The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-25
The Institute at Bathgate

back the clover from the both to 25tn
Of June, thus saving most OF the
strength for the second crop which
produces the best seed.
Tells of Demonstration Farms
Professor Porter was then introduce
cd who took up a discussion of the
demonstration farms. He first brought
ont the fact that the railroads furnish
al the money for running them at
erst that six farms were started in
1o0e three on the Great Northern rail-
road and three on the Northern Pacl-
fc. When the legislature met In 1917
they voted money to run them ana
also TO increase the number until there
ore now twenty six of these farms, Mr..
Porter visits each farm each Week.
or rather he and his assistant, Mr.
Johnson, do, as there are now so many
of them that one man cannot make
the rounds All that Mr.. Porter does
however is to give instructions as 10
how the work shall be carried on
The farmer does the work himse1 SO
that the results are secured on tarm
under farm conditions and by tarm-
err. 1t is interesting to note that the
average yield Of wheat on the SIX
demonstration farms started In 1910
was twenty-six and one-half bushels
in 1909, while the average of the state
was less than fourteen, so that these
farmers following the teaching of the
agricultural college have been able to
double the yield of grain. Could all
farmers do this 1t would double the
&c hn
increase the yield some 90,0O0,OOO
bushels for an average year Mr.. Port
er gave quite discussion on the val
ue of rotation or crops, bringing about
conditions that were unfavorable to
plant diseases and to weeds, and also
in improving the moisture conditions
by keeping out the weeds and by add
ing organic matter to the soil.
Professor Palmer was introduced to
talk on some of his observations on
his trip through Montana and Wash
ington on the Northern Pacific better
farming" train. He stated that he
was particularly impressed with the
dry farming work that was being done.
The dry farming consists simply in
making the best possible use of the
moisture, getting all that falls as rain
into the soil and then keeping 1t from
evaporating. This is accomplished by
first blowing deeply and blowing in
the fan; in the spring harrow as early
as possible to establish a soil mulch,
and also planting the crops early.
Where the rainfall is the same
in this state as in the Palouse country
they can grow a crop every year;
when they rotate the crops. till thor
oughly and thus keep out the weeds
and also addorganic matter. In Sec
tions where the rain fall is less than
fifteen inches they grow crop only
every other year, summer following the
alternate year. They also had fine
piece of apparatus at the Washington
Agricultural college which demon
strates the value Of the soil mulc!; i'll
this way: brass tubes two inches in
diameter, two feet long were filled with
SOIL The bottom of the tube was con-
nected to glass bottle also two inches
in diameter, eight inches deep and
filled with water and inverted, the
connection being such that the water
| from the bottle could pass into tie
soil The first tube had the surface
compact, the next had a half inch
mulch, the next an inch mulch and so
on until the mulch reached depth Of
four inches This was exposed to he
air for ten weeks. At the end Of that
time the water had been lowered five
inches In the bottle connected TO the
tube with the compact surface, while
1t had only been lowered one inch in
the bottle connected with the two ard
one-half inch mulch. The deeper
mulch saves more moisture than the
! two and one half inch one; thus show
! ing that by cultivating the soil 10
depth of two and one-half inches it is
possible in ten weeks to save four
inches of water, which is certainly an
easy way TO secure rain.
The attendance was good and every
body enjoyed the meeting. The farm
ers brought their families so that II
was social event as we'll as one of
| business.