The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-05-19
U, S. GOVERNMENT
EXPERIMENTAL FARM

week. J. Fl. Wilkinson visited the
farm and gives Telegram read
ers the following account OF what h.,
SAW there.
Last Friday with C. o, Sanders,
OF tho Valley Irrigator, the writer
visited Uncle Sam g experiment. farm
tw' miles northwest OF Newell,
where force OF men technically
trained, are trying all kinds Of agri-
cultural experiments tending 10 ben
eft tie farmers of the Black Hills
region. The farm consists OF two
hundred and eighty acres OF level
or slightly rolling prairie land, OF
which sne hundred anil fifty acres
-. o." dy unG ~ cult v'.i,1.
Approaching the farm from any
direction, a pleasing view is present
ed in that the fences are neat and
substantial, the gates strong and
easily opened, the buildings models
OF farm architecture and convent
ence and the cultivated land reduced
to the most perfect state of tillage
possible so as to obtain the largest
return in crop production. The
farm is divided and sub-divided into
fields, series and plats A plat is
similar to village lot, only larger
in size. Already about three hundred
plats are in cultivation to test diff
ferent kinds of seeds and plants in
all kinds of cultural methods. SUI
perintendent Byrne Aune, is master
workman Of the farm and takes as
much pride in showing off his hand
work as does a great artist In the
exhibition of his painting.
Willie the farm has been select
ed and designed as model insti-
tuition for those under the ditch to
patterns after, no water has been
turned upon this district. so that
for three years past dry farming
cultural methods Of the most ap-
proved kind have been followed.
Wheat, oats. corn and forage crops
have been grown with great sue
cess. In the seasons of ample rain
fall like 1909, wheat on the farm
yielded forty hunshels per acre. In
the dry seasons of 1910 when the
rainfall from April first to August
first was less than six inches, wheat
averaged twenty bushels per acre
On this farm three acres have al
ready been set to trees, which will
be increased to fifteen acres of or
chard and shelter-belt trees as soon
as the irrigation bitches are COM
pleted and in operation.
At the present time the value of
this experimental farm to this COM
munity cannot be measured, estl-
mates or even conjectured.
Any one at all familiar with
Black Hills farming at the present
time knows that the most intelli-
gent rural population and the most
skillful farmers, are those living In
the Spearfish Valley. They owe
their attainments in an academic
way, largely to the benefits derived
from the Spearfish normal school.
knowledge as 1t seams has filtered
down the valley and been absorbed
by all the settlers, Dust as II Il
were irrigating knowledge into
theml. Likewise from an agricultur-
al standpoint. Prof. Cook as bene-
factor of his race, started a model
fruit and vegetable farm from which
he not only realized large profits
but furnishes a pattern which every
farmer tried to initiate until they
are known as highly intelligent,
thrifty and their farms the most
productive of any in the state.
What spearfish Valley residents
have done in establishing productive
farms, fine homes, fruitful orchards
and in giving their children an ed
ucation far above the average, will
be equalled or excelled by the set
tiers under the ditch adjacent TO
Newell.
The Newell experiment station is
equipped with all labor saving ma
chinery necessary to successful
farming. During our visit sub-soil
plow was in operation turning up
moist earth to depth of twelve in
ches.
NO one can forecast the future of
this irrigated district. Farming
where you can regulate your wat
er supply is certainly an alluring
occupation, and the future is lumin-
GUS with hope the rich INNINGS
camps in the hills-the best markets
in the world.
Wichita, Kas.. May 13.-Wichita
has only week in which to demon
strate its ability to support the To-