The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-03
ALFALFAASUCCESS
in NORTH DAKOTA
EXPERIMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
MADE SHOW THAT THE LAND
Is ADMIRABLY ADAPTED


Bismarck, N. D.. Oct. s.--Simon
Harris, the well known real estate
dealer and farmer Of this city, has
been experimenting on one Of his
farms about a mile and a half west
Of the state capitol building with al
falfa. The results of his experiments
were far more satisfactory than were
anticipated and prove beyond doubt
that alfalfa can be and will be profit
ably grown in this state.
Mr.. Harris sowed his seed on five
acres of absolutely new ground
ground that was not in shape for any
kind Of seed. The grain was sown on
June 10, 1909. 1t withstood the win
ter well, and also the dry season of
the present year without any loss
whatsoever.
During the dry season just passed,
the top leaves were as dry and as
brown as the baked prairie, and the
plants did not grow any at that time
for two full months. The whole field
looked dead. But after the rains in
August it revived splendidly and made
a fine growth.
The crop averages about two tons
to the acre each cutting and two
cuttings pear year can be secured
from 1t in this country. That makes
four tons of alfalfa hay per acre. 1t
is far ahead of anything else in the
line of prairie grasses.
DR.. Englehardt has a patch of alf-
alta on his farm about a mile west
Englehard's field has shown the same
same time that Mr.. Harris was. Mr..
Englehardts field was sown the same
good growth and development as did
the field near Bismarck. There were
about ten acres of the grain sown on
the Englehardt form on ground equal
ly as good if not better than Mr. Har-
ris', and the results achieved were
together with the results obtained by
Mr.. Harris, prove beyond a doubt
the practical qualities of this crop as
Dakota product.
And in years that are good-not
as dry as was the present year-when
the grain is sown on ground properly
prepared for it, and not on absolutely
new ground such as was used By Mr..
Harris, how much better yield may
be expected therefrom than was Sc
cured under the existing conditions.
Mr.. Harris comes from an alfalfa
country, Nebraska, a state where
every one practically raises this kind
of grass. He has raised it in Nebras-
ka before he moved to Bismarck, and
he is firmly convinced that the grass
will grow better here than in his |
former home state.
Said Mr.. Harris: THE man that
introduced alfalfa into the state of |
Nebraska in the locality where lived |
prior to coming here, at present re-
sides in the northwestern corner of |
Oliver county of this state. His name |
Is o. Vincent. Mr.. Vincent has ex-
perimented with alfalfa in Oliver |
county for the past five years, and he |
says that North Dakota is far ahead Of |
Nebraska in getting alfalfa to grow
and in the grass getting a good stand |
He has been very successful with it |
and great many of his neighbors |
have been successful with it,"
In regard to Mr. Vincent's neigh |
bors 1T might be said here that five |
or six years ago. Mr.. Harris located |
forty-one families in the northwestern |
part Of oliver county. There is not |
a single one of these families that has
lett It's nome, nor has one of them |
become disgruntled or discouraged |
over the prospects in the state.
Mr.. Harris, besides being a dealer |
in real estate, is a practical farmer, |
and controls more land under cultiva-
ton in Burleigh county than any other
person. He was chosen by President
Conklin of the Bismarck Commercial !
club as a delegate to the Dry Farm
ing congress and left yesterday on |
the N. P. dry farming special for
Spokane.
Mr.. Conklin felt sure that If there |
was any one who would be able to |
get practical working ideas out of the
congress and put them into practical |
operation, it would be Mr.. Harris.