The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-13
SOIL ROBBING TO CEASE.

Prof. Thomas Shaw, one of the
judges in the J. ]. Hill farm contest,
writes from northern Wisconsin as
follows:
The judging OF these farms Is now
drawing to close. Many facts have
been obtained that should be of much
interest to the agricultural public,
and these will be brought out in con-
nectfon with the report. The stand
ing Of the farms as whole has been
good, but Of course, as was to be ex-
pected, some farms we're entered
which were below tho standard of
prize farms, even in the absence OF
competition. In some of the districts
the competition was not really strong,
but In majority of them it was SO
strong and close as to render decision
very difficult.
The conviction has grown on the
minds of the judges that the methods
commonly practiced in the graingrow-
ing areas of Minnesota and the Da
kotas are doomed. There must be a
change; and that change must come
soon. 1t cannot come too soon. An
intelligent system of rotation must be
introduced. 1t will not suffice to
change simply from one kind of grain
to another. There must be change to
the extent Of growing grass and Glow
err crops in the rotation, both for hay
and pasture.
The further that the judges went
the more cumulative were the evil
dences that clover can be successfully
grown In these grain areas. Again
and again has it been found growing,
and luxuriantly. In various centers.
The marvellous feature in connection
Herewith is the unanimity with which
SO many farmers claim that this crop
cannot be depended on. In almost
every instance where examination
was made 1t was found that the stand
OF timothy and clover sown last
spring was excellent. OF course these
have yet to pass through the winter;
but where stands so good are in evil
dence now, where the stubbles have
been left long, and where the fields
have not been grazed there is but lit
tie danger of the crop being lost by
the severity of the winter
Can Raise Clover.
To the children of those who now
till those lands the common belief that
clover could not be grown upon them
in past decades will make strange
reading. Before they cease to till
those lands clover will be as common
IN the Dakotas as it is now in Iowa,
and corn will be grown, perhaps not
to the same extent as it is now being
grown In Illinois, but it will be made
to cover every year large areas of the
land. Along with good crops of
wheat, corn, clover and live stock
will be the watchword of the farmers.
Much of the entire area will be in
closed with fences and more revenue
by far will be obtained from live stock
than from grain. When those better
days come, the plundering of the land
will practically cease, and those mag
nificent lands will again become pro-
verbal for their fine yields.
But can the old-time wheat crops
be grown again? Without any hesita-
ton, I answer. yes. they can. Many
now growing grain in those areas will
stoutly answer, no. Notwithstanding,
again ! answer, yes. II you ask how
1t will be done, | can only answer in
general way that it will be done by
better farming. But few men are
working at that problem, although it
Is one of highest Importance to the
entire grain-growing community.
have firm faith in the conviction that
twenty-five bushels of an average is
possible again some seasons in the
Dakotas. If the farmers take proper
care Of their land.
The average of the yield OF wheat
around Larimore, N. d.. the harvest
just ended, was fifteen bushels. One
farmer near Larimore obtained forty
one bushels per acre from few acres
on which field roots had been grown
the previous year. When preparing
the land for field roots he manfred il
very heavily with barnyard manure
OF course 1t is to be remembered that
his land is little light. and that,
therefore. his method may not apply
to large areas in the wheat growing
region. but his bringing up land in a
few years from yield of ten and
twelve bushels per acre to forty-one
bushels shows what can be done by
judicious farming. This mans name