land in South Dakota for a
purposes, state, county, school an
:, : every public expense will averag
~ about 500. This of course yarios