Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-08-04
AS IT LOOKS NOW
DOANE ROBINSON STATE STAT
iSTiClAN GIVES ESTIMATE
ON CROP YIELDS
SHORTAGE IS INEVITABLE
While Preliminary Figures Show the
Grain Yields Below Average
Flax Corn and Alfalfa
are Doing Fine

Pierre-Last year South Dakota
produced 41,oOO,OOO bushels of wheati
S6,0O0,000 of corn, 100000 of oats
and 10000, 900 of barley, total OF 191,!
$1,000 bushels Of the standard crops
A rough preliminary estimate at this
time indicates that this year we will
get $4,000 900 of wheat, 80,000,000 OF
corn, 2O,O00,000 of oats and 10,00O,O0o
of barley, total of l33,O00,OO0, or a
loss of 5S,00O,000 bushels in the total
crop. Last year we cured 3,S5O,O0u
tons of hay. We can scarcely get halr
so much this year.
Still conditions are not nearly SO
aiscouraging as these figures would
Indicate Last year we harvested 81
900 900 bushels of fax and the present
indications are for an Increased yleld
this year. Corn is holding we'll up
and if the stand had been as GOOD
the Yield would have been as great
Chiefly We depend upon corn to make
our live stock product. Last year we
sold $63,0O0,000 worth of live stock,
and live stock products, and Will 40
better because OF better prices tn1s
year. =,
The shortage in the hay crop will
not be so disastrous to the live stock
interest as would appear for every
where farms are fortifying agalnsb
| 1t by sowing forage crops, rape, mlllet'
and fodder corn. Late and coplous
rains are giving these crops line
start, and they will supply pasturage
and slower to make up for gfeab
deal Of the hay loss. There is great
deal of old hay being carried over,
and then we have never saved nearly
so much of the hay as we might IN
years of real need.
But alfalfa is the stuff. A gcSa
early crop was harvested and the
great rain of June "a came just in
time to give the second growth an I'M
pulse, which the subsequent showers
have accelerated. A big second cut
ting is in sight and third cutting Is
probable The regret is that the acre
age is not larger. There are, now
ever, few farms in Western or Centrai
South Dakota that do not nave rev
acres of alfalfa, and the spread IS pe-
ing constantly increased. A farmer
near Fort Pierre has ia acres IN
angle field. He has just completed
tha harvest of the first crop and finds
the second crop about ready upon the
nortjons first cut. I am firmly con-
vinced that alfalfa will be the found
alton of a great and permanent agrl-
culture in the sub-humid regions OF
South Dakota
Prof. N. E. Hansen, the alfalfa ex'
pert fears that harder seed VIII pc
necessary, and that the severity OF
the Western winters will make the
, varieties at present cultivated TOO
likely to winter kill to make the crop
I dependable. In fact, the crop does
occasionally winter kill and the loss
from this cause is one element when
has prevented large seeding, put
do not know of any field which mas
been entirely lost in any year.. ano
l there are fields here which have beer
t constantly cropped for more than
quarter of century and are Still
g very thrifty. 1t is believed the Slher'
: ian varities introduced from Russls
i. by Prof. Hansen will, however, with
: stand any sort of winter Whlch W.
: are likely to encounter. The danger
: and loss from winter kill Of the com
J. mon varieties has been much overesu
0 mated so far as this central and west
= ern region is concerned, though IN Tn
y eastern portion of the state it does no
d seem to fare so we'll.