The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-07-28
DRY FARMERS
HOLD MEETING
AT RAPID CITY TWO DAYS LAST
WEEK.
CHAMBERLAIN IS PRESIDENT
A PERMANENT ORGANIZATION is
EFFECTED By THE CONGRESS.

The first dry farming congress ever
held in South Dakota took place at
Rapid City last week, and resulted
in a permanent organization which
will do much for the state, especially
that part west of the river. AS usual,
A. f. Chamberlain of Brookings, took
a prominent part in the deliberations
of the congress and was elected its
first president.
The officers are as follows: Presi-
dent, A. Z. Chamberlain. Brookings;
first vice-president, Governor II. S.
Wesley, Pierre; second vice-president,
Nv. r. Woods, Custer; third vice-presi-
.tnt, A. J. Mccain, Rapid City; fourtl
vICe-president, Professor c. Willis,
Brookings; secretary, J. l.. Soule. Hot
tSpringS; treasurer, Mark G. Rich, Hot
Springs; executive committee, Mrs.
Florence Jeffries, Stanley county;
Fred Holcomb, Pennington county;
Mark G.. Rich, Fall River county; Pro-
fessor c. Willis, Brookings county; J.
c. Hadley, Lawrence county; Frank
Gardner, Meade county; Ed Stegner,
Custer county; ID. r. Malone, Lyman
county.
The congress was featured by a
number of strong addresses by some
OF the best known agricultural experts
Of the Northwest. Professors Hansen,
Larsen and Willis of the State college
delivered addresses. Others on the
program were Professor ]. S. Cole.
formerly of the State college, now
connected with the Department of Ag-
riculture: Prof. NJ. f. Charlton, cereal
ist OF the Department Of Agriculture;
Supt. W.. f. Snyder, DR.. Stoner, Con-
gresham Mondell and State Engineer
Lea.
Professor n. E. Hansen traced the
in southern Persia. The transplanting
!, Of plants to habitated places needing
a new form more adaptable to condi-
lions, is not only fascinating work,
but also one of extreme value later,
he said. He repeated the story Of
his travels through the Siberian wild
t%erness.
Professor Larsen spoke on THE
Dairy Indstry as a Source of Wealth"
He said in part: South Dakota is
a great and rich state, the richest in
the union per capita. The unappro,
priated opportunities exceed all other
states and consequently people have
poured in here with money. Old set
tiers become a little stale to the new
sources of wealth, but the influx of
new settlers has introduced new meth
DDS and among them dairying is an
important industry. There are in the
state at the present time about 300,-
coo dairy cows, 5000 dairy farmers
producing SIS 5000, 900 of wealth annu-
ally. The dairy COW is not only a
producer of wealth, but she is also
the foster mother of the race. We
South Dakotans are workers and now
there is an influx of help. Where does
this help go after the harvest? Those
men are turned from a productive field
to a consumptive field. All our towns
have men, who frequent our saloons
and billiard halls and the problem is
to keep these men employed. 1t can
be done and here is where dairying
during the winter months" AS an
illustration he stated that two tons of
hay will produce 200 pounds of butter,
which is worth double the price the
hay would bring and is much easier
to handle. II is found where the dairy
industry is practiced there are fine
homes and modern conveniences.
Professor Willis subject was, Con
~servation and Development Of the Nat
ural Resources 70 South Dakota" He
said: agriculture is an art, a bust
ness, an industry. In passing, we may
remind ourselves that agriculture is
the greatest, the most necessary and
the most honored industry of c~iviliza-
ton.
"If he who makes two blades of
grass where only n grew before
is a public benefactor, then he who
reduces the productive capacity Of
the soil so that only one ear of corn
grows where two have been grown
before is a public curse.
"Remeber, dear friend, that agri-
culture is the fundamental support of
the American nation and that to main
tain the productive capacity Of the
soil is the absolute support OF agricul-
ture,