The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-28

Souris, N. D., July ss.--At the an.
nual farmers festival here Tuesday
night Prof. w c. Palmer of the NORTH
Dakota A. G, delivered the address
He spoke as follows:
Farming has in about two genera,
tions developed from an employment
in which practically everything was
raised on the farm to one in which
the farmer raises few Of the things
that he can grow best, and to grow
larger amounts of these few things
he al = buys machinery and appliances
and Exchanges things that he raises
for things that others produce: the
| North Dakota farmer exchanging
wheat for the coffee of Brazil the tea
OF China, shoes and machinery from
| the east lumber from the west,
fruit from Washington, California and
Florida and so. The great problem
of the farmer then is to raise the larg-
est amounts OF what he can grow best
| and exchange them to the best advan-
| tage for the products that he would
rather buy than produce himself.
| There are many factors to consider,
as soil, weather, crops, animals, ma
chinery, markets, increasing price OF
4
cost, and the completely of develop
ing civilization, changes coming so
fast that 1t Is almost bewildering; the
railroads, the improved machinery,
the new varieties of crops, the tele-
phone, the rural free delivery, power
machinery, the automobile, and the
flying machine may soon be part
Of the necessary equipment of an up
to-date farm. So that farming has
made more progress in the last two
generations than 1t did in all the pre-
vious time In which 1t has been prac-
ticed. Practically all the farming ma
chinery we have has been developed
in that time and most of the science
of agriculture has also been developed
during those years, and the end is not
yet in sight. This makes the problem
Of today one that requires a much
greater preparation than in the past
when things moved slowly In fhct
to be a good farmer today requires
that one be a scientist who under
stands soils, plants and animals, also
machinist and business men versed
in markets, which is a bigger demand
than any profession makes of it's fol-
lowers, and the rewards that come to
a man with such a preparation will be
large.
North Dakota is fortunate in many
respects. In my recent trip to the
coast with the Northern Pacific "Bet-
ter Farming, train, did not see the
farmers come to the train in auto
mobiles after we left North Dakota,
nor was there that air Of prosperity |
as is evidenced by the good farm
buildings, by the farm machinery and |
by the general appearance of the farms |
of the state. In soils we are very for |
tunate. The level prairie has been 4
easy to break up and being level it Is |
one on which improved machinery can |
be used to the very best advantage, and
this also means that there is no waste
land and that farm joins farm across
the state. The soil is also very fer
tile. The glacier that in former times
flowed down over the state from Can
ada brought the best of the soil from
the north to our state and spread it
over North Dakota Chat was before
Johnnie Bull had possession of Cana
da) and it ground the soil between
of ice and made IL fine so
that the plant food in 1t is put in
available form. and then nature
planted legunles which added fertility
Tor thousands of years. The buffalo
led on the rich heritage and grew fat
md the Indian lived on the buffalo.
When the white man came he found a
soil crammed with fertility, SO rich
hat If ne applied manure the first |
wo or three years it became surfeit-
ID with plant food and the crop grew !
20 straw. After a few crops rad been !
'aised 1t began to go down in produc-
i've power faster than the taking out
# the plant food by the plant could
explain. Looking into the matter IL |
plain. Man was not fol- |
owing natures plan. He did not !
srow legumes. He did not put back /
'rganic matter and not putting the I
and in the best condition to grow
wheat nature chucked in some weeds !
hat were adapted to growing on the [
poorly handled SOIL as she cannot af- |
ord. to see half crop grow where she ]
las taken so much pains to prepare !
he SOIL Nature is after results |
whether man Is or not, so we must |
'ut the land in shape to grow a full |
rop of grain or nature Will surely do I
ONE legumes, as clover and alfalfa, :
nd we must add organic matter. 1
danure is exceptionally good for add '
ng organic matter, also plant food. Y
Z 1t is put on in moderate amounts 6
which can be done with the manure 1
preader, but we can never improve on {
ature. BY blowing we open up the {
oil to receive the rain. BY deep plow- 4
ng the soil will take in a larger rain c
Without any run-off and hold more 1
moisture. Then again, we can culti- c
ate to save moisture. Then we can {
row crops that are moisture savers; q
queer expression when we know that t
requires some three to four hun I
red tons of water to grow a ton of | [
rop. yet the cultivation given such
crop as corn saves moisture, in that
prevents it from evaporating from >
ne surface, and as We add organic 4
natter to the soil It's water holding | +
apacity is increased. Tt acts a good y
cal like sponge or like plotting pa y
er in the soil. !
A Vigorous Climate. "
The climate may not be all that v
ome wish for, yet 1t is good one. 1t 9
Ives life and vigor to man. beast and q
liant $50 that they nave abundant v
ealth, and the product is one OF quail 8
v. The oak that Is ever lulled with n
emile breezes does not get strength C.
the grain The cold, the snow, the "
inter were necessary to develop the n
bre, thp vigop. the character and q
of the Anglo Saxon, and Il