The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-03-14
A STEADY STREAM OF GOLDEN
WEALTH.


WEALTH.
Some years ago we published an
article dealing with the growth and
prosperity OF the dairy industry In
Mellette county, and at that time
made the statement that the home
steader or farmer who would give his
attention to the dairy industry togeth
er with flock Of poultry, few hogs
and alfalfa, would in time grow rich
and in the end would prove to be the
real stand bys in this new country
and would develop this country as
perhaps no other class would. Since
that time we have had no reason to
change that statement or prediction
The industry has grown by leaps and
bounds, and yet 1t is but in its infap-
cy.
We lad endeavored to get figures
showing the total amount of cream
marketed In this county, but we must
acknowledge that we were unsuccess-
ful In getting complete return of all
the cream marketed In the county.
We have the figures of the amount
Of cream marketed In Wood, also S4
Cedarbutte in the western part of the
county, but up to this time we havA
been unable to get the figures of the
amount of cream marketed at White
River. While these figures show the
cream marketed at the yari' us sta
tions In the couuty. yet there is a lot
Of cream produced In this county that
is not shown tn the figures of the lc-
cal buyers, for some of the Mellette
county people market their cream at
neighboring towns In adjoining coun.
ties.
During the year 1913 there was
marketed In Wood alone 95. $3.50 pounds
Of cream with butter fat content of
1921 pounds and 1t sold for $l6,OS9
When one considers that the dairy
industry In this county is scarcely
more than six years old, that this
county 10 yet quite thinly settled, and
that there are thousands of range cat
tie roaming over these prairies. and
are producing nothing but meat, the
above showing, to our mind. is rather
remarkable and all goes to show what
q few more years of development a
long the dairy line will do. Whenever
the time comes when the large stock
ranches are cut up into moderate
sized farms Of from section to half
section or a quarter each, when the
Indian trust lands finally pass into
the hands Of the white farmer or are
developed BY the Indian himself, then
YOU will see one Of the richest and
most productive sections of the great
state Of South Dakota right here in
Me.letbe county, and we believe that
day to be- much nearer than our peo-
pie now here, realize. The oppoltp-
mites here for the small farmer az
perhaps the beet of any to be foulss
anywhere in this great free land OF
ours. We have the soil that will pre-
duce corn, wheat, alfalfa and most
anything that is planted in this lat'-.
tude, With proper tillage a harvest
II practically certain to reward the
laborer. We have the richest and
most nutrative grasses that grow,
that are real boon to live stock. Wei
would, however, recommend that tire
small farmer get as large an acreage
Of alfalfa started on his farm as early
as possible, for an acre Of alfalfa will
produce considerable more feed than
two or three acres of native wild grass
will produce, besides 1t is an old and
true maxim that an acre of land
seeded to good stand of alfalfa is
xctually worth slOo Of any mans mon
ey," and besides alfalfa does excep-
tionally well In this county, and she
acreage Is being increased each year,
and Just ~ the alfalfa acreage in
creases SO will the land Values in
crease In proportions.
We are this week publishing a table
showing the actual receipts of cream
eact month at Wood and Cederbutte
by months, the average price paid for
butter fat each month, and the total
amount Of money paid out each month