The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-02-06
sTEARNS' FINE FARM
DISCLOSES DIVERSITY
OF BLACK HILLS SOIL
Orchards and Fields Bloom Un-
der
With Bees.

NeWeIl, >. L., rep. o.-1Wo ahN oHN
half years ago, when the Northwestern
railroad built down the Belle Fourche
valley, the first station, called Fruit
dale, was located on the 1,000-acre farm
of r. ID. Stearns and took the name
of his farm. This section has peen
under irrigation for over % years ana
is today the center of the most pro-
ductive agricultural region IN the sta.e.
Many years ago when all the sur
rounding gulches were pouring their
golden treasures int Deadwood, en-
riching everybody, the Stearns Lum-
Der was n OF the large
business concerns of h a town. Later
when business in Deadwood ssum
normal conditions, Stearns devoted ma
energies to building up a model rancp
under irrigation. He set~out a shelter
belt of trees and started a large or
chard which has since proved TO pc a
great money maker. He put down sew
eral artesian wells, the largest of which
flows over 1000 gallons per mlnute.
The bore of the well is six and one
half inches and depth 600 feet. From
the water of this well he made a lake
and stocked it with fish. From the
same source he established q power
plant fully equipped to supply e!ec-
trio light to the numerous farm pulld-
tngs and operate machinery for grind
ing and dairy purposes.
Then he went into bees n Tor a
period had an apiary of over 400 hives,
the largest in the state. To limit the
flight and make the business profit
able, he grew sweet clover on SO acres
of land. This land given up to bees
was valued at 800 per acre. Bee Gull
ture was found so profitable that 1t
was soon INDUCED in to a wide extent
in town and country. Then came foul
breed, q disease which destroyed thou
sands oP cmarpnS and mt MANY wCu1d-
be apairians out of business. This cpl
demic of disease was followed by two
cold, severe winters, nearly extermtn-
ating what remained of the bee bust
ness in the Black Hills.
Mr.. Stearns is again going into the
bee business upon a large scale. He
has formed a partnership with c. Fox,
an expert in bee culture, who was
formerly in his employ. They have al
ready arranged to import 5000, 900 bees
from the eastern part of the state n
will place them in several ideal loca-
tions and produce honey for CONNER
cial purposes.
-
STANDING ROOM ONLY
AT FARMERS INSTITUTE
Miller, S. D., Feb. Increased seat
ing capacity had to be provided here
yesterday to accommodate the large
crowds that came to attend the farm
ers' institute, the sudden drop of the
thermometer to 20 degrees below zero
in the morning not having kept the
people at home. The speakers We're
George Dixon on potato farming; o.
Hull on dry farming and alfalfa; ].
D. Morrison on field crops. Each topic
was received with intense interest. The
exhibits Of vegetables, corn, grain, etc,
and the display of cooking, sewing and
fancy work had increased today until
1t made a magnificent showing. The
poultry exhibit also had increased and
the lecturers declared that they had
never seen any such grand exhibit of
fine poultry at any meeting anywhere
that they had held. A special address
cess.