The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-22
Southern Minnesota and Dakota Grain
Dealers Start a Move.
An Educational Campaign Will Be
Begun Among Farmers.
Railroads Will Be Invited to Patici-
pate in the Agitation.
Iowa Idea Is to Be Followed to a
Large Extent.
From Fridays Daily.

The Southern Minnesota and Dakota
Grain Dealers association is going into
a campaign to instruct farmers to raise
a better grade of wheat and more of
it on the same acreage as is now under
grain cultivation.
In fact, the officers and executive
committee of the association have de.
termined that from now on, this move.
ment shall be the main work of the as
ISOLATION.
In taking up this campaign, the asso-
citation is following in the footsteps of
the Iowa Grain Dealers association
which has done much along this line.
In Iowa, cooperation of the railroads
has been secured. Special trains are run
over the various roads carrying profess
sors and others fully qualified to in
struct on the subject of seed grains
These trains are furnished the associa-
ton free.
The Southern Minnesota and Dakota
Grain Dealers association is now nego-
tiating with the various railroads that
operate in Minnesota and Dakota with
view of getting concessions from the
roads equal to those granted in Iowa.
In such event, the association, aided
by the state agricultural school authori-
ties, will furnish instructors to travel
in the special trains from town to town
and furnish scientific and practical infor-
nation and instruction to all farmers
as to what kinds of seed grain are pre-
ferable, how the grain should be planted,
etc. 1t is asserted that the increase al
ready secured in the grain crop of Iowa
through instruction thus given farmers,
is showing the railroads that the ex-
pense of the special trains is but an in
vestment of money that in return pays
big interest.
The first gun of the Minnesota and
Dakota Grain Dealers campaign will
be fired through a meeting scheduled to
be held at Mitchell, S. D., Aug. IL. It is
not certain that any special "seed grain
instruction" train can be secured for the
movement by that time, but at any rate
able instructors will be sent to Mitchell,
the movement fully explained to the
farmers, instruction given to all who will
listen, and general cooperation for mu-
tual benefit Of the grain raiser and the
grain dealer, invited.
On carrying out this seed grain cam.
paign, much stress will be placed upon
the use of seed grain which has been
tested and proved to be the best for this
climate, and that which yields the best
grade of grain. Grain known as "pedi-
greed seed grain," which has been proved
at experimental stations and agricultur-
al schools to be the most efficient, will
be recommended and furnished at a rea-
sonable price to farmers who care to
purchase.
At present, seed grain is frequently
purchased by farmers at high price
from big seed houses, which is not at
all suited to this climate and the soil
in which it is to be grown. 1t is the
desire of the association to eradicate
this evil, and see that the farmers are
furnished, at the most reasonable price
possible, seed grain which will yield
more product, and a higher grade. 1t has
been fully demonstrated at the Min
nesota Agricultural school and expert
mental stations within the state, that,
by the use of wisely selected and duly
tested "pedigreed seed grain" crops on
the same acreage may be increased Is
to 20 per cent in quantity, and one to
two grades in quality.
Statistics show that in Minnesota and
the Dakotas, on 100000 acres of land,
wheat, oats, barley and fax have been
produced, worth to the farmers $780,
100000, or 1878 an acre a year. 1t is
confidently predicted that by the wise
and scientific use of the most desirable
seed grain, the value of the crop on the
same acreage could be increased to $40
an acre. Or in other words, crop of
equal value, scientifically sown and rails
ed, could be produced from but l5,6OO,-
900 or the total acreage.