The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-01-22
North Dakota Demonstration Farms

During the session of the Tri-state
Grain e. Stock Growers convention
Friday, w. r. Porter, superintend-
ent of the North Dakota demonstration
farms, delivered the following address
In which he told of the work of these
farms and their value to the farmers
of the state:
The experiment station for North
Dakota was established at Fargo in
1891. The soil here, as you all know, is
the low heavy, black, sticky gumbo,
so characteristic of the Red river VAL
ley near that stream. Probably the
majority of the farmers of the state,
particularly in the central and western
parts of II. had an idea that many of
the experimental results obtained at
Fargo had no relation to them on ac-
count of the differences in soil and
moisture conditions. Very few of the
farmers are ever able to see the ex-
perimtnal farm in summer when the
crops are growing, which whould be of
great advantage to them, on account of
the distance they would have to travel.
In spite of all conventions like this
can do; in spite Of all the farm pa
pers can do; in spite of all the farmers
institutes are telling the farmers. and
I'm spite of all ihe good results OBJ
tanned on the experiment station. the
yield of grain in North Dakota was
gradually going down from year to
year, probably due to the single crop
system practiced.
In order to remedy these conditions
Director j. H. Worst and Vice Direct
or j. Fl. Shepperd planned six demon
stration farms in the spring of 1906
and these farms were put in operation
with funds, which the Northern Pa
cific and Great Northern railways SO
kindly furnished The state legisla-
ture of the following winter was SO
impressed with the practical idea OF
these demonstration farms that ii pro-
vided funds for their continuation and
the establishment of six additional
farms, which were put in operation in
the spring of 1907. The legislature
at it's last session provided for the
establishment of twelve more of these
farms nine of which were established
the past season, and eight more of
which were in operation in 1909.
One farm of ninety acres was locat-
ed at Mcleod in Ransom county on the
old Sheyenne delta. 1t has some very
difficult problems to solve here as the
land is quite wet, full of sloughs with
ridges intervening. The soil is also
very sandy and there are many drift
ing dunes. The problems here win be
largely experimental--to show what
|crops can be grown proftably under
existing conditions.
Location of Demonstration Farms.
The six farms located at Beach, New
Salem, Bismacrk, Ross. Granville and
Lakota were each twenty acres in
size. They were divided into equal
these farms a five year rotation was
fields of four acres each. ON each of
the farms. a five year rotation was put
in operation, consisting of three grain
crops, a grass crop each year and a
different crop from it's neighbor, and
thus the five crops of the rotation were
produced each season.
The six farms established in 1907
at Larimore, Page, Sanborm, Flaxton,
Darlington and Bathgate, had more
varied rotations; two of them had
five year rotations; the same as the
six original farms; two had five acre
fields and a four year rotation; and
two of them were twenty four acre
farms with a six year rotation Of four
acre fields.
The eight farms started the past sea-
son at jamestown, Hazelton, Wahpe-
ton, Hoople, Rugby, Starkweatner,
Portland Junction and Washburn have
five farms with a five year rotation
and three with six year rotations
Thus, there are two farms with d four
year rotation, five with six year ro-
|tation, and thirteen with ave year
rotation. Besides this. several OF the
nnanagers Of these farms are CO.