THE DRY FARMING CONGRESS. 



125 



Pierre, not quite the lowest point in the state of South Dakota, the ele- 

 vation is 1,437 feet. 



Irrigation Area. 



"The western portion of South Dakota extends from the Missouri 

 river to the Black Hills with a probable area that can be placed under 

 irr"gation of 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 acres, estimated out of 23,000,000 acres 

 of land. I inight add 500,000 more acres that could be put under irriga- 

 tion by conserving the water in reservoirs in 'our long dry creeks. We 

 are beginning to learn the lesson of conservation of moisture, but we 

 have not advanced very far. Nearly all of the people in the rest of South- 

 Dakota have engaged either in mercantile, mining or the live stock 

 business, and those of us who come here today, come as pupils not as 

 teachers. So I think it is very improbable that I can give you any 

 ideas that will aid you. But I may ask questions and describe conditions 

 existing that some of the rest of you who are further advanced may be 

 able to discuss when you come before the audience. 



Alfalfa. 



"Now first, our state is the home of alfalfa, we di'scovered that a 

 number of years ago. Our county, the county of Pennington, in which 

 I live, has about 3,500 acres in alfalfa under irrigation. We will probably 

 increase that acreage to 5,000 within the next twelve months, as a great 

 many contemplate sowing alfalfa in the spring. During the last three 

 years we have considered it was time thrown away and money thrown 

 away to sow alfalfa seed on the table lands, as we believe it could not 

 be cultivated there successfully, but a few men who have dared to go 

 out on these high table lands and sow alfalfa have had marvelous sue. 

 cess. I had in mind one gentleman, who, in the sum^mer of 1907, had 50 

 acres of alfalfa. He had 12 hogs that were as fat as though they had 

 been fed on corn. He assured me however that the hogs had run in the 

 alfalfa fields and for the first crop he put up 57 wagon loads of alfalfa 

 from 15 acres. His second crop only produced 21 loads on the same tract. 

 He has been rai'sing alfalfa on this plat for eight years and he has never 

 used the alfalfa harrow nor anything except to let the hogs run in it. 



"Our state has various resources; we have something more besides 

 agriculture. In the state of South Dakota we claim for it, that it has the 

 richest mine, plumpest cereals and the most nutrious native grasses, the 

 choi'cest alfalfa, and that we have the purest water, the best climate, the 

 finest scenery and the brainiest men and women of any state in the 

 Union except Wyoming. Now, what we would- like to have is some 

 farmers, thousands more who will adopt better methods of cultivating 

 the soil. Now, myself and a few other men interested last year invited 

 Mr. Campbell to come to our town during the county institute and deliver 

 a lecture which he did. In remuneration we raised 100 subscribers to his 

 paper and then a banker in town took 100 more subscriptions and sent 

 copies to 100 more people, so that we believe that in time we are going 



