The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 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 Of extensions
and improvements the coming year,
and in order to arrange with the state
concerning them, took N. B.. Hanson,
deputy commissioner of school n
public lands, out to the ranch to make
an examination of the premises for the
state.
MI. 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 to overlook the fact
that we nave within an hours drive
of this city one of the best adapted
best equipped and best managed diver
sified farm and stock ranches to be
found anywhere in the state. This
ranch occupies approximately 10000
acres of what was formerly the FIT.
Sully 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,
et12N III ca " " liz PieAScS
the breaks. The bottom lands nave
an alfalfa field of II acres which three
years 6 was q patch of worthless
buffalo berry brush and wild rose
bushes. This year it produced over 100
tons of choice alfalfa hay. In compli-
ance with his promise to show us the
largest stack OF hay we ever saw Mr..
Gowdy called our attention to a stack
which he estimates contains $50 tons,
and at least as much more was in
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 on the two sections
purchased from the state four years
ego, consist of a large modern n well
furnished house, lighted and heated
with natural gas from a three-inch
flowing well, also a servants house, a
large horse barn and cattle shed, a
granary, corn crib. garage and we'll
tank, branding chute. scales and num-
erous c%orrals, sectional fences and
cross fences.
Among their farm implements are
a 4O-horse power tractor with 10 plows
also two drills, seven disc harrows,
leaders, hay hunks, and all other arti-
cles needed to run an up-to-date farm.
AS Mr.. Steele tersely says, they have
enough to make a good sale
ITO bear out 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 700 head Of
S-year-old steers at an average of $50
per head, or an aggregate of $56, 900.
THEY NOW have on hand, and expect to.
winter over 900 head of cattle and 60
head of horses.
while no grain was 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,
if not the most extensive and perfectly
appointed ranches in North or South
Dakota.