

Sugar beets 

 Alfalfa 

 Sheep 

 Dairy cows 



United States Reclamation Burea\i 



BELLE FOiraCIF. 

 IRRIGATION PROJECT 



South Dakota 

 Near the Picturesque Black Hills 



Good towns 

 Good schools 

 Good roads 

 Good water -^upply 



LOCATION: The Belle Fourche Irrigation Project lies in western South Dakota, 

 a short distance north of the Black Hills. It covers an area of prairie country 

 approximately 12 miles wide by 25 miles long, beginning Just below the city of Bello 

 Foiirche and extending easterly along the valley of tho Bello Fourcho River and 

 across tho valleys of tributary streams* Nearly all tho land lios in Butto County 

 and tho remainder, a fow square miles, in tho southeast portion of tho project, in 

 Moado County. About 75,000 acros of irrigable land ore included in this agricul- 

 tural dovolopmont. 



CROPS: The principal crops raised under irrigation in this section are sugar 

 beets, alfalfa, corn, small grains and cucimbers for pickles. Specialized produc- 

 tion commands attention because of tho distance from central markets and tho need 

 of shipping crops in tho more concentrated form of sugar, dairy products, livestock, 

 wool and pickles. 



Project farming, to a large oxtent, centers around tho Black Hills Sugar Fac- 

 tory at Belle Fourcho. This industry, with its ramifications, exerts benoficial 

 influonco on feeding operations, crop rotations and on bottor agricultural prac- 

 ticos. From 200,000 to 300,000 bags of sugar, of 100 pounds each, arc turned out 

 annually from boots grown on irrigated forms of this region. The acreage given to 

 boots varies from 6,000 to 8,000 acros annually on tho Federal project, which grows 

 about two-thirds of tho total acreage contributed to the factory. Yields run gen- 

 erally from 10 to 20 tons per acre with occasioneil fields outstripping these fig- 

 ures. The sugar content and market price of sugar are factors in cash returns to 

 growers but even in recent years of low prices the beet crop has kept many farm 

 ledgers out of tho rod. Tho hand labor roquired in tho boot fields is paid by the 

 farms and may bo supplied by either tho growers or by the Sugar Ccmpany. Ten 

 beet dumps on the projoct, served by railroad sidings, and the modern trucking fac- 

 ilities, mako it possible to grow beets on practically all faonoof the projoct. 



Alfalfa is another of the basic irrigated crops that supplies pasture and 

 I'oughage for livestock and builds up the soil for succeeding rotations. Fifteen 

 o^iousand acres on the project are given to production of hay which is available in 

 quantities not only for local herds but for livestock on the adjacent dry land 

 ranches and for shipment to dairy formers within tho Black Hills, The price in 

 recent years has ranged from $4,00 to $12,00 in tho stack, although feeding of this 

 crop on tho faims, means higher returns and increased fertility. The yield of al- 

 falfa averages in tho neighborhood of 2 tons per acre from throe cuttings but 

 f j olds well taken care of and irrigated for maximum returns will produce 3 to 4 

 tons per aero per year and in exceptional cases 6 tons per acre have been reported. 

 Alfalfa hay, sugar beets, sheep farming and dairying aro tho natural haimenizing 

 furm activities under irrigation. 



