The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1908-01-30

second year, when it will bear cut
ting two or three times. The western
part of North Dakota is best adapted
to the growing of this plant, for this
part of the state is in the alfalfa belt.
Montana, which is our alfalfa, grow
ing state, is no more adapted to the
growing of this plant than Western
North Dakota.
Cut the plant for hay when it is
fourfifths in bloom. You can tell
the time to cut it by examining the
stalk near the roots, when small buds
will appear. 1t should be stacked in
small piles and allowed to cure in this
manner. Otherwise, the sun will take
all of the moisture from the stalk
leaving it hard and brittle, and the
leaves, a very important part of the
plant, will drop of. Don't let it lie in
the sun without piling longer than half
a day.
Mr.. Churchill advised the farmers
to keep the stock of the fields in the
late fall, because there would be
danger Of winter killing the plant.
Late pasturing will also kill clover
Mich cows and hogs do we'll on alf-
alta. Hogs will eat alfalfa hay as
nicely as sheep. One poultry man
cuts up the hay fine and steams it
for his chickens. Northern grown
seed is the best, mainly that which is
grown in Montana Don't expert
independents
ment with the seed grown in the
south. 1t will not stand our winters.
Sow twelve or sixteen pounds of alf-
alta seed to the acre. In speaking of
clover, Mr. Churchill advises sowing
eight quarts of timothy seed to six of
clover to the acre. This proportion
of course can be varied.
J. M. Deyine, who has always taken
a good deal of interest in farmers in
stitutes -politics-took occasion
to apologize for securing so many
politicians to speak at the farmers in
stitute. The former governor, how
ever, who is an ardent admirer of
Twitchell, the insurgent candidate
for governor, could not resist
the temptation to give him
the best kind of a boost polite
ally. He referred to him as one of
the hrainiest men in the state, and
we have no reason to doubt his word,
and said that he farmed 5000 acres
of land. He advised the farmers to
hear Twitchell speak at the meeting,
and then told them to try to hear the
other candidates for governor when
opportunity afforded it, and then go
out to- their palaces and decide who
they desired for governor, and then
1let no man tell them how to vote. .
The governor should remember that
Mr. TWitchell is here, or should be
here, not as a politician but as
friend to the farmer, irrespective of
politics, and whatever he might say
at this meeting, should have no in
flueace on them whatever as 10 the
manner in Which they should vote.
The governor secured Hansbrough
and Marshall both to. speak during
the institute, and of course it was
generally expected that both would
make rafting good political speeches,
or at least they should both be foxy
enough to work in word edge ways
boosting themselves before the voters.
Conductor Hoverstad took occasion
to remark that he was against mingling
politics and farmers institutes, they
are two separate and distinct things,
and no man has a right to infuse po-
litics into meeting of this kind. Mr..
Hoverstad is not to blame in the
least for the political phase which the
otherwise good meeting had, and
deeply regrets it.
The Governor got far enough away
from politics to advise the farmers to
raise chickens, hogs and milk cows,
and at once-if they wanted to retain
their farms and said that as soon as
a farmer placed a second mortgage
on his farm it was gone he had sold
it.
After Mr.. Devine had concluded his
remarks on politics, the regular in
stitute work was taken up and sub
jects of benefit to the farmers dis
cussed.
Glow are you going to apply
manure to clover?" was one of the
questions asked by an interested
farmer. Mr.. Churchill answered it by
informing him that it should first be