The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-07-22
THE CROP OUTLOOK
WEST OF THE MISSOURI
The Former Range District Now
Shows Good Prospects for
Bumper Crops.
On. L. zOCK.)

oAouA ais fTeSS: Inc apparent
change in weather conditions in the
past two weeks have had a wonder
full effect on annual crop
Within the past month l have han
occasion to visit the Belle Fourche
valley which is now largely under
the government irrigation bitches
and where crops of all kinds were
looking fine. Even here it show
ed a need of rain.
At Fruitdale farm a few miles
down the valley from Belle Fourche
may be seen a pretty fair specimen
OF the possibilitie of the district.
This farm is owned by Jack Stearns
Last year his orchard, which con-
tains about 400 trees which were
five years old, the apple crop netted
him about $500, which was a very
fair showing for a young orchard.
Mr.. Stearns has planted a willow
hedge along three sides of his OF
chard which serves as a %protectio.
from the storms of winter. Their,
are other smaller orchards in the vi
entity of Fruitdale, which made a
very good showing last year.
In the Red Water and Bear Butte
valleys, alfalfa and small grain SUI
fered severely from drouth and the
fret r1ffino IF tho fprpnor ,o,,o @-;1,
about one-eighth of a crop of hay,
but since the rains have set in ther,
is every indication that the second
crop will be up to the standard. IN
some instances, however, a few fields
were "winter-killed," owing to The
heavy SHOWS which renamed on the
ground all the winter and had g
tendency to smother the pl:
is we'll known to all alfalfa raisers
that an excessive amount of ate
allowed to remain on the land woulc
soon destroy the best of fields, and
this is apparently true in regard to
an excessive amount of snow.
Small grains on the uplands sur
fered more than anything else, but
the corn has stood the drouth wei.
in every part of the state west of the
Missouri river.
Crops generally in most of the val
leys east of the Blick Hills VIII
yield a very fair average, although
the straw is unusually snort. An
examination of the heads of wheat,
oats and rye shows them to be we'll
filled with sound kernels.
Aside from a few small strips OF
territory along the P. & r. e.. r. r.
and the Milwaukee Railway, there is
no particular fear of failure and the
belief is prevalent that while the
crop of small grain may be a little
short as compared with some other
year, this shortage will be made MP
in quality.
The territory along the Milwaukee
railroad from Draper eastward to the
river seems to have been particularly
favored with weekly rains of some
kind with an occasional heavy down
pour and a better prospect for a
bumper crop" is seldom met with.
The straw of the small grains is fu,-
ly up to the average length and the
heads are sound and plump.
In the section between Draper ana
Kadoka the drouth for a time seem
ed a little severe and in many fields
the straw is less than ten inches in
height but with good heads. Just be-
fore the Fourth a good rain fell all
over the section between the bad
lands" and the Missouri river which
completely changed the whole as
pect. 1t came in time to benefit the
corn as we'll as the later small
grains. Since then there has been
several splendid showers which al
though local, have added to the sup
ply IF moisture.
Passing through the whole country
east of the Missouri river one Is
impressed with the prosperous look
ing crop condition. While short
straw is noticeable in a few fields
which may require extra care IL
harvesting, yet the we'll filled heads
indicates q fair average and a good
quality.
There has been considerable fear
for the wild hay crop. I have talk
ed with several old timers Of the
western ranges and they are inclin-
ed to think that while the crop will
be later than usual it will be ample
for economical requirements in home
consumption, but the marketable
surplus will be somewhat limited.
The wild grasses Of the Dakotas
cure on the ground and with the
usual open winters of the western
part of the state the late feed pro-
yided by the ranges will prove OF