The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-01
form corr clubs among the children
in the southern states, where, on ac-
count of the cotton ball WeaNil, the

in the southern states, where, on ac-
count of the cotton ball weavil. the
cattle tick and other misfortunes. aeri-
They now have 4s,225 boys enrolled
in these clubs. These boys have been
taught improved methods Of corn rails
ing, and their parents and neighbors
are now immitating them. These boys
not only contend with each other for
premiums. but the best records of each
county are pitted against each other
states. two years ago. offered trips to
Washington as the first prizes. and the
winners were treated like distinguished
visitors by President Taft and Secre-
tary Wilson. The average production
of the United States has been only
o5.5 bushels per Gre. The champion
in these contests is Jerry Moore Of
South Carolina. who produced 2:S
bushels per acre. These boys not only
raise big crops. but sell their corn to
the neighbors at as high as So per
bushel. Jerry Moore's crop figured
at that price will bring him 1854 per
acre. That is more than many men
make from a quarter section. n
boys have not worked these results out
entirely by themselves. Each county
has an instructor to give the boys ad-
I'm oS w ~
Congressman Mckinley Of Illinois is
trying to have this system adopted
throughout the north. Our commercial
club at Larimore has adopted resolu-
tions favoring the Mckinley bill. I
believe it would not be a bad plan for
this convention to adopt the same res
oluttons.
Our leading scientists. statesmen
and business men hav formed an as
e1riot;1,. f~s AA~ .F
the fertility of the soil. This is the
most important economic problem that
We have to solve on this continent.
This association is back of the McKin-
ley bill. Gentlemen. please consider
for a moment how immensely import
ant this qu-"':>n is, and what a re-
sponsibility rests upon each of you
as a school oficer or as a farmer. and
possibly as a father. Before the young
err children reach the age Of many Of
us. unless better methods Of farming
are adopted. a Of them will face
starvation. We now have about ninety
millions Of people in the United States.
BY 1850 or thirty-nine years from
now. we will have two hundred mil
lions or twenty millions more than
twice as many as We have now. We
crease during the years following.
Practically all Of our tillable land is
now occupied. We are robbing the
soil of its fertility every year. Where
will our children and grandchildren
obtain food: Necessity will drive
them to do what has been done in
Europe by scientific supervision OF
agriculture. T Ike wheat. for instance.
During the past twenty-five years Bel
GUM has increased the average yield
from 24.54 bushels to 1886 bushels.
Germany from o2.4 to gas. Denmark's
average was the lowest Of all. It is
10Y the highest being 40 bushels per
acre. Our average yield in the United
States is only 1913 bush-ls per acre.
In North Dakota it is about 13 BUSH
els.
I hope I have shown the necessity
and also the possibility Of conserving
and increasing the fertility of our soil
and Of increasing the yield. and how
it can be brough about. l hope you
gentlemen will go home determined
to see that all the children in your
districts will take part in all these in
dustrial contests. You should have
an annual contest in every township.
The extension department of the agri-
cultural college. our county superin-
tendent and her deputy. and the
Grand Forks and lArimore CONNER
cial clubs are all doing their parts.
Will YOU do yOurSe