The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-11-15
GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY
in SOUTH DAKOTA
(Broadcasted from WLAG, Mimi
eapolis, Nov. 18th. by Irwin
ID. Aldrich, CommissioHr
of immigration

When / was a small boy in Ohm
stead County fifty years ago 1t was
customary for persons called upon
10 address the district school, or the
Sunday School, to express their de-
light at seeing SO many bright and
smiling faces before them. Let that
be understood at this time and we
will proceed to occupy about twenty
minutes considering the State of
South Dakota.
| was east recently attending the
National Dairy Show Sat Syracuse,
New York, and | met a good many
eastern people, some of whom had
a rather vague idea of the Dakotas
and Minnesota. A good many SEEM
ed to think that we were somewhere
in the vicinity of Great Slave Lake
or Hudson's Bay. IL | say some
things which my audience already
know probably | may be pardoned
on accoun of this recent experience.
East of Chicago there are still a
good many people who speak Of "Da-
kota" just as the New Englanders
and New Workers in a previous gem
Grafton used to speak of their pio-
neer friends as having gone to the
Ohio.
One hundred years after the thirt-
cen original states had adopted the
national constitution and set up
housekeeping in earnest, namely In
the year 1889, the large territory
of Dakota was divided and the new
states of North Dakota and South
Dakota were admitted to the Union.
The president who signed the bills
that only the dotted lines were WISH
BILE, and no one knows, Off ;cially,
which state is the older. The Da-
kOta twins WIRE simultaneous, but
they are not exactly identical twins
in their climate and characteristics,
a fact which is not usually under
stood by the average eastern man.
A large part of South Dakota bor-
ders on Nebraska and Iowa and the
sta'E as a whole possesses more Of
the characteristics of her southern
%neighbors than of her northern one
When the state of South Dakota
was born, i'm 1889. 81 years agu,
Iowa was AZ years old, Illinois II
Minnesota 81, Wisconsin Al, Nebras-
ka %. Michigan SO and Indiana 73.
All of these states of the middle west
had from n to three generations
the start of us, in the accumulation
of farm buildings and plant with
which to do business.
Nevertheless youth has not pre-
vented us from taking our place
among the foremost agricultural
states in progress, and in produc-
ton. Although South Dakota stands
36th among the states in popuAb
ton and 2Sth in the number of farms,
she ranks eighth in corn production,
second or third in spring wheat,
fourth in rye, third in fiaxseed and
sixth in oats.
The government statistics show
that for a number OF years she has
stood highest in the per capita pro-
duction of new wealth. In the fed
eral census of 1920 South Dakota's
1887 farms were valued at $2,432,-
697. Only ten states had a higher
total valuation, although longer set
tied and with two or three times as
many farms. In the average valua-
ton per farm, representing the ag,
ricuitural wealth per individual far
merJ South Dakota ranked second
in the Union, a remarkable and sig
~nifcant record for a stripping.
ne early StLtiCIo hotuioiy .
trcir pioneer farming with the grow
ing of wheat as an easy crop u
for, asy to handle n VIII
a constant cash market. A good deaJ
of wheat is still grown in the state
some rs, 900, 900 bushels this year
but for the past wenty or morN
years we have steadily progressed 10
ward a more diversified and bette'
balanced farming practice. IN
barometer Of Investigation in farm
ing i'm the middle west Is corn grow
ing. E'hether we produce hogs, cat
tie or diary products III corn pro
ductioE is the fundamental factor.
IF we 6xamine the corn produc
ton figures of any state we can DE
termine about how rapidly she Is I'll
yersifying her farhing.
A friend once told me that m!
talks on South Dakota would d.
mote popular and interesting II
left out the figures; that the oni!
place the general public enjoyed ng
ures was at the bathing beach
Nevertheless must submit a fev
statistics here to show you just wha
the state of South Dakota has beel
doing. 81,
In 1890 South Dakota was the 2otl
state in the Union in the productiol
of corn with a little over IL million
bushels. Il,
In 1910 size ranked thirteenth wit
over SIS million bushels; having pas
fhd Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn
sylyaria in the north and Georgia
virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina
Alabama and Mississippi in the soutf
In 1920, with a yield of 1O5,6o0,OO
bushels she passed Oklahoma, Tenn
essee and Kentucky and took tent
place and in 1921 she passed kans
and took ninth place.
The estimates recently released o
the Department Of Agriculture cor
cede to us almost 1873 million bushel
OF corn this year, putting us In st
place. The increase in acreage
corn for the past five years. as show
by a compilation of the reports
the township assessors has been IL
per cent in the first congressioni
district which is the oldest part
the state and is the south a {
CC Hancock Ic uckv