Geology of Artesian Basin in South Dakota. 387 



Lastly and finally, we will consider the use of artesian wells 

 for irrigation. It is more and more becoming an accepted belief 

 that this vast "sub-humid" region must have moisture by other 

 than natural methods, or never be successful as an agricultural 

 country. The rainfall is insufficient and unreliable, showing at 

 Huron, 23.65 inches, at Fort Sully, 16.33 inches per annum. The 

 semi-arid character of the climate appears in various peculiarities 

 of animal and plant life. In this region are two or three species 

 of cactus, such plants as ^'Lygodesmia-juncea/' and others with 

 much contracted foliage show what the lack of humidity can ac- 

 complish. Then the fauna has shown some dictinctly desert 

 types ; the prairie marmot, or dog, is a desert type, and so is the 

 gray plover ; the "sand piper," and other birds, are nature's hints 

 as to what the permanent conditions are likely to be. 



The soil is everywhere good, from two to four feet of black 

 organic mould occurs, and all it wants is moisture. If the sub- 

 soil is saturated well in fall or spring a crop is assured, at least 

 in the wheat bearing belt of the states. 



The heavy snowfall of 1881 had this effect; in fact it was 

 felt for four or five seasons. They were years of plenty in the 

 Dakotas. Another effect of irrigation would be the prevention of 

 the hot winds. Artesian water would fill basins that are now dry, 

 and so modify the winds by moisture. 



Lake Byron and Lake Preston would be enlarged, and scores 

 and hundreds of these, some greater and others smaller, would be 

 formed. The effect of having these lakes all filled with water and 

 bordered with trees, would be to eliminate practically all danger 

 from the hot winds. It is perfectly feasible to accomplish all 

 these results. There is no longer any doubt about it. The thing 

 has been done, and a yet more extensive application of artesian 

 water will be achieved in the season now approaching. 



Two or three scientific bugbears have been effectually dis- 

 posed of. One is probable lack of water. The water is proved to 

 be there in a practically inexhaustible supply. It has flowed per- 

 sistently everywhere year after year since 1883. The proximity 

 of new wells has not affected either volume or pressure in any per- 

 ceptible way. The cost of the wells has been reduced to a rea- 

 sonable sum. A good well has been put down at Woonsocket for 

 $900. Scores of them will go down this spring at a cost of from 

 $500 to $800. New machinery is now being patented which will 



