The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-06

aLteTHoOn the farmers would bt
taken over the demonstration farm
and the rotation used together wifi
the methods of tillage were briefly ex.
p.ained with the results before thei,
eyes Questions were asked aau an.
s~ered right on each field ami when
THIS was over further discussion was
carried on in the grove for an addi-
tlonal hour or two. Such farmers in
stitute meetings on TIE demonstra rio,
farms cannot help bu prove very ben.
enclal to the farmers in all communi-
tles Where they are held. This is a
new line OF work with very great DOS
sloillties in encouraging a better sys-
tenn OF farming as 1t reaches the farm
er right on his own soil.
Rain Is Measured.
rain guage and maximum and
minimum thermometers are in use an
each demonstration farm. A complete
record OF rainfall is kept, also this
daily maximum and minimum tenn
peratures. This is very important as
1t lets the people know how much rain
falls each season on a given crop and
the extremes of temperature particu-
larly early and late frosts are noted
with their relation to the different
farm crops, For instance. a different
variety of corn will be used at wah-
peton where the minimum tempera-
ture or May, June, July and August
averages 40 degrees than at FIaxton
where the minimum temperature for
the same period averages 43 degrees
Rainfall varies greatly in different
sections of the state and it is of great
Importance to the farmer to know If
he is to expect eight or fifteen inches
or water during the growing season.
When the rainfall has been recorded
for another five years on all the dem
onstration farms the farmers will
know about how much rain to ex-
pect in their respective communities.
This will be Of particular benefit in
new sections of the state and mar
ticularly to new settlers coming into
the state.
The demonstration farms are also
used to do a certain amount of exper
mental work. For instance. winter
wheat was seeded on seven of these
farms in the fall of 1909. 1t was
seeded broadcast in standing corn.
was drilled in barley stubble and was
drilled into summer fallow. On three
of these farms the wheat never ger
on account of the excessively
dry weather that fall. At Page in the
eastern part of the state it made a
good fall growth in the corn and on
summer fallow but failed to grow in
The stubble. This wheat winter killed
On this farm. On the other three
farms it came through the winter in
fair condition and produced a fair crop
Of wheat considering the adverse con-
litions the past summer.
In August this year, winter wheat
vas seeded on fifteen of the demon
'tration farms in the corn, on summer
allow and in stubbIe. A one horse
lrill was used to seed the wheat in |
he corn. On practically all the farms
ne winter wheat is making an excel |
ent fall growth This experiment |
mould very quickly show the farmers
# North Dakota on their own farms |
whether winter wheat will succeed and
What is the best method of seeding il.
The leguminous crops, alfalfa, cIo- /
'er and Canada field peas are being
thoroughly tested out on these under
xactly the same conditions the farm
r has to meet himself. The results
4 all these experiments are summed
Ip and published so that farmers who
re too far away to see any of these
arms may get the benefit of the ex-
erimentists to as great an extent as
ossible.
Psdioraa Gamd
Pedigree seed is used on all these
arms as far as practicable. The
armers who own adjoining farms
ave been securing their seed to a
reater or less extent from their re-
pective demonstration farms. The
'orth Dakota Experiment station as
ell as the other experiment stations
the northwest have been breeding
lperior varieties OF grain such as
Minnesota No. 1853 fife wheat and
orth Dakota No. 155 fax. These
ave been sent out to- farmers who
many cases have sold all they
) the elevators or allowed them to
ecome impure through mixing with
her grains. Unscrupulous seedmen
I've sold common scrub grains I'M
sr the name of the pedigree varieties
his has tended to depreciate the real
llue of pedigree seed. The North
akota Experiment station intends to
We every farmer in the state a
lance to get pure pedigree seed grain
he so desires. Such is to be ac-
mplished through supplies of seed
ain produced on the demonstration
rms. The grain which is grown un-
+ the supervision of the experiment
alton will be threshed and stored
parately II II is a No. grade. It
II be cleaned up and sacked under
e supervision of the station. These
cks will be sealed with the North
lkota Experiment station seal and
ey will then be sold to the farmers
the same county. In which the grain
s been produced. In this way every
rmer that buys this seed grain sealed
the original packages will be sure
getting what he is paying for BY
Is method the North Dakota station
not only originating valuable var
les of pedigree seed but Is keeping
an1 under its control after they are =
oduced and Is putting them direct :
into the hands of the farmers OF ..
: state who wish to grow them.
lis is being tried for the first tine'll
Is year and 1t gives the promise of
Ing OF much more value to the state
an the entire cost of running the
enty-four farms now In operation
TALK WITH LEWIS HART.