The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-03-23
FOR BIGGER CROPS
Expert Talk to Farmers in Vi
Cinity of Sank Centre
GOOD ADVICE IS GIVEN
Better Farming" Special Train of
Northern Pacific Stops Here
tuesday Afternoon

Tuesday Afternoon
The "Better Farming" special train
on the Northern Pacific road stopped
at Sank Centre from 4:1O to $40 Tues
day afternoon and was greeted by a
large number of farmers and others
interested i'm agriculture. The train
made up was of three. day coaches and
a sleeper, the latter for the use of
the experts in charge. One of the
coaches was filled in short order by
those on hand to listen to the address
talks on farming Many stood in the
aisles In charge of the train were
D. E. Willard, development agent Of
the Northern Pacific, and W. Fl. Gem
NELL, general manager of the Mime
sofa & International.
The first talk was by Mr.. Cooper of
the State Agricultural School, who
stated briefly the object of the trip
of the train, namely to assist farmers
to use better methods in working
their land. The average crop, he said,
under average conditions, is not a
paying investment. There are four
ways, he said, of increasing the aver
age crop, namely, by means of proper
preparation of the soil, the applica-
tion of farm manure, the rotation of
crops and the use of good seed. Good
seed consists in plump kernel, which
is simply a healthy embryo surround
led by food for the young plant while
terminating. By using good seed an
increase may be secured which is
worth from $50 to $500 an acre
Mr.. Cooper here gave detailed instruc
tions for the selection of seed. He
s spoke of diseases of grains, going into
detail with regard to smut and its
treatment. Formaldehyde is the best
treatmeant. Mr.. Cooper answered
many questions by the farmers and
gave very entertaining and instruc.
) tive talk.
Prof. A. D. Wilson of the Farm
School followed with an excellent
|. talk on ''Soil Improvement" He
emphasized the value of the rotation
fof crops, using charts to illustrate
what he said. He says experience has
shown that it takes q bushels of corn
TO pay the actual cost per acre of the
production of corn. One of the tables
used showed the results of expert
ments at the State School covered a
period of II years. On a plat of
ground on which corn had been raised
continuously for that length of time,
the average yield was 25 bushels per
acre; wheat, 1877 bushels. On SINH
lar plat where for five years there
had been an intelligent and regular
rotation of cropsa yield of $3.50 bushels
of corn per acre and of 62.3 bushels
per acre of wheat. The Illustration
was startling one and told its story
iforcibly.
4 M. O. Olson of the extension divi-
sion of the SCate Agricultural School,
was the last speaker. He gave what
may be called cracker jack" of a
talk and what he said elected fire.
Iquent applause. Mr.. Olson is an en-
thusiast on corn culture, basing his
enthusiasm on actual experience in
Chippewa county. Mr.. Olson paid his
compliments to quack grass in vigor-
ious style, asserting that cultivated
j crops with good, live farmer back OF
them. is the best cure for the pest:
but the farmer must be diligent first
last and all the time. A five acre
plat of quack grass, he said, could be
cleaned out by seeding it down and
leaving it two years, turning the SOD
over at the end of that time, blowing
deeply while doing so, and then look
, ing out for and destroying any of the
quack grass that makes its appear
) ance. Follow with crop of buckwheat
or millet, and the next year with Z