The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1907-01-15
The Grain Growers
Convention Opens
Many Noted People Are Present-Interesting Papers
Presented Delayed Trains Reduce Attend
ance, but Good Opening.


Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota
gathered in the operahouse this morn
ing to attend the annual convention of
the Tri-State Grain and Stock Grow
ers' association. Owing to DELAYED
trains the attendance at this mornings
session was comparatively light, but
the programme went off without O.
hitch and proved to be very interest
ing, and with the arrival of trains from
the west this noon the gathering was
considerably augmented so that the
main body of the operahouse was well
filed during the afternoon session.
The convention programme opened
very fittinglys with an Invocation by
Rev HI. c. Leonard Following this
came the address of welcome delivered
by Hon. III. r. Miller, city attorney Of
Fargo. The theme of his address was
the educational features and advan-
tages of the present convention. IN
discussing this the speaker paid a
handsome tribute to President j. H.
Worst and his co-workers at the A.
G., saying that much credit for tho
wonderful progress which has been
made by North Dakota during the past
few years is due to them He pointed
out the many educational opportunities
offered to the farmers of the state by
the Tri- State Grain and Stock Grow
ers' association. intimating that 1t af-
forded the farmers much the same OPP
portunity to study the latest features
of agricultural development as is Of
fered to their sons and daughters at
the agricultural college.
T. A. Hoverstad of the Farmers In
stitute, gave the response to this adj
dress of welcome continuing a discus
sion along the same lines as those
touched upon by Mr.. Miller He stat-
ed that the convention offered to the
agriculturalists of the state q public
forum from which they could discuss
the various features of farm life, the
raising of crops, the latest ideas and
discoveries regarding plant life and
growth, methods of cultivation. rene
dies for plant disease, and many other
subjects of deep interest to the farmer.
He added that this opportunity was
not afforded at any other place, not
even at the farmers Institutes.
Good Seed and How to Select 1t, was
the subject OF a highly instructive and
profitable address delivered by Prof.
O. O. Churchill, plant breeder at the
A. c. In opening his address Professor
Churchill made the assertion that not
only good seed but fertile soil and
proper cultivation were requisite to the
production of good crops Crop rota-
tion was made very prominent in his
address. He pointed out the great me-
cessity for this as serving not only to
keep the soil in the most productive
condition, but also to produce good
seed, rid seed of disease and prevent
seed mixture.
He stated that seed should be grown
upon especially prepared plots of
ground and urged more care and dis
elimination in the selection of soil for
the various crops, Wheat, he said,
could be grown with the best results
upon soil upon which the year before
had been raised cultivated crop. He
urged the selection of large plainp seed
and pointed out that diseased seed is
shriveled and can be got rid of by a.
proper use of the tanning mill.
Nowhere I'm the world, said Pro-
fessor Churchill. "is there climate
and soil better adapted to the raising
of small grains than that of North Da-
kota, and we should take advantage of
it,
Professor Churchill pointed out that
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
Hayes has stated that the average
wheat yield of Minnesota could be i'm
creased FIVE bushels to the acre by seed
selection and five bushels more by soil
Improvement and the speaker could
see no reason why the same thing
could not be accomplished in North.
Dakota
Following Professor Churchi1ps re-
marks there was general discussion
in the course Of which President Worst
took occasion to point out that an ir-s
crease of five bushels to the acre in the
production of wheat i'm this state would
mean an increased profit to the farmers
of $7000,000 each year He said that
the average wheat yield of North Da-
kota is now but twelve bushels to the
acre, which was comparatively low, be-
ing scarcely enough to pay a fair wage
to the farmer after he had paid his
expenses.
Preceding Professor Churchilrs adj
dress Robert M. Dolve, instructor in
farm mechanics at the A. c., gave an
address on How to Increase the Use
and the Effectiveness of Farm Ma
chinery. The address which contained
many excellent points regarding the
care Of machinery was as follows:
The law Of supply and demand ul-
timately governs the price of farm
erss products as well as that of every
other commodity. II the farmer re-
ceives a high price for his grain he
must expect TO pay q correspondingly
high price for the finished products
which he In turn must purchase. Thus
when. before the advent of modern
farm machinery, the average price of
wheat was 81 per bushe, the farmer,
as we'll as other consumers, We're oblig-
ed to pay from $12 to SIS for barrel
OF flour which can now be purchased
for from SIS to Sc. A farmers profit.
therefore, does not depend so much on
what price he gets for his grain as
on how cheaply he can produce that
grain. The price Of grain has fallen
to d third or fourth OF what it was 100
years ago, and, consequently, I'd in-l
sure the same margin OF profit the cost
Of producing q bushel of wheat must