Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-07

and classify, even had 1t been desi-
rable to do SO. An inquiry was made
at the banks afterwards to see how
far reaching and RECIPROCAL this feel
ing evtenCeG IN a business way, ana
it was found to be mutual and tb''t
the ,aatalogue houses were slightly
Tatrcnized. (Here Is "a good pointer
for business men aud Commercial:
clubs in other towns.)
The work was opened by Mr.. Dick
inson of the Commercial club, in
Producing Mr.. Hoverstad in a short
but appropriate speech. From that
time on there was not dull minute
for three sessions.
The first part of the forenoon SEES
sion was designed to find the real
situation and to show what was real
ly needed needed in the work.
Uneven Crop Yields.
The strangest part of the days
proceedings was in regard to the I'M
even yields of grains, and especially
flax. Yields Of over 20 bushels of
flax were often had and over Is
bushels per acre were known and
again some very low yields, Or even
failures, were reported. Oats and
corn showed the same variations and
ecaentricities.
A Problem to Solve.
Here was nut to crack. Why
these extremes?
Prof Hovcrstad patiently and per
sistently went at the matter and fl
nally brought out the facts as to seed
methods of culture, time Of seeding
and many other things that ed to
reasonably safe conclusions.
In the case Of corn, it was found
that about six years in ten corn did
not ripen. But is was discovered
further that corn was planted just
when circumstances made it conven
lent, and cultivated. if cultivated at
all, any old way, and that the seed
mostly was of large cared southern
varieties and that in reality there
had been no effort to grow a corn
crop for the sake Of the grain as a
rule. But few special cases showed
very different results.
Four years ago the nearest railroad
was nearly forty miles away, so grain
growing was not followed much and
real farming was not to be expected
But since the building of the rail-
road three years ago, everything has
changed, and now about half the land
is under pillow and good results are
the rule.
The first homesteaders, as a rule
now have good teams and matrhinery
and are doing good farming, or have
left the country, and now instead OF
the era of holding down claims" has
come the age Of real farming.
And the next step will be diver
sified farming and stock raising,
This was clearly evident by the ex-
pressions of the farmers themselves
and the questions asked as how tc
obtain these results.
It was found that some attention
had been paid to alfalfa and clover
but not enough to prove positively
the results, But the experiments thus
far made were encouraging.
Having brought the work up this
far, then the solid, spaciic work be-
gan by Mr.. Gregg, taking up the sys-
tenn of dry, farming. -,
This work was the best yet done
by this able teacher, and no one who
heard it will doubt longer that dry
farming is nothing but good, common
hard sense farming.
That 1t is scientific only in that II
is working according to a simple law
Of nature that any man can under
stand and easily apply if he only de.
sires to.
The Law Of Dry Farming.
This law could be embraced in
about four words, but by being sc
brief it would not be understood. But
here it Is in few words.
1. Plow deep enough to form a
reservoir to hold water. (Rainfall)
2. Establish the means of capt.
larry attraction.
8. Cover the reservoir so as to
prevent evaporation.
Now this is all there is to the great
hobgOblin scientific soil culture" in
an arid, semi-arid, or any other coun-
try in time of light rainfall, or a dry
season.
Now what does this mean?
1t simply means to break up the
particles of soil to depth of five tc