The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-05
VEST-POCKET RANCH
Crops on Irrigated Farms Almost
Miraculous in Productivity.
Alfalfa Is Sure Winner Under lrri.
cation and Immense Yields Of Bar
ley. Rye, Potatoes and Other
Crops Grown profitably.
BY Il. A. BERGMAN. Editor Of Farm
ers' Voice

| ers' Voice.
| For years there have been num-
| Der of small irrigated farms in the
| arid section of the west, lying close
| to the streams where primitive sys-
tens of irrigation have been followed
| Their limitations of water and their
isolation have kept them from being
! desirable homes and no real develop
| ment of the country was possible I'M
til, in large way, the government
segregated such lands as could be wa
tered and under the Carey act opened
them up for settlement The crops
grown on the little, Nest.pccket
ranches are almost miraculous in
their productivity. Wheat often runs
as high as 80 bushels and oats les
bushels per acre Alfalfa is a sure
winner under irrigation and immense
yields of barley. rye. potatoes ana
other crops are grown wherever the
magic touch of water is applied. II
is hard for farmers in the east TO
comprehend these big yields They
do rot appreciate that these inter
mountain soils are often hundred
feet deep. waiting for centuries. TN.
touched in their yirsinity, 70. modern
irrigation methods TO unlock the treas
ure house OF their wealth. Ii the av.
erage New Euglande. or corn belt
farmer We're TO visit some OF these
places he would never go back to the
old, inhospitable conditions. II they
would apply here the same careful
and painstaking methods they would
become little kings of the soil In
stead OF working like drudge six
months out of the year in order to
struggle through the other six months,
they would see the actual exemplitica-
ton of the saying: Tickle the soil
with pillow and it will laugh har-
vest" Instead OF conserving the soil
and spending profits on fertilizers
they would find these irrigated soils
of the intermountain region inexhaust-
ible
Another peculiar fact which eastern
ers unacquainted with western life
cannot understand, is that western ag.
rlcultural products need not be shipped
W Vic SiSdt SOillilGIClal CGutGIS VI Tie
east and middle west in order to find
a market.
One farmer sold $500 worth of but
ter year from six scrub Hereford
Shorthorn cows with udders about the
size of quart cup. Poultry, eggs,
malk, hay, grains. potatoes and every
garden vegetable grown north of Ma
son and DiXon's line can be grown
with profit and the local demand is
away out of proportion to the supply.
Range stock has fattened on the
heavy grass and the absence of sage
brush will make an easy job for the
settlers in getting crops under cult
walton next season. This country, ow-
ing to its good range and equable eli
mate. has been the greatest cattle
country in the United States. Hun
dreds of thousands of horses, cattle
and sheep have been fattened here
and the cattle baron has been the lit
tie lord of creation. Now that irriga-
ton has made so much of these lands
available for general farming the land
Is too good to waste as range and the
wire fence and permanent homes are
driving the range cattle elsewhere.