The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-11-21
tom STEELE'S RANCH
IS MODEL EFFORT IN
EFFICIENT FARMING
Sioux City Mans Holding In
Sully County One Of Dako-
ta's Show Places.

Pierre. s. d., NOV. 1s.--Tom Steele, OF
Sioux City, Ia, owner, and w. G..
Gowdy. manager OF the large Steele
and Gowdy ranch In Sully county,
contemplating a number az extensions
and improvements the coming year,
and in order to arrange with the state
concerning them, took N. B. Hanson,
deputy commissioner OF school and
public lands, out TO the ranch to make
an examination Of the premises for the
state.
Mr.. Hanson makes this statement in
regard to the proposition:
while we are somewhat disposed to
view with envy the establishment Of
experiment and demonstration farms
in different parts OF the state, and are
a little Jealous OF Aberdeen for secur-
Ing the model farm to be operated by
the international Harvester company,
most Of us seem 70 overlook the fact
that we have within an hours drive
Of this city one OF the best adapted
best equipped and best managed diver
gifiod farm and stock ranches TO be
found anywhere In the state. This
ranch occupies approximately 10000
acres OF what was formerly the Ft.
Eully military reservation. About half
of It Is rough grazing land In the
Missouri river breaks. OF the balance.
about 1000 acres is choice bottom land,
and the balance q fertile plateau above
the breaks. The bottom lands have
an alfalfa field Of II acres which three
years ago was a patch Of worthless
buffalo berry brush and wild rose
bushes. This year 1t produced over 100
tons OF choice alfalfa hay. In compli-'
ance with his promise to show us the
largest stack OF hey we eve saw. Mr..
Gowdy called our attention to q stack
which he estimates contains $50 tons,
--Q - ..a.A av>-E NAH
smaller stacks in the same hay lot,
and this is only n OF the two winter
camps which they maintain in the
shelter of the dense heavy timber along
the Missouri river.
Their principal ranch buildings,
which are located or the two sections
purchased from the state our years
ego, consist of a large modern and well
furnished house, lighted and heated
with natural gas from a three-inch
flowing well. also q servants house, O.
large horse barn and cattle shed, O,
granary, corn crib, garage and well
equipped blacksmith shop; q dipping
tank, branding chute, scales and num-
erous corrals, sectional fences and
cross fences.
Among their farm implements are
a 40-horse power tractor, with 1e plows
also two drills, wen disc harrows.
headers, binders, mowers, racks, hay
lOhuGTS, may DulhS, anu dli OtHCT AENi-
Giles needed to an up-to-date farm.
AS Mr.. Steele tersely says, they have
enough to make a good sale
ITO bear nj their contention that a
ranch can be successfully operated in
this section, Mr.. Gowdy cites the fact
that this year. the second one Of the
two dryest known, In this central Sec
ton OF the state they sold 200 cad of
3-year-old steers at an average OF $50
per head, or an aggregate OF $66. 900.
They now have on hand, and expect to
winter over 300 head OF cattle and so
head of horses.
while no grain vas raised during
the last two years. on the 500 acres
which have been under cultivation,
they are still feeding corn which they
raised in 1910"
The day Of big ranches in South Da-
kota has almost passed, but a few still
remain and this is one Of the largest
IL not the most extensive and perfectly
appointed ranches in North or South
Dakota.