Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-08-21
THE FARMERS INSTITUTE
WAS A SUCCESS

The night session of the Farmers
Institute was called to order at 1880
last night at the court house. Prof
Olin spoke again. He urged that we
get the boys and girls Interested in
growing better grain. He explained
about the seed competition for which
the government offers prizes to boys
and girls, and he aoped this section
would ere long have 1000 boys and
girls In the contest
He had found by consulting the rec
ords that the annual rainfall in this
section for the last II years was l6
inches per annum. This meant be-
growing season. To grow a bushel OF
grain 1t was necessary to have from
20 to 25 tons OF water.
One inch of rain makes from l13
to ll5 tons of water to the acre. 1t
takes $50 pounds of water to produce
one pound of solids. He had classi-
fed the arid and semi-arid regions as
follows
The arid region was marked by a
rainfall OF less than 8 inches annual
ly, The semi-arid region has an an
nual rainfall OF to 90 inches.
1t requires more moisture to grow
crops in this state than in the east.
ern states. He told how the land
should be worked In order TO hold the
moisture as long as possible. ne
latJ al s,tr -
OF the harrow following the plow as
soon as possible.
He advised gathering the largest
heads Of wheat or other grain in the
field and use 1t for seed He advised
bald barley for high altitude. For
forage he advised the drouth-resisting
millet and prose-. common In western
Kansas and Nebraska. Experiments
were being conducted with sugar
beets which promised as good results
without as with irrigation
Durum wheat should be put in as
| early In the spring as the soil condi-
tions Will permit. There are 15 var
ieties OF the durum wheat. The ku-
banka variety is the best because the
yield is more uniform. 1t is a spring
wheat. 1t took an experiment station
| three years to change the strain from
a spring to a fall wheat, and Prof.
Olin advised It would be better to SOW
1t as spring wheat until 1t could be
purchased as fall wheat from some
station. and thus save themselves a
costly experiment
Barton o. Aylesworth was the prin-
| cipal speaker of the evening. He
felt that the Colorado college had at
1 tanned such standing that 1t could
talk without Offering any apology.
This college was the only one which
had ever been mentioned In speech
by the nations executive. That was
in President Roosevelts great speech
in Denver. Secretary Wilson had
said this college was doing more foI
the farmers of this country than any
other agricultural college In the Unit
ed States. He paid high tribute to
Hon. Eugene II. Grubb, the farmer
and gave him a great share of the
credit for getting an appropriation
from congress OF $4,000.
The first mission Of this college Il
to help the grown-up farmers-not ths
boys and girls frst-as much as W.
like them-but the grown-up, hard
working farmer. No statement is eve
given the farmer about the hes
grains, the best breeds OF livestock
and the best Of other things, unit
thorough tests have been made. Thi
information is now and has been tn,
past few years. carried on through tn
farmers Institutes. These institute
|, are being extended into all the cour
ties OF the state.
At the college a farmers course q
/ two weeks has been organized. Tn
best brains money can buy and brin
: to the state will be there to teach tn
farmers many little but importan
, things they would like to know.
> A three-months course has been d.
, 'vised for big country boys who do nc