The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-02-02
THE GRAIN GROWERS
The Second Animal Convention at
Fargo is Grand Success.

eresting Papers are Presented by the
Leading Agriculturists of the North
west. The Discussions were
Very Interesting.
The second annual convention of the
Iri-State Grain Growers Association
opened at Fargo, Jan. %, and made a
most suspicious beginning by electing as
presiding officer EW. Randall, secretary
ot the Minnesota State Agricultural So
ciety. Maj. L. E. Fleming, Fargo, was
made secretary.
The opening Invocation was made by
HeV. dudley. of the First Congregational
church of Fargo.
That congress should pay more atten-
tion toward encouraging the farmers of
GN united States and do less political
wire pulling was the sum of Mayor J. A.
Johnson's address of welcome.
Former Lieut-Gov. Worst, president of
the North Dakota Agricultural College,
read the first paper, in which he set forth
In strong terms the claim that agricult-
ural education and state prosperity are
inseparably united. The reckless exhaus-
ton OF the soil had reached a point where
1t must be checked. With proper culti-
walton the soil would be richer a thou
sand years hence than it is today. 1.-The
remedies for cereal enemies are not alone
wanted" said he, I'VE desire also to learn
10 do better what we have not performed
so badly heretofore. To learn more about
the why of things that we may mingle
the pleasure of knowing with labor and
thus relieve healthful toll of every faint
of drudgery."
President Randall followed with a pa
per upon General Grain Farming" in
which the subject of grain growing was
exhaustively treated. Mr.. Randall en-
phasized the need of more intelligent
work by showing that while the soil of
the United States was the richest in the
world the yield per acre was only half
that obtained in Great Britain, the exact
figures for six years ending 1898, showing
yields as follows:
Great Britain, 5000.
Manitoba, I7.l.
Minnesota, 1d.35
North Dakota, 1915.
These figures demonstrated that some
thing was wrong and a remedy was
needed. 7=s--s77
The attendance at the afternoon session
was even larger than anticipated, nearly
800 persons occupying seats when Presi-
dent Randall announced the absence of j.
M. Stahl, secretary of the Farmers Ma
tional Congress- who had been assigned
the subject, Extension of Foreign
Trade"
In the afternoon Prof. Waldron gave
the convention valuable information re-
garding the spread of the Hessian fly
He estimated at s1.0OO.0OO the damage
done by it in North Dakota last year,
and said there were effective modes of
getting rid of 1t. 1t could be done If all
the farmers would cooperate one season
and burn all the stubble. The same re-
suit could be accomplished by a change
of crop, inaSmuch as the fly only can ex-
list either in wheat, barley or oats. -
iS ont CT orI-
ing corn as a paying crop, and submitted
figures cleaned from two years expert
ence, in which he showed that from 80
acres of corn, which he had fed to horses,
cattle and hogs. he had the first year
Melted $5075 per acre. On 81 acres of
wheat the same year he Melted but 40
cents an acre. He contended that it paid
to sow wheat. and to follow with corn
with ne blowing. On the same 80 acres
the second year he had netted 1892 from
wheat, while corn on the balance of the
tract had Melted about 4 per acre.
Thomas Bolton. Park River, N. D.,
argued that wheat as a single crop was
a poor investment, and his remarks fav-
oring the raising of stock resulted in q
very important step by those present.
A resolution offered by D. w. Mccain,
Cando, was adopted, providing for the ap-
pointment Of committee which should
arrange for live stock exhibit with a
sale place during the coming summer.
President Randall appointed the follow
ing committee: Mccain, Cando; H. F.
Miller, w. A. Scott, G. s. Barnes, ]. H.
Shepherd, ]. A. Johnson, Fargo; Reed,
Owego; Sargent, Armenia; Howem Cas-
selton; Booth, Rogers, Pepper, Addison,
Arnold, Larimore; Spangerler, Inkster;
Wickham, Glen Ullen; Thomas, Bis
marck; Homland, Hillsboro; Bolton Park
River; Pond. Churches Ferry; J. H. Pow
er, Power; Thompson, Cando; Hine-
baugh, Tower City; Child, Crookston.
The committee met Immediately at the
close of the afternoon session. and went
the full length of its tether by organizing
the Northwestern Breeders Association,
electing as president ]. H. Shepherd,
Fargo, and. as secretary, J. H. Power,
Power, N. D. The first annual meeting
is to be held in Fargo. June 26-27-2S.
Eleven vice-presidents are to be named.
who, with the officers mentioned. will
constitute the executive committee.
Papers and addresses were also given
by w. HI. House, Lidgerwood, N. D.;
Thomas j. Harrison, Blanchard, N. D.
]. H. Worst read paper, when Shall
We Begin to Diversify?" prepared by 7.
B. Shellenberger, Minnewaukan, N. D.
Increased attendance and additional en-
thusiasm marked the opening of the sec
ond days session of the Tri-State Grain
Growers Association.
President Randall early in the day an
nounced the following committee on reso-
lutionsJ
J. H. Power, Oscar L. Taylor. ]. H..
Worst, w. F. T. BUSHNELL Thomas L.
Bottom, E. c. Chilcott, Condo Hamlin.
Wheat Raising in the Red River VAL
ley was the title of the paper read by
George N. Lamphere. editor of the Moor
head News. The paper was the one de.
livered before the Minnesota Historical
Society few weeks ago, in which the
subject was covered thoroughly and in
terestingly. Mr.. Lamphere's researches
went back to the early days of the CEN
fury, when the territory known as the
Red River Valley was part of the estate
of Lord Selkirk. The first wheat ever
successfully grown in the valley was IN
1920. The wheat grown was Scotch Fife.
the probable parent of No. 1 hard
He was followed by Prof. ]. "A. Shepard.
with paper on the wheat situation in
Minnesota and the Dakotas.s Prof. Shep-
ard summed up his ideas as follows:
After this imperfect review of the main
factors involved in growing the wheat
crop in the prairie Northwest a summa-
ton of the main lines along which ameli-
Grafton may be expected must suffice:
/. Conserve the soil moisture by thor