New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-12-01
AGRICULTURAL INTEREST OF
MINNESOTA
Considered of Vital Interests by
Bankers Association.
Important Resolution.

The following letter adopted by the
Bankers Association at it's annual
convention is addressed to the Hon.
John Lind and is self explanatory. In
order to give it the widest publicity
we were asked to publish it. The
letter follows:
Minneapolis, Mimi, Nov %, 1909.
Hon. John Lind, Pres,
The Board of Regents of the State
University,
Minneapolis, MINI.
At the twentieth annual cOnven-
ton of the Minnesota Bankers Asso-
citation, representing about eight hun
dred and twenty-five banks, state and
national. located principally within
the farming district of Minnesota, the
question Of the agricultural develop.
ment of Minnesota and also the ques-
ton of agricultural education, we're
very seriously considered. A resolu-
structing the executive council to ap-
point a committee from among its
members to look into these matters
and take such steps as in their judy
ment might seem most expedient to
improve conditions in connection
Herewith.
The committee learned, among other
things. that while in our sister state
OF Wisconsin,, compulsory agricul-
tural education in the rural schools
has been in vogue for many years and
is admittedly largely responsible for
the Intelligent interest taken by the
people of Wisconsin in agricultural
matters, in Minnesota we have no such
law, with the result that practically
nothing is being done in our rural
schools along these lines.
The committee has visited the Agri-
cultural College at Madison, and also
our own Agricultural school at ST..
Anthony Park. We were particularly
interested in learning if possible, why
the Wisconsin school is reputed to be
the best agricultural school in the
United States, if not in the world, and
we believe that we have found at least
three good reasons why it is accredi-
:, ted with such reputation. The Wis
consin school has a thoroughly com.
petent, intelligent and efficient admin.
istratlve organization. We found,
also, that it's extension short course in
agriculture for farmers given at Ma
olson, had an attendance last year OF
something over eight hundred far
mers, as against the attendance of a
similar course at our own school OF
one hundred sixty nine. We were
also very much impressed with the
Intelligent and effective handling Of
many other features of the extension
work. We also found in the Wiscon
sin school a thoroughly organized ano
efficient publicity department. which
not only enables the school to L1ep If
close touch with the farmers of the
state, but also to thoroughly adver.
tise throughout the world the results
which the school is accomplishing ir
raising the corn yield per acre ir
Wisconsin from twenty-five to approx
imately fortytwo bushels. It is also
through the efforts of the publicity
de partment of the Wisconsin school
that the fact that the best cheese in the
United States is made in Wisconsin.
has been spread broadcast.
We are satisfied that the plant and
equipment of the Minnesota school is
.r superior to that of Wisconsin. We
are also satisfied that our teachers in
the various departments are compe.
tent men and of a caliher as broad, il
not broader, than those of the Wis.
consin school. In view of the fact,
however, that it is conceded there is to
be change in the executive head OF
our Agricultural school, there is more
or less disorganization and conse-
quent lowering of the work. There is
no incentive to introduce new meth
DDS and systems so long as the APP
pointment of new dean is postponed.
1t is the opinion of our committee
that the position of dean of the Agri-
cultural school is one of the most i'm
portant in this state for many reas-
ons. While Minnesota is generally
known as an agricultural state, we
find that, as matter of fact, its
manufactured products exceed in
value it's agricultural products by
many millions of dollars. We also
find that less than one-third of the
tillabIe soil of Minnesota is under
1ecultiv alton. The committee believes