Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-10-07
SOUTH D AkOTA.
IL Growth and Development.

The story Of the growth and dt
Selopment Of the State of South Da
kots ID = most interesting one. 1t
AK $3.50 square miles Is part Of tn
Crest Louisiana purchase which JET
fers0n bought for mere song, /. e
!. t15, 0O0, 10000. South Dakota's cor
crop last year brought $35, 1924, 4so
The first farms were opened, in wha
b now the State, less than forty-tiy.
years ago and settlers did not come
in great numbers, uncil 1sso-1Ss3
Dakota Territory was divided il
1889, and the State of South Dakota
has had a remarkably healthy growth
over since. For years it was the talk
among the doubling Thomases that
the climate was too dry, and that the
state could never become an agricul-
tural state, but our pioneer citizens
have demonstrated that whenever the
prairie fires are kept out, wherever
the pillow goes. wherever trees are
planted, rainfall increases.
Let us ask you what is the matter
{ with the State that has produced for
twelve consecutive years more wealth
per capita than any other state?
What is the matter with the state
that has more money per capita in
her banks than any sister state?
What is the matter with the state
that has fewer idle people per capita
In her poor-housesp South Dakota is
the state that leads in all these things.
South Dakota is neither too far North
or too far South. Her climate is the
same as the climate of Southern Min
nes0ta or Northern Iowa. In thirty
years there has been two winters
with excessively deep SHOWS, eleven
winters In which there has been q
moderate amount, and seventeen
winters in which there has been very
little snow. The average annual
rainfall for the past twenty two years
% given by the Government Station
~ Huron, is PIP inches and more
than II inches Of this amount falls in
the Ave growing months Of the year.
The great Missouri river crosses
South Dakota from the northwest to
the southeast and the state is water
I'D and drained by it and its branches.
The soil east Of the Missouri river is
l. rich. deep, black loan, underlaid
~ : porous yellow clay.
u The native grasses Of the state are
unsurpassed. Cattle, horses and
sheep fatten without corn on the
grasSes that produced the famous
bnffalo Of only forty years ago.
Timothy and clover and alfalfa and
Kentucky blue grass are fast getting
aIfoot-hold. Blue grass follows civil
5ization. South Dakota does not claim
70 be . wheat state or corn state.
sh1 u more, she is a mixed farming
state. She produces in great quanti-
-, wheat, corn, oats, barley, fax,
speltz, potatoes. vegetables, fruit,
n0r1es, cattle, cattle, sheep, wool,
hogs, and dairy products.
Last year the state raised So, 1891, 900
bushels Of wheat, which sold for ss2,-
Fl, 800 90; 81, 2s1 900 bushels Of oats,
worth ia 1895 .O2O. 90; "a, 414 900 bush
sls2of barley worth s11, 474. $50; 5, ooo,.
900 bushels Of lax worth Il, 25O, 0O0.-
90; 8. 750, 900 bushels Of speltz worth
M 4oO. 600 90; eggs and poultry worth
45. 1b0, O00. 90; live stock worth $780,
a77, $50. 90; and Is. 5s4 900 bushels Of
corn worth ss5. 1924, 4sO 90, with an
average yield Of So a bushels per acre.
6oath Dakota has heretofore made no
claim Of being . great corn producing
state. yet she produces Eore corn
than I'll the six New York, New Jer-
M, North Dakota, Delaware, Mon
tana. yoming, Nevada, New Mexi-
%, ArizonA, Utah, Washington,
Idaho. Oregon and California.
South Dakota grows more corn
than any Of the southern states, ex-
sept Kentucky and Tennessee.
J South Dakota grows more corn. than
Minnesota. Michigan or Wisconsin,
md twenty times 90 much as North
Dak0ta. Among the twenty largest
corn states In the United States.
South Dakota stands fifth in che yield
psrs acre.
NJ y may De of interest to the reader
~ know that South Dakota stands
18th Ia the yield per acre
4 may be of interest TO the reader
n know. that South Dakota sold 50, d
ea4 earloads of horses, cattle, hogs
IA s6eep III 1905, which put ss4 III.
-, osintos circulat ion among the peo-
M IN this state. IIlllinois Iowa and
Indiana are called hog states and
isconsin = COW state. South Dako-
~ N not r COW s6ta tn nor II hO3 atsta