The Dickinson press., 1908-07-04
Notes From tho Institutes

,lyOSO0 ] TOtuu SU00 I'LL SSO
The writer has recently returned from
attending a series of Farmers Institutes
in western North Dakota and a few OF
|the impressions may be worth recording.
The institutes were very successful and
the success was due in greatest measure
to the interested and intelligent audien-
ces. This interest extended from the
young bachelor homesteader. just arrived,
with properly limited to his claim-and
bt undless resolution; to the long estab-
lished and well-to.do farmer of the dairy
section. Stock in western North Dakota
has risen greatly in the last few years
and with good reason. The region
to be a part of the "Great Amer
lean Desert many years ago but it has
been only recently that people have got
Eten the notion out of their heads that it
was fit only for ranching. The ranch
idea is dying hard even yet. Professor
Shaw remarked that he knew OF no place
where the people ran down their state as
ferred to those that persist in stating
that zone can no grow anything here"
Happily that idea 10 becoming extinct.
II Is true that the old-time rancher can
almost curdle ones blood with the tales
of drought and hot winds that have
been experienced in the past. One finds
however that in spite of those conditions,
the rancher's bank account is very much
on the right side. This prosperity is
due to the handling of live stock in a
very extensive manner. Our friend, the
rancher, tells US that the soil and vegeta.
ton dries out very rapidly; after the rains
cease. This statement is very true when
applied to range conditions. The mols-
ture escapes very rapidly from native
prairie sod during July and August and
the sod is so dense that additional rains
sink in very slowly. If the ranchman
had been handling properly titled, Gull
tiyated soil, his statement would be much
modified. Soils which are provided with
a dirt mulch do not dry out rapidly but
retain their moisture with wonderful te-
nacity. This fac. is of great importance
and forms a part of the foundation tor
successful farming for our region. Act
ing On this idea alone. the dry land far.
mer would alternate grain crops with
I.clean summer : fallow or Summer til
lage" as it is often called. This method
may be of occasional value but for our
region should generally be condemned
when used alone. The alternate crop
and summer-fallow method leaves the
AdIulCI lOO lluSu d. Tue lISASy VI SuS
wind and weather. A hail storm brother
farmer too much if he depends upon
money crops alone to make a living.
There is also no reasonable doubt but
that such a method is too hard upon the
soil. If dry land farming were only a
question of moisture the alternate crop
and summer-fallow method would be
quite ideal, in many respects. AS a mat
ter of tact, the physical and chemical
character of the soil is OF as much inn
portance in this region as in Iowa or
illinois. The size OF the crop will de-
pend in great measure upon the keep
ing of our soils, as nearly as possible, up
to their original virgin condition. If they
can be improved, so much the better.
1t IS certain that western North Dako-
ia, will be farmed in the future by small
farmers. The ranching days are over
and the days OF the bonanza farmer will
never come, for any length of time. 1t
grain farming can not be carried on
proftably on a large scale, then it can
not be done proftably on a small scale.
What then muat be -done? THE farmer
MUST INTRODUCE. LIVE STOCK ON HIS
FARM. It makes no difference particu-
larly whether they grow horns or wheth.
er their tails are twisted. The essential
thing is to have something that will con-
sumo the cultivated crops. the grasses.
clovers aud alfalfa and 1t the same time
return fertility to the soil. Their pres.
ence demands a rotation of crops and a
rotation that embraces cultivated crops,
legumes and grasses will put the farmer
in a position to grow good crops OF grain
nearly every year.
1t is stated on good authority that last
year 10 Ward county. mortgages to the
extent of 100000 fell due and that only
Z per cent of this amount was paid, the
rest were foreclosed or extended. Now
in Ward county, they are working out the
grain farming idea and according to the
above statement It will be worked ont tc
q finish in a few short years. In Oliver
county things are quite different. l d.
not know as any statistics of mortgage.
are available. The fact Of the matter j,
that not many mortgages are running
The appearance of the farm buildings
the animals and the, premises generally
evince that fact. The farmers of thi!
county have gone into dairying. Thu
county, though small, contains. three
fourishing creamer1es and three. more
jus. outside the boundary: The butter
maker at. one creamery. stated that the>
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