The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1906-03-01
Northern Pacific Railway EnlIstlns In Work
for Better Seed.

The trip OF the seed special has been
planned under the active supervision of
Superintendent E. E. Kaufman of the
North Dakota Farmers Institutes and
Superintendent o. c. Gregg of the
Minnesota Farmers Institutes. The
lectures which will be given en- route
will be delivered by these authorities
on grain raising and experts whom
they have selected to make the trip
with them, The lectures will be devoted
principally to the important questions
of the selection of grain for seed, tests
of seed grain, plant diseases and
methods of selecting pure seed and ar
resting the development of smut and
other dangers to the growing grain.
The purpose of the trip of the special
train is to broaden the knowledge of
the farmers on matters of the handling
of seed grain and to disseminate the
latest and best scientific information of
methods of increasing the grain yield
and guarding crops from diseases and
parasitic growth which cut down the
returns from the farmers labor.
On the trip over the Northern Pacific
lines in North Dakota the special train
will be in charge of Superintendent
Kaufman and representatives of the
railway. The other members of the
corps of lecturers and assistants are
being selected and the party will be
confined to the representatives of the
Farmers Institute, lecturers and rail-
way representatives handling the
movement of the train. The special
will consist of a sleeping car and coach
and the latter will be used for the
lectures when halls and larger meeting
places are not available. The lecture
corps will give practical demonstrations
of tests of seed grain and will be pre-
pared to give those who attend the
lectures complete instruction in simple
methods which may be applied on the
farm, for bettering the quality of the
seed and improving the character and
yield of the crop. Suitable apparatus
and exhibits will be supplied by the
Farmers Institutes of North Dakota
and Minnesota and the lecturers will
be provided with samples of good and
bad seed grain for use in illustrating
their talks to the farmers.
Superintendent Kaufman will cooper
ate with Superintendent Gregg during
the trip of the special train over North
ern Pacific lines in Minnesota. Repre-
sentatives of the two states will jointly
handle the lectures given on this por-
tion of the seed specials journey.
Preparations for the trip of the
special train have been in progress for
some weeks. Northern Pacific officials
have entered heartily into the plans
originally suggested by Superintendent
Kaufman and have donated the special
train and crew to operate it for the
period to be covered by the lectures.
The railway takes no part in the lee
lures themselves and these arrange
ments have been outlined by the officers
of the farmers Institutes and state Of
ficials directly in touch with practical
agricultural problems. Traffic officers
of the Northern Pacific believe that
the lectures will be very valuable to
the farmers and that the trip of the
special train will result in a perceptible
improvement in the quality of grain
harvested next year in the territory it
will cover. While the questions of
selection and tests of seed will be con-
sidered of major Importance, the lect-
ures and demonstrations will cover a
wide range of additional problems OF
grain raising and farmers who attend
the lectures will benefit by practica
illustrations and the explanation Of
simple methods of combating the in
fluences which lower grain grades and
reduce the amount harvested.
The seed train special will leave
Fargo, on the journey through Nortl
Dakota on March 5, stopping for lee
lures at..Davenport, Leonard, Sheldon
Lisbon, Englevale, LaMoure, and
Edgeley and remaining at the lattel
point all night. On March the
speciallwill visit Alfred, Berlin, Dicke,
Montpelier and Pingree. On March
it will leave Denhoff, stopping at Nc
Cluskey, Goodrich, Bowdon, Skyeston
Barlow, New Rockford and Rhodes
On March 8 the train will visit Mad
dock, Oberon, Minnewaukan, Brins
made, Leeds and Sanborn, and on tn
following day, Dazey, Hannaford
Cooperstown, Binford, McHenry an
Marion. On March 10 it will visi