The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-04-01
MEETS AT SPOKANE
Board of Governors Fix on That
City for Next Congress.
Fifth Dry Farm Congress to Be Held
on October 3, 4, and 6-Teaching
of Agriculture in Schools
Urged.

nors of the Dry Farming congress, held
at Spokane. Wash, October 3, 4, and
6. 1910, were the dates selected for the
national Dry Farming exposition at
Spokane. Prof r. w. Thatcher, agro-
nomist of Washington Agricultural col
lege, Pullman, Wash, was made mem.
Der OF the executive committee and
board OF governors, vice III. L. Moody
of Spokane, resigned. D. 7. Ham, vice
president of the Spokane Chamber of
Commerce, was elected chairman of
the Spokane board of control of the
fifth Dry Farming congress. BY virtue
of this position, Mr.. Ham also is a
member of the board of governors
John 4. Burns, secretary of the con-
gress. vas elected secretary of the
board of control.
The board of governors authorized
the secretary to visit Washington. and
Mr.. Burns left Denver to carry out the
instructions Of the governors. The
secretary will study the organizations
OF the bureaus OF the various depart
ments of the federal government, espe-
cially those of state and agriculture,
with the view to developing a system
of bureaus for carrying out more eff
fectively the work of the Dry Farming
congress. He will interview Secretary
Ballinger of the interior and Secretary
Wilson of the agricultural department,
and Fred Denett, commissioner of the
pnnpraI Far. hn sc
making arrangements for regular in
terchangc of information between
those Offices and the Dry Farming con-
greS.
Mr.. Burns also will interview the
senators and representatives from
western states and endeavor to enlist
their interest in increased appropria-
tons for experimental and demonstra-
ton farms, especially in the dry farm.
ing states.
The board of governors decided that
practical handbook of dry farming
should be prepared and published as
soon as possible. In the preparation
of this book, the secretary will secure
the collaboration of eminent masters
OF the various branches of agricul-
tural science, so that each subject will
be presented by an accepted authority
in that particular phase of husbandry.
The proposed book will be illustrated
with maps. drawings and half-tone re-
productions of photographs. 1t is the
purpose of the governors to make this
book as complete as a text book on dry
farming can be made with the data
now obtainable. Work on the prepare
ton of this volume will be started at
once and it is expected that it will be
issued early during the coming sum-
mer.
Recognizing the Importance of and
urgent need for education along agri-
cultural lines in the public schools, the
board OF governors authorized an i'm
mediate campaign Of publicity in be-
half Of the introduction of text books
| on farming in the public schools I'D to
and including the tenth grade. In the
campaign, which will he carried on
until the purpose of the Dry Farming
congress has been achieved and prac-
tical agriculture is taught in every
school in the land, emphasis will be
placed upon the necessity of adapting
the text books to the conditions in the
various sections OF the country. It will
be recommended that those books
which are used in the far eastern
states should cover general agricul-
turc, with enough about dry farming to
give the pupil correct idea of this
phase of tho subject, while the books
for the western schools should give
more extended consideration to dry
farming, as a subject of paramount
interest in the west.
The meeting at which this important
| action was taken was attended by
President Mondell, Chairman Alfred
Atkinson OF Montana, Anders L. Mordt
of Oklahoma, George Harcourt of AL
berta, r. w. Thatcher, Washington; J..
II. Worst, North Dakota; d. T. Ham,
Spokane. anc Secretary Burns.