Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1909-11-13
South Dakota Not Properly ADVERTISED ct
the Congress.

South Dakota Not Properly Advertised Q
the Congress.
The following is M. C. Rich's repor
to DR.. F. E. Walker, president Of th'
Commercial Club, in regard to the Dry
Farming Congress at Billings last week
Mr.. Rich was delegate from Fall River
county and a special delegate Of the
Club.
LrrHIA, s. D., Nov. !, 1909.
DR.. F. E. WALKER,
President Commercial Club,
Hot Springs, South Dakota.
DEAR SIR:-I herewith hand you q
partial report of the Dry Farming Con-
gress at Billings, as far as its influence
on Fall River county is concerned. The
thing that impressed me the most was
the profound sleep of the people of this
state. Western South Dakota has all
other states west and south beat with
hands down, and yet not single
pamphlet, paper or written word TO
the hungry home seeker, setting forth
the good qualities of our state. Statis-
tics show that we can grow wheat on
most any kind of our soil or any part Of
our state Within ten years wheat will
be the best paying grain crop in the
United States. We rank second now In
quality: We have the greatest rainfall
of any western state. Our land is of the
highest productive quality, while our
people sleep peacefully on, letting all
the other states loom into prominence
by the activity Of its citizens. The old
time knockers are about the only ones
who are awake. If the Commercial
Clubs, business organizations, etc.,
would have neat, concise, pamphlet
write-up about their country, and let
these pamphlets be distributed by the
delegates or representatives going to
these congresses and meetings or gather
ings of whatever nature, it would not be
long before our state would be more
thoroughly known. Western South Da-
kota has been fairly we'll advertised, but
it has been mostly the knockers weep
ings and wailings that have penetrated
the furtherest and has been remember
ed.
This fact has been brought very forci-
bly, to my notice on this trip and also on
my trip of last July. 1t seems to me
that one of the ways to overcome this,
would be the united effort to distribute |
county literature by every delegate or
representative that leaves our soil. You |
will find this very imperative and steps |
should be taken right away.
In regard to grains, methods, etc.,
great stress was laid upon the summer |
fallow, with thorough cultivation until
freezing up time. With the rainfall we
have here, it is advisable to crop every |
year. Wheat takes the least moisture
to mature of all other small grain. The
largest yield of wheat comes from fol-
lowing corn, and the necessity of crop |
rotation was thoroughly demonstrated. |
Great stress was laid upon the use of the |
harrow after the small grain was up, all |
of the experimentors shouting harrow,
harrow, harrow.
The production of alfalfa held very
conspicuous place on the program and is
considered by all writers, to be the best
paying crop we can raise. We have
been conceded by all alfalfa experts of
other states, to have here in Western
South Dakota the ideal land for the pro-
duction of alfalfa without irrigation. 1t
is owing to the fact of our basic soil and
climatic conditions. Our rainfall in wes-
tern South Dakota for the last 20 years
has an average of Sl.6l inches. That is
sufficient moisture to produce any kind
of crop. Our failures we owe 10 our
mode of seed bed preparation and its
cultivation.
l shall report to you later more fully
on this subject ofseeds, grains, bed prep
aration, etc. l wish to thank you for
your appointment as your club delegate
and for the good that derived from the
meeting, am
Respectfully,
MARK c. RICH.
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