The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-10-19
GET INFORMATION
TO The FARMERS
THIS 10 ADVICE or PROF. w. c.
PALMER or THE A. c. AT
DRY FARM CONGRESS.


Colorado Springs, Col, Oct. 1s-Prof.
w. G. Palmer OF the North Dakota
A. G. delivered the following address
before the International Dry Farm
ing congress- at yesterdays session:
h The only way to make facts and
principles of real value is to get them
20 the people who can put them into
practise
The science of good farming does
no good till the man who tills the soil
puts II into use. That In Just where
the trouble lies today. A lot OF in
formation has been worked out that
10 bringing no results. The medical
colleges have worked out all kinds Of
medical knowledge yet disease stalks
through the land laying low whom 1t
chooses. Had a small part of the
science OF hygiene been taught TO the
people effectively they would natur-
ally guard themselves. A large amount
Of information has been worked out
by the experiment stations and COL
leges, but II is not shown in the crop
reports. The information ID to a large
extent locked up In bulletins and re-
ports which are written in A language
that the farmer finds difficuIt 10 read
Too often they contain the technical
details while the farmer needs the
q, b c's
The experiment station men are NOT
to blame, however. The nature of
their work and publications are out
lined by law. They investigate. pub
lish the results of their scientific re-
search in scientific bulletins an re-
CURED by the u. q. government that
pays the salaries. furnishes the equip
ment and pays for publishing the bull
letins. At least this is true in North
Dakota where the state has given the
experiment station practically no aid.
II popular bulletins or, literature Is
wanted the state must pay for having
It prepared and printed
So after the experiment station men
have done their work the problem
still remains OF how to get the facts
and principles on which GOOD farm
ing 10 based to the farmer in terms
that he will understand and that win
set action. The farmer is ca quick
a. any one to 90 after q dollar. IL
he uses methods that do not bring
the best results it is not that he pre-
ferg these but that he has not been
shown how 10 do better at least not in
an effective way that he can under
stand There may have been q So
called demonstration. II IL unjust to
say that the farmer Ia not progressive
He is dealing with a very complex
subject and cannot AFFORD TO make
changes unless he IL convinced that
they will pay. This Is not easy to do.
TO make changes just for the sake OF
making a change would not be wise.
The press comes in the closest and
most continuous touch with the farm
ers II is also as d rule interested IN
getting better methods OF farming In
troduced We have found d large part
OF the press In our state ready to co..
operate with us. The work is car
ried on as follows: The state is d.
vided into three sections according To
the variations in rainfall and the lay
OF the Land. Two sets OF articles on
some timely farm subject of rs TO
$50 words are prepared for each Sec
tion and sent to the papers I'm them
each week Two sets are prepared
so that when there are two papers
in the same place they will each have
different service. Two sets Of long
or farm articles up to 1000 words In
| length, but preferably shorter are
prepared and sent to the daiIiea, larg-
or weeklies and to agricultural pa
pers wanting them. This Is sent out
naimeographed and In form 80 thar
all the editor needs to DO II he de-
cidas to use them ID to put them on
/ the compositor's hook. Two GETS OF
copy Tor an illustrated farm page are
also prepared. One lii issued BY The
| American Press association In plate
form every three weeks. The other IL
| issued BY The Western Newspaper
linton Ia plate form every three
weeks and Ii also printed In the pat
ent ineldes when requested. This
plate and patent inside service fur
niehes the publisher cheap and .
very effective farm service 81 Ii IL
edited Tor the conditions In the state
and II ID illustrated. The material
tor ali these services are pat into the
simplest language and Il II made
timely - fer a. that can be done
/ Tn this way the information sent
out from this ONCE reaches . large