Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-04-16
WAS WELL ATTENDED
Clover and Potato Institute
Proves Of Much Value
to Farmers

potato institute was held at the court
house Saturday morning and after
noon, although the morning session.
which was commenced at 10 80
o clock, was not up to the standard
attendance here for other farmers
Institutes. The talks were given by
w. E. Bradley ana l.. E. Scott, and
these were assisted IN the afternoon
by Supt. A. D. Wilson of the state
farmers institute work. Their talks
were we'll received, and to show that
there was much truth in these talks,
q progressive farmer living not tar
from this city, who paid this office
call after the sessions of the institute,
stated that he raised his potato crops
in much the same manner as the
institute speaker had recommended,
thereby securing enormous crops OF
the tubers at times when nelghbOrs,
with other methods ana more work,
secured practically no crop Of
The importance of maintaining
fertility Of soil was brought out in a
strong way, this being the fundea
mental tor successful farming. In
this regard the speaker urged that
rotation OF crops was necessary so
that the fertility of the soil would not
be exhausted, as was the case when
the same crop Of grain was raised year
after year on the same tract OF land.
Glover as rotation crop for grain
was highly recommended, as besides
being a profitable crop IN itself, 1t
supplied the necessary nitrogen in the
sub soil, the plant being one whose
roots work deep into the soil, as much
as four feet deep at times. This
Ioosens the sub-soil and creates an
excellent store of fertil1zing matter,
which furnish large quantities OF
moisture for succeeding crops Of grain.
In Eastern states the farmers are
obliged to buy fertilizer for their
farming, paying as high as twenty
cents pound for it. This the farmers
here can obvlate by raising rotation
crop of clover at least every four or
i've years. Glover was also recon-
mended as good feed for the dairy
herds, as, outside of alfalfa, it was
stated that it was about the most
nutritious food for them, producing
fine rich milk, besides giving strength
to the herds.
The method of raising good potato
crops was brought out IN a clear ana
concise manner. The speaker stated
that the potato seed should be planted
in a loose pulverized soil, the seed
being carefully selected IN order that
a uniform crop Will be raised. These
would command as high as ten cents
per bushel more than crop that was
mixed. It was also recommended
that the farmers in one community
raise the same variety OF potatoes.
This would make it much easier for
the potato buyers to handle the tubers,
and they are willing to give much
higher price than otherwise.
The planting should be done be-
tween the tenth and twentieth of May,
the potatoes being seeded in shallow
trenches, especially when in heavy
soil, being kept we'll covered however.
When the plants have appeared above
the ground they should be sprayed
with Bordeau mixture at regular
intervals of about ten or fourteen
days to prevent blight. The speaker
stated that to this mixture can be
added some paris green as soon as the
young bugs were Matched, and in
this manner the bugs would be killed
also. The cost of spraying is about 81
per acre, but by spraying the crop OF
tubers is increased from 30 to 40
bushels per acre. After the harvest.
when the potatoes are being sorted,
the small ones can be kept and fed to
the hogs after boiling them with a
little grain.
Supt. Wilson talked on better farm.
ing, stating that it is better to have a
big farmer on small farm than a
small farmer on big farm. He said
that the farmers should concentrate
their efforts on raising larger crops,
not on tilling more acreage. His plea
was for more dairy herds, suggesting
that the farmer grow the feed for the
herd, also that he raise crops of
potatoes and vegetables. He told of
how a farmer near st. Paul raised a
So, 500 crop on ten acre tract of land.