Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 73, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1912 — SOUTH DAKOTA LETTER. [ARTICLE]

SOUTH DAKOTA LETTER.

Robert Shook Writes of Crops and Weather Condition* i n South Dakota. Artesian, So. Dak. Dec. 9, 1912. Editor: Unclosed find money order for $1.50 for our renewal to Tho Democrat. Our crops have been very good here this year. We had 3,800 bushels of wheat and 2,600 bushels of oats. We have 7,000 bushels of corn; one 90-acre field averaged 55% bushels to the acre. We have had as nice weather this fall as one could wish for. Our last rain was on October 10, and our worst snow storm was December 6, and there was not enough then to cover the ground. It has been below zero a few mornings lately, bat gets warm during the day. This country has developed very rapidly in the last ten years. The farmers have begun to realize that this portion or the country will produce great crops if the soil is only handled right. For years It has been the custom to disic all small grain in the stubble of the last, year’* crop, no fall plowing being done. Now most all of the small grain Is put in on fall or spring plowing. Borne also have begun to plow for corn in the fall. With attention to seed and thorough cultivation corn does well in this state, the worst drawback being the dry season. Prices or real estate range from $&• to SBO per acre, according to location, t|»e land closest to a market realizing the best price. Improvements here are better than most eastern people expect to find; A sod sfhack is as much of a curiosity to us as it would be to them. A farmer here turns over a vast amount of work on short notice. In fall and spring plowing we run three 14-inch gang plows, generally three and four cultivators, two 12foot push binders, and so it is all through ihe year. As It takes horse flesh to pull our machinery there is a good demand for draft horses. As to climate we believe it is more healthful than Jasper. Of course w e have bad storms here but the press generally exaggerates them. Twenty degrees below here does not seem as cold here as zero would in Indiana, as there is less moisture in the atmosphere. Win. Augspurger and family of near Mankato, autoed over to see us in October. They live; east of us about 250 miles. Wishing all ou r old friends a merry Christmas and a happor New Year, we remain Respectfully, ROBERT SHOOK.