The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-02-03
Topics of
Vital Interest
Handled by
Acknowledged
Experts.
&ra@ Growers
Convention.
Experts.


Power, Diversified Farming" Prof.
Hays, "Crop Improvement"
The feature of the third days ses-
sion was the address Of Senator Hans
brough and the question box.
Senator Hansbrough's inability to be
present on account Of the press Of
| senatorial duties, was regretted by the
attendants. His paper on fostering
foreign trade was read by Mr.. Worst.
He referred to his introduction of a
bill in 1897 for the creation Of a
breadfoods commission and how ii,
like other new legislation, was pigeon
holed by the committee and attracted
little attention at the time outside the
Northwestern states, where the people
were beginning to realize the great
Importance Of Oriental trade. The ad-
dition of q clause to the Dingley bill
to aid shippers On the Pacific was dis
cussed. The charge Of Imperialism in
connection with the Philippines and
Oriental trade was disposed Of, the
senator adding: "Why should we not
have our share of Oriental trade? The
great Pacific ocean is the highway
over which we may reach and do our
share Of supplying one-half the world.
| China is no longer q distant land.
Australia and India are only a months
sail. Japan is less than fifteen days
away, while the Russian possessions
are but sixty miles from Alaska'S
golden shore. With increased facill-
ties of transportation distances have
ceased to be a matter Of serious con-
%sideration. The question Of new mar.
kets as the result of the industrial
growth Of the country was noted, and
it was predicted that congress would
| do whatever was necessary to assist
in the establishment of the markets
in response to the demands Of the
people.
The part of the United States in
the establishment of the "open door,
in China was given prominence, and
in summing up the senator showed
| that the government had already ac-
| complished q number of things in the
way Of opening up Oriental trade.
| Some valuable statistics were en-
bodied in his paper, which will be
printed in the published proceedings
Of the convention. One thing noted
was in the comparison Of the eco
nomic changes from 1880 to 1896.
| Where in the former period it had re-
quired three hours and three minutes
| Of human labor to produce q bushel
! Of wheat, in the latter only ten min
utes were required, and the cost Of
human labor per bushel had been re-
| duced from 10 cents to 3 1-3 cents.
| The largest reduction had been in
threshing. The figures were carried
out at great length in different ines
Of the rest of the work.
Ed Childs Of Crookston gave some
experiences in corn raising in the Red
River valley. He began by saying
that he merely raised corn for odder
for 100 COWS of his dairy herd. He
had begun raising corn to fill the void
caused by the disappearance of prairie
grass. He described in detail his
method of preparing the ground for
the crops. He planted sixteen quarts
to the acre, in rows forty inches apart,
| each kernel six inches from another.
He used ordinary dent corn. Imme-
| diately after planting he dragged the
| field. usually with a Boss harrow.
| When the corn is about three inches
| high he usually goes over it with a
| wheel c%ultivator, and from that time
| till the plant was too high he cultivat-
| ed It once q week. Later he used a
walking cultivator. Last year on 40
| acres he raised 1000 tons Of %succulent
| forage.
Several other interesting addresses
were read.
The event which o~vershadowed
everything else connected with the
| concluding day of the session, and in
| fact the GROWING event Of the entire
| convention, was the enthusiastic re-
| ception rendered President j. J. Hill
of the Great Northern.
Mr.. Hill addressed the convention
| m his fayorite theme, "Trade With
the Orient"
After thanking the audience for the
| enthusiastic demonstration and re-
| counting the pleasure of his visit here
a wear ago when he appeared before.
| the convention for an address, Presi-
| dent Hill paid a tribute to the work
| Of the agricultural college and the
good results to be obtained from such
meetings as the present convention.
| He renewed his liberal offer of a year
ago to carry representative farmers
of the counties along the line Of his
1 road free to Fargo on excursions to
the agricultural college, on dates next
summer that would be satisfactory to
/ the farmers. He told Of his first trip
through the valley thirty years ago,
! when there were only three houses in
| the Red River valley between Fort
Abercrombie and Pembina, how the
land was then regarded as unfit fol
cultivation, and compared the present
| conditions Of %unequaled. fertility and
the magnificent evidences Of prosper
| ity everywhere. The necessity of rails
ing hogs and cattle to rest and i'm
prove the land and diversity the crops.
The advantage Of pure bred stock and
other points were touched upon. 1t
was stated that the Great Northern
had carried fifty thousand more cattle
from Minot to st. Paul than for the
whole stretch Of country from Minot
to the Pacific coast. The number of
hogs hauled by his line through this
| state had trebled in five years.
Many similar facts were brought out
to show the rapid progress Of this Sec
ton of the Northwest. The Red River
valley, he predicted, would remain the
| wheat granary Of the world; the land
was increasing annually in value, i'm.
migration was attracted from the
states south and east, and prices were
advancing. President Hill then
touched on his favorite theory Of mar
kets. The value of the commodities
raised here was dependent on the
| price obtained. The population was
doubling itself every thirty years. All
the people could not be professional
-or Thn oUrAorl<urol nnn,,lofion nnu