Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1909-02-04
Farmers Institute Proceedings
Opened With Big Attendance.
Will Be Annual Event.
Supt. Hoverstad in Charge. Ad'
dresses by Prof. Shaw and
DR.. Montgomery.

DR.. Montgomery.
The opening session of the Farmers
Institute, the annual free meeting
for farmers to hear matters dis
cussed concerning their occupation,
began Wednesday at the Armory hall.
There are six institute lecturers
present, all first class talent, and the
meetings, are a treat, not only to
farmers, but to all persons interested
in a business or industrial way in
this state. ...
Among the visitors is President
Worst of the Agricultural college.
The institute lecturers discuss prac-
tical subjects, answer questions, and
the experience and knowledge re-
quired. by the experimental farms
and state agricultural college is
boiled down and presented in most
interesting and practical manner to
the audience. Every one of these ses-
sions of the institute is worthy of at
tendance, and not the least interested
in the sessions are the farmers
wives.
The audience at the opening of the
morning session was the largest that
has ever been seen here, and gives
assurance that the Institutes will be
held in Jamestown as an annual
event. az. a...
Prof. Hoverstad was the institute
conductor, and opened the meeting.
He asked number of questions re-
garding the experiments and farm
work of the past year, and delivered
an interesting address. He was fol-
lowed by Prof. Shaw who spoke at
the institute last year. His address
was on the subject of restoring fer
tility to worn out soil, and in the
cultivation of alfalfa and clover.
Prof. Shaw was surprised at the
small number of farmers in the audi
ence, who had not tried to raise eth.
er clover or alfalfa. He hoped that
more clover would be started. He
said they we're two crops more than
all others that restore fertility to
the soil. There are others that re-
store fertility, but not the vegetable
qualities needed by the soil to such
degree; clover and alfalfa are the
best crops. Canadian field peas come
next. Prof. Shaw said that beyond
any doubt both clover and alfalfa
would be successfully grown in every
county in North Dakota. Alfalfa
more certainly and quicker perhaps
than clover, especially west Of the Red
river where conditions are dryer.
Clover requires fair amount of
moisture. alfalfa not so much, being
deep rooted plant. Clover will
succeed in starting better some sea-
sons than others. In Wisconsin Is
years ago, it was deemed impossible
to grow clover.
Few had succeeded, in the audi
ence, in getting clover started, even
when tried. Prof. Shaw said that
the ordinary first trial of clover
showed that the seed germinated ana
grew; later the leaf turned pale and
the crop seemed to dwindle and was
not q success. The land needed to
be inocuiated. This Ia proved b. dig
ging up the plant, on the roots Of
which were no nodules of ths bac-
terra required in the soil for the sue
cessful growth Of clover.
It was astonishing to the speaker
that in Is years no farmer around
jamestown had discovered why clio.
yer was not q success. One way to
inoculate the soil was to SOW a pound
of clover seed on every acre Of grain.
A few plants at least would prove
strong and vigorous. Plow the land
again in the fall, SOW another pound
to the acre with the next crop Of
grain. I A better growth Of clover
would follow the second season. Re-
peat this three and possibly four sea-
sons, and your land becomes inocu-
lated for growing clover and you will
get . good stand by sowing the or
dinary amount Of seed. In addition
you will get . better crop Of grain.
Another method Of inoculating the
soil for clover Is to send away to
some other clover growing locality,
and get 200 pounds Of the soil In
which clover flourishes. Sow this soil
on your land, then ssed the acre
with clover and you viii get : good
stand, then takls 30 pounds Of
4 Il, y n,
SS 95$3