Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/644

 640 DAKOTA MONTHS. TEMPERA- TURE. BNOW & RAIN, INCHES. Wet days. Prevailing winds. Max. Min. Rain. Snow. January .... 58 56 69 77 89 97 108* 102* 93 84 67 49 16" -20} 8 89 69 72 68 41 19 29 -18 < II 4f 1 ?

4 3 H 8 6 8 1 5 N.W. N.W. W.N.W. S.E. 8. 8. 8. W. 8. W. 8. 8. N.W. N.W. N.W. February. . March Anril M?y Julv Autrust September October .... November December The prevailing soil of E. Dakota is a. dark calcareous sandy loam, with an intermixture of clay. This loam is mostly from 4 to 6 ft. in depth, and has been found from 15 to 20 ft. It is remarkably fertile. The corn-producing belt, which runs through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, extends N. W. through Iowa, up the valley of the Missouri through Dakota. The bottom lands bordering on this great river and its tributaries possess a singularly rich and uniform soil, and furnish extensive and luxuri- ant meadows. All kinds of grain, fruits, and vegetables usually grown in the middle states yield abundantly in Dakota. Indian corn has yielded TO bushels an acre, wheat 30 to 50, oats 40 to 75, potatoes 270 to 500, and barley, buckwheat, and other cereals largely. Wild apples, plums, cherries, grapes, and hops grow abundantly along the streams in the Missouri valley. It is believed that tobacco and sweet potatoes can be successfully raised on the warm bottom lands of the south. Dakota possesses remarkable advantages for stock raising. The plains are covered with nutri- tious grasses, which afford abundant pasturage throughout the year. The climate is specially favorable to sheep, and wool growing promises to be an important industry. The trees, grow- ing mostly on the river borders, are black walnut, oak, elm, ash, poplar, whitewood, maple, pine, box elder, willow, and cotton- wood. The Black hills are covered with forests of pine. Vast herds of buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope range over the W. portion. The black bear, wolverene, muskrat, otter, mink, marten, and wolf are found. Accord- ing to the census of 1870 the number of acres of improved land was 42,645. The chief pro- ductions were 170,662 bushels of wheat, 133,- 140 of Indian corn, 114,327 of oats, 4,118 of barley, 179 of buckwheat, 50,177 of potatoes, 456 of peas and beans, 13,347 tons of hay, 8,810 Ibs. of wool, 209,735 of butter, 1,850 of cheese, and 1,230 gallons of sorghum molasses. There were 2,514 horses, 225 mules and asses, 4,151 milch cows, 2,125 working oxen, 6,191 other cattle, 1,901 sheep, and 2,033 swine. There were also 729 horses and 44,257 cattle not on farms. The cash value of farms was $2,085,265; of farming implements and ma- chinery, $142,612; wages paid during the year, including value of board, $71,156; estimated value of all farm productions, in- cluding betterments and additions to stock, $495,657 ; value of home manufactures, $1,677; of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, $22,066 ; of all live stock, $779,952. Manufacturing industry is yet undeveloped ; but there is abundant water power, which, with the advantages for sheep farming, will greatly facilitate the development of woollen manufactures. The Northern Pacific railroad from .Duluth, Minn., at the head of Lake Su- perior, to Puget's sound, Washington territory, is to cross the N. central portion of Dakota. In July, 1873, it was in operation to the Mis- souri river, in central Dakota, and its exten- sion was in rapid progress. The Dakota South- ern railroad connects Sioux City, Iowa, and Yankton, 61 m. The total length of completed railroads in the territory is 255 m. The Dakota and Northwestern, from Yankton N. W. to the Big Cheyenne river (constructed and operated from Sioux City to Yankton by the Dakota Southern company), the Dakota Central, from Yankton N. to a connection with the Northern Pacific, about 280 m., and other lines, are pro- jected. The government is similar to that of the other territories. The principal execu- tive officers are a governor, secretary, auditor, treasurer, and superintendent of public instruc- tion. The legislature consists of a council of 13 and a house of representatives of 26 members; its sessions are biennial. A chief justice and two associate justices hold the supreme and district courts, which have general jurisdiction. There is no territorial debt; the county and town debts in 1870 amounted to $5,761 ; taxation not national, $13,867, of which $1,269 was territorial and $12,598 county. The internal revenue collections for 1871 were $7,130. The receipts into the territorial treasury for 1870 were $1,018; disbursements, $927. In 1870 the assessed value of real estate was $1,695,- 723, personal $1,228,766; total, $2,924,489; true value of real and personal estate, $5,599,- 752. The legal rate of interest is 10 per cent, per annum ; but any rate not exceeding 2 per cent, a month may be legally agreed upon. Education is not neglected. A free school law was passed in 1869, which places the schools under the control of a territorial superinten- dent of public instruction and county superin- tendents, and requires a common school to be kept in each district for at least three months in the year. The superintendent reported in 1872 (some counties wanting) the number of districts organized to be 55 ; teachers, 53 ; pupils, 1,765 ; value of school property, $9,010. Teachers' wages vary from $25 to $100 a month. The United States government is providing for the instruction of the Indians at the agencies. There is a free public library at Yankton presented by congress. Ten weekly newspapers are published in the territory. According to the census of 1870, there were 17 religious organizations, having 10 edifices, with 2,800 sittings and property valued at