The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-01-30
FARMERS FEAST OF IDEAS
Valuable Pointers for the Sturdy Sons of Toll at the ms
titute--- is to Be Regretted that Politics Was In
fused Into the Convention---Meeting
Great Success Otherwise

The annual convention Of the Ward
County Grain Growers was in session
in this city Tuesday and Wednesday
of this week. Altho Tuesday was the
coolest day of the year, the farmers
gathered from far and near and the
opera house was comfortably filed.
The conductor of the Institute, MI.
Hoverstad. who has conducted the
state institutes for years, Is mere.
His manner is easy, and ne KNOWS
lust how to entertain the farmers as
we'll as to instruct them.
The meeting called to order shol'S
otter ~ o'clock a. m. Only q few
farmers were present at the Deeln'
ming of the session but soon tne man.
floor was well filed. The first part
Of the session was occupied in dis
cussion on crop yields by the farmers
themselves. The concensus OF op'h'
ion was that the farms yielded less
to the acre than they ought to. Ihat
when labor was paid for there was
not the profit remaining that there
should be. Some suggestions were
made as to the best method Oh lni
proving the yields. 1t was expressed
that the time of the institute coulo
he vel, spent in discussing how to
increase yield on the farms.
Hon. O. c. Gregg for Is years Super
intendent of institutes in Minnesota
spoke on how to conserve moisture IN
the soil. He advocated gradually
deepening the blowing to make re-
servoir for water from rains and then
by keeping shallow soil dust blanket
on the surface the moisture would pe
kent in the soil. Prof O. 0. Churcnlll
then smoke in similar vein. he
illustrated his talk by. means OF
charts. The material from which the
charts were made we're from expert
ments at the North Dakota Expert
ment station. One chart showed that
cultivation of corn saved much more
moisture than fields Of wheat or corn
One showed that the disked corn
ground was better for succeeding
wheat crops than either fall OF
spring blowing. In the cultlVatlon
trials with corn the shallow cultlva-
ton gave better result than deep
cultivation.
Another showed very strikingly that
rotation and good cultivation gave
better results than the single crop
system.
prof Thomas Shaw then spoke on
the subject Of fertility. He showed
that by shipping out grain there was
. tremendous loss to the state. He
figured out that the crop OF l9oo
drained the state of its fertility TO tne
extent Of about .43 million dollars. lie
advocated to begin to grow grasses
r. mt humus into the soil. Glover
and alfalfa could also be grown.
This would furnish much OF the Ter
tilitv that was lost. Growing peas
was also advocated as one method OF
restoring the fertility.
The Institute Annual was then dis
tributed and meeting adjourned.
The afternoon opened by general
discussion of grasses. Many had sown
Bronze grass and found it satisfac-
tory. Good yields of grasswas usuai'
" obtained after Cromus. One re.
norted a Weld of % bushels per acre
OF wheat after Bromus. The questlon
Of killing Bromus was discussed. Inc
main point lay in blowing 1t down at
the proper time. Breaking early in
snrine or late in the fall will not kill
It. Il should be broke during June
or July when the grass is succulent
so it will decay. Prof. Churchill then
spoke on clover, timothy and alfalfa.
He gave specified directions in SOW.
ing and caring for these crops. MANY
farmers reported great success IN
growing both clover and alfalfa.
Doubtless many will try and grow
these crops next year.
Hon. O. G. Gregg then took the
platform and spoke on the subject OF
the development Of the herd on the
frontier. He had IL years experience
in buying full blood sires without q
clear understanding Of how to select
wisely. His experience was very
disastrous and so he commences to
study dairy cows and sires. He out
lined the order of evolution of the
dairy cows. First, milking them I'M
til the cows are dry. This will ere.
ate a demand for more blood from
,,,hich tho milk is made They Will