The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-27
N. ID. Agricultural College

total cultivated area of $50 acres, In
charge of superintendent Porter Of the
experimental station at Fargo.
How'd You Like to be the Boss?
These farms are run on the follow
ing plan: A man contracts with the
experimental station for term of
years, giving twenty to twenty -four
acres OF his land to the station, in re-
turn for when he lis paid fixed sum
per year, ard is given the crop. He
does the work on this farm as directed
by the superintendent. The original
seed is furnished by the experimental
station later seed by the farmer. Over
these men, with their twenty-one
model farms, Superintendent Porter
and his assistant exercise direct per-
sonal supervision, visiting the farms
and directing the work from time to
time during the growing season. The
rotations that are laid out are follow
ed by the farmers, the work is done
according to the best methods That is
the whole secret of the matter-good
seed, good tillage, proper rotation, work
done at the right time.
Making Two Summers Year.
AT the experimental station Mr..
Porter has a place set apart in the
greenhouses for demonstration farm
work. Here he has parts of earth from
each of the twenty-one farms, eighty
four jars in all, which are growing
legumes from soil that has been in
oculated, and from soil that has not.
He makes an extra summer while the
rest Of the world is frost-bound. Here
he lears the capabilities Of the soils
with which he is dealing; here plans
are made for next years carrying out.
With the superintendent of the demon
stration farms summer never ceases.
Picnic Institutes Next Summer.
Next summer, after the spring work
is over, Superintendent Hoverstad and
superintendent Porter intend to CO.
operate to hold farmers Institutes at
the demonstration farms, where, right
on the ground, the surrounding farm
ers can be shown just what is being
done and how 1t Is being accomplished.
The extension department expects to
send man to report the work of these
Institutes to the state press. They
will be something new in institute
WOAhs AACW 1A4 CAbGASIOu
work; something new in demonstration
farm work. And they will attract.
thousands of visitors, who will have
opportunity to learn at first hand how
the great chain of demonstration farms
is assisting in the solution Of North
Dakota agricultural problems.
North Dakota In New Field.
This is practically new work 1t is
but few years old here. 1t is not
so old elsewhere. In other words.
North Dakota mas the distinction of
leading in practical object lessons to
the farmers Of the state, just as 1t has
in the matter OF direct cooperation in
it's extension movement with the state
press.
AZ For the superintendent.
4 had hoped to be able to give you
his picture. Went to his office. in fact.
and asked MIN for 1t in a matter-of-
fact way gained from long experience
that q public man usually has a cut
all ready for the press on short no.
tice. He had none. So you lose the
picture OF the young man who is
handling a great business scattered
out over the length and breadth of the
entire state of North Dakota, but /
give you a glimpse of the man himself
in the following article, written to
tell, in a matter Of fact way what can
be done with alfalfa throughout North
Dakota.
Alfalfa Trials on Demonstration Farms
This work was begun by the United
States department OF agriculture in the
spring Of 1908 at Larimore, Flaxton.
Granville Beach, New Salem, Bis