The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-21

" coA11Ou ny the same NUMBER OF
farmers tllling many times the num-
Der of acres bY aiie loose wholesale
methods of agriculture sometimes pfac
ticedsin this state. -
And ten farmers, each with 100 acres
OF land, occupy no more of the
states surface thanpne farmer would
with ten times as4nauch land, and the
ten farmers instead of the one, would
increase ten fold the aggregate volume
of trade with the merchants of the
state and its commercial prosperity.
Inc bonanza wheat farms of the old
en- times are destined to pass into
smaller holdings. 1t rs certain as fate
. that the lands of this state must and
Will be subdivided and resubdivided
until each farmer has only as much
land as will yield him the highest re-
ward for his labor sand enable him to
support in comfort and prosperity the
FAMILY which he has gathered around
his hearthstone. 1t is better that 1t
should be so. The farm life of the fu-
ture VIII have many advantages over
the Isolation of the old farm life, be-
cause the subdivision Of the land into
smaller farms will bring good roads,
good schools, nearby neighbors, farm
telephones, churches, Libraries and
social environment in communities of
small farmers which would be impoS-
slble In country where the farms are
OF vast extent and the homes far re-
moved from each other.
Crops Should Be Diversified.
1--WE must never lose sight of the fact
that continued cropping to, single
crop through long series of years will
inevitably reduce the annual product
of that crop upon the richest land.
Even the fat, black soil of the Red
river. if cropped through all the years
10 wheat, will lose its strength and the
result will be a decrease of the annual
profits of the farm. The remedy for
this is the diverSification of crops and
the. planting of other products which
will draw different elements from the
SOIL. There are many such crops which
could be raised on the fertile lands of
North Dakota today by closer sys-'
tenn of cultivation (which would yield
TO the farmer greater profit per acre
than the same lands ever yielded when
farmed to wheat.fsr-a-
"And in the production of these va
ried crops the fertilization of the land
by irrigation is a most important fac
tor. 1t could not probably be done with
profit upon large scale, but the farm
err with forty acnes and water to irri-
gate could make more money if he I'M
derstood the science of irrigation than
could a farmer with 100 acres or even
more land who farmed it to a single
crop and trusted to nature for his wa
ter supply to fertilize the land.
yesterday or the day before I met
one of your most public spirited farm
ers and he informed me that he ro-
tated his crops (andl that he did not
keep after wheat, wheat wheat all the
time. Now he would not be able to
have raised the good crop that he did
this year If he had followed the nom
rotation system. You always want to
investigate for the system that will
produce the most tons per acre and
when you find it follow it.
"The statements which have made
with reference to the increased pro-
duction resulting from irrigation even
though it be supplemental irrigation
in a humid or merely semi-arid region,
are not mere surmise. They are based
upon actual experience and investiga-
ton. In a paper read before the fifth
National Irrigation congress at Phoe-
nix, Ariz., on Dec. 16, 1896, DR.. Clarke
Gapen said: There is no part of the
earth's surface where the rainfall is so
exactly proportional that it may not
be profitably supplemented by the ap
plication of water arttficially to any
given crop. That is to say, there is no
crop that may not be. increased In
quantity or improved in quality by
this Means In a little book recently
published by Prof. King, entitled The
SOIL l find the following table with
reference to the amount of water which
is necessary for the production of dry
product. Dent corn, 800 pounds of wa
ter to each pound of dry product; flint
corn, 233 pounds Of water to each
pound of dry product; red clover, .452
pounds Of water to each pound of dry
product barley, 1892 pounds of water
to each pound Of dry product; oats, 522
pounds of water to each pound of dry
product; field peas, AIT pounds of water
to each pound of dry product; pota-
toes, 422 pounds of water to each pound
of dry product; rye, 353 pounds of wa
ter to each pound of dry product"
Mr.. Hill cited additional statistics to
bring out the entire Irrigation ques-
ton in clearest light and closed with
a picture. of the tpestimable benefits
that follow the reclamation of arid or
semi arid land. - !
Report on Ogden Convention.
II. G. Plumley. editor Of the Fargo
Forum, presented to- the convention
the report of the State delegation that
attended the irrigation congress at
Ogden, Utah, last month. Mr.. Plum
ley said:
A few months ago knew nothing of
irrigation-and 1t may be that / do not
know much about this method of raising
crops, but at least am more enthusiastic
over the problem than I formerly was.
We all know that largely through the
efforts Of Senator Hansbrough a bill has
become law setting apart the proceeds
of the sale of public lands to irrigation
in that state where the sale occurred.
Later we woke up to the fact that the
fund for North Dakota had practically
reached So, 100000 81
Now 1 never expect to get my hands
on one dollar of this amount, but 1t SEEM
ed as if it would be a good thing for the
state If this money could be spent In
North Dakota. 1t would add an immense
amount to the value and the assessment
of the state. 1t seemed wise to go to
the fountain head and see what was be-
ing done in other states. It was in con-
sequence of this that six Of our citizens
went to Ogden.
This national congress had an attend
ance of some 1900 delegates. including
great many congressman, senators, the
secretary OF agriculture, and nearly all
the members of the geological survey,
and this irrigation work Is under the d.
rection of the gentlemen of this depart
ment. 1t would have done all of you good
to have heard the address of Mr. Smythe,
of California, the original agitator of
irrigation and the first president of the
congress. He showed the great ability of
any community where the crops were fos-
tered by irrigation bitches.
esfs ~